Like father, like son: Rohn Buser wins K300 Sled Dog Race

Rohn Buser -- the son of four-time Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race champion Martin Buser -- delivered the biggest surprise of the young mushing season Sunday by winning the Kuskokwim 300 Sled Dog Race, dispatching a field flush with champions, including his father.

Buser reached the Bethel finish line just before noon to complete the 300-mile race in 41 hours 12 minutes, making him the second-youngest champion in race history.

Defending Iditarod champion John Baker of Kotzebue kicked off his 2012 campaign by finishing second, 32 minutes behind 22-year-old Buser to earn $15,000. And defending Kusko champion Paul Gebhardt of Kasilof, a two-time Iditarod runner-up, was third, some 16 minutes behind Baker. Four-time Iditarod champions Lance Mackey (5th) and Martin Buser (9th) were also in the stacked field.

The Kusko is the world's richest middle-distance sled dog race, with the winner taking home $20,000 from a $100,000 purse.

With his victory, Buser became the second-youngest winner in race history behind Ramey Smyth of Willow, who finished seventh on Sunday after winning decades ago as a little-known teenager.

Like father, like son

Rohn and dad Martin Buser become the first father-son tandem to earn a Kusko championship. Martin won the Kusko in 1994 and 2007. The first of those came in at 37:04 and remains the race record.

KYUK Public Radio caught up with Rohn after the race:

Buser said he relied on five or six veteran race dogs to get through the tough weather which included -50 degree wind chills.

“This was definitely the windiest one I’ve done,” Buser said.

Both Busers are entered in the Iditarod beginning March 3 in Anchorage. It will be Rohn's second time in the 1,000-mile marathon from Willow to Nome. He finished 37th  as a 19-year-old in 2008.

Kuskokwim 300: Finishers in Bethel Sunday afternoon

1) Rohn Buser, 41:12; 2) John Baker, 41:44; 3) Paul Gebhardt, 41:59; 4) Richie Diehl, 43:12; 5) Lance Mackey, 43:38; 6) Aaron Burmeister, 44:18; 7) Ramey Smyth, 44:18; 8) Scott Smith, 44:27; 9) Martin Buser 44:41; 10) Mike Williams, Jr., 45:08; 11) Peter Kaiser, 45:10

Keep up to date on Alaska dog mushing. Read our Team & Trail and Iditarod sections.