Wednesday Night Series Finale A Thriller and Killer
No doubt, 4 X 1.2K in a relay is harder than an individual 5K. At least this time, however, I didn't end up on my hands and knees fighting off an asthma attack. And with full light no chance to ski off the course!
For my runner friends it's about like doing 4X or 5X 1K at 3000 m pace.
I'm a total slacker on getting it together for a relay partner for the final race, but fortunately masters skier Gary Holton was available so we had a good team. No matter that some of the best skiers in Alaska, if not the U.S. were there--Erik Bjornsen, Logan Hanneman, Lex Treinen--not to mention Sonot winner Heather Edic and men's runner up Cody Priest. My main goal was to beat the dastardly duo of Bad Bob and Dave.
Last year on a slushy evening I teamed up with Jim Button and we took 3rd overall out of 11 teams. With this year's larger(23 teams) and a deeper field--free pizza and door prizes bring them out of the woodwork--the competition would be more tough, although glide would be better.
The start line was crowded, and the start was fast.
Race Director Ken Leary egging us on at the start line.
I took it fairly easy on the first lap on the rolling circuit--a perfect loop for a sprint course--overall better terrain than in the main stadium at Birch, but not as spectator friendly.
It starts with 30 m of flat, then a sharp downhill turn followed by a couple rollers, and then 1.5 minutes or more of steady climb, with a couple soft corners to lose a pole. It concludes with a rolling downhill, that still requires some work after the dips.
The teams made up for some interesting back and forth and battles. So we were fighting it out most of the way with son-father teams of Logan-Karl Hanneman and Mike-Stephan Hajdukovich plus the sister team of Heather and Megan Edic. And for three or four laps Bob and Dave gave us a good scare. Bob left me in the dust through the first lap, until the very end, and he may have nipped me by a boot. Dave got a good start while Gary got caught in traffic at the exchange. So he was 30 m back when I started our 3rd lap, but we pulled into a comfortable lead after that and didn't look back.
With Dave's daughters it wasn't so easy. It was pretty even until my 3rd lap, when I pulled away from Heather, but on my 4th lap (9th of the race) she started with a little gap of a few seconds which I closed by the top of the hill only to lose it and then some on the "easier" downhill and transitions which she just hammered. So they had 7 or 8 seconds at the exchange and we were not able to close that.
For some reason, I thought we'd won the masters crown, but that wasn't to be as "masters" for the relay (and the series) is 50+. So we got them on the head to head but Bob and Dave take the 50+ crown again. DOH! Gary was a good relay partner, but next year I've got to be on a team with a 50+ skier!
Up front the team of Will Coleman and Alex Morris held off Max Kaufman and Dash Feierabend by 10 seconds, with Bjornsen and Ally McPhetres taking 3rd.
All in good fun. End of season races can be quite competitive--and this relay is downright hard. I also really felt it, this being only my third time on skis since the Sonot.
Thanks to Ken Leary for putting on the series as well as sponsors Beaver Sports, Raven Sports, and Goldstream Sports, Everts Air, and Challenge Life.
Relay Results – (each team skied 8 times around a 1.2k loop)
Pizzaman Will Coleman and Big Alex Moris............................23:03 (1st team)
Max Kaufman and Dash Feierabend.........................................23:13
3. Eric Bjornsen and Ally McPhetres…………………….………23:35 (1st Coed team)
4. Karl Hanneman and Logan Hanneman………………..………23:56 (1st Family team)
5. Cody Priest and David Apperson……………………..…….…24:03
6. Heather Edic and Megan Edic…………………………………24:18 (1st all Lady team beating Dad >1:08 seconds)
7. Mike Hajdukovich and Stefan Hajdukovich……………………24:19 (1st Father & Son team)
8. Roger Sayre and Gary Holton…………………………………..24:29
9. Liam Ortega and Theresia Schnurr………………………………24:37
10. Dave Edic and Bob Baker……………………………………….25:26 (1st Master team)
11. Jim Button and Maddie Button………………………………….26:20 (1st Father & Daughter team)
12. Jim Lokken and Patrick Lovey………………………….………..26:21
13. Mark Ross and Nathan Graff…………………………….………28:06
14. Lex Treinen and Ross MacDougall………………………………28:07
15. Kristan Kelly and Logan Mowry………………………….……..29:08 ( 1st Mother & Son team)
16. Karin Gillis and Hanna Gillis……………………………….……29:52 (1st Mother & Daughter team)
17. Byron Broda and Chris Broda……………………………………29:58 (1st Wife & Husband team)
18. Jade Hajdukovich and Kiana Hamlin………………………..……30:32 (1st Youth team)
19. Matt Stoller and Brandon Hoover………………………….….….31:20
20. Tom Dale and Barb Creighton………………………………..…..31:34
21. Jamie Johnson, Michelle Hajdukovich, and Ginger Hamlin….......31:44
22. Pete Wilde and Tim Mowry……………………………………...34:07
23. Gary Moore and Jim Brown……………………………………...34:59
For my runner friends it's about like doing 4X or 5X 1K at 3000 m pace.
