Nome residents and brothers Oliver and Wilson Hoogendorn, competing as the AK Boys on USA Network’s “Race to Survive: Alaska” TV series, took home the championship on Monday during a watch party in front of a packed hometown audience.
The series finale was viewed by more than 100 attendees at the Katirvik Cultural Center.
After showcasing their win, which includes a $500,000 cash prize, in front of the standing-room-only crowd, they said this is what was most challenging.
“Probably starving for like 50 days,” the pair said. “One hundred percent.”
The first season of Race to Survive: Alaska aired starting in March of this year and showcased eight teams embarking on a competition to survive the Alaskan wilderness. The brothers competed over the summer across the 50-day survival course, becoming the first winners of the show.
The eight teams of two competed in six races over 100 miles of wilderness in rough and rural Alaska.
The brothers faced treacherous terrain and weather, but persevered and brought the win home to Nome. They said they needed each other more than anything else during the competition.
“I think with any other partner, wouldn’t have gone as well, so I’m glad we had each other,” Oliver said.
“If I didn’t have my brother as a partner, we probably wouldn’t have won,” Wilson said.
The teams were only allowed to use what they could carry on their backs and used their wildland skills to make it through each race.
With their winnings, the pair say they plan to give back to the Nome community, and they thanked numerous family members, friends and supporters after the airing of the episode.
