Today was the 4 x 5 km relay day at the Masters World Cup in Finland. Bad Bob Baker scrambled for the USA M4 team (the kids needed the M6 experience) that was the second place USA team (and 5th among nations in the M4 category) at 59:05, 10:14 behind the M1 team from Russia that won the gold. Chris Puchner and Bruce Jamieson skied the first two legs of the USA M7 team that finished 5th among the USA teams (8th among M7 teams).
Keep skiing fast!
Several Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks skiers are currently in Finland participating in the Masters World Cup 2016. Bad Bob Baker reports that conditions 2 hours before race time were 35 deg F and raining.
In the 10 km classical event, Bad Bob’s time was 36:07 (32 of 41 among the M6 men). Chris Puchner was 41:35. In the 10 km freestyle event, Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks Board President, Bruce Jamieson was 42:16. Congratulations, guys!
Have fun and we’ll see you when you return.
Although it’s been almost a month since Fairbanks has received any significant snowfall, thanks to the fantastic work of Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks (NSCF) groomers, all the trails at Birch Hill, and the section of the Chena River used for the Sonot Kkaazoot have been groomed, so skiing conditions are awesome. Nothing can be finer than sunshine and fresh corduroy for a nordic skier. That’s exactly what we encountered today.
Even without the sun, the temperatures have been moderate (but below freezing) so last Sunday, the SCUM (Sonot organizers) skied the Grand Tour (all the trails at Birch Hill with frequent rest stops.
If you aren’t enjoying Hawaiian beaches or competing in crosscountry races in Europe, skiing in Fairbanks is pretty close to perfect right now for either classical or skate skiing.
Remember to donate to the NSCF Trails fund since the NSCF (not the borough) does all the grooming at Birch Hill (and on the Chena River for the Sonot).
Kristen Bartecchi Rozell is teaching a 9-week long class at Birch Hill specifically designed for skiers preparing for the Sonot Kkaazoot. This Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks class involves skate technique and interval training as well as video analysis and an opportunity to have a guided session on the Sonot Kkaazoot connector trail to the Chena River. The class meets Tuesday evenings from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. beginning tomorrow, 26 January 2016.
To register, see:
http://nscfairbanks.net/index.php/adult-lessons/956-mid-winter-adult-lessons-registration-open-now
This class is highly recommended for the skier hoping to ski the 50 km Sonot Kkaazoot for the first time.
An extraordinarily strong El Nino is influencing weather patterns throughout the northern hemisphere and Interior Alaska is no exception. An early snow storm in late September led to downed trees and widespread power outages. Much warmer temperatures than normal in October melted most of the early winter snowpack but allowed trail clean-up and powerline repairs.
Robert practicing his doublepoling under trail light post on White Bear in late October
A snowy November provided Birch Hill groomers with daily challenges but gave us the needed snowpack when chinooks in December and January brought winds, above freezing temperatures, and no additional precipitation. These conditions again brought significant grooming challenges in the form of downed trees, debris, and globs of ice. However, thanks to our groomers whose tools include chain saws and rakes, we have the luxury of skiing on world class trails. However, donations to the Trail Fund are well below last season, so please consider an additional donation at:
https://nordicskicluboffairbanks.wildapricot.org/Donate/
Saturday’s 20 km Buetow Distance Race #2 featured a course including sections of the North 40, Black Hole, Blue, Outhouse, and Tower loops with deep, beautiful classical tracks (amazingly free of leaf debris) and a firm skate platform that was an absolute delight to ski. This event was a perfect training workout for the Sonot Kkaazoot and yet another reminder of the value of grooming and volunteers in the Nordic Ski community.
So, Alaska Nordic Skiers take note, we are skiing in Fairbanks and have been since early November. The Sonot Kkaazoot has never been canceled so make a commitment now to ski 20, 40 or 50 km on Saturday, 26 March 2016. The organization for the Sonot Kkaazoot is entirely volunteer so significant proceeds can go toward the grooming necessary to make the event (and training for the event) possible. Thus, we need your help. If you plan to ski the Sonot Kkaazoot, please sign up early.
https://sonotkkaazoot.org/register/
Not only will the registration fees be lower, you will assist us in planning for the event.
If you do not plan to ski, please consider volunteering to help out on race day as many of the Sonot Kkaazoot participants are the volunteers staffing the Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks events so this is their one event to race. We especially need people who can help with timing (an “inside” job) or staffing the various road and alpine hill crossings on Fort Wainwright. We also have other volunteer tasks that racers can do as well. See the “Volunteers” page on the Sonot Kkaazoot webpage for specifics or to sign up:
https://sonotkkaazoot.org/volunteers/
Enjoy the wonderful ski trails.
