SkinTrack

News Shorts

ISPO Munich – Jan 28-31: SkinTrack Secures Media Accreditation for the Biggest Outdoor Show

By Leave a Comment

ispo-munich-banner
I am very excited to announce that from Jan 28 to Jan 31 I will be visiting the biggest outdoor show!
With virtually all brands and manufacturers participating, this is a big opportunity to see all the newest and future gear before it will show up in stores next fall (and some of it will need to wait until 2019).
If you want to see what gear we are checking out in Munich then hit “like a page” of “follow” buttons on our social media channels. It will be one cool gear ride!

Click Icons to Follow Us

We are everywhere as @Skintrack – Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram.
 
fb-icon-big
twitter-icon-big
insta-icon-big
youtube-icon-big
 
 

Skimo News – Jan 16, 2018: Finally Racing in Colorado, Boscacci Wins Mountain Attack, East Coast Races, National Champs in Europe, and more…

By Leave a Comment

The race season is in full swing, though it may not feel like it in the American Rockies, and we have lots of action everywhere!
North American athletes have multiple options for racing each weekend and with good snow coverage in Europe, athletes are getting after it over there as well.
Avalanche conditions in Canada have put a damper on big backcountry missions but new snow and colder temperatures will heal the snow-pack soon! The Pacific Northwest is holding good snow throughout and the East Coast is recovering (rejoicing?) from a major winter storm.

USA and Canada Race News

Sunlight Heathen Challenge – Colorado – Jan 13, 2018:

john-gaston-heathen-challengeFinally a race goes off in Colorado!
The COSMIC organizers pulled it off this weekend by hosting the Heathen Challenge at Sunlight Resort, albeit on a heavily modified and man-made course.
John Gaston is in good form and as usual, finished several minutes ahead of the field. Espoir Cam Smith had a strong showing jumping to the silver position on the podium. In the women’s field, Eva Hagen stayed well clear of National Team members Nikki Larochelle and Michela Adrian.
> Full Results

Trail de Nuit Stoneham – Stoneham, Quebec – Jan 13, 2018:

Report for this race was submitted by Richard Ferron. Thank you!
After an explosive weather cocktail – two days of rain followed by a snowstorm on race day – it was a windy -20C racing evening that the third edition of SkimoEast’s Trail de Nuit Stoneham occurred. This Quebec race is a 3km, 350m+ loop in an hour plus one loop, similar to cyclocross races and, although it is a skimo race, it accepts snowshoes racers and runners.
Even with the tough conditions, 8 juniors participated in the event, the youngest being 8 years old! In the junior skimo category, the honors were won by promising 15 year old Antoine Corbeil with 3 loops in 1:13:38 followed by his 11 year old brother Maxime who did 2 loops.
skimoeast-race-2
In the men’s category, a close fight between Canadian National Development Team member Arnaud Côté-Boisvert and Aiden Lennie finally came to a draw. Both men finished 3 laps and a few seconds after the hour… Not sure they wanted to go for another lap! In third position came David Grenier, a little less than 2 minutes behind.
skimoeast-race-1
Evelyne Gagnon won the day in the women’s category with 2 laps despite skin glue problems.
The next SkimoEast race is Burke Backcountry adventure on January 28th.
> Full Results

International Race News

French Skimo Championships:

Xavier Gachet wins the French individual championships with William Bon Mardion in 2nd and Alexis Sevennec in 3rd.
Laetitia Roux won an incredible 27th French Championship title of her career! Axelle Mollaret takes 2nd in the individual.

Leatitia Roux racing away with the title.
Leatitia Roux racing away with the title.

Swiss Skimo Championships:

Werner Marti wins vertical event.
Unique night format for the individual event went to Werner Marti again. Our good friend, Pascal Egli finished 7th overall.
Ivan Arnold took the sprint over the well-accomplished Martin Anthamatten.
Victoria Kreuzer took double victory over Jennifer Fiechter in vertical and individual championship races!

Mountain Attack – Saalbach, Austria – Jan 12, 2018:

The Italians and Germans were busy with one of the biggest events in skimo and of their season – the 20th edition of Mountain Attack race –  a very cool night ski resort race with 3000m elevation gain in the main category.
Close to 400 athletes lined up for the 3000m course and about the same for the 2000m version.

With eyes on the prize, Michelle Boscacci wins 2018 Mountain Attack. Photo credit - Mountain Attack.
With eyes on the prize, Michele Boscacci wins 2018 Mountain Attack. Photo credit – Mountain Attack.
All the best athletes race the long course and this year, still pretty young Michele Boscacci set a blistering new course record of 2h 18m 57s. However, the second and third, Tadei Pivk and Jakob Herrmann respectively, finished only less than 30 sec behind Boscacci!
A quick calculation reveals that their average climbing speed was around 1560 vertical metres per hour if we subtract 25min for all the descents and transitions. That’s 3000m in less than 2h, on skis!
In the women’s category, the long course win went to Michaela Essl in 3h 1min – average vertical speed of 1240m/h if we subtract 35min for downhills and transitions – followed by Katia Tomatis and Veronika Mayerhofer.
> Full results

Upcoming Events

Racing action in Canada continues this weekend with an individual and sprint event in Fernie, BC. Avalanche conditions have necessitated some course changes but organizers are still promising an exciting event. Remember that the guys over at SkiUphill.ca bring race skis to ever event for YOU to demo! Get in touch if you want to give them a try!
Organizers and racers are sure to have difficult conditions on the East Coast as conditions warm up. Expect a competitive field at one of the biggest races of the season on an exciting course at the Berkshire East!
The next SkimoEast race is Burke Backcountry adventure on January 28th.
The second ISMF World Cup of the season is this weekend in Switzerland. After the relatively non-competitive event in China, this is effectively the first real WC of the season and we hope to see all the big names at the starting line. A few athletes will be tired from last week’s Mountain Attack but expect to see a good battle between the top Italians and the rest of the field!

