Lex Treinen and his brother Nick after placing first and second, respectively, at the Ski to Sea on March 30 in Homer, Alaska. (Courtesy photo)
Note: This article has been updated to reflect the corrected 2013/2014 SuperTour overall standings. Lex Treinen finished fourth behind Reese Hanneman, Erik Bjornsen and Brian Gregg, respectively.
As if four races in seven days weren’t enough, Lex Treinen, of Alaska Pacific University (APU), signed up for the Ski to Ski in Homer, Alaska, two days after the last day of Spring Series — on a whim.
He and his brother Nick decided to do so a few days before.
“I had hardly heard of it, but felt like I needed a little vacation, if you can call it that,” Treinen, 24, explained in an email. “So we jumped in the car after dragging our hottub off the racecourse in the morning, spent a night in Girdwood and finished the drive in the morning.”
The two left Anchorage last Saturday, a day after the 50-kilometer classic mass start at U.S. Distance Nationals, which for most, was the final race of the season. The drive itself was 220 miles south toward the mouth of the Cook Inlet. In Homer, competitors did a 5 k run, followed by a 7 k bike, and ending with a 5 k ski … to the sea.
The start of the 2014 Ski to Sea on Homer Spit at the tip of the Kenai Peninsula in Homer, Alaska. (Photo: Lex Treinen)
Treinen won it in 55:23. His brother Nick took second, 3:03 back, edging third-place finisher Chaz DiMarzid by just four seconds.
“Nick and I came into the bike one and two, but we stupidly used studded bike tires and had to ride the seven kilometer uphill hearing the sound of grinding asphalt beneath us,” wrote Treinen, who placed fifth in the 50 k and fifth in the 15 k freestyle earlier that week at SuperTour Finals. He finished fourth in the overall 2013/2014 SuperTour, behind teammates Reese Hanneman and Erik Bjornsen, respectively, and Brian Gregg (Team Gregg/Madshus) in third.
On Sunday, Treinen started the ski a few seconds ahead of DiMarzid, who rode his way up to second.
“Despite getting on skis and feeling like I forgot how to ski because my legs were so tired, I managed to hold him off,” Treinen wrote. “It felt good to be at a low key race like that after all of the pressure of the season. When we got into town there were signs everywhere since the race went through town, but at the bike drop off there was nobody watching out for bike-thieves, not out of laziness but just because Homer is cool like that.”
Treinen and his brother received medals made of sand dollars. Local businesses donated prizes as well, and Treinen estimated half of the nearly 100 finishers won raffle prizes.
Even after Sunday’s race, he thought he had some more skiing in him.
“Usually at the end of the season I am super excited to go back-country and all that but I woke up the next morning after the race my legs felt like wood so I told my brother I was too tired,” he wrote. “The Sea to Ski was the last hurrah for the season, but I didn’t realize it at the time.”
Pleased with his most successful season yet, including sixth place in the 30 k skate at U.S. nationals in January and top-10 finish in the American Birkebeiner in February, Treinen is looking to build for next winter.
“After being [fourth] in the Supertour, I definitely feel I can move up with some better races early in the season and hopefully some wins,” he wrote. “I have never started a World Cup, so I for sure want to qualify for that. As for World Champs, I really would love to qualify but the way to do that is still unclear to me, so I will just do my best and focus on being sharp in the early season.”
Finland’s Aku Nikander (University of New Mexico) celebrates his win in the 50 k classic mass start at U.S. Distance Nationals on Friday in Anchorage, Alaska. He beat Noah Hoffman (SSCV/Team HomeGrown/USST) by 9 seconds after the two skied together for essentially the entire race. (Photo: Erik Hill/Anchorage Daily News)
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Aku Nikander was somewhat a mystery in the men’s 50-kilometer classic mass start on Friday in the last race of the season at U.S. Distance Nationals.
As far as Noah Hoffman of the U.S. Ski Team (USST), Ski & Snowboard Club Vail and Team HomeGrown was concerned, he was the guy that stood between him and a shot at his second-individual victory of 2014 Spring Series.
For Nikander, a Finnish student in his first year at the University of New Mexico, a win is a win, no matter what country you’re racing in, and it’s what he wanted.
It wasn’t until the second of five 10-k loops on the challenging Spencer Loop at Hillside trails that Nikander, a 24-year-old sophomore, emerged as a noticeable contender. Erik Bjornsen, of Alaska Pacific University (APU) and the USST, led through the 10 k checkpoint. Nikander was 2.4 seconds back in 12th, and one lap later, he was up to third, less than two seconds behind leader Reese Hanneman (APU) and Hoffman.
Finnish skier Aku Nikander (r) of the University of New Mexico leads Noah Hoffman of the U.S. Ski Team around a corner on the Spencer Loop during the final lap of the men’s 50 k classic race at the U.S. Distance Nationals at Hillside in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo: Erik Hill/Anchorage Daily News)
With a 16-second gap to fourth place, Nikander began to ramp up the pace, while Hanneman and Hoffman wondered who exactly he was.
