With 208 days of groomed trails at Birch Hill this season, we had a Mother’s Day farewell to this year’s extended Nordic skiing season. Some of us selected the snowy sections, while others sought a real transition to summer adventures. However, we all concluded that the Sunday ski was a fun way to end a record-setting winter in Fairbanks, AK.
Groomer Bill Husby on the N40 trail on Mother’s Day, 2013
Dermot Cole at Sonot cutoff on Mother’s Day, 2013
Saturday, March 23, 2013
The 26th Annual Sonot Kkaazoot is now history. 279 Racers braved the cold new snow and wind to finish one of the 4 Sonot Kkaazoot events. A HUGE THANK YOU TO OUR AWESOME GROOMERS who made the cold new snow a little more bearable. Tom Helmers was out on the Birch Hill trails at 1 a.m. race day. Russ Lizotte, Ken Coe, and Andy Blossy started at 6 a.m. setting new tracks on the river. Our race day volunteers put in very long hours in the cold, and we are sincerely grateful for their essential assistance. OUR VOLUNTEERS INSURED A SAFE AND WELL-RUN EVENT AND WE CANNOT THANK THEM ENOUGH.
Bad Bob Baker is amazing and his contribution to this year’s event was remarkable.
Check back for Daniel Baker’s amazing event photos for sale, soon.
Congratulations to:
50 km Sonot Kkaazoot winners: Viktor Brannmark (UAA) and Raphaela Sieber (UAF). You made the harsh conditions look easy!
20 km Sonot Kkaazoot winners: Tristan Sayre and Jade Hajdukovich. These outstanding junior skiers have an amazing future ahead.
40 km Sonot Kkaazoot winners: Jonathan Koenig and Kristan Kelly
50 km Classical Technique Sonot Kkaazoot winners: Tyson Flaharty and Corrine Leistikow. Although there were only 11 racers in this division, there were three medical doctors in this event.
Thank you to all participants. Please come back next year. Saturday, 23 March 2013 wasn’t normal spring equinox weather conditions. If you have any comments, you’d like to share or suggestions for improving this event, please leave a comment for us and I’ll contact you offline for details.
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner stories on the event by Bob Eley:
http://www.newsminer.com/sports/local_community/article_e20405f4-945b-11e2-a405-001a4bcf6878.html
http://www.newsminer.com/sports/local_community/article_3141fa68-945c-11e2-b432-001a4bcf6878.html
Dermot Cole’s column on this year’s Sonot Kkaazoot:
http://www.newsminer.com/news/dermot_cole/article_0ab9bc28-9524-11e2-995a-0019bb30f31a.html
Sonot Kkaazoot 