Skimo News – Jan 10: Colorado cancels again, Stormy race in Vermont, Sprint and Individual at Castle Mountain in Canada…

By 1 Comment

Racing action continued in North America on the East Coast and in Alberta, Canada while the Western US continues to struggle with low or no snow conditions.

USA and Canada Race News

Unfortunately the Grand Mesa Challenge, CO was cancelled. On the other side of the country, East Coast athletes were getting slammed with deep snow and cold, stormy conditions.

Magic Mountain Skimo Race, VT – Jan 6, 2018:

Our New England skimo correspondent Jonathan Shefftz checked in with the following race recap:
Fortunately, after some negotiating  ski resort management grudgingly acceded to requests, and thus on January 6 the NE Rando Race Series returned for its ninth time since 2009 to Magic Mountain VT, for the first USSMA-sanctioned race of the season in the East.
The temperature was negative 5F yet winds were light and the sun was shining. Patrol then informed us that the summit temperature was negative 20F and the winds up there were something other than light. The start procedure was modified to minimize time outside: all racers assembled inside the lodge, then once everyone was 100% ready to race, a quick trot to just above the base area led into a ten-second countdown.

Due to strong winds, athletes had to wear face protection even on the climbs.
Due to strong winds, athletes had to wear face protection even on the climbs.
The high winds were fortunately never directly in racers’ faces during the perfectly graded groomed skin track. The descent route briefly turned directly into the highest winds on the mountain, where the windchill was probably around negative 50F. Fortunately the core of the descent after that was relatively protected from the wind, allowing racers to concentrate on a mix of frozen moguls, stiff deep windslab, rocks, roots, cliffs, and convexities. A steep boot-pack of nearly 300’ vertical led back into the steepest section of the descent, which was therefore skied six times.
For Open men, Milan Kubala (of the MountainOps Skimo Race Team), in only his second season of skimo racing crushed the field by a large margin, completing the course in just under an hour and a half. Chris Labosky took second in his first race ever on skimo race gear. Third was a tight race between long-time Series veterans and Team Hagan members Josh Flanagan and Jerimy Arnold, with Josh eventually pulling away when Jerimy slowed down to don an extra layer.
For Open women, Jennifer Downing took the win despite being enrolled full-time at Harvard Business School. Colorado transplant Hannah Lippe took second. For 45+, newcomer Cameron Chalmers took the win, followed by Race Director and Team Hagan Member Jonathan Shefftz, then ski resort race liaison Mike Owens. Asa Chalmers was the U17 winner for a first-ever father-son duo in the NE Rando Race Series.
Looking ahead, Northeastern skimo weekend racing takes a break for the Martin Luther King holiday, except for the continuing Tuesday evening race series at Bolton Valley VT. The tenth annual Berkshire East race is then on January 20 in Western Massachusetts, talking advantage of the resort’s expansion this season to debut a new “touring”-style course that will incorporate elements from prior years.
» Full Results – Magic Mountain Skimo Race 2018
» Race course info

Castle Mountain Skimo Race, AB – Jan 5-6, 2018:

Meanwhile in Canada, temperatures were a tropical -2C for the start of both Saturday’s sprint and Sunday’s individual.
Rock hard conditions made for difficult preparations in the sprint course but organizers persevered and put on an excellent sprint event. Athletes completed a full qualifying sprint and three additional elimination heats for the top group. Kylee Ohler showed her dominance in the Canadian scene with Michelle Roberts and Lori-Ann Donald chasing.
The men’s sprint final was contested between Eric Carter, Mike Foote, Joel Desgraniers, and Peter Knight, finishing in that order. Joel had a smart, tactical start to the race but was overtaken by Carter and Foote in the diamonds and transitions.

Kylee Ohler in the boot-pack atop the first climb.
Kylee Ohler in the boot-pack atop the first climb in the individual race.
Sunday’s individual event saw a skiff of fresh snow and high ridge winds filling in the skin track. The leading athletes found themselves breaking trail on the first big climb. Rockies wind, blasting into the face of athletes booting across the summit made for a somewhat serious ambiance. Snow conditions were better than the previous five editions of the race and both descents provided excellent skiing.
Carter and Foote finished the first climb together with Knight and Desgraniers chasing close behind. Carter opened a gap on the first big descent and held on to ~40sec gap through to the finish. Kylee Ohler led the women’s race from start to finish with Michelle Roberts taking second and Katarina Kuba moving into third near the top of the first climb and consolidating her podium position with fast descents.
Racers were all thinking of fellow athlete Ben Parsons who died tragically in an avalanche one year before. Ben was a frequent competitor on the Canadian Cup and at Castle and is greatly missed.
» Full Results – Castle Ski Mountaineering Race 2018 (we are still waiting for results from the organizers)

Upcoming Events

The COSMIC series is scheduled to continue with the Heathen Challenge but registration has yet to be announced due to snow conditions. Stay tuned to the COSMIC page for more information.
Canadian racing continues in Quebec at Stoneham. The recent storm could provide excellent skiing and an interesting SkimoEast event!
Berkshire East race is coming on January 20.
World Cup racing moves to the classic Font Blanca venue in Andorra where the top athletes will contest a vertical and individual event. No North American athletes are scheduled to attend.

