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

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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.

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

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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.
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.
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 10th. 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.
lofoten-skimo-2018
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!

Skimo News – Mar 20, 2018: New 24h World Record, Pierra Menta News, Upcoming Pan American Skimo Champs, and more…

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Last couple of days have been the busiest and the most exciting for the skimo world in all of this season. Let’s not waist screen space and dive right into it…

Upcoming Pan American Ski Mountaineering Championships – Mar 23-25

We want to bring your attention again to the upcoming Championships that will take place over three days in the beautiful Lake Louise Ski Resort in Alberta, Canada.
The event will features three different races – vertical on Friday, sprint on Saturday, individual on Sunday – and is expected to attract the fastest athletes from US, Canada and maybe even Mexico and South America.
The prizes are plenty, there is quite a bit of new snow at the venue, and athletes of all levels are welcome to line up along National team members either on the same courses or shortened versions.
For all event’s details and for registration please go here.

Mike Foote Sets a New 24h Record!

On the morning of March 17, after months of training and preparation, Mike Foote started to climb his first of the 60 laps in an attempt to set a new 24 hour world record in the most vertical climbed and skied. The next morning, he would become the new world record holder with a total of 61,200 vertical feet or 18,654 metres climbed!
As our friend, we cannot be more proud and happy for him! Yeaaah! 🙂

Mike set his record on a fairly short 310m climb at his "home" resort in Whitefish, Montana which happens to be one of our favourite places as well.
Mike set his record on a fairly short 310m climb at his “home” resort in Whitefish, Montana which happens to be one of our favourite places as well.
For many, Mike might be unknown but in the endurance trail running world he has achieved some incredible results over the years such as a podium at the famed Ultra-Trail Du Mont Blanc and 3x second place at Hardrock 100. Mike is also The North Face Athlete, member of the US National Ski Mountaineering Team, raced Pierra Menta in 2017 and placed 26th in a vertical race at the 2017 World Skimo Championships.
We will have more details coming about Mike’s training and his record attempt in an interview in the next couple of days.

2018 Pierra Menta: Joy and Sorrows of Champions

Mid-March is traditionally reserved for the iconic 4-day stage race in the beautiful mountains surrounding Beaufort and Areches villages in France.
United States fielded arguably their strongest team ever – John Gaston (previously 15th at this race) and Tom Goth – who ultimately placed in the top 10 overall to set a new men’s North American historical benchmark at PM.
> Overall results are here our day-by-day recap below will provide the full story.

Men’s race recap:

While last year’s supreme winners, Italy’s Damiano Lenzi and Matteo Eydalin, were the biggest favourites on paper there were other three teams that could seriously thinking about winning.

While the unfortunate accident took out Kilian Jornet nothing should be taken away from Michele Boscacci winning his first Pierra Menta with his father Graziano, a winner of the 2002 Pierra Menta, watching from the sidelines. A truly grand family achievement! (Pierra Menta photo)
While the unfortunate accident took out Kilian Jornet nothing should be taken away from Michele Boscacci winning his first Pierra Menta with his father Graziano, a winner of the 2002 Pierra Menta, watching from the sidelines. A truly grand family achievement! (Pierra Menta photo)
The first day went super well for a local French team, William Bon Mardion and Xavier Gachet, who were the underdogs coming into the race, as they took the win by a couple of seconds ahead of Italians Robert Antonioli and Michele Boscacci. Only a minute behind, third place went to the famous Spaniard Kilian Jornert and his new teams race partner Jakob Herrmann from Austria. Time gaps were very small between the top three teams. Lenzi and Eydalin struggled to fourth place with almost five minutes down on the victors.
> John Gaston and Tom Goth eased into the race to place 16th.
On day 2, traditionally hosting the longest stage, things started to get really interesting when Jornet and Herrmann forced the pace most of the day to take the win. Lenzi and Eydalin abandoned the race as they didn’t feel up to the task. Boscacci and Antonioli battled the whole way but ultimately finished second again, yet loosing only 4 seconds to the winning team. The French team conceded over 4 minutes and it was safe to assume they fell out of contention for the overall win.
> John Gaston and Tom Goth delivered a great performance to claim 10th in the stage and moved up to 12th overall.
Boscacci and Antonioli started the day 3 in “pole position”, leading Jornet and Herrmann by about a minute in the overall. However, thanks to Jornet’s experience and motivation of his teammate they pushed the pace in grand fashion to win the stage by over 3 minutes ahead of the Italians, and claiming the overall lead by about 2 minutes. Gachet and Bon Mardion finished safely in 3rd.
> Gaston and Goth continued with their measured effort to place 11th in the stage and staying 12th overall.
The final day brought the biggest disappointment in skimo’s recent history and a bag of mixed emotions. As Jornet and Herrmann were on a mission once again, the Spaniard suffered a fall in a descent mid-stage and broke his lower leg. He is fine otherwise. Heavy wet snow was coming down since the morning to make conditions really challenging. Behind them an amazing battle for the stage win unleashed as Bon Mardion and Gachet found their legs from day one. At the end, they beat the Italian team by only 12 seconds with Boscacci and Antonioli collapsing in the finish to claim the surprising overall title.
> The US Team rallied into 8th place in the stage and jumping to 10th overall.

