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Michelle Roberts

Team Race – 2017 Skimo Worlds – Feb 26: USA women 4th, Lenzi wins another title, French women win without Laetitia Roux

February 26, 2017 By Stano Faban 4 Comments

Third day at the 2017 Ski Mountaineering World Championships brought another sunny day but thankfully it didn’t get as hot as forecasted, thanks to a thin cloud cover, and so there were perfect conditions for senior athletes to tackle the longest of all the World Championship races.

Showing parts of the course. Green is skinning or on foot, red are descents. ISMF photo.
Showing parts of the course. Green is skinning or on foot, red are descents. ISMF photo.
Organizers prepared one hell of a technical course including via ferrata sections and a walk/hike on an exposed ridge over one of the local summits. Technical and rocky descents continued to be on the menu as no new snow fell since the opening ceremony.
Arguably, the two most notable performances were in the women’s race with French ladies winning the title without Laetitia Roux, and that the US Team’s Jessie Young and Janelle Smiley clinched 4th place – the best ever for a North American women’s team at Worlds!
» Here are beautiful ISMF photos from the teams race
» Click here for previous day – Junior & Cadet Individual Race – 2017 Skimo Worlds – Feb 25
Janelle and Jessie on the final descent. Photo by Mark Smiley.
Janelle and Jessie on the final descent. Photo by Mark Smiley.
 

Team Race – Men

Historically, Italian teams have been quite dominant whether at Worlds, Pierra Menta or any other teams events. Today, again, it was more of a question which of their teams wins than anything else. Damiano Lenzi is on top form this season and partnering with experienced Matteo Eydallin didn’t hurt. However, they out-skied their fellow country men – Robert Antonioli and Michele Boscacci – only by a few seconds to win gold. Third place went to always strong and well skiing William Bon Mardion and Xavier Gachet (FRA).

Boot-pack over the peak of Mount Cavallo was the highlight of the day! ISMF photo.
Boot-pack over the peak of Mount Castelat was the highlight of the day! ISMF photo.
USA and Canadian men:
It was a mixed day for the US mean’s team today. John Gaston and Max Taam proved their skills finishing 11th, only one place lower than at Worlds 4 years ago. Another strong duo – Eric Carter and Tom Goth – had minor gear issues on the technical ridge walk (many teams had gear issues on that section of the course) but their race really went off the tracks when Eric broke a ski at the bottom of the second descent and they had to abandon. Very respectable performance came from Jon Brown and Teague Holmes who finished 16th. Paul Hamilton and Scott Simmons are showing in the results at 17th place but in fact abandoned after suffering too many issues.
The top Canadian placing went to two mountain/ultra runners, Nick Elson and Rob Krar (see quote below),  finishing 17th (18th in results after Hamilton/Simmons correction). They skied a solid race with Rob having some difficulties in the icy skin tracks – after all it was his very first time seeing something like that.
Nick and Rob in the second descent. ISMF photo.
Nick and Rob in the second descent. ISMF photo.
Second Canadian team placing was still up for grabs half-way through the race with Stano and Matt Reid leading Travis Brown and Peter Knight at that point. Eventually, Travis and Peter prevailed, finishing 19th, after Matt suffered from cramps and breaking his boot early into the third descent. By slowing down a little and taking on fluid and salt, Matt was able to pull through and even skied well with one working boot, and so our team finish 20th.
Stano and Matt atop the last climb of the long technical race. Photo by Lori Ann Donald.
Stano and Matt atop the last climb of the long technical race. Photo by Lori Ann Donald.
Here is what Rob Krar had to say in the finish about his experience today:

I was humbled and in awe of the competition and athleticism on display this morning, including my teammate Nick Elson. I believe we both have a strong and quiet drive that led to a solid showing, although Nick was clearly the stronger athlete and I wish I weren’t the weaker link that held us back from placing higher.
There is a great quote something along the lines of the only risks I regret are the ones I never took. It has been a primary goal the past few years to take more risk and step out of my comfort zone whenever possible. This approach to life has opened doors I never thought possible and racing today was really the culmination of a two year goal to represent Canada at the World Championships. It was the toughest and most challenging ski mountaineering race of my life and I loved every moment of suffering out there.