Skimo News – Jan 2: Race Previews and Current Snow Conditions

By Leave a Comment

No racing action took place over the holiday period in North America or on the World Cup circuit.
In other ski news, Colorado has finally received a bit more snow but the entire US Rockies remain anemic. The Pacific Northwest and Canada are faring better with good snow on the Coast and skiing to be found in the Canadian Rockies. An arctic air front has settled in over much of Canada and parts of the US causing a deep freeze (good luck to the East Coast ski mountaineers!).
Europe seems to be faring well, with deep snow in the Alps. If you are considering a Grand Tour skimo event, or hop over just for a vacation, this just might be the deep snow year to do it!

Photo from our touring day earlier in December. Good snow conditions are continuing in the west parts of Canada.
Photo from our touring day earlier in December. Good snow conditions are continuing in the west parts of Canada.

Upcoming Events

ISPO Munich, Germany – Jan 28-31, 2018:
This year we are going to Munich to visit the biggest outdoor show on the planet. Just like the Outdoor Retailer in US (but many times bigger), we are going there to get a preview of all the 2019 ski mountaineering gear so we can share it with you.
COSMIC Grand Mesa Grind at Powderhorn, CO – Jan 6, 2018:
The COSMIC series is scheduled to continue at Powderhorn Resort with one of the more backcountry feeling races of the series, however, snow conditions are proving difficult. Organizers remain in a holding pattern and will keep us posted!
More info at: http://www.cosmicski.com/event/powderhorn
Magic Mountain Skimo Race, VT – Jan 6, 2018:
The Eastern US skimo race season kicks off on January 6 in Vermont at Magic Mountain, the first of the five USSMA-sanctioned races of the NE Rando Race Series.
Total vertical will top out at around 5,100 feet via three cycles of a circuit comprising a very efficient skin track from base to summit, leading to a partial ski descent, followed by a short steep boot-pack, and finally picking up the prior ski descent back down to the base. The skiing will be almost entirely steep moguls, and adding to the challenge will be a currently forecasted continuation of the arctic weather conditions that have dominated all of the East since Christmas.
More info at: http://nerandorace.blogspot.ca/p/course-layout-magic-magic-mtn.html
Castle Mountain Skimo Race, AB – Jan 6-7, 2018:
The second event of the SMCC Canadian Cup takes place on January 6 and 7 at Castle Mountain Resort in southern Alberta.
Saturday’s sprint event will be an excellent opportunity to practice the World Cup format. The individual race on Sunday utilizes the full spread of terrain offered by Castle. Starting with a technical skin track to a rocky ridge boot-pack, then the race descends big perfectly fall-line chutes on the left side of the ski area. The second climb is a groomer grind leading racers up to the top of the resorts side-country cat ski zone and usually descends nice powder fields before shooting down to the village finish area.
Watch out for the usual contingent of Canadian athletes as well as a few Americans making the short trip up from Montana.
More info at: http://www.skimocanada.org/2018-castle-mountain-ski-mountaineering-race/

Skimo News Dec 19: World Cup in China, Cam Smith Takes His First Ever Win at Wolf Creek, First Descent on Mt Assiniboine, Upcoming Events

By 5 Comments

It was an exciting weekend in the skimo racing world with the first ever World Cup taking place in China! The Wanlong venue will be hosting some of the sports for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games.

Top athletes fighting in cold conditions in the vertical race in Wanlong, China.
Top athletes fighting in cold conditions in the vertical race in Wanlong, China.
The American Rockies continue with low-tide snow conditions while the Alps are hammered hard by a storm that marks their start of the season. The Canadian Rockies and Coast Mountains have had a much more promising start followed by high pressure period that allowed skiers to venture into the alpine and attempt some bigger lines.

USA and Canada Race News

Unfortunately the COSMIC race at Irwin Lodge in Colorado was cancelled due to low snow but this was made up for by the previously postponed Wolf Creek Rando Race that got moved to Dec 17th and ran without a hitch.

Wolf Creek Rando Race – Wolf Creek Ski Area, CO – Dec 17, 2017

For a ski area usually lush with snow, usually earliest to open, and the deepest base, even Wolf Creek at 10,300 feet has been challenged this year. Northeast aspects were holding pockets of sugary snow as the course made it’s way along the Continental Divide trail via boot-pack.
Cam Smith, freshly graduated from Western State University & US Ski mountaineering team member, captured his first overall individual win, covering 3300ft of gain over 8 miles in 1h 36min, besting much more experienced racers Scott Simmons, Chris Carr, Rory Kelly, and Jon Brown.
On the women’s side, Breckenridge local, Jaime Brede captured the women’s win in 2h 24min.
This race was made possible by the tireless efforts of Jesse Morehouse and Richard Piltingsrud of the Colorado Army National Guard. We cannot thank them enough for the efforts in promoting ski mountaineering in the United States!
» Full results – Wolf Creek skimo race Dec 17, 2017

Canada

There were no races in Canada this weekend but the Canadian National Team did meet up in Revelstoke, BC for a training camp focused on downhill skills. The team covered downhill fundamentals starting on groomed runs and moving to steeper un-groomed terrain under the watchful eye of veteran racer Melanie Bernier.
In non-racing news, the high pressure in Canada has allowed skiers in the Rockies to get after some big lines. Notably, the SW face of Mt. Assiniboine saw its first ski descent over the weekend!

