Well, you’re allowed to ski it anyway you want, but unless you’re a classic god or willing to let others stand out in the cold waiting for you to finish — you skate. It’s held on the ski trails of Happy Jack/Tie Siding — the same trails that make such fine riding in the summer. I actually did this race last year, my first year of skate skiing. Of course Kelly Schalk was responsible for starting me up in yet another sport — but I’m grateful, even if Mary is not. When the trails became available late in the year, it turned out to be the perfect way to relieve my stress post- or pre-lecture. Since I flail quite a bit, this form of exercise is quite demanding. It’s also done in the cold at about 8400 feet…

Both last year and this, the weather for the race was quite good and the snow seemed good to me. I had spent the previous evening in lab with Kelly working on our skis. The amount of prep that went into waxing was astonishing. When you’re an aficionado, as Kelly is, it seems to be time well spent. I could have spent the time better with my feet up in front of a fire. For all the prep, my skis seemed no faster than they had the last time I was out, but I assured Kelly they were. She and most of the local studs were set to do the 10K race (two laps) and I and a bunch of high school skiers were set to do a single lap.

The 10K folks set out first and we started about 5 minutes later. We rushed pell-mell up the "Meadow Trail" and scampered up the first short uphill, the "Elevator". The race quickly sorted itself out to the order it would have for most of the race (at least near the position I was at): three high school kids up front, and me trailing them. Actually, at first there were only two high school kids up front, cause I was in front of one of them on the first long, gradual uphill. But as soon as the track got fast and twisty, he zipped by me. That was the race for me — closing on the kid in front on the hills, and having him open a gap on the "technical" portions. He admitted after the race that he always suffered on up-hills, but since he was about 15 I figure he’s got plenty of time develop the power. I don’t know really how good he was technically, as I am such a hack in comparison to anyone else. Anyway, this race went on and on — much further than the past year’s race. Turns out, the course was more on the order of 6 or 7 K. I ended up in fourth, pretty much staggering across the line. In the two lap race, Kelly led through on the first lap by just a second or two, but succumbed to a couple of guys who beat her up the hills on the second lap.

After the race, Kelly put on a little impromptu clinic on skating technique. Low and behold, my technique sucked… Mostly, I need better balance (the same thing can be said for my mountain biking).

The official results can be found here.

Return to Mountain Biking in Laramie