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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.

Jan 16-17 News Shorts: John Gaston races a World Cup while others battle back home, Kilian Jornet wins twice

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Max Taam leads the 2016 COSMIC Sunlight Dynafit Heathen Challenge. Myke Hermsmeyer Photo.
Max Taam leads the 2016 COSMIC Sunlight Dynafit Heathen Challenge. Myke Hermsmeyer Photo.
Another full weekend of racing in the US and Europe while the Canadian Series takes a break. Read on for more news from last week in skimo!

USA

Heathen Challenge
Racers convened at Sunlight Resort in Colorado for the Dynafit Heathen Challenge. The race featured beautiful weather and a full course with 4500+ feet of climbing. Max Taam put together a solid performance throughout with a small group of chasers to push the pace. Paul Hamilton, Teague Holmes, and Brian Smith all fought to round out the podium with Hamilton and Holmes edging out Smith.
Jessie Young continued her domination of the women’s scene finishing one minute ahead of Lindsay Plant and two minutes ahead of Sari Anderson!
» See full results HERE
Whitefish Whiteout

Peter Knight skiing to victory at the Whitefish Whiteout. Peter Knight Instagram.
Peter Knight skiing to victory at the Whitefish Whiteout. Peter Knight Instagram.
The Whiteout’s eight edition, traditionally held at Whitefish Resort in Montana, delivered deep powder as it usually does! A large contingent of Canadians traveled south for the race to take on a strong group of Montanans. Peter Knight (CAN) took off hard from the line with his eyes on the the hill climb prime. After waiting for the chase pack, the group stayed close together before the fresh snow started to take its toll on racers and their skins. Several athletes blew skins before arriving at the final cat track climb to the finish. Knight attacked Mike Foote, an accomplished distance runner, for the win with a local legend Ben Parsons coming from behind to take 3rd place.
Women’s race recap from Ben Parsons: “Adrian from Bozeman took it. Najeeby, an ultra-runner from Alaska, was hot to the top for the climb prime but missed a critical turn on the third descent and lost positions. Michelle Roberts (CAN) was a solid second and Katie French brought home third for locals glory!
» See full results HERE

Canada

Racing resumes next week in both the East and Western series. The next race in Western Canada is the new Lizard Skinner event in Fernie, BC on Jan 23rd. The next Skimo East event will be at Berkshire East on Jan 23.

Europe

Men's Font Blanca Individual World Cup Podium. ISMF Photo
Men’s Font Blanca Individual World Cup Podium. ISMF Photo
The World Cup circuit met for the first time this season at Font Blanca in Andorra for an individual and a vertical race. Last year, the race was plagued by severe weather causing chaos for the organizers to decide on a course in touchy avalanche conditions. This time around, despite a lack of snow in the alps, the Pyrenees were again hit with a major winter storm. The organizers were under immense pressure to put on a well run event and by all accounts seem to have succeeded. The individual was shortened to about 1300m and its start was delayed several hours due to severe weather and ran on a smaller circuit on-piste.
In the individual, to no-ones surprise, Kilian Jornet (SPA) took the win, however, a young Michelle Boscacci (ITA) finished close behind, pushing Jornet throughout the whole race. Werner Marti (SWI) also surprised with a podium position as he is known more for his vertical race abilities. The rest of the Italian team seems to have had a difficult race, finishing lower on the results sheet. The lack of off-piste descents may have played in favour of the less technically skilled descenders in the field while the usual downhill rockets were kept at bay – William Bon Mardion (FRA) and Robert Antonioli (ITA).
While there were only 25 senior women competing in the individual race the sharp end of the field was very strong. Emelie Forsberg (SWE) won only by 20 seconds in front of Spaniards Claudia Galicia and Laura Orgue (previously only considered a threat in vertical events) who rounded out the podium. The previously super-dominant Laetitia Roux finished fifth, one of her lowest results in recent memory, while she is still recovering from a surgery couple of months ago.
In the vertical race, Jornet repeated his win, with a Swiss Espoir Remi Bonnet upsetting the rest of the field to place second, and Michele Boscacci taking third. The women’s race (39 took to the start line) was handily won by Laura Orgue as was mostly expected since she has a strong nordic skiing history. Second went to Emelie Forsberg and third to Victoria Kreuzer of Switzelrand.
The lone North American competitor, John Gaston (USA) finished 30th in the individual and 32nd in the vertical. John had this to say about the races:

