April 2016 Newsletter - Nordic Skiing Association of Anchorage

A p r i l / M a y 2 016 ,
V o l . 1 7, N o . 7
A nchor age , E agle R iver , Fairbanks , Girdwood, Homer , Juneau, K enai, M at-Su, Salcha , Seward, Soldotna , Talkeetna and Valdez
Alaska’s young Nordic
stars shine bright
Page 15
Anna Darnell skied her way three national
titles – two individual, one team.
Hunter Wonders
dominated the U18
field with a handful
of titles.
Canyon Tobin worked hard
for his fifth-place finish in
the skate distance race.
PHOTOS BY JIM JAGER
ANCHORAGE:
Snowmaking, skiing spirit
fuels successful season
2
STATEWIDE:
Touring and traveling
Alaska by skis
6, 13
STATEWIDE:
Alaskan bags American
Birkebeiner title
16
Anchorage . .
Eagle River. .
Fairbanks. . .
Girdwood. . .
Kachemak . .
Mat-Su. . . .
Statewide . .
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April/May 2016
Anchorage Nordic Skier
203 W. 15th Ave., #204 Anchorage, Alaska, 99501
Phone: 276-7609 Fax: 258-7609
Hotline: 248-6667
[email protected]
anchoragenordicski.com
Newsletter Of The Nordic Skiing Association Of Anchorage, Inc.
Successful ski season in a wacky winter
Message from the NSAA President / Jeff Scott
Challenging conditions is an
understatement for another wacky
winter. It’s not the middle of March
and it is snowing like crazy on the
Hillside (though very little is falling at
Kincaid). I guess we should be thankful for it no matter when or where it
comes down! The best skiing of the
season in March!
Despite all of the challenges of
this winter, NSAA created another
successful ski season in Anchorage
against all odds. We achieved our mission of promoting Nordic skiing as a
healthy activity for all. We held almost
every race and event this season on
a course of manmade snow, groundup ice and an occasional dusting of
nature’s best. We had a safe venue for
outdoor winter recreation when most
of the city’s trails were treacherous,
icy disasters. (Footnote: I know from
personal experience as I had a hard
fall on the ice on my fat bike.)
I heard from many skiers how
amazed they were by the good ski
conditions. I am very proud of our
staff, volunteers and supporters for
making this season a success.
The snowmaking system at Kincaid Park has now saved our Nordic
ski season for the third year. The
NSAA Operations team worked hard
all winter to make snow whenever the
temperatures and humidity were favorable. I don’t think anyone involved
with the project expected the Nordic
community to be this dependent on
snowmaking.
Dick Mize and Fred Stutzer were
two of the key influencers that helped
move the snowmaking project to
completion. We are grateful for their
foresight and perseverance to create and finish this project. Another
dedicated volunteer, Tim Brabets, has
been a tremendous asset to the NSAA
Operations crew in running the system. There are many other volunteers
like Jack Porter, Mike Miller (also a
board member), the Nordic Ski Patrol,
and more who have contributed to
this successful season.
This is a short list of just some of
this season’s successes:
• We hosted the USA Youth and Junior Biathlon
World Championships in December
• The Junior Nordic program remains popular,
though enrollment was down slightly
• Anchorage School District races were held with
good participation and great courses
• Ski for Women was a beautiful day with good
attendance
• The AMH race series had five races
• Ski 4 Kids was another great day on snow
for hundreds of children from across the
community. I heard stories of many kids
experiencing skiing for the first time and having
fun – that is serving our mission!
• Tour of Anchorage transformed into a threeevent festival with ski, ski-cross and fat bike
racing
• NSAA Ski Train and backcountry touring
remained popular and unique
• NSAA board engagement reached new levels
as we had excellent work on financial review,
program support, volunteering and board
governance
So, what do we do now given the
challenges ahead? These are some of
the initiatives that I see as critical to
NSAA’s success going into the next
season:
Snowmaking and operations – We
are reviewing our options on how to
expand the snowmaking system and
get maintenance facilities to properly
repair the equipment and snowmaking fleet. The challenge is to get funding for engineering and construction
in a more difficult financial scenario
for the state.
Volunteers: A growing concern is
recruiting and developing younger
volunteers. Our Baby Boomer generation, which makes up the bulk of
NSAA’s most consistent and engaged
volunteers, will need to be replaced
someday.
Fundraising: Now is the time to
get serious about NSAA’s fund development plan and focus on our donor
base. We need to strengthen our relationships with our current donors and
keep expanding our donor base.
Core mission: We need stay
focused on what activities and programs support our core mission and
not waste resources on those that
don’t.
Thanks for supporting NSAA during this wacky and successful season.
If you haven’t contributed yet, you still
have time! Have a great offseason and
I am looking forward to a better ski
season in the future!
BOARD MEMBERS
PRESIDENT
Jeff Scott
VICE PRESIDENT
Sara Miller
SECRETARY
Elizabeth Arnold
TREASURER
Karl Garber
MEMBERS
Kari Skinner
Mike Miller
Josh Niva
Joey Caterinichio
Dustin Shannon
OFFICE STAFF
Erin Beam, Business Manager
Tamra Kornfield, Program Manager
Amber Adams, Office Manager
OPERATIONS STAFF
Ben Powell, Director
Craig Norman
Bill Brion
Tom Ross
Peter Zug
Annette Brion
Matthew Pauli
Ricky Prince
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
ADULT SKI LESSONS
Raye Ann Neustel
ALASKA SKI FOR WOMEN
Fiona Peichel
ANCHORAGE CUP RACING
Raye Ann Neustel
Meg and Bob Stehn
BACKCOUNTRY TOURS
Patti Phillips, Mary Vavrik, Karlene Leeper,
Ken DePalma
BIATHLON
Co-chairs: Leslie Boughton and Mike Riesler
Eagle Eyes Coach: Tom Grenier
HIGH SCHOOL RACING
John Christopherson
HUTS
Call NSAA office for reservations
JUMPING
Karen Compton
Vivienne Murray
Mike Jokela, Coach
JUNIOR NORDIC
Eric Egeland, Chair
A ROU N D THE BOW L
LANDS COMMIT TEE
Gordon Wetzel
NSAA Season in Review
MIDDLE SCHOOL RACING
Anchorage Tour Festival an instant hit
RACE CHAIRMAN
Dave Blanchet
Tim Stone
The Anchorage Tour Festival was a delightfully fun and
unique event! With the Tour of Anchorage cancelled due to
lack of snow, NSAA rallied and utilized the amazing trails
made by its Operations team and volunteers using snowmaking infrastructure at Kincaid Park to host the first
combined ski, ski-cross, and fat bike festival.
SCHOLARSHIPS
Dan Rosenberg
SKI 4 KIDS
Alice Knapp
SKI TRAIN
Sean Bolender
See AROUND THE BOWL, Page 3
TRAILS
Mike Miller
TOUR OF ANCHORAGE
Raye Ann Neustel
NSA A OFFICE HOURS
10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday
BOARD MEETINGS
Fourth Thursday of the month,
6:15 P.M. at BP Energy Center
or NSAA office. Open to all.
PHOTOS BY JAN HAZEN
the Alaska nordic skier
3
A N CH OR AG E
April/May 2016
AROUND THE BOWL
Icy wings can’t ground
NSAA’s Jumping program
Continued from Page 2
In addition to a competitive and fun racing atmosphere,
the sun was out bright for racers, spectators and volunteers. A beer garden, portable hot tub and sauna were also
present to add to the party vibe.
Thank you to volunteers and this year’s top level sponsors: ConocoPhillips, Alaska Airlines, Bear Tooth Theatre
Pub, Great Harvest Bread Co., Premier Alaska Tours,
Orthopedic Physicians Alaska and The Alaska Club.
Find results at more at www.anchoragenordicski.com/tour_of_anchorage.
html.
The kids are alright – Jr. Nordic jams
even in weird weather
The 2015-2016 ski season has proven the hardiness of
NSAA Jr. Nordic skiers and coaches! Even during some
trying weather spells, more practices were held than the
previous season, resulting in happier kids and happier
parents.
NSAA’s Jr. Nordic program relies heavily on the creativity and resilience of its coaches, as well as the support of
volunteer parents. Whether it was cruising the trails with
ice grippers or playing giant games of Capture the Flag
and Toilet Tag on skis, our Jr. Nordic skiers continued to
stay active and stay outdoors.
Jr. Nordic continues to use its primary teaching method: fun. Even with spills, icy trails or an occasional lack of
gummy bears, kids left the trails with smiling faces, while
all looked back on the season as a success.
Next season, skiers will be up to the same shenanigans
and parents are encouraged to sign up for both sessions.
Even with variable conditions, skiers build on a foundation
of skills throughout the season and it’s obvious which skiers have been outside and on their skis. Coaches are also
encouraged to join us again as coaches and volunteers. All
agree that working with kids keeps their evenings lively!
Despite tough conditions this winter, the NSAA Ski
Jumping/Nordic Combined program celebrated a successful season. Sixty kids and a handful of adult jumpers practiced on the 10- and 20-meter jumps, which the program
managed to keep open even with low snowfall and warm
temperatures.
Team AK sent five athletes to competitions on the East
Coast – one in Lake Placid, New York, the other at Junior
Nationals in Salisbury, Connecticut. Alaska had two podium finishes: Hugo Compton took third place in the U-18
individual Nordic Combined event; and Nathan Shuttleworth and Hugo Compton also nabbed third place in the
U-18 Nordic Combined Team Sprint. Alexander Murray
and Gus Compton narrowly missed the podium, taking
fourth place in U-16 Nordic Combined Team Sprint.
June kicks off the very first summer ski jumping season
in Alaska, with practices beginning on the 20- and 40-meter hills. Meanwhile, work continues to finish the 65-meter
hill, with an expected completion date of late summer.
Stay up to date on NSAA Jumping/Nordic Combined news at www.
anchoragenordicski.com/jumping_nordic.html.
the Alaska
nordic skier
EDITOR
Josh Niva
[email protected]
LAYOUT
Kevin Powell
[email protected]
AD REPRESENTATIVE
Christina Cober
[email protected]
LOCAL EDITORS
ANCHORAGE
Josh Niva
[email protected]
EAGLE RIVER
Ros Singleton
[email protected]
FAIRBANKS
Eric Troyer
[email protected]
HOMER
Marylou Burton
JUNEAU
Mark Scholten
[email protected]
MAT- SU
Ed Strabel
[email protected]
SALCHA
Jim Ostlind
[email protected]
Keep up on NSAA Jr. Nordic news and important dates at www.
anchoragenordicski.com/junior_nordic.html.
SEWARD
Julie Robinson
[email protected]
PHOTO BY KAREN COMPTON
Team Alaska is all smiles at Junior Nationals in Salisbury, CT.
L to R: Gus Compton, Hugo Compton, Alexander Murray,
Nathan Shuttleworth and coach Zak Hammill.
Aiming for success – NSAA Biathlon
group grows, individuals elevate
PHOTOS BY TAMRA KORNFIELD
The winter season is a wrap and it was great for NSAA
Biathlon! Eagle Eyes junior members competed in the
Arctic Winter Games in Greenland and the national championships. Club events, although abbreviated by the low
snow season, included club races and time trials December through February. The Eagle Eyes Masters Program
was also very active this year, with many new members.
Range upkeep and improvements included new gun
racks, a WIFI connection for the timers’ computer and
upgrading to the Biathlon-in-a-Box timing software, in
addition to the routine long hours spent painting, cleaning
and maintaining the equipment.
Many thanks to all who participated and helped out in
the biathlon community this season.
Stay updated on NSAA Biathlon at www.anchoragenordicski.com/biathlon.
html.
Ski Train keeps rolling down that track
As always, the 2016 NSAA Ski Train was a hit. This year
conditions were warm and sunny for the 700-plus train
goers who traveled to Curry. Brand new participants and
sourdough train-setters alike were treated to live music
from the Alaska Blaskapelle, costume and food themes,
REI snowshoe and backcountry demos, and fresh Kaladi
Bros. Coffee.
See more from this year’s Ski Train and get information on next year’s ride at
www.anchoragenordicski.com/ski_train.html.
the Alaska nordic skier
SOLDOTNA
Penny McClain
262-6257
TALKEETNA
Chris Mannix
733-2427
The Alaska Nordic Skier
is printed by Alaska Dispatch News
Commercial Printing
The Alaska Nordic Skier is a
publication representing the nordic
ski clubs of Anchorage, Eagle
River, Fairbanks, Homer, Juneau,
Mat-Su, Salcha, Seward, Soldotna,
Kenai, Talkeetna and Valdez. The
Alaska Nordic Skier is published
October through April by the
Nordic Skiing Association
of Anchorage, Inc.
