Skimo Racing

Rando ski mountaineering (racing) transitions with Reiner Thoni

December 1, 2011 By Stano Faban 9 Comments

Ski mountaineering is as much about having fun as it is about efficiency. In fact, the more efficient you are the more time you can spend having fun. Hunting powder in the backcountry or during a skimo race lots of time can be saved on transitions – getting you set from uphill to downhill modes and the other way around.
There are couple of styles for wicked fast transitions and no style is really too much faster than the other – it all boils down to pick your style and practice it again and again. In the two videos below, Reiner Thoni (current Canadian and North American skimo racing champion) will talk you through his way of transitions.
There are separate articles about different rando ski mountaineering transitions coming on Skintrack – with more in depth analysis and videos from the last World Ski Mountaineering Championships 2011 in Italy.

Reiner’s skins off transition

It may seem that this transition is only possible with skimo race gear but in fact many of us are doing it the same way with any Dynafit style bindings. Of course, the boots might have more buckles or the skins might need to be ripped off from the back but otherwise the workflow is the same.

Reiner’s skins on transition

What was said below the “skins off” video applies for this transition as well. The same logic can be applied with non-racing gear but might require some additional steps – undo buckle 1, buckle 2, buckle 3… 😉

Small differences, and personal preferences

Since there are more ways of doing the fastest transitions differences occur mostly with personal preference. As you can see in “skins on” video, Reiner likes to bring up the whole ski to finish putting the skin on. Many of us do that with back end/toe of the ski being firm on the ground the whole time which I consider an advantage in crowded European race transitions where every inch is shared or has to be fought for.

What are your thoughts? Maybe you want your transition analyzed?

You are welcome to ask questions or share your advice through the comments below.
Also, if you want your transition analyzed I can help you two ways – meet you at a race or you can upload your video to a site like YouTube and send me the link. (If you can’t or don’t know how to upload to any video sharing site just drop me a line below and we’ll figure something out.)

MEC Vert180 on Dec 3: Take skimo racing as serious or as laid-back as you want

November 23, 2011 By Stano Faban Leave a Comment

vert180-2011 — From young, to adult, to very fast...everyone has fun at Vert180.

Vert180 is one of a kind North American night event. Easy course suits novices as an introduction to this unique sport while elite skimo racers test their early season speed and endurance.
Race solo or bring your own team and try to complete as many laps as possible during exactly 180 minutes (3h) of racing. This format creates a friendly atmosphere and an excellent environment to meet and interact with likeminded people, and to learn from each other.
Family, friends and company teams are highly encouraged.

Quick facts

Name: MEC Vert180 Ski Mountaineering Race
Date: December 3, 2011 (Saturday)
Location: Canada Olympic Park (or COP) in Calgary, AB
Format: max. number of laps in 180min raced as individual or as team relay
Course: a loop with about 100m vertical ascent ending with a short boot-pack, then 100m descent
Difficulty and Skills required:

great for first timers and youth but national caliber athletes compete here as well
great for practicing all essential skimo racing skills (all transitions, skinning, boot-pack, fast skiing)

Categories: solo, teams of 2 and 3-4 people, men, women, teen, youth
Event website: http://vert180.blogspot.com
Online registration: http://eventsonline.ca/events/mec_vert180/

If you like a challenge, you are a ski mountaineer

March 22, 2011 By Stano Faban Leave a Comment

I thought I was challenging myself until I started to play in the mountains more seriously.
I thought I was having lots fun until I started to meet new people that had similar views on life.
Ski mountaineering merged those two things (challenge and fun) for me into one.
Now, I want to challenge you to try it out too because I know at least another 100 people it worked for as well as for me.

Ready for something new?

Poster to the right of this sentence invites you to the best ski mountaineering event in North America, in my opinion.
It is a 2 day event at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, and you can customize the whole experience:

First day offers 3 racing courses to choose from based on your ability – from the easiest to the hard core.
Second day offers a team relay race where you can compete against other teams of 2 to 4 people.
The night in between is purely fun time with a great party at 2400m inside the Eagle’s Eye restaurant.