After a record warm winter so far in Interior Alaska, when the temperature was colder than -20 deg F this morning with wonderful hoarfrost snow still condensing from the skies, Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks Race Coordinator, John Estle, postponed Distance Race #2. However, with the course already groomed (but not marked with “V” board and pin flags), race-ready skiers ventured out onto the trails to take advantage of the opportunity to do their own time trial. As it turned out, they also got an opportunity to do their own course because of late changes only the groomers had seen:
Like little vegetable and flower starts that have spent the winter in a greenhouse, our training session today was like the “hardening” sessions that transplants get before moving outside to garden plots.
Thanks to Dermot Cole (cold weather photographer), here’s an action shot of two skiers on the course:
and one of them at the end of the “race”, sufficiently “hardened” to thrive in the race when it is rescheduled.
Stay tuned for the new race date.
The lovely snowfall that was squeezed out of our 0.39″ of precipitation earlier this week at Fairbanks International Airport, made for lovely conditions today at Birch Hill. However, with many of us suffering from job- or family-related stresses, early winter viruses, and seasonal affective disorder as we rapidly approach the winter solstice, we spent more time resting and/or rewaxing than actually skiing. The skate skiers spent time resting:
while the classic skiers disguised their rest stops as waxing efforts. (Both photos above were taken by Chris Broda).
With the winter solstice approaching in only 2 weeks, the 2015 Sonot Kkaazoot is just 3.5 months away. The time to train is now. The first race of the Buetow Dental Distance Race series will be held at Birch Hill on Saturday, December 13 at 11:00 a.m. In this event, you have your choice of 7.5 or 15 km distances in freestyle technique. You can early register until Thursday. Here’s the URL to the registration form with information for all three distance races:
Click to access entry_form_distance_series.pdf
and the race course map:
Click to access 15-map-course.pdf
You can also early register for the Sonot Kkaazoot using the comprehensive race entry form:
Click to access entry_form_comprehensive.pdf
Rest is good. But to prepare for racing requires some race efforts and the Distance Race series is a low-key way to ramp up the intensity of your ski efforts. At least, now there is some padding on the ground when you fall for those of us who are balance-challenged.
Unlike Sochi, where the Olympic cross country skiers are dealing with tropical conditions and deep slush, we will have firm trails with deep natural snow for Sunday’s third Buetow Dental Distance Race, the Raven Run. Anticipating rather cold temperatures, John Estle, Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks Competition Director, has selected the warmest, flattest course possible at Birch Hill Recreation Area. The 4-lap course gives skiers a 14 or 30 km option.
Here’s a map of the course:
In spite of the flatter course, classical skiing may be a faster option than skating for most skiers given the possibility of some delightful hoarfrost snow before or during this event. However, this final race in this season’s Distance Series will be a good endurance workout with the Sonot Kkaazoot a little over 6 weeks away. Also, you need to race to be eligible for the post-race drawing of valuable ski equipment and supplies from Raven Cross Country.
Reminder to the procrastinators out there, the Sonot Kkaazoot early registration ends in two weeks. Make the commitment now and save some money to use on the post-race celebration.
Six Fairbanks-based cross country skiers are in Austria competing in the 2014 Cross Country Masters Cup. These skiers include (in alphabetical order): Bad Bob Baker, Sonot Kkaazoot founder and longtime director; Dave Edic; Owen Hanley; Bruce Jamieson, co-President of the Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks (http://www.nscfairbanks.org/); Ken Leary, the only guy to finish all 26 of the Sonot Kkaazoot (long course), and the organizer of the Wednesday Night Race Series (http://www.wnrace.com/Home_Page.html); and Chris Puchner. All these skiers, in addition to being amazing local racers, have contributed countless hours toward improving the nordic ski opportunities in Fairbanks.
Here’s the link to World Masters Cup race results with first event scheduled for tomorrow (Saturday, 24 January 2014):
http://mwc2014.com/en/pillerseetal-masters-world-cup/home
Have fun, and ski fast!
Once again, the Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks will offer an eight-week ski class designed to help prepare adult skiers for the Sonot Kkaazoot. The course is held Tuesday nights at Birch Hill Recreation area from 6 to 7:30 p.m. More information can be found here:
http://www.nscfairbanks.org/index.php/adult-lessons2/749-feb-2014-adult-lessons
with online registration available here:
http://www.nscfairbanks.org/index.php/racing/754-online-registration-for-adult-lessons-is-open
This is a great way to improve your marathon technique and strategy skills from an instructor with lots of experience doing the Sonot Kkaazoot.
Sonot Kkaazoot 