A growing race
830 racers marked another year with record participation for the Yellowstone
Rendezvous in West Yellowstone, Montana. The previous record was 720 skiers
set in 2001.
Race winner Pat Weaver (Atomic)
Some statistics from race director Drew Barney:
This year 250 skiers finished the 50K, 255 the 25K, 114 the 25K classic, 70
the 10K, 80 the 5K and 17 the 2K.
The race is growing by 25-50 additional participants per year.
The exception was last year where they saw a small drop off. This might have
been due to the fact that many of the Salt Lake City skiers that typically participates,
worked hard as volunteers at the Olympics and lacked motivation to race afterwards.
Race Director Drew Barney
Racing opportunities for everyone
This race offers a 2,5,10,25 and a 50K skate option as well as a 25K classic
race. Kids and juniors can even race classic on Friday, the day before the big
event – a good race opportunity for juniors that are not going to Junior
Nationals that week.
Bring the family
Out of all the races I go to this is the most convenient and family friendly
for several reasons:
-You can walk to the start of the race from your hotel room – about 5
minutes or less depending on where you stay.
– It’s easy to finish the race, walk back to your room, shower, eat and
then go out skiing with your family – unless you skied the 50 of course.
– The town’s IMAX Theater offers great movies for everyone in the family
– dad included. I went and saw The Bears with my two daughters –
Very impressive.
– Where else can you race hard, eat a buffalo burger, listen to a rock band
from the deep forests of Montana and then soak in the Jacuzzi and get to listen
to snow-mobilers complain about sore muscles from a day of going 50 miles per
hour through one of the most unique wild life areas in the country?
Nathan Schultz, 2nd place, shows off his battle scars
The Race.
3-4 inches of new snow and 27F at the start, great grooming as usual – as expected
from Doug Edgerton, now with Olympic grooming experience to his credentials.
Not the fastest snow type, dirty snow, a little wind-blown and medium humidity
made for hard work – and very hard work when your legs got tired!
The 25K racers started with the 50K skiers and I have suggested to Drew Barney
that he separates the two races next year. I was doing the 25K and didn’t
really know who was doing which race and whom I was racing against.
My suggestion is: 8.30 start for the 25K, 8.45 for classic and 9 for the 50K.
The 50K was won by Patrick Weaver ahead of Nathan Schultz and Scott Loomis.
Weaver (45), Schultz (49) and Loomis talk after the race
I was very impressed that 22-year-old Nordic Combined skier Billy Demong placed
4th – ahead of some very good marathon skiers.
Bill Demong
Katerina Hanusova won the women’s 50 ahead of Rebecca Dussalt and Grete
Lise Hagensen. Katernia starts her mountain bike race season in two weeks and
has been mixing skiing and biking for some time now. She is based out of Truckee,
California – can cross country ski in 10 feet of snow at Royal Gorge at
7000 feet, bike in the Reno Valley or bike at sea level in nice dry conditions
all in the same day – down the mountain toward San Francisco – not a bad
training environment – live high – train low! Didn’t a pretty
good US bike racer live up there at some point – Greg or something?
17-year old Eric Camerota of Park City, Utah impressively won the 25 K. Eric
is coached by my partner Gordon Lange and beat us despite starting in the 3rd
wave and had to pass about 300 skiers. Gordon was second, David Gieck 3rd and
I was 4th overall.
Stephanie Williams another Team TorbjornSport member won the women’s 25K
ahead of Darla McRoberts and Melissa Buller.
Erik Wilbrecht and Kelly Milligan –also team TBS, were the winners of
the 25K classic race.
Rendezvous
Results
It was a very good day for Team Torbjorn Sport – great skis!
See www.torbjornsport.com
for wax report from West Yellowstone and numerous other races.