All rights reserved. © 2015
Articles, letters and advertisements
are welcome. Please ensure all
names are correct and information is
accurate. Submissions may be edited
for clarity, content and space
limitations. Deadline is the 15th day
of the prior month. E-mail
[email protected].
On the cover: Photos from the Junior
National Championships in Cable,
Wisconsin. By JIM JAGER
4
A N CH OR AG E
April/May 2016
Ski 4 Kids: A day of celebrating healthy lifestyles and outdoors fun
We did it! The 2016 Ski 4 Kids event
was held on Saturday, March 5, at
Kincaid Park. More than 300 enthusiastic kids participated and in spite
of our snowless winter, the trails at
Kincaid were beautifully groomed.
Thank goodness for our snowmaking
capabilities and the prowess of the
NSAA groomers! Ski 4 Kids is hosted
by the Nordic Skiing Association of
Anchorage and the Municipality of
Anchorage’s Parks & Recreation
Department, who offer an opportunity
to expose kids to outdoor activities
by providing a fun-filled day. But this
event impact goes even further.
There were many highlights this
year. Holly Brooks, two-time Olympian and Healthy Futures ambassador,
led the group in warm-up activities,
handed out Healthy Futures medals
and autographed many bibs. Greg
Matyas from Speedway Cycles hosted
a fat bike station this year that was
very popular. REI changed out their
snowshoe station for a mountain
climb challenge, giving participants
a birds-eye view above the stadium.
We had costumed zoo animals skiing
around while kids tried our lemon
drop biathlon, sit skis and obstacle
course stations. Inside the chalet,
APUNSC skiers hosted a SKIKU
laser biathlon and the Karl Eid Ski
Jump coaches introduced skiers to
ski jumping. To mix it up, we had a
Frisbee station utilizing the Parks &
Recreation Frisbee course and Arctic
Orienteering again hosted an orienteering treasure hunt. Over 100 kids
participated in the timed race and the
rest skied the course and the Storybook Trail as a group and as they finished enjoyed yummy Great Harvest
cookies. Everywhere you looked, kids
were out having a blast!
The Nordic Ski Patrol was there
in force to keep everyone safe and
we were fortunate to have over 50
volunteers from local high school and
college ski teams, NSAA Jr. Nordic,
and other groups keep everything
running smoothly.
PHOTOS BY LAUREN HOLZINGER
Each year the money raised,
through corporate sponsorships and
individual donations, has provided
ski equipment grants to schools and
youth groups. This makes a huge difference to schools hoping to have skiing as part of their PE and afterschool
programs. We expect to distribute
approximately $10,000 in grants again
this year. A big thanks to Banker Law
Group, ConocoPhillips and Orthopedic Physician Associates for being our
major sponsors this year, as well as
to LaTouche Pediatrics, Continental
the Alaska nordic skier
Auto Group, Anchorage Pediatric
Group and the Elsberg Family Foundation Fund.
To everyone in our community
that supports NSAA via membership,
track pins, sponsorships and volunteering of their time, thank you!
the Alaska nordic skier
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Official Rules:
Deadline May 31, 2016
Send to: [email protected] with PHOTO CONTEST in subject line.
File format should be JPG and size should be between 0.05 MB and 5MB.
Contest open to all Alaska Nordic ski club members. Entrants may submit 3 images per category.
All photos submitted may be showcased on NSAA website, in the NSAA newsletter,
on the NSAA Facebook page, in the NSAA calendar, and for any other NSAA promotional materials.
Results to be announced on the NSAA website and published in the Nov. issue of Alaska Nordic Skier.
Winning entries will receive prizes and will be featured in the annual NSAA calendar.
Prizes awarded to First, Second, and Third Place winners in each category, as well as a Grand Prize overall winner.
Basic enhancement of photos is allowed including cropping, minor color enhancement, and
contrast or brightness. Obvious photo manipulation is not allowed including morphing,
polarization, composite or multiple images.
You will retain all rights to any photograph you submit, including ownership if applicable, other than those
rights licensed in the next sentence. We will make every effort to credit your photo any time it is used.
By submitting your photo to our NSAA Photo Contest, you hereby grant to NSAA (i) a nonexclusive, worldwide,
irrevocable, royalty-free license to reproduce, distribute, publicly display and publicly perform the photographs
you submit to NSAA, and (ii) the right to use your name, city, state, and country of residence in promotions
and other publications.
Contact Amber Adams [email protected] (907-276-7609) for questions, concerns or comments.
Description
Keep skiing, snapping and editing, folks – the
deadline for the 2016 NSAA Photo Contest is coming soon! The deadline for the annual competition
is May 31, in fact. The contest open to all Alaska
Nordic ski club members and entrants may submit
three images per category.
Categories include Racing; Touring/Backcountry; Jumping; Kids on Skis; Grooming/Groomed
Trails; Biathlon; Fun Ski Events; and Recreational/
Casual Skiing. Prizes will be awarded to first-, second- and third-place selections in each category, as
well as a grand prize overall winner. Winners also
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2
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Recreational/ Casual
Skiing
Fun Ski Events
Biathlon
Grooming/Groomed
Trails
File Name
Picture this:
Your snapshot
winning the
NSAA Photo
Contest
Kids on Skis
Jumping
Touring/Backcountry
Racing
Category
Phone & Email:
Address:
Name:
2016 NSAA Photo Contest Application
April/May 2016
A N CH OR AG E
5
Looking for inspiration before entering the 2016 NSAA
Photo Contest? Check out these two standout images
from the 2015 contest – Susan Orlansky’s iconic shot
of Denali (right) and Leah Vanden Busch’s Portage
Glacier photo (above).
will be featured in the annual NSAA calendar and
in an issue of the Alaska Nordic Skier newsletter.
Send digital photo files and an entry form to
[email protected] with “PHOTO
CONTEST” in subject line. File format should be
JPG and size should be between 0.05 MB and 5MB.
Please visit www.anchoragrnordicski.com for
more information and to find an entry form. Contact NSAA’s Amber Adams at [email protected] or (907) 276-7609 with questions,
comments or concerns.
6
A N CH OR AG E
April/May 2016
Creative climbs, spectacular sun and snow, and terrific tours
The NSAA Backcountry Touring
program was challenged this season
– there was always nail-biting and
concern over low snow conditions
– but it ultimately turned out well!
This season’s tours included: a trip to
Turnagain Pass, which brought out
seven hardy skiers and several ski
patrollers who persevered through
an hour and a half of solid rain; a
visit to Hatcher Pass/Independence
Mine, where we skied to the tarn
above Gold Cord Mine and enjoyed
a bluebird day of fantastic snow; a
perfect Full Moon Ski in January for
12 participants and 5 ski patrollers;
a 10-mile ski on Gold Mint Trail; a
February teleski at Center Ridge in
Turnagain Pass, where five tourers
and seven ski patrollers found crust,
powder, hard wind and tough-it-out
fun; and a spring visit to South Fork
Eagle River, where the conditions
were wondrous under sunny skies.
A group of 19 enthusiastic skiers
and patrollers enjoyed the ski out to
the Denali View Chalet in late February where we were treated to hot
spiced wine, great groomed ski trails
and a toasty sauna. The weather cooperated and we skied and rejoiced in
full view of the great one, Denali, for
most of the lighted hours. The usual
hearty meals were prepared, served
and tidied by enthusiastic skier volunteers. As always, Denali View Chalet
owner, Eric Schmidt and dog Woody,
hosted a great weekend.
We completed our second year
organizing two ski trips into Denali
National Park. The first trip began
near the Park Headquarters at Mountain Vista and ended in Kantishna,
where we flew out to Healy. We were
supported by two dog sled teams and
mushers who carried our gear and
food. The snow was low over the first
third and we used microspikes to hike
PHOTOS BY PATTI PHILLIPS
Denali – the perfect backcountry skiing backdrop.
the windblown icy Teklanika River
but there was better snow on the rest
of the route as we made our way over
several passes and skied on frozen
rivers. We had lots of laughs swapping
stories at night in the ranger cabins
and huts. The scenery and mountain
were magnificent.
The second tour through Denali
Park started where the first group
ended in Kantishna. After spending a
night in a cabin above Wonder Lake,
we were off to the heated tents. After
a journey across McKinley Bar and
Turtle Hill, we camped. First we ascended McGonagall Pass, the historic
gateway to Denali. Next, we skied to
Oastler Pass with stunning views of
glaciers and mountains. How can you
beat Denali in morning and evening
alpenglow? Camping in the tents with
the woodstoves was fine; folks were
able to go to bed warm and wake up
warm. Snow conditions were great for
skiing and some folks hiked on bare
tundra. This also was the first year
Moving on …
… from the challenges of grooming
ice to the excitement of trail
improvements
BY NSAA OPERATIONS TEAM
Yow … What a non-winter, warm and dry, just
as predicted. How does the NSAA Operations crew
respond to this kind of season again? Let us count
the ways! We start by wringing out as much skiing
as we can from the ice. We cry in our beer, we talk
a lot about that record snowfall we had a few years
ago, and then we move forward.
Forward, in this case, is planning trail work for
the summer and we begin by prioritizing the list.
Believe it or not, we have a long-term, 10-year plan
that gives us guidance as to which trails are scheduled for renovation and/or serious maintenance.
However, something always seems to come up
that’s not on the plan, forcing us to be a bit flexible.
Next, we have to schedule and coordinate with
Anchorage Parks and Recreation or other government entities to ensure permission and avoid
The NSAA Touring group hit the jackpot on the Gold Mint Trail.
we ran this trip up to McGonagall
and Oastler Passes, so we have some
great ideas for next year.
Thanks very much to all of touring skiers and the NSAA Ski Patrol
for their continued support, enthu-
conflicts. This generally requires meetings, phone
calls, e-mails and eventually the submission of a
written “trail work proposal.” Once we get the OK,
we still have to consider the weather, which is a
big factor in this scheme as soft surface trails are
always best worked when dry. This particular year,
with the minimal snowpack, might afford us and
earlier start by maybe 2-3 weeks.
Now, it’s time to talk about the cost. We estimate
expenses and determine what’s available and
sometimes, it’s difficult to connect those dots. Everyone in the construction industry knows what it’s
like trying to line up equipment in the summertime
in Alaska. So, it’s important to reserve the dozers
and excavators that we need as soon as possible,
otherwise there just might not be anything available when we need it. We generally have the privilege of trying out new Caterpillar machines, which
are really nice to operate. Creature comforts and
technology have come a long way in the earth-mover arena, and none of the crew is terribly nostalgic
about the ‘70s vintage equipment they started on in
their misspent youth.
OK, so the trails are dry, we have permission,
the Alaska nordic skier
siasm and participation! Stay tuned
this summer for next season’s trips
and register early if you want to take
the tour of a lifetime through Denali
Park! www.anchoragenordicski.com/
backcountry_tours.html
we have the money and the equipment has been
secured and transported. It’s time to move some
dirt! There’s just something about that first cut
or bucketful of dirt. The same guys that groom in
the winter fix the trails in the summer. They know
where the problems are and take great pleasure in
repairing trail sections that have been a grooming
irritant for years. It’s good for everyone because a
trail that grooms well, skis well.
We’re looking forward to moving on and this
summer looks like it’s shaping up nicely. If everything proceeds as planned (it never does, but that’s
alright because we can be flexible) we’ll start by
spending a few weeks out in Chugiak on the Beach
Lake Trails and then move to Kincaid Park to renovate multiple sections of Margaux’s and the Mize.
You’ve heard it a hundred times now, but it bears
repeating … smooth, well-shaped trails allow skiing in low snow. Should history continue to repeat
itself, each year we’ll be more prepared.
We fully expect a big snow season next winter,
though. Happy trails!
April/May 2016
7
A N CH OR AG E
2015-2016 NSAA Volunteers: Thank you!
The Nordic Skiing Association of Anchorage
(NSAA) thanks all of the individuals and businesses whose volunteer time and financial or in-kind
support makes everything we do possible. We do
our best every season to thank each and every one
of you, but it is not always possible to name every
person. If we have inadvertently left your name off
of these lists, please accept our apology and let us
know. Your contributions to NSAA are greatly appreciated!