Here is what others are doing

They click this link – more info – to visit Golden Skimo’s website to read more. Then they register.
Or some just clicked here – online registration – and signed up for their adventure.
Bring your smile and see you there,
Stano Faban – skimo racing lover

Tiki Torch Dash 2011: Race under the stars

January 10, 2011 By Stano Faban Leave a Comment

tiki-torch-2011 Last winter the Tiki Torch Dash was an opening event of a new racing season and proved to be lots of fun.
This time around the date has been moved from December to January to give everyone some time to get their legs ready.
The Tiki Torch Dash is a great night event that is especially suited for starting skimo racers or anyone that just wants to have little competitive fun with friends.
Ski late into the night, have a tasty dinner, then head for the pub 😉

Two events (+ dinner) in one entry fee

Main event
The main event consists of four laps, each including a 600 ft climb and a 600 ft descent. It can be raced solo or as a two person team alternating after each lap.
a 600 ft climb and a descent
The King of the Hill Climb
The King of the Hill Climb is set to start after the main relay race. This event is a solo challenge for Ski Mountaineering Competition of Canada points (SMCC) and involves a climb from the Kicking Horse Plaza to the top of the Pioneer Chair.

Tiki Torch Dash facts:

date – Saturday Jan 15, 2011
location – Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, Golden BC
very friendly atmosphere
registration – early bird (before Jan 14th) is $31, and $40 on race day
both are night events – headlamps are mandatory
bring also beacon, shovel, probe, helmet (bike helmet is OK)
everyone is welcome – skimo gear, tele, split-boards, snowshoes
prizes for costumes as well as fast times
complimentary dinner

Tiki Torch Dash schedule:

2.00pm – 4.30pm: Last min registration at Day Lodge
5.30pm: Tiki Torch Dash start (main event) at Plaza
7.00pm: Hill climb start (solo) at Plaza
After: awards and dinner

Vert 180 skimo race: Relay friendly race format

November 15, 2010 By Stano Faban 1 Comment

cop-2010-main Vert 180 brings a new format to Canadian ski mountaineering racing that will showcase the sport in an altered way, however, it will showcase it to much bigger masses than ever before.
This Calgary event will be hosted so close to people not even Europeans have had a race like this before. So organize your friends for a relay team and a night of great fun.
This is an opening event of another great Canadian skimo racing season that is ahead of us.

What will be different with Vert 180 race?

Vert 180 name stands for totaling as much vertical as possible in 180 minutes by doing laps on a pre-set course.
This is the vertical you or your team is able to climb. The descent vertical does not count but the race is on during the downhill too, since the faster you schuss the more time is left to do more laps – more vertical.
This format is destined to deliver lots of fun and share great moments with friends, never mind this race will be going on under the star skies.

Vert 180 quick facts:

date is November 27, 2010
hosted at COP (Canada Olympic Park) in Calgary
it is night event with a start at 5.30pm
atmosphere will be extremely friendly
everyone is welcome – skimo gear, tele, split-boards, snowshoes
categories are solo or 2 and 4 person relay teams
registration is $40 per person, payable the day of the race
mandatory gear is to be determined (but bring a beacon, shovel, probe, helmet – cycling one is good)

More info

To get more information you can either email Vert180Calgary@gmail.com or call 403-678-3200 (ext. 108). Email contact is preferred.

Offical event poster as you may have already seen in your area.

Dogtooth Dash 2010 race: Canadian National Ski Mountaineering Championships

April 1, 2010 By Stano Faban Leave a Comment

During the upcoming Easter weekend Kicking Horse Mountain Resort (near Golden) will host the final round of the Canadian Ski Mountaineering Cup with its second annual Dogtooth Dash event.

Crazy start of the Dogtooth Dash 2009 edition.