Andorra went pretty well.
Like everyone, I was bummed to see Saturday’s individual course changed. The 4 lap alternate was about as far out of my warehouse as it could have been. Loads of long flat skinning sections that put a premium on glide and technique, and zero technical or hard skiing to make back some time. Still, I felt pretty good and finished strong, so that’s all I could have asked for.
Sunday’s vertical was exact same as last year – I tried to go out harder and stick with their pace for longer – a strategy I knew in advance wasn’t totally smart. Still, these Euros have such amazing speed compared to anything we see in NA, so you’ve got to give it a go. I actually made up a few spots in the last half of the race which was a good confidence boost, but got crushed trying to sprint past that Spanish dude Marc Pinsach at the finish, and as a result got beaten on the line by some sneaky German kid lurking behind me, ready to pounce after I tried my move on Mr. Spanish. Haha, good times. Definitely the highest avg HR I’ve ever maintained in any race/sport, ever.
Kilian was incredible to watch and he’s obviously incredibly fit right now. He was just so patient at the starts and so calculated when and how he’d make his attacks. His vertical was ridiculous – like 30s faster than last year or something. He literally started jogging on that long straight upper part (not usually something Euros do, since they glide so well). He looked so casual about it.

» See full results HERE
ISMF Individual Race Video:

ISMF Vertical Race Video:

Thanks to Peter Knight and Ben Parsons for words, and Myke Hermsmeyer and ISMF Skimo for photos.
 

Report: 2015 Mondole World Cup – Elson, Bernier and Carter raced for North America

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Report by Eric Carter, edits by Stano Faban, all photos by ISMF.
The Prato Nevoso venue for the World Cup finals was an exciting one. Being very close to the Mediterranean Sea in the very southern alps, it has a very coastal snowpack. The day before we arrived, a storm dropped 3+ feet of heavy wet snow on the entire region so while previewing the course on Thursday we had to ski through deep slush. Luckily, the temps overnight were just cool enough to allow the snow to solidify.

Nick Elson racing to 22nd in the vertical race.
Nick Elson racing to 22nd in the vertical race.

Vertical race

Laura Orgue, left, and Laetitia Roux battling it out once again.
Laura Orgue, left, and Laetitia Roux battling it out once again.
Friday morning featured a vertical race of approximately 700 meters. The men’s race started fast right off the line and up a steep groomer with the Italian Damiano Lenzi pushing the pace. Midway through the course, when the grade kicked up, Kilian Jornet (ESP) attacked the Italian and was only matched by espoir Anton Palzer (GER), fresh back from an ankle injury. In the final 200 meters, Palzer attacked and gaped Jornet, and held on to the lead to the finish. Despite the lose, Jornet managed win the Vertical World Cup title.
Nick Elson (CAN) led the North American contingent with a 22nd place, with Eric Carter (USA) coming just behind in 25th.
In the women’s race, Laetitia Roux (FRA) was pushed by the 2015 Vertical World Champion Laura Orgue (ESP) but managed to hold on to the lead and the Vertical Cup title. Behind Roux and Orgue, Emelie Forsberg (SWE) took the bronze.
Eric Carter, in the far right, giving all trying to catch Marc Pinsach.
Eric Carter, in the far right, giving all trying to catch Marc Pinsach.

Individual race

The individual course on Saturday was shortened slightly due to avalanche conditions. At approximately 1550m of climbing, the course was slightly shorter than most World Cups this season but had a significant distance covered and the times for completion were similar to other races.

Spectacular route, views and weather for awaited athletes for the individual race.
Spectacular route, views and weather for awaited athletes for the individual race.
The race started fast with the Italians pushing the pace early like in the vertical. The race led through the Prato Nevoso ski resort and then onto the south-east ridge of Mont Mondole. This time Matteo Eydallin (ITA) took the victory in front of his teams race partner, Damiano Lenzi, and William Bon Mardion (FRA).
Canadian Nick Elson skied strongly throughout the race but an unfortunate crash near the finish dropped him to 30th place. Eric Carter (USA) had a solid race as well and finished in 36th. Melanie Bernier (CAN) placed 8th in the women’s race, again dominated by Laetitia Roux of France.

Sprint race

The weekend concluded with an exciting sprint event on Sunday on the lower slopes of Prato Nevoso. The ascent portion was steep and long and featured icy switchbacks. The descent was off-piste with breakable crust and ice and made racers very nervous before starting the qualifying rounds.
Damiano Lenzi (ITA), one of the favourites, took a big fall warming up and walked away with a bloody nose. Philipp Schaedler (GER), fresh off his visit to Canada, threw down a strong qualifying time but was eliminated from the quarter-finals when he botched the skins-to-bootpack transition.

In the centre, in yellow, German Philipp Schadle spent his winter couloir hunting and racing in Canada.
In the centre, in yellow, German Philipp Schadler spent most of his winter couloir hunting and racing in Canada.
The Germans and Italians battled throughout the day with the overall sprint cup on the line. Michelle Boscacci (ITA) survived through the heats unscathed and managed to gain a healthy lead along with Roberto Antonioli (ITA) to hold off the screaming descender William Bon Mardion (FRA). With Boscacci taking the day, the Sprint World Cup title was awarded to Antonioli.
Laetitia Roux skied head and shoulders above her competition through the heats and took a commanding lead to the finish in the finals, also taking the overall in the World Cup. Melanie Bernier was eliminated from a strong semi-final heat that included Roux, Forsberg (SWE – 3rd), and Malene Haukøy (NOR – 6th).
» Full results from all 3 races can be found on ISMF website, however, they are not complete.
This year saw ISMF spicing up the sprint courses with some surprising features on the descents.
This year saw ISMF spicing up the sprint courses with some surprising features on the descents.

