The sub-zero temperatures that have descended upon Interior Alaska during darkness hours for over a week have kept river break-up at bay. As of yesterday, Fort Wainwright groomers had turned the Sonot Connector and “ditch” between the ski lodge and the Chena River into beautiful corduroy. The first 5-hour dragging effort on the river was conducted yesterday after the Unlimited North American Sled Dog Races were over, and though rough in places, the river will be safe and skiable by race day, barring a radical change in weather. Full details will be available at bib pick-up this Thursday, 21 March.

photo by Bill Husby of “ditch” between Fort Wainwright alpine area and Chena River after grooming by Fort Wainwright piston bully on Sunday (St. Patrick’s Day)

As you approach the start line on the Chena River for the start of the 26^th Annual Sonot Kkaazoot, you may wonder where you entry fee goes. Thanks to the generous sponsorship of Denali State Bank, Doyon Limited, Fairbanks North Star Borough Parks and Recreation, Fort Wainwright, and the Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks, we have race bibs, a fantastic location for early bib pick-up and race day start and finish support, a location for Birch Hill support and our awards ceremony, and fantastic ski trail grooming at Birch Hill, on the Chena River, and on along the ditch between the Chena River and the Fort Wainwright ski area and the Sonot Connector.

Although most of the race organizers are volunteers from the Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks, the head timer is reimbursed for her efforts and each of the main aid stations are staffed by middle and high school Cross Country Ski Team Booster Clubs who receive financial support from the Sonot Kkaazoot for their fruit and baked goodies and long day outside keeping skiers fueled and encouraged.  Entry fees also cover the costs of aid station cups and sports drinks, award ceremony supplies, soups, and breads, costs associated with fabricating awards, trail signage, and fuel for grooming equipment. Like in our personal lives, energy costs (in the case of the Sonot Kkaazoot, diesel for the Piston Bully and gasoline for the snowmachines) have increased substantially this year.  The Sonot Kkaazoot race course involves a minimum of three passes along approximately 38 km of trail as only the Chena River and the Fort Wainwright trails between the River and the top of the Sonot Connector are skied in both directions by 40 and 50 km Sonot participants.

Event swag (this year both technical fabric long-sleeved t-shirts and headbands with Sonot design by Fairbanks artist Dee Dee Hammond) will be sold to race participants at cost at the bib pick-up and awards ceremony.

Photo by Daniel Baker Photography

As a 35 year resident of Fairbanks, I have never noticed an absence of females in any human-powered outdoor activity—especially in multi-sport events and in running marathons. In the most recent Equinox Marathon, there were 310 female finishers out of a total field of 647, so 48% of the runners passing through the Equinox finish chutes in front of Patty Building were women. However, in the 2012 Sonot Kkaazoot, only 27 women skied through the 50 km finish near the Cushman Street Bridge of the total field of 123. In the entire 25 year history of the Sonot Kkaazoot, women have averaged 21% of the 50 km finishers.

In both skiing and running, women have a speed disadvantage over men. However, last year I was the red lantern in the Sonot Kkaazoot among women, but finished ahead of 5 men. In many of the 25 years that I have skied the Sonot, I have been the overall red lantern, but Bad Bob Baker (or in later years, his son Daniel) would patiently wait for me to ski past the km markers on the Chena River before retrieving them.

Maybe because the Equinox Marathon is only 42 km, it seems less intimidating. So this year, we have added a 40 km Sonot Kkaazoot event that eliminates the most technical loops at Birch Hill and between an hour to 90 minutes off the finish time for the non-elite skier doing the entire 50 km course.

Finally, this year we will have special Sonot Kkaazoot swag for women. Because women tend to have significantly more insulation (i.e. hair) on their heads that guys do, headbands rather than hats are often our choice for spring skiing.  Look at all the photographs of female skiers from World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy. Many are wearing headbands not hats. This year at bib pick-up or at the Sonot awards banquet, event participants will be able to purchase “Ventilator” headbands designed by a former Canadian National Team skier for “high intensity exercise in temperatures as cold as 15 deg F.”

Because we combined our Sonot order with the order for Junior Nationals, we will be selling the headbands for less than $15. The headbands (color choices: navy, white, or lava flow—the closest we could find to Bad Bob orange) have a logo created for the Sonot Kkaazoot by Dee Dee Hammond (http://home.gci.net/~cwphoto/site/pages/artists/Artists/3-DEEDEE-Hammond/3-DEEDEE-Hammond.html).We will also selling technical fabric long-sleeved t-shirts with Dee Dee’s design, too.

The actual headband can be viewed here:

http://www.sauceheadwear.com/shop/products/ventilator-headband/

So, please ladies and girls, sign up for any of the 4 Sonot Kkaazoot events: 50 km classical, 50 km freestyle, 40 km freestyle, or 20 km freestyle, and you’ll be able to get a bargain-priced “hot headband” with the Sonot Kkaazoot logo. Remember that the early registration period ends this Thursday, 28 February at 5 p.m.  

Unlike earlier years, this year we have offered an early registration fee and period. Early registration ends on Thursday, 28 February 2013. This means any entries received at the Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks (NSCF)  that day, any entries filled out and left at Raven Cross Country, Goldstream Sports, or Beaver Sports prior 5:00 p.m. on that day, or submitted via the NSCF secure registration site prior to 5:00 p.m. Alaska Standard Time on 28 February will be accepted at the early registration fee level.

https://sonotkkaazoot.wordpress.com/register/