End of Season Recap

Wow. What a season. The Utah SkiMo season ended two weeks ago with the final race of the Ski the Beav series up in Logan. We had races canceled for lack of snow (Skin the Turkey Race) and too much snow (Logan race due to unsafe driving conditions). We raced in all conditions- powder, sun, cold, wind and lightning- and no matter the conditions you came and crushed! And for that we thank you (and, quite frankly are proud and impressed!).

Across the pond the United States competed in the bi-annual ISMF World Championships and the team finished in 6th place- the highest for the US Team! Tom Goth was the lone Wasatch athlete. The next world’s is only 2 years away-time to start training!

For those still motivated and not lured away from skiing by flip flops, biking and climbing, the US race season has two more events on the calendar- Cody’s Challenge at Steamboat on April 1st and the Father Dwyer Postal Route in Leadville on April 8th

   

We couldn’t do it without you or our sponsors– Voile, Skimo.co, The Sport Loft, Gnarly Nutrition, Dynafit, Julbo, Clif Bar La Sportiva and Black Diamond. So thank you and remember to thank our sponsors for their support by supporting them!

Youth Program Update
At this years Wasatch PowderKeg, participants noticed an obvious drop in the average racer age. This noticeable youthful energy was a result dedicated youth racers, parents, coaches and Utah Skimo. 
 
Early in the waning months of fall, Sarah Cookler, Nina Silitch, Pete Stoughton and Chad Brackelsberg and a dream of forming a Utah Youth Skimo League. With some behind the scenes planning, and determined coaches, two teams formed. Silver fork Skimo, under the direction of Sarah Cookler, and Park City Skimo, coached by Nina Silitch, formed. The youth trained at the respective locations and occasionally gathered atTuesday Night Races at Brighton. 
 
Through the guidance of the Youth League Director, Pete Stoughton, the race series consisted of three races. In order for students to be eligible for the state championship they must have raced in the Crowbar, PowderKeg Vert and PowderKeg race. 
 
In total, the first year was a success. We had 15 student participants ranging in age from 9-16. Not only was the year a blast, but is a great building block to developing Utah Skimo. 
 
We are excited to see the sport grow and hope to see many of these young men and women represent the US in 2022.
 
Pete

 

Utah Skimo Youth League Race Results

At this years Wasatch PowderKeg, participants noticed an obvious drop in the average racer age. This noticeable youthful energy was a result dedicated youth racers, parents, coaches and Utah Skimo. 
 
Early in the waning months of fall, Sarah Cookler, Nina Silitch, Pete Stoughton and Chad Brackelsberg and a dream of forming a Utah Youth Skimo League. With some behind the scenes planning, and determined coaches, two teams formed. Silver fork Skimo, under the direction of Sarah Cookler, and Park City Skimo, coached by Nina Silitch, formed. The youth trained at the respective locations and occasionally gathered at Tuesday Night Races at Brighton. 
 
Through the guidance of the Youth League Director, Pete Stoughton, the race series consisted of three races. In order for students to be eligible for the state championship they must have raced in the Crowbar, PowderKeg Vert and PowderKeg race. 
 
In total, the first year was a success. We had 15 student participants ranging in age from 9-16. Not only was the year a blast, but is a great building block to developing Utah Skimo. 
 
We are excited to see the sport grow and hope to see many of these young men and women represent the US in 2022.

Logan Race # 3

Logan Race # 3, 2/24, Beaver Mountain
As always, these will be fun, low-key, social events with a little competition thrown in.  Helmets and headlamps are required.  Open to all ages and abilities!  We’ll even have some sweet prizes given out by random drawing (Altra gift card, Powderkeg Entry!).
 
All races are FREE for Utah Skimo members ($10 for non-members).  Annual membership includes free entry to all Utah Skimo races, including the Tuesday night Brighton series, and a slew of other perks (like access to demo race gear).

Interested?
 
1) Sign up as a Utah Skimo member
2) Complete the online waiver (adult or youth)
3) ‘Like’ their Facebook page and follow them on Twitter to get updates
 
These races are organized entirely by volunteers.  If you’re not sure about racing but would like to help out, let them know!

