Photos by Chris Broda
More 20 km turnaround photographs
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Final 2017 Sonot Kkaazoot results are posted
Thanks to Anna Sorensen, who barely caught her breath between serving as head timer for the Sonot Kkaazoot and chief of timing for the Super Tour Finals/USSA Distance National Championships, the final 2017 Sonot Kkaazoot times are posted. Results by class and by sex are available for download as PDF files on the Results page.
Although the elite skiers were absent from the 2017 Sonot Kkaazoot, Mother Nature made sure that the remaining skiers were sufficiently challenged. Last night at the Super Tour Skiathlon, temperatures were almost 30 deg warmer than at the start of the Sonot Kkaazoot on Saturday. So serving as a Super Tour volunteer wasn’t close to being as heroic as our Sonot Kkaazoot volunteers had to be.
Requests from 2017 Sonot Kkaazoot organizers
Even though the SCUM have physical and mental challenges, we like to learn from our experiences (good and not-so-good). Thus, we have two requests of you, the Sonot Kkaazoot skiers:
- Because some of the Jim Whisenhant ski trails at Birch Hill had to be modified because of the construction of the new grooming garage, Bad Bob Baker, Sonot chief-of-course, would like to know what distances your GPS devices recorded for the 40 and 50 km events on Saturday. Please let us know what device you were using and what course distance you obtained. Send your data to: contact@sonotkkaazoot.org and we’ll tally the results and adjust next year’s courses accordingly.
- A number of skiers found their glide and kick waxes to be exceedingly slow on Saturday. In the interest of speeding up race times so that the race course volunteers don’t succumb to hypothermia, please pass along any suggestions of wax combinations that worked or didn’t, and we’ll post that information for the collective Sonot Kkkaazoot blog following. Again send your comments, suggestions, and bitter disappointments to: contact@sonotkkaazoot.org
Just finishing the Sonot Kkaazoot is a win for some
Peter Leonard and Kate Fitzgerald are amazing skiers and their 50 km Sonot Kkaazoot victories Saturday were well-deserved. To many of us, just finishing the annual Sonot Kkaazoot is an accomplishment because of our increasing age and health-related challenges.
Among the SCUM organizers of the Sonot Kkaazoot, there were little internal achievements. This year, Byron Broda (who skis with two total knee replacements) beat Bad Bob Baker (whose heart stopped in June 2016 after winning his heat at the Jim Loftus Mile) to the 50 km finish line. Bruce Jamieson, who skied while undergoing chemotherapy had an endurance challenge shorter than that of Chris Puchner (who is still recovering from a bout of pneumonia). Bruce and Chris both skied at World Masters in Switzerland as did Baker and Owen Hanley, all SCUM volunteers for Saturday’s Sonot Kkaazoot.
Ken Coe, the trail sweep at Birch Hill, followed me from the top of the Sonot Connector and I could hear him behind me as I departed the stadium for the last time, However, I surprised Bob Baker, the Chena River sweep, because I was no longer the red lantern. That was because the wind had picked up a little and Dermot Cole’s layers of clothing became an effective sail holding him back. Thus, with my left leg cramping, I was able to pass him several km from the finish.
Photo by Susie Frei
As the final two 50 km finishers, we got the best bargain on our entry fees (most time per dollar spent). We’ll be back next year. I hope that you will be, too.
Skiers casting shadows at 20 km turnaround
Gallery
This gallery contains 10 photos.
All photos by Eric Troyer See earlier post for URL to Eric Troyer’s Google Photos gallery.
2017 Sonot Kkaazoot winners
Although all the 236 Sonot Kkaazoot skiers who finished the 30th annual Sonot Kkaazoot were winners (especially those skiers who volunteered and skied), the skiers who crossed the finish line first were:
Pete Leonard 50 km Men’s winner in 2:38:08.4
Kate Fitzgerald 50 km Women’s winner in 2:55:25.9:
Bruce Miller 50 km CL Men’s winner in 3:20:55.9:
Hilary Saucy 50 CL Women’s winner in 4:26:30.9
Neill Toelle 40 km Men’s winner in 2:25:37.5:
Davya Flaharty 40 km Women’s winner in 2:46:51.2:
Jonathan Burrell 20 km Men’s winner in 52:53.8
Rebecca Konieczny 20 km Women’s winner in 55:30.9
Congratulations!
All photos by Eric Troyer of skiers at 20 km turnaround point on Fort Wainwright. Will try to add other photos later. Some skiers bibs were covered at this point so their identity is uncertain.
Saturday morning trail report
Tom Helmers, head groomer for the Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks, reported at 2:30 a.m. that the temperature at the Fort Wainwright alpine lodge is 62 deg cooler than last year. Thus, there will be no water over the trail anywhere today.
Also, a truck is still stuck in the trail as it comes off the river. Here’s hoping that the owner doesn’t choose today to retrieve it.
See you at the start on the Chena River at the Cushman Street Bridge.
266 skiers signed up for 2017 Sonot Kkaazoot
As of this morning, 266 skiers are currently registered for the 2017 Sonot Kkaazoot. The 50 km event has 58 skiers after several skiers moved down to the 40 km or 20 km before bib pick-up. Fifteen skiers will take advantage of the early start to participate in the 50 km classical event, and 21 will compete in the 40 km event. The vast majority of skiers (currently 172) are signed up to take off on their Saturday ski at 10:30 ADT as part of the 20 km wave.
The Sonot trail on the Chena River has been deemed “race ready” by yet another of the Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks groomers. Bill Husby will be testing those trails himself as he starts with the 50 CL skiers at 9:30 a.m.
One more reason signing up for the Sonot Kkaazoot is good for you
From the New York Times, here is one more reason why signing up for the Sonot Kkaazoot (an intense workout) is good those of us with aging muscles:
Wednesday night Chena River trail report
Late Wednesday afternoon, Bad Bob Baker did grooming on the Sonot Kkaazoot trail on the Chena River. Here is a photo he took of the Steese Highway Bridge after the shoveling done by Byron, Dermot, Donovan, and Frank followed by Bob running his comb over the area a dozen times.
Bob also built a wide ramp from the parking lot down to the Sonot Kkaazoot start area under the Cushman Street bridge. This will make getting to and from the start/finish area MUCH easier than normal.
Course conditions for the 30th annual Sonot Kkaazoot are looking great!
Sonot Kkaazoot 