News Shorts

Skimo News – Dec 25, 2019: 1st World Cup And North American Races Of The Season

December 25, 2019 By SkinTrack Editors Leave a Comment

Iwan Arnold running away with the win in the sprint race in France. ISMF photo.

This is our first recap of the 2020 skimo racing season!

We are looking forward to bringing you results and analysis of both North American and International races again this winter.

Whether you are an athlete or race organizer, please, let us know if you’d like to help contribute news from events (especially from the women’s field). Don’t hesitate to reach out via SkinTrack’s Facebook Messenger.

International Race News

ISMF World Cup – Aussois, France – Dec 20-21, 2019:

Individual and Sprint Races

The first stage of the ISMF World Cup opened this weekend in France with an individual and sprint events.

The first day (individual race) was marked by difficult weather conditions that necessitated a course reduction. Robert Antonioli (ITA) and Axelle Gachet-Mollaret (FRA) each ran away with their respective senior victories. The men’s podium was rounded out by Matteo Eydallin (ITA) and Werner Marti (SUI), and the women’s podium by Marianne Fatton (SUI) and by the young Guilia Murada (ITA).

Axelle Mollaret battling strong winds during the individual race. ISMF photo.

The sprint event was featured on TV in Europe, with better weather than the previous day. The Swiss team performed very well with Iwan Arnold and Marion Fatton winning the senior events. Robert Antonioli (ITA) and Damiano Lenzi (ITA) chased hard but had to settle for 2nd and 3rd. Déborah Chiarello (SUI) and Marianna Jagercikova (SVK) took the podium in the women’s race.

North Americas were represented in the individual race by Sierra Anderson (USA) who placed 10th in the senior women’s race and Grace Staberg (USA) who placed 3rd in the junior women’s event! Sierra finished 13th in the sprint while Grace notched another top-10 with an 8th place finish.

> Full results for both events

USA and Canada Race News

Wolf Creek Skimo – Colorado – Dec 14, 2019:

Thirty-one racers met at the Wolf Creek Ski Area for December’s COSMIC race.

Scott Archer won the overall in snowy conditions with Arthur Whitehead just two-seconds behind in the nearly two and a half hour race, with Paul Mumford in third. Leora Wallace won solidly over Ashley Carruth and Gina Base.

> Full results

Vert180 – Calgary, Canada – Dec 7, 2019:

Vert180 changed its format slightly and now the event lasts 120 minutes instead of the original 180.

The traditional season opener in Canada requires athletes to repeat laps of about 120m vertical on the Canada Olympic Park ski hill in Calgary. The winning men completed 14 laps total with Tyson Smith taking the win over Peter Knight and Nathan Smith in third. Marg Fedyna completed 10 laps to win over Alison Walford and Martha Burley.

> Full results

Upcoming North American Events

Castle Mountain Skimo Race – Alberta, Canada – Jan 4/5, 2020:

The Castle races feature an Individual and Sprint event. The individual race offers difficult skinning followed by a ridge-top portion on foot – usually accompanied by cold winds. The descents are fast and steep with a finish down the powder cat skiing terrain. Expect good competition between athletes from the Rockies, the Coast, and usually a few from Montana!

For accommodation at Castle visit StayCastle.ca

Heathen Challenge – Colorado – Jan 4, 2020:

This is one of the bigger races in Colorado at Sunlight Ski Area. Expect big climbs and difficult off piste descents and the infamous Heathen descent to the finish.

Kilian Jornet and Andrzej Bargiel in Everest Base Camp

September 11, 2019 By Stano Faban Leave a Comment

Kilian atop Matterhorn during his remarkable ascent-descent record. Photo courtesy Summits of My Life.

Attempting Everest, or any 8,000 meter peak, in the fall poses more difficulties, since the monsoon creates snowier conditions than in the spring, which is the most popular season to climb many of the world’s highest peaks. For alpinists desiring fewer climbers on the major routes, the post monsoon season is the preferred time of year due to much less traffic.

Because of these factors, several of the preeminent ski mountaineers of our time have already begun hiking in to Everest base camp.