“There’s always those wildcard Europeans at these last races of the year,” Hanneman said with a laugh. “Clearly going into lap three it was just us three and it sounded like we had a pretty decent gap, so I knew, he wouldn’t have been up there if he wasn’t a good skier with good skis and feeling good. I don’t know anything about him, but obviously he’s in contention for the win.”
Earlier this season, Nikander won a college race in Utah in a 30 k skate.
“After that I was struggling,” Nikander said. “I was a little bit overtrained because we had been training in the 3,000 meters so I was so tired the whole season practically. I didn’t do so well in NCAA’s so I was really looking forward to this race.”
On March 6 and 8, he placed ninth in the 10 k classic at NCAA Championships and was 23rd in the 20 k freestyle mass start. Two seasons ago, Nikander finished ninth in the 50 k classic at Finnish Championships, and narrowly missed the podium in two U23 Finnish Championships races in 2012 and 2013.
He applied to Utah, but then New Mexico head coach Fredrik Landstedt contacted him.
“I knew a couple Finnish alpiners so I decided to go there,” Nikander said. “It’s a little bit deeper than Finland so I wanted to experience something else. It has worked this season pretty well.”
This week marked his first time in Alaska; first time at U.S. Spring Series.
Meanwhile, heading into lap three, Micheal Fehrenbach of the University of Alaska-Fairbanks led the chase with David Norris (Montana State University/APU), Andy Newell of the Stratton Mountain School (SMS) T2 Team and USST, and Brian Gregg (Team Gregg/Madshus).
One lap earlier, Gregg had raced to the top of the high point of the course, known as Wall Street, to nab the first of two $100-dollar primes at 16 k, but he said the effort cost him. Bjornsen had followed him closely in second, going out hard early in an effort to break up the pack, and Hoffman crested the top with them with a slight gap to Hanneman, Newell and Fehrenbach.
A former University of Alaska-Anchorage skier, Gregg, 29, recalled doing bounding intervals at the top of Wall Street.
“Most of our training we did on the Spencer Loop,” he explained. “We’d do three loops, maybe one time we did four, so I’ve never done five so that was pretty hard.”
On Friday, he saw his college coach Trond Flagstad at the top of the same climb.
“I got a little fired up, I went for that first prime,” Gregg said. “I was a little tired when the other guys sort of separated so I wasn’t able to quite hang with those guys.”
By 26 k, Nikander was first to the top for the second $100 bonus. Hoffman was once again right there with him, and Hanneman a few seconds behind by the summit. Norris led the chase with Fehrenbach, Gregg, and University of Vermont (UVM) senior Scott Patterson, while Newell skied slightly behind in eighth.
“After two laps, I was pretty comfortable,” Nikander said. “We took off with Hoffman and Hanneman. After the uphill sprint we got a gap and I had such good skis.”
Hoffman was glad it broke up by the halfway point.
“I didn’t really know anything about Aku, I didn’t even know his name,” he said. “He’s a good skier.”
Teammates on the U.S. Ski Team and Stratton Mountain School T2 Team, Andy Newell leads Simi Hamilton on one of several hills on the Spencer Loop in the 50 k classic at U.S. Distance Nationals in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo: Erik Hill/Anchorage Daily News)
By the time the leaders reached 30 k, Hoffman led Nikander by 0.5 seconds, and Hanneman was nearly 28 seconds behind in third. He still had nearly a minute separating him from fourth, however, with Patterson leading Fehrenbach, Gregg and Norris. Newell was another 28 seconds behind in eighth, followed by teammate Simi Hamilton (SMST2/USST) and Lex Treinen (APU), respectively.
The order of the front three stayed the same through the fourth ascent of Wall Street, with Hoffman and Nikander skiing to the top together and Hannemen trailing by about 40 seconds. Gregg led the chase, with Fehrenbach and Norris, and Hamilton was at the front of the second group with Newell and Treinen over the top.
With one 10 k lap to go, Nikander and Hoffman skied through flatter section of the course as a unit, 48 seconds ahead of Hanneman. The two began to study each other more carefully.
“I just double poled faster than him,” Nikander said. “I was actually leading a lot in the last lap. I had maybe better kick and better glide.”
Neither of Nikander nor Hoffman re-waxed in a race that didn’t allow ski changes.
“I don’t like my chances coming into the final stretch, but part of me was just glad to be with him,” Hoffman said. “I did try a little bit over the final hills, but I just didn’t have a chance getting away from him.”
Nikander took charge the last time up Wall Street and gapped Hoffman before he caught back up on the backside of the course. With an efficient double pole, Nikander was able to stay ahead, entering the finishing straight almost even with Hoffman.
