George Attla Jr., 1933-2015. Photo from Making of a Champion

George Attla Jr., an Athabascan dog mushing legend known as the "Huslia Husler," died on Sunday. He was 81.

Attla won ten Fur Rendezvous Open World Championship titles, eight Open North American titles and nine International Sled Dog Racing Association unlimited class medals during his 54-year career in mushing. He was the subject of a film, Spirit of the Wind, that explored the accomplishments that made him famous around the world.

YouTube: George Attla / Spirit of the Wind

"For us in Huslia growing up, everybody knew him as 'The Huslia Husler, and we called him 'the King,' or 'King George," his nephew Chris Simon said at a memorial service on Tuesday that was attended by hundreds of people, The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported.

Attla is due to be laid to rest in Huslia tomorrow.

Get the Story:
Crowds in Fairbanks mourn George Attla Jr. (The Fairbanks Daily News Miner 2/18)
Hundreds in Fairbanks honor memory of 'Huslia Hustler' George Attla (The Alaska Dispatch News 2/18)
The ‘Huslia Hustler’: Remembering George Attla, Jr. (KTVA 2/16)
Legendary sprint dog musher George Attla passes away at 81 (KTUU 2/15)

An Opinion:
Attla’s legacy shines on the trail: ‘Huslia Hustler’ known for contributions to Alaska’s state sport (The Fairbanks Daily News Miner 2/17)