Kilian Jornet, the well known Catalan ski mountaineer, is returning to Everest after visiting the area in 2016 and 2017. His first visit to the area was derailed due to the devastating earthquake in the Khumbu region of Nepal. In 2017, Kilian had success in reaching the summit, however his efforts to achieve a Fastest Known Time (FKT) from the last inhabited village of Rongbuk Monastery in Tibet was not achieved.

This year, Jornet is returning with a similar ethos of fast and light travel, basing his expedition in Gorakshep, the last town on the route to Everest base camp in Nepal. This avoids the expedition the need of a basecamp that is traditionally a two hour hike from Gorakshep. At this time, Kilian has not publicized his climbing plans on the mountain.

Another fascinating attempt on the mountain is that of a Polish team assisting Andrzej Bargiel in a ski descent from the summit without the use of supplemental oxygen, and ideally, according to Bargiel, without removing skis on the descent.

Last year, Bargiel made history by completing a continuous ski descent of K2 from the summit, with only one short rappel. This descent was widely considered one of the best in the history of 8,000 meter peak ski descents, and earned Bargiel an Adventurers of the Year award by National Geographic.

This year, Bargiel has returned to the Himalaya in late August to attempt a similar feat on Everest. He is also attempting the summit from the Nepalese side, and has met with Jornet along the approach.

Bargiel’s ambitious goal would, if successful, be the first continuous ski descent of the mountain without oxygen. Hans Kammerlander was able to climb to the summit and ski the first 300m in 1996 before conditions forced him to downclimb around 1,000m of the upper face. Eight other ski descents of the mountain have used oxygen in the ascent.

Source: Desnivel.com

New Scarpa Alien 1.0 vs Scarpa Alien RS vs Scarpa Alien 3.0

December 20, 2018 By Stano Faban 2 Comments

Here are a couple of close-up photos of the newly redesigned Scarpa Alien 1.0, now using a carbon infused Grilamid shell just like the Alien RS.
The new 1.0 really seems to be a blend of features of the old 1.0, the new RS, and the racing specialist boot 3.0.
We will add more details soon so check back to this page.
>> Visit our ski boots comparison page for more details on these boots.

Scarpa Alien 3.0 compared to new Scarpa Alien 1.0 (on the right).

Scarpa Alien RS compared to new Scarpa Alien 1.0

Full image of Scarpa Alien 1.0 showing many new features. Because of these, the boot might be slightly heavier than previous model but should be a lot more comfortable, and of course less snow getting inside ;) — Full image of Scarpa Alien 1.0 showing many new features. Because of these, the boot might be slightly heavier than previous model but should be a lot more comfortable, and of course less snow getting inside 😉

Comparing Alien 3.0 and 1.0 from the back. They seem to be the same height but the 3.0 heel cup is considerably smaller.

New closing mechanism - there is no locking pin for the lever to clip into - used for Scarpa RS and Alien 1.0, but not yet on Alien 3.0 — New closing mechanism – there is no locking pin for the lever to clip into – used for Scarpa RS and Alien 1.0, but not yet on Alien 3.0

Great Visit to La Sportiva Factory and Headquarters in Italy

October 8, 2018 By Stano Faban 2 Comments

Who would think that twisting mountain roads, climbing over high passes, would land me in front of a factory of one of the most recognized brands in the outdoor industry?
But we were in Italy so finding La Sportiva headquarters and factory in a small mountain town was quite fitting. The little town is Ziano di Fiemme and is situated in the famous Val di Fiemme valley.

History, Factory Expansion and Impact on Local Economy

The La Sportiva’s factory I visited is highly specialized for production of their climbing shoes and mountaineering boots while the rest of their products (running shoes, ski boots, clothing) is manufactured elsewhere in Italy and around the world.
Narciso Delladio started La Sportiva in 1928 while hand-crafting wooden leather boots for local lumber-jacks and farmers. After the war, the demand for his boots increased and he started to expand into climbing and mountain boots as well.
During the 1980s, La Sportiva set a firm foothold in the climbing market by releasing very innovative climbing shoes. These basically marked the start of modern rock climbing shoes. Since the product was so new they had to even invent and design some of the machinery so they could scale the production and deliver the desired quality.