NSAA Board of Directors: Jeff Scott, Sara Miller, Mike Miller,
Elizabeth Arnold, Kari Skinner, Josh Niva, Karl Graber, Joey
Caterinichio and Dustin Shannon.
NSAA Office: Lena Bolender
Adopt a Road & Adopt a Garden: Jeff Scott, Tim and Anne
Stone, and many others.
Annual Meeting and Ski Swap: NSAA board members, Bo York,
Bonnie York, Tom York, June Takagi, Pam Wallace, Diane Ramey,
Bob and Liz Butera, Lin Hinderman, Peter Zug, Karen Compton,
Vivian Murray, Raye Ann Neustel, Patti Phillips, Mary Vavrik,
Karlene Leeper, Ken DePalma, Anton Clark, Nathaniel Betz, Chris
Zafen, Elena Hinds, Ben Loeffler, Elizabeth Knapp, Bruce Talbot,
Marti Pausback, Alec Cervenka, Tom Hoosier, Alejandra Legate,
Leah Legate, Jamie Haines, Lex Treinen, Sam Sterling, Louke
Ellenbroek, Alden Worachek, Celia Rozen, Libby Kugel, Marcia
Bandy, Julie Truskowski, Dave Stamp, Emily Lucy, Jim Wolfe, Carol
Anne Wolfe, Sally Burkholder, Jim Burkholder, Anne Stone, Deb
Green, Martha Service, Bleeker Family, Layla Beam, Kellen Beam,
Robin Kornfield, Tyler Kornfield, Scott Patterson, Lies Packer, Cole
Talbot, Connie Service, Ben Michaelson, Sara Miller, Kari Skinner,
Sean Bolender, Tim Stone, Zak Hammill, Alex Murray, Elizabeth
Arnold, Jeff Scott, and many more.
Alaska Ski for Women: Committee members: Fiona Peichel,
Mary Vollendorf, Celia Rozen, Cindy Norquest Jensen, Paulette
Compton, Meg Stehn, and Tamra Kornfield. Volunteers: AWAIC
staff, YWCA staff, Running Free, Martha Service, Kristin Folmar,
Katherine Rawlins, Ellyn Brown, Kelly Van Hoek, Greg DuBois,
Neil Lamothe, Jim Winegarner, Tom Peichel, Rose Colbern, Stacy
Carpenter, Jan Hazen, Jackie Purcell, Kikkan Randall, Chrys
Castle, J&J announcers, JR Patee, Jeanne Molitor, Bob Stehn,
Meg Stehn, Diane Moxness, Tim Brabets, Tim Stone, Marti
Pausback, South High Ski team, West High Ski Team, Patrick
McGowan, Chet Fehrmann, Ira Edwards, Eric Schwalber, Jay
Holton, Matt Claman, Alice Knapp, and many others who helped
with registration, timing and so much more.
The AMH Anchorage Cup: Raye Ann Neustel, Tim Stone, Meg
and Bob Stehn, Anne Stone, Eric Dale and the Nordic Ski Patrol,
Lauri Bassett, Zach Bassett, Scott Belyea, Carolyn Borjon, Sally
Burkholder, Debra Caldera, Annie Connelly, Joan Darnell, Mary
Kaye Denkewalter, Paul Denkewalter, Dimond HS Skiers, Ben
Elbow, Jim Falconer, Judy Green, Georgia Gustafson, Yukiko
Hayano, Trish Herminghaus, Lin Hinderman, Nancy Hiney, Rick
Holland, Chuck Homestead, Korin Homestead, Jeff Jablonski,
Lynn Jablonski, Luke Jaeger, Norm Johnson, Sandy Johnson,
Calisa Kastning, Alice Knapp, Bill Lamoreaux, Emily Lamoreaux,
Shelly Laws, Colleen Libbey, Dan Libbey, Steve Livingstone,
Kinsey Loan, Brian Looney, Ove Madsen, Mike Matteson, Patrick
McGownd, Iain Miller, Mike Miller, Sara Miller, Jeanne Molitor,
Diane Moxness, Helen O’Harra, JR Patee, Michael Powell,
Katherine Rawlins, Anna Rix, Celia Rozen, Alice Samuelson, Tim
Samuelson, Buzz Scher, Amy Schumacher, Gus Schumacher,
Brian Semta, Sam Sterling, Paul Stone, Eric Strabel, June Tagaki,
Julie Truskowski, Pam Wallace, Dylan Watts, Marilyn Watts, Mark
Worcester, Peter Zugg, plus those who helped take down the
course and clean up the chalet after the races and anyone else
we missed - thank you!
Besh Cup: Tim Stone, Tim Brabets, Meg Stehn, Bob Stehn,
Roberta Wonders, Marcia Bandy, Pam Wallace, Liz Butera, Alice
Knapp, Jane Sauer, Dave Morris, Lies Packer, Leah Besh, Nancy
Pease, Wendy Gellert, Colleen Bickford, Will Mans, Amy Johns,
Ana Jager, Brian Hoefler, Gail Hoefler, Brenna Egeland, Peter
Johnson, Gil Carr, Bruce Talbot, Peter Johnson, Ken Schulz, June
Takagi, Yuta Takagi, Dave Blanchet, Diane Moxness, Elizabeth
Arnold, Jay Bickford, Jaime Bronga, Tim Samuelson,
Jim Singleton, Ros Singleton, Marti Pausback, Elsa Aegerter,
Jess Grunblatt, Julie Truskowski, Daina Frederick, Jay
Bickford, Chris Zafren, Heidi Schulz, Gerry Xavier, Glenn
Gellert, Elsa Aegerter, Jess Grunblatt, and many others.
Biathlon events and programs: Committee chairs: Leslie
Boughton, Mike Rieser, Jack Porter, Marcia Bandy, Deana Watson,
Douglas Cobb, Michael Milhollin, Pete Pritchard. Volunteers:
Marti Pausback, Joan Kluwe, Kyle Easterly, Mike Burns, Chad
Carpenter, Megan Cummings, David Cunningham, Catherine
Gilliland, Tom Grenier, Tricia Grenier, Zoey Grenier, Zach Hall,
Katherine Kilby, Joan Kluwe, Miles Michael, Kelly Parsons, Marti
Pausback, Wendy Romberg, Bill Romberg, Steve Shamburek,
Sarah Wilson, Steve Wood, Louise Wood, Natasha Von Imhof,
Deana Watson, Rick Watson, Josh Watson, Amy McLeod, Scott
Belyea, Steve Shamburek, Scott Belyea, Gerry Hupp, Steve Wood,
PHOTO BY JAN HAZEN
Miles Michael, Roberta Wonders and many more individuals and
families.
Anchorage Jr. Nordic: Committee members: Eric Egeland,
Danielle Lecy, Amy Schumacher, Shannon Gramse. Volunteer
coaches: Katie Hickey, Geoff Wright, Cathy Wright, Brian Kirchner,
Addy Wright, Max Rinehart, James Schultz, Samuel York, Sam
Gebert, Gretta Pickett, Emory Banker, Noah Ravens, Elizabeth
Mans, Henry Banker, Avery Mozen, MJ Roberts, Mary Sewell,
Maria Paez, Charlee Demientieff, Rianne Campbell, Anton Clark,
and all the parents who helped inside and outside.
Ski 4 Kids: Committee members: Alice Knapp, Amy Dalton,
Mike Morganson, Matias Saari, Bradley Cooke, Victoria Hutton,
Margaret Timmerman and Tamra Kornfield. Volunteers: Tim Stone,
Jim Renkert, Tim Brabets, Elizabeth Knapp, Iain Miller, Meg Stehn,
Bob Stehn, Holly Brooks, Ira Edwards, Natasha Mattoon, Zak
Hammill, Greg Matyas, Andre Lovett, Jack Novak, Arthur Harmon,
Jasmine Langmann, Mandy Casurella, Haifei Tanner, Collin
Macheel, Jenni Diep, Samuel Gebert, Inmahy Inthaly, Chris Zafren,
Diane Crawford, Diane Moxness, Ben Mildon, North Crawford,
Frank Cahill, Sharity Sommer, Fischer Gangemi, Skyler Kina, Allan
Spangler, Marcus Dowling, Martins Onsurlis, Miranda Sheeny,
Conor McDonald, Hanna Slotte, Joshua Bauer, Duncan Wright,
Addy Wright, Michael Perkins, Shelby Kelliher, Jimmy Campbell,
Emily Campbell, Lauen Holzinger, Kristen Doolittle, Ally Carney,
Hannah Davough, Matthew Renkert, Vicki Novak, John Novak,
Lee Baxter, Ann Penniston, Rachel Steer, Nicholas Pulice, Zach
Liller. Volunteer groups: NSAA Green Grunts, Nordic Ski Patrol,
AK Biathlon, Karl Eid Ski Jumps, Alaska Speedskating Club, REI,
Anchorage Parks & Recreation, Rossignol, Arctic Orienteering
Club, Challenge Alaska, Speedway Cycles, South Ski Team, West
Ski Team, Dimond Ski Team, Service Ski Team, Grace Ski Team,
APUNSC, Skiku, NSAA Jr. Nordic coaches and many others.
ASD High School Racing: John Christopherson, Tim Stone,
Tim Brabets, Meg and Bob Stehn, Holly Morris, Alice Knapp,
Jan Hazen, Elizabeth Knapp, Steve Beardsley, Dave Blanchet,
Pete Mjos, Ed Brewer, Amy Schumacher, George Haugen, Jay
Butler, Wally Smith, Travis Rector, Tom Hawkins, Tom Brooks,
Tim Samuelson, Steve Morris, Pam Mamrol, Iain Miller, Molly
Mylius, Steve Hamiliton, Steve Agee, Sally and Jim Burkholder,
Ros Singleton, Niles Woods, Rob Dolan, Peter Johnson, Pita
Benz, Rich and Teresa Hull, Liz Butera, Mike Miller, Matt Pauli,
Ken Hunt Hunt, Sandra Christopherson, Gordon Wetzel, Jim
Singleton, Anne Brooks, Bill Carpenter, Bob Glen, Colin Hawkins,
Dale Evern, David Hulen, Diane Moxness, Dick and Liska Snyder,
Ed and Robin Kornfield, Ed Brewer, Fred Stutzer, Steve McKeever,
Gerald Bell, Robert Cole, Tina Tomsen, Patrick McGownd, Linda
Carpenter, Buzz Scher, Ove Madsen, Lin Hinderman, Bruce Talbot,
David Hagen, Sharon Smith, Tom Hunt, Michael Miller, Mark
Worcester, Celia Rozen, June Takagi, Jan and Rick Holland, and a
long list of other dedicated volunteers and devoted coaches. We
appreciate all of you so much, and thank you!
ASD Middle School Racing: Diane Moxness, Steve Bay, Steve
Beardsley, Scott Belyea, Jason Bent, Larry Benz, Melanie
Bergman, Tracy Blaine, Dave Blanchet, Laurel Brady, Ed Brewer,
Miranda Buckmaster, Jim Burkholder, Sally Burkholder, Ben
Burrough, Joey Caterinichio, Andrea Chang, Doug Cobb, Joan
Darnell, Heather Dean, Shannon Donley, Lisa Earnhart, Kathleen
Fast, Patrick Folds, Becky Garnett, Henry Gibb, Jennifer Gordon,
Branden Groth, Greg Haggard, Martin Hansen, Laura Harris,
Chris Hellman, Lin Hinderman, Gail Hoefler, Galen Johnson,
Peter Johnson, Tricia Johnson, Kate Kaufman, Catherine Kilby,
Alice Knapp, Barb Krafft, Steve Livingston, Frances Mann,
Donna Mears, Nora Miller, Jean Molitar, David Murphree, Sherri
Murphree, Dave Norton, JR Patee, Wesley Piscoya, Kate Potton,
Michael Rehberg, Tim Riedell, Bill Romberg, John Ruehle, Venetia
Ruehle, Camille Rzeszut, Tim Samuelson, Paul Sangle, Elizabeth
Shafer, Brian Shuma, Carla Slatonbaker, Mark Slaughter, Bob
the Alaska nordic skier
Stehn, Meg Stehn, Paul Stockburger, Tim Stone, Alex Swiderski,
Kathy Swiderski, Bruce Talbot, Beth Terry, Karen Thompson,
Walter Tusten, Linda Urich, Jennifer Wagner, Josh Walker, Pam
Wallace, Kate Wedemeyer, Linne Weinberger, West High Ski Team,
Anne Wilkas, Dave Wolfe, Mark Worcester and many additional
parent volunteers and coaches.
