Distraction or advantage? Mushers disagree on Iditarod’s new communication-device rule

Two-time champion Mitch Seavey begins his Iditarod run at the Fairbanks re-start on Monday. (Photo: Ben Matheson, KNOM)As mushers speed toward Nome, a controversial new Iditarod rule is in effect for the first time. After a vote by the Board of Directors last fall, mushers are now allowed to carry two-way communication devices, like cell and satellite phones. But many competitors both young and old think the presence of technology goes against the spirit of the race.
Speaking at the Ceremonial S