Starting gun will go off on April 3rd (Saturday) and once again the event will be coveted as Canadian Ski Mountaineering Championships.
The race is run in partnership with the Alpine Club of Canada, the Golden Ski Mountaineering Club and the Kicking Horse Mtn Safety team.
The course is one the most challenging ski mountaineering race courses in North America, utilizing all three alpine bowls and featuring: technical boot packs, descents on each ridge line and a unique Le-Mans start.
The Dogtooth Dash race course is set entirely within the ski area boundary and will challenge athletes with about 5000 vertical feet of climbing/descending on the competitive course, and 2600 ft of climbing/descending on the rec course.
» If Dogtooth Dash is going to be your first skimo race then make sure to check out an older article that gives tips and advice for your first ski mountaineering race.

Basic facts and wide range of prizing categories

Two race course options:
- Competitive (full course) and Recreational (poker run)
Cash prizing for the fastest male and female racers of the day in the competitive course
Masters prizing classes for racers 40+ and 50+
The recreational class poker run with participants grabbing cards at transition stations and playing the best hand for first grabs at prizes at the Eagle’s Eye après
New junior class for youth 18 and under:
- With free entry for the first 10 under 19 racers
- In partnership with backcountrysafety.com
For more info and to register online see Golden Skimo blog
Included in the entry fee is the chance to win great door prizes, apres at the Eagles Eye, lift ticket for the whole day and dinner at the pre-race meeting.

Sponsors
More prizes this year from The North Face, Integral Designs, Suunto, Black Diamond, Dynafit, Kicking Horse Coffee, Rossignol and more.
Go, race and have fun!

Pierre Gignoux 444: Behind the scene of the lightest ski boot in the World

February 25, 2010 By Stano Faban 12 Comments

Sharing a look behind the scene of manufacturing the world’s lightest ski boot (Pierre Gignoux 444 model) through the eyes of Michael Silitch, an internationally certified mountain guide living his dream in Chamonix.

rando-girls — Nina with her team mates from the Chamonix Ski Alpinisme Club.

Michael is the founder and the main guide of High Alpine Mountain Guides, and a husband to one of America’s top female skimo racers Nina Silitch – NinaSilitch.com.
Both of them ski the PG boots on regular basis while Nina is also putting them through rigorous testing on the skimo World Cup circuit.
On behalf of all SkinTrack readers I want to thank Michael for sharing his experience from a visit to Pierre Gignoux’ workshop.
Michael supplied the text and photos, so please contact him via his website if you wish to reuse any of it.
Also, judging based on Pierre’s accomplishments as a ski mountaineer, and couple of reports like Micheal’s, Pierre is an absolute representation of someone extremely dedicated to deliver nothing less than the best to the sport he loves so much.
For a comparison of the lightest ski boots, currently available on the market, make sure to read also check these two articles and great discussions in the comments sections below them:

Look behind the scene – Michael Silitch words

Nina just loves her Pierre Gignoux all carbon fiber ski boots. She loves how light they feel climbing (less than 10% heavier than a Salomon World Cup nordic skate boot) and also how stiff they feel while descending, delivering precise edge to edge control.
Basically they are lighter and stiffer than almost all touring boots out there, from the big touring boots to the race specific light boots.

Nina Silitch in the Pila World Cup sprint race in Italy, December 2009 with her Pierre Gignoux boots.

Just after [the December 2009 Pila World Cup] race, I had the opportunity to visit Pierre Gignoux at his workshop outside of Grenoble, France.
It’s a small workshop in his basement where he and 5 other employees hand-mold and assemble the lightweight masterpieces.
Pierre raced for 12 years at the highest level and [besides other wins] he won the Pierra Menta stage race.
He also holds the ski record for Mont Blanc. With Stephan Brosse, he skied up and down Mont Blanc in 5 hours 15 minutes – the start and finish line was the church in downtown Chamonix!
Stano’s note: This is little more than 3800m of climbing, then skiing it down. Pierre and Stephan reached the summit in 4 hours. The record attempt also involved a small crevasse rescue.
After all Pierre’s racing at altitude and using his degree as a biomechanical engineer he started working to create the lightest and highest performing ski boot possible. Used in skis, sail boats and F1 technology, carbon fiber was the material of choice.

