Herbie Nayokpuk (June 12, 1929 – December 2, 2006)[1] (Iñupiaq pronunciation: Niiqpaq) nicknamed the "Shishmaref Cannonball", was an Inupiaq musher, known for his cheerful and straight-ahead demeanor[2] It is said that "no musher in Iditarod history has been more admired, more respected or better liked than Herbie Nayokpuk."[3]

Iditarod Finishes
Year Position Time
1973 5th[4] 21d 11h 0m 19s[4]
1974 3rd[4] 21d 18h 28m 42s[4]
1975 4th[4] 14d 20h 29m 7s[4]
1979 Scratched[4]
1980 2nd[4] 14d 20h 32m 12s[4]
1981 7th[4] 12d 22h 17m 45s[4]
1982 7th[4] 16d 14h 8m 21s[4]
1983 4th[4] 12d 22h 4m 28s[4]
1985 8th[4] 18d 17h 20m 0s[4]
1987 25th[4] 13d 10h 27m 47s[4]
1988 6th[4] 13d 3h 26m 44s[4]

Life and career

Nayokpuk was born in Shishmaref in 1929. He was one of the original mushers to run the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in 1973.[5] He also represented Alaska at the presidential inauguration of Ronald Reagan in 1981.[5] He ended up running the Iditarod 11 times.[6] He never won, but he made some notably daring attempts in extreme weather conditions. He suffered a stroke after one race and competed in another despite having just recovered from a heart attack.[6] He was also an accomplished Inupiaq artist.[7]

Death and legacy

Nayokpuk died at the age of 77 at the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage, Alaska after suffering a massive stroke at his home in mid-November and then lapsing into a coma.[2] He is buried in Shishmaref.[6] Each year since 2007, an Iditarod musher is awarded with the "Herbie Nayokpuk Memorial Award", which goes to the musher "who best epitomizes Herbie Nayokpuk's spirit of mushing the Iditarod"[8]

References

  1. ↑ "Herbie Nayokpuk, legendary sledder, dies at 77".
  2. 1 2 "Herbie Nayokpuk". Sled Dog Central. Vega Discoveries, LLC. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  3. ↑ "Herbie Nayokpuk: 'Cannonball' commanded respect". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 "Musher Career Summary - Herbie Nayokpuk". Iditarod.com. Iditarod. 13 January 2013. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  5. 1 2 "HERBERT "HERBIE" NAYOKPUK". Project Jukebox. Digital Branch of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Oral History Program. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 "Herbie Nayokpuk, legendary sledder, dies at 77". Indianz.com. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  7. ↑ Tuk Nayokpuk, Miranda (4 February 2020). "Art Analysis: Herbie Nayokpuk Inupiaq Art". Indigenous Voice. Wordpress. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  8. ↑ "Aaron Burmeister honored with Iditarod award inspired by Herbie Nayokpuk". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
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