International Race News

ISMF World Cup – Wanlong, China – Dec 15-16, 2017

Meanwhile, the ISMF World Cup made its first stop of the season with an unusual trip to Wanlong, China. There was a strong turnout from international athletes (especially compared to last season’s Wold Cup race in Turkey) despite the unique challenges of the event. However, no North American athletes attended.
The weekend featured a short vertical race (around 500m ascent) and a sprint race, but no individual. This is likely due to the nature of the venue – a small ski resort with no natural snow. The base was entirely man-made snow thanks to extremely cold temperatures that athletes had to battle with.
Vertical race
The vertical took only 16:58 for Anton Palzer (GER), finishing 12 seconds ahead of Werner Marti (SWI) who was followed by Michelle Boscacci (ITA). The race did feature more than 10 racers from China, South Korea, and Japan – arguably the best turnout from Asian countries ever.
There were 19 women competing in the vertical race with Axelle Mollaret (FRA) winning convincingly almost 30 seconds ahead of Claudia Galicia (SPA) and Alba De Silvestro (ITA) coming in 3rd further 4 seconds behind.

» Vertical results – World Cup – Dec 15, 2017
Sprint race
Because of the extreme cold (down to -25C), several racers chose not to start the sprint, including vertical race winner Toni Palzer. Palzer released a statement expressing his dismay that the ISMF would allow racers to compete in such potentially dangerous (health damaging) cold conditions. We can agree with him because cold-induced asthma (exercise-induce asthma by cold air) and other undesirable effects of cold air on athletes’ airways can lead to prolonged health problems.

Italy topped the men’s results but not one of the names we would usually expect. The winner was a quickly upcoming espoir athlete Nicolo Canclini (ITA) who won over Oriol Cardona Coll (SPA) and Iwan Arnold (SWI).
Laetitia Roux (FRA) dominated the women’s sprint as usual, with Claudia Galicia (SPA) and Swiss espoir Marianne Fatton rounding out the podium.
» Sprint Results – World Cup – Dec 16,2017

Upcoming Events

The next World Cup event will take place on the weekend of January 20, 2018 in Switzerland with sprint and individual races.
There are no major races scheduled in North America over the holiday weekend but early January there will be a couple of events:

For a full racing calendar see our Events page.

Skimo News Dec 12: Record turn-out at Vert 180, Loup Loup Rando race preview

By Leave a Comment

Vert 180 – Calgary, AB – Dec 9, 2017

There was a historical turnout at the Vert 180 race in Calgary last Saturday with around 100 participants competing in solo and various relay categories. This is a great sign of future development of skimo in Canada, especially given the number of athletes that were on light racing gear – new local store SkiUphill provided a couple of light & fast demo setups as well.
The race course was non-technical, featuring a 140m climb ending with a boot-pack section, followed by a fast descent. The goal was to do as many laps as possible in 3h.

6pm start makes a for an unique race setting. (And low light makes snapping pics difficult.)
6pm start makes a for an unique race setting. (And low light makes snapping pics difficult.)
The win in the men’s solo category went to Peter Knight who was the strongest and completed 18 laps for a total of 2520 m. Second went to a local skimo “novice”, Tyson Smith, who has built his engine through years of cross-country racing. Third place belonged to Vert 180 co-organizer Travis Brown. All top 3 solo men completed full 18 laps but finished a couple of minutes apart.
Women’s solo race was more predictable as Kylee Ohler (Vert 180 founder) has confirmed once again that she is a truly dominant force in the Canadian racing scene over the last two seasons. Kylee completed 17 laps for a total of 2380 m. Second place went to Marg Fedyna (14 laps) and third to Heather Anderson (13 laps).
For junior categories, 2-person and 4-person relay results see the link below.
» Vert 180 – 2017 full results

Race Preview: Loup Loup Rando Race – Loup Loup Ski Bowl, WA – Jan 27, 2018

Most dedicated mountain athletes in the western US and Canada have heard of the Methow Valley: a small cluster of towns nestled into the eastern slopes of the North Cascades featuring a reliable snowpack and ample front- and backcountry terrain for excellent touring. Now there’s another reason for endurance athletes and racers to pay attention to the Methow: the Loup Loup Randonee Race.
loup-loup-race-preview
The Loup race is hosted by Cascade Endurance, a coaching and events business run by Methow athlete/coaches Sam and Alison Naney. The Loup course features a 1300’ vertical gain on a forested up-track and a straightforward blue-run descent, making the race a straight-up endurance challenge with low technical barrier-of-entry for newcomers. Last year’s race offered a one, two, or three lap option and saw about thirty competitors toe the line for the inaugural year.
This season’s race, scheduled for January 27th, promises more fun, greater challenge and good beer. In addition to the standard 1/2/3 lap individual events there will also be a 10,000 ft (8 lap) challenge for individuals and 3-person relay teams. The local Old Schoolhouse Brewery will be hosting a pre-race party and ski film showing at their Twisp-area taproom on Friday night, and on race day there will be food and beer aplenty for finishers (and lappers?) at the start/finish area.
If you’re looking for an opportunity to check out this beautiful mountain paradise and get in a solid race effort without trekking to the Rockies, you should definitely consider the Loup Rando races.

Skimo News Dec 5 and before: Gaston and Valmassoi dominate in Eldora, Wolf Creek race Cancelled

By Leave a Comment

Welcome to our first week of 2017/18 seasonal coverage for ski mountaineering racing in North America and abroad!
We’ll be doing our best to recap all the events and preview upcoming races. We’re always looking for more contributions so if you’d like to give us the inside scoop on any particular events, just send us a message. We could especially use insight on women’s races in North America.

