The Human Dog Sled Competition is an annual event held in February during the
Winterfest
'Winterfest' is the name of various winter festivals held in various parts of North America.
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
The annual Winterfest in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, produces the Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade which is tagged the "G ...
celebration of
Lowell,
Massachusetts
Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
,
USA
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...
.
The Human Dogsled Competition has been recognized for several years by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (
PETA
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA; ) is an American animal rights nonprofit organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president.
Founded in March 1980 by Newkirk and animal right ...
) for its animal-friendly approach to winter fun.
Each year, a field of approximately 32 teams compete against each other in a double elimination tournament to determine the National Human Dog Sled Champion. The teams consist of six persons including four
sled
A sled, skid, sledge, or sleigh is a land vehicle that slides across a surface, usually of ice or snow. It is built with either a smooth underside or a separate body supported by two or more smooth, relatively narrow, longitudinal runners ...
pullers, a sled rider, and a sled pusher. The sled race is approximately 50 meters long and takes place along a snow-covered street in downtown Lowell. Team members often dress in wacky costumes and there is a prize for the most creative of attire.
A variety of strategies are employed to gain victory. Some teams consist of burly football players who try to win by sheer power. Other teams consist of lightly built sprinters who try to win by having a pusher who may not weigh that much.
In past years,
ESPN
ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
has given brief coverage to the final matchups of the event. There is no prize money associated with this race.
References
External links
Lowell Winterfest
Culture of Massachusetts
{{Massachusetts-stub