"Hopefully this is the race that puts the "mountaineering" back into ski mountaineer racing in North America," said race director Bryan Wickenhauser after the Gore-Tex International Ski Mountaineering Contiential Championships (part of the COSMIC race series) was held in Crested Butte this past January 28-29th. Roughly 64 racers from Italy, Slovenia, Canada, Spain and the United States took part in the two day event comprised of a sprint and a longer traditional race. Former ISMF president and now treasurer Louis Lopez and Canadian techincal referee David Dorian with assistant Ryan Johnson were on hand to assure proper protocal was followed. All were impressed with the organization of the event and hope to sanction more international competitions in North America.
Ski mountaineer racing is incredibly popular in Europe and just starting to come into its own in North America. After the World Championships in Claut, Italy, last year United States Ski Mountaineering Association president Pete Swensen was approached by the ISMF urging USSMA to organize a continental championship in North America in attempts to encourage more athletes to compete. Swensen contacted Bryan Wickenhauser last summer with Crested Butte in mind. Wickenhauser immediately started designing both the sprint course and the traditional course including the Guide's Ridge hoping to create a race with a technical section equal to the races in Europe. He was very successful.
Mount Crested Butte Ski Area fully embraced the idea and opened the Guide's Ridge for winter climbing for the first time. The race gear list told the tale requiring racers to wear mountaineering harnesses with via ferrata devices and climbing ascenders in order to tackle the climb on Sunday's longer race stage. Qualified ski patrol took 80 hours attaching fixed lines to the ridge and had roughly 30 quilified volunteers on course with 15 on the actual ridge including UIAGM guides from Crested Butte Mountain Guides assuring racer's safety.
The two days of racing were deemed a great success with Saturday's first ever North American sprint race challenging racers further with -30 degree windchills. Accuracy and skin care proved difficult with the extreme temperatures - both imperative for a sprint which requires racers to move through a series of transitions from up to downhill in an event that is normally won in less than five minutes depending on the course. The Italians experience shone through with Manfred Reichegger (ITA) taking first place with a time of 4:48 followed by Riener Thoni (CAN) and Lorenzo Holzknecht (ITA). For women the Candian Melanie Bernier took first in 5:39 followed by Janelle Smiley (USA) and Sari Anderson (USA).
Sunday's traditional course boasted 5000 feet plus of elevation gain including the 1000 feet of fixed line on the guide's ridge. Once racers hit the summit two more climbs and descents remained before crossing the finish at the base of the mountain. Again the Italian dexterity and speed proved insurmountable with Reichegger winning in a time of 1:58.35 followed by Holzknecht and Thoni. Rounding out the top three overall winners for women were Janelle Smiley, Sari Anderson and Stevie Kremer. Since it was the North American Championships the Canadian Reiner Thoni was deemed the Continental Champion. Will the race be back? The Italians are certinaly up for it and according to Wickenhauser it is a definite possibility the race may be held every two years leap frogging with the World Championships in Europe. For a complete list of results click here.
Comments