Sean de Wolski

Nationality: 

American

Age:

36

Occupation:

Retired Engineer, Dog Musher

Personal Website:

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Facebook:

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Instagram:

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Twitter:

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Kennel Name:

Bouncing Bumbles 

Breeds included:

Alaskan Husky

Number of dogs in kennel:

9

Number of years running dogs:

15

How did your kennel get its name?

Friends have said I look like Yukon Cornelius from the Rudolph Claymation video. I finally saw it last year while bailing on a training run because it was pushing 60 below with wind chill. His best

quote was “Bumbles Bounce!”. I needed a name and that seemed like a good candidate!

How did you get started running dogs?

I started running dogs while in College in central Maine with my now ex-wife and her family. I was into it for a few years but got out of it when I entered the corporate world living outside

of Boston. I still had a couple retired dogs who I’d hike and bikejor with. When I got my amazing Lexi, who’s now 11.5, retired, and sitting next to me on the couch as I type this, I needed more. We rebuilt a team in Massachusetts and then I moved to Alaska when the pandemic started and I could work remotely. I’ve since acquired many more dogs from Dave Turner and Jessie

Holmes.

What do you love most about dog sledding?

I’m in this for the adventure. I can be reading on the couch, get a call from a friend who’s going on a 40mi sled dog camping trip in a few hours, and then leave within an hour to go on a daylong adventure to a remote cabin in some of the most beautiful country out there (this happened New Year’s morning.) I can travel to race, explore, hunt, backpack, sample beers at a brewery, and do everything else with my pile of adventure buddies. I have to design, build, fix all different types of equipment, and constantly solve many small engineering problems that keep it interesting and challenging, all while trying to make everything as easy and foolproof as possible.

Please share any interesting stories or facts about your dogs that will be running in the 2024 race:

My dogs are pretty spoiled for sled dogs. They primarily sleep inside on the array of beds, couches, and my pillow that they’re occasionally willing to share with me. When they’re not

running, they do other useful things like keeping the squirrels in the trees and pre-rinsing my dishes since I live in a dry cabin

Are you a member of any other organizations in sled dog sports?

Two Rivers Dog Mushers Association

Why did you enter the 2024 Yukon Quest and what are your goals for the race?

I had planned to race Beargrease 120, Klondike Dog Derby, and the YQ100 as part of a month long road trip. I forecasted this last summer on the idea that the YQ100 would be the same

weekend as last year. When it was moved forward a week, I stuck with the Minnesota part of the plan. However, there’s no snow or ice in Minnesota so now I’m excited to come to Whitehorse again! The obvious goal for the YQ100 is to win with all happy dogs, but I’ll take not having any truck issues driving down there as a less ambitious goal.

Do you listen to music on the trail? If so, what types?

Plastic and paw pads touching the snow!

How did your dogs get their names?

Most of my dogs came with names but I really like two syllable names that abbreviate to one syllable well. The three I named myself are Lexi, Ember, and Kyber. Kyber was born on May 4 last year and is part of the Star Wars litter. Kybers are the crystals in the light saber. It abbreviates well to Kai.

Share a quick story about one of your indispensable handlers:

Tell us about your favorite volunteer experience on the trail:

When I first moved to Alaska, I ran many of the local sprint races for fun, even though I’d always come in last and wasn’t competitive with actual sprinters. They’re still races so a good chance to

have a start line, start time, be around a bunch of chaos, and generally try not to make mistakes. Since this was largely just fun for me, I’d throw beer to the trail hands blocking traffic at road crossings as a thank you. They were always very excited to see me.

List recent sled dog races and/or your best performances:

Who are your sponsors for 2024?

I don’t have any. If any breweries or distilleries are looking for a musher to sponsor, give me a call!