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The Heathen Challenge – Sunlight COSMIC Race Report + US Team

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Last Saturday, January 16th, Sunlight Mountain in Colorado hosted another round of the US ski mountaineering racing series and the event was the last chance for three more racers to make the US National Team. The race was also included in Colorado’s own COSMIC series.
The following words and photos were submitted by Bryan Wickenhauser who raced in the event himself and is one of the elite North American skimo racers. Thanks Bryan for sharing and congrats on making the US Team.

Race report from Bryan

Travis Scheefer and Ben Parsons discussing the race at the finish.
Travis Scheefer and Ben Parsons discussing the race at the finish.
All the chips were on the table, as those skiers still looking to clinch a spot on the US Ski Mountaineering Team made the effort for the first stop on the COSMIC Series.
The first three racers, who hadn’t already qualified from a previous qualifier at Jackson Hole last Spring or Grand Targhee the prior week, would be awarded spots on this year’s team.
The Race venue was at Sunlight Ski Resort outside of Glenwood, CO. The resort has hosted a stop on the COMIC Series the prior three winters, so the course is not an unknown to most athletes.
Unfortunately, this winter started out with some descent early snow and then the tap got turned off for the last 5-6 weeks, making for some sugary, unconsolidated snow on the climbs when in the trees, and firm & fast on the descents, over all some technical conditions.
Pierre Gignoux carbon boots and Ski Trab carbon skis. Who's are they?
Pierre Gignoux carbon boots and Ski Trab carbon skis. Who's are they?
On the start line were a number of new carbon boots (SCARPA F1 Carbon, Dynafit DyNA, and even a pair of Pierre Gignoux 444) and skis.
Under clear skies, racers took off flying up the first 1740 foot climb, with skins ripping and snapping at the first transition. The first descent was down a bumped out, steep and bony run called The Heathen, the racers would get to know well.
The second climb was a repeat of the first climb, followed by another descent down The Heathen and then continuing on down another 250 vertical feet to the last uphill transition. At this point athletes were starting to spread out and solidify positions for the home stretch.
The last uphill consisted of a complete off-piste trail, switch backing through unconsolidated snow for ~600 vertical feet to the boot pack section. Here racers had to strap skis to packs for an additional ~400 vertical feet…. at least the steps weren’t too sugary for this section!
After putting the skis back on after the boot pack, racers still had to negotiate another ~700 feet to the top for the last skin rip and descent down The Heathen to the finish line at the base area.
At the finish, after nearly 5223 feet of climbing, it was Chris Kroger taking first by one second over Max Tam in just around 1hour 55minutes, followed closely by Pete Swenson. Bryan Wickenhauser came in 4th and Ben Parsons rounded out the top five.
In the women’s category it was Monique Merrill 1st followed by Jari Kirkland and Sue King 3rd rounding out the top three.
» Full results can be found at USSMA website.

The US National Team finalized (from Bryan)

Men:
Brandon French (Kalispell, MT)
Chris Kroger (Jackson Hole, WY)
Ben Parsons (Kalispell, MT)
Pete Swenson (Breckenridge, CO)
Carry Smith (Jackson Hole, WY)
Travis Scheefer (Crested Butte, CO)
Max Tam (Aspen, CO)
Bryan Wickenhauser (Gunnison, CO)
Women:
Sue King (Carbondale, CO)
Jari Kirkland (Crested Butte, CO
Monique Merrill (Breckenridge, CO)
Lyndsay Meyer (Chamonix, Fr)
Nina Cook Silitch (Chamonix, Fr)
Amy Smith (Jackson Hole, WY)

Tiki Torch Dash 2009: fun and chill under the stars

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Melanie Bernier delivered a performance of the night while Montana boys won a relay as the North American skimo racing season went under way.
On Saturday night, Dec 5th, thanks to a determined crew of organizers and volunteers Kicking Horse Mountain Resort near Golden, BC hosted the first race of the season in North America – the Tiki Torch Dash.
Update: This article has been updated with words from Ian Gale – one of Tiki Torch organizers and competitors. See the section “Words from Ian Gale – an organizer and a competitor” 3/4 down this article.
The event consisted of two races and was attended by about 40 competitors:

  • 4-laps teams relay (or solo)
  • hill climb vertical race (only as solo)
  • original facts are here – Tiki Torch Dash 2009
Furious start of the hill climb vertical race.
Furious start of the hill climb vertical race. Photo from Mel Bernier collection.
Special atmosphere, new to Canadian skimo racing, was created by running the race in the night.
The relay race started at 7pm and the hill climb at 9.15pm. Headlamps were mandatory for both races.
The temperature must have been hovering around -15 to -20 C as every deep breath felt very painful.
The main start/finish area was located at the very base of the resort and was fancied up by lit torches, good music and screaming supporters. The race course was marked by small tiki torches, almost a full moon, and hundreds of stars.
» Official results can be found here (PDF format).

