Amongst the fur, Italian ski wear and designer sunglasses, a different breed of men and women visited Vail, Colorado this weekend for the inaugural Winter Teva Mountain Games skimo race. These individuals clad in the brightest, lightest and tightest spandex one-pieces took on Golden Peak’s course to Blue Sky Basin and back with over 8,000 vert and 20 mile long course.
Hailing from Aspen, Adam Frisch was testing a new aerodynamic butt lifter design. Fully stuffed and a completely empty pack was his secret to success. Specs coming soon.
Racers and ski patrollers both agreed that the course would be challenging enough to keep both the pro nordic racers and seasoned skimo racers equally drained. A small addition of fresh snow Friday evening made Saturday’s race that much more enjoyable.
Golden Peak, the site of Teva Town. Complete with slalom skimo and bike gates, telemark big air next to snow bike freestyle, ice climbing events and even a few Teva branded ice luges thrown in for good measure come nightfall.
All the usual suspects were present including supermom Sari Anderson, who was there to defend her title as Teva’s Ultimate Mountain Challenge winner, summer and winter. She went head to head with past Olympians and pro nordic nerds to take first in the women’s elite class.
A staged photo by the many photogs featuring Sari Anderson and Janelle Smiley, women's 1st and 2nd in the elite class, in a hi5 moment.
Colorado's power couple, Ted and Christy Mahon, were there laughing skin troubles away.
On to the results:
Men's advanced podium featured Kent McBride of Jackson, WY taking first followed by Mark Roebke of Avon and Todd Smith of Breckenridge respectfully.
Women's advanced podium featured Eva Hagen of Breckenridge finishing first followed by McKenna Douglas of Edwards and Meredith Edwards of Wilson Wyoming rounding out the top.
Finishing in a time of 4:04:07 and running to grab a beer, J Marshall Thomson, not pictured, of the Crested Butte mafia took home $1000 with a first place finish in the elite field. Bryan Wickenhauser and Brian Smith also of Crested Butte took second and third. Scott Simmons of Durango and Luke Nelson of Pocatello rounded out the podium.
The first place finisher of the race and this winter's Ultimate Mountain Challenge winner, Sari Anderson, took the $1000 check and added that to her $2k winnings of the weekend while standing on the elite podium with second place finisher Janelle Smiley and Stevie Kremer of Crested Butte respectfully. Rounding out the podium was Rebecca Dussault of Gunnison and Jen Gersbach of Durango.
After the athletes 8,000+ vert slog up and back to Blue Sky Basin they were invited in true Teva fashion to an 80's ski suit party in Vail's Village. Complete with enough Kru Vodka and PBR for an army.
(defunct results link removed 2015)
Joseph Risi was raised on pasta and meatballs in the “backwoods” of Long Island before seeking higher education in the mountains of Vermont. Always looking for adventure, building treehouses, working too many odd jobs around the world he now lives in the Aspen area of Colorado.