Feb 15-16 & Feb 22-23 Weekends Skimo Racing Roundup

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It has been a busy couple of weeks at SkinTrack.com with Stano and I travelling to races. So while we missed the weekend roundup last week, here, we are bringing you two weekends worth of race reporting. Enjoy!

International

European Champ Latetia Roux
European Champ Latetia Roux
Start of the European Championships Individual Race
Start of the European Championships Individual Race
World Cup racing action took a break last weekend for the European Championships in Andorra. The weekend started with a vertical event and Robert Antonioli (ITA) and Laetitia Roux (FRA) are the new European Champions.
» Vertical results
Roux continued her domination in the individual race and William Bon Mardion (FRA) stepped up to take the men’s title. Throughout the race, Mardion was trailed by two Italians but he managed to keep ahead using his superior downhill skills on the technically demanding descents. The women’s race was well established in the lead with Roux occasionally looking back to keep an eye on improving Maude Mathys. But the real excitement was the race for bronze among three women, eventually won by Axelle Mollaret who also cinched the Espoir category (under 23).
» Individual results
Vertical race video – it would be great if they didn’t make such fast cuts and showed more long-shot footage.

Individual race:

North America – Feb 15-16 Weekend

Racers climbing the first ascent at Vertfest Alpental
Racers climbing the first ascent at Vertfest Alpental
Another weekend passed without any racing in Canada but a large contingent of Coastal skiers were able to attend the Subaru Vertfest at Alpental Resort in Washington. Marshall Thompson came from Colorado to represent Team Dynafit and won the Men’s race while Holly Davis of Seattle won the Women’s. Here you can read Stano’s more detailed report on the race.
» Alpental Results
Also, the same weekend was the CROWBAR race at Sink Hollow in Utah. The lead group (including Gemma Arro i Ribot leading until a binding breakage on the first descent) took off hard from the gun with Nick Francis taking charge. The race was on for the remainder of the podium places with Chad Brackelsberg powering away from his pursuers on the last climb. In the Women’s race, with Gemma out of the way, Sarah Cookler took the lead and let Emily Brackelsberg and Emily Sullivan battle for second, with Emily B eventually landing on top. Also of note was the 5 Junior racers (13-18 years old) who competed!
Winners of the 214 Crowbar Race
Winners of the 214 Crowbar Race
2nd Chad Brackelsberg had this to say about the race and the course:

The Crowbar is the only 100% backcountry races in the US that I know of.  The organizers decided to step up the race this year adding an additional 1000′ climbing and 2 booters. In the week prior to the race, Logan Canyon received 12″ of snow water equivalent. The course was their best one yet with gradual ridge climbs and moderate tree (often tight) descents.

» Crowbar Results

North America – Feb 22-23 Weekend

There were four big races over the weekend:

Men's and Women's Podium at the ROAM Rando Rally in Nelson
Men’s and Women’s Podium at the ROAM Rando Rally in Nelson
At the ROAM Rando Rally a full contingent of Canadians battled it out in Nelson for spots on the National team due to two race cancellations so far this season. Reiner Thoni – the usual favorite – set a strong pace off the start, not to be seen again until the finish. A major miscommunication between a course official on the second to last descent and a group of chasing racers sent a small group off course, adding extra vertical. Andrew McNab chased hard to get back on course and pulled in to a strong second, out-sprinting Travis Brown from Calgary and Stano Faban. Despite losing the course as well on the last descent, Melanie Bernier won the Women’s race with Michelle Roberts and Marg Fednya rounding out the podium.
L) Reiner Thoni wins the ROAM Rando Rally. R) Ben Parsons - Montana's skinniest fireman - places third in huge upset at fire building competition!
L) Reiner Thoni wins the ROAM Rando Rally. R) Ben Parsons – Montana’s skinniest fireman – places third in huge upset at fire building competition that was one of the festivals Backcountry Olympics.
Also of note is that Ben and Jen Parsons who went on to compete in the full Coldsmoke Powder Fest King of the Mountain competition, finishing 2nd and 4th overall!
» ROAM Rando Rally Results
For The Five Peaks race we received a short and sweet report from Tim Zander. Thank you!

The 5 Peaks race was a cold and windy affair, but not as bad as last year. The turnout was amazing with 132 racers in 66 teams competing. Last year saw 72 racers, over 80% growth. The course was quite enjoyable with three short bootpacks, some good switchback sections, fun descents and plenty of alpine wind exposure. Max Taam and John Gaston took first with an impressive time of 2:35:35. Marshal Thomson and Stevie Kremer came in 3rd overall and 1st for Coed Duo. Annie Gonzales and Jessie Young did quite well in the Womens Duo at 3:10:01.