» Full results – men’s teams race

Team Race – Women

Just like in the individual race, today, was very competitive in the women’s field again. Italian team was leading up the first climb but another 4 teams were right on their heels, including Janelle Smiley and Jessie Young.
At the end, the gold went to Axelle Mollaret and Lorna Bonnel (FRA) with Mollaret having done quite a bit of towing as well as bringing a lot of experience. After all, she has won many teams races with the most decorated skimo athlete in history, Laetitia Roux. Second team over the finish line was from Spain – Mireia Miro and Claudia Galicia – both very experienced racers. Bronze medal went to home Italian women – Martina Valmassoi and Alba De Silvestro – who were in fact leading that first climb.

Italian team on the way to the summit of Cavallo. ISMF photo.
Italian team on the way to the summit of Castelat. ISMF photo.
USA and Canadian women:
For North Americans, the story of the day have been written by Smiley and Young (USA) by racing into a historical 4th place in a teams race! Today’s result will given them a huge confidence bust for Pierra Menta (starts March 8th) where they can certainly attack for the podium, because why go top 5 if you have already done that.
The rest of US and Canadian women had a mixed bag of feelings but overall still delivered respectable performances. Nikki Larochelle and Lindsay Plant place 8th about 10min ahead of 9th Najeeby Quinn and Michela Adrian. In 10th, and only few minutes behind, came the Canadian ladies – Kylee Ohler and Michelle Roberts – who got in good training today before Pierra Menta. 12th place went to another US team of Kristi Knecht and Anne Gonzales, finishing the race on a substitute ski after breaking one.
» Full results – women’s teams race
To give you an idea how spicy and rocky all descents were. ISMF photo.
To give you an idea how spicy and rocky all descents were. ISMF photo.

Tomorrow

There is planned rest/transfer day for tomorrow as we all head to Piancavallo for the last three events including many youth events as well. None of the athletes on US and Canadian teams are sick or (significantly) injured so we are all looking forward to more racing! 🙂

Filed Under: Reports & Results Tagged With: 2017 Skimo World Championships, Damiano Lenzi, Janelle Smiley, Jessie Young, Kylee Ohler, Michelle Roberts, Nick Elson, Rob Krar, Robert Antonioli, Stano Faban

Interview with Michelle Katchur Roberts: From "not belonging in sports" to Canadian Skimo Team athlete