Women’s race recap:

The women’s race was a little less exciting but it did bring a surprise. The strongest team on paper, French Laetitia Roux with Sweden’s Emelie Forsberg, uncharacteristically struggled to even match the duo of Axelle Mollaret (FRA) and Katia Tomatis (ITA), and kept loosing minutes in the first three stages. Only on the last day did they prevail to claim at least one stage. On the other hand, Mollaret and Tomatis delivered a spectacular performance to win three stages and the overall title by 11 minutes over Roux and Forsberg.

Katia Tomatis and Axelle Mollaret full of joy. (Pierra Menta photo)
Katia Tomatis and Axelle Mollaret full of joy. (Pierra Menta photo)
Third place was never really contested as Spanish team of Mireia Miro and Marta Garcia put in a solid effort every day to always place 3rd.
Of note, is the fourth place of a purely Swedish team consisting of Ida Nilsson and Fanny Borgstrom.

USA and Canada Race News

Marmot’s Revenge – Jasper, AB – Mar 17, 2018:

The Canadian Cup came together for the third weekend in a row at Marmot Basin in Jasper, AB for the very first time of this event. Fresh snow day prior to the race made for soft conditions along with warm temperatures. The Canadian Rockies snow-pack is deep at the moment and with a mid-mountain start, racers were treated to excellent skiing. Unfortunately, dense fog rolled onto the course making for challenging race conditions. Racers in the elite course covered five ascents and descents totaling approximately 1800 meters of climbing.
Peter Knight, the devious course designer, broke trail up the first climb. After the first descent, Nick Elson, feeling strong after two recent wins at Panorama and Squamish, pushed off the front with only Eric Carter following his track. The two swapped the lead through the remaining race until Elson opened a gap on the final boot-pack and transition, skiing into the finish with a 10 second lead.

As a "revenge", for designing such a tough course, Peter Knight was left to break trail on the first climb. All in good spirits ;) Marmot Basin photo.
As a “revenge”, for designing such a tough course, Peter Knight was left to break trail on the first climb. All in good spirits 😉 Marmot Basin photo.
Kylee Ohler remains the undisputed women’s leader and won, also taking 5th overall, with more than 30min gap over second place Marg Fedyna. The third step on the podium went to Courtney Post.
> Full results

Shedhorn Race – Big Sky Montana – Mar 17, 2018:

With arguably the scariest course on the North American skimo circuit this race is no joke! The big terrain of this unique resort provides a spectacular setting for a proper ski mountaineering event.

Big Sky ski patrollers always put on a great course! Photo by COSMIC (Joe Risi).
Big Sky ski patrollers always put on a great course! Photo by COSMIC (Joe Risi).
While we don’t have the backstory from this race we will mention the winners on the elite course and you can find out the rest in the results below. First place in the men’s category went to Max Taam, who is US Skimo Team member and one of the best skimo athletes on the continent when it comes to technical courses. In the women’s category the top prize went to Sierra Anderson from Breckenridge, CO.
> Full results

East Coast races:

We don’t have any reports from that side of the country this week.

Upcoming Events

Grand Traverse
Those not attending Continental Championships in Canada will likely be competing at the Elk Mountain Grand Traverse from Aspen to Crested Butte. It’s a bit too early to make any predictions about weather conditions but we do suspect that repeat champions, John Gaston and Max Taam will be tough to beat, even with John likely tired from his amazing performance at Pierra Menta. Or is Max coming to race in Lake Louise? Who do you think will put up the best fight? What do you expect to see from the women’s teams? Let us know what you think!

Skimo News – Jan 16, 2018: Finally Racing in Colorado, Boscacci Wins Mountain Attack, East Coast Races, National Champs in Europe, and more…

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The race season is in full swing, though it may not feel like it in the American Rockies, and we have lots of action everywhere!
North American athletes have multiple options for racing each weekend and with good snow coverage in Europe, athletes are getting after it over there as well.
Avalanche conditions in Canada have put a damper on big backcountry missions but new snow and colder temperatures will heal the snow-pack soon! The Pacific Northwest is holding good snow throughout and the East Coast is recovering (rejoicing?) from a major winter storm.

USA and Canada Race News

Sunlight Heathen Challenge – Colorado – Jan 13, 2018:

john-gaston-heathen-challengeFinally a race goes off in Colorado!
The COSMIC organizers pulled it off this weekend by hosting the Heathen Challenge at Sunlight Resort, albeit on a heavily modified and man-made course.
John Gaston is in good form and as usual, finished several minutes ahead of the field. Espoir Cam Smith had a strong showing jumping to the silver position on the podium. In the women’s field, Eva Hagen stayed well clear of National Team members Nikki Larochelle and Michela Adrian.
> Full Results

Trail de Nuit Stoneham – Stoneham, Quebec – Jan 13, 2018:

Report for this race was submitted by Richard Ferron. Thank you!
After an explosive weather cocktail – two days of rain followed by a snowstorm on race day – it was a windy -20C racing evening that the third edition of SkimoEast’s Trail de Nuit Stoneham occurred. This Quebec race is a 3km, 350m+ loop in an hour plus one loop, similar to cyclocross races and, although it is a skimo race, it accepts snowshoes racers and runners.
Even with the tough conditions, 8 juniors participated in the event, the youngest being 8 years old! In the junior skimo category, the honors were won by promising 15 year old Antoine Corbeil with 3 loops in 1:13:38 followed by his 11 year old brother Maxime who did 2 loops.
skimoeast-race-2
In the men’s category, a close fight between Canadian National Development Team member Arnaud Côté-Boisvert and Aiden Lennie finally came to a draw. Both men finished 3 laps and a few seconds after the hour… Not sure they wanted to go for another lap! In third position came David Grenier, a little less than 2 minutes behind.
skimoeast-race-1
Evelyne Gagnon won the day in the women’s category with 2 laps despite skin glue problems.
The next SkimoEast race is Burke Backcountry adventure on January 28th.
> Full Results

International Race News

French Skimo Championships:

Xavier Gachet wins the French individual championships with William Bon Mardion in 2nd and Alexis Sevennec in 3rd.
Laetitia Roux won an incredible 27th French Championship title of her career! Axelle Mollaret takes 2nd in the individual.