North Americans racing in Europe

The next World Championships event will not take place until 2019 which means we will likely see a much smaller representation of North American athletes in European races but potentially more competition on the domestic scene.
At the moment, we’re not aware of any athletes planning to complete the full world cup series (but let us know if you are!). It’s likely though that a handful of athletes will head over for select races and Grand Tours.

USA Race News

The snow situation in North America is not quite to the same levels we had last year. As we write, West Coast of Canada has seen quite a bit of ski action but the Canadian Rockies could definitely use more snow.
Colorado has had cold weather (and man-made snow) but little natural snow. California and the Sierra’s appear to be getting their first few snowfalls of the season. Utah seems quite warm and dry although appears to have kicked off the first North American race of the season with their Thanksgiving event at Brighton!
The Wolf Creek race (and first in the COSMIC series) was unfortunately cancelled due to challenging snow conditions. That means the premier Colorado event was this weekend’s Indian Peaks Revenge at Eldora Resort.

Eldora Indian Peaks Revenge – Eldora, CO – Dec 1-2

With a very lean snowpack in Colorado, the COSMIC crew and the staff at Eldora Resort did an incredible job putting on a three race weekend in the Front Range.

Rory Kelly racing the individual race. Photo by Summit Endurance Academy.
Rory Kelly racing the individual race. Photo by Summit Endurance Academy.
Things kicked off on Friday night with a 300 meter vertical race, topping out just under 3000 meters (9800 ft), that men’s winner John Gaston took only 13 minutes to complete. Cam Smith, only an espoir, took 2nd in front of Rory Kelly.
Visiting from Italy, Martina Valmassoi ran away with the women’s victory with Boulder native Sarah Kadlec finishing just 12 seconds back! Jaime Brede finished 3rd.
Vertical Results: https://www.webscorer.com/race?raceid=121859
Saturday featured an individual and sprint event. With a very civilized start time of 10AM, the individual course was a four lap affair with two ascent routes in the trees and a descent down a groomed run. The descent run was reserved entirely for racers – amazing commitment to our sport from a resort with only three open runs total!
Again, in men’s race, John Gaston ran away with the victory while a trailing pack traded places right up to the final lap. Eric Carter came in 2nd and just ahead of Rory Kelly.
In women’s race, Martina Valmassoi had a wider margin, finishing over 8 min ahead of Nikki Larochelle. Third went to Sarah Kadlec.
Individual Results: https://www.webscorer.com/race?raceid=121951
The sprint race was held on another closed piste with a course built by the local downhill race team that featured fast descent gates. 25 racers started, including women and a handful of junior racers. The men competed in two semi-final heats with Mark Koob taking both his semi and the overall in the final, though not after being challenged by Rory Kelly and Chris Carr. There were only enough women for a final heat where national team member Sarah Cookler finished first!
 

Upcoming Races

» Visit our 2017/18 skimo events calendar
USA:
Next up is the Irwin Guides individual event near the town of Crested Butte. This unique event in the controlled cat skiing backcountry area usually delivers reliable early season snow. If snow conditions in Colorado improve, expect good turnout from the Colorado crew and despite the distance, some out of state competition at an exciting event.
Canada:
The Canadian season kicks off with the Vert180 in Calgary, Alberta. The race is one of very few within a major city, held at the Canada Olympic Park. Athletes have three hours to complete as many laps of the on-piste course as possible. Athletes can complete the event solo or as part of a relay team (2, 3, 4 persons).
World:
European teams have been busy training at the ski resort of Tignes, France and selecting their world cup roster.
The first event on the docket is in China, potentially a test event for future championships? It remains to be seen how many athletes will actually attend. Past world cups held outside of Europe have been historically poorly attended. The upside is that athletes looking to score world cup points have much better chances if they are willing to travel to China!

Skimo News Feb 3-5: US Nationals, Steep Dreams at Panorama, Burke Backcountry Adventure, Upcoming Events

By Leave a Comment

It was a busy weekend for skimo racing and big snow storms in North America while many skimo locations in Europe continue to receive very little snow. However, more snow often means too much distraction in the form of powder skiing for many athletes, so if you really want to taper then go somewhere dry 🙂
Read our last week’s Skimo News go here – Skimo News Jan 28-29: Controversy at the 2nd World Cup, Le Massif Race in Quebec, CROWBAR in Utah, Upcoming Events

USA Race News

US Skimo Nationals – New Mexico – Feb 4-5

New Mexico’s resorts, Ski Santa Fe and Taos Ski Valley hosted four races of the 2017 US Nationals last weekend. While a couple of the top US racers weren’t present (already in Europe…) there was enough of fast characters to put the hammer down.

