Maclean and Hardin take Black Mountain Classic

Michigan Cup: Black Mountain Classic

Sun, Mar  7, 2010 - By Mike Muha

Waxing and ski selection played its roll in Saturday's Black Mountain 31K Classic. With day temperatures well above freezing most of the preceding week, everyone expected klister conditions. What was not expected was an overnight low of 9F warming to over 40F on the day of the race. Would a warm klister be too sticky at the start of the race? Would a colder klister lose it's grip as the weather warmed?

Adding to the quandary: deep in the Black Mountain Forest Recreation area, hidden from the sun and warmth by dense trees, the snow was substantially cooler and less transformed than in more open areas. Would hard wax suffice? Would klister ice?

Champion Tracy Hardin double poles to the finish of the 2010 Black Mountain 31K Classic. (photo: Mike Muha)

Waxing was all over the map. The leading waxing choice was Pete Edwards' recommendation of Swix KR50 "FLEXI" Klister over a cold klister binder. Other skiers mixed Toko Universal with Toko Orange.

Several racers eschewed klister altogether and went the hard wax route. The most popular choice was Rex Power Grip ("For normal, but also for icy, coarse, and extremely hard tracks. In temperatures around 0°C it can be used instead of klisters. Does not stain and run like klisters"). Other racers went with straight hard wax like Swix VR60 or VR65.

Then there was the subgroup of skiers who thought, "31K and variable conditions? Waxing will be a nightmare. Waxless is the way to go..."

Hairies were tested but rejected by several skiers.

Who was right?

Everyone and no one. Waxless skis were slow and not grippy enough on the hard tracks for the first 10K then suddenly sped up and gripped as the snow softened. Hard wax work well in more shaded areas but slipped in the sun. Klister worked well in most conditions, but had a tendency to ice as the ski went from a sun-soaked (and wet) patches of snow into a shaded, cold snow tracks. More than one racer was thrown to the ground more than once as the skis caught and the skier kept on going....

Second place Ann Wagar negotiates the last fast downhill corner before the finish. (Photo: Mike Muha)

 

But it was fitness over skis...

So everyone had a few issues with their skis. So that meant fitness was the winner of the day. And who were the fittest? Dave Maclean and Tracy Hardin.

Straits Strider Tracy Hardin, skiing on her home course, finished the 31K classic course first in 2:16:11. Eight minutes back was Hanson Hills/Cross Country Ski Shop's Ann Wagar in 2:24:06. And finishing her first marathon distance ever was Catarina Gulledge in 2:36:03 for third.

In the men's race, Grand Rapids Nordic's David Maclean finished in a blazing 1:45:47, four minutes ahead of Straits Strider (and Black Mountain Classic race director) Denny Paull (1:49:56). Steve Smiegel Jr. of Grand Rapid Nordic was just 15 seconds behind, taking third in 1:50:11.

Catarina Gulledge, third women overall, herringbones up the last big hill. (Photo: Carole Mueller-Brumbaugh)

10K Freestyle

For the first time in the Black Mountain Classic's history, a 10K freestyle (classic or skate) was offered for skiers wanted to ski a shorter distance. The top two women were Jean VanDam and Renee Bancroft. The top three men were Nicholas Johnson, Steve VanDam and Matt Dunkel.

Let eat

The newly renovated Black Mountain Lodge put on a tremendous feast, perhaps the best post-race lunch of the season.

