The weekend was perfect for the Grand Nordic 15k Skate Race on Jan10 and the Snow Mountain Ranch Annual 15k Classic Jan 11 with single digit temps overnight and clear sunshine and mid-twenties to thirties mid-day with almost no wind. The racers skied like the wind on a beautifully-manicured course starting a10-min walk/ski from the SMR Nordic Center in the CCO loops. The great race series team and SMR groomers pulled off miracles to start the racing season on the right track. Johannes Flaaten (UC) and Andrew Huck battled for the long course Skate championship with Flaaten flying in first at 55:43.1. Dan Weinberger cruised for third. First woman was Julia Everest 20th overall at 1:06:46 followed by Ella Dewolf and Sophie Spalding (UC).
The short 7.5k Skate course was mainly a youth race with Boulder Nordic team Jeremy Berets cruising in at 31:37 over Kajsa Wiik followed by Ben Kaune (WPCC) out-sprinting Saylor Archie. The 3k victor was Indigo Archie in 12:47 followed by William Weinberger and Graham Huber. There were 117 racers total.
The Classic 15k the next day started up by the Waterfall trailhead and went up Blue Ridge, across Eagle Valley and down Young. Ryan Sederquist prevailed on the tough course in 1:05:39 leading Rogan Brown with Dan Weinberger holding out over Eric Myer in the top pack. Ivy Eski 10th overall was first woman at 1:16:29 followed by Sophie Spalding and Ella Dewolf.
The short 7.5k Classic was a cruise for Lucas Wiik at 35:47 followed by Jacob Schopp (WPCC) and Omar Armbruster. First woman was Saylor Archie 4th overall at 42:11 with Cara Szuch not far behind. Elliott Adema (WPCC) took top honors for the 3K followed closely by William Weinberger, Evan Boylan and Indigo Archie. Tough race on pristine conditions for well over 100 athletes.
This Friday Jan 16 is the home race for MPHS and EGMS with races both morning and afternoon at SMR. Come watch the best kids in the State or volunteer to be a part of the action. Signup at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040E4AACAF2FAAF94-61595064-2026.
The action continues on Saturday with a fun new event – the Red Barn Relays! A fundraiser for youth Nordic programs in Grand County. From casual skiers to competitive duos, teams of two will alternate laps on the 5k and 10k courses. We welcome all ages and all abilities skiing either classic or skate. There’ll be lots of action with lots of passing. The 10k starts at 11am at Snow Mtn Ranch on Saturday Jan 17 from the Campers Hub with categories for both kids and adults. Afterwards we have snacks, awards, and real cheese as top prizes just like the World Cup! Register or volunteer at Skigrandnordic.org.
Especially for fun events like this or for this weird winter, try no-wax skis with a pattern on the bottom in the center of the ski. They are especially helpful when you’re just going out for a quick spin. Since that pattern will bite into the soft or slushy snow, they’re great when the temperatures start to swing dramatically and get above freezing. Remember to glide wax tips and tails and let the pattern help you kick forward. But no-wax skis don’t work in icy conditions so snow temperature is important.