With such rich history, local economy have depended on La Sportiva for close to a century and in 2018 the factory in Ziano have been expanded to double the production capacity. Today, the factory that also includes the headquarters employs around 250 people. This is a huge boost to the valley with only 15,000 residents.
» Here you can explore more about La Sportiva’s 90-year old history.

The La Sportiva Factory Tour

Since this main factory was recently undergoing an expansion I was not sure how much I would be able to see. Fortunately, most of the machinery was already moved when I showed up so I got a full tour. My guide was La Sportiva’s marketing manager Luca Mich who is native to the valley and is proudly with the company for over 10 years.

We started the tour by Luca explaining a couple of things around their manufacturing secrets and that he would let me know when it is fine to take photos and when not.
Then all of a sudden, after entering through a big door, we were inside.

Luca was saying something but I couldn’t pay attention as my eyes were all over the place trying to process what was going on. There were many workers, lots of machinery and unrecognizable pieces of gear everywhere.
Despite all the technology on the floor, human hand is still touches the product and doing most of the work in every single step of production at this La Sportiva factory! This approach allows La Sportiva workers to constantly check quality along the way.

Another cool things that I observed were:

many young workers around 25 years old, of which most live in the valley;
glues used in production are water based so irritating smells are very limited;
and that the factory building captures CO2 through its filtering system to prevent it from escaping into the atmosphere.

Arguably the most valuable asset for any shoe manufacturer are the molds.

Production Steps

Since the factory I visited makes only climbing and mountaineering shoes the below describes the process I observed for this specific gear category.
Climbing or a mountaineering shoe consists of around 30-35 pieces of various materials that are glued and sewn together.
Also, the factory switches production of different models about once in two weeks.
The process:

Raw materials – leather, rubber, fabrics, etc – are cut using machines into specific pieces for a model in production that week
Soft material pieces are then sewn or glued into a shoe or a “sock”
Rubber soles and other rubber and plastic pieces are glued into place on the “sock”
Excess rubber is shaved and finished/polished
Final quality check
Shoes are packaged into a box and off they go into stores

Cutting the soles out of sheets of Vibram rubber.

Cutting leather pieces for climbing shoes.

This big computer-operated machine helps to minimize wast when cutting textile or very thin leather.

Relationship with SkiTrab

Couple of years ago, La Sportiva started to venture into the world of ski mountaineering and ski touring. After some testing years, the company decide to partner with SkiTrab – another famed Italian brand – to help them with skis production.
I believe this is a great partnership for both sides – they are companies with similar values and both still family owned – and they can help each other compete with giants such as Salomon or Dynafit/Salewa.

La Sportiva Expects Good Growth

The two segments La Sportiva expects to rapidly grow in the near future are trail and mountain running, and rock climbing, whether that be outside or within indoor gyms. The company plans to focus on these two segments so we can expect many new great products here from this Italian brand.
As for winter sports, La Sportiva sees expansion for ski touring while it is probably not going to bet much on speed oriented ski touring and ski mountaineering.

Report from Meet the Minotaur – Exciting New Mountain Running Race in Canada

September 14, 2018 By Stano Faban Leave a Comment

For several years now, I’ve made the trek down to southwest Alberta to race the Castle Mountain Skimo Race but I’ve never been to that part of the Rocky Mountains in the summer.
Of course I’ve heard about the (in)famous Sinister 7 Ultra that takes place in Crowsnest Pass but never thought of it as much of a running destination until a very enthusiastic Noah Schuh described the coolest race he’d ever done – Meet the Minotaur. I decided to sign up and see what it was all about, plus I’d get to take a quick stop in Roger’s Pass en route!
This race report was written by Eric. Full results are at the bottom.

Tapering

Race day approached and pre-race emails started to roll in with vague warnings of dangers on the course and required equipment including a helmet, gloves, and bear spray. I was a little skeptical that this might all be a bit of an overreaction.
En-rouote to Crowsnest Pass I met Matt Ruta in Roger’s Pass and we went for a pleasant climb up Mt. Tupper. Rumors of scary soloing were overblown and we had an excellent day, though, a 5hr mountain run isn’t exactly an ideal race taper activity.

