Norm got some new skis this year. Said they didn't make him any beter. A honor to have him as a guest and ski with him.
Posted comment on Dan Swanson's blog about Sapling Snapper. Coincidentally, the first mountain bike race I did way back in 1990, Dave was there. He and a buddy were tearing up in the Sport class at the time. Awesome race. Every time I drive through Hill City, I always make a comment to Jake about racing at Quadna.
Wonder if he still has the shirt. Say no to day glow.
Results from 1997 version. A handful of folks still racing now. Click on the photo to see closer. Back then they would mail results. Crazy how times have changed.
Gave a ski lesson this past weekend to a kid who had a pair of CCM skis. Pretty cool. I think I have seen those only once before. Told him to never get rid of them. CCM makes all hockey gear now of course.
Neil Jonason tuning up for the Birkie. Won't be skiing this weekend though. He is doing the Norwegian Birkie. The past 10 years he has pretty much skated every time he has been out skiing. Had an opportunity to do the Norwegian version and don't think I have seen him skate once this year. Awesome. In fact, there are quite a few people that are doing the Norwegian Birkie this year. Regarding the American Birkie, out of 5000 skier visits or so to Maplelag this year, maybe a half percent of them are doing the Birkie. Since we do mostly all classic trails, we tend to have more classic skiers, naturally. I would love to see the American Birkie go classic. I wish it would. To me, they sold out when they went to skate. They should have over 10,000 skiers do that race and I think they would if they did classic only instead of 6-7000. They are claiming more for this year.
I like what Andy Gerlach passed along this week which was wax tips and comments from the Factory team:
Kristina Standberg- For being a dominant classic skier, would you like to see the Birkie Elite Wave be classic? After watching you win the last five Supertours, will your skate demons be put to rest come Saturday by winning the ultimate North American Skate Race?
"I would love to race a classic Birkie! Not only because it would be better for me personally, but also since the "original Birkie" (the Norwegian Birkiebeiner) is a classic race. Some of the marathons in Europe are raced classic and skate on alternating years and I think that's a pretty good system. I've been working hard with my skate technique and I think I'm finally starting to see some results. It would be a fantastic feeling to be the first lady across the finish line on Main Street in Hayward!"
Anyways, good luck to everyone who might be racing. I will be grooming early Saturday morning and watching Squirt hockey early afternoon!
10 comments:
Wow, I can't believe you have the results from the Sappling Snapper 97', actually now I think of it I can! That was my first full season of racing!
Anderson's comment: He taught a lot of people how to ski in Bozeman on CCM's at Bohart Ranch, probably purchased at Bob Ward and Son's back in the 80's!
That is awesome. I remember that race flyer. They would just adjust the dates and make new copies each year. That was Dan and My first year racing expert. I just remember how hard it was to adjust to 2 + hour long races. You should post more history when you can.
Thanks for the comments. Good stuff.
Doug, what year did you break your Rocky Mountain frame at that race? I remember you and Dan laughing about it afterwards.
Great post, Jay. The Snapper was one of my first races back in, maybe...1986 or 87.
It was a classic woods, MUD and killer hillcimbing course. Remember starting on the golf course, everybody racing down the fairway for the trail into the woods. I believe Geno had a hand in the course design many of those years. Geno and Mike Judge had a battle one of the early years(eighties), a total mud fest, I could not understand how they could ride that fast up and down on those muddy trails.
That result sheet was such a list of the group that we battled with every week-end back in the 80s and early 90s of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa MTB racing. Colby Brooks, Mike Benno, Bob Boyd, Jeff Roy, Charly Tri and of course George Hayes. Brian Eppen was making his early mark.
I'll never forget the time that Geno and George Hayes were heading to Iowa for a race. George was driving, Geno started to yell deer! But George, doing about 90 MPH had already hit the sucker. They found a car to rent in the next town and they made it to the race about 15 minutes before the start. GOOD TIMES!!
I could ramble on, but I'll stop.
Dan always says the same thing about the Birkie, (I guess that's why he classic skis it) and for the first 22 or so kilometers this year I could see why classic would be way better- by my wave the skate course was about 3" of powder sugar and miserable!
Cool find there Jay. I forget where that race was, but I recognize so many of those names.
Mike, I remember being on the start line of the race that Geno and George came late to. Geno comes running up in a frenzie asking us to hold the start so that they could change and race.
Never mind, I saw the shirt said Quadna. If I remember much of the course was built 3 days prior by Geno.
Totally remember this race. I was having a pretty good battle with Cody Van Overbeke for the Jr. Sport win when I punctured my front tire. It's too bad they don't do this one anymore. Oh well.
Yeah, after George hit that deer he was keen to rent cars. Drove out with him to Mt Spokane, WA. for Nationals the years they had it there. We rented a VW and he had that thing pinned at 90-110mph all the time. Every time we got out of the car I kissed the ground and thanked God for my life. He would only drive during the day and I pulled the night shift. He had this canny sense picking out cops and said he couldn't see them at night. Sure enough though, I got a ticket coming home. I tried to explain to the officer that driving 75 was like crawling after riding with George Hayes but he didn't buy it. Driving up mountain roads to the venue was absolutely insane. Anyone that rode with him knows what I am talking about.
Wow. Just heard somewhere that you had some results from the 'Snapper posted and had to check it out. Low and behold, there I am! I was a beginner at the time and really haven't moved up a whole lot. . .
Fun times. That first hill was a killer. Lots of fun on the rest of the course though.
Ah memories. My first race was the inaugural Mud Madness in 'Kato in 1992. First big race was Wildwood Climb in Winona in 1993. Tons of fun stuff between then and now.
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