Pierre, in his workshop, proudly showing off his latest masterpiece, the XP 444.

After a few years of testing, the XP 500 was made available to the public in 2006.
At the time it weighed 650g per boot and was nearly half the weight of the Scarpa F1 (1200g).
My 2008 XP 500 were down to 520 g per boot without liner in size 27.5.
This year, the new XP 444 shell weighs a cool 444 grams in 27.5 and comes with many other improvements as well.
The shape, especially around the ankle, is lower profile and more streamlined resulting in an even more precise fit, and less ankle bumping which can rip your race suit to shreds.
The distinctive yellow fiberglass tongue has been replaced with a lighter more sturdy carbon fiber tongue. Besides the weight savings, the upper cuff is 30% stiffer and the locking lever more ergonomic.

The hardware assembly area of the workshop.

Speaking of the unique, one motion, locking lever (by just lifting the locking lever you go directly into touring mode without needing any further ankle buckle adjustments), Pierre told me he invented it and Scarpa copied it.
Poorly I might add, as the F1 Race locking lever is a real knuckle basher – Scarpa did fix that for the F1 Carbon.
Similarly, the new Dynafit and LaSportiva race boots have both developed one movement locking levers.
Pierre also makes a Mountain version with a protective rubber rand and a full Vibram sole – all that with just 56 extra grams.
The XP Mountain is a true lightweight touring boot. There is a rubber rand around the welt of the boot to protect the carbon fiber while scrambling around in the rocks.
And a full Vibram sole will give you the best grip and wear. All that for only an additional 56 grams still makes it an exceptionally light boot for extended tours.
One thing you may note of all these pictures is that there are not many boots in his workshop. That’s because they fly off the shelves.
Pierre and his crew produce about 300 pairs a year and currently there is a 6 month waiting list. So order now to get a pair for next season! They are well worth it.

A Mountain version of Pierre's boots with a protective rubber rand and a full Vibram sole.

Questions? Experience?

Feel free to ask any questions about these boots in the comments section below.
If you have a personal PG boots experience you are welcome to answer these questions and share your experience.

Are these the same skis? Dynafit DNA Race vs. Crazy Idea DNA Race

February 17, 2010 By Stano Faban 13 Comments

Update: After confirmations from various sources these two skis are in fact the same.
For a longer time now I have been suspecting a little “marketing scam” that might be being played with the ski mountaineering racing community. Two companies with well known names might be presenting the same ski but covered in two different top design sheets.
Dynafit is the Name in ski mountaineering (and ski touring) manufacturing industry, whereas, Crazy Idea is more known for its niche market approach in the sport of skimo racing. Both companies present skimo racing skis in their repertoire, however, I wonder how genuine these skis really are.

Some facts to compare

dynafit-vs-crazy-idea Without even comparing the model names (DNA Race and DNA Race) the similarities are pretty obvious.
Dynafit DNA Race:
Length: 161 cm
Side cut: 96-65-78
Radius: 24.5 m
Weight: 710 g
» See the ski here – Dynafit website
Crazy Idea DNA Race:
Length: 161 cm
Side cut: 95-64-78
Radius: 24.5 m
Weight: 710 g
» See the ski here – PDF doc
Except the side cut all other parameters match exactly. And even with the side cuts, I wouldn’t be surprised if they actually were identical.
But for “marketing purposes” companies (or one of them) decided to skew the numbers by a millimeter to create an impression that we are choosing between two different models. Who knows?
Also, after inspecting the specs (Dynafit website and the above PDF) the structure or the materials used in the built of both skis appear to be at least similar if not the same. But again, the specs can be written in so many ways and angles that “if you don’t really know you will never know”.

“Conspiracy theory” assumptions

Based on what I know, Crazy Idea had its skis out on the market first, now for about 2 or 3 years. And I don’t think they changed them significantly since then.
On their website, Crazy Idea, offers to customize the design of your skis for 30.00 Euros if you buy a pair. Therefore, they must be able to print out a different top sheet quite easily.
This leads me to quite a “serious discovery” because while inspecting my friend’s almost brand new Dynafit DNAs skis last Saturday he pointed out that the the top sheet is easily scratched on the top edges (rounded sides) of the skis.
After a closer look I could clearly see that the top sheet is only a vinyl-like layer that, with some patience, you would be able to peel off from the place where the ski was scratched. (I will ask for detailed photos of the scratches.)

