What the "L" is Qrill?

In the last two years a new word has made its appearance in the international mushing scene. I've been simply watching and listening but decided to share a bit of what I have discovered so far since this blog is all about the sled dog racing world and the folks involved in it, most especially the feminine.

First off, many of us have hard of Krill Oil being touted as a wonderful health panacea for humans. Krill is a tiny shrimp-type  crustacean found in bitter cold waters. mainly around the antarctic. I admit to taking  daily capsule of krill oil myself; I get it from Wallyworld which is probably not the best source for a quality product but that is not germain here.  Well, as in  many cases, what is good for us hoomans is also good for our critters, especially the more carnoivorous ones. With that in mind a Norwegian company has begun to produce and market pet food based on krill. What do they call it? Qrill! The logo features orange and their marketing and PR efforts are getting pretty spectacular.

A closely linked enterprise is their sponsorship of  first one and now several racing dog sled teams in an effort to promote the value of their special feed and to support, sustain and educate the public about the sport of mushing. You may recognize a few of the names and the rest will likely become more familiar soon. Here is the URL to the team page: https://www.qrillpet.com/theqrillpetteam

Thomas Waerner is a Norwegian musher who has competed in the Iditarod in the past and though not winning turned in a good performance. Then a few years ago, a younger countryman by the name of Joar Leifseth Ulsom appeared. To date he has run the Iditarod seven times, was rookie of the year his first try and has finished above tenth in each run, peaking as the winner in 2018. That year like last, he featured a lot of orange and carried the Qrill logo on his truck and some of the other gear. He was a close second last year to the 2019 winner, Pete Keiser, who so far is not involved in the Qrill enterprise. Joar currently resides in Alaska in the Willows area, north of Wasilla.

A name even the more casual mushing fans will recognize is Dallas Seavey. Scion of the old and well known mushing Seavey family--both his grandfather Dan and dad Mitch are I'rod winners--Dallas was the youngest competitor to run the big one on his rookie year at age 18. Since then he has scooped up for wins plus one win of the Yukon Quest. He got crosswise with the Iditarod board in 2017 about a badly botched and mishandled issue where two of his dogs post-race tested positive for tramadol, a synthetic opiate, and has not run that race since. Instead he migrated to Norway and started racing there. So far I do not think he has won the two big Norwegian races but he's doing well..

A couple of Norwegian ladies are also part of the team, Marit Beale Kasin and Hanna Lyrek. I am sure we will be hearing more of them in the future In short, keep your eyes pealed for orange dog trucks, parkas, sled bags and other gear that certainly seems will soon be ubiquitous on the major international competitions. The orange hexagon and slanted tear drop shape of their logos are already flashing in many places.

The latest project this very ambitious and energetic crew has taken on is a "world championship of sled dog racing" which for now involves mushers earning points in four major races--two in Europe--Russia and Norway-- the John Beargrease in the lower US 48 and the Iditarod.  One musher/team will grab the most points--winning the Iditarod is the highest valued placement--and will be declared the world champion.

On this in particular I do have mixed feelings. First there are far too few races to claim this level of a title. The Yukon Quest is not included and a number of major mid distance  and stage races in Alaska, Canada and the lower 48 states to say nothing of several long-running events in Europe are not factored in. And sprint racing is totally ignored. IMHO much more inclusion needs to happen before any grandiose titles are awarded. The point system seems pretty complex and even confusing although I have not really read the who schedule and rules on this yet; not sure where to even find them! Back to the search engines...

As an alternative I suggested a final race among only the winners of at least six to ten of the most onerous and long distance races competing in a race to be held at a revolving location of one of those big races after the main season is over or early the next winter if the venues lack sufficient snow. I admit this would be a logistical nightmare due to the complex requirements most countries have for bringing animals across their borders plus assembling a vet team, volunteers and all the needed facilities for the whole entourage and the reporters likely to follow. But if it could be accomplished, what a PR event that would be! I visualize a jewel studded "platinum"harness set for the lead dog or pair of the winner, a fancy belt or badge or helmet for the musher and great hoopla!! Well, one can dream. I was not exactly pooh-poohed off the page on the FB groups where I posted it but did get a dash of ice water on the difficulties involved!! For now I am in a wait-n-see mode on the Qrill World Championship Musher project but will follow developments closely and certainly watch the orange decked teams as they compete in the 2020 races and into the future. There were none in the YQ , Kusko300, CB300 etc. since they are not "sanctioned' by this new enterprise!