July 29, 2016 By Stano Faban Leave a Comment

Only few years ago, I remember Michelle crossing the finish line at Canadian Skimo Nationals a long time behind the fastest women and being somewhat terrified whenever a race course featured more technical descents. Since then she has made lots of progress. Her passion for our sport fueled her focus on learning and steadily improving to become one of the top Canadian women.
michelle-roberts-interview-4
In this interview, we will find out about her road to skimo and how exactly she keeps improving every year.
Q: Michelle, which sports or activities were you participating in on regular basis before zooming in on skimo racing? And did you compete before skimo?
This is a question I get asked all the time. It’s quite interesting because I grew up hating phys ed class and what I learned from school was that I am not an athlete – I don’t belong in sports. From that, I can tell you that skimo was my introduction to competitive sports. I dabbled a bit in hiking, rock climbing and ice climbing. Once I finished university I bought a backcountry setup and a season pass at Sunshine Ski Village to learn how to ski. My first race was my third day on touring gear!
Q: What skills did you have to learn when coming to skimo and what aspects of the sport were the most intimidating?
Well, obviously I had to learn to ski, both uphill and down. As you know, the downhill component has been the most intimidating part of racing for me. It still continues to be an area that I need to improve upon, but each year I get a little better.
One big lesson I have learnt from skimo is knowing my body – listening and responding to it. I have learned how to pay attention to my heart rate and my muscles and have discovered not only how to pace myself but also how to push my limits beyond what I thought possible. It is so exciting for me to attempt new personal bests.
Q: Are you learning and progressing mostly on your own or do you have a coach or group of friends that help you out?
michelle-roberts-interview-2My learning and progression has been a mixed bag of frustration and help from peers. I do not have a coach and before the SkinTrack’s Manual for Ski Mountaineering Racing I found it super hard to obtain any information on how to train for skimo.
I based my training models after cycling books. I feel lucky to have had you, Stano, as a support in watching me and giving me feedback. My teammate Travis has also given me tidbits of information during our training sessions.
But I would be lying if I didn’t disclose that I have had a lot of challenging days. Being at the back of the pack it is hard to observe skimo technique and race strategies when the only athletes are ahead of you and out of sight. I certainly learnt a lot through trial and error and failure.
Q: Now, as more a mature athlete, what do you find the most rewarding about our sport? What keeps you attracted?
Oh my gosh! I believe skimo is one of the most rewarding sports for too many reasons to state.
I imagine, just as athletes are attracted to triathlons, I too am fascinated with the multi-faceted components of gear, technique, cardio, endurance, and the outdoors. To be successful in skimo you have to excel in not only in downhill skiing, but also in fitness and mastery of your gear.
One other aspect that sets skimo apart from other endurance sports is the sacred experience of pushing your physical and mental boundaries in some of the most stunning landscapes. There’s a feeling of art as your skis carve lines on the mountain canvas, even if for only a moment in time.
Q: In recent years, you competed at World Skimo Championships. What was your experience like?
World Skimo Championships was a plethora of emotions. Given that it was my big goal, I had originally thought I would simply be satisfied to just “be” at world champs. However, once I arrived I wanted to do my absolute best and represent my country well. I wasn’t intimidated, but I was overwhelmed.
The competition is a massive step-up from North America and at times I felt like the underdog in Disney movies. My ending though didn’t come with a cheezy trophy finish. World Championships taught me a lot about racing and has given me new goals and new levels to grow towards.
Q: Let’s talk about training now. With summer in full swing, how does your training look like? Which sports or activities do you do? How much do you train? Do you race as well?
Recently, summer has been a challenge for me to get in quality training. I’ve been guiding backpacking trips, which gives me time outdoors with a backpack but the pace is often slow. I try to fit in mountain running and interval training whenever I can.
This summer I’ve registered for a few running races in the 50-60km range. I believe the races will help me to achieve new levels for endurance and hopefully help me maintain speed.
I also continue to love rock climbing. The focus has shifted a bit more towards mountaineering. I believe this is good cross training for skimo with the vertical miles as well as the endurance and mental training. If I can spend 10-15 hours on a rock with limited food and water I should be able to get through a 2-3 hour race.
michelle-roberts-interview-3
Q: Then during winter are you able to get on skis for majority of your training or are you mixing in other sports?
In the winter, I focus mainly on skis and the strength training in the gym. On work days, the gym provides me the opportunity to build strength and power. I’m lucky enough to work in the mountains and can often get in a few ski days during the week as well as a good session with my team mates on the weekend.
Q: You are a vegetarian. What is your most favourite dinner meal during big training weeks? And what do you eat during long training sessions?
I love food! I enjoy eating many meals as long as they are fresh and full of spices and whole foods. As much as I love to eat, I view food as my fuel and look for food that is filled with nutrition.
My meals cycle and change with the season and my mood. Often I enjoy Chic pea curry with spinach or falafel loaded with greens and hummus. Lately, I am on a cold noodle bowl kick adding as many yummy vegetables to spring rolls and rice vermicelli. I do have a sweet tooth and I enjoy making a lot of yummy desserts as well.
Q: How do you balance work, training and life? How does your typical day look like?
Don’t know how to answer this question right now 🙂
I have to say that at times it is really hard. The past two years my employment has been erratic and not reliable. Sometimes I’ve worked 2 jobs and 12 hours a day totaling 60 hours/week, at other times I might have a 30 hour work week.
Q: Just like I asked Kylee Toth in her interview, I want to ask this wide ranging question: You have been involved in our sport as an athlete, ambassador and with the Canadian Skimo organization for a couple of years now. Based on your experience and point of view, what do you think can be done to attract more women into our sport? Why should they try it?
More women should try it because skimo is an incredibly empowering sport. Skimo cultivates abilities, confidence, and an improvement mentality that translates to all areas of life. I have formed some of the best friendships through skimo. I view my teammates and training partners as my second family. Once fall arrives I can’t wait to spend more time with my skimo “family.”
I think more support will attract women to the sport. It’s a big initial financial investment. I also perceive that women are intimated. I know I speak for Kylee as well that we would both like to see more mentorship opportunities.
Q: And one more question – If you could do a big backcountry ski trip, where would it be and why?
I would love to ski in South America one day. It seems so wild with its high peaks and big lines. Also the combination of culture and skiing appeals to me.
michelle-roberts-interview-1

Filed Under: People (Interviews) Tagged With: Michelle Roberts

Final 2015/16 Canadian Skimo Racing Rankings

March 31, 2016 By Stano Faban 8 Comments

skimo-canada-cup-rankings
With the conclusion of skimo racing in Western Canada last weekend in Lake Louise, our governing body Ski Mountaineering Competition Canada (SMCC) has released the final rankings for this season. We will take a look at how the rankings are compiled and what it means.