Leatitia Roux racing away with the title.
Leatitia Roux racing away with the title.

Swiss Skimo Championships:

Werner Marti wins vertical event.
Unique night format for the individual event went to Werner Marti again. Our good friend, Pascal Egli finished 7th overall.
Ivan Arnold took the sprint over the well-accomplished Martin Anthamatten.
Victoria Kreuzer took double victory over Jennifer Fiechter in vertical and individual championship races!

Mountain Attack – Saalbach, Austria – Jan 12, 2018:

The Italians and Germans were busy with one of the biggest events in skimo and of their season – the 20th edition of Mountain Attack race –  a very cool night ski resort race with 3000m elevation gain in the main category.
Close to 400 athletes lined up for the 3000m course and about the same for the 2000m version.

With eyes on the prize, Michelle Boscacci wins 2018 Mountain Attack. Photo credit - Mountain Attack.
With eyes on the prize, Michele Boscacci wins 2018 Mountain Attack. Photo credit – Mountain Attack.
All the best athletes race the long course and this year, still pretty young Michele Boscacci set a blistering new course record of 2h 18m 57s. However, the second and third, Tadei Pivk and Jakob Herrmann respectively, finished only less than 30 sec behind Boscacci!
A quick calculation reveals that their average climbing speed was around 1560 vertical metres per hour if we subtract 25min for all the descents and transitions. That’s 3000m in less than 2h, on skis!
In the women’s category, the long course win went to Michaela Essl in 3h 1min – average vertical speed of 1240m/h if we subtract 35min for downhills and transitions – followed by Katia Tomatis and Veronika Mayerhofer.
> Full results

Upcoming Events

Racing action in Canada continues this weekend with an individual and sprint event in Fernie, BC. Avalanche conditions have necessitated some course changes but organizers are still promising an exciting event. Remember that the guys over at SkiUphill.ca bring race skis to ever event for YOU to demo! Get in touch if you want to give them a try!
Organizers and racers are sure to have difficult conditions on the East Coast as conditions warm up. Expect a competitive field at one of the biggest races of the season on an exciting course at the Berkshire East!
The next SkimoEast race is Burke Backcountry adventure on January 28th.
The second ISMF World Cup of the season is this weekend in Switzerland. After the relatively non-competitive event in China, this is effectively the first real WC of the season and we hope to see all the big names at the starting line. A few athletes will be tired from last week’s Mountain Attack but expect to see a good battle between the top Italians and the rest of the field!

Skimo News Dec 19: World Cup in China, Cam Smith Takes His First Ever Win at Wolf Creek, First Descent on Mt Assiniboine, Upcoming Events

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It was an exciting weekend in the skimo racing world with the first ever World Cup taking place in China! The Wanlong venue will be hosting some of the sports for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games.

Top athletes fighting in cold conditions in the vertical race in Wanlong, China.
Top athletes fighting in cold conditions in the vertical race in Wanlong, China.
The American Rockies continue with low-tide snow conditions while the Alps are hammered hard by a storm that marks their start of the season. The Canadian Rockies and Coast Mountains have had a much more promising start followed by high pressure period that allowed skiers to venture into the alpine and attempt some bigger lines.

USA and Canada Race News

Unfortunately the COSMIC race at Irwin Lodge in Colorado was cancelled due to low snow but this was made up for by the previously postponed Wolf Creek Rando Race that got moved to Dec 17th and ran without a hitch.

Wolf Creek Rando Race – Wolf Creek Ski Area, CO – Dec 17, 2017

For a ski area usually lush with snow, usually earliest to open, and the deepest base, even Wolf Creek at 10,300 feet has been challenged this year. Northeast aspects were holding pockets of sugary snow as the course made it’s way along the Continental Divide trail via boot-pack.
Cam Smith, freshly graduated from Western State University & US Ski mountaineering team member, captured his first overall individual win, covering 3300ft of gain over 8 miles in 1h 36min, besting much more experienced racers Scott Simmons, Chris Carr, Rory Kelly, and Jon Brown.
On the women’s side, Breckenridge local, Jaime Brede captured the women’s win in 2h 24min.
This race was made possible by the tireless efforts of Jesse Morehouse and Richard Piltingsrud of the Colorado Army National Guard. We cannot thank them enough for the efforts in promoting ski mountaineering in the United States!
» Full results – Wolf Creek skimo race Dec 17, 2017

Canada

There were no races in Canada this weekend but the Canadian National Team did meet up in Revelstoke, BC for a training camp focused on downhill skills. The team covered downhill fundamentals starting on groomed runs and moving to steeper un-groomed terrain under the watchful eye of veteran racer Melanie Bernier.
In non-racing news, the high pressure in Canada has allowed skiers in the Rockies to get after some big lines. Notably, the SW face of Mt. Assiniboine saw its first ski descent over the weekend!