No dogs please.

Questions? Contact Daviddavid.zeke.rosenberg@gmail.com

February 21st (the last race of the season)

Come join us for the last race of the season this coming tuesday. This weeks course will be starting at the base of Great Western lift at 7pm. The course is a 3 loop points based course that will see everyone having to do all 3 loops in any order you want and then getting as many points after that you can in an hour. The top short loop (175′) is worth 1 point, the middle longest loop (600′) is worth 4 points and the bottom middle loop (300′) is worth 2 points. Make sure you stick around at Alpine Rose afterwards because we got a lot of cool stuff to raffle off including some Dynafit skis!
LastRace
Please remember to park my Milli chalet and walk over to Great Western for the start. As a reminder if you have not signed BOTH waivers go onto utahskimo.org and sign both waivers. You can also make donations there as well for the races instead of bringing cash with you to the race.The Dynafit skis will be raffled off only to someone who has signed up as member and paid for the full season this year. If you have been given a key tag bring it up and make your check in faster. 
 
Will see you at Brighton!

Next Tuesday’s race

Here is the the raffle swag for next Tuesday night’s race. We have got great stuff from our even greater sponsors: Dynafit, Voile, Gnarly Nutrition, Skimo.co, Black Diamond, Julbo, Cliff Bars. Grand prize for the year is a pair of DYNAFIT CHUGACH SKIS. The only way you can win these bad boys is to be at the Alpine Rose after the race, have a raffle ticket and be a year member of Utah Skimo (we will be checking). So if you have raced this season and would like to see these races continue in the future, sign up for a year membership now! If you have already signed up this year, you are on your way there to winning these skis!
More details to come on course and location. 
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Wasatch PowderKeg Volunteers needed

The 15th Annual Wasatch Powder Keg is coming up!

Thanks to dedicated volunteers, continued racer enthusiasm, and the generous support of many outdoor manufacturers and retailers, the Wasatch Powder Keg remains one of the largest ski mountaineering (skimo) races in the US and it continues to grow! 

The Wasatch Powder Keg will be held on March 10th and 11th!  This year’s race will host a new Friday night Vertical Race followed by the pre-race meeting. Saturday will be the traditional Powder Keg Individual Race. 

Events

  • The Wasatch Powder Keg Ski Mountaineering races on Friday and Saturday
  • 2 days of free gear demos on Saturday and Sunday
  • Saturday and Sunday Half- and full-day clinics on topics such as steep skiing, split-boarding, efficient backcountry travel techniques, mountaineering skills for backcountry riders, ski photography, and avalanche travel and rescue skills.
  • A Saturday afternoon party featuring a live band, BBQ, and a drawing for donated gear

We’re looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help continue the outstanding success of this race. Whether you’re a veteran volunteer from years past or new this year, we want you on the Powder Keg team.  We have volunteer positions for skiers and non-skiers alike.  To sign up, please reply to this email with the information requested below.

This is a great opportunity to participate in a home-grown event in a rapidly growing sport that features the best skimo racers around. Everyone who volunteers for Saturday gets a Powder Keg shirt, BBQ lunch, an Epic beer, and your name will be in the raffle prizes. 

As a volunteer, your commitment includes:

  • If volunteering Friday 10 March – available from 3 PM to 7:00 PM
  • If volunteering Saturday 11 March – available from ~5:30 AM to ~ 12:00 PM
  • Help set the course Wednesday (8th), Thursday (9th) and Friday (10th)

 Powder Keg Race starting times – all from the Milly Base:

  • The Vertical Race – Friday at 4:00 PM
  • The Powder Keg – Saturday at 7:30 AM

 Course maps, schedules, and more information is available at www.wasatchpowderkeg.com

Information needed to volunteer:

Name:  
Preferred email address:  
Telephone number:  
T-shirt size:  __WS  __WM  __WL  __WXL 
__MS  __MM  __ML  __MXL
Skiing or non-skiing position: __skiing  __non-skiing
__backcountry  __in-bounds
Help set course: __yes  __no
__Wednesday  __Thursday  __Friday
__full day    __ morning    __afternoon  
Volunteer for Friday Race, 10 Mar: __yes  __no
Volunteer for the Saturday Powder Keg race, 11 Mar: __yes  __no

To sign up as a volunteer, please reply to this email with the following information.  We will do our best to match your assignment with your preference. If you’re a returning volunteer and want your same position, let me know.  Please note that many of this year’s skiing positions will require touring to reach the checkpoint or return to Brighton’s base and require the shuttle of course markings (flags, bamboo, etc).