» Five Peaks Results

Vertfest continued in Oregon at Mt. Bachelor. The race course was a bit unclear beforehand but it looks like the end result was three climbs and descents race with the final climb to the summit crater of Mt. Bachelor. Definitely an interesting race that I will consider in the future! The sun was out for the race, uncharacteristic of Vertfest events! Aaron Talbot and Brandon Kern were the local favourites battling each other to a close finish with Patrick Fink trailing behind to round out the Men’s podium. Molly Grove won the Women’s race with a healthy lead over Hailey Garside and Laurel Manville.
» Bachelor Results

Mad River Valley Rec Category.
Mad River Valley Rec Category.
Mad River Valley in Vermont sported an updated course with some challenging skiing restored on Mount Ellen (via a bootpack and subsequent ski of Upper FIS), and the pointless nordic skate skiing section eliminated at Lincoln Peak.  Total competitor-measured vertical was 4,722’ across 11.4 miles.
Jan Wellford repeated his 2009 and 2013 wins, by the largest margin ever recorded since the race first started in 2006 thanks apparently to a competitive focus on nordic ski racing. Competition  for the rest of the podium was fierce, with Jerimy Arnold battling a very strong Equipe Quebec seeking to repeat its dominance two weeks earlier at the Burke race. Daniele Poirier took third only 19 seconds behind Jerimy, with Philipe Deguire in fourth less than half a minute later.  George Visser (5th) would have been a favorite to win with his new Dynafit-rebranded Pierre Gignoux boots and bindings.  Unfortunately, the release pin broke on one of his toe units during the first ascent. Even with all that, Jerimy, Daniele, Philipe, and George all traded places multiple times in the final course segment, with Jerimy finally benefitting from his course familiarity.
On the women’s side, Manon St-Pierre took first, with Burke winner Danielle de Guire less than half a minute later.  We look forward to more of this strong international competition from our friends across the northern border in future races!
» Mad River Valley Results:
Results- MRV 2014, reformatted
(Thanks to Jonathan Shefftz for his East Coast submission)
Did you race at any of these events? Write a blog post about it or take some pictures? Post up in the comments so we can read your take!

Upcoming Races – Feb 22-23 Weekend

This weekend World Cup racing action resumes in Switzerland at Diablerets with an individual race on March 1st and a vertical race the following day. We have not received word of any North Americans on the start list but will be covering the race regardless.
March 1st marks the Audi Power of Four race in Aspen, Colorado. Expect big guns in attendance and a very challenging race course for all racers. The rest of the continent will be busy preparing for the Wasatch Powder Keg in Utah on March 7th-9th which we will be attending as well.

Racer Profile – Meredith Edwards (USA)

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mere raceMeredith Edwards is a fellow Dynafit USA athlete based out of Jackson Hole but currently spending a season racing in Europe. She is the lone athlete representing Team USA on the World Cup so far this season and has performed admirably despite that. We tracked her down coming off the most recent World Cup in Italy for a quick racer profile so we all know who is standing up for North America in Europe. Read on…

In her own words:

My background and favorites

I am originally from Pennsylvania but based out of Jackson, WY. For the 2013/14 winter I am splitting my time between Chamonix and Beaufort, France.
My Favorite place to ski in the US is Grand Teton National Park – Teton Canyon, Table Mtn to be exact. In Europe, I have really enjoyed my time in Beaufort. It’s everything you would hope France would be. Beautiful town, great mountainscapes and wonderful people.
For the past 5 years I have worked with mental and behavior kids at a school in Jackson. Basically, I teach life skills. I have a degree in Exercise Physiology from University of Louisville. I was a two time Division 1 athlete in Field Hockey and Track & Field.
I started skiing at the age of two and started racing around 8. My father was my coach when I was in my teens and I raced till I was 18. When I moved to Jackson in ’07 everyone told me I need to do the skimo race at the village. It took me a couple of years to get the gear but my first skimo race was at Grand Targhee with powder skis mounted with race bindings and second hand race boots 🙂 Pretty much after that I was hooked.

mere beaufort

I had some injuries a couple of the years but as of last year I started to take it seriously. I’m an ultra-runner during the summer and skimo is the perfect sport to stay in shape in the winter and easy on the body. I feel it’s a perfect fit for me.
My favorite race in the US is a hard choice between Jackson Hole and  the Wasatch Powder Keg in Utah. I think Chad Brackelsberg puts on a hard but fun race. The course is a lot of fun with different terrain and technical climbs. It’s also great to have three days of racing – sprint, individual, and teams. As for Jackson, climbing out of Corbets Couloir is always fun and Alta Chute and Tower Three are always a great ski. In Europe, the Verbier World Cup (next year’s Worlds course) is great. It’s steep right from the start to a gliding section to a beautiful peak. It’s long and technical. I think its going to be a great course for Worlds.