Jon Brown with Rory Kelly chasing Gaston/Taam in the teams race.
Jon Brown with Rory Kelly chasing Gaston/Taam in the teams race. Brashear Photos.
Vertical race:
The weekend started off with a vertical on Friday. The men’s podium was – John Gaston, Rory Kelly and Rob Krar. Since Krar is a Canadian, the bronze medal went to  Sean Van Horn.
Women’s title went to Kristi Knecht, with Jamie Falcon and Aisha Weinhold claiming the rest of the podium.
» Vertical race results

Individual race:
John Gaston confirmed his peaking form with a convincing win on a fast course. Max Taam went on to out ski Rory Kelly for second.
The women’s race delivered more fireworks when Jessie Young topped Janelle Smiley for the gold. Bronze went to Kristi Knecht.
» Individual race results

Sprint race:
Scott Archer confirmed his form after qualifying for the Worlds sprint race 3 weeks ago with another solid performance and finishing second behind John Gaston. Third place went to Jack Linehan.
Women’s title went to Janelle Smiley, second to Jessie Young, and third to Madeleine Carey.
» Sprint race results

Teams race:
The historically strongest US team ever – John Gaston and Max Taam – added to their collection of victories, beating Rory Kelly and Jon Brown. Bronze went to Matthias Messner and Jason Killgore.
In the women’s race, Janelle Smiley and Jessie Young went out to polish their form before the Worlds where we believe they will have a good chance for a great result. They won in front of  Kristi Knecht and Anne Gonzales. There were no other women’s teams in the elite category.
» Teams race results
Jessie Young with Janelle Smiley. Brashear Photos
Jessie Young with Janelle Smiley. Brashear Photos

Burke Backcountry Adventure Race – Vermont – Feb 5

The following write up was provided by SkimoEast’s  Tim Johnson.
The Burke Backcountry Adventure presented by SmartWool tackled a short but tough bootpacking sections of any skimo race in North America, but combined with classic New England snow conditions Sunday it made great World’s prep for race winner and U20 skier, Ian Clarke.
At 100% open, Burke provided a tough single-track climb for the 49 finishers just out of the Sherburne Base Lodge. The Red Trail climb had one mandatory bootpack and one “optional” sector just after, testing skins on the slick, steep conditions before reaching the summit. East Bowl was groomed and held traction with one racer recording a top speed of 96kmh even without tucking, which was prohibited on race day. After a quick transition at Mid-Mountain, the bootpack loomed after a short but steep skin below the main lift that held plenty of distraction for the climbing racers.
burke-skimo-race-2017
Clarke, 1st place in 1:49:04 from Killington VT, left for the 1st of two laps with a small lead of 15sec and continued to hold at least that thru the end of lap 1 eventually holding off Ed Warren, who finished just under 1min behind at 1:49:46. Andrew Drummond claimed third with 1:51:38.
In the women’s race, Hilary McCloy’s freshly mounted skis helped her shave buckets of tie off her time 2016 race time to win in 2:23:26, with Stephanie Cote 10:50 back and Whitney Withington another 37secs behind in 3rd.
Young Antoine Corbeil brought home a long course U16 victory in a time of 2:26:59. An even younger Pierre-Luc Harnois was 2nd at 3:15:33
The FreeRando category is made up of those using heavier gear, Bruce Rychlik finished in 2:41:07 and Leslie Burnard at 3:23:56

Canada Race News

Steep Dreams – Panorama, BC – Feb 4-5

14-year old Tom Stephen putting in great performances both days! Photo by his dad Doug.
14-year old Tom Stephen putting in great performances both days! Photo by his dad Doug.
A new race on the Canadian calendar premiered last weekend at the lovely Panorama Resort located deep in the Purcell Mountains. Organized by racers Matt Reid and his wife Caroline the event was highly enjoyed by all participants!
Individual race:
Great selection of terrain and 15cm of fresh overnight were putting smiles on our faces despite the cold temperatures. A novelty in skimo racing, courtesy of Matt’s idea, were electronic chip timed downhills!
Men’s race went on to be a close battle between Peter Knight and Travis Brown with Peter securing a win thanks to strong climbing while not giving up too much time to Travis on the descents. Third place went to Joel Desgreiners after pulling off another strong performance. Stano went on to finish 4th with having mixed feelings about his performance.
There were no surprises in the women’s race, however, Kylee Ohler continues to keep building her stellar form towards the World Championships. Her coach, Eric Carter, and I continue to be impressed by her with every passing race. Second place finisher, Michelle Roberts, is making improvements as well and will be partnering with Kylee for Worlds and Pierra Menta – where Stano will be helping them with gear and overall support. Third place went to Lori-Anne Donald after posting some fast times on the downhills.
Two juniors raced the short course with Tom Stephens taking the top spot in front of Marcus Zamzow.
» Individual results
Vertical race:
All racers were ready once again early Sunday morning only to return back to the lodge after a snowmobile with the main timer & referee got stuck in storm snow half-way up the mountain.
840m of blue runs with some steep sections put a real hurt on everybody and delivered some impressive ascent speed rates for the top finishers. With laser focus, Peter Knight quickly disappeared out the front to post a fast 33:47 time (ascent rate of 24.9m/min or 1490m/hour). Travis Brown followed him home 1.5min back with third going again to Joel further 15sec back.
Biggest news was that only a 14-years old Tom Stephens finished in fourth in a time of 36:50!
In the women’s race, Kylee Toth took the win (40:12 and ascent rate of 20.9m/min or 1250m/hour) in front of Marg Fedyna and Michelle Roberts.
» Vertical results

Upcoming Races

World Cups:
On Feb 11th, Turkey will host an individual and sprint. Then all eyes will be on World Championships between Feb 23 and Mar 3.
USA and Canada:
» Check out our skimo racing calendar
Over the next two weekends:
Feb 11 – Whitefish Whiteout, MT – Stano will be there to remember to Ben Parsons
Feb 11 – Bolton 24 Hours, VT
Feb 17-19 – Griggs Ski Mountaineering Race, CO
Feb 18 – Course du Mont Édouard, QC

Skimo News Jan 28-29: Controversy at the 2nd World Cup, Le Massif Race in Quebec, CROWBAR in Utah, Upcoming Events

