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.