Some questions to ask

Is Dynafit just printing a different design sheet over Crazy Idea skis? Or is it the other way around?
Has anyone been a little suspicious about these two skis like me?
What is your opinion on these striking similarities?
Most likely both companies will stand the ground that each ski was genuinely developed after years of testing, and I hope they are.
But if the ski industry is following the (outdoor) clothing industry example then I wouldn’t be surprised if there is even an absolutely different original manufacturer for these skis, and big companies are only slapping their designs over a pair of light sticks. Who knows?
The images and the PDF file were downloaded from the Dynafit and Crazy Idea websites.

Sunshine 5000 race report: great battles, long course…little rocky

February 7, 2010 By Stano Faban 5 Comments

Sunshine 5000 is the oldest race on the Canadian ski mountaineering racing calendar and its 6th going was held last Saturday (Feb 6th, 2010) at the Sunshine Village ski resort near Banff, AB.

Sunny skies are nothing new to this event yet the course was a hybrid version of previous years. Long low angle climbs were spiced up by a couple of “no-wipe-out-recommended” downhills and one of the longest boot packs ever.
It also should be mentioned that one of the organizing pioneers of this race at the very beginning was Greg Hill, arguably one of Canada’s most famous ski mountaineers.
Greg himself raced couple of events over the years but now is pursuing more adventurous goals like climbing and skiing 2 million feet in a single year.
But the long standing pair that grind the event each and every year for all of us is David Dornian and Ryan Johnston. They keep the tradition rolling and improving.
» Original information about the event can be found in this article – Sunshine 5000 skimo race: Saturday, Feb 6th, 2010.

How the Sunshine 5000 was won – great battles

Stairs that led racers down to a little col to start the descent of the "feared" Delirium Dive.

There were three main favorites for the top prize in the main racing category at the start line – Reiner Thoni and Brandon French in men’s category and Melanie Bernier in the women’s category.
Behind these three there were about 3-4 men and 2-3 women hungry for the rest of the honors.
Men’s race
Top tier men’s duo, Reiner and Brandon, formed early on and pretty much never looked back. Occasionally switching the lead they were watching each other, always staying closely together.
In the final descent, they shared some tumbles thanks to a very rocky section that wrecked couple of skis on the day.
At the end, Brandon crossed the line first just handful of seconds in front of Reiner, however, he lost a skin on the course and received a time penalty which moved him to second.

Always present, always competitive Steve Sellers (currently at 4th) leading Stano Faban, Ian Gale and Andrew McNab over the first climb. — Always present, always competitive Steve Sellers (here at 4th place) leading Stano Faban, Ian Gale and Andrew McNab over the first climb.

These two guys look quite hot for the upcoming World Ski Mountaineering Championships and it will be very interesting to see how high they can reach among the best.

Delirium Dive line that was skied in the race.

The battle for third can be described in great detail as I was one of the protagonists but here is a shorter version to keep you reading onto the girls race.
During the first (long low angle) climb James Minifie settled at 3rd with a steady pace. About 50sec back a trio consisting of Steve Sellers, Ian Gale and myself (Stano Faban) chased him. During the third climb and before the big descent I opened a gap on Ian and Steve while steadily bridging to James.
The last two ascents James and I kept hurting each other until I was able to establish a little gap just before the long boot pack.
Then in the final descent both of us, just like Reiner and Brandon, hit some rocky fields on multiple occasions. And as James was trying to catch me for third he hit them hard also with his body but thankfully survived without any serious injury. Couple of badly cut fingers though.
5th and 6th place went to Ian Gale and Andrew McNab. To read Ian Gale’s race report visit this page – Sunshine 5000 race report.
Women’s race

Green shows parts of the last climb and red a little bit of the last decent. — Green shows parts of the last climb and red a little bit of the last descent.