International Race News

ISMF World Cup – Wanlong, China – Dec 15-16, 2017

Meanwhile, the ISMF World Cup made its first stop of the season with an unusual trip to Wanlong, China. There was a strong turnout from international athletes (especially compared to last season’s Wold Cup race in Turkey) despite the unique challenges of the event. However, no North American athletes attended.
The weekend featured a short vertical race (around 500m ascent) and a sprint race, but no individual. This is likely due to the nature of the venue – a small ski resort with no natural snow. The base was entirely man-made snow thanks to extremely cold temperatures that athletes had to battle with.
Vertical race
The vertical took only 16:58 for Anton Palzer (GER), finishing 12 seconds ahead of Werner Marti (SWI) who was followed by Michelle Boscacci (ITA). The race did feature more than 10 racers from China, South Korea, and Japan – arguably the best turnout from Asian countries ever.
There were 19 women competing in the vertical race with Axelle Mollaret (FRA) winning convincingly almost 30 seconds ahead of Claudia Galicia (SPA) and Alba De Silvestro (ITA) coming in 3rd further 4 seconds behind.

» Vertical results – World Cup – Dec 15, 2017
Sprint race
Because of the extreme cold (down to -25C), several racers chose not to start the sprint, including vertical race winner Toni Palzer. Palzer released a statement expressing his dismay that the ISMF would allow racers to compete in such potentially dangerous (health damaging) cold conditions. We can agree with him because cold-induced asthma (exercise-induce asthma by cold air) and other undesirable effects of cold air on athletes’ airways can lead to prolonged health problems.

Italy topped the men’s results but not one of the names we would usually expect. The winner was a quickly upcoming espoir athlete Nicolo Canclini (ITA) who won over Oriol Cardona Coll (SPA) and Iwan Arnold (SWI).
Laetitia Roux (FRA) dominated the women’s sprint as usual, with Claudia Galicia (SPA) and Swiss espoir Marianne Fatton rounding out the podium.
» Sprint Results – World Cup – Dec 16,2017

Upcoming Events

The next World Cup event will take place on the weekend of January 20, 2018 in Switzerland with sprint and individual races.
There are no major races scheduled in North America over the holiday weekend but early January there will be a couple of events:

For a full racing calendar see our Events page.

Recap for Stage 1 of 2017 Pierra Menta: Smiley & Young 4th in women, Carter & Elson 17th in men, Lenzi & Eydallin and Fiechter & Pont Combe win

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Janelle Smiley leading Jessie Young on their way to 4th place today!
Janelle Smiley leading Jessie Young on their way to 4th place today!
With almost a metre of fresh snow on the ground, local organizers had to revise their plans for stage 1 due to high avalanche danger. Thankfully, the stunning mountains and meadows surrounding Areches-Beaufort offer endless options for big long race courses no matter what mother nature decide to do.
Therefore, today’s stage still covered over 2200m of climbing spread over multiple ascents, including two big ones – 700m and 900m, for a total of 2200m. Skiing was as good as it gets, although, it was less fun for racers than spectators on fatter skis 😉

News from the Lead Pack

Men

There was no surprise with the first place as the race’s big favourites – Damiano Lenzi and Matteo Eydallin (both ITA) – started to set the pace from the beginning. They continued increasing their lead by a small margin on every climb and ultimately stretched the gap to 3min 30sec by the finish.
Second across the line was a young Italian duo of Nadir Maguet and Michelle Boscacci who deserve lots of respect for their performance today! They managed to hold of the famed Kilian Jornet (SPA) and his new partner Alexis Sevennec (FRA) who jumped into this team to replace an illness-stuck Matteo Jacquemound.
Fourth went to locals William Bon Mardion and Xavier Gachet (both FRA) who are probably still looking for their best form this season. Fifth across the finish were Anton Palzer (GER) and young Remy Bonnet (SWI).
Race for the podium is wide open with only 4min 30sec separating 2nd from 5th!

William Bon Mardion on the first big climb. La Plannay ski resort behind him.
William Bon Mardion on the first big climb. La Plannay ski resort behind him.

Women

Arguably, this Pierra Menta will bring the closest race ever as all three teams were within 30sec on the day’s last big climb! At that point, Laetitia Roux (FRA) was vigorously pulling her teammate Emelie Forsberg (SWE) while still in the first position.
By the finish, the order shuffled with two experienced Swiss athletes – Severine Pont Combe and Jennifer Fiechter – taking the win by about 1min ahead of Roux/Forsberg. Third place went to a young French team of Axelle Mollaret and Lorna Bonnel, only 15sec further back.
The news of the day for North America was a fourth place by Jessie Young and Janelle Smiley (both USA)! Although, they finished 7min behind the 3rd team it’s refreshing to see a strong women’s North American team at Pierra Menta once again.