I'm a total slacker on getting it together for a relay partner for the final race, but fortunately masters skier Gary Holton was available so we had a good team. No matter that some of the best skiers in Alaska, if not the U.S. were there--Erik Bjornsen, Logan Hanneman, Lex Treinen--not to mention Sonot winner Heather Edic and men's runner up Cody Priest. My main goal was to beat the dastardly duo of Bad Bob and Dave.
Last year on a slushy evening I teamed up with Jim Button and we took 3rd overall out of 11 teams. With this year's larger(23 teams) and a deeper field--free pizza and door prizes bring them out of the woodwork--the competition would be more tough, although glide would be better.
The start line was crowded, and the start was fast.
I took it fairly easy on the first lap on the rolling circuit--a perfect loop for a sprint course--overall better terrain than in the main stadium at Birch, but not as spectator friendly.
It starts with 30 m of flat, then a sharp downhill turn followed by a couple rollers, and then 1.5 minutes or more of steady climb, with a couple soft corners to lose a pole. It concludes with a rolling downhill, that still requires some work after the dips.
The teams made up for some interesting back and forth and battles. So we were fighting it out most of the way with son-father teams of Logan-Karl Hanneman and Mike-Stephan Hajdukovich plus the sister team of Heather and Megan Edic. And for three or four laps Bob and Dave gave us a good scare. Bob left me in the dust through the first lap, until the very end, and he may have nipped me by a boot. Dave got a good start while Gary got caught in traffic at the exchange. So he was 30 m back when I started our 3rd lap, but we pulled into a comfortable lead after that and didn't look back.
With Dave's daughters it wasn't so easy. It was pretty even until my 3rd lap, when I pulled away from Heather, but on my 4th lap (9th of the race) she started with a little gap of a few seconds which I closed by the top of the hill only to lose it and then some on the "easier" downhill and transitions which she just hammered. So they had 7 or 8 seconds at the exchange and we were not able to close that.
For some reason, I thought we'd won the masters crown, but that wasn't to be as "masters" for the relay (and the series) is 50+. So we got them on the head to head but Bob and Dave take the 50+ crown again. DOH! Gary was a good relay partner, but next year I've got to be on a team with a 50+ skier!
Up front the team of Will Coleman and Alex Morris held off Max Kaufman and Dash Feierabend by 10 seconds, with Bjornsen and Ally McPhetres taking 3rd.
All in good fun. End of season races can be quite competitive--and this relay is downright hard. I also really felt it, this being only my third time on skis since the Sonot.
Thanks to Ken Leary for putting on the series as well as sponsors Beaver Sports, Raven Sports, and Goldstream Sports, Everts Air, and Challenge Life.
Relay Results – (each team skied 8 times around a 1.2k loop)
Pizzaman Will Coleman and Big Alex Moris............................23:03 (1st team)
Max Kaufman and Dash Feierabend.........................................23:13
3. Eric Bjornsen and Ally McPhetres…………………….………23:35 (1st Coed team)
4. Karl Hanneman and Logan Hanneman………………..………23:56 (1st Family team)
5. Cody Priest and David Apperson……………………..…….…24:03
6. Heather Edic and Megan Edic…………………………………24:18 (1st all Lady team beating Dad >1:08 seconds)
7. Mike Hajdukovich and Stefan Hajdukovich……………………24:19 (1st Father & Son team)
8. Roger Sayre and Gary Holton…………………………………..24:29
9. Liam Ortega and Theresia Schnurr………………………………24:37
10. Dave Edic and Bob Baker……………………………………….25:26 (1st Master team)
11. Jim Button and Maddie Button………………………………….26:20 (1st Father & Daughter team)
12. Jim Lokken and Patrick Lovey………………………….………..26:21
13. Mark Ross and Nathan Graff…………………………….………28:06
14. Lex Treinen and Ross MacDougall………………………………28:07
15. Kristan Kelly and Logan Mowry………………………….……..29:08 ( 1st Mother & Son team)
16. Karin Gillis and Hanna Gillis……………………………….……29:52 (1st Mother & Daughter team)
17. Byron Broda and Chris Broda……………………………………29:58 (1st Wife & Husband team)
18. Jade Hajdukovich and Kiana Hamlin………………………..……30:32 (1st Youth team)
19. Matt Stoller and Brandon Hoover………………………….….….31:20
20. Tom Dale and Barb Creighton………………………………..…..31:34
21. Jamie Johnson, Michelle Hajdukovich, and Ginger Hamlin….......31:44
22. Pete Wilde and Tim Mowry……………………………………...34:07
23. Gary Moore and Jim Brown……………………………………...34:59
posted by Roger at
11:09 AM
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