Tour of Anchorage: Committee members: Paul Stone, Sara
Miller, Kari Skinner, and Sarah Radonich. Volunteers: Lin
Hinderman, Peter Zug, Lauri Bassett, Christina Grande, Tim
Stone, Meg and Bob Stehn, Tim Brabets, Diane Moxness, Anne
Stone, Korin Homestead, Alice Knapp, Celia Rozen, Matt Pauli,
Bill and Annette Brion, Craig Norman, Ricky Prince, Iain Miller,
Raye Ann Neustel, Dave Blanchet, Scott Belyea, Tim Samuelson,
Ben Elbow, Deb Essex, Chip Treinen, Fred Hveding, J.R. Patee,
Jeanne Molitor, Nancy L. Caviet, Debra Caldera, Joyce Goodell,
Yukiko Hayano, Beth Schulz, June Takagi, Elizabeth Knapp, Buzz
Scher, Max Walker, Larry Rundquist, Terranova Tasker, Emily
Hajjar, Emily Lucy, Emily Henderson, Diane Crawford, Janet
Curran, Ann Binnian, Ed and Robin Kornfield, Shelly Laws, Bill
and Cindy Mans, Don Johnson, Gail Hoefler, Roger Elconin, Sarah
Robicheaux, Brian Wing, Liz Turner, Jade Beam, Layla Beam,
Kellen Beam, Dimond High School, Boy Scout Troop 214, South
High School, Chugiak High School, East High School, Eagle River
High School, Service High School, West High School, Girdwood
Nordic Ski Club, Cross Country Alaska, the Nordic Ski Patrol, and
many others who spent time planning.
Jumping Program: Vivienne Murray, Karen Compton, Mike
Jokela, Trevor Taylor, Tom Smith, Lindsay Smith, JR Pattee, Jeanne
Pattee, Steve Compton, John Murray, Julie Shuttleworth, Steve
Shuttleworth, Jill Brubaker, Michael Brubaker, Chris Rygh, Steve
Thomas, Alex Slivka, Bruce Seppi, Jim Mendenhall, Elizabeth
Shafer, Bethany Berry, Patrick Folds, David Griffin, Dana Griffin,
Jeremy Cooper, Carl Oswald, Michael Rehberg and Kenneth
Hatch.
Lands Committee: Gordon Wetzel, Mike Miller, Randy Bergt,
Marc Phillips, Jim Burkholder, Tim Stone, Tim Brabets and Dave
Blanchet.
Ski Train: Sean Bolender, Elena Bolender, SJ Klein, Dawn
Timothy, Loy Donaldson, Mark Stoneburrer, David Dempsey, Mike
Morganson, Jussi RyeHinen, Kirsten Olson, Nick Lynch, Steven
Shore, Esther Shoe, Tim Hilts, Greg Solomon, April Jaillet, Jeff
Manley, Andy Sorenson, John Kagerer, Austin Roach, Jennifer
Bachman, Aaron Hensley, Erika Ammann, Anmei Goldsmith,
Aidren Vied, Colton Welch, James Webb, Tom Meacham, Craig
Blalee, Henry J. Harman, Hilary Fisher, Daniel Powess, S Kurtz,
John Capo, Sara Phip, Mikhael Philp, Lewis Rogers, Greg Dudek,
Tony Campbell, Brandan Berg, Erin Berg, Diana Redwood, Abigail
Newby-Kew, Steve Koller, Mackenzie Slater, Matt Leither, Emily
Taylor, Russel Dudley, Renee LaJuett, Neal Haglund, Karen
Larsen, Nathan Perry, Melissa Kleehammer, Clayton Harrison,
Jessie Merriam, Steve Schell, Carla Banez, Korl Goertz, Nicole
Lawrence, Ryan Flygare, Eryn Boone, Jason Lucas, Sophie Howell,
Kasla Howell and the Nordic Ski Patrol.
Backcountry Tours: Patti Phillips, Mary Vavrik, Karlene Leeper,
Ken DePalma, Bob Sutherland and the Nordic Ski Patrol.
Photo Contest, Calendar, Maps, Graphic Design, Website: Jan
Hazen, Justin Ritter, Willie Dalton and Peter Luchsinger.
Scholarships: Dan Rosenberg, Dwayne Adams, Celia Rozen, and
Sue Looney.
SKAN24 race: Chet Fehrman.
PHOTO BY TAMRA KORNFIELD
8
April/May 2016
Kachemak Nordic Ski Club
Homer, Alaska
A ROU N D THE BAY
Reflections on a very good season
BY MARYLOU BURTON
One hour, forty-seven minutes. That’s how long it took
me to shuffle around the 13.7K tour division of the 2015
Kachemak Nordic Ski marathon. That’s over a half-hour
more than the next slowest skater and about two seconds
short of the fastest classic skier. Pretty sad.
I blame it on the sun. Even with an early 9:30 a.m. start,
the sun was blasting by the time I reached Milli’s Loop
and stripped down, but too late. I was already into heat
stroke.
Oh – and the hot shot 20K and 42K racers. I blame
them, too. No matter that they started 40 minutes later,
they caught up with me about 10K in, on the steep and icy
downhill towards Twitter Creek, and I felt compelled to
slide into a snowplow stop and let them whiz by. Completely threw off my momentum.
Same deal on the climb back uphill, though I admit that
most of the time they caught me already stopped to get my
heartrate back where it belonged. But by then the snow
was getting a little mushy, so the relatively easy last 4K
was slower than expected.
And then there’s the lack of skiing the last couple of
years. Double knee replacements two years ago killed that
year and no snow last year was a double insult.
Oh, and did I mention my age? 68. No wonder I’m so
slow.
Nevertheless, it was the perfect top off (so far) to a very
good season, and it is only fitting to take this opportunity
to give credit where credit is due:
Thanks to our event volunteers, both the leaders and
their many assistants. It is amazing what our small-town
club and community pulls off, including middle and high
school races, the Besh Cup, Ski Your Age, Friday Night
Lights and the Kachemak Nordic Ski Marathon. It is
no small task to organize these events (just ask Deland
Anderson, who put in marathon hours in his role as
marathon race coordinator), and equally essential are the
registration crews, timers, bib controllers, refreshment
providers and party organizers.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
WHEREAS, KNSC groomers spend hundreds, if not thousands, of hours grooming our trails, and
WHEREAS, they are paid exactly zero dollars per hour for
all this hard work, and
WHEREAS, without their efforts skiing would be a whole lot
less fun, and
WHEREAS, it’s all about the trails …
THEREFORE, WE, the Nordic skiers of Homer, hereby
proclaim our groomers to be persons of exemplary
character and thank them for our beautiful ski
trails. Homer groomers rock!
2015/2016 Groomers (with apologies to anyone we may have missed!)
Pete Alexson
Deland Anderson
Robert Archibald
Dave Brann
Mike Byerly
Susan & Gary Clardy
John Fitzpatrick
Bill Gee
Brian Harrison
Chris Jacobson
Charlie Johnson
Paul Knight
John Miles
Ryan Pilcher
Stan Purinton
Derek Stonorov
David Stutzer
Kevin Walker
Roy Wilson
Bill Worsfold
The Better Sweater; The Natural World; The Grog Shop;
and Puffin Electric.
Thanks, as always, to our amazing groomers. Due to
another unusually warm winter, Lower Baycrest was
awash and/or reduced to ice for much of this winter. Even
Sunset was marginal much of the time. But Lookout and
McNeil/Eveline have had good snow, and thanks to the
groomers – who have groomed almost daily since Christmas – the skiing has been not only consistent but amazingly good. The extensions of Milli’s Loop and Wolf Ridge
later in the season were the icing on the cake.
And finally, thanks to Mother Nature. While Lower
Baycrest and most of Southcentral Alaska were afloat, a
degree or two difference between 1,000-feet elevation and
1,200-feet elevation made a huge difference. And the luck
of two big snows – three feet around Christmas and again
in late February – gave us enough base to survive the occasional deluge.
At the marathon post-race party (held at Ageya Wilderness Lodge; a great venue), one of the Anchorage racers
mentioned that, “I have been to a lot of places to ski this
year, but this is the best skiing I had.” Well, I haven’t been
anyplace else this winter, but I couldn’t agree more about
Homer. It’s been a very good year and crust skiing is just
beginning. Woohoo!
Now I just have to start working on my speed.
There ain’t not foolin’ these women!
Michael Mumm cools off after coming off Milli’s Loop at the
2016 KNSC Marathon.
BY STACEY BUCKELEW
Since its inception nearly 10 years ago, Homer Women’s
Nordic (HWN) has grown to share the love of skiing with
over 100 female athletes. Undeterred by wacky weather,
child births, crippling injuries, employment changes and
leadership attrition, up to 80 women have participated
each season. Despite Mother Nature’s pocket full of
puzzles, this year was certainly no exception.
Homer women logged countless hours of weekly skispecific dry-land training beginning in October until the
Thanks to the event participants, both from Homer and
up the road. When you throw a party, you hope that people
will show up – and they did. The Besh Cup always pulls in
a crowd, and this year was no exception. The Marathon
also had a good turnout, as did the more local events like
Ski Your Age and Friday Night Lights. After last year’s
dismal winter, people were ready to play.
Thanks to our sponsors big and small, whether they
contribute money, event prizes or in-kind contributions.
It’s a long list, but this year’s major sponsors are: The Law
Offices of Charles G. Evans; Marine Services of Alaska,
Inc.; Seaman’s Ecotour Adventures; Bear Creek Winery &
Lodging; Ulmer’s Drug and Hardware; Fritz Creek General Store; Girl Friday Enterprises; Homer Saw and Cycle;
Homer Women’s Nordic, tucked for the downhill.
PHOTO BY TARO SASAKURA
P.O. Box 44, Homer, Alaska 99603
kachemaknordicskiclub.org
[email protected]
the Alaska nordic skier
Jan Spurkland
President
Nicky Szarzi
Vice-President
Richard Burton
Treasurer
Mike Gracz
Secretary
Carlin Rauch
Andrew Peter
Stacey Buckelew
Glenn Seaman
Derek Bynagle
Maddie O’Laire
Administrative Assistant
COMMIT TEES/EVENTS
Lookout Mountain Ski Trails
Mike Byerly
Lower Baycrest Ski Trails; Snowshoe Trails;
Friday Night Lights; Grooming Equipment
Dave Brann
Upper Baycrest Ski Trails; Marathon Trail
Committee
Alan Parks
McNeil/Eveline Ski Trails
Ginger Johnson (Chair)
Derek Stonorov (McNeil Grooming)
Dave Brann (Eveline Grooming)
Kachemak Nordic Ski Development; Ski
Your Age; Besh Cup Races; Homer Epic 100
Jan Spurkland
Junior Nordic
Carlin Rauch
Homer Women’s Nordic
Stacey Buckelew
Webmaster
Richard Burton
Alaska Nordic Skier Newsletter
Marylou Burton
Snow Machine Maintenance
Bill Hague
Trail Signs
Jennifer Edwards
Winter Gear & Ski Swap
Mike Illg
Kachemak Ski for Women & Haven House
Kris Holdereid
Wine & Cheese/Wooden Ski Tour
Kevin & Jeanne Walker
Kachemak Nordic Ski Marathon
Deland Anderson
Sea to Ski Triathlon
Kevin & Jeannie Walker
Winter Backcountry Film Festival
Dan Del Missier
first blanket of skiable snow arrived with the new year. Following
suit with a decade old tradition, the
HWN program focused on technique
paired with endurance and speed to
culminate in a long-distance race,
the Tour of Anchorage. On behalf of
HWN, we would like to thank NSAA
for navigating the unseasonable challenges to provide yet another safe,
high-quality ski event. You have yet to
cease motivating an entire community of Homer female skiers, mothers
and professionals to push personal
boundaries and reach new levels of
fun, friendship and fitness. Whatever
mystery next winter might hold, we
won’t be fooled. We’ll be out there to
do it again!
9
April/May 2016
Girdwood Nordic Ski Club
P.O. Box 337
Girdwood, AK 99587
skigirdwood.org
Girdwood, Alaska
BOARD OF
DIRECTORS
BRIAN BURNETT
Vice President
DEB ESSEX
President
BRIANA SULLIVAN
Secretary
JUSTIN THOMAS
Treasurer
PETER ZUG
JIM BRAHAM
CHUCK DORIUS
ARI STIASSNY
A season of can-do attitudes and finding winter wherever we could
BY DEB ESSEX
GNSC President
It was a fantastic winter. No, I’m obviously not
talking about snow at sea-level. I’m referring to our
Girdwood Nordic Ski Club board of directors and
our ever-present members. Our club’s response to
the scant amount of frozen precipitation was a far
greater in measure than the level marked on our
“snow meter” stick at Girdwood’s trailhead.
