CLASS OF 2007
To be inducted into the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame a person, moment or event shall have brought positive attention to their community, the state of Alaska and its people. All people, moments and events inducted into the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame shall have brought pride especially, but not exclusively, to the people of Alaska through achievement in the realm of sport. Click on "Public Vote" to read the complete induction criteria.
The Inductees
George Attla - North Pole and Huslia
The legendary “Huslia Hustler” ranks as one of sprint mushing’s finest drivers. An Athabaskan Indian, he overcame a leg crippled by tuberculosis to win ten Fur Rondy World Championships, eight Open North American Championships and nine International Sled Dog Association Unlimited Class medals. His life was immortalized in the film Spirit of the Wind.
Susan Butcher - Manley and Fairbanks
Butcher dominated the Iditarod during the 1980s, winning a still unprecedented three races in a row to inspire the popular T-shirt slogan “Alaska – where men are men and women win the Iditarod.” She won four Iditarod titles in her career and collected numerous awards along the way, including the National Women's Sports Foundation Amateur Athlete of The Year Award and the U.S. Victor Award for Female Athlete of the Year two years in a row. Sports Illustrated listed her as one of the “100 Greatest Female Athletes.’’ Butcher was 51 when she died of leukemia.
Scott Gomez - Anchorage
Gomez became an instant star in his rookie season in the National Hockey League, winning the league’s rookie of the year award and helping the New Jersey Devils win the Stanley Cup in 2000. He won another Stanley Cup in 2003 and played in the 2006 Winter Olympics as a member of the U.S. hockey team.
Tommy Moe - Girdwood
Tommy Moe took Norway by storm in 1994. He won gold in the downhill on the first day of competition in Lillehammer and a few days later grabbed a silver medal in the super-G. Moe, the only Alaskan to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated, skied in three Olympics and won five national championships.
Kristen Thorsness - Anchorage
Thorsness became the first Alaskan to win an Olympic medal when she helped the women’s 8 rowing team claim the gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Her passion helped inspire the creation of the Anchorage Rowing Association.
The Event
Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race
The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race: Started in 1973 by Joe Redington Sr., the 1,100-mile race from Anchorage to Nome annually brings national attention to Alaska.
The Moments
First Ascent of Mount Mckinley
The first ascent of Mount McKinley in 1913 by the Hudson Stuck-Harry Karstens expedition team: Their efforts helped turn Denali into Alaska’s biggest sports arena.
1985 Iditarod Victory by Libby Riddles
1985 Iditarod victory by Libby Riddles: Her courageous dash into a coastal blizzard made her the first woman to win the race.
Others who received votes:
People (In alphabetical order): Big Bob Aiken, Carlos Boozer, Red Boucher, John Brown, Don Clary, Nicole Johnston, Reggie Joule, Rocky Klever, Kristi Klinnert (Waythomas), Wayne Kozak, Nina Kemppel, Trajan Langdon, Hilary Lindh, Dennis Mattingly, Buck Nystrom, Joe Redington Sr., Reilly Richey, Libby Riddles, Mark Schlereth, Bill Spencer, Rick Swenson, Vern Tejas, Reggie Tongue, James Walters, Bradford Washburn, Chuck White, Paul White Jr., Dick Wilmarth.
Events (in random order): Great Alaska Shootout, Midnight Sun baseball game, World Eskimo-Indian Olympics, Yukon Quest, Fur Rondy World Sled Dog Championships, Mount Marathon, Gold Medal basketball tournament, Tour of Anchorage, Crow Pass Crossing.
Moments (in random order): Tommy Moe’s Olympic gold medal in the downhill; Susan Butcher’s first of three straight Iditarod victories; Hilary Lindh’s Olympic silver medal in the downhill run; Les Anderson’s world-record king salmon catch; the inaugural Mount Marathon race; the 1978 Iditarod photo finish between Dick Mackey and Rick Swenson; Scott Gomez brings the Stanley Cup to Anchorage; Monroe Catholic beats East Anchorage to win the 1979 state basketball championship; Kris Thorness becomes Alaska’s first Olympic medalist.
Alaska Sports Hall of Fame
14815 Echo Canyon Road
Anchorage, AK 99516
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