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FAIRBANKS -- There’s no snow on the ground yet but dog mushers are busy gearing up for the upcoming season. And this weekend’s annual International Sled Dog Symposium in Fairbanks will provide mushers from Alaska and the Yukon a chance to learn some new tricks.

The three-day symposium sponsored by the Alaska Dog Mushers Association kicks off Friday at the Pioneer Park Civic Center and continues through Sunday. Here’s a list of presentations and speakers that will be featured during this year’s symposium:

Friday

• Tour of Laughing Husky sled building shop (2-5 p.m.) — Sled builder David Klumb will lead a tour of his workshop and talk about building sleds. Topics covered will include wood selection for sleds, cutting and gluing laminates for runners and other sled parts, mortise and tenon joints, and sled layout and assembly for basket, toboggan and metal runnered sleds. Call Klumb at 457-6527 or e-mail him at laughinghusky@world.att.net to RSVP.

• Spirit of the Wind (7-9 p.m.) — Join the ADMA for a free showing of the digitally enhanced, award-winning movie about the life of legendary sprint musher George Attla. Among those in attendance will be Attla, Gareth Wright, Merv Hilpipre and Curtis Erhart.

Saturday

• Foot Care Seminar (9-10 a.m.) — Former Yukon Quest champion and Iditarod contender Aliy Zirkle will talk about foot care on the trail and methods for preventing and curing running-related foot issues.

• Sled Tying Seminar (9 a.m. to noon) — This seminar will feature hands-on stations where participants can practice tying various sled parts together. Both assembly and repair techniques will be shown and practiced.

• Metabolic Strategy for Fatigue-Resistance in Sled Dogs (10:30 a.m. to noon) — Recent studies have shown that sled dogs have a remarkable ability to adapt rapidly to exercise by reducing the use of intramuscular fuel, thus providing an ideal strategy for sustaining exercise. Dr. Michael Davis of Oklahoma State University will talk about studies he has done during the Iditarod as it relates to fatigue resistance and diet in working sled dogs. Three-time Iditarod champion Lance Mackey and 2009 runnerup Sebastian Schnuelle will offer their insights after Davis’ presentation.

• Selecting and Breeding the Right Dog (1:30-5 p.m.) — Retired sprint mushers Harris and Ginger Dunlap will take a look back at the dogs that made the sled dog sport, some basic genetics and how they developed and used a breeding selection index to create their own line.

Sunday

• Mid-distance Racing Strategies (9-10 a.m.) — Successful mid-distance racers Allen Moore and Cim Smyth will talk about strategies used in shorter races compared to the 1,000-mile Quest and Iditarod races.

• Junior Mushing (9-10 a.m.) — Join 2009 Junior Iditarod winner Cain Carter, stepson of three-time Iditarod champ Lance Mackey, for an hour of discussion about junior mushing.

• Listen to Legends (10:30 a.m. to noon) — Join former mushing greats George Attla, Harris Dunlap, Merv Hilpipre, Marvin Kokrine and Roxy Wright as they relive their glory days of open-class sprint mushing and share some behind-the-scenes stories.

• Dog Mushing during the Northwestern Fur Trade (10:30 a.m. to noon) — Mushing’s practical roots are planted deeply in Canadian soil, with offshoots expanding into Europe and Siberia. Local historian Thomas “Swanny” Swan will lead a presentation on the history of dog mushing during this era.

• Gastrointestinal Disease in Sled Dogs (1:30-3 p.m.) — Gastrointestinal disease is a frequent complaint in racing sled dogs, and gastric inflammation and/or ulceration has been implicated as a leading cause of death during training and races. Dr. Michael Davis of Oklahoma State University, who has worked as a veterinarian on the Iditarod, will talk in detail about the phenomenon of exercise-induced gastric disease, including possible underlying causes and effective prevention.