Wasatch Ski Mountaineering Race, February 7

Final clinic of the season this Tuesday, 2/7 at 6 pm before the 7 pm race -and from the look of course it looks like it would benefit us all to go! Clinic will meet at 6 pm at the base of Milly and cover kick turns and skinning technique and hopefully we’ll get is some transition practice as well!
 
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Kick turns, Kick turns and more Kick turns! Lots of kick turns and a booter is in store for this week’s ALL OFF PISTE tuesday night race. We have a great course lined up with a small climb and descent leading to a longer climb with a booter thrown in as well. All this will make an 800′ lap, race will do 3 laps rec does 2. The second descent will not cross the up track as it will be just to the right. The weatherman says it’s supposed to start storming again this week so it should be a powder filled race. Have we had any non powder races his year? Woohoo!!
 
This week we will be back at millicent base area and as always, starting at 7pm SHARP. Please remember to sign BOTH waivers online beforehand if you have not already. If you have been given a key tag for the season bring that along and go through check in faster. If you have not received one we will get you one at check in. If you are paying per race please pay online before you come or even better buy a membership and help support the series and Utah Skimo. Please join us at Alpine Rose after the race for food, beer, and prizes. And as a special deal bring a newbie racer this week and get an extra raffle tag!RaceCourse

Tuesday, January 24th Race

Next race this Tuesday night 1/24. We will be racing this week on the millicent side of the mountain. Short course format doing multiple laps on one course. We will start at the base of milli going up climber’s right along the ski area boundary. There will be at least 1 booter, maybe more. We will climb up about 400-500′ and intersect with easy out trail and come back to the bottom. Sorry there is no map this week, Brighton has been red lighted for the last few days. There will be some great skiing to be had with all this snow!
 
As a reminder if you have never raced or raced years past, you HAVE to have signed both brighton and Utahskimo race waivers THIS SEASON. You will find these at utahskimo.org in the top left hand corner of the page. If you have not you will be held up at sign in to get them signed before you race.And it takes time you want to be warming up or skiing.
 
 If you are not a member check out our member tab and join. Become part of the growing utahskimo family and help keep our races going with your donation. Also take a look at all the benefits you get by joining.  Also, don’t forget your key tags to check in faster!
 
Remember great prizes and food after at the Alpine rose (behind the main brighton ticket building)
 
Look forward to seeing you there!

Weekly Race Recaps, Crowbar and Powder Keg Coming up!

It’s Friday. Whoop Whoop! Hope everyone’s had a chance to recover from last week races using the best possible, proven method- powder skiing. If you haven’t, looks like you’ve got a good chance to get some more in this weekend! In addition to the weeknight series, some bigger local races are coming up. If you haven’t raced either the Crowbar Backcountry Race or the Wasatch Powder Keg what are you waiting for?! This is your year (and as Warren Miller liked to say, if you don’t do it this year, you’ll be one year older when you do!). And if you have done the races, then gosh darn it, you know how much fun they are so sign yourself and a friend up, you know neither one will regret it!

