Thanks to Bad Bob Baker, we have action photos of Chris Puchner and Bruce Jamieson skiing in their 30 km freestyle events at World Masters. Good job, guys!
World Masters “SCUMMED”
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Tag Archives: volunteers
Visualize Skiing the Sonot Kkaazoot
Video
To help the first time participant in the Sonot Kkaazoot, here are a few videos of the 40 and 50 km events taken by Dermot Cole in 2015. The first clip is the mass start for the 40 and 50 km freestyle events:
Here is the climb up the Fort Wainwright alpine ski hill to the base of the Sonot Connector:
and 28 km later coming down the same hill:
Remember, if you smile, it’s no big deal.
Here’s Robert Hannon, Sonot military contact AND coordinator for FWW road crossings finishing:
Sign up now for the lowest entry fees. Early registration ends in less than two weeks on 26 February 2016.
Masters World Cup 30 km FS
The Masters World Cup Competition in Finland finished up with the long distance freestyle races. For the older age categories (M7 and older) , the long race is 30 km (just like the Distance Race #3 next week at Birch Hill). In it, Chris Puchner, who heads up the Sonot Kkaazoot start /finish area and feed stations, was the first Fairbanks skier and was 89th of 114 finishers (7 dropped out) with a time of 1:54.20. Bruce Jamieson, Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks president, was the 95th finisher with a time of 1:58.20.
Congratulations! You did it! We won’t be seeing you for long at the Sonot Kkaazoot start based on the three races you’ve done at Masters World.
Bad Bob + rain + snow = 45 km CL FUN
Ever wonder about the skier who came up with the idea of the Sonot Kkaazoot almost 3 decades ago, and then made it happen? Bad Bob Baker approaches ski races with the same passion that he embraces grooming the Sonot trail on the Chena River amidst jumbled ice and flowing water.
Today in typical Bad Bob fashion, he had 2 hours and 52 minutes of fun (in mixed rain and snow at 33 deg F) skiing the 45 km mass start classical event at Masters World Cup in Finland. Bad Bob finished 18 of 30 starters in the M6 race (only 26 finished) and was second American behind his former training partner, Dave Edic.
Keep having fun, Bob!
Bad Bob Baker at 15 km of 45 km CL Masters World Cup Race (photo by Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks president, Bruce Jamieson)
Relay day at Masters World Cup in Finland
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!
El Nino, Global Change, and the Sonot Kkaazoot
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.
More volunteers responsible for the “Miracle on Snow”
Reports from Sonot Kkaazoot participants (both local and from Anchorage) were that the trail conditions were fantastic in spite of the record heat during the week prior to the 28th annual Sonot Kkaazoot. Here are some photos of the heroes behind those trails at work and the final results of their efforts:
Although most skiers were too tired when they got to the crest of the bunny hill to look up at the slope that had melted away as a river of water on Friday, Sonot Kkaazoot skiers really owe their great day to Jeff Skeels who bulldozed this alternate route for them.
All photos by Chris Broda, Fort Wainwright alpine hill crossing volunteer and leader of Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks “Ladies of Leisure”
Early registration for Sonot Kkaazoot ends at 5 p.m. on Friday, 27 February 2015
Just a reminder that early registration for the Sonot Kkaazoot ends at 5 p.m. on Friday, 27 February 2015. Register now and save some money.
Volunteers are needed for inside and outdoor jobs on race day and before. Just leave a comment on the “Volunteers” page and we’ll get back to you.
Thanks from the Sonot Kkaazoot organizers.
Also, don’t forget the last Buetow Dental Distance Race (7.5 km to 30 km freestyle) is this Sunday, 1 March 2015 starting at 11:00 a.m. at Birch Hill Recreation Area.
Sky lanterns released from Birch Hill on solstice
Today was winter solstice and it was the coldest day this season at Birch Hill. Skies were clear and temperatures dropped from 20 deg F before sunrise to below zero in the early afternoon:
The sun barely arched above the horizon casting a beautiful orange hue to the hoarfrost covered trees. After our ski, we launched two sky lanterns from Birch Hill:
and they climbed quickly above warming hut and skyward.
Bill Husby, launch leader, commented that the sky lanterns were for Russell Lizotte (https://sonotkkaazoot.wordpress.com/2014/11/22/sad-news/) and Lars Spurkland (http://www.adn.com/article/20141212/ski-club-presidents-sudden-death-shocks-anchorage-nordic-skiers), who during their lives soared as volunteers of the nordic ski community in Alaska.
On the shortest day of the year, we remember two who gave skiers a lot of pleasure during their too short lives.
Sonot Kkaazoot training day after Distance Race #1
The day after the Buetow Dental Distance Race #1, a 7.5 and 15 km mass start test of Fairbanks Nordic skiers’ fitness, was 20 deg warmer so perfect for a slow recovery ski around the Birch Hill Recreation Area trails.
Recovery skis mean lots of rest breaks, and some skiers have resting down to a fine art as these skiers on the South Tower:
Enjoy the trails. Thanks to countless hours of volunteer efforts and donations from trail users, we have wonderful groomed trails to enjoy for 6 or more months. Please do your part.
Sonot Kkaazoot 