Race Day – August 25, 2018

Meet the Minotaur (their website) very much resembles a skimo race in that we covered ~2100m+ over 17km, mainly in three major ascents and descents. There was essentially no flat running and just a few undulating ridge sections.

I’d highly recommend this event to any runner or skimo racer who truly loves moving fast in technical, mountainous terrain.

Race morning came quickly and I headed to the start location just outside town. The 10am start was particularly civilized and allowed the temps to warm up a bit before we had to take our jackets off to get going.

With 150 athletes on the starting line, it wasn’t quite the backwoods event I was expecting. It’s definitely not an obstacle course race and while staying on course is a concern, navigation is not a major component of the race.
While the course was kept secret prior to the race, no maps were necessary and it was well marked. The organizers had their systems dialed and everything from the bib-pickup and check-in to the pre-race meeting was smooth and efficient.
As usual, a handful of racers pushed hard off the start and faded. I found myself leading for a moment before another racer surged ahead. I latched on, not realizing at first that I was following Troy Misseghers, local hero and champion of the inaugural event in 2017. We ground up the first ascent together, realizing that we’d opened a sizeable gap on the chasing athletes.

As we rolled over the top of the first climb, we dropped down to a checkpoint station and then down the first scree descent. Troy took off hard down the slope while I held back a bit to be cautious. It was just that terrible kind of scree where the rocks were big enough you couldn’t just surf them and had to be careful of getting bitten in the ankle but not big enough to trust that they’d stay in place when you jumped on them.
I made the time up again on the next ascent so Troy and I cruised across the ridge together. This had the majority of the scrambling terrain on the course with a few exposed ridge crests and some up and down climbing of rock steps equipped with ropes.

There was consistently stone fall as we moved together. Even two relatively experienced guys moving carefully, we dislodged some rocks. I can imagine it was considerably worse later in the field, with many people moving through these areas together. The helmets were definitely a wise decision. I was also very glad to have gloves on as per the mandatory equipment. I don’t usually wear gloves while running in the mountains in the summer but, while racing, I took 5-10 small slip and falls that would definitely have cut up my hands pretty badly.
Troy and I worked together throughout the race. The course was well marked with flags and tape. Not so well that you could turn your brain off, but not so sparse that you would ever get completely lost. While looking down at our feet, we also had to look ahead for the route. We were definitely pushing each other during our respective strong sections of the course. Troy would bravely smash ahead on the descents and I’d try to make him hurt on the climbs.

As we approached the final climb, we both expected it to be a bit longer. I pushed hard and opened up a gap. When I realized we were approaching the start/finish area, I really gave a good push and managed to roll into the finish with less than a minute to spare. Not long after, the lead woman, another local, Anna Koevoet crossed the line, dominating the women’s competition, all in preparation for racing the following weekend at Run the Rut SkyRace in Montana!
The atmosphere at the start/finish area was excellent with everyone hanging around for a taco bar and the awards presentation. Andrew, Ian, and the rest of the race organization did a fantastic job encouraging athletes to take the short course if they were on track for a long day and before long, the last few racers were finishing.
I’d highly recommend this event to any runner or skimo racer who truly loves moving fast in technical, mountainous terrain. I even left out a few of the race “twists” for you to discover next year. I’ll certainly be back!
Full results – click here

Andreas Steindl Sets a New Speed Record on Matterhorn

September 13, 2018 By Stano Faban Leave a Comment

On August 27, Andreas Steindl set a new speed record for going up and down the iconic Matterhorn (4478m) from Zermatt via the Hornli Ridge route.
Andreas is a 29-year-old Swiss mountain guide and a member of the Swiss National Ski Mountaineering Team who is known for his speed mountaineering abilities.

» Back in July, another Swiss mountain guide, Dani Arnold, set a new speed climbing record on Grand Jorasses.

