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Lewis Pavilla Charges from Behind to Win 4th Bogus Creek 150

Katie Basile
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KYUK

Lewis Pavilla is the first four-time winner of the Bogus Creek 150. In the closing portion of the race, he passed rookie Maurice Andrews, who had held the race lead up until the final checkpoint of Tuluksak. Running a string of dogs from the Max Olick Bad River Kennel in Kwethluk, Pavilla arrived in Bethel at 11:07 a.m. Saturday morning. He told KYUK he was in good spirits with the victory, despite the deep cold that set the tone for the race. 

“It feels good, a little frostbitten all over my face. I lost my dry face mask somewhere back there,” said Pavilla.

That cold extended to the midway break and four-hour mandatory layover at Bogus Creek when he made a big meal for his dog team. 

“It was challenging trying to cook with the propane because the propanes were frozen up, so we had to cook with fire,” said Pavilla.

After the overnight run to Bogus Creek, Andrews held the lead, and dropped one dog, hoping to maintain his 19-minute edge. But the veteran Pavilla proved fastest Saturday morning. Before sunrise Pavilla left the final checkpoint of Tuluksak with an 18-minute gap to make up behind Andrews and charged ahead over the final 50 miles to pass Andrews midway through the four-plus hour run. 

Credit Katie Basile / KYUK
/
KYUK
Lewis Pavilla arrives in Bethel Saturday morning.

Race Marshall Brian Berube told KYUK that Pavilla was riding the brake Friday night on the frigid run up to Bogus Creek, evidently holding back the team’s energy to be able to march downriver in chase of Andrews and the race victory.

Credit Katie Basile / KYUK
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KYUK
Frosty dogs arrive in Bethel with Bogus Creek 150 champion Lewis Pavilla.

Norwegian Niklas Wikstrand, who is working this winter as a handler for Pete Kaiser, arrived in second place at 11:25 a.m. after passing Andrews on the trail into Bethel.  The 27-year-old is training in Bethel now but had been living in Svalbard, an extremely northerly set of Arctic islands between Norway and the North Pole. 

Credit Katie Basile / KYUK
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KYUK
Niklas Wikstrand took second place in the Bogus Creek 150.

He told KYUK that his team was well prepared after the training routine that Kaiser and he implemented leading up to race season. But the flat river was new terrain for Wikstrand. 

“I haven't really been used to mushing on the  river. I’m used to the forest, on the tundra, on glaciers and mountains, but not on the river like this," said Wikstrand

33-year-old Andrews arrived in third place at 11:31 a.m. Andrews raced with dogs from Bethel musher John Simon’s Kennel. Originally from Alakanuk on the mouth of the Yukon River, the 33-year-old Andrews is racing in Bethel now.

Credit Katie Basile / KYUK
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KYUK
A bundled-up Maurice Andrews arrived in Bethel in third place.

For his first place finish, Pavilla wins a $7,500 in prize money, while Wikstrand earns $6,000.  

The 40-year-old Pavilla passes three-time winner Jackie Larson as the all-time winningest musher in race history. His three victories came in 2009, 2010, and 2013. Stay tuned to KYUK today for coverage of the Bogus Creek 150, Akiak Dash, and Kuskokwim 300.