As usual, Girdwood saw early snowfall … back
when we were all hopeful the winter forecasting
was incorrect. Once a few inches of snow compacted on the Nordic loop, we began planning a time
and location for our annual grooming clinic. That
clinic never happened. The warm weather prevented snow accumulation in the open meadows, so
the clinic was postponed until further snowfall. The
usual suspects from our board – Peter Zug, Jim
Braham and Chuck Dorius – kept our trails clear
from all downed trees and repaired all washout
areas after each storm. I am constantly amazed
what these gentlemen accomplish on snow and in
the pouring rain.
And then, like all other skiers, we followed the
snow. We put a great idea into action, creating a
groomed trail loop in Turnagain Pass. With assistance from Graham Predeger, the Chugach
National Forest Avalanche Information Center
Recreational Ops/Avalanche specialist, and Ryan
Lewthwaite we outlined a trail 3K loop from the
Center Ridge parking area. They designed a great
figure-eight loop safe from avalanche danger while
utilizing part of the National Historic Iditarod Trail.
During good weather, we have groomed this trail
four times this spring. With help from board mem-
bers Briana Sullivan, Ari Stiassny, Brian Burnett
and Justin Thomas, we shoveled enough snow on
the Tincan Creek bridge to have a loop on either
side. Each grooming effort saw more and more
recreational skiers, bikers and walkers out enjoying
spring in Alaska. Many of the skiers were beginners, and appreciated the smooth trails surface
to practice technique while taking in the beauty
of Turnagain Pass. They also learned about crust
skiing, brought BBQ grills, tried a pulk for the first
time, and split babysitting duties while their partner skies a few laps on Tincan Peak.
More and more skiers are now asking us, “Did
you groom in the Pass?” Hopeful, yes. If this is our
future, we are ready to continue coordination with
the USFS Glacier Ranger District and expand our
mission from the Girdwood Valley to Turnagain
Pass. We would rather be grooming in Girdwood,
but there is no downside to skiing in Turnagain.
Meanwhile back at the ranch, the Nordic Loop
access trail in now gone. The Arlberg Road extension project has begun, and the only access to the
Nordic Loop is via the Winner Creek Trail. This
road project will continue through the summer,
so please respect the trail closure signs. The end
result will be a new parking area near the Nordic
trailhead and the Winner Creek trail.
And finally, don’t miss the 2016 AK Skimeister
event at 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, April 2, at the Alyeska Resort. This event is an Alpine, Nordic, Fatbike
race that benefits Challenge Alaska Ski School and
the Alyeska Ski Club junior team. Check out their
website (www.akskimeister.com) or Facebook page
for upcoming details. This is the fourth year of this
fun race and a portion will be on the Nordic trail
loop. I love this race!
A sincere thank you to all of our members, volunteers and the fantastic board members that make
this club a reality. Looking forward, with whatever
Mother Nature brings, I’m happy to be part of such
a “can-do” community. During this summer, we will
continue to look at future trail locations and finalize a bridge project. We are also looking for a snow
machine trailer as snow insurance for next year.
Enjoy your summer!
Eagle River Nordic Ski Club
Eagle River, Alaska
AROUND EAGLE RIVER
Focusing on the positives
of a challenging season
With the season coming to a close on the ERJN program, I would like to thank the hearty families that stuck
through a lackluster ski season. One emphasis we had
been focusing on as a group the last few years was increased parent participation in the program. On a bright
note, even though our turnout was low we did have nearly
100 percent turnout by the parents. Thank uou for making
this a priority.
The fact that we were able to ski for two months this
year is a testament to the hard work done by Bill Brion,
our hardworking trail groomer. The work he did to keep
part of the trail system open this year was much appreciated.
The end of year annual CERNSC board meeting will be
held at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 1, at my house (17447 Kantishna
Dr., Eagle River, 99577). All are welcome to attend. We will
have a BBQ and wrap up club business for the season.
This summer we will be looking for some help from
the club membership to help with building two connector
P.O. Box 770117, Eagle River, Alaska 99577
Club hotline: 689-7660
Junior nordic hotline: 689-7661
cernsc.wildapricot.org
trails from the new parking lot on Beach Lake road by the
railroad tracks to the current existing trails. This will be
a chance to get some exercise and use those chainsaws.
Work is scheduled to start sometime in June. Please contact me if you are interested in volunteering to be a part of
this.
Have a great summer.
– Jason Dennis, CERNSC President
End of season thanks to go around …
Thanks to Bill Bryon and NSAA groomers for fabulous
grooming during a difficult winter and for taking advantage of the snow and grooming on March 20.
Thanks to Will Taygen and Junior Nordic volunteers for
keeping Jr. Nordic going with little snow.
Thanks to Kathleen Rehm for coordinating Eagle River
Masters.
And thanks to all of you skiers and club supporters!
Look for upcoming events on our website, cernsc.
wildapricot.org:
• The CERNSC Annual Meeting
• The Mike Hansen Memorial Run
• Summer trail work
the Alaska nordic skier
BOARD MEMBERS
PRESIDENT
Jason Dennis
[email protected]
VICE PRESIDENT
Steve Wilson
[email protected]
SECRETARY
Allison Erickson
[email protected]
TREASURER
Bob Stehn
[email protected]
RACING
Mike Beiergrohslein
[email protected]
JUNIOR NORDIC
Will Taygan
[email protected]
TRAILS
Jim Kaszuba
[email protected]
Annette Brion
[email protected]
Scott Bailey
[email protected]
10
April/May 2016
Mat-Su Ski Club
1150 S. Colony Way, Suite 3
Palmer, Alaska 99645
(907) 745-SKIS
www.matsuski.org
WASILLA, ALASKA
A ROU N D
THE VA LLEY
Light the Susitna fundraiser
Recently the Mat-Su Borough
Assembly approved the Government
Peak Recreation Area trail lighting project, fully funding the entire
project that will provide lighting for
the entire trail system. Prior to assembly approval, the MSSC pledged
$25,000 towards the inclusion of the
Susitna Loop in the project scope to
show the Borough our commitment to
the GPRA trails. Due to the scheduling and short time window, the club
began an after-the-fact fundraising
campaign.
To say that I have been overwhelmed by the response to the
fundraiser is an understatement. We
knew that the community supports
our sport and it has been proven by its
financial support. So a huge thank you
to our donors: Abby & Lila Pettit; AK
Sheas; Alaska Safe Trails; Amaya and
Katalina Vizzerra; Anesthesia Care
Associates; Anjanette & Zack Steer;
Ashley Wise; Backcountry Bike & Ski;
Bilafer Family; Bob & Carol Thompson; Branden & Sydney Thielke; Brent
Taylor, MD; Brian, Wendy, Evan
and Lewis Taylor; Capstone; Chad
and Jenny Nugent Family; Chris &
Kathleen Jones; Christal Houghtelling Photography; Cold River Construction Company; Darren & Nancy
Black; Daryl Farrens David Freer;
David L Barnes DO PC; Dori McDannold; Elizabeth & Ed Ripley; Gabe
Black; Glynn & Ed Strabel; Guinevere
Hill; Harmon Family; Hobbit Environmental Consulting Corp.; Jakab
Family; Joe & Sandy Moore; John
Breiby; Johnson Family; Karen Hopp;
Kim Elliott; Livingston Slone; Lorene
& Larry Lynn; Lucas Parker; Luff
Orthodontics; Lydia Yocum; Make’N
Ends Meet; Matanuska Valley Federal Credit Union; Mat-Su Junior
Nordics; Michael Norton; Mikael Porcello; Monte & Jerilyn Burtch; MYAC;
Natalie, Chris & Alex Cadieux; Nicole
& Chris Whittington-Evans; NortonCruz Family Fund; Pagel children;
Randee Johnson; Sheri and Dave
Musgrave; The Barry Family; The
Danz Family; The Henderson Family;
The Jerman Family; The Lake Family; The LaRousse Family; The Merritt Family; The Moffat Family; The
Paulick Family; The Powder Family;
The Skvorc Family; The Stamoolis
Family; The Suarez-Cabal Family;
The Wraith Family; The Wreyford
Family; Tom and Lisa Smayda; Tracy
Houser; Trenton Harter; Tricia and
John Cox; Virginia White; Walling
Family; Wasilla Lights Farm; Winnestaffer Family; and many anonymous
donors.
Thank you all for your generous
support. It is people like you who
make me feel proud to be involved
with such a great club.
For those who may have missed
our flyers and emails and are interested in supporting the cause, please
visit the website to make a contribution. We will continue running the
fundraiser in to summer.
So here’s to next season’s lit trails,
you all helped make it happen. Thank
you again!
– By Hans Hill, MSSC President
Our great groomers
How do you make snowflakes that
landed in December into skiable trails
in March? Lots and lots of grooming
hours. Between Government Peak
and Archangel Valley, our grooming team has spent nearly 500 hours
pulling drags and the like to make the
Valley trails the hotspot for Nordic
skiing in Southcentral. Our group of
groomers includes: Gene Backus;
Jeff Kase; Darren Black; Chris Jones;
Mark Strabel; Ed Strabel; Mark Stigar; Zack Steer; and Ashley Wise.
From the start of this season, over
2,000 miles of snow has been pounded
into submission for our enjoyment and
the volunteers above are the individuals we have to thank. On behalf of the
club’s board of directors and all of the
club’s members, thank you for the
great season.
Offseason projects
While it is sad to say our season
is coming to an end, the MSSC has
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PRESIDENT
Hans Hill
VICE PRESIDENT
Susan Skvorc
SECRETARY
Mike Norton
TREASURER
Maritt Youngblood
BOARD MEMBERS
Gene Backus
Daryl Farrens
Natalie King
Dave Musgrave
Michael Norton
Lucas Parker
Tom Smayda
Edward Strabel
Mark Strabel
Chris Tomsen
Ashley Wise
plans to keep improving our trails.
Those plans include trail maintenance and trail expansion, and as
usual we will be seeking volunteers to
assist in these projects. Plans are still
in the works, but we will be sending
emails and updating the website with
times and locations for volunteering
opportunities. If you need additional
motivation to help out, what better way to stay in shape than some
manual labor. Look forward to seeing
everyone out there!
Volunteers make this our best season for Junior Nordics
BY DAVE MUSGRAVE
It took quite a lot of work to wrangle the 350 kids
that participated in MSSC Junior Nordics this year.
Besides the numbers, we also had a couple other
firsts this year.
This was our first year of a mid-day session for
kids that are home-schooled. Not only was it her
first year of coaching, but Carolyn Barry did a great
job as head coach of this group. We had our first
year of a competition group that trained together
during the regular JN sessions and also raced in
the Besh Cup series across Alaska. Thanks goes
out to coach Sydney Thielke, who started the competition group during the summer and continued
coaching through the JN season. All reports are
that they had a great time competing and meeting
other kids from other communities.
This would not be possible without the numerous
volunteers especially our coaches: Aubrey Span-
gler, Mike Wilson, Joe Moore, Bailey LaRousse, Annika Hanestad, Carolyn Barry, Christian Hanestad,
Kathleen Jones, Christie Marvin, Mikael Porcello,
Ted Sipos, Mike Shea, Jillian Morrissey, Brian Winnestaffer, Wade Erickson, Tom Smayda, Anjanete
Steer, Rhett Buchanan, Steven Merrit, Jordyn
and Bella Block, Robyn Hall, Mike Norton, Megan
Danz, Lucas Parker, Greg Ravencraft, Ed Strabel,
Brent Taylor, Sydney Thielke, Dan Jenkins and
Maritt Youngblood. The adult sweeps and chalet
monitors have been great and have kept our kids
safe and all accounted for, most of the time. Mark
Stigar is the head coach on Tuesday and Thursdays. Thanks to Carolyn Barry and him for the extra effort it takes in preparation for their sessions.
And we are extremely fortunate to have a great
steering committee that put together the schedule, came up with new ideas and implemented
the whole thing as if by magic. Thanks to Carolyn
the Alaska nordic skier
Barry, Nancy Black, Maritt Youngblood, Peggy
Kristich, Tammy Sipos, Paula Werner, Rick Benedict and Teresa Clemmer. And a special thanks
goes to Rebecca Buchanan, who orders the Tshirts, arranges for coaches’ gifts, takes all the endof-season photos and performs other miracles too
numerous to mention.