Matterhorn FKT via Hornli Ridge – August 27, 2018

While Kilian Jornet holds the speed record for a round-trip on Matterhorn from the Italian side (starting and finishing in the town of Cervinia), Steindl now holds the record on the Swiss side starting and finishing in his hometown of Zermatt.
Andreas’ took 2 hours 38 minutes to ascend the 2860m to reach the summit from the church in Zermatt, and after running down this iconic mountain he stopped his watch at 3 hours 59 minutes 52 seconds.
Kilian’s route via the Lion Ridge from the Italian side is a bit more difficult than Hornli Ridge but has more fixed rope sections. The elevation gain for ascend via the Lion Ridge is also less, at around 2500m. However, Kilian took only 2 hours 52 minutes for his round-trip. He set this record in August 2013.
Video from Andreas’ record day:

Video from Kilian’s record day in 2013:

Five 4000m peaks in a day by Andreas Steindl – 2015

Back in August 2015, Andreas set an outstanding record for linking up – by running and speed climbing – 5 peaks going from Zermatt to Saas Fee. He covered a total of 31km and ascended just over 4000m.
He needed only 7 hours, 45 minutes and 44 seconds to complete this difficult route.
Here is a really good 25min video from that day:

Dani Arnold's New Speed Record on Grandes Jorasses and Beyond

August 18, 2018 By Stano Faban Leave a Comment

Dani Arnold has been rising up as a speed climbing star following Ueli Steck’s path and over the last couple of years he has accumulated a number of record achievements.
After Ueli’s accident and death on Everest’s west peak, Nuptse, in May of 2017 it was another Swiss taking over the speed climbing world.
Just like Ueli, he has now climbed all three big north faces in the Alps in this unique style.
Dani Arnold was born in 1984 (8 years later than Ueli Steck) and is a Swiss mountain guide.

Grandes Jorasses – July 27, 2018

While the news and video broke to public only recently, it has been almost a month since Dani Arnold climbed Grandes Jorasses in 2 hours 4 minutes via the famous Cassin route (also know as Walker Spur).
The 1200m route is a rock climb starting at 3000m. Its difficulty is rated at around 5.9 (UIAA VI). Apparently, he climbed it without wearing a harness or bringing a single carabiner.

Matterhorn – April 22, 2015

Dani Arnold’s second speed record in the north face trilogy came in 2015 when he successfully climbed the Matterhorn’s north face in a new record time of 1 hour 46 minutes.
His time was 10 minutes faster than Ueli Steck’s in 2009. Dani climbed the Schmid route, same as Ueli, but with a different variation higher up the mountain.

Eiger North Face – April 20, 2011

After Ueli Steck’s unimaginable speed record on Eiger’s north face in 2008 via the classic Heckmair route – he climbed in 2 hours 47 minutes – it was Dani Arnold’s time to try in 2011. Choosing a period with more traffic on the route than during Steck’s attempt, Dani climbed it in 2 hours 28 minutes.
In 2015, Ueli Steck “The Swiss Machine” came back and took more of Dani’s approach and reclaimed the record by about 5min, which is standing to this day at 2 hours 22 minutes.

Report: Tromso Skyrace – Tromso, Norway – August 4, 2018

August 10, 2018 By Stano Faban Leave a Comment

This race report was submitted by our friend and summer SkinTrack contributor Shaun Stephens-Whale.
The Tromso Skyrace is a technical trail/mountain running race held outside of Tromso, Norway. At 58 kilometers in distance and with over 4400 meters of climbing, the race has become a part of the new Sky Extra discipline – a merger of the Sky Extra and Sky Ultra disciplines in the Migu Run Skyrunner World Series. Designed and organized by ultra running legends Kilian Jornet and Emelie Forsberg , it should be of no surprise that this race is advertised towards highly experienced competitors with mountain knowledge.

The course itself traverses through a wide array of terrain: from the lower valley swamps and rivers to the upper scree climbs, narrow ridgelines and alpine lakes. Two distinct mountains, Tromsdalstind mountain, climbed twice, and Hamperrokken mountain are the focus of the event. Jornet and Forsberg flag the course days in advance and often chose the most efficient line – whether that is traversing a narrow ridgeline or a 50 degree slope. This constant up-down assault on the legs favors the stronger athletes; perhaps, it should be of no surprise then, that the course record is held by Great Britain’s Obstacle Course Racer Jonathon Albon.
The 2018 edition of the Tromso Skyrace returned for its 3rd edition on August 4th . In addition to the featured 58 km distance, the race offered a vertical climb and a 32 km event, providing a more modest challenge to those unready to face the full distance.
» Tromso Skyrace website