This season and racing in Europe

mere rope skiI am currently a Dynafit summer athlete and sponsored by my home gym: Mountain Athlete. They have been great at making me strong and getting me back into shape. I was unable to run this summer due to ankle surgery and they really worked hard with me to keep me strong and going. You can check them out on Facebook. I ride on all Dynafit equipment and really love how they perform. I race on Dy.N.A. and train on PDG. I love my PDG’s – I literally take them down everything and anything.
I find the courses in Europe are very technical for me. I have worked very hard this season to change my stride. I don’t glide well and when you have a course like this past weekend where it is very flat you need to glide.
The Pitturina World Cup went ok for me. The sprint is not my race but I am definitely improving. I missed the semi-final by a couple of seconds and I just need to get faster at my transitions. In the individual race, I had a great start and was in a small pack of women but on the start of the second ascent I broke my pole. I didn’t receive one till the top transition. I find for me, coming from the US, it’s hard to compare myself to the top women but if I look at the gap between me and them and focus on closing the gap, I see that I’m improving a lot and closing in on time. I was 16th in the  sprint and 15th in the individual.
Overall, it has been my hardest season but also a great learning experience. I have never had gear issues before racing in Europe but this year I have broken three poles and a binding! It’s a huge part of racing. Every race is filled with new experiences and things to learn and it has helped my overall ability.
Up next, I will be coming back to the States to race the North American Championships (Wasatch Powder Keg) and US Nationals (Crested Butte). I thought I would do only three World Cups but looking at my overall ranking there are four  women with the same amount of points and I think if I finish out the next two races, I will definitely be in the top 20 (currently I am 22). I would love to do Pierra Menta but I am looking for a partner, and the week after I will be doing Tour du Rutor.
Thanks Meredith and good luck!

Listen up: Interview with Melanie Bernier on CBC Radio!

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Here you can listen to Melanie Bernier’s five minute telephone interview on Canada’s main station – the CBC Radio – from this morning. This is another step for ski mountaineering racing in finding its way into more Canadian hearts.
Being the first ever Canadian to step onto the World Cup ski mountaineering podium she rightly deserved to be featured on the CBC Daybreak show.

For more details about Melanie’s 2014 skimo World Cup racing check out these Skintrack interviews and articles:

If you know of other main stream media interviews with skimo athletes share a link in comments below.

Melanie on the World Cup podium (right side) after placing 3rd in a sprint in Feb 2014.
Melanie on the World Cup podium (right side) after placing 3rd in a sprint in Feb 2014.

Feb 8-9 Weekend Skimo Racing Roundup

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World Cup

Big, big congrats goes to Melanie Bernier (CAN) for her bronze medal from the skimo World Cup Pitturina Ski Race which is the first ever podium placing on a World Cup level for a Canadian skimo athlete!
pitturina-womens-podium
After the Italian Pitturina race got postponed by a week, due to a big snow storm that rolled over the Dolomites on Feb 1st, Melanie felt that the extra days between her races will only do her good. Here’s an update on Melanie’s Euro campaign she sent us last week.
On Friday, Feb 7, Melanie captured the first ever Canadian medal by finishing third in the sprint event, behind women’s World Cup dominating Laetitia Roux (FRA) and Maude Mathys (SWI). Meredith Edwards (USA) continued to collect valuable World Cup experience and finished 16th.
In men’s sprint race, first went to current sprint World Champion Josef Rottmoser, and second to his German teammate Anton Palzer who actually still belongs to the espoir (under 23) category! Third went to current individual World Champion William Bon Mardion of France.
» Sprint race results – All categories (PDF)
Here’s a short video of the sprint race. You can see Melanie on the podium at 1:32.

The next day at Pitturina race, Kilian Jornet (ESP) took over and comfortably captured his second individual race win of this season. He was followed by every week improving William Bon Mardion (FRA) for second and Damiano Lenzi (ITA) for third.
In women’s category the first two podium spots were captured by the same athletes as in the sprint – Laetitia Roux (FRA) took first while Maude Mathys (SWI) took second. Third went to Sophie Dusautoir from Andorra! Melanie Bernier had a good race and finished sixth, and only by 1 sec behind fifth and 20 sec behind fourth. Meredith Edwards placed 15th.
» Individual race results – All categories (PDF)

North America

After the cancellation of the Ken Jones Classic race at Lake Louise, AB no racing took place in Canada this weekend. But there was plenty of action in the US.
There is a new skimo centre growing in the US and this time in New Mexico! And the past weekend saw two races taking place there – Saturday in Santa Fe ski area and on Sunday in Taos Ski Valley.
UPDATE – Feb 11: Disregard the comments section at the bottom of this article as there was confusion with the results. The following is now correct.

