New Year's Mass Start Ski Race!!!

Short notice, but quit yer complaining, the race is not till next year...

New Year's day, 2010, 1pm 2 lap Mass Start ski race at Ashton!!

Details to follow as soon as we get it all worked out, maybe a Geoff's Bike & Skeedo division for special prizing?

Getting Results

Alright, the numbers are pouring in like the freezing rain is out.

First up, Brian Eppen cracked out a clockwise classic loop in 9:29, just holding off a hard-shooshing Kim Eppen who crushed her classic loop in 10:56! Wax was reported to be "dialed" and the Rock was called out!

Matt Hartman, skated two laps, 27:30, and did the laps counter clockwise.

There you have it, our podium!

Hope we get to have a real race someday...

Control Your Skis!

Well folks, sad but true, no ski race tonight due to triple threat alert conditions! One, it may be all nasty weather for travel. Two, holiday week leads to depleted staff at TTE and many other conflicts. Three, I got invited to dinner and, coming to skiing from a bike racing background, I love a free meal.

So, as always with our humble ski series, keep your expectations low. We will have one someday, probably...

And by all means, if the weather holds and you are un-obligated? Get out there and ski, time 2 loops, and send me your time and we can put it on the blog and everyone will know what a fast skier you are!

The Saddest News. Ever.

While we have all been busy waxing our skis and carbo loading for the first Iowa City ski race of the year the weather has been busy wreaking havoc on our finely groomed course at Ashton.
So, we are going to postpone the first event until conditions improve. Sorry. This is skiing in Iowa, get used to it. If you want, and I highly recommend it, move North. Or, go out tomorrow night anyway and ski two loops. Time yourself, email your time to me and I will post results here.

Last year we had to postpone the first one, too, and things still turned out alright, this year we are starting a month earlier, so we will get there. We are going to switch to a Tuesday or Thursday format, in an effort to have more options to get some racing in, so don't let this get you down, troopers!

The Skinny On The Ski Races

Anticipation is high, ski racing is nigh!

Well, maybe, we will make a call after the weekend, but we are hopeful with the snow we have and the weather forecast we can start next Tuesday, Dec 15th.

In general, this is how things will go.

Tuesday nights, Ashton Cross Country Course, 7 pm start this year to ease the rush of the many bike shop employees that come to race / volunteer.

Two loops, pick your technique, paired starts.

You must sign a waiver!

Headlamps highly recommended!

No entry fees, but there will be a donation box, all proceeds go to keep the grooming sleds tuned and fueled.

Modest prizing, Geoff's kicked in some great schwaggy goodness last year, I will make some trophies, plaques, somethings again, too.

If the course gets hit by a sunspot or that rascally groundhog with the flamethrowing tank or super windy sub zero temps? We will cancel by noon of the race day on this here weblog, so keep checking.

All in all, this is not some big high stakes event like a Two Bee pie race so keep your expectations low and your heart rate high and lets ski! Not sure how many events there will be, but last year we missed out on some good skiing by waiting too long to start so this year we are going to barrel out the gate and just see how it goes.

Questions, suggestions, big cash dollar prize donations? email me!
geepickle (at) gmail (dot) com

Let It Snow, Let Us Race, Let It Snow!

Okay people, the snowing is on. In fact this post is written on top of a photo of current conditions. White out, that be. So if the snow is groomed and the wind does not blow it all away we can get to the ski racing soon.

Stay tuned for details, but it is looking like Tuesday nights, likely the same shpiel as last year, but with great interest and expectation we may be able to get a Saturday race together, too.

You All Ready For This?

It snowed in Iowa City last night!

I know at least one person strapped the sticks on and skied a backyard lap.

Get ready, it is coming.

More of the Same

Hot enough for ya? Too hot for skiing, that is for sure. Unless you are Dar.

Better luck next week...

You Already Know

Ski racing? Not tomorrow in Iowa City, my friends. I propose a new format until more snow flies. Meet at CGP at 6:30 on the 2 wheeled contraption of your choice and power townie till the cops come. First one arrested wins?

I hope none of you are blaming me for starting a ski series thus assuring that we will have no snow by the transitive property. We all know, of course, that all the snow melted because Doc Hopson finally bought ski stuff.

No Racing on Tuesday February 3rd

Due to the rascally groundhog what popped outta his hidey-hole and turned his flamethrowing tank on our unsuspecting race course at Ashton, we are going to postpone tomorrow nights race.
Hopefully we will get another proper dumping of the ol' white gold to revive our spirits as well as the racing!

This super cool photo is one of a few over here, we'll get there, just be patient!