How the Race Unfolded

Within the first hour, a group of three men emerged from the pack on the cloud soaked slopes of Tromsdalstind – Jonathon Albon alongside fellow countryman Andy Symonds and Russian Dimitry Mityaev. As they crested Tromsdalstind, the three were still within striking distance of one another but on the steep descent a conservative Albon began to gap his rivals. Scarce course markings encouraged participants to craft their own lines down into the valley below, likely benefiting Albon and his past knowledge of the course.
As Albon continued to extend his lead, the podium battle behind him was shifting, with Symonds relinquishing his podium position to Pere Aurell of Spain. After an accident the previous year, a section of the rocky Hamperrokken ridgeline had been removed from the course – a decision that shows how delicate the balance between masterful course design and inevitable injury is. Pere Aurell began to pull away from the Russian on the slopes of Hamperrokken, while Symonds continued strong, in fourth position. As participants crested the mountain, the usual snow covered gully that brought racers back to the valley floor had been replaced by a jagged boulder field, which would prove one of the most challenging sections of course.
Despite a mounting gap, Albon continued to push up the final climb and was rewarded with an incredible 15 minute lead by the top. On the last downhill this lead was only extended and Albon finished in a time of 7:04:06, only three minutes slower than his course record set the previous year. Aurell continued to run in second, out of sight of his nearest competitors. While after slipping down to 6th position on the perilous downhill, Symonds maintained confidence in his climbing legs and began moving up the field, cresting the final climb of Tromsdalstind within reach of Mityaev. On the final descent, the two battled for the final podium spot, with Symonds gritting his teeth and capturing 3rd , in 7:32:54. Pere Aurell was not to be challenged in 2nd , finishing in 7:28:56.

Women’s Race

The women’s race proved a closer battle for the top podium spot, with US Hillary Gerardi battling Spain’s newly minted World Trail Running Champion Gorgia Tindley onto the slopes of Hamperrokken. Though Tindley had been outclassing Gerardi on the early descents, Gerardi was able to pull away from Tindley on the slopes of Hamperrokken and never looked back, cruising to the finish in a course record time of 8:14:09. This time, incredibly, was good enough for a top ten overall position in a deep male field. Fellow American Brittany Peterson, was having a successsful day, keeping both Hillary and Gorgia within minutes of her all the way to the final climb of the day; she was rewarded with a 3 rd place result of 8:40:38 – over an hour clear of the next competitor. Gorgia Tindley held on for a strong 2 nd place finish, in 8:27:13.

Full Results

For full results see here.

Report: The Hardrock 100 Mile Endurance Run – Silverton, Colorado – July 20, 2018

July 26, 2018 By Stano Faban Leave a Comment

This race report was submitted by our friend and summer SkinTrack contributor Shaun Stephens-Whale.
The Hardrock One Hundred Mile Endurance Run (Hardrock) is perhaps one of the most challenging endurance races ever conceived. Since its inception in 1991, Silverton Colorado has played host to the 100 mile course that features a staggering 66,050 feet of elevation change (20,000 m). What’s perhaps more impressive still is that Hardrock runs at an average altitude of around 11,000 feet – peaking beyond 14,000 feet, making merely functioning, let alone racing, a challenge – perhaps this is why Hardrock is called a “run”, rather than a race.
In Hardrock, the first challenge is to be amongst the 140 participants selected to compete. With a pool approaching twenty times its capacity, prospective participants can earn tickets to enhance their chances of being selected. This system has been criticized for its nepotism towards former participants, watering down the potential pool of elite athletes who might compete. Despite this fact, Hardrock has been host to an international contingent of accomplished athletes.

Favourites

On the men’s side, Killian Jornet has been the victor for the past four years; yet, on June 20th, he chose not to attempt a 5th straight victory, leaving the door open for someone new to capture the title. Among those most likely to win is Xavier Thévenard, a man who had won the UTMB twice and has broken 24 hours on the Hardrock course in the past.
The race began as many expected, with Xavier Thévenard taking a commanding lead as the front runner with Jeff Browning – who finished 4th at Hardrock in 2016, and Brendan Trimboli holding the other podium position. By the Ouray aid station at mile 43, Xavier had opened a near hour lead over Browning, and after a quick stop, he was on his way.

