John Baker (musher)
Encyclopedia
John Quniaq Baker is self-employed American
dog musher
, pilot
and motivational speaker
of Inupiat descent who consistently places in the top 10 during the 1,000+ mi (1,600 km) Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Baker won the 2011 Iditarod with a finish time of 8 Days 19 Hours 46 Minutes 39 Seconds.
Baker started mushing at age 1. He raced in his first Iditarod in 1996, placing 22nd. By his third race he placed in the top 10, and he sustained that position for six of the next seven years (from the 1998 to the 2005 Iditarod
s), only dropping to 22nd once again in 2000 due to dog trouble. His second best finish was in 2002, when he crossed the finish line in 3rd place in 9 days, 5 hours, 46 minutes, and 30 seconds. In 1998, he won both the Dorothy G. Page
Halfway Award and the Regal Alaskan's First Musher to the Yukon
Award. He has competed in every race from the 1996 to the 2009 Iditarod. In the 2009 Iditarod, he finished in 3rd place.
Baker worked as a pilot and manager of his family's air taxi
business. He also visits local schools as a motivational lecturer. Like Ramy Brooks
, Baker is one of the few Alaska Native dog sled racers who compete in the modern Iditarod.
Baker lives near his extended family on the coast of the Bering Sea
in Kotzebue, Alaska, and has a fish camp/winter cabin 30 mi (50 km) away, across Kobuk Lake. His son Alex has competed in the Junior Iditarod
. He also has a daughter, Tahayla.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
dog musher
Mushing
Mushing is a general term for a sport or transport method powered by dogs, and includes carting, pulka, scootering, sled dog racing, skijoring, freighting, and weight pulling. More specifically, it implies the use of one or more dogs to pull a sled on snow or a rig on dry land...
, pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
and motivational speaker
Motivational speaker
A motivational speaker or inspirational speaker is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. In a business context, they are employed to communicate company strategy with clarity and help employees to see the future in a positive light and inspire workers to pull...
of Inupiat descent who consistently places in the top 10 during the 1,000+ mi (1,600 km) Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Baker won the 2011 Iditarod with a finish time of 8 Days 19 Hours 46 Minutes 39 Seconds.
| Year | Position | Time (h Hour The hour is a unit of measurement of time. In modern usage, an hour comprises 60 minutes, or 3,600 seconds... :min Minute A minute is a unit of measurement of time or of angle. The minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour or 60 seconds. In the UTC time scale, a minute on rare occasions has 59 or 61 seconds; see leap second. The minute is not an SI unit; however, it is accepted for use with SI units... :s Second The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock.... ) |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 22nd | 10 days, 23:26:00 |
| 1997 | 11th | 9 days, 23:09:36 |
| 1998 | 5th | 9 days, 21:43:09 |
| 1999 | 8th | 10 days, 10:10:54 |
| 2000 | 22nd | 10 days, 05:48:29 |
| 2001 | 6th | 10 days, 21:00:30 |
| 2002 | 3rd | 9 days, 05:46:30 |
| 2003 | 8th | 10 days, 07:33:07 |
| 2004 | 9th | 10 days, 00:43:00 |
| 2005 | 6th | 9 days, 21:41:00 |
| 2006 | 5th | 9 days, 17:37:45 |
| 2011 | 1st | 8 days, 19:46:39 |
Baker started mushing at age 1. He raced in his first Iditarod in 1996, placing 22nd. By his third race he placed in the top 10, and he sustained that position for six of the next seven years (from the 1998 to the 2005 Iditarod
2005 Iditarod
The ceremonial start of the 33rd annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across the US state of Alaska began in Anchorage on March 5, 2005 at 10 AM AKST , and restarted in Willow the next day at 2 PM...
s), only dropping to 22nd once again in 2000 due to dog trouble. His second best finish was in 2002, when he crossed the finish line in 3rd place in 9 days, 5 hours, 46 minutes, and 30 seconds. In 1998, he won both the Dorothy G. Page
Dorothy Page
Dorothy G. Page was best known as "Mother of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race", the 1,049-mile dog sled race across the U.S. state of Alaska.Page moved from New Mexico to Alaska in 1960...
Halfway Award and the Regal Alaskan's First Musher to the Yukon
Yukon
Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
Award. He has competed in every race from the 1996 to the 2009 Iditarod. In the 2009 Iditarod, he finished in 3rd place.
Baker worked as a pilot and manager of his family's air taxi
Air taxi
An air taxi is an air charter passenger or cargo aircraft which operates on an on-demand basis.-Regulation:In the United States, air taxi and air charter operations are governed by Part 135 of the Federal Aviation Regulations , unlike the larger scheduled air carriers which are governed by more...
business. He also visits local schools as a motivational lecturer. Like Ramy Brooks
Ramy Brooks
Ramy "Ray" Brooks is an Alaska Native kennel owner and operator, motivational speaker, and dog musher who specializes in long-distance races. He is a two-time runner up in the 1,049+ mi Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across the U.S...
, Baker is one of the few Alaska Native dog sled racers who compete in the modern Iditarod.
Baker lives near his extended family on the coast of the Bering Sea
Bering Sea
The Bering Sea is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises a deep water basin, which then rises through a narrow slope into the shallower water above the continental shelves....
in Kotzebue, Alaska, and has a fish camp/winter cabin 30 mi (50 km) away, across Kobuk Lake. His son Alex has competed in the Junior Iditarod
Junior Iditarod
The Junior Iditarod Sled Dog Race, or Jr. Iditarod, is a 148 to 158 mile sled dog race for mushers between the ages of 14 through 17, which is patterned after the 1,049 mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. The race is held outside Anchorage in the U.S...
. He also has a daughter, Tahayla.
| Iditarod awards | Year | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Dorothy G. Page Halfway Award | 1998 | First to arrive at Cripple |
| Regal Alaskan's First Musher to the Yukon Award | 1998 | First to arrive at Anvik Ruby, Alaska Ruby is a city in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 188.-Geography:Ruby is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of .... |