Brown and Powell take Nordic Fest Season Opener

Sun, Oct  23, 2011 - By Mike Muha

A hard frost overnight guaranteed excellent conditions for the Nordic Ski Fest Season Opener sprint race at Brick Wheels in Traverse City on Saturday, October 22, 2011. The cold solidified the 55 trailers of snow cut from an ice rink by a Zamboni and dumped on the race course over the previous seven days. The course was well insulated from the ground by straw and salt was used to further harden the course. The course stayed firm during the entire race, especially from staff efforts to pack the snow with shovels and immediately repair divots.

This was the first ski race of the season in the United States.

Amy Powell tucks down the hill at the Nordic Fest Season Opener

Forty-five degrees and bright sun shone down on racers. Each racers did a two lap time trial on the course. The top two in each 10-wide age group had an additional three lap showdown, where one racer started on either side of the course and raced to catch the other. Whoever was further ahead at the end of the three laps or who caught the other racer won.

Finally, there was also a ski-off between the top two women and the top two men, racing as many laps as necessary until one racer caught the other.

The narrow 100 meter course was tricky. There were tight fast corners, undulations, and, if you weren't centered in the lane, grass just off the edge ready to catch a ski tip. The course featured a short steep climb and a short steep decline.

Plenty of falls and amazing recoveries kept spectators entertained.

VASA Ski Club skiers Amy Powell (31.18) and Susan Vigland (33.64) had the top women's times. In the final face-off to the finish, the two women were evenly matched until Vigland decided enough was enough. She climbed the hill, quickly turned around and skied back down at a shocked Powell, who looked up just in time to see a bullet headed her way. Collision avoided, Powell won the day.

Skiing early in the day, Mike Muha held the fastest time until the last skier and home-court skier, Eli Brown, crushed it.

Mike Muha (foreground) and Eli Brown were evenly matched on the first lap of the ski-off.

In the men's ski-off, Muha and Brown were evenly matched for the first couple laps until Muha caught an edge coming out of a corner and went down. Up instantly, he nevertheless lost his rhythm and was caught by Brown within the next two laps.

Hot dogs, beer, chili, a ski swap and lots more post race skiing was had by all after the race.

Results, Nordic Ski Fest
Saturday, October 22, 2011, Brick Wheels, Traverse City, MI

PLACE	NAME	TIME	CLUB
1	Eli Brown	25.49	VASA
2	Mike Muha	29.78	NSR
3	Chris Weingartz	30.18	SS
4	Ian Durand	30.22	VASA
5	Andrew Bruning	30.27	VASA
6	Kip Knight	30.99	VASA
7	Glenn Goodman	31.05	CCSS
8	Amy Powell	31.18	VASA
9	Andy Rockwood	31.86	VASA
10	Larry Kanaby	32.13	XCSHQ
11	Than Dykstra	32.13	VASA
12	Scott Howard	32.26	VASA
13	Randy Smith	32.62	VASA
14	John Britton	33.25	CCSS
15	Curt Peterson	33.53	VASA
16	Susan Vigland	33.64	VASA
17	Ian Smith	33.81
18	Dell Todd	34.19	GRNST
19	Cassidy Edwards	34.19	VASA
20	Robin Luce	35.33	CCSS
21	Devon Thiefoldt	35.45	XCSHQ
22	Bill Kaltz	35.85	NSR
23	Duane Amato	36.39	VASA
24	Steve Smeigel	36.62	GRNST
25	John Pflughoeft	36.91	VASA
26	Caterina Gulledge	37.01	XCSHQ
27	Laura Webb	37.90	VASA
28	Ernie Brumbaugh	38.42	GRNST
29	Gussie Peterson	38.46	VASA
30	Randy Woods	38.46	VASA
31	Rick Kraai	38.57	GRNST
32	Pete Skellenger	39.86
33	Jim Woodburne	40.16	VASA
34	Ryan Durand	40.47	VASA
35	Brian Reicks	41.71	XCSHQ
36	Nick Amato	41.75	VASA
37	Dan Nolan	41.83	GRNST
38	Hap Wright	42.62
39	Stephanie Dow	45.38	VASA
40	Lauren Pflughoeft	45.98	VASA
41	Frank Rynalski	46.03	XCSHQ
42	Tom Sutter	46.16	VASA
43	Katie Todd	48.62	GRNST
44	Gary Faria	48.76	NSR
45	John O'Hearn	49.61	VASA
46	Spencer Todd	57.08	GRNST
47	Linda McGuinness	70.61	VASA
48	Griffin	107.42
49	Landen Knight*	39.61	VASA