Rankings and How they work

Canadian Cup Rankings:

This season’s Canadian Cup consisted of the six races (at five venues) that were sanctioned by the SMCC – those that conform with the International Ski Mountaineering Federation (ISMF) and SMCC rules. For the first time ever, one of these races was a sprint event. No vertical races were held this year and so the other five were individual events.

Kylee Ohler on racing to her win.
Kylee Ohler racing on to her win at Canadian Nationals.
The Canadian Cup ranking list seeks to reward performance within these Cup events. Rankings are determined using the ISMF World Ranking system. Athletes of all nationalities are included as well as anyone who competed in any of the events – racing the long/elite events. Points are assigned to each place in the race results (1st = 100pts, 2nd = 80pts, 3rd = 60pts, etc…). Overall placement on the ranking list is the sum of the athlete’s best four results.
Top 3 Men:

  1. Eric Carter (USA) – 380 pts
  2. Travis Brown (CAN) – 330 pts
  3. Peter Knight (CAN) – 280 pts

Top 3 Women:

  1. Kylee Ohler (CAN) – 360 pts
  2. Michelle Katchur-Roberts (CAN) – 320 pts
  3. Melanie Bernier (CAN) – 300 pts

» Canada Cup Overall Rankings (PDF)

Canadian National Rankings:

The Canadian National Rankings are made up of a so called “Points List” that is designed to accurately rank athletes in comparison one to another using any possible race results for the purposes of aiding (not finalizing) in national team selection for next season.
The Points List results were compiled from all Canadian Cup races, US nationally sanctioned races (e.g. US Nationals or Powder Keg Continental Championships), and World Cup or ISMF events.
The points system was derived from that used by the Canadian Nordic Ski Team. Athletes are assigned points that represent the percentage of time they finished behind the leader. Points are handicapped by the ranking of the race winner – this means athletes who finish near the front of a highly competitive field will be rewarded with better points than finishing near the front of a weak field. For example, finishing within 20% of the winner (say Kilian Jornet) at a World Cup would be worth more points than finishing within 20% of the winner at a Canadian Cup race. The average of an athletes top three points is taken to be their overall ranking. If the athlete has only one or two races, a slight penalty is applied to their average (see notes in the below PDF sheet).
Top 3 Canadian Men:

  1. Nick Elson – 0.8803
  2. Rob Krar – 0.8383
  3. Peter Knight – 0.8080

Top 3 Canadian Women:

  1. Melanie Bernier – 0.8847
  2. Kylee Ohler – 0.8601
  3. Michelle Katchur-Roberts – 0.7828

» Canada National Points List Final (PDF)

What does it mean?

Canadian Cup:

The Canadian Cup does not seek to identify the absolute fastest Canadian skier, but rather any skier with the best and most consistent results within the Cup races. A good example of this is seen in the women’s ranking with Melanie Bernier winning every race she entered (3) but finishing ranked third because of her missing a fourth result. Had she raced one more and finished at least 3rd, she would have won the Cup.
The Vert180 appears to be a good place to get points. Only 2 of the top 8 attended. Similarly, Fernie and Nelson were less well attended than Castle or Lake Louise. It is interesting that Castle was so well attended as it is far away from almost everyone (but it’s closer for the Montana athletes). This suggests that the double race weekend – holding the sprint and individual race – is very attractive to many. Absolute ideal would be to see a minimum of two events at every race weekend in the Canadian Cup. Holding a vertical or a sprint, along an individual, does not add too much extra work for the organizers while greatly increasing attractiveness for racers from further away to attend.
Special mention should go to the very few athletes who attended every Canadian Cup race – by our count, this is only Michelle Katchur-Roberts, Travis Brown, and Peter Knight (forgive us if we missed anyone).