Relay race – interesting new format

Two fastest girls of Canadian skimo racing: Melanie Bernier and Julie Matteau.
Two fastest girls of Canadian skimo racing: Melanie Bernier and Julie Matteau. Photo from Mel Bernier collection.
The 4-lap relay race was raced by a team of two or solo. The field was strong as almost a complete Canadian National Skimo Team attended and faced a challenge from two very fast Americans.
Each team member completed two laps and they exchanged the relay after each lap (one lap took about 14-20 minutes to complete).
In men’s category, US team “Stars and Stripes” consisting of Brandon French and Ben Parsons took the top prize with a time of 56min 59sec. (Their original time was even faster but they received a 30sec penalty for some rule infractions.)
Second came in the home boys named “Golden Skimo” with Ian Gale and current Canadian skimo champ Reiner Thoni with a time of 57min 6sec.
Third place went to “Andorra Express” team consisting of James Minifie and Stano Faban with a time of 58min 16sec.
Women’s category was won by Revelstoke’s “Les Pitounes” – Julie Matteau and Melanie Bernier – in a time of 1h 12min 56sec.
An award for best costumes was handed to “Shreds from space” team from Golden. The martians were Aaron Enns and Ken McDermic.

Hill climb race – performance of the night

While the first race was taken in a more relaxed manner by all the hill climb was pure business for most. The money of all Canadians was bet on Reiner Thoni and he did deliver.
However, Reiner’s effort wasn’t The Performance of the night. That came from Melanie Bernier in the women’s category. Melanie turned inside out and gave a serious run for money to all the male competitors. She comfortably won her category with a time of 18min 13sec and finished 8th overall.
Q: Melanie, your hill climb effort was amazing. What are your goals for this racing season?
Melanie: “Thank you, I was feeling good that night! My goals for the season are oriented mainly toward the World Championships…With a 30th position at Porte Du Soleil in 2008, I am aiming for a top 20 this year, and if it happens I’ll know that I’ve accomplished a lot. One of my other goals is to keep on developing endurance and fast recovery for multi-day/stage races to make the most of the Pierra Menta without suffering too much along the way! And most importantly, still have fun and enjoy every moment when I’m on my skis,” said Melanie.
Reiner, as our current national champ, took the lead right from the gun and never looked back. Brandon French tried to real him in near the finish but Reiner had one more kick and jumped away. Reiner’s time was 17min 7sec while Brandon’s 17min 14sec. Third place belonged to James Minifie with a time of 17min 56sec.
The rest of the field was coming in as small groups fighting it all the way to the finish while pushing their limits. Whether first or last, all of us suffered with loud coughs picking ourselves from the ground.

Words from Ian Gale – an organizer and a competitor

Q: On behalf of the organizing team, what do you like about hosting skimo events in your resort?
Ian: “What I like most about hosting skimo events at KHMR, is they ‘buy in’ to it 100%. On race day for the Dogtooth Dash, everyone who steps off the gondola is gobsmacked with a Huge Start/Finish area, cowbell galore, screaming spectators, a DJ spinning tunes, Jordon announcing the race and slobbering rando racers running all over the place.  The racers feel welcome and the spectators get a great show.
I also really like showing people a challenging, fun course, where we can try to highlight some of our burlier, rugged terrain and make them feel like they’re actually racing through the mountains.”
Q: You finished 2nd in the relay race and 4th in the hill climb, great performances. Which one was harder and which one did you like more?
Ian: “I really enjoyed both races! The highlight for me was the relay race, it’s fun to work with a partner (especially when he’s super speedy!) and to have more ski mountaineering elements involved ie.: transitions, downhill skiing, strategy etc.
The hill climb was definitely the harder race of the two for me. Lining up for a second race at 9 pm after the relay was tough, especially with the cold temps. A great test though, I do really appreciate the simplicity and honesty of the vertical race.”

How did your race go? Anyone any questions?

You are welcomed to share your Tiki Torch stories here in the comments section, I am sure everyone has something “spicy” to reveal.
Also, anyone that didn’t participate but has questions regarding the event is welcomed to ask.

Recap of the Canadian ski mountaineering racing season 2009

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Canadian ski mountaineering racing series is growing bit by bit every year. The 2009 skimo racing season promised five event calendar, which meant one more than the previous year.
The new event that was added was a Dogtooth Dash at the Kicking Horse Alpine Resort in Golden, BC. And after some key sponsors pulled out of the Whistler’s race the Dogtooth Dash was announced the new venue for the Canadian National Ski Mountaineering Championships.
At the end the calendar looked like this:

  • Feb 7, 2009 – Sunshine 5000 Ski Mountaineering Race – Sunshine Village, AB
  • Feb 21, 2009 – ROAM Randonnee Rally – Nelson, BC
  • Mar 7, 2009 – Mountain Storm – Fernie, BC
  • Mar 28, 2009 – Dogtooth Dash – Golden, BC (National Champs)