USA and Canadian Teams News

Beyond Jessie’s and Janelle’s 4th place there were other well performing North American teams in this first stage.
Canadian ladies – Kylee Ohler and Michelle Roberts – managed their energy well today in order to dig deeper in the coming days. They finished 15th in the women’s category and about 35min behind the strong US female duo.
ohler-roberts
Eric Carter (USA) traditionally pairs up with Nick Elson (CAN) for big teams races as the two often train together and live within one mile of each other. Today, Eric and Nick finished in 17th place, about 23min off the winners. They probably wished for a higher placing, however, they looked pretty good on the last big ascent and are poised to climb higher in the standings over the next 3 days. They finished 15th overall in 2015.
nick-eric
Second NA men’s team (both USA) didn’t have their best going today as Max Taam was visibly struggling to find his legs while John Gaston was looking pretty comfortable – they finished 26th and about 8min behind Carter/Elson as Gaston broke a ski on the final descent. However, this is an experienced team and definitely not a one to give up, so expect to see them fighting for higher places tomorrow and beyond.
max-taam
A very solid performance came from Tom Goth and Teague Holmes (both USA) who crossed the line in 30th and only 2min behind Gaston/Taam. Both are great descenders but Tom had to do a bit of pulling as Teague was digging deep to keep up.
goth-holmes
Kudos for today need to go to Jon Brown and Rory Kelly (both USA) who both have strong engines but are looking for experience at such a big race. They finished a respectable 58th but only 12min behind the Wasatch shredders Goth/Holmes.
Due to multiple issues with failing skins, the Canadian/USA duo of ultra-runners – Rob Krar and Mike Foote – cannot be satisfied with their 94th place today. They can definitely go into the top 50th in the coming days as long as their gear management improves. Otherwise, both looked pretty fresh in the finish.
rob-krar
Another Canadian/USA pairing – Steve Sellers and Scott Archer – raced well within their limits today in order to easy into this big race as they don’t have much experience with skimo stage racing yet. Placing 164th will put them at the back of the start line tomorrow so they are likely to dig deeper on day 2 to avoid a clog in the coming days.

Scott enjoying his debut at Pierra Menta.
Scott enjoying his debut at Pierra Menta.
Full results are only available as Facebook post right now:

Tomorrow’s stage

The athletes’ briefing will begin in about 1h so we don’t know the details yet, however, it is likely to stay within tree line and on meadows as we all wait for the avalanche conditions to improve.

John Gaston on the first big climb signalling he was feeling well.
John Gaston on the first big climb signalling he was feeling well.
Florent Perrier, a skimo legend and a local cheesemaker, is arguably the most favourite racer with Areches - Beaufort locals as he is still going string past 40. Today his team finished 12th!
Florent Perrier, a skimo legend and a local cheesemaker, is arguably the most favourite racer with Areches – Beaufort locals as he is still going string past 40. Today his team finished 12th!
 

Senior & Espoir Individual Race – 2017 Skimo Worlds – Feb 24: Lenzi and Roux win, John Gaston 15th and Jessie Young 13th for North America

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Today saw the first races of the 2017 Ski Mountaineering World Championships in Italy.
Very thin snow-pack forced organizers to get extremely creative which resulted in very technical skin tracks and quite dangerous descents with lots of exposed rocks, even a 200m downhill boot-pack. Absolute whiteout conditions and brief rain showers added to the challenge.
It was encouraging to see both North American men and women do so well on such a technical course and showing that couple of years of hard work and shared knowledge is paying off.

Jessie Young (with a star on her chest) fighting for a good position briefly after the start with Janelle Smiley just behind her. Photo Mark Smiley - the famous mountain guide.
Jessie Young (with a star on her chest) fighting for a good position briefly after the start, with Janelle Smiley just behind her. Photo Mark Smiley – the famous mountain guide.

Individual Race – Men

Damiano Lenzi, Italy’s current fastest athlete, went out hard seeking redemption – after penalizations, he was bumped off the 1st place twice earlier this season. He arrived about 40sec ahead of Anton Palzer (GER) and Kilian Jornet (SPA) to the top of the first 620m climb. That gap and order repeated on the top of the second climb.

Focused Damiano Lenzi taking the race by the horns right off the line. Photo Mark Smiley.
Focused Damiano Lenzi taking the race by the horns right off the line. Photo Mark Smiley.
After a downhill boot-pack at the bottom of the second descent Kilian Jornet started to turn on his speed and slowly ate into Lenzi’s lead and only loosing by a single second at the finish after a dramatic skating sprint. Anton Palzer, coming in 3rd about 30sec behind, must have been pretty happy to be back to his best after health problems over the last two weeks.
USA and Canadian men:
It was amazing to see John Gaston and Eric Carter (30sec apart), both from the US, just around the 17-25th place at the top of the first climb, with many big names transitioning with them. Gaston continued strongly to finish in 15th overall (13th in men’s category), setting a new top North American men’s performance in an individual race at World Championships! Carter, feeling good, held his own – loosing few spots on descents but gaining them back on the up-hills. He crossed the finish line in 26th place about 3.5min behind Gaston. Both were very happy about their race.
John Gaston giving all to set new North American men's performance.
John Gaston giving all to set new top North American men’s standard. ISMF photo.
Nick Elson (CAN) was the next North American crossing the line in 35th with Tom Goth (USA) one spot behind, both of them delivering solid performances. Next over the line were two well-know trail runners – Mike Foote (USA) and Rob Krar (CAN) finishing in 46th and 48th respectively – both racing for the first time ever in such high level skimo races.
Canadian duo – Travis Brown and Peter Knight – raced around each other most of the race with Travis claiming 53rd place in the finish and Peter only few minutes behind in 55th.
American espoir Cameron Smith had a solid showing as well, finishing 59th overall, and 12th in his category.
» Full results – individual men

Individual Race – Women

Women’s race was similar to the men’s in the way that real contenders established themselves early and fought a hard battle throughout. However, arguably the most refreshing news was that 49 athletes took to the start line – probably the most ever at this level.