National Points List:

The current points list can be skewed in the event of a race like what happened at Nelson. With new snow and no set tracks, a large group of racers skied together, finishing much closer to the leader than shown in other races, thus, gaining more points than if there were well established skin tracks. This underlines the need for properly set courses and forerunners in the case of new snow. In our experience, as race organizers and athletes, we believe that a forerunner should be a must. Setting out about 1.5-2h before a race starts it gives this person plenty of time to refresh the tracks set day before and to repair any course markings that perhaps got buried or blown away overnight.
However, the points list provides valid information to the SMCC for national team selection purposes. A good example of this is Rob Krar (an accomplished ultra-runner) who is presumably hoping to race for Canada at the 2017 World Championships. With only one race in Canada (though a strong 2nd among Canadians at Nationals last week), his US results support his ranking of second fastest Canadian.

Filed Under: Reports & Results Tagged With: Canada SkiMo Cup, Eric Carter, Kylee Ohler, Melanie Bernier, Michelle Roberts, Nick Elson, Peter Knight, Rob Krar, Travis Brown

Mar 15-28 Skimo Racing News Shorts: World Cup, Grand Traverse, Canadian Nationals

March 29, 2016 By Stano Faban Leave a Comment

Canadian Rockies showing all their beauty during the Canadian Nationals. Photo by Osmosis Photography.
Canadian Rockies showing all their beauty during the Canadian Nationals. Photo by Osmosis Photography.
The past two weeks were full of skimo racing in North America and Europe! Here is our recap of what happened in the skin tracks.
» For previous weekend’s racing news see here.

USA West

Elk Mountain Grand Traverse – March 26, 2016

To a mix of both disappointment and relief, the race organizers made a last-minute decision to modify the 2016 Grand Traverse into an out and back course from Crested Butte rather than continuing to Aspen. A risk of skiing in high country during early spring, as large storm had deposited significant amounts of snow, was causing major concerns for the organizers and athletes.
As expected, John Gaston and Max Taam continued their team winning streak and comfortably won ahead of Rob Krar and Marshall Thompson who crossed the line 10min behind. One of the most impressive performances was of Ben and Nils Koons, who took third using Nordic ski gear!
Another noteworthy performance came from Lindsay Plant and Jessie Young who won the women’s event and finished 7th overall, however, only 3 min behind was another ladies duo of Larochelle – Hagen at 8th overall!
» Full results are HERE
Want to see more coverage of women’s racing? We need a female correspondent! Send us an email if you’d like to contribute!

8e9db461-0ecd-40e8-b569-c009c6ba4284Upcoming:

Next up on the COSMIC schedule is Cody’s Challenge in Steamboat Springs, CO on April 2nd.
Also make sure to save the date on April 9th for the Big Sky Shedhorn Skimo race. This promises to be an exciting one, with crampons, ice axe and whippet on the mandatory gear list! Check out their Facebook Page for more info and updates as well as registration.

USA East

Bolton 24 Hour, Sugarbush, Pico

Whoops, all three of these Vermont venues were cancelled in their inaugural season in this “historical” New England ski season. The Bolton Valley 24 race lost all the backcountry snow required for its daytime ascent route. Sugarbush still claimed an impressive trail count but unfortunately continued its prior attitude toward skimo from when it co-hosted a race with neighbor Mad River Glen. Pico would have been closed for two weeks by the time of the scheduled race date yet retained plenty of snow cover: the outside organizer was still 100% all set to go, but resort management wouldn’t allow the race to be held. 🙁

Bromley VT – March 19, 2016

All three cancellations further north left Bromley in southern Vermont as the last traditional race of the season on March 19. The upper mountain had been closed during the week but reopened for one final weekend after a major snow moving effort by the resort groomers on Friday. Jerimy Arnold took the win despite a hundred-foot slide on one descent past about half as many visiting ski patrollers for a training event. Brian MacIlvain finished only several seconds behind, slowed down somewhat by responsibly checking that Jerimy was somehow still okay. Alex Nichols eventually broke free from what was initially a tight pack of six racers to claim his first skimo podium.
» Results and Photos HERE

