Iditarod -- 18th Place -- Martin Buser

Martin Buser

Big Lake, AK, USA
Bib Number: 33
Final Position: 18
Checkpoint: Nome
Time In: Thu, March 19, 2009 16:43:00
Dogs In: 10
Finishing Time: 11 Days 2 Hours 43 Minutes 0 Seconds
Average Speed: 3.97 MPH

Born in Winterthur, Switzerland in 1958, Martin became fascinated with sled dogs while still a teen. He came to Alaska in 1979 to enhance his knowledge of care and training of sled dogs. He began working and training with long-time Alaskan mushers Earl and Natalie Norris and ran his first Iditarod in 1980. Martin, wife Kathy Chapoton and sons Nikolai and Rohn (both names after Iditarod checkpoints, reside in Big Lake, Alaska where the family owns and manages Happy Trails Kennel. Both boys are attending college. Martin spends a large percentage of his personal time speaking with youth on the humanitarian care of animals and the spirit of the Iditarod. A favorite celebrity of the children of Alaska, Martin treats them with surprise visits from his dogs during many of these appearances. Martin runs the race each year with his dogs to test the success of their breeding, training and physical endurance. He regards his racers as true competitive athletes and prides his team on their longevity and spirit of competition. Says Martin, "I run the Iditarod to prove that my dogs, bred, trained and raced by Happy Trails Kennels, are the best amongst the world's long distance athletes." Martin's 2002 team currently holds the record for the Fastest Iditarod by completing the race in 8 days, 22 hours, 46 minutes and 2 seconds. As tribute to his treatment of his racers, Martin was awarded the coveted Leonhard Seppala Award in 1988, 1993, 1995 and again in 1997 for the mot humanitarian care of his dogs. The award was named for the most famous Alaskan musher who ran the longest and most dangerous stretch of the 1925, 674-mile diphtheria serum run from Nenana to Nome, which saved hundreds of lives. Following Martin's 2002 victory, the process for his becoming a naturalized citizen of the United States was completed under the burled monument. Upon completion of the 2005 Iditarod after a woodworking accident four days prior to the race start resulting in the amputation of part of his finger, his fellow mushers awarded him both the Sportsmanship and Most Inspirational Awards. Martin is a member of the Explorer's Club. His hobbies are carpentry and woodturning.

Sponsors: Eagle Premium Pet Foods, IN; NYE Ford/Toyota; MTA; Big Lake Susitna Veterinary Hospital; Marylou Whitney, NY; Spenard Builder’s Supply; Diversified Tire; Northern Outfitters, UT; Amaize Supplements/Marsland Laboratories, MO; Jon & Jona Van Zyle; Buser Booster Club; NYE Frontier Ford; NYE Toyota; EAGLE PACK Holistic Natural Pet Foods, IN; Marylou Whitney, NY; Northern Outfitters, UT; Diversified Tire; MTA; Big Lake-Susitna Veterinary Hospital; Spenard Builder’s Supply; Taiga Mushing Supplies, Inc.; Trapper Creek Smoking Company; Helly Hansen/SPY Optics; Jona & Jon Van Zyle; The Trabits Group; NYE Toyota; Eagle Pack Holistic Natural Pet Foods, IN; Marylou Whitney, NY; Northern Outfitters, FL; Diversified Tire; MTA; Big Lake Susitna Veterinary Hospital; Spenard Builder's Supply; Taiga Mushing Supplies, Inc.; Trapper Creek Smoking Company; Jona & Jon VanZyle; The Trabits Group; Dr. David McGuire; Dr. Michael McNamara; NYE Ford; Gari & Len Sisk; SprocketHeads, LLC; Kendall Auto Group; Eagle Pack Holistic Natural Pet Foods/John Hart IN; Marylou Whitney; Northern Outfitters/Jim Harrison; Diversified Tire/Dave & Judy Schnieder; MTA/Greg Berbrick; Big Lake-Susitna Veterinary Hospital/Dr. and Mrs. Bryan Beatsle; Spenard Builder's Supply; Taiga Mushing Supplies, Inc./Joanne Trefethen; Trapper Creek Smoking Company/Andy Wahry; Jona & Jon VanZyle; Alaska Orthopedic Specialists/Dr. David McGuire; Dr. Michael McNamara; Sprocketheads/Steve Rychetnik; Rotary International District 5010 END POLIO NOW; The Trabits Group/George & Renee Trabits;