Race # 2 Results & Report

It was another fantastic night of skiing and heavy breathing at Ashton tonight! We ran the loop counter clockwise and look what happened. Jeff Barnes, a.k.a. the Rock Lobster, tore up our midwestern tundra Canadian skate ski style in a cool 19:06! Brian Eppen again led the classic charge with a combination of brute facial hair and
gratuitous double poling, stopping the clock in 20:38! Kim Eppen put the screws to the Women's Classic field once more, taking the win with a time of 23:36, which garnered her second place overall in the classic field. Cara continued her domination in the Women's Skate with another graceful glide home in 27:08. And Chad Lambi defended his Stone Ski award, but still shaved minutes off his time at 44:19.

Three more people than last week and there were some really close finish times, so close we are going to do the next race as a mass start so we can get some sprint finishes!

Place - Overall Time - Name - Method
> --------------
> 01. 19:06 -Jeff Barnes (Skate)
> 02. 20:22 - Paul Deninger (Skate)
> 03. 20:25 - Dave Swanson (Skate & he rode his bike over!)
> 04. 20:38 - Brian Eppen (Classic)
> 05. 21:44 - Jim T (Skate)
> 06. 21:46 - Todd Gillihan (Skate)
> 07. 21:49 - Bruce Timmerman (Skate)
> 08. 22:10 - Tom Sulentic (Skate)
> 09. 23:36 - Kim Eppen, Phd (Classic)
> 10. 23:38 - Matt Hartman (Skate)
> 11. 23:42 - Hodge (Skate)
> 12. 24:21 - Finn (Classic)
> 13. 25:17 - Sean Scanlon, Phd (Skate)
> 14. 25:32 - Wayne Fett (Classic)
> 15. 27:08 - Cara (Skate)
> 16. 27:29 - Joe Hetrick (Skate)
> 17. 27:42 - Mark Wiechowski (Classic)
> 18. 29:17 - Norb! (Classic)
> 19. 31:07 - Cable Gr(e/a?)y (Skate)
> 20. 31:49 - John Pemberton (Skate - 1st time ever)
> 21. 39:14 - Kyle Williams (Classic)
> 22. 39:15 - Robin Williams (Classic)
> 23. 44:19 - Chad Lambi (Classic)

Brian ran the stopwatch and the Rock rolled

Oh yeah, the first ski race raised $70 which will help keep the grooming machines working, tonight we brought in about $60. Thank you for your donations and keep em' coming!
It was a blast, thanks for playing, lets do it again next week!

Looking Good For Tomorrow

The snow is still here and we might even have some more so lets do this race thing again!

Tuesday night, January 27th at 6:30, 2 loops.

Be there or be marked absent - no pin for you!

Photos From the First Race

As I said, I forgot my camera, but Nick Martin did not, and before he strapped on his skis for 2 laps he took these photos of what went on out there. Here we are at the registration table, skiers frantically filling out forms as Mark and I attempt to put together a start list.

Here I deliver the pre-race instruction and pep talk to Joe and Doc Tom, who would later give a very cold me a ride home in his warm truck. Thanks Tom!
Next time we will probably try to get some shots of actual ski racing. Thanks for getting these, Nick and I will bring my camera next week.

Ski Race #1 Is In The Books!

Well we did it. I forgot my camera... 20 skiers came out tonight for the first ski race in Iowa City in over 20 years as near as we can recollect anyways. The full results shall be forthcoming once Mr. Guthart has compiled the small bits (HUGE thanks to you Mark!)but I can report that Finn blistered that course and possibly one of his heels skate style in 20:16! Brian Eppen went all Bjorn Dahle with his classic style, collapsing as he crossed the line to finish his race in 20:20!!

Egad, what a time we had. Hope to see you again next week if the snow holds!

News flash, the results just came in from Mark, here they are, last name will be filled in as they become available:

Place - Overall Time - Name - Method - Lap Times
> --------------
> 01. 20:16 - Finn Kolsrud (Skate)
> 02. 20:20 - Brian Eppen (Classic)
> 03. 20:40 - Greg Duethman (Skate)
> 04. 21:29 - Paul Deninger (Skate)
> 05. 21:45 - Wayne Fett (Skate)
> 06. 23:03 - Brian Deutschendorf (Classic)
> 07. 23:20 - Brian Abbott (Skate)
> 08. 24:20 - Kim Eppen (Classic)
> 09. 25:09 - Kevin McConnell (Skate)
> 10. 25:23 - Jim (Skate)
> 11. 26:15 - Hodge (Skate)
> 12. 26:39 - Mark Simons (Skate)
> 13. 27:20 - Chris Eastburn (Skate)
> 14. 27:52 - Doc Tom (Skate)
> 15. 29:06 - Cara (Skate)
> 16. 31:37 - Sean Scanlon (Skate)
> 17. 33:30 - Nick Martin (Classic)
> 18. 35:22 - Joe Hetrick (Skate)
> 19. 40:18 - Jack Noble (Classic)
> 20. 47:10 - Chad Lambi (Classic)
>
>
> Lap Times
> -------------
> 09:55 - Finn Kolsrud (1st Lap)
> 10:00 - Brian Eppen (1st Lap)
> 10:16 - Greg Duethman (2nd Lap)
> 10:20 - Brian Eppen (2nd Lap)
> 10:21 - Finn Kolsrud (2nd Lap)
> 10:24 - Greg Duethman (1st Lap)
> 10:28 - Paul Deninger (1st Lap)
> 10:42 - Wayne Fett (1st Lap)
> 11:01 - Paul Deninger (2nd Lap)
> 11:03 - Wayne Fett (2nd Lap)
> 11:08 - Brian Deutschendorf (1st Lap)
> 11:35 - Brian Abbott (1st Lap)
> 11:45 - Brian Abbott (2nd Lap)
> 11:51 - Kevin McConnell (1st Lap)
> 11:55 - Jim (1st Lap)
> 11:55 - Brian Deutschendorf (2nd Lap)
> 12:01 - Kim Eppen (1st Lap)
> 12:19 - Kim Eppen (2nd Lap)
> 12:48 - Hodge (1st Lap)
> 13:00 - Chris Eastburn (1st Lap)
> 13:!8 - Kevin McConnell (2nd Lap)
> 13:19 - Mark Simons (2nd Lap)
> 13:20 - Mark Simons (1st Lap)
> 13:27 - Hodge (2nd Lap)
> 13:28 - Jim (2nd Lap)
> 13:49 - Doc Tom (2nd Lap)
> 14:03 - Doc Tom (1st Lap)
> 14:20 - Chris Eastburn (2nd Lap)
> 14:26 - Cara (2nd Lap)
> 14:40 - Cara (1st Lap)
> 15:48 - Sean Scanlon (1st Lap)
> 15:49 - Sean Scanlon (2nd Lap)
> 16:26 - Nick Martin (1st Lap)
> 17:04 - Nick Martin (2nd Lap)
> 17:33 - Joe Hetrick (2nd Lap)
> 17:49 - Joe Hetrick (1st Lap)
> 19:15 - Jack Noble (1st Lap)
> 21:03 - Jack Noble (2nd Lap)
> 22:43 - Chad Lambi (1st Lap)
> 24:27 - Chad Lambi (2nd Lap)
>
>

Tuesday, tuesday, TUESDAY!!!

Tonight, January 20th at 6:30 all the big questions will be answered! Like do we know how to put on a ski race? And just how much did the Eppen's ski last weekend? Come on down to Ashton where we will find out and race some skis!

Check back here for results, photos, reports and so forth.

Headquarters

Okay everyone, this is going to be the place for the big ski race news. Race dates, postponements, new sponsors, photos, results, etc. Right now I venture to say things are looking good for this Tuesday's races, but this being Iowa and all please stay tuned.

Welcome!

Greetings everyone, I am happy to announce that we are ready to go on a regular ski tt series here in Iowa City at Ashton! The first event, snow willing, is to be held on Tuesday, January 20th at 6:30 pm and, snow willing, will continue every Tuesday at 6:30 until February 10th. Check here for final word every week. We may have to skip a week here or there but we hope when the snow finally clears to have held four events total. So bust out your funkiest special ski outfit and come join us!

This is a new venture and we will learn as we go but here is the skinny:

2 skiers will go off together to ski two full laps of the Ashton course, depending on number of entries we will do either minute or 30 sec intervals. You can pick your partner or not, we are trying to be flexible to encourage everyone to come give it a try.

We will time you and let you know how you did. Best classic / skate skiers out of the female / male racers will likely get a tangible prize to go with their pride.

Pick your style, work with your partner or not. Two skiers can relay if they like, whatever you want to do. Race twice if you are really fast. I would love to see a skijor entry!

There will be NO entry fee, but we will have a donation box to support the trail grooming efforts.

You will need to sign a waiver.

Headlamps recommended for all skiers!!

Schwaggy prizes generously provided by Geoff's Local Motion Bike & Ski and ATLAS/Eco Lips so far. I made some trophies. If you want to donate prizes let me know!

Questions? Suggestions? Tell me at geepickle (at) gmail (dot) com

Please spread the word!