Alaska Sports And Recreation

Alaska's two professional sports teams are the Alaska Aces, an ECHL hockey team, and the Alaska Wild, a new Intense Football League football team.

In modern times, dog mushing is more of a sport than a practical means of transportation. Various races are held around the state, but the best known is the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, a 1,150-mile (1850 km) trail from Anchorage to Nome. The race commemorates the famous 1925 serum run to Nome in which mushers and dogs like Balto took much-needed medicine to the diphtheria-stricken community of Nome when all other means of transportation had failed. Mushers from all over the world come to Anchorage each March to compete for cash prizes and prestige.

Notable athletes from Alaska include Carlos Boozer, Rosey Fletcher, Scott Gomez, and Trajan Langdon.

Hiking, camping, and cross-country skiing are all very popular in Alaska. Hunting and fishing are also popular; a greater percentage of Alaskans fish than residents of any other state.[27]

Musher Robert Sorlie near the Nome finish of the Iditarod.