Entry Fees
It is important to know what the entry fees are going cover.
1: FUEL: The Alaskan Wet Dog Race (AWDR) will provide qualified racers with all fuel required for the race beginning from Checkpoint 2 (VALDEZ) through the end of the race. AWDR will not pay for fuel at the start of the race. Each racer will be required to start the race with a full fuel tank and any other supplies they will require to reach the next checkpoint in Valdez. Fuel is estimated at 500 gallons per racer and is one of the largest expenses in the event budget. Providing fuel in such large quantities in so many remote locations is both logistically challenging and extremely expensive.
2: DRY SUIT: Each registered racer will be provided a brand new top of the line dry suit with booties. This suit was selected as it has been tested in Alaskan waters and is the suits of choice for our team of experts who ride year round in Alaska. The suits AWDR provides should be considered a “backup’ and not the primary suit. Participants will keep the dry suits after they complete the race. Racers should provide thier own suit as well but they must meet the AWDR requirements and specifications. Racers using alternate suits will be required to submit an ALTERNATE DRY SUIT FORM for approval a minimum of 30 days in advance of the race start date.
3: FLOAT COAT: Each registered racer will be provided a new top of the line float coat that the AWDR has selected as the very best for Alaskan conditions. High visiblity florescent orange or green float coats are strongly recommended for all race participants to wear. At a minumum racers will be required to wear some sort of personal floatation device.
4: SATELLITE PHONES: A rented Satellite phone programmed with 500 minutes will be provided to each racer and will be part of their mandatory equipment. It will be set up for use in Alaska and preprogrammed with emergency phone numbers. A mandatory instruction class for all race participants will be required to learn how to operate the phone in the event of an emergency. This emergency phone is for use only in an emergency situation. Each phone will be provided in a waterproof case with a spare battery and dielectric grease (to coat battery connections to prevent salt water from corroding the connections). Each racer will be required to pay a deposit that is fully refunded when the equipment is returned at the end of the race.
5: PERSONAL LOCATOR BEACONS: Each registered racer will be provided a Personal Locater Beacon pre-tested and registered to each individual racer. (not inter changeable with someone else) This PLB must be attached to your person and may not to be carried in or on the boat. In the event a racer(s) is washed off of his/her watercraft by a huge wave and separated from it and is left floating with or without a team member, activating the PLB will notify the Coast Guard of your situation. They will assess the situation and determine the need to send a rescue helicopter or whether a boat is nearby and can reach riders more quickly. Many riders have their own PLB’s but participants in the AWDR are required to use the PLB’s provided. Again, a deposit will be required and will be refunded in full when the equipment is returned at the close of the race.
6: WATERPROOF RADIO: Each registered racer will be provided a Marine handheld waterproof radio that floats when dropped in the ocean. Racers are not required to keep the radio on, it is considered an emergency unit that can be used to contact support boats if a racer breaks down and needs to be towed to a port. This radio must also be carried on your person just like the PLB. Extra batteries (vacuum packed) will be provided and they can be carried in or on your watercraft.
7: PRIZE FUND: A portion of each entry fee will be allocated to the winners’ prize funds.
8: PERMITS & FEES: There are a multitude of local and state permits and fees required to be paid in order to operate the race. A portion of the registration fees will cover these fees and permits.
9: TRANSPONDERS: The Wet Dog Race will be broadcasting the race via the internet so your sponsors, families, friends and others may can watch race progress from their computers.
10: ADMINISTRATION COST: A small portion of each entry fee is going to pay for the administration costs of putting together the race.
11: SHIPPING: At the finish of the race, watercrafts will need to be shipped back to Anchorage. This cost is included in the registration fee.
12: BOND FOR RESCUE SERVICES: A bond will be set aside for rescuing stranded watercrafts in the event we have to call in special rescue services aside from the coast guard. It is our intention to have our own rescue and recovery services in place so that we do not impact or have to rely on the coast guard. In the event we have to scramble a leer jet for a medical evacuation, or for any unforeseen need or event that we have not planned for, the bond will be in place.
13: FUEL BARGES: In addition to paying for all the fuel for the racers machines, we also have to pay for the fuel barges and tugboats that deliver the fuel to all the remote locations. In some instances, we will have to stage fuel barges in some of the more remote areas to ensure that there will be adequate fuel on hand to supply all racers as some locations don’t have adequate fuel storage faciilties.
14: TUNNEL PASS: The race start is in the small port town of Whittier. Access to Whittier is through a 3-mile tunnel through the Chugach Mountain Range. The toll fee for tunnel use is also included in the registration fee. Each racer will receive a week long tunnel pass (once a day for a week) so racers will be able to go back and forth without having to pay a tunnel toll fee every time.
15: LAUNCH FEES: The city of Whittier charges a fee to launch boats and watercrafts. Each registered rider will have a seven day pass to launch watercraft once per day as they prepare for the race start.
16: PARKING FEES: Special arrangements will be made with the city of Whittier for each racer to have a parking permit for the race. This will apply to one vehicle and one trailer per team.
17: SUPPORT BOATS: Support boats will be a vital element in the AWDR. A portion of the entry fee will cover the costs of all of the support boats.
18: RACE TEAM SPONSOR PACKETS: We expect that many racers who compete will want to solicit sponsors. The AWDR will provide a packet of information racers may provide to potential sponsors. AWDR will allow race teams to recognize their individual team sponsors on their team page. Information on team sponsors will be provided once a team has made their initial deposit.
REGISTRATION FEE: Currently estimated between $25,000.00 and $30,000.00 per racer.
As sponsors are secured and contracts signed, AWDR will work to lower the registration cost. In the event that occurs, any registered racers already paid in full will receive a refund for the difference.
SPONSORSHIP: AWDR will provide a template for registered racers to assist with securing sponsorships for those choose to take advantage of that process. See the SPONSORSHIP page for additional information. This assistance is only available to registered racers who have paid the $5,000.00 deposit.