Weeknight race recaps. We had two week night races happening last week! First, on Tuesday up at Brighton those who braved the weather and slick canyon road were rewarded with a full on powder course! Adam Holmes and Najeeby Quinn won the coveted cookies as our respective men’s and women’s winner and pretty much everyone had a good chance of walking out with at least a Voile Strap (as always, thanks to our sponsors- Voile, The Sport Loft, Skimo Co, Gnarly Nutrition, Dynafit and Black Diamond- for helping with the races and providing awesome raffle prizes!).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The second race of the week marked the beginning of the Beaver Mountain weeknight series! We had a small but enthusiastic group show up to Beaver Mountain on Friday night, to run laps on a fun 500-vertical-foot course set by Tyler King.  Kick turns through the trees led to a screaming groomer descent on excellent snow.  The demo gear was quite popular – thanks for the hand delivery, Layne! – and we were thrilled to sign up a slew of new Utah Skimo members and to see a couple talented young athletes try skimo for the first time.  There was a fierce battle up front, as newcomer Rylan Schadegg relentlessly chased down some tired old man (the author).  Each completed 5 laps a few minutes under the one-hour cutoff.  The old man prevailed… barely… but Rylan is currently practicing transitions in his yard and planning to crush everything in sight the rest of this season.  Lucky winners took home randomly-drawn prizes, including a free entry to theJan. 28 CROWBAR race and a $50 Altra gift card.  Thanks to our sponsors, participants, volunteers, and especially Beaver Mountain!  The next Logan race is Feb. 10 at 630 pm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exciting Upcoming Races! Remember those race I mentioned earlier? Here’s some more information!
Come join us January 28th at 9:00am for the CROWBAR backcountry ski race!  CROWBAR is held entirely outside of ski area boundaries in Logan Canyon, Utah. Race, Recreational and Junior (under 18) divisions are offered. The course includes big climbs and fun descents on ridges, forested slopes, and open powder fields, while avoiding avalanche terrain and providing spectacular views of the Bear River Range.
This year Cache Valley local youth and Utah SkiMo Youth League members race for free! 
For more information and to register, visit UltraSignup.com or email crowbar@nordicunited.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 15th annual Wasatch Powder Keg will be held on March 10-11 at Brighton Ski Resort. The Powder Keg is a test of speed, strength, and endurance for any backcountry skier. This year will feature a Friday afternoon Vertical Race and Saturday Individual Race. The Powder Keg is part of the US Ski Mountaineering Association National Race Series. Register here!

Upcoming Utah Skimo Events!

And don’t forget about the other events we have going on!  We’ve a women’s meet-up Thursday nights at Brighton and an Uphill at PCMR meet- up happening on Wednesdays. Ski-Yo on Tuesday, Jan. 31st, 6:30 at the Skimo Co retail store and hopefully a clinic on skinning technique before the Feb 4th race at Brighton.

Don’t forget to call Jeff Handwerk,  an instructor at Solitude who’d love to help you crush the downhill on lightweight gear. To set up a lesson, contact him directly. To have even more fun, get a group together for a group lesson!
jeff.handwerk@gmail.com
801.944.9805

January 24
Wasatch Citizen Series Race #4
Brighton Ski Resort
7:00 pm SHARP (be at the start by 6:55 or be square)
It’s another Tuesdaynight race so I guess that means another powder day? Weather’s setting up for another powder course on this week (that would make 3 out of 4 so far this year!) so make sure you leave in plenty of time to make it up safely, and save a little energy for the whooping and hollering on the downhill!

January 25
Uphill at PCMR
6:30 pm Payday Lift at Park City Mountain Resort
Join us Wednesdaynights during January to skin up Park City Mountain! With a focus on fun and fitness, this is a great way to get to know other members of the skimo tribe, learn about the local race scene, and work on your 2017 resolution to get more vert. 🙂
All fitness levels welcome, on any type of skimo gear (race, AT, splitboards – anything with skins). Please bring your own gear, helmet and headlamp, and be ready to go at the bottom of PayDay Lift at 6:30pm. Running late? Just head up climber’s left of Homerun to find us. We look forward to seeing you there! (Note: PayDay is not the lift pictured in the event photo.) 
Please follow the uphill policy for Park City Mountain at all times: http://www.parkcitymountain.com/mountain/safety.aspx#/UphillTravel.

January 26
Ladies Night!
6:30 Brighton Ski Resort
A fun night for women and girls of all abilities on all uphill ski gear interested in participating in Ski Mountaineering racing for fun and fitness. Please bring your own backcountry/skimo gear, helmet and headlamp. Have your gear on and be ready to go at the bottom of the Great Western lift at 6:30. Running late? Just head up from Great Western to find us! We’re usually out till about 8, but you can always leave early.