Disqualification From 1st Place

In Hardrock, there are 10 rules that must be obeyed in order to consider oneself a finisher – some of the rules are curt and masochistic, such as Rule 8: Enjoy yourself!!!, while others speak to the tradition of the run, such as Rule 10: You must kiss the Hardrock upon completion of the run. Rule 5, however, limits athletes to taking on supplies only within 400 yards of an aid station.
Two miles outside of the Ouray aid station, Xavier was seen at his crew car, receiving ice and water. Since this incident occurred outside of the 400 yard radius, it was in violation of rule 5 and after careful review by a committee, grounds for disqualification. While all this was occurring, Xavier Thévenard continued to push a punishing pace and was on track to once again break 24 hours on the course. At Cunningham Gulch – the final aid station on course at Mile 91, the news of his disqualification was made public and Xavier retired from the course.
In a Facebook post following the race, the Hardrock committee emphasized that the decision was made without malicious intent and encouraged Xavier to join the lottery for a future Hardrock. Xavier Thévenard was evidently disheartened by this news and posted on Social Media that the rule was “excessive” and the committee’s decision “unfair” and that he would have difficulty when looking to the future.

Seizing Opportunity

While this drama was occurring up front, Jeff Browning continued to strengthen his hold on second position. In an interview with IRunFarMedia, Jeff says that he lost track of the flagging in the dark and had to backtrack 2 kilometers down a ridgeline. While doing so, he ran into Troy Howard, who was making his own bid for glory; after a quick exchange, Browning surged to re-establish a gap over Howard. When Jeff reached the Cunningham aid-station he was informed of Xavier’s disqualification; according to Browning on his new found fortune, “[the] race dynamic changes and mentality changes – you have to roll with whatever opportunities present themselves”. On hearing this news, Browning quickly shed all excess weight, took 2 gels and promptly returned to the course.
Heading up the final big climb of Hardrock, Browning noticed a light following him up the switchbacks – this was from the late charging Jeff Rome who was having a special day and had moved up into second position. Despite Rome’s efforts Browning was not to be caught and finished in a time of 26 hours and 20 minutes. Rome finished 14 minutes later, in 26:34 while Troy Howard held on to third place, finishing in 27 hours and 9 minutes. On IRunFarMedia, Browning said that “out of all my wins, this is the most special”.

Women’s Race

On the Women’s side, Sabrina Stanley was focused completely on the Hardrock race. Prior to the race, she posted on social media that she wanted to win and break 30 hours. Taking the lead early on, she established herself as the clear favorite; at the Chapman aid-station, Stanley was feeling strong and with Nikki Kimball on her tail, pushed hard up towards Oscar Pass, building a substantial lead. As the day progressed, Stanley kept getting stronger and stronger and finished just outside her goal, in 30 hours and 23 minutes. For Kimball, who had been dealing with injury earlier in the year, second place was a strong result – especially after experiencing altitude sickness early on in the race; Kimball finished in 32 hours and 18 minutes. Darla Askew, who has twice podiumed before at the Hardrock race finished in 3rd, in 32 hours and 52 minutes.

Full Results

Full results can be found here.

Skimo News – April 11, 2018: Final World Cup in Italy, Racing in the US, and in Lofoten Skimo in Norway

April 12, 2018 By Stano Faban 1 Comment

Skimo racing season is wrapping up around the World. The Canadian Cup is complete and the final World Cup was contested over the weekend. Just a few races remain to be held in the US including a postponed Irwin Guides event, and several events in the Sierras.
Most skiers in the Pacific North West and Rockies are turning their eye towards big spring objectives and steep skiing while athletes in Colorado and the East Coast are already thinking about the start of their cycling and running seasons.