31K Classic Results

Women
Overall	By Gender	By Age Class	Time	Bib	Last Name	First Name	City	State	Team
F20-29
48	3	1	2:36:03	113	Gulledge	Catarina	Roscommon	MI	Cross Country Ski Headquarters
51	4	2	2:41:30	125	Witbrodt	Hilary	Auburn	MI
F40-49
37	2	1	2:24:06	156	Wager	Ann	Gaylord	MI	HHCCSS
53	5	2	2:47:56	181	Karas	Bonnie	Grayling	MI	HHCCSS
66	7	3	3:07:08	104	Junker	Chris	Rapid City	MI
70	9	4	3:13:34	112	Kirt	Karen	Lake Leelanaw	MI
74	11	5	3:43:03	177	Riehl	Pam	Milford	MI	Cross Country Ski Headquarters
76	12	6	3:53:50	178	Joslin	Susan	Troy	MI	Cross Country Ski Headquarters
F50-59
28	1	1	2:16:11	102	Hardin	Tracy	Cheboygan	MI	Straits Striders
68	8	2	3:11:37	151	Fairbanks	Mary	Rogers City	MI
72	10	3	3:20:38	106	Thompson	Dolores	Sumner	MI
F60-69
55	6	1	2:49:03	170	Lund	Lorraine	Harbor Springs	MI	Straits Striders
81	14	2	5:09:01	124	Wilks	Amelia	Mancelona	MI	Straits Striders
F70-79
78	13	1	4:14:13	180	Murray	Jean	Mt Pleasant	MI	Cross Country Ski Headquarters
Men
Overall	By Gender	By Age Class	Time	Bib	Last Name	First Name	City	State	Team
Juniors 18-19
5	5	1	1:55:25	136	Hegan	Spencer	Sault Sainte Marie	Ontario
20	20	2	2:05:58	182	Harris	Ryan	Grayling	MI	Cross Country Ski Headquarters
M20-29
9	9	1	1:58:44	167	Yankus	Daniel	Commerce	MI	Nordic Ski Racer
56	50	2	2:49:04	157	Paul	John	Traverse City	MI	VASA
M30-39
27	27	1	2:16:02	144	Coulter	Melzar	Grand Rapids	MI	Grand Rapids Nordic Ski Team
30	29	2	2:20:25	187	Smith	Robert	Roscommon	MI	HHCCSS
47	45	3	2:35:36	150	Oberman	Mark	Cheboygan	MI
M40-49
2	2	1	1:49:56	116	Paull	Denny	Cheboygan	MI	Straits Striders
3	3	2	1:50:11	117	Smigiel	Steve	Cedar Springs	MI	Grand Rapids Nordic Ski Team
6	6	3	1:56:52	158	Vigland	Todd	Traverse City	MI	VASA
8	8	4	1:57:01	122	Dufour	Yvon	Brighton	MI	Nordic Ski Racer
12	12	5	2:00:25	141	Todd	Dell	Grand Rapids	MI	Grand Rapids Nordic Ski Team
16	16	6	2:04:02	176	Foltz	Jon	Boyne City	MI	Straits Striders
17	17	7	2:04:12	137	Goodman	Glenn	Bellaire	MI	HHCCSS
18	18	8	2:04:19	118	Kanaby	Larry	Bad Axe	MI	Cross Country Ski Headquarters
21	21	9	2:09:05	149	Pietila	Jukka	Rockford	MI	Grand Rapids Nordic Ski Team
22	22	10	2:11:16	133	Seaman	Michael	Mt. Pleasant	MI	Grand Rapids Nordic Ski Team
31	30	11	2:22:02	192	Steffke	Steve	Weidman	MI	HH/CCSS
32	31	12	2:22:05	168	Webb	Jon	Hubbard Lake	MI	HHCCSS
34	33	13	2:23:43	161	Knight	Kip	Elk Rapids	MI	VASA
42	40	14	2:30:01	169	Reeves	Mathew	East Lansing	MI
58	52	15	2:56:25	121	Ernst	Dale	Sandusky	MI	Cross Country Ski Headquarters
62	56	16	2:57:36	135	Soule	Todd	Holland	MI
73	63	17	3:24:09	190	Chimner	Patrick	Cheboygan	MI
M50-59
1	1	1	1:45:47	173	MacLean	David	Ludington	MI	Grand Rapids Nordic Ski Team
4	4	2	1:54:48	153	Gravlin	John	Linwood	MI	HHCCSS
7	7	3	1:56:58	132	Bladel	Randal	Granger	IN	Grand Rapids Nordic Ski Team
10	10	4	1:59:06	110	Weingartz	Chris	Petoskey	MI	Straits Striders
11	11	5	1:59:14	155	Camp	Don	Grand Haven	MI	Grand Rapids Nordic Ski Team
13	13	6	2:00:54	130	Heady	Doug	Ann Arbor	MI	Nordic Ski Racer