Tight battle for positions before the first climb went into a technical single track. Photo Mark Smiley.
Tight battle for positions before the first climb went into a technical single track. Photo Mark Smiley.
Laetitia Roux (FRA) dug deep on the first climb and gained 90sec on her rivals and controlled that advantage all the way to the finish. But the win likely didn’t come as easy as it sounds because she was often looking back where a trio of chasers were – Axelle Mollaret (FRA), Maude Mathys (SWI) and Emelie Forsberg (SWE). At the end, silver medal went to very experienced Mathys and bronze to still young Mollaret.
USA and Canadian women:
Jessie Young (USA) delivered what was arguably her best ever performance, finishing 13th overall (11th in women’s category), and showed she is now ready to attack the top ten! Janelle Smiley (USA) was only about 1min behind Jessie on the 2nd descent but lost some time later on, finishing 21st – still a respectful result after overcoming illness over the last two weeks.
Third North American over the line was a mother of two and a Canadian, Kylee Toth. After months of focused training and massive improvements she will be proud to finish in 29th, although, her best at these Worlds is still to come.
Kylee Ohler in the last transition. Photo Matt Reid.
Kylee Ohler in the last transition. Photo Matt Reid.
Next over the line were Lindsay Plant and Nikki Larochelle (both USA), finishing in 33rd and 37th, after perhaps not having the races they imagined and certainly not the ones they are capable of. The same is true for Michelle Roberts (CAN) who can definitely go faster but today’s downhills were a bit too technical for her still improving skills – she crossed the line in 40th place.
Canada had two female first timers at these Worlds – Lori Ann Donald and Caroline Reid – and today was perfect for gaining experience. Both women battled through the elements finishing in 42nd and 48th, with their stronger disciplines yet to come.
» Full results – individual women
Lori Ann Donald striding through the thick fog. Photo Matt Reid.
Lori Ann Donald striding through the thick fog. Photo Matt Reid.

Tomorrow’s race

Tomorrow is time for the younger athletes to shine and we are looking forward how well the USA juniors will go as they are definitely showing some skills and ambition!
Canada doesn’t have any non-senior athletes at these championships.

Skimo News Jan 28-29: Controversy at the 2nd World Cup, Le Massif Race in Quebec, CROWBAR in Utah, Upcoming Events

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Time flies and we are already into February of 2017, with World Championships only 23 days away!
To read our last week’s Skimo News go here – Skimo News Jan 21-22: Carter racing in Andorra WC, Canada and East Coast races

USA Race News

crowbar-2017-1CROWBAR – Utah – Jan 28

CROWBAR (Cache Regional Overland Winter Backcountry Race) is one of the few fully backcountry hosted skimo races in North America that never disappoints with a foot of fresh the day before!
Last weekend, a group of youth racers from Park City – coached by Nina Silitch – made the trip and delivered a couple of great performances. Nina is doing great work with her skimo “students” and we will bring you more information on that shortly.
The main races were won by Chad Brackelsberg (men’s category) and Gemma Arro (women’s) while 5th place in men’s category went to Jason Borro of Skimo.co.
Both photographs were taken and sent to us by Wayne Wurtsbaugh. Thank you!
» Full results
crowbar-2017-2

Skin To Win – Bridge Bowl, MT  – Jan 29

Bridger Bowl Ski Area near Bozeman, MT hosted  another edition of Skin To Win skimo race with Janelle Smiley taking the win in the women’s category and Sawyer Thomas in men’s. World Champs bound Mike Foote did not finish the race.
» Full results

Canada Race News

There were no races in the Western part of Canada while the SkimoEast series continued in Quebec.

Le Massif – Quebec – Jan 28

This report was submitted by Richard Ferron, one of SkimoEast organizers.
The third race of the SkimoEast 2017 season was Saturday at Le Massif de Charlevoix, close to Quebec City. Le Defi des montagnes had a long challenging course of 19 km – longest of the series – with 1 650m of climbing. The long course was won by David Savard-Gagnon followed closely by Leigh Quilliams. The women’s race was won by Carinne Lavallière.
A special mention to Antoine Corbeil, 14 years old, who completed the long course and won the Jr division.
The race was opened to ski mountaineers as well as runners (snowshoes or running shoes). This year, there was even a FreeRide course with an emphasis on the descent and less on the time.
Next race is at Burke, Vermont, February 5. More information on www.skimoeast.com
» All results can be found here

Aiden Lennie on his way to victory in the short course. Photo David Moore.
Aiden Lennie on his way to victory in the short course. Photo David Moore.

International Race News

Cambre D’Aze – France – Jan 28-29

(Read our last weeks report about how the 1st World Cup of the season went.)
The ISMF World Cup continued in France with Individual race on Saturday and a first Sprint of the season on Sunday. The venue received large amounts of snow just two days before the races so the Individual had to be moved mostly in-bounds.
Individual:
The men’s field was missing last weeks winner Anton Palzer (GER), however, there was more “action” than anyone would like to see.
Damiano Lenzi (ITA) crossed the finish line in first place but was given one minute penalty and moved to second, exactly like last week. Thus, the win was awarded to Kilian Jornet (SPA) who was only couple of seconds behind. The “controversy” went into full swing when the top 3 (Lenzi, Jornet, Eydallin) from the finish didn’t show up at the flowers ceremony and were disqualified! At the end, the win went to Robert Antonioli (ITA) who finished 4th in the race.
Eric Carter (USA) had a better race than last week in Andorra and finished 37th – but would effectively move to 34th after the top 3 disqualification.