Santa Fe Fireball Rando:
1. Jon Brown
2. Bryan Wickenhauser
3. Scott Archer
1. Stevie Kremer
2. Lindsay Plant
3. Kate Zander
[end-column]
Rio Hondo Rando Raid:
1. Jon Brown
2. Bryan Wickenhauser
3. Brian Edmiston
1. Stevie Kremer
2. Lindsay Plant
3. Kate Zander
[end-column]
Combined 2 days
1. Jon Brown
2. Bryan Wickenhauser
3. Scott Archer
1. Stevie Kremer
2. Lindsay Plant
3. Kate Zander
[end-column] The below results (reflecting overall ranking) were put together from photos sent in by Tim Zander. Thank you very much Tim.
new-mexico-cup-2014-results
Burke Mountain skimo race:
We had a race on the other side of the country, in Vermont, happening last weekend as well. There will be more juicy details from Jonathan Shefftz coming for this one but here are at least some stats for now. Main men’s race was won by George Visser, second went to Phillipe Deguire, and third to Josh Flanagan. In women’s race category Danielle Deguire took first, Isabelle Marcotte second, and Karina Lewis third.
» Results Burke 2014 (PDF)

Upcoming Races – Feb 15-16 weekend

There will be a break on the World Cup scene this weekend because there will be lots of big racing going on in Andorra that will host the 2014 European SkiMo Racing Championships between Feb 14 and Feb 16. The Euro Champs alternate every second year with the Worlds taking place on odd years.
In the United States there will be two races taking place on Saturday, Feb 15:

No racing in Canada this weekend but coming back on Feb 22.

World Cup skimo racing tour 2014: Recap from Melanie Bernier

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The following is a recap of the first 3 weeks from Melanie’s trip to Europe in pursuit of further progress that keeps nudging her ever closer to a skimo World Cup podium. And here’s a link to my podcast interview with Mel just before she left.
I left beautiful BC shortly after New Years to fly to Lyon, France. My last workout before going away was in Lake Louise at -20 C with sunshine. You can imagine my shock when I arrived in France, bare of now, to run in a t-shirt the following day in Albertville!

Skiing with my friend Andre.
Skiing with my friend Andre.
Note: Albertville is a small town in Rhone-Alpes region, close to Italian-Swiss-French border, that hosted the 1992 Winter Olympics and is not far from where the famous Pierra Menta takes place each year.

French Nationals – Jan 11-12, 2014

With Meredith Edwards at French Nationals.
With Meredith Edwards at French Nationals.
In order to get some race mileage before the World Cup races I decided to enter the French Skimo National Championships held in Oz-En-Oisans the weekend after I arrived. Still a bit jet-lagged, I managed to have a great individual race placing 4th and even better the following day placing 2nd in the sprint, right behind Laetitia Roux. These couple of events was what I needed to get my race mind and confidence back for the start of the World Cup season.
After that first weekend, I skied and trained around Albertville, place I would call home for the next month. Staying with friends here has been a true gift as my hosts are so kind and supportive. It makes things so much easier to have a base where you can reset in between events.

Verbier World Cup – Jan 18-19, 2014

After the French Championships, I think I got a bit too excited with training in between races and was not fully rested or maybe it was the jet-lag catching up to me. I got to Verbier at the end of a small snow storm the day before the individual race. That day, between checking out the course, attending the coach meeting, opening ceremony and race briefing, I finally put my bags down at 8 pm.
The following day I was not feeling 100% on my skis. It was a super nice course and really challenging but I had a hard time finding the usual rhythm. I still managed to finish top 10 but I was a bit disappointed knowing I could do better.
The vertical race the following day, in my mind, went way better. I took 14th but I fought till the end and felt much more fluid on my skis. It was simply great to check out the venue of the 2015 Skimo World Championships since the race courses will be the same. It was also great to hangout with fellow racer Meredith Edwards and Chad Brackelsberg from the States. Chad could not race due to injury but Meredith had her first World Cup race experience which was awesome to witness.
melanie-bernier-vertical-racing

Courchevel World Cup – Jan 25-26, 2014

After that Verbier weekend, I took the positive from both races and went with it. I also trusted that what I needed was a bit more rest before the following World Cup in Courchevel.
I went skiing in Chamonix with a friend, went skiing in the fog in La Lauziere and went to check out the Courchevel venue under the sun the Wednesday before the race to give more time to fully reload.
The Friday before the event, this time, I did only a small workout with some accelerations, then rested all day. On Saturday, it was time to race the individual. The course was super fun, taking advantage of a nice part of the world famous ski resort with many couloir options both up and down.
The individual went well for me as I kept consistent throughout and tried to stay in the same position finishing 6th. It felt great this time and I also closed the gap on ladies in front of me.
The vertical race also went quite well. I shaved 30 seconds from that same climb from last year (vertical race at the 2013 French Championships) so I was happy to take 9th.
Meredith also raced the individual but had to pull out of the race due to illness.