Bolton Citizen Skimo Series & Stowe Topsy Turvy Derby

As mentioned in previous news round-ups, this season the Catamount Trail Association (“CTA”) debuted a weeknight citizen series of hour-long crit-style races at Bolton Valley, VT. Attendance was strong for most of the season with participation averaging around 40 racers per night, peaking at over 80. Each week of “winter” brought new challenges in piecing together sections of skinable and skiable terrain into a race course layout that resort management would approve. Not once did participants compete on the courses originally planned by organizers at the onset of the series! But the CTA and Bolton always came up with something, and the really fun – albeit short – courses provided a lot of transition practice.
Then on March 26, the CTA closed out the Eastern U.S. skimo season with the evening Topsy Turvy Derby, the first time any skimo event has ever been held at Stowe, VT. Conditions were challenging on the 700’ vertical criterium-style course with icy moguls and refrozen corn. QT2 Systems triathlon coach John Spinney won with five laps commenced within the 55-minute cut-off.

2017 Preview:

Perhaps eager to forget the 2015-16 “winter” even as it still sputters to a close, several race directors have already started hashing out a schedule for the 2016-17 season. The Catamount Trail Association will continue the Bolton weeknight criterium-style races, and also hopes to offer several Saturday night races at both Sugarbush and Stowe. Discussions are already underway with potentially promising venues in both VT and NH. Check back at the link above (clicking through to future months in the Google calendar) for updates on other races as we move closer to the 2016-17 season and as the forgettable 2015-16 season is hopefully forgotten.
Submitted by Eastern correspondents Jonathan Shefftz (NE Rando Race Series) and Greg Maino (Catamount Trail Association)

Canada

Ken Jones Classic and Canadian Skimo National Championships – March 19, 2016:

Held at Lake Louise Ski Area, this year’s edition of KJC was one of the most competitive Canadian skimo events in recent history!
Organizers prepared a great race course with the race starting up a groomer climb to the top of the ski area before descending to the back wilder side. There awaited one beautiful switchbacks climb and one long and steep boot-pack climb, both followed by steeper couloir descents. From here, racers sped down a groomer for the final long climb and a big descent to the resort base with a long skating second section.
After an initial sprint off the line by Peter Knight, Nick Elson took the lead and set a strong pace up the 1st climb with Eric Carter in tow while Rob Krar, the ultra-runner, was chasing close behind. Nick and Eric skied together most of the race until a bottom section on the final climb where Eric pulled away for the win. Rob Krar took third with Ben Parsons chasing hard but missing out on the podium at the very end.
On the women’s side, Kylee Toth-Ohler easily skied away from the field, winning handily with Michelle Katchur-Roberts in second and Katarina Kuba in third.
Nick Elson and Kylee Toth-Ohler were named National Champions and Canadian-only podiums were presented in addition to overall race podiums. This wraps up the Canadian race calendar for 2016!
» Full results are HERE
Thanks to OsmosisPhotography.com for great images from the race:

Europe

Mondole Ski Alp World Cup – March 18-20, 2016:

At risk of sounding like a broken record, Kilian Jornet again dominated the World Cup Vertical and Individual races at the Prato Nevoso ski area in Italy. Laetitia Roux was the first to cross the line in both races as well but was given a 15min penalty in the individual race due to skis that did not meet the ISMF weight requirement so the victory was awarded to Swiss Jennifer Fiechter. In the sprint race, Robert Antonioli and Roux won, clinching their season sprint titles.
USA had one athlete competing in Mondole – Rory Kelly from Colorado raced to 27th in the vertical race, 28th in the individual, and 35th in the sprint.
» All results can be found here
All photos by ISMF:

Upcoming:

All that remains are Long Distance World Cup races. The next to come is the bi-annual Tour du Rutor in Italy at the beginning of April followed by the Patrouille De Glaciers on April 22-23rd.
ISMF Racing News
Check out our big 2015/16 skimo calendar for upcoming events this week and into the future.