Lenzi leaving for a boot-pack in front of Jornet. ISMF photo.
Lenzi leaving for a boot-pack in front of Jornet. ISMF photo.
Kilian Jornet went on to explain his/their side of the story on his Facebook page while ISMF didn’t comment too much publicly but said that “…the ISMF will analyze the matter in the constant process of the assesement of the quality of the races”. Without being there, no one knows which side is right but from our experience there likely are valid points on both sides. The question is how will this affect our sport going forward as conflicts like these are definitely damaging.
A side story we found intriguing, while looking through the results, was a 10th place finisher Christian Hoffmann (AUT). This 42 year old racer came to skimo after serving 6-year ban for blood doping – same investigation that involved a disgraced cyclist Michael Rasmussen. Hoffmann won gold in cross-country skiing in 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City after the winner was convicted of his own blood doping. While the skier is free to race again, it is interesting that the Austrian Skimo federation is giving him a chance to represent their country on a World stage.
In the women’s race, nothing has changed on the top of the podium with Laetitia Roux (FRA) collecting another World Cup win while again second went to her young French teammate Axelle Mollaret. Third place went to Maude Mathys (SWI) who returned after her doping ban, although, for much less serious offence than Hoffmann.
» Full results for Individual
Sprint:
A great day for Iwan Arnold (SWI) by taking his first ever skimo World Cup win! Second went to his team-mate Andreas Steindl while the race favourite Robert Antonioli finished in third.
Laetitia Roux continued in great fashion from the day before and won. Second and third went to Claudia Galicia (SPA) and Deborah Chiarello (SWI).
» Full results for Sprint (you will need to click few links to drill down)
Cambre_d_aze_sprint_women
Italian racer in the top transition of the sprint qualification. Photo ISMF.

Upcoming Races

World Cups:
After back to back weekends, the World Cup will have a small break and returning on Feb 11th in Turkey with an individual and sprint.
USA and Canada:
» See our preview of Steep Dreams event at Panorama Resort, BC that will take place on Feb 4-5 (individual on Saturday and vertical on Sunday).
» Check out our skimo racing calendar
Over the next two weekends:
Feb 3-5 – US Nationals, NM
Feb 4-5 – Panorama Steep Dreams Skimo Race, BC
Feb 5 – Burke Backcountry Adventure, VT
Feb 11 – Whitefish Whiteout, MT – Stano will be there to remember to Ben Parsons
Feb 11 – Bolton 24 Hours, VT
Feb 17-19 – Griggs Ski Mountaineering Race, CO
Feb 18 – Course du Mont Édouard, QC

Skimo News Jan 21-22: Carter racing in Andorra WC, Canada and East Coast races, Upcoming events

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With World Championships quickly approaching (Eric and Stano will be attenting as well) the athletes are entering their final preparations. Besides the west side of US, there were races happening in all corners of NA and Europe.
To read our previous Skimo News go here – Skimo News Jan 13-15: 2nd USA Team Qualifier, Mountain Attack, Upcoming Races and World Cups

USA Race News

We are waiting for more details from some east coast races that happened last weekend. We will update here as soon as we receive them.

Berkshire East – Massachusetts – Jan 21

With little over 5,600 feet of vertical gain, including five boot-pack segments and 25 transitions, the Berkshire East skimo race tested the local athletes once again athletes from six states – New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire. (Edit as per suggestions in a comment at the bottom of the article.)
The win in the men’s category on the main course went to Ed Warren who managed to build a 4min lead by the finish line. In the women’s category the title went to Jennifer Downing.
» Full results for the competitive category
berkshire-east-race-1

Canada Race News

Lizard Skinner – Fernie, BC – Jan 21

The following recap was submitted by Travis Brown, a fellow Canadian Ski Mountaineering Team teammate.
The second running of the Fernie Lizard Skinner was an exciting and hard fought battle on all fronts. The non technical course is a mix of steep groomer skinning, and flat hardpack with a distinct Nordic feel. Because all climbs involve a mix of these conditions, skin choice is key in having a fast race.
fernie-race-1
As always, in the men’s race Peter Knight took the race out hard from the gun, with Travis Brown chasing close behind. Peter built up a sizeable lead in the first third of the race, and Travis was unable to close the gap, finishing 4 minutes back. Master’s competitor Steve Sellers crashed out of the 2016 iteration of the race with a badly dislocated shoulder, but returned this year as strong as always, and managed a great 4th place finish, being passed on the last descent by eastern transplant Joel Desgreniers.
In the women’s race, Kylee Ohler was dominant from the start, building up a considerable lead over the rest of the women very early in the race. Kylee would finish 5th overall, giving Steve and Joel a run for their money. Fellow national team members Michelle Katchur-Roberts and Lori Anne Donald rounded out the podium positions.
Marcus Zamzow was the only junior racing, and came in first in the recreational category, followed by Martha Burley, a former Canadian team member returning to racing after having a baby and taking a few seasons off.
» Full results Lizard Skinner

International Race News

Font Blanca World Cup – Andorra – Jan 21-22

Last weekend saw the first World Cup of the season. Like very year, the always friendly and enthusiastic Andorrans put on a show with individual on Saturday and a vertical race on Sunday.
Eric Carter toed the start line after a busy travel schedule (Colorado to home in Squamish, BC to Andorra in a span of 4 days) and not surprisingly he performed less than he wished for. However, this will serve him as a good warm up before another World Cup this weekend, and the upcoming World Championships in February. He finished 48th in the individual and 46th in the vertical.