This is our sixth year of Mat-Su Junior Nordics
and we have come a long way from a dozen kids skiing in the school yard at Shaw Elementary. Personally, Junior Nordics has become the best part of my
week as I see the kids out enjoying themselves and
learning to have fun on skis outdoors in the winter.
The progression in skiing skills that the kids make
each season is truly inspiring.
I want to express how much I am touched by the
passion that our community of parents, coaches,
and kids bring to Junior Nordics.
Junior Nordics, Junior Nordics … Let’s go ski!
11
April/May 2016
Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks
Fairbanks, Alaska
SKIING UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS
P.O. Box 80111, Fairbanks, AK 99708-0111
Competition Office: 907-474-4242
Competition Fax: 907-474-2073
Racing Hotline: 907-457-4434
nscfairbanks.org
Fairbanks skiers squeezed the juice out of the driest winter on record
BY ERIC TROYER
Despite having the driest winter on
record, Fairbanks cross-country skiers had a lot to celebrate this season.
Early snow and cold (enough): Fairbanks had the driest official winter
on record. From December 1 through
the end of February, only 2.5 inches
of snow fell. Fortunately, 50 inches or
so fell before December 1. And while
it wasn’t a cold winter, it was cold
enough to keep the snow from melting. Thanks to the groomers who kept
the old, abrasive snow in good shape
for skiing.
Back-to-back September storms:
About 15 inches of that snow came
down wet and heavy in early snowstorms. Hundreds, if not thousands,
of trees had to be cleared from area
ski trails. Powerlines and trail lights
had to be fixed. Many thanks to the
groomers, public employees and
volunteers who helped open the trails
and repair the damage. Unfortunately, that snow almost completely
melted.
Junior Nordics at UAF: NSCF’s
Junior Nordics were finally offered on
the University of Alaska Fairbanks
ski trails, thanks to NSCF JN Coordinator Sally Endestad. Many parents
on that side of town had long wanted
this option. The UAF site is lower and
generally colder than Birch Hill, and
the support buildings are not as big
or convenient, but the season at UAF
was a success despite the challenges.
Sally plans to continue Junior Nordics
at UAF next season.
New Birch Hill ski racks: Skiers
at Birch Hill were greeted with new
ski racks this season thanks to Austin
Stewart, an Eagle Scout who led the
work done by several scouts. The
NSCF and Fairbanks borough paid
for the supplies. The old racks were
in rough shape. Many of the dowels,
which hold the skis and poles, had
broken. Austin used thicker dowels
for the new racks, which have been
doing great all winter. Many thanks
to Austin and the other scouts who
helped him.
Nordic Ski Patrol starts: A new
Fairbanks Nordic Ski Patrol started
staffing about a dozen races at Birch
Hill thanks to the efforts of Nancy
Hanneman and several people who
helped her make the patrol a reality. Anyone interested in helping out
should contact Nancy at akplacer@
alaska.net.
West Valley skiers help University Park club: Members of the West
Valley High School Cross-Country Ski
Team started helping with the University Park Elementary School Ski
Club. The club, which meets two days
a week, has more than 120 members.
The previous season, Eric Engman,
club head honcho, had many skiers
on a waitlist, which he hated. This
season he put out a call for parents to
help and talked to West Valley coach
Greg Whisenhant about having some
of the high school skiers help, as well.
Because of the high schoolers and
new parent helpers, no kids were put
on a waiting list this year!
Kikkan visits: Cross-country skiing superstar and awesome Alaskan
Kikkan Randall visited Fairbanks in
January to help NSCF Competition
Director John Estle come up with a
new sprint course. The new course
will make it harder for skiers in classic races to double-pole the entire
course without grip wax, a practice
getting more common. While in Fairbanks, Kikkan also spent time inspiring about 150 younger skiers.
Tanana Lakes Recreation Area
Trails: The Fairbanks North Star
Borough Parks and Recreation
Department started grooming skate
and classic trails at the relatively new
Tanana Lakes Recreation Area in
south Fairbanks. The flat trails are a
welcome addition to Fairbanks crosscountry skiing.
New signs: The White Bear Trail at
Birch Hill got a new series of directional trail signs thanks to a generous
grant from the Arctic Winter Games
Legacy Fund to the NSCF. The signs,
at every intersection, include intersection names, directional arrows,
distances on the trail or back to the
stadium and difficulty ratings. The
grant is also paying for a variety of
other work at Birch Hill.
Wider Outhouse Loop: The
Outhouse Loop was easier to ski and
groom this year thanks to a generous
grant from REI to the NSCF. The loop
hadn’t seen major work in nearly 20
years. The work included a variety
of improvements such as widening
and brushing. The grant also paid for
refurbishing trail equipment, which
helps the NSCF keep the trails in top
grooming shape all winter.
Skarland Trail changes cause
controversy: A volunteer effort to
make the Skarland Ski Trail easier
to groom for classical-style skiing
caused a controversy. The volunteers
replaced sections of the trail with a
bench-cut trail using a trail dozer. The
bench-cut trail makes the trail easier
to ski and groom, but it also changes
the nature of the trail in ways that
some people do not like. Some of the
work has been completed, but the volunteers are still hoping for approval
from the borough’s Trails Advisory
Commission before continuing their
work. The NSCF Board of Directors
passed a resolution in support of the
bench-cut trail.
Those are the highlights of this
past season. The NSCF also continued
its great programs — competition,
Who’s Who in the
Nordic Ski Club
of Fairbanks
JUNIOR NORDIC HOTLINE
457-4437
WEBSITE WEBMASTER
Chris Carlson
[email protected]
PRESIDENT
BRUCE JAMIESON
[email protected] T
S E C R E TA RY
Liz Pawelko
[email protected]
TREASURER
Mike Donaldson
[email protected]
AT- L ARG E M E M BE RS
[email protected]
Pat Reinhard
Steven Hansen
Dave Bloom
Robert Hannon
Helena Reuter
Eric Troyer
AD ULT LES SO NS CO O R D I NATO R
Kathy Bue
[email protected] | 371-9543
FAIRBANKS JUNIOR NORDICS
Sally Endestad
[email protected] | 371-9564
FAIRBANKS CROSS COUNTRY
Pete Leonard
Head Coach, Program Director
[email protected]
RACE PROGRAM DIRECTOR
John Estle
[email protected]
MEMBERSHIP
[email protected]
BIATH LO N
Helena Reuter | [email protected]
TOURING
Mike Schmoker | msfbcski@gmail
Cam Leonard | [email protected]
NEWSLETTER EDITOR
Eric Troyer | [email protected]
Junior Nordics, grooming, NSCFFXC, biathlon, adult lessons and touring — with the help of many generous
sponsors, donors, volunteers and staff.
Thanks to everyone who helped make
this a fun and successful season.
Eric Troyer is the Fairbanks editor for
the Alaska Nordic Skier.
A ROU N D THE I N TER IOR
NSCF YouTube channel
The Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks now has its
own YouTube channel. Make sure to watch some
Tuesday Night Junior Nordic skiers tackle the skicross jumps and the Terrain Garden: www.youtube.com/watch?v=69J72WiC87Y
NSCF calendar upcoming events
Several club and ski-related activities are coming in the next few weeks. All are held at Birch Hill
Recreation Area unless otherwise specified. Check
out the NSCF online calendar for more details and
updates (www.nscfairbanks.org > Calendar):
Sunday, April 3: Ski for Women
Wednesday, April 6: Wednesday Night Race (assuming enough
snow)
Wednesday, April 13: Wednesday Night Race (assuming enough
snow)
Saturday, April 16: Spring Gala (dancing, silent auction)
Beyond Birch – Looking to summer
Birch Hill is not only a great place for crosscountry skiing, it’s also a great place for summer
activities. But please remember to wait until the
trails firm up before using them.
Another great place for both summer and winter
is the Chena River State Recreation Area. Make
it a goal to hike all the trails in the area this summer. That will help you stay in shape for skiing next
winter.
A good trail to do fairly early in the season is
the Chena Dome Trail. It’s about 30 miles long and
doesn’t have easy access to water much of the summer. But in late spring/early summer, snow patches
and/or melt pools offer enough water for the trek.
Get a handout of the trail here: dnr.alaska.gov/
parks/units/chena/chenadmtg.pdf.
the Alaska nordic skier
How to … stay in shape for skiing
during the summer
Here are some things you can work on over the
summer to keep fit for cross-country skiing:
• Lightweight Cardio Bunny Gets Serious About Strength
Training, Shares “Expert” Advice: tinyurl.com/hcs2d5w
• Add Agility Drills To Every Roller Ski For Better Performance:
www.xcskiacademy.com/blog/roller-ski-agility
• If you want to combine ski training with shopping:
unofficialnetworks.com/2016/03/why-not-have-a-skiing-raceinside-ikea
Help NSCF by going shopping
You can earn donations from Fred Meyer to the
Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks just by shopping at
Fred Meyer with your rewards card. Fred Meyer
will donate $2.5 million to nonprofits Alaska, Idaho,
Oregon and Washington annually through this program. Find out how to help at tinyurl.com/npmcles.
12
FAIRBA N KS/S TATE W ID E
April/May 2016
Finding balance in everyday life
BY ERIC TROYER
How do you balance it all?
You want to get better at cross-country skiing.
You take classes, maybe read some articles or
blogs. Instructors have lots of suggested drills
and exercises. But you have a life outside of skiing. A busy one. And when you get time you just
want to ski! So, how do you find time for all the
drills and exercises?
Well, I’ve found one small way to help. I call
them everyday balance drills. They occurred to
me while I was doing off-ski balance exercises
during a technique class. Everyday balance
drills can easily be incorporated into many
mundane tasks. And since balance is essential
to both classic and skate styles of skiing, these
exercises can improve your all-around skiing.
One of the best places to incorporate everyday balance drills is while getting dressed or
undressed. Don’t sit on a bed or chair. Stand up
to put on or take off those clothes. And don’t lean
up against anything. (Well, maybe start that way
if you think you’ll fall over.) By standing while
dressing or undressing, you’ll have to balance
on one leg at a time. And don’t forget shoes. You
get bonus points for shoes if they have laces and
you tie or untie them while standing on one foot.
Want an extra challenge? Stand on one leg
then pick up or put down your shoes and socks
one at a time from the floor.
After incorporating standing and dressing/
undressing into my daily routine, I had another
epiphany. Everyday balance drills could be done
while doing lots of other things, such as:
• Brushing teeth (use the mirror to check body position)
• Washing hands
• Waiting for the computer to start or the microwave to
finish
• Showering (be careful with that one!)
Then I realized I could do them while running
errands. So, now I do them while:
• Pumping gas
• Standing in line (bank, grocery store, etc.)
• Waiting for my coffee order to be filled
I’ve also sometimes started squatting just a
bit to improve balance and leg strength. Yes,
some of these places are very public, so I moderate what I do with the situation. For example,
while waiting in line with other people, I barely
lift one foot clear of the floor. If I start to lose my
balance, I just touch down that foot. Easy-peasy.
Incorporating these everyday balance drills
into my life has really helped my skiing, as well
as other recreational activities. And I haven’t
had to carve new time out in my life. In fact,
they’ve made some annoying aspects of life
more interesting. Now when I come up to a long
line at the grocery store or coffee shop, instead
of getting really annoyed I think, “Hey, I can do
some balance exercises!”
Eric Troyer is Fairbanks editor of the Alaska Nordic Skier. He admits that sometimes he’s just too
blasted tired to stand up while getting dressed, but
then he shames himself the next time.
PHOTO BY CORRINE LEISTIKOW
The author demonstrates finding balance while putting on a
sock.
NSCF-FXC helps build strong skiers all year long: Season starts in May
The year-round program for NSCFFXC starts in late May, but the early
registration deadline is May 1. FXC
(Fairbanks Cross Country) is the
junior race-training program for the
Nordic Ski of Fairbanks. The goal of
the NSCF-FXC is to provide a fullservice training program for young
cross-country skiers. The program offers a progression of developmentally
appropriate training and competition
opportunities in which skiers are
continually challenged to grow and
develop as athletes and young people.
While NSCF-FXC is an outlet for
a greater competitive experience,
the program also uses skiing to help
young people grow in a healthy social
environment and learn what can be
accomplished with long-term dedication and focus. NSCF-FXC aims to
provide a training environment that is
focused but also fun, challenging but
energizing.