USA and Canada Race News

Cody’s Challenge – Steamboat Colorado – April 8, 2018:

Max Taam was challenged by Charlie Macarthur but ultimately stayed ahead by slim two seconds while it took another five minutes for the third place finisher to complete the 2 hour course. Sarah Cookler was unchallenged for the female win and Grace Staberg finished in second. Alex Pond rounded out the men’s podium.
> Full Results

International Race News

ISMF World Cup – Italy – April 6-8, 2018:

Italy continues to dominate in the final World Cup of the season on their home turf. The racing in the Italian Dolomites, at Madonna di Campiglio, was incredibly beautiful and a perfect example of why skimo is such an amazing sport.
Individual Race
Robert Antonioli sniped Michele Boscacci for the final individual win with Matteo Eydallin rounding out the Italian podium. William Bon Mardion was the lone Frenchman in the top five. There were many notable absences including Kilian Jornet after breaking his leg at Pierra Menta, and Anton Palzer citing “health reasons”. Americans Cam Smith and Rory Kelly made the trip to Europe racing to 41st and 42nd respectively.

Robert Antonioli building his lead ahead of Michele Boscacci, the most consistent and the most winning athlete this season. ISMF photo.

...and downhill boot-pack right the other side. Simply spectacular setting in the Dolomites. — …and downhill boot-pack right the other side. Simply spectacular setting in the Dolomites. ISMF photo.

The French had better luck in the women’s race with Laetitia Roux winning both the individual and sprint, reminding the field that she’s not ready yet to step down from the podium. Her French teammate but Pierra Menta rival, Axelle Mollaret finished almost four minutes behind with Alba DeSilvestro taking the final step on the podium.

Laetitia Roux returned to the top of the podium in both races. In this photo, second (left) went to Axelle Mollaret and third (right) to Alba DeSilvestro. ISMF photo.

Sprint Race
Michele Boscacci and Laetitia Roux won their categories in the sprint event. Cam Smith had a respectable finish in 31st, just out of qualifying, while Rory Kelly placed 37th.
> Full Results

Lofoten Skimo – Lofoten Islands, Norway – March 10, 2018:

This race recap was sent to us by the local organizing committee.While this event took place a month ago, it is worth including it in our report as the route and scenery are truly spectacular.
The second edition of The Arctic Triple – Lofoten Skimo was on Saturday March 10^th. The race is organized in “the world’s most beautiful archipelago” – the Lofoten Islands in northern Norway, and the participants are overwhelmed by the experience. The weather was perfect and happy athletes finished what turned out to be an amazing arctic adventure.
Lofoten Skimo consists of two distances and there were both national and international participants at the first edition of the race. On the longest distance the racers cross 8 mountains tops and ridges and 4000 height meters in spectacular terrain. The shortest distance takes the athletes across 2 mountains and 1200 height meters.

The French athletes Mathèo Jacquemoud and Lèo Viret won both distances on the men’s side, while Norwegian Kristin Brandtsegg Lome was the best female on the long distance. The shorter distance on the women side was won by Chloè Guellerin. The winner time by Matheo for the Lofoten Skimo 4000 was 5 hours and 29 minutes. Leo won the shorter distance in 1 hours and 29 minutes, which is a new course record. The winner times on the women side was 7 hours and 19 minutes and Chloe spent 2 hours and 31 minutes finishing Lofoten Skimo 1000+.
“It was a really beautiful race. The race course, the friendly crew and the amazing nature in Lofoten really blew me away.” – Mathèo Jacquemoud, France (winner of Lofoten Skimo 4000+)
Three races – three seasons
The Arctic Triple consists of three annual races set in week 11, 22 and 33. 2018 is the second year with all three races set up and Lofoten Skimo was first out. Next comes Lofoten Ultra-Trail in week 22 and the triple year is finalized with Lofoten Triathlon in week 33.
“We think Lofoten represents a unique arena for adventure races and with our concept we offer three amazing adventures in three different seasons in the arctic. Lofoten Skimo is in the middle of the northern lights season, Lofoten Ultra-Trail in the midnight sun season and Lofoten Skimo in the beautiful late summer.” – says Director Frank Hagen.

Upcoming Skimo Events

All that remains of newsworthy events is the bi-annual Patrouille de Glaciers! We’ll be watching closely the weather to see if the Patrol will be held as several North American teams plan to contest the route. Download the PDG app to follow along with your team of choice!

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Lofoten Skimo – Lofoten Islands, Norway – March 10, 2018:

Upcoming Skimo Events

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