Fresh off the MLK Holiday weekend, 142 athletes gathered for yet another great evening of Tuesday night racing in the dark. Weather was clear and fair with enough overnight snow to generate some fine skiing.
Sarah Cookler and the Silver Fork team showed up in numbers once again to design and carve us a fresh track up and across the Great Western runs of Brighton Ski Area. When interviewed after the citizen race, Cookler said her goal was a course that could effectively spread the sizable field, while challenging all the needed skills of the SkiMo game: kick turns, kick and glide, a long booter, and transitions. There was something for everyone. After a sustained climb to a mid-mountain flat, the recreation and racing divisions divided into two course sections, representing elevation gains of 1200 and 2000 feet, respectively. I’m not the only racer who noted the quality of the pow left in the narrow gully at the top of the descent, as several hoots and yips were sent down the ridge.
In a throw back to the pure joy of our racing roots, the swag and cookie after party honored a guy who showed up and showed off his racing suit for the first time, and our oldest racer in the field – a spry lady of 69.