The program is split into three
levels:
Jr. Devo Team: An introductory
race team for skiers ages 9-14 that
focuses on shoring up technical skills,
while introducing basic training concepts and the social aspect of being
part of a team.
Prep Team: A team geared toward
middle school students (ages 11-15)
with the goal of refining technique
and building fitness in preparation
for a smooth transition to high school,
regional and national levels of junior
racing.
Comp Team: A full-service junior
ski program for high school and postgraduate athletes whose goals range
from making the varsity at their high
school to success on the world stage.
For more information, see the
program’s page on the NSCF website (www.nscfairbanks.org). Go to
Programs > NSCF-FXC. For families having difficulties with paying
the program’s tuition, a scholarship
program is available. The deadline for
scholarship applications is usually in
mid-April.
Learn more at the NSCF-FXC webpage or
contact program director Pete Leonard at fxc@
nscfairbanks.org.
S TATE WID E
Don’t ruin your skis in the off-season
BY RILEY TROYER
Do you want to ruin your skis and poles?
Surely you don’t, but some people do just that
by not caring for their equipment correctly in the
off-season. A set of skis and poles can easily last
several decades if properly stored. But those same
skis and poles, if neglected, might last just a couple
years. Don’t shell out $1,000 on new equipment only
to find it damaged beyond repair the next year.
Skis and poles are highly susceptible to damage
during the off-season. Skis can get shoved into the
shed or stuffed into a corner of the garage and forgotten about for months. During this time dust can
build up on surfaces, bases can get scratched and
poles can be broken. Take these simple steps at the
end of the season to eliminate problems.
Clean your bases
To prepare skis for summer the bases should be
cleaned well. First, scrape off any kick wax and apply a wax remover to the entire base, for classic and
skate skis. Wipe off the wax remover with a paper
towel and brush out the skis with a metal brush to
remove any leftover dirt and wax remover residue.
Apply storage wax
Next, apply a liberal amount of glide wax to the
entire ski base. This will protect the bases from
dust and scratches. Wax choice is important. The
amount of fluoro in the wax doesn’t matter, though I
tend to go with unfluorinated because it is cheaper.
However, the hardness of the wax does make a difference. If the wax is too hard it can become brittle
on the ski base and flake off. If it is too soft, sharp
objects will easily scrape into it. A good midrange
wax is the way to go, something like Toko NF Red,
the Alaska nordic skier
Swix CH7 or similar. After the wax is applied, run
the iron down the ski a couple more times to ensure
the wax is properly heated into the base.
Protect your skis and poles
Finally, strap your skis together with ski ties or
tape and place them in a ski bag, if available. For
storing poles I like to buy a cheap plastic tube, maybe six or so inches in diameter from the hardware
or plumbing supply store. I then place my poles
inside to protect them from any sort of blunt force.
Following these steps will allow your equipment
to stay safe during the summer so that it is ready to
pull out and take to the trails once the snow starts
to fall again.
Riley Troyer is a student at University of Alaska
Fairbanks, an employee at Goldstream Sports and a
Fairbanks-area ski and bike racer.
13
S TATE WID E
April/MAy 2016
Another
classic Oosik!
More than 600 skiers
from around Alaska found
snow and fun at the annual
2016 Oosik Classic in Talkeetna. Check out more
photos and event results at
www.denalinordicskiclub.
org/oosik.
PHOTO BY KJETIL SPONE
Tour Alaska by doing a village-to-village ski
BY NED ROZELL
So, you’d like to ski between Alaska
villages using your racing or touring skis and boots and poles. Great
idea. There are miles of good trail
out there. In some places, like from
Fairbanks, you can ski from home to
Nome.
I have taken advantage of these
snowmachine-packed trails. Over
the years, often with my friend Andy
Sterns, I have skied from Nenana to
Nome, Tanana to Allakaket and Kotzebue to Kobuk. Last spring, six of us
skied from Shishmaref to Nome.
On most of those trips, we’ve worn
the same gear you step into at Birch
Hill or Kincaid Park. Though racing
bindings seem flimsy, they are quite
tough. I have carried extra bindings,
have crashed a lot, and have never
needed the extra bindings. And a
good-fitting pair of boots won’t give
you blisters and are adequate for
walking.
These trips get you out in new
country, let you take advantage of the
paths spider-webbed across Alaska,
and allow you to see how other people
live.
Below are some tips for village-tovillage skiing. Start planning now, for
next year!
• Use a comfortable pack into
which you can’t fit too much.
• It’s fun to time your trip to overlap
with a dog race. A marked trail is a
good thing, and lots of snowmachine
travel leaves a nice soft texture. Dogs
pulling sleds leave an even more
skiable trail, and the brown streaks
give you something to dodge. If you
do ski a race course like the Iditarod
or the Kobuk 440, remember that
you are an obstacle. Always get off
the track to let mushers pass. And
snowmachiners. And anyone else.
• If you have supplies that you
won’t be able buy at a village store
or you don’t want to roll the dice of
the store being open when you arrive,
mail yourself a package to the local
post office. You are still restricted to
hours when the post office is open,
but mailing bags of goodies kept
Andy’s and my pack in the 30-pound
worth much more.
PHOTO BY NED ROZELL
Andy Sterns skis into Kobuk.
range when we skated the Serum Run
trail.
• Before you go, contact people
in villages and arrange for places to
stay. Many communities do not have
hotels or bed and breakfasts. School
gym floors are sometimes available,
so try contacting the local school.
Don’t expect to find lodging when you
get there. Do some homework and let
someone know you are coming. Don’t
get to a village at 2 a.m. shattered
from your effort and pound on random
doors. That is poor form. Imagine
someone knocking on your house and
demanding shelter.
Skiing is an inefficient mode of travel
out there. A fun way to move, yes,
but don’t expect other people to see
things your way.
• Bring lots of cash, at least one
check, and use the village stores
when they are open. You will need
them when you run out of white gas.
And overpay locals when they do
you a favor. A Shishmaref resident
who saved us hours by pointing us
to the right trail and then offered us
his cabin that night got $100. His
knowledge and that shelter were
• Expect all sorts of encounters
on the trail. Many snowmachiners
will stop and expect you to do the
same even though you’ve got miles
to make. Relax and listen for a bit.
They are a great source of info like
the distance to the next village or
how much overflow ice is on the
trail. Sometimes people will buzz by
at high speeds. Another reason to
always move off the trail, every time.
Sometimes you will be offered food or
liquor. The latter can be tricky to turn
down, but a no thanks and a smile
usually works.
• Most times, people just want to
know what you’re doing. Chatting it
up means people in Elim will know
you’re on your way even though you’re
still in Shaktoolik. That is a great
comfort. And despite what happened
to Jeff King in the 2016 Iditarod,
most encounters will be ones you
remember because people were nice
and were happy you found their home
interesting.
Ned Rozell is a science writer for the
University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute.
• Always remember you are a guest
in these communities. Be humble
and gracious and thankful. While you
might think your ski trip is an epic
accomplishment, the locals do not.
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the AlASKA nordic skier
14
S TATE WID E
April/May 2016
North Korea to Mongolia: Alaskan explores China on skis
BY HOLLY BROOKS
Over the past six years, I’ve been
away almost more than I’ve been
home. Chasing the World Cup and my
Olympic dream often necessitated
living out of a duffle bag. Yet, despite
my extensive travel schedule, I had
never been to Asia. This ski season, I
decided it was time for that to change.
When you think of Asia, you most
likely do not think of it being a Nordic
skiing hotbed. But pull out a map and
locate the next two Olympic venues
and you would notice something
funny. The 2018 and 2022 games are
a relative stone’s throw away from
one another when considering world
geography. Just two years from now,
winter sport athletes will converge in
Pyeongchang, South Korea, and four
years later in Beijing, China. Yes, you
read that right: Beijing, also home to
the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.
The combination of upcoming Olympic interest, China’s prominence in
international news and my appetite
for adventure sent me to the 2016
Tour de Ski China.
The Tour de Ski China consisted of
five races in three venues and competitors from nine different countries:
China, Russia, Norway, Sweden,
Italy, Finland, Canada, the USA and
Venezuela. The first stop was a city
called Yanji, which was oddly reminiscent of Sochi, Russia. The hotel
and surrounding area was 80 percent
new, 10 percent active construction
COURTESY OF HOLLY BROOKS
zone, and 10 percent dilapidated. The
five-minute walk from the hotel to the
race venue featured piles of garbage,
old tires and pyramids of black coal
ripe for burning in the conveniently
located power plant. Its fumes wafted
over to the gravel-pit-turned-skatesprint course. At the race venue, Chinese soldiers handed out Red Bull,
drones flew five feet overhead during
the races, and people enjoyed horsedrawn sled rides. The other notable
fact about Yanji is that it’s 20 kilometers from the border with North
Korea. We missed the supposed
hydrogen bomb testing by a mere 72
hours. All of the schools in Yanji were
evacuated due to “seismic activity”
we later read in the English version of
the China Daily newspaper.
The highlight of the second venue,
Changchun, was most definitely the
Chinese Vassaloppet, a long-distance
classic ski marathon inspired by the
original event in Sweden. While the
Swedish version trumps in participation, the Chinese prevails in grandeur
and jaw-dropping awe. Magnificent
snow sculptures, some as tall as
five-story buildings, lined the race
stadium. It was difficult to maintain
composure and focus when doublepoling past fire-breathing monkeys,
lines of elephants and a dove with
the wingspan of half of a football
field! The sculptures were carved to
perfection. When asked for a design,
one of the workers pulled a crumpled
napkin from his back pocket. I’ve
been to Olympic stadiums and raced
marathons around the world – believe
me, this venue was memorable.
Our final race venue necessitated
a 17-hour bus ride from Changchun
to Xiwuqi in the Chinese province
of Inner Mongolia, just south of the
country of Mongolia. Most of the land
we traveled through was arid and flat,
but I was pleasantly surprised to see
at least three solid hours of wind turbines generating some of the energy
for the 1.3 billion Chinese.
Xiwuqi hosted the tour’s final two
races including a sprint race where I
literally wore my warmup pants over
my race suit because it was 15 below
and windy. While the ski races were a
blast, the real highlight was the camel
races. I felt as if I’d stepped into a
National Geographic photoshoot with
locals dressed head-to-toe in bright
colors. The camels were covered in
thick coats of fur and looked very
regal, yet were very wild. We watched
relay races that included passing a
spear from one teammate to the next.
We even saw a man get bucked off a
camel as if it were a rodeo. Of course I
had to try too …
At the completion of the races
the excitement didn’t end. We hung
around Beijing to see the Great Wall
of China and the Forbidden City. We
had crystal-clear weather for both occasions after Beijing’s horrendous air
quality made international news over
Christmas. Time after time we were
told how incredibly lucky we were.
Klister, gelato and an Alaskan in the Marcialonga
BY TRAVIS RECTOR
Along every crest, turn and downhill of the
course, fans greeted us with cheers of “Bravi!
Bravi!” But every so often I swore I could hear
strangers cheering my name. Maybe I was getting delusional from fatigue? My name, if mispronounced, does sound similar to the Italian cheer.
Then I heard a woman screaming “Travis! Travis!
America! America!” Out of 8,000 racers, I was one
of only 12 Americans in the race. It turns out I was
a bit of a novelty.
Translating as “the long march,” the Marcialonga is a 70-kilometer classic-only ski race held
in Trentino, a mountainous province in northern
Italy. Like many people, my fascination with the
Marcialonga came from watching the Ski Classics
race series. While all of these races feature beautiful scenery, the Marcialonga stood out. The thought
of skiing through quaint villages and countryside in
the Dolomites held particular charm. Plus, I’ll take
any excuse to go to Italy for gelato.
The first challenge was simply gaining entry to
the race. Online registration opens in October but
fills up within minutes because by that time very
few entries remain. Race organizers give most of
the bibs to tour groups and those companies were
not willing to assist those from outside the country.
But Norway’s Maxpulse (maxpulse.no) agreed to
help us out. Maxpulse took care of the logistics related to the race, including registration, lodging and
travel from Verona. Before the race, Maxpulse also
organized two ski trips in the area: one to Passo
di Lavazé, a Nordic trail system with spectacular
views of the Dolomites, and another to the World
PHOTOS COURTESY OF TRAVIS RECTOR
Cup stadium in Val di Fiemme.