14	14	7	2:03:50	159	Dawson	Ken	Farmington Hills	MI	Nordic Ski Racer
15	15	8	2:03:52	128	Muha	Mike	Wixom	MI	Nordic Ski Racer
19	19	9	2:04:33	188	Fairman	Robert	Ann Arbor	MI	Hanson Hills
23	23	10	2:11:38	172	Doull	James	Petoskey	MI	Straits Striders
25	25	11	2:14:56	120	Pryor	Jim	Saginaw	MI	HH/CCSS
26	26	12	2:15:40	142	Luce	Robin	Central Lake	MI	HHCCSS
29	28	13	2:18:29	127	Cornell	Doug	Corunna	MI	Nordic Ski Racer
35	34	14	2:24:02	138	Neier	Rick	Tawas City	MI	Cross Country Ski Headquarters
36	35	15	2:24:03	162	Dreeszen	Bryce	Interlochen	MI	VASA
38	36	16	2:26:26	129	Nolan	Dan	Holland	MI	Grand Rapids Nordic Ski Team
39	37	17	2:27:22	147	Madorski	Mark	Leonard	MI	Nordic Ski Racer
40	38	18	2:28:43	174	Finstad	Mark	Empire	MI	VASA
43	41	19	2:31:17	164	Call	Vince	Alpena	MI	Straits Striders
49	46	20	2:37:40	146	Picard	Stuart	Greenville	MI	Grand Rapids Nordic Ski Team
50	47	21	2:40:57	119	Rynalski	Frank	Bay City	MI	Cross Country Ski Headquarters
52	48	22	2:45:27	103	Ahrenberg	Bill	Cheboygan	MI	Straits Striders
57	51	23	2:54:49	175	Thielfoldt	Devan	Troy	MI	Cross Country Ski Headquarters
59	53	24	2:57:06	105	Eifler	Bob	Rapid City	MI
60	54	25	2:57:08	131	Vandekopple	Bob	Pellston	MI	Straits Striders
63	57	26	3:00:06	107	Thompson	Gary	Sumner	MI
65	59	27	3:06:13	163	Danly	Peter	Traverse City	MI	VASA
67	60	28	3:11:01	191	Dewey	Maurice	Detroit	MI
69	61	29	3:13:05	183	Felski	George	Cheboygan	MI	Straits Striders
71	62	30	3:15:40	101	Trost	Karl	Cheboygan	MI	Straits Striders
77	65	31	4:10:52	111	Dzuba	Russell	Lake Leelanaw	MI
79	66	32	4:26:47	186	Siniff	Daniel	Bay City	MI	Cross Country Ski Headquarters
M60-69
24	24	1	2:12:59	126	Kaltz	William	Pinckney	MI	Nordic Ski Racer
41	39	2	2:28:47	193	Wright	Hap	Boyne	MI	Straits Striders
44	42	3	2:33:00	152	Christopherson	Wayne	Alpena	MI	Straits Striders
45	43	4	2:33:12	165	Brumbaugh	Ernie	Rockford	MI	Grand Rapids Nordic Ski Team
46	44	5	2:33:49	160	Schmekel	Ray	Traverse City	MI	VASA
54	49	6	2:48:05	179	Beal	Elllis	Charlevoix	MI
61	55	7	2:57:31	123	Whitlock	Dave	Mancelona	MI	Straits Striders
64	58	8	3:05:34	139	Blumenthal	Dave	Alpena	MI	Straits Striders
75	64	9	3:50:52	109	Wells	Richard	Hamtramck	MI	Cross Country Ski Headquarters
82	68	10	9:99:99	145	Johnson	Max	Brutus	MI
83	69	11	9:99:99	114	Wellman	Cy	Erie	PA
M70-79
33	32	1	2:23:42	115	Haefner	Bill	Clarkston	MI	Nordic Ski Racer
80	67	2	4:33:18	154	Hervela	Douglas	Gaylord	MI

 

 

10K Freestyle Results

Overall	Time	Bib	Last Name	First Name	City	State	Division
1	0:36:10	148	Johnson	Nicholas	Rogers City	MI	M20-29
2	0:37:28	185	VanDam	Steve	Boyne City	MI	M50-59
3	0:40:33	143	Dunkel	Matt	Ossineke	MI	M40-49
4	0:44:47	184	VanDam	Jean	Boyne City	MI	F60-69
5	0:46:29	166	Kelly	Kevin	Empire	MI	M50-59
6	1:02:53	140	Butler	Hal	Alpena	MI	M50-59
7	1:05:41	171	Taratuta	Neil	Ossineke	MI	M40-49
8	1:17:10	134	Bancroft	Renee	Mount Pleasant	MI	F20-29
9	1:26:45	189	Kinney	Mark	Presque Isle	MI	M60-69
10	9:99:99	108	Paul Sr	John	Traverse City	MI	M50-59