By 2 Comments

Time flies and we are already into February of 2017, with World Championships only 23 days away!
To read our last week’s Skimo News go here – Skimo News Jan 21-22: Carter racing in Andorra WC, Canada and East Coast races

USA Race News

crowbar-2017-1CROWBAR – Utah – Jan 28

CROWBAR (Cache Regional Overland Winter Backcountry Race) is one of the few fully backcountry hosted skimo races in North America that never disappoints with a foot of fresh the day before!
Last weekend, a group of youth racers from Park City – coached by Nina Silitch – made the trip and delivered a couple of great performances. Nina is doing great work with her skimo “students” and we will bring you more information on that shortly.
The main races were won by Chad Brackelsberg (men’s category) and Gemma Arro (women’s) while 5th place in men’s category went to Jason Borro of Skimo.co.
Both photographs were taken and sent to us by Wayne Wurtsbaugh. Thank you!
» Full results
crowbar-2017-2

Skin To Win – Bridge Bowl, MT  – Jan 29

Bridger Bowl Ski Area near Bozeman, MT hosted  another edition of Skin To Win skimo race with Janelle Smiley taking the win in the women’s category and Sawyer Thomas in men’s. World Champs bound Mike Foote did not finish the race.
» Full results

Canada Race News

There were no races in the Western part of Canada while the SkimoEast series continued in Quebec.

Le Massif – Quebec – Jan 28

This report was submitted by Richard Ferron, one of SkimoEast organizers.
The third race of the SkimoEast 2017 season was Saturday at Le Massif de Charlevoix, close to Quebec City. Le Defi des montagnes had a long challenging course of 19 km – longest of the series – with 1 650m of climbing. The long course was won by David Savard-Gagnon followed closely by Leigh Quilliams. The women’s race was won by Carinne Lavallière.
A special mention to Antoine Corbeil, 14 years old, who completed the long course and won the Jr division.
The race was opened to ski mountaineers as well as runners (snowshoes or running shoes). This year, there was even a FreeRide course with an emphasis on the descent and less on the time.
Next race is at Burke, Vermont, February 5. More information on www.skimoeast.com
» All results can be found here

Aiden Lennie on his way to victory in the short course. Photo David Moore.
Aiden Lennie on his way to victory in the short course. Photo David Moore.

International Race News

Cambre D’Aze – France – Jan 28-29

(Read our last weeks report about how the 1st World Cup of the season went.)
The ISMF World Cup continued in France with Individual race on Saturday and a first Sprint of the season on Sunday. The venue received large amounts of snow just two days before the races so the Individual had to be moved mostly in-bounds.
Individual:
The men’s field was missing last weeks winner Anton Palzer (GER), however, there was more “action” than anyone would like to see.
Damiano Lenzi (ITA) crossed the finish line in first place but was given one minute penalty and moved to second, exactly like last week. Thus, the win was awarded to Kilian Jornet (SPA) who was only couple of seconds behind. The “controversy” went into full swing when the top 3 (Lenzi, Jornet, Eydallin) from the finish didn’t show up at the flowers ceremony and were disqualified! At the end, the win went to Robert Antonioli (ITA) who finished 4th in the race.
Eric Carter (USA) had a better race than last week in Andorra and finished 37th – but would effectively move to 34th after the top 3 disqualification.

Lenzi leaving for a boot-pack in front of Jornet. ISMF photo.
Lenzi leaving for a boot-pack in front of Jornet. ISMF photo.
Kilian Jornet went on to explain his/their side of the story on his Facebook page while ISMF didn’t comment too much publicly but said that “…the ISMF will analyze the matter in the constant process of the assesement of the quality of the races”. Without being there, no one knows which side is right but from our experience there likely are valid points on both sides. The question is how will this affect our sport going forward as conflicts like these are definitely damaging.
A side story we found intriguing, while looking through the results, was a 10th place finisher Christian Hoffmann (AUT). This 42 year old racer came to skimo after serving 6-year ban for blood doping – same investigation that involved a disgraced cyclist Michael Rasmussen. Hoffmann won gold in cross-country skiing in 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City after the winner was convicted of his own blood doping. While the skier is free to race again, it is interesting that the Austrian Skimo federation is giving him a chance to represent their country on a World stage.
In the women’s race, nothing has changed on the top of the podium with Laetitia Roux (FRA) collecting another World Cup win while again second went to her young French teammate Axelle Mollaret. Third place went to Maude Mathys (SWI) who returned after her doping ban, although, for much less serious offence than Hoffmann.
» Full results for Individual
Sprint:
A great day for Iwan Arnold (SWI) by taking his first ever skimo World Cup win! Second went to his team-mate Andreas Steindl while the race favourite Robert Antonioli finished in third.
Laetitia Roux continued in great fashion from the day before and won. Second and third went to Claudia Galicia (SPA) and Deborah Chiarello (SWI).
» Full results for Sprint (you will need to click few links to drill down)
Cambre_d_aze_sprint_women
Italian racer in the top transition of the sprint qualification. Photo ISMF.