Back in my French home

Back in Albertville, I have now couple of days for recovering as I am leaving for Italy for the 3rd race of the World Cup season. The sprint is on Friday night and individual on Sunday.

Loving this view from my French home.
Loving this view from my French home.
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So far, I am having a great time, enjoying every second or every day in this very special place to me. Let’s hope I manage to finish the trip on a high note with great results at the Pitturina!
Note: Pitturina Ski Race had to be postponed due to 1.5 m of new snow in the forecast and will be held on Feb 8th and 9th.

Feb 1-2 Weekend Skimo Racing Roundup and Upcoming Races

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WORLD CUP

A quiet weekend to report on in the skimo race world with the Pitturina World Cup being postponed due to too much snow! I feel terrible for these guys forced to ski pow and not be able to race.

NORTH AMERICA

Our friends in Montana were the only ones in North America to get out for a race. The annual Bridger Bowl Skin-to-Win Randonnee Rally was held on Feb 2nd (also postponed by a day due to weather). Ben Parsons was hungry for a win after the previous week and skied alone in front the entire race. Brian Story placed second, after whittling away at a group of five to eventually build a comfortable gap over third. A small field meant lots of prizes distributed throughout the group!

The skin tracks back up the ridge were unrelenting in their steepness as they always are.  But, realizing we were all in the same boat and it was better than breaking trail, I just adjusted speed and stride and enjoyed the rare occurrence of leading a race with a slightly comfortable cushion.
-Ben Parsons

» Ben Parsons Race Report
» Brian Story Race Report
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9spsWNG-qE (only the beginning of the video covers the race)
Without any other race videos to watch this week, check out this one which is a little more appropriate for the conditions we have had on the Coast. And two minutes in watch very applicable technique for skimo racing on hard snow 😉

UPCOMING RACES – February 8-9 weekend

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Laetitia Roux. ISMF photo.
The Pitturina World Cup race was postponed to February 7th and 8th. The race will begin with a sprint race on Friday followed by the full individual race on Saturday. North America will be represented by Melanie Bernier (CAN). She managed to postpone a flight back to North America (good for all you guys worried about getting chicked at Lake Louise!) and will be road tripping to Italy with USA’s Meredith Edwards. Melanie had this to say about this weekend’s racing:

I am really looking forward to the sprint to start with as I love how fast the event is plus I am well prepared…. I think… As for the individual course, if they did not have to change it because of all the snow they received, it should be a fairly flat but long course. Really nice and dramatic landscape of the dolomite mountains around. We ski down to Austria and back up to Italy which should be pretty fun!
-Melanie Bernier

In the Men’s race, it will be interesting to see if Killian Jornet (ESP) can come back on form from last weekend’s illness but there will likely be heated competition from the strong French and Italian teams. On the Women’s side, it is likely that Laetitia Roux will continue her dominance but Melanie had this to say:

Laetitia is in great shape this year and have been showing how prepared she is at all events I had to race in. She is really impressive and an inspiration to us all. Maude Mathis (SUI) is chasing her all the time but Laetitia seems to consistently and comfortably distance the crowd.
-Melanie Bernier

Canadian Cup racing action returns to Lake Louise, AB on February 8th at the Ken Jones Classic. One of Canada’s popular events, the Ken Jones Classic will be expected to have a highly competitive field due to its central location. A large contingent from the Coast will be making the trip with good representation from the Rockies’ racers expected and the possibility of some Montana racers making the trip up as well.

The new course is going to be mega – with lots of steep, technical work on
the backside of Whitehorn for the Elite Racers. The low snow situation at LL
is actually opening up some cool new possibilities at the same time as it is
closing off parts of last year’s route. Recreational ‘Enduro’ course will be
only slightly different from previous editions. Really good thoughts and
suggestions from Craig Sheppard of Lake Louise Snow Safety on this one.
– Dave Dornian SMCC

SF FireBall Race Map
SF FireBall Race Map
Also on February 8th, a new race, will start off for a double-header skimo weekend in New Mexico! The Saturday’s Santa Fe Fireball promises 4,200 ft of climbing over 5 ascents and 4 descents. The ascent includes an interesting looking boot pack through a cliff band with a fixed rope. Then on Sunday, February 9th, the racers will tackle 5000 ft or so at the Taos Rio Hondo Rando Raid.
And finally, on February 9th, our East Coast friends will be racing at Burke Mountain on what Jonathan Shefftz describes as a short course with a really solid layout. No other details at the moment but keep an eye on the NE Rando Series Facebook page for more info.