The women’s race was dominated from start to finish by this season’s Canadian fast girl Melanie Bernier.
After a slightly disappointing previous season Mel is racing with great determination this year, and even giving us men some serious schooling on how to climb quick.
Behind her, the battle had a more interesting going where failing skins, perhaps due to big changes of temperature between sunny and in the shade transitions, played a role.
At the end, Billie Velisek took second in front of Julie Matteau who is trying hard to find her last year’s strong legs before she heads to Andorra for the World Championships.

Results

Complete final results will be added as soon as they are available to me (2-3 days) in electronic format.

Big thanks to organizers and volunteers

On behalf of all racers I would like thank the organizers for preparing a very challenging course (last decent a little rocky for me though) and also express a great appreciation to all the volunteers for their hard work, especially for doing it out of pure joy to help out a crowd of crazy racers to get a chance to compare themselves. Thank you all.

Share your experience form Sunshine 5000

Whether a competitor, organizer or a volunteer you are welcome to share your experience from this event in the comments below.

Sunshine 5000 skimo race: Saturday, Feb 6th, 2010

February 2, 2010 By Stano Faban 8 Comments

Updated with current photos from critical parts of the race course. See at the bottom of the article under “Photo updates”.
This Saturday, Sunshine Village ski resort (16km west of Banff, AB) will be the venue for a second round of the Canadian skimo racing series.
sunshine_5000 There are two courses ready for you – one shorter less challenging and one long that also includes a descent of Delirium Dive run.

Sunshine 5000 quick facts:

date – Feb 6th, 2010
two courses
three categories – Race, Citizen and Introductory
bring also beacon, shovel, probe, helmet
everyone is welcome – skimo gear, tele, split-boards, snowshoes

Sunshine 5000 itinerary:

Race course
Race course is a serious challenge for experienced ski mountaineers. It will feature a total ascent of about 1400-1500 vertical metres over a distance of about 18km. Delirium Dive, the steepest line in the resort, is planned also for this course.
The course will feature 5-6 ascents and 4-5 downhill sections. One or two climbs will include a boot pack section were your skis need to be strapped to your ski pack.
Citizens course
A great challenge for novice ski mountaineering racers and for those that don’t feel fit enough for the goods of the race course.
This course will feature 4 climbs and 3 downhills while gaining about 700 vertical metres over 6-7 km.
» As a novice to ski mountaineering racing you may find useful this article – 6 tips to get you ready for your first skimo race.

Sunshine 5000 schedule:

Last minute registration (7-8pm) and a mandatory pre-race meeting (8-9pm) on Feb 5th in the Heritage Room at the Alpine Club of Canada Clubhouse in Canmore
Feb 6th, 2010 at 7:30 am
Loading a gondola at Sunshine Gondola Base
Feb 6th, 2010 at 9:00 am
Race begins for both categories and race courses from Sunshine Day Lodge start area
Feb 6th, 2010 at 3:00 pm
Awards ceremony and draw prizes at Skier Services, Sunshine Gondola Base

More info and registration:

For more detailed information, race maps and registration information visit this page on the Alpine Club of Canada website – http://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/ccc/ismc/index.html

Photo updates

I took the below photos on Wed, Feb 3, 2010. During the previous night about 10cm of fresh powder fell and covered an older harder surface. Good skiing overall, didn’t hit any rocks.

Racers should be coming down these stairs and making bootpack traverse to where I am. — Racers should be accessing the Delirium Dive down these stairs and making a bootpack traverse to where I am. Skiing is to lookers right.

People standing at the entrance to Delirium Dive.

Looking down from where the people were standing. Snow coverage looks good.

Looking up after about 130m vertical of skiing.

To me, these seem like the possible lines for the race course down the Delirium Dive.

Last year, we skinned up to the yellow dot then boot packed the rest. On Saturday, we should be reaching the boot pack from my position. Or there might be a slightly different line for a boot pack.