Upcoming Races

World Cups:
After back to back weekends, the World Cup will have a small break and returning on Feb 11th in Turkey with an individual and sprint.
USA and Canada:
» See our preview of Steep Dreams event at Panorama Resort, BC that will take place on Feb 4-5 (individual on Saturday and vertical on Sunday).
» Check out our skimo racing calendar
Over the next two weekends:
Feb 3-5 – US Nationals, NM
Feb 4-5 – Panorama Steep Dreams Skimo Race, BC
Feb 5 – Burke Backcountry Adventure, VT
Feb 11 – Whitefish Whiteout, MT – Stano will be there to remember to Ben Parsons
Feb 11 – Bolton 24 Hours, VT
Feb 17-19 – Griggs Ski Mountaineering Race, CO
Feb 18 – Course du Mont Édouard, QC

Skimo News Jan 21-22: Carter racing in Andorra WC, Canada and East Coast races, Upcoming events

By 2 Comments

With World Championships quickly approaching (Eric and Stano will be attenting as well) the athletes are entering their final preparations. Besides the west side of US, there were races happening in all corners of NA and Europe.
To read our previous Skimo News go here – Skimo News Jan 13-15: 2nd USA Team Qualifier, Mountain Attack, Upcoming Races and World Cups

USA Race News

We are waiting for more details from some east coast races that happened last weekend. We will update here as soon as we receive them.

Berkshire East – Massachusetts – Jan 21

With little over 5,600 feet of vertical gain, including five boot-pack segments and 25 transitions, the Berkshire East skimo race tested the local athletes once again athletes from six states – New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire. (Edit as per suggestions in a comment at the bottom of the article.)
The win in the men’s category on the main course went to Ed Warren who managed to build a 4min lead by the finish line. In the women’s category the title went to Jennifer Downing.
» Full results for the competitive category
berkshire-east-race-1

Canada Race News

Lizard Skinner – Fernie, BC – Jan 21

The following recap was submitted by Travis Brown, a fellow Canadian Ski Mountaineering Team teammate.
The second running of the Fernie Lizard Skinner was an exciting and hard fought battle on all fronts. The non technical course is a mix of steep groomer skinning, and flat hardpack with a distinct Nordic feel. Because all climbs involve a mix of these conditions, skin choice is key in having a fast race.
fernie-race-1
As always, in the men’s race Peter Knight took the race out hard from the gun, with Travis Brown chasing close behind. Peter built up a sizeable lead in the first third of the race, and Travis was unable to close the gap, finishing 4 minutes back. Master’s competitor Steve Sellers crashed out of the 2016 iteration of the race with a badly dislocated shoulder, but returned this year as strong as always, and managed a great 4th place finish, being passed on the last descent by eastern transplant Joel Desgreniers.
In the women’s race, Kylee Ohler was dominant from the start, building up a considerable lead over the rest of the women very early in the race. Kylee would finish 5th overall, giving Steve and Joel a run for their money. Fellow national team members Michelle Katchur-Roberts and Lori Anne Donald rounded out the podium positions.
Marcus Zamzow was the only junior racing, and came in first in the recreational category, followed by Martha Burley, a former Canadian team member returning to racing after having a baby and taking a few seasons off.
» Full results Lizard Skinner

International Race News

Font Blanca World Cup – Andorra – Jan 21-22

Last weekend saw the first World Cup of the season. Like very year, the always friendly and enthusiastic Andorrans put on a show with individual on Saturday and a vertical race on Sunday.
Eric Carter toed the start line after a busy travel schedule (Colorado to home in Squamish, BC to Andorra in a span of 4 days) and not surprisingly he performed less than he wished for. However, this will serve him as a good warm up before another World Cup this weekend, and the upcoming World Championships in February. He finished 48th in the individual and 46th in the vertical.

Forsberg overtaking Mollaret and Orgue in the vertical.
Forsberg overtaking Mollaret and Orgue in the vertical.
Individual:
Anton Palzer (GER) took the win after battling Damiano Lenzi (ITA) for the entire race. The Italian even crossed the finish line in first but was awarded a penalty and moved to second. Third place went to Xavier Gachet (FRA). Kilian Jornet (SPA) finished sixth.
In the women’s race, the domination of Laetitia Roux (FRA) on the World Cup scene continued and she won without much trouble. Second went to her young French teammate Axelle Mollaret with ultra-runner Emelie Forsberg (SWE) coming in third.
Vertical:
The men’s podium completely reshuffled from the day before and with close gaps this was one hell of a competitive race. Swiss vertical specialist Werner Marti won gold by 9 seconds  in front of Kilian Jornet who was another 13 seconds ahead of, still only an espoir, Remi Bonnet (SWI). Lenzi and Palzer came in 4th and 5th respectively.
Women’s race was no less exciting! Emelie Forsberg crossed the finish line first only by 4 seconds in front of  Axelle Mollaret. Spain’s vertical specialist and mountain runner Laura Orgue claimed bronze only another 19 seconds further back. Laetitia Roux didn’t start the race.
» Full results for all Andorra races (you will need to click few links to drill down)
Werner Marti leading Jornet and Bonnet to the finish line.
Werner Marti leading Jornet and Bonnet to the finish line.
 

Upcoming Races

World Cups:
This weekend, Eric Carter will join the world elite athletes at a World Cup at Cambre d’Aze in France. Individual race goes on Saturday followed by a sprint on Sunday.
USA and Canada:
» See our preview of Steep Dreams event at Panorama Resort, BC that will take place on Feb 4-5 (individual on Saturday and vertical on Sunday).
» Check out our skimo racing calendar
Over the next two weekends you can participate in one of these:
Jan 28 – CROWBAR SkiMo race, UT
Jan 28 – Défi des montagnes, QC
Jan 29 – Skin to Win Race At Bridger Bowl, MT
Feb 3-5 – US Nationals, NM
Feb 4-5 – Panorama Steep Dreams Skimo Race, BC
Feb 5 – Burke Backcountry Adventure, VT