Jan 25-26 Weekend Skimo Racing Roundup: World and North America

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WORLD CUP

Courchevel Individual race boot pack. ISMF Photo.
Courchevel Individual race boot pack. ISMF Photo.
World Cup racing action moved to Courchevel France last Saturday. The weekend began with a 1,700m vertical ascent individual race including 6 climbs with two boot packs and a technical via-ferrata section. The Italian men began a strong weekend with three athletes in the top group. Robert Antonioli (ITA) took the win with a strong final descent while the 2nd – 4th finished all within a minute of each other. Killian Jornet (SPA), normally a dominant racer did not finish due to stomach troubles.

In my side I try to start the race, but after 50m I was without energy…need to try to eat and recover.
-Killian Jornet Facebook

Laetitia Roux (FRA) dominated the women’s race, taking control early on and skiing into the finish with a comfortable cushion over Sophie Dusautoir Bertrand (AND). Will Roux be threatened at all this season? Melanie Bernier (CAN) finished in an impressive 6th place overall (4th among senior women) and had this to say about her race:

I had a good race, trying to stay as consistent as possible throughout and focusing on energy management. Only did I start to loose momentum at the end of the last long climb but it was to be expected. I crossed the finish line in 6th place which I was pretty happy about, closing the gap on some of fast ladies.
-Melanie Bernier

» Individual Race Results
Here’s a great video from the Courchevel skimo World Cup weekend. Vertical-only video is further below.

Start of Courchevel Vertical Race. ISMF Photo.
Start of Courchevel Vertical Race. ISMF Photo.
The low-angled vertical course (540m ascent) allowed for some exceptionally fast skiing. The start is crazy fast – see the guy double poling at 0:41sec in the video below and at 1:16 it is hard to tell the difference from a Nordic ski race! Amazing. In the senior men’s race, Matheo Jacquemoud  (FRA) set the pace from the outset but Damiano Lenzi (ITA) pulled out all the stops and passed Jacquemoud near the finish to win in a time just shy of the course record.
In the senior women’s race, Mathys Maude (SWI) pushed the pace hard but could not hold on when Laetitia Roux accelerated, eventually taking the lead with a twenty second gap at the finish. The lone North American, Canada’s Melanie Bernier finished 10th overall, just under four minutes behind Roux. Meredith Edwards (USA) did not start.

Knowing the course was a must since it was full out from start to finish. I had a great race, keeping my eyes on the lady ahead of me the whole race and passing right at the end. I’m happy with a 9th place considering I am not much of a vert racer! Next stop, Italia!

-Melanie Bernier

» Vertical Race Results
Vertical race video:

NORTH AMERICA

Ben Parsons leading Eric Carter in the Whitefish Whiteout. Myke Hermsmeyer Photo.
Ben Parsons leading Eric Carter in the Whitefish Whiteout. Myke Hermsmeyer Photo.
Two races on the North American calendar happened this past weekend. The Whitefish Whiteout in Whitefish Montana lived up to its name with thick fog blanketing the course throughout race day. An impressive number of racers turned out for both the race and recreational divisions despite the dreary weather. The race division took off at a civilized pace with a line of racers stretching out under the ski lifts. With cash on the line for the fastest ascent up the first climb, local Ben Parsons (USA) surged at the halfway point. Eric Carter (USA) and Peter Knight (CAN) tried to match the pace and Carter skied in to the  lead by the top. Carter and Parsons traded positions throughout the race and sprinted to the finish with Carter taking the win.
» Whitefish Results

The New England Rando series visited Berkshire East for a three lap race including a ~1,050 vertical foot backcountry ascent and ~400 foot boot pack. Team Hagan, led by race winner Jerimy Arnold (USA) dominated the race but was threatened by US National Team athlete Nina Silitch who finished fourth overall to win the women’s division. See Jonathan Shefftz’s full race report on SkinTrack (including results).

The Berkshire East course was more challenging this year with a longer bootpack (repeated each circuit) located in the woods just of of the descent trail giving one the opportunity to see how close other competitors were. Natural snow was thin, adding to the challenge, stepping on lots of downed trees, rocks, and leaves in the booter.
-Jerimy Arnold
Jerimy Arnold en route to win Berkshire East. Photo: Steve Sauve
Jerimy Arnold en route to win Berkshire East. Photo: Steve Sauve

UPCOMING RACES – February 1-2 weekend

The World Cup is headed to Italy with the much anticipated Pitturina Ski Race. There will be a sprint on Friday afternoon and Sunday morning an individual race along the Pitturina route.
No racing in North America this weekend with the postponement of the Mad River Valley ski race in New England but there are local race series taking place during the week in Colorado and Salt Lake City. With the weekend off, the racers will be getting ready for a slew of races available throughout NA on February 8th and 9th!
dogtooth-dash-280x210You can also put on your calendar this year’s Dogtooth Dash at Kicking Horse Mountain near Golden BC. With SkinTrack crew involved in organizing, expect a full weekend of skimo action March 21st – 23rd.
Registration is about to open so follow the event on Facebook and keep an eye on the info page to stay up to date with the latest information!