Forsberg overtaking Mollaret and Orgue in the vertical.
Forsberg overtaking Mollaret and Orgue in the vertical.
Individual:
Anton Palzer (GER) took the win after battling Damiano Lenzi (ITA) for the entire race. The Italian even crossed the finish line in first but was awarded a penalty and moved to second. Third place went to Xavier Gachet (FRA). Kilian Jornet (SPA) finished sixth.
In the women’s race, the domination of Laetitia Roux (FRA) on the World Cup scene continued and she won without much trouble. Second went to her young French teammate Axelle Mollaret with ultra-runner Emelie Forsberg (SWE) coming in third.
Vertical:
The men’s podium completely reshuffled from the day before and with close gaps this was one hell of a competitive race. Swiss vertical specialist Werner Marti won gold by 9 seconds  in front of Kilian Jornet who was another 13 seconds ahead of, still only an espoir, Remi Bonnet (SWI). Lenzi and Palzer came in 4th and 5th respectively.
Women’s race was no less exciting! Emelie Forsberg crossed the finish line first only by 4 seconds in front of  Axelle Mollaret. Spain’s vertical specialist and mountain runner Laura Orgue claimed bronze only another 19 seconds further back. Laetitia Roux didn’t start the race.
» Full results for all Andorra races (you will need to click few links to drill down)
Werner Marti leading Jornet and Bonnet to the finish line.
Werner Marti leading Jornet and Bonnet to the finish line.
 

Upcoming Races

World Cups:
This weekend, Eric Carter will join the world elite athletes at a World Cup at Cambre d’Aze in France. Individual race goes on Saturday followed by a sprint on Sunday.
USA and Canada:
» See our preview of Steep Dreams event at Panorama Resort, BC that will take place on Feb 4-5 (individual on Saturday and vertical on Sunday).
» Check out our skimo racing calendar
Over the next two weekends you can participate in one of these:
Jan 28 – CROWBAR SkiMo race, UT
Jan 28 – Défi des montagnes, QC
Jan 29 – Skin to Win Race At Bridger Bowl, MT
Feb 3-5 – US Nationals, NM
Feb 4-5 – Panorama Steep Dreams Skimo Race, BC
Feb 5 – Burke Backcountry Adventure, VT

April 1-12 Skimo Racing News Shorts: Tour du Rutor, Shedhorn SkiMo, Ski Ecrins

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Our skimo racing recap from last two weekends here in North America and Europe!

USA

Shedhorn Race at Big Sky, Montana – April 9:

Over the last weekend, and for second year in a row, the Big Sky Resort in Montana hosted the Shedhorn SkiMo Race which is now arguably the most technical race in North America. Boasting serious steep descents, plenty of boot-packs and close to 3000m of vertical gain spread over 6 climbs it is shaping up to become a beast of an event going into the future.

High consequence boot-pack. Photo by Myke M
High consequence boot-pack. Photo by Myke Hermsmeyer.
In the men’s race, it was Eric Carter and Tom Goth who took it by the horns during the first big climb. Unfortunately, not long after Tom broke his boot and abandoned the race. From there on, Eric, was pretty much unchallenged and was able to enjoy the beautiful course set by the local ski patrol team and COSMIC series team. He won in 3h 52min with Teague Holmes and Ellio Barcikowski completing the podium.
In the women’s race, we are not sure how it exactly went down as we don’t have regular (or even occasional) correspondent, but overall everyone enjoyed the raced as well! Meredith Edwards took the win in 4h 58min and was followed home by Inge Perkins and Michela Adrian.
Here is what Eric Carter had to say after returning home from Big Sky and as he was just literally changing bags to jump on a flight to Europe to do Patrouille des Glaciers later this month:

It was definitely a super fun race over big terrain! The skiing was full on. I even stopped to pull out my ice axe after I dropped into the first descent. It was steep and long ways down should you fall… Now, over to Euroland for PDG. We have a good team and some goals! Will see how it goes, will be in touch!

» Full results for Shedhorn Skimo race

Europe

Tour du Rutor stage race – Long Distance World Cup – April 1-3:

Just like the more famous Pierra Menta in France, Tour du Rutor is a cool multi-day skimo stage teams race. It takes place over three days every second year at the well-known Valle d’Aosta, a region in northwest Italy.

Matteo Eydallin during the second stage. Photo by Stefano Jeantet.
Matteo Eydallin during the second stage. Photo by Stefano Jeantet.
There were no surprises in the women’s race as the very strong French team of Laetitia Roux and Axelle Mollaret confirmed their domination by winning every stage. Overall, second place went to a Swiss team of Jennifer Fiechter and Severinne Pont Combe and third, after a bit of a rough first day, went to Italians Elena Nicolini with Laura Besseghini.
In the men’s race, there were multiple favourites but no team was really standing out as they were a mix of strong upcoming generation matched by experienced partners. In the end, the Italian team of Matteo Eydallin and Michele Boscacci delivered a flawless performance to win overall after winning first two days and finishing third on the last day. Our SkinTrack chips were on the “dark horse” Swiss duo as the well experienced Martin Athamatten teamed up with strong but still very young Remy Bonnet. They finished second but watch out for Bonnet to start winning World Cups by next year! Third place went to a team of great French skiers, a cheese maker William Bon Mardion and ski lifts electrician Xavier Gachet who’s father won the 3rd Pierra Menta.
» Overall and single day results can be found HERE
» Here you can watch couple of videos from the race.

Ski Ecrins stage race – ISMF series – April 9-10:

This is a two day French skimo stage teams race that Eric Carter and Pascal Egli (SWI) managed to win last year.
This year’s Ski Ecrins race saw wins of Gary Ozeray and Steven Blanc in men’s category and Laetitia  Roux and Tania Naville.