Filed Under: Reports & Results Tagged With: Eric Carter, John Gas, Kilian Jornet, Kylee Ohler, Laetitia Roux, Max Taam, Michelle Roberts, Nick Elson, Rob Krar, Robert Antonioli

Photos, Results, Report from Dogtooth Dash – 2014 BUFF Canadian SkiMo Championships

April 4, 2014 By Stano Faban Leave a Comment

The results and lots of photos were posted through Facebook and Twitter within few hours after the Dogtooth Dash race party, however, I want to apologize that I slacked with writing up a nice race report for you. Here it is.
Secondly, one more big shout out to all 26 volunteers that came out to help marshal the race course on Saturday!
Thirdly, big Thanks to main sponsors goes to Kicking Horse Mountain Resort for their unwavering support, BUFF Headwear for keeping the Dash going for another year, Live Out There store for superb enthusiasm, and Clif Bar and Hammer Nutrition for fueling the participants and volunteers.
»For reference here’s the original 2014 Dogtooth Dash event page

Friday’s vertical: Thight margins

The new addition to the Dogtooth Dash was an 800 m (2625 feet) vertical race that featured a steep 200 m section sandwiched between rolling and flat terrain.

Marg Fedyna on her winning path.
Marg Fedyna on her winning path.
Gun went off just after 5pm and 24 racers charged from the start line. I was standing at the beginning of the steep section to cheer and brief everyone of what was to come. All racers were grinding and grimacing but everyone appeared to have good times.
In the men’s race, everything was kept very tight all the way up to the finish. At the end, Reiner Thoni managed to get a small gap to secure his vertical national title (in 35:52), but behind him there was an Olympic-like diving finish for second between Nick Elson and Pascal Egli (from Switzerland). After some discussion, even 3 pairs of sharp eyes could not pick one over the other and so we had two second place finishers! Fourth went to a great Canadian trail runner, Adam Campbell, who was trying his luck in skimo this past season. My SkinTrack’s co-author, Eric Carter, finished fifth.
The women’s race started to take shape much earlier as Marg Fedyna used her known climbing abilities well. Mid-way through the steep section she already started to establish a nice gap. Eventually, she took the vertical national title ahead of Lizanne Bussieres and Michelle Roberts who were separated by only 35 sec after a 53 min of climbing! Fourth went to a young Katarina Kuba and fifth to Jean Ann Berkenpas.

Saturday’s individual: Full on ski mountaineering

After taking over the Dogtooth Dash, from the very competent hands of Ian Gale, Eric and I knew the expectations will be high yet we decided to raise the bar for course setting even higher.

The unstoppable train, Reiner Thoni, collected his 5th Canadian individual race title.
The unstoppable train, Reiner Thoni, collected his 5th Canadian individual race title.
With the main 1890 m (6200 feet) course consisting of 6 downhills and 6 climbs – featuring 4 steep descents, 4 boot packs, and about 100 switchbacks – there was no question that technical skills will play as big of a role as conditioning.
With such a course, the single biggest challenge for us organizers was to keep all skin tracks and boot packs well set and marked. At the end we managed to pull it off!
With the traditional downhill start and not very long first climb the men’s race stayed quite close. Gaps started to appear on the second climb (the biggest of the day) when Reiner Thoni began to turn the screws and Nick Elson started to find himself in no-man’s land between Reiner and a group consisting of Eric Carter, Ben Parsons and trailing Travis Brown and Pascal Egli.
Very similar scenario was playing out in the women’s race as well when none of the girls were establishing significant gaps. This started to change on the third (and the most technical) climb where by the top Michelle Roberts was leading Katarina Kuba (only 19 years old) by about 4 min who managed to establish the same gap to Kylee Ohler by this point.
As all the top racers managed to take good care of their skins and fueling the order didn’t change. However, Ben and Eric had a great sprint battle with the later eventually snatching the third – a nice reward for all the organizational work.
On the Enduro course (about 800 m or 2625 f), the race for junior’s national title (under 20) played out with Brinton Wolever (16) taking the gold just in front of Tyler Gillson (19). Brinton’s brother Riley Wolever (16) took bronze a bit further behind the two. All three are new to skimo so we hope they like it and will stick around.

Full results

Below is a PDF with results, however, for an unexplained reason, the times from the vertical race are missing “1h”, thus, affecting all times that were more than 1h.
» 2014 DTD Official Results

Photo gallery

All individual race photos by Malcolm Taylor – thank you!
 
Once again, thank you everyone for coming!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Filed Under: Reports & Results Tagged With: 2014 Canadian SkiMo Champs, Dogtooth Dash, Eric Carter, Michelle Roberts, Reiner Thoni

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