Musher Printout:

Checkpoint Distance
Time In Dogs In
Time Out Dogs Out
Rest
Time Enroute
Speed(mph)

Martin Buser

Anchorage 0

03/07/2009 11:10:00 12

Willow 49

03/08/2009 15:02:00 16

Yentna (YENT-na) 115

03/08/2009 18:51:00 16
03/08/2009 21:04:00 16
2h 13m
3h 49m
17.29

Skwentna 149

03/09/2009 00:00:00 16
03/09/2009 04:29:00 16
4h 29m
2h 56m
11.59

Finger Lake 194

03/09/2009 09:31:00 16
03/09/2009 14:05:00 16
4h 34m
5h 2m
8.94

Rainy Pass 224

03/09/2009 17:04:00 16
03/09/2009 20:38:00 16
3h 34m
2h 59m
10.06

Rohn (Rone) 272

03/10/2009 01:00:00 16
03/10/2009 07:32:00 14
6h 32m
4h 22m
10.99

Nikolai (NIK-o-lye) 347

03/10/2009 22:32:00 14
03/10/2009 22:33:00 14
0h 1m
15h 0m
5.00

McGrath 401

03/11/2009 05:08:00 14
03/11/2009 11:09:00 14
6h 1m
6h 35m
8.20

Takotna (Ta-COT-na) 419

03/11/2009 13:27:00 14
03/11/2009 13:27:00 14
0h 0m
2h 18m
7.83

Ophir (OH-fur) 444

03/11/2009 16:50:00 14
03/12/2009 18:00:00 14
25h 10m
3h 23m
7.39

Iditarod (I-DIT-a-rod) 534

03/13/2009 07:22:00 14
03/13/2009 13:50:00 13
6h 28m
13h 22m
6.73

Shageluk (SHAG-a-luck) 599

03/13/2009 21:35:00 13
03/14/2009 05:35:00 13
8h 0m
7h 45m
8.39

Anvik 624

03/14/2009 08:38:00 13
03/14/2009 08:39:00 13
0h 1m
3h 3m
8.20

Grayling 642

03/14/2009 10:57:00 13
03/14/2009 17:41:00 13
6h 44m
2h 18m
7.83

Eagle Island 702

03/15/2009 02:22:00 13
03/15/2009 09:15:00 13
6h 53m
8h 41m
6.91

Kaltag (KAL-tag) 772

03/15/2009 18:07:00 13
03/16/2009 03:40:00 12
9h 33m
8h 52m
7.89

Unalakleet (YOU-na-la-kleet) 862

03/16/2009 13:54:00 12
03/16/2009 19:05:00 12
5h 11m
10h 14m
8.79

Shaktoolik (Shak-TOO-lick) 902

03/17/2009 00:35:00 12
03/17/2009 21:45:00 11
21h 10m
5h 30m
7.27

Koyuk (Coy-uk) 960

03/18/2009 03:34:00 11
03/18/2009 08:12:00 11
4h 38m
5h 49m
9.97

Elim (EE-lum) 1008

03/18/2009 13:46:00 11
03/18/2009 17:26:00 11
3h 40m
5h 34m
8.62

White Mountain 1054

03/18/2009 23:26:00 11
03/19/2009 07:27:00 10
8h 1m
6h 0m
7.67

Nome 1131
03/19/2009 16:43:00 10
9h 16m
8.31