Full version
http://www.adn.com/outdoors/winter_recreation/story/316704.html
Palin takes spectacular tumble in Iron Dog
Defending champ flies about 70 feet when snowmachine hits barrel
By CRAIG MEDRED
cmedred@adn.com
Published: February 16th, 2008 04:29 AM
Short version
Tesoro Iron Dog snowmobile racers Todd Palin of Wasilla and Scott Davis of Soldotna were back on the trail Friday night after a crash that rattled the duo and sent a minor tremor across the state.
The crash itself was somewhat the norm for Alaska snowmobile accidents.
Palin hit a solid object -- in this case a barrel hidden beneath the snow. The obstruction stopped his snowmachine, and he went flying over it.
The 43-year-old Palin is not your average snowmachine rider, however; he is the husband of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
Debenham said Palin and Davis, 48 , were on the outskirts of the one-time Air Force outpost along the Yukon, racing at high speed toward a fuel stop, when Palin's machine hit the barrel.
After the crash, Davis stopped his snowmachine, went back to get Palin, loaded him on Davis' machine and went straight to the clinic.
"He's fine,'' Debenham said. "I just saw him. They were walking around. They're talking now about what they need to do to fix their machines.''
Palin and Davis are the defending Iron Dog champions. They were in second place when the accident happened but dropped far back in the field while repairing Palin's machine.
By the time they left Galena, they were 13th among the 18 teams still in the competition
Palin was likely protected from serious injury by Iron Dog rules that require competitors to wear not only helmets, but body armor as well.
, anybody know anything about her?