The Marcialonga starts in the small town of
Moena. The first 18km consist of a gradual (1 percent average grade) climb up the Val di Fassa valley. The course then descends back down to Moena
and continues to Predazzo, which is the finish point
for the 45km “light” race. The course then continues down the Val di Fiemme valley. The meat of the
course, roughly 50 km, is mostly gradual downhill
and perfect for double poling. The last 2.5 km of the
race is the legendary Cascata climb to the finish
line in the town of Cavalese. For the second year in
a row, a lack of snow presented a formidable challenge to race organizers. Think the snowmaking at
Kincaid Park is impressive? The race was held on a
70km white strip of manmade snow that ran along
the Alaska nordic skier
an otherwise brown valley.
This year’s Marcialonga will be remembered
as one of the slowest because of the difficult snow
conditions. But if you’re doing the race to ski
fast, you’re missing the point. The course is to be
savored, as it winds along a picturesque countryside from one charming town to the next. Skiing
through villages, with crowds cheering and church
bells ringing, are among the experiences that
make the race memorable. In addition to the usual
oranges and energy drink, the aid stations had
plates heaping with chocolates, cookies and other
treats. And if you wanted a shot of espresso to get
you going, some of the aid stations had that, too. In
the background of it all is the jaw-dropping expanse
of the Dolomites.
The highlight of the race is the Cascata climb,
where the crowds and adrenaline power you up to
the finish line. I won’t pretend I was happy or comfortable the entire race, but by the end I knew I had
done something special.
As global warming makes winter snow less reliable, ski races will be more prone to being shortened or canceled. This year demonstrated that the
Marcialonga’s organizers were able to hold a race,
even in adverse conditions, thanks to their prodigious snowmaking abilities. So if you want to do the
race, be sure to plan early to get a start number,
be sure to say “grazie mille” to the volunteers, and
don’t forget to bring an American flag.
Travis Rector is a master skier, Junior Nordics coach and astrophysicist in Anchorage. He is
getting dizzy from skiing the snowmaking loop at
Kincaid Park.
15
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April/May 2016
Alaska’s finest young skiers shine bright on national, international trails
Slush Cup vs Blizzard Cup could be the labels for
each of Team Alaska’s competitions in early March.
While the skiers at the Junior Nationals Championships in Cable, Wisconsin, adapted to the weather
by skiing in tank tops with their bottoms as knickers, the skiers at the Arctic Winter Games in Nuuk,
Greenland, donned their full uniforms plus goggles
and were spotted making snow caves. On the day
Alaska skiers departed Greenland, there was a
75-degree temperature difference with the Alaska
skiers in Wisconsin, who were skiing a team hill
climb to the top of Mount Telemark.
Each event had its challenges. Organizers of the
Junior Nationals found ways for their show to go on,
though it was marked by record high temperatures.
They adapted race formats to preserve quickly
melting snow; they organized parent volunteers
to shovel snow from around the venue to the race
trails; they closed the trails to training; and they
started the sprint race day at 7:30 a.m. to beat the
heat. Meanwhile up north, the organizers in Nuuk
had to postpone races to wait for the wind to die
down for flights to land and reset courses so skiers
wouldn’t venture out too far and get lost in blowing
snow. One race was actually in blizzard-like conditions described as “stop you in your place headwinds.”
Several Alaskans were crowned National Champions in Wisconsin. Classic distance: Gus Schumacher (U16) and Hunter Wonders (U18). Freestyle
distance: Luke Jager (U16), Hunter Wonders (U18
and overall winner of U18/U20 race), Anna Darnell
(U18 and overall winner of U18/U20 race). King of
the Mountain Hill Climb: Hunter Wonders (U18
and overall winner), Travis Cooper (U20) and Anna
Darnell (U18). Four Alaska teams took top honors
at the hill climb, as well. Luke Jager, Ti Donaldson
and Gus Schumacher (U16); Anna Darnell, Maggie
York and Jenna DiFolco (U18); Hunter Wonders,
Canyon Tobin and Tracen Knopp (U18); and Travis
Cooper, Max Donaldson and Luke Cvancara (U20).
While Alaskans had strong showings each day at
Junior Nationals, they were not able to reclaim the
to space limitations, listing the top results of all
races is not possible. Full results can be found for
Junior Nationals at http://raceresults.sportstats.us/
events.xhtml (search “2016 USSA Junior National
Championships”) and for Arctic Winter Games at
http://awg2016.gems.pro/Result/Sport_List.aspx
(click on the “cross country ski” icon). Congratulations to all competitors who represented Alaska in
both Wisconsin and Greenland!
PHOTO BY ADAM VERRIER
Team Alaska skiers hit the hills hard at the 2016
Arctic Winter Games in Nuuk, Greenland. From left
is Zach Bassett, Tristan Wiese, Will Balcao and Roan
Hall.
Alaska Cup, which combines points earned each
day based on results. They placed third behind New
England and Midwest divisions. In the club standings, APU Nordic Ski Center and Alaska Winter
Stars placed third and fourth, respectively.
In Nuuk, the Alaska flag was the backdrop for
many a podium ceremony. Fairbanks U14 skier
Kaya Ratzlaff was at the top of the podium for
each of her races, including the relay with teammates Quincy Donley and Kendall Kramer. In the
3.75K mass start freestyle race, U16 skiers Emma
Jerome, Aubrey LeClair and Zoe Hancock swept
the podium. In the U18 freestyle sprint races Abby
Amick was the fastest sprinter of the girls and
Zach Bassett, Will Balcao and Roan Hall swept the
podium for the boys. In addition to the U14 girls,
Alaskans topped the podium in other relay races as
well: Max Beiergrohslein, Dale Baurick and Kelly
Martin (U14); Emma Jerome, Zoe Hancock and Aubrey LeClair (U16); and Zach Bassett, Will Balcao
and Roan Hall (U18). Most important, Team Alaska
once again took home the Hodgson Trophy. At each
Arctic Winter Games, the AWG International Committee presents this award to the contingent whose
athletes best exemplify the ideals of fair play and
team spirit.
Many skiers at both events did so well, that due
Ski season is over, but training and
planning never ends
Skiers of Cross Country Alaska should watch for
information regarding the USSA U16 camp held
in Lower 48 and the Regional Elite Group (REG)
camp held in Alaska. Club coaches will be notified
in April for skier invitations to the U16 camp. Arrangements will be made for the REG camp held in
Alaska and skiers will be notified in early May for
invitations to that camp.
The annual CCAK Spring Summit is from 9:30
a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, April 24, at the ConocoPhillips
building in Anchorage. Those interested in attending can contact CCAK to be put on the attendee list.
At the summit, the board of directors, competition
committee, club coaches, officials and host club
representatives from around the state review the
past season and look toward the upcoming season.
Additionally, the CCAK board of directors has one
open seat. If you are interested in stepping up to
participate on this level, please contact CCAK.
On behalf of the CCAK board, thanks to all who
helped with another successful season for the skiers of the ConocoPhillips Besh Cup race series. In
looking toward 2016-17, over the summer the CCAK
competition committee will put together the race
schedule and publish dates in the fall. The committee builds the schedule based on the high school
race schedule and the senior national championship races held in early January 2017. See you next
fall!
Learn more about CCAK at www.crosscountryalaska.org.
A wonderful winter at the happy huts … and a chance to build more
The hut has been booming lately,
with myriad S-turns squiggling down
Manitoba’s white face. Drawn by
bargain weekday rates, deep powder
and the wood-fired sauna, a record
number of visitors have been spending the night and cooking dinner for
themselves at the Manitoba Cabin.
“The cabin and yurts have been
booked all winter,” said Joan Travostino, board president of the Alaska
Mountain & Wilderness Huts Association. “The great snow south of Anchorage brought many people back to
Manitoba Mountain.”
More than 700 nights were reserved
in the two communal huts and private sleeping room from November
through January — a 56 percent
increase over the same period last
season. This winter surge meant
volunteers had to twice deliver more
propane and spend a day excavating two cords of backup wood from
snowbound storage beneath one of the
yurts.
“We’ve never had to resupply the
unprecedented country to hikers, skiers, pack-rafters and adventurers.
Huts will host a fundraising party
on April 14 at the TapRoot in Spenard.
A Flannel Affair will feature prizes,
a silent auction, a slideshow on the
White Mountain hut system, and three
rocking hours by local band Sassafras. The $10 cover and proceeds go to
Alaska Huts.
For more info, visit www.alaskahuts.org/
news/2016/3/6/alaska-huts-presents-a-flannelaffair.
Proposed Trail Glacier Hut site in the fall of 2015.
hut in the middle of a winter season
before,” said Amy Dalton, outreach
coordinator. “We are blown away by
the growth in use.”
The Manitoba facility — located off
Mile 49 of the Seward Highway on a
historic Gold Rush site — is operated
by the nonprofit Alaska Mountain
& Wilderness Huts Association as a
destination for outdoor education and
PHOTO BY TOM CALLAHAN
wilderness stewardship. Rates go as
low as $15 for a single person during
weekdays. Learn more at www.Alaskahuts.org.
The group hopes to build three new
facilities along the Placer River-Trail
River corridor in partnership with the
Alaska Railroad Whistle Stop program
and Chugach National Forest. This
new hut-to-hut system could open up
the Alaska nordic skier
PHOTO BY WILLIE DALTON
Manitoba Cabin has had unprecedented
use this winter and has required more
upkeep than previous seasons.
16
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April/MAy 2016
Alaska’s Norris
brings his best
to the Birkie
BY DAVE NORRIS
This story was first published in
the February 25 edition of the SkiPost
online newsletter .
I recently competed in the largest,
most esteemed race in North America
– the American Birkebeiner in Wisconsin. After 52K of exciting, tactical
racing, I took the win, fueled by the
support of the crowd and the fans on
Main Street cheering so loud I couldn’t
even hear myself breathe. It was an
event that beyond exceeded my expectations, with over 10,000 racers and an
even larger number of spectators. I
am humbled by all the encouragement
and support I have since received: the
Birkie community and culture is what
made this win so much more memorable than the rest.
With headlamps on and only a few
hours of sleep under their belts, the
Rossignol techs headed out hours
before the race start to help me choose
between my S2 and S3 white base
skis. It was decided that my S2s would
be the best overall ski through the
PHOTO BY PAUL WALSH
variable conditions I would face on the
course.
From the gun, the pace went out
steady for the first 10K before settling
in, with a lead pack of just about 15 or
20 guys forming. As the pace settled
in, I narrowed my focus on staying
out of trouble, trying to avoid any pole
breaks and attempting to ski efficiently
through the rolling terrain. Since joining APU two years ago, I have been
working a lot on my skate technique
with my coach, Erik Flora. In order
to save my legs for the surges that I
expected to happen towards the last
quarter of the race, I tried to ski with a
strong core and an elastic kick to keep
my legs from getting stiff.
When the pace picked up, I was
ready for the push. With about 7K left
in the race, the lead pack blew apart,
leaving me alone with six other Europeans. As we skied onto the lake as
a group, I knew the race would come
down to a sprint finish unless someone picked up the pace before Main
Street. Skiing across the slushy, soft
lake, I had deja vu to training on Eagle
Glacier with APU. Skiing there for the
past three summers has taught me
how to push effectively through nearly
bottomless slush conditions. I felt comfortable with the technique needed
to ski efficiently leading into the last
kilometer of the race.
I took the lead a few 100 meters
before we came off the lake increasing the pace, and when I hit the bridge
I was going all out having raced for
over two hours to get to this point. As
I exited the bridge, I started believing
more and more in myself that I could
take home the win.
Sprinting down Main Street was the
loudest cheering I have ever heard; the
screaming from the fans could seriously be compared to the noise produced
at a rock concert. I had no perception
of where my competitors were around
me because of all the noise, something
I have never experienced before.
This was a huge win and I couldn’t
be more excited about my accomplishment. What really made it special was
the entire Birkie experience and all
the amazing people who congratulated
me and have supported me so far in
my ski career. Big thanks to APU
Nordic Ski Center, Rossignol Skis and
Boots, Exel Poles, and Bliz Eyewear
and the many other individuals in the
ski community.
Thank you for the gift of snow!
A special season-ending thank
you to the Kincaid Project Group
for helping create the snow that
kept Nordic skiing and racing
alive at Kincaid Park this season!
NSAA’s members and leaders,
as well as skiers of all ages from
across Alaska and beyond, are
grateful for your extraordinary
efforts to support the Nordic
skiing community!
PHOTO BY BARRY JOHNSON
the AlASKA nordic skier