Sunshine 5000 Ski Mountaineering Race

Feb 7, 2009 – Sunshine Village, AB
Blue sky and not too cold temperatures by Rocky Mountains standards made for a great opening to the new racing season. The Sunshine 5000 event is one of the “old timers” on the Canadian calendar and this year it welcomed about 60 racers on two courses. The long one was especially tough with the length of 18km and 1400m of climbing.
In the main men’s race, over the long course, two super fit Montana racers schooled the Canucks and showed how it is supposed to be done on skinny sticks. New prodigy of the US racing field, Ben Parsons, took first just ahead of Brandon French, who is American SkiMo Champ from 2008. The top three Canadians were Reiner Thoni, Stano Faban and Steve Sellers.
The women’s long course was stormed through by Julie Matteau who improves rapidly every season. Second place belonged to Kylee Toth and third to Laura Heffler. Reigning Canadian champion, Melanie Bernier, pulled out of the race in the morning due to a sickness.
Winners on the short course were Ron Worobec and Megan Dunn.
Complete results in a PDF: Sunshine 5000 – Feb 7, 2009

ROAM Randonnee Rally

Feb 21, 2009 – Nelson, BC
The second race on the calendar is traditionally a part of the Cold Smoke Powder Fest that takes place at the Whitewater Ski Resort near Nelson, BC.
The Randonnee Rally main course was a bit shorter than a usual ski mountaineering race. However, fun was everywhere mostly due to fairly tough snow conditions.
Men’s race, on the long course, was won by a German speedster, Benedikt Bohm, who posses a great deal of experience from the European racing circuit. Second and third belong to Brandon French and Ben Parsons from the States. Then the top three Canadians followed – Andrew McNab, Jeff Colvin, Alex Wigley.
The women’s category was once again dominated by Julie Matteau followed by last season’s no. 1, Melanie Bernier, and third belong to Kylee Toth. Again, the girls posted some fast times that even many men racers wouldn’t mind.
The short course winners were Daniel Klein and Jamee Beaupre.
Complete results in a PDF: ROAM Randonnee Rally – Feb 21, 2009

Mountain Storm

Mar 7, 2009 – Fernie, BC
A broken chairlift three days before the event and almost continuous snowing made for epic conditions. In the morning, the organizers almost wondered whether they should make fat skis mandatory as sinking waist deep was inevitable. Deep, deep powder was to be skied!
Big tumbles, face shots and good laughs characterized the atmosphere on the race course. The battle for the win was all the way to the line when the first four racers came in within one minute of each other. First belonged to Reiner Thoni, second to Andrew McNab, and the podium was completed by Jeff Colvin, all Canadians.
Speedy ladies had good times as well and nothing could stop another dominant performance of Julie Matteau, as she won her third race from three starts this season. Second belonged to Kylee Toth, followed by Linda Berg of Sweden.
Race over the short course was won by Matt Nerdig and Brenda Critchley.
Complete results in a PDF: Mountain Storm – Mar 7, 2009

Dogtooth Dash – Canadian Championships

Mar 28, 2009 – Golden, BC
This was the day many racers prepared for whole winter because medals were to be awarded. Despite the fact that this was the very first time the organizer put on a ski moutaineering race the course was designed perfectly and was the most technical one Canadian skimo racing scene ever saw (the same most likely applies for the whole North America).
Once the gun went off the fierce battle was on. Mid-way through the race, the field was led by a pack of four. The race leader and eventual winner, Scott Coldiron of US, was pulling slowly but surely away from three Canadians that stayed together until the very last moments. Reiner Thoni was crowned the new Canadian Champion as silver went to the revelation of the race, James Minifie, and third to Stano Faban.
The technical course with around 300m vertical of bootpacks made it a bit tough for ladies to follow since their steps are considerably shorter than those that male racers make. However, once more a fast time was set by Julie Matteau who became the new queen of Canadian skimo racing. Last year’s champion, Melanie Bernier, came second followed by Billie Velisek.
In the short course battle the fight was won by Jonah Job and Brenda Critchley.
Complete results in a PDF: Dogtooth Dash – Mar 28, 2009

Overall results – Canadian Ski Mountaineering Cup 2009

At each race, points based on finishing times were awarded to each participant, towards the overall Canadian skimo series. Three out of the best four results were calculated to establish the final national ranking.
Men’s overall series champion for the 2009 season was Brandon French of US. The top three Canadians were Reiner Thoni followed by Jeff Colvin and Andy Traslin.
In the women’s category an impressive sweep of all the races on the calendar gave Julie Matteau the overall series title. Followed by Melanie Bernier and Kylee Toth.
The season was arguably the most competitive in the history since many racers wanted to have a shot for a National Team for the next year’s World Championships.
Although, there is a considerable gap between the top ski mountaineering athletes from the United States and the Canadian ones, all the fast Canucks are determined to break the “curse” next winter. Lets see what happens in a year.