Houghton, MI – The Mushing Club at Michigan Technological University participated in its first race, the Beargrease 40, in Duluth, Minnesota on Sunday.
Like the sled dogs integral to the sport, the club is a unique breed — maybe the only collegiate-level mushing organization in the nation. The United States Federation of Sleddog Sports, as well as local club organizers, haven’t found any other university clubs in the United States.
There are about 30 club members; a core group of 10 will take part in the race. Two mushers will drive teams: senior chemical engineering major Andrew Watson, of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and second-year forestry major Ben Nicolson, of Duluth, Minnesota.
The Beargrease is in Nicolson’s hometown. “I grew up around the culture of sled-dog racing and have always been fascinated by the sport,” he said. “But I didn’t have much knowledge about dog sledding before I joined the club.”
For its first year, the group is sticking to recreational-class races. “We want to make sure everyone’s safe,” said club co-founder and president Adam Schmidt.
Nicolson said his goals for the race are to “spread the word about the club and build a good reputation for ourselves and our campus through the care and effort that we put into our dog teams.”
Watson, who spent almost every day of the holiday break mushing to get ready for the race, is more prosaic: “Not finish last. Don’t fall off the sled. Stay warm.”
The club, which plans to race in other events this winter including the UP 200 and CopperDog, also has a mission to support student well-being and school spirit by caring for sled dogs at Otter River Sled Dog Training Center, where the club is hosted. Find out more in Huskies Mush on Michigan Tech News.
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