There, he unleashed the double pole he had been banking on, passing Hoffman in the last 150 meters. Hoffman strided into the gradual-uphill finish in second, accepting the race for what it was and the effort he’d put toward it.
“When I saw that Noah can’t keep up in the flat part, in the double-poling part in the last loop I just waited for the final straight and sprint and it was enough for the day,” Nikander said.
“He was better than me double poling all day,” Hoffman said. “I was struggling and it’s a been long season and he was impressive and I’m glad to be done. … Rarely does the best guy not win in a 50 k. I think execution, which I struggle with day in and day out to really perform the way I want to perform, is easier in a longer race for me.
“It doesn’t define my season,” he added. “I’m excited to take a break and excited to look to improve for next year.”
Nikander was excited, although unsure what it would mean to those back home.
“I don’t know how much they are looking at the results from here. We’ll see,” he said. “I think it can help a little bit for [team selection] and next summer’s training camps. I hope so.”
Runner-up and first American Noah Hoffman (r) of the U.S. Ski Team congratulates overall winner Aku Nikander (University of New Mexico) after the men’s 50 k classic race at U.S. Distance Nationals on Friday. (Photo: Erik Hill/Anchorage Daily News)
The first American, Hoffman finished 9 seconds after Nikander, who won the roughly 51.5 k race in 2:23.08.3. Hanneman locked up third, 1:01.6 behind Nikander. It was his second podium in three individual races this week, and third including a win in the mixed relay.
“My last two laps, I tried to ski that climb sort of relaxed, just my own pace and not worry how I thought someone else would be skiing it and then try to ski pretty hard on the rest of this stuff,” Hanneman explained.
“You kind of come into the last week and for the most part have no idea how it’s gonna go. I knew I felt good at the World Cup last week … and I ended up feeling decently good,” the overall men’s SuperTour leader said. It’s been really fun to do well here at home. “It’s hard to beat doing well at home. That was a great way, a little reward at the end of the season.”
Gregg, who’s wife Caitlin finished the season as the female SuperTour leader, finished more than 3 1/2 minutes later, uncontested in fourth.
“Last lap, that’s where I tried to make a move to separate from our little pack,” he said after making his move over the top over Wall Street. “I looked back at the corner. I saw Newell, Simi must’ve been there, too — those guys had just caught us and I was like, it’s time to go. I love that downhill we used to do downhill time trials down that from the very top to the bottom. … Those workouts that we did eight, nine years ago really played into this race course.”
One of the APU skiers that train in Anchorage year-round, Treinen came into the stadium with Newell, then stepped around him at the beginning of the finishing lanes with about 200 meters to go. He out-double poled the Olympic sprinter by 3.1 seconds to finish fifth. Newell placed sixth and Hamilton finished another 11 seconds back in seventh. Norris placed eighth — 13.4 seconds behind Hamilton and 14 seconds ahead of Patterson in ninth, and Fehrenbach was another 27 seconds back in 10th.
Eleventh place went to Eric Packer (SMST2), who finished more than two minutes later and 8:03.2 behind the winner. Bjornsen placed 36th.
APU’s Reese Hanneman (l) and Sadie Bjornsen (r) congratulate their team’s anchor Kikkan Randall after she solidified their national title in the 4 x 5 k mixed relay on Tuesday. It was Randall’s third-straight win in as many races this week in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo: Bill Roth/Anchorage Daily News)
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — No matter how many times you looked at the start list on Tuesday, watching Reese Hanneman tag Sadie Bjornsen, and Bjornsen tag her brother, Erik, and Erik tag Kikkan Randall, it was sort of surprising.
Unusual, really, as it was the first time a mixed-gender relay had been put into motion on the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) level. According to Randall, it was like a test event — athletes proposed the 4 x 5-kilometer mixed relay with two males and two females teaming up for two classic and two skate legs to the International Ski Federation (FIS) last year. FIS agreed to try it after individual nations give it a whirl at home first.
Start of the 4 x 5 k mixed relay, the first of its kind in U.S. cross-country skiing, at U.S. Distance Nationals on Tuesday in Anchorage, Alaska. Up front (from l to r): Reese Hanneman (APU), Brian Gregg (Fastest of the Fast Twitch) and Andy Newell (SMST2). (Photo: Bill Roth/Anchorage Daily News)
So that was the basis of USSA’s decision to hold the first event of its kind in the U.S. at the annual Spring Series and Distance Nationals at the end of the 2013/2014 season.
On Tuesday, the race that teams like Alaska Pacific University (APU) had kiddingly called a focus all season became a reality.
Each official team was made up of two men and two women from the same USSA-affiliated club. A man skied the first classic leg, two laps that amounted to about 6.6 k, then tagged off to a female teammate for the second classic leg on the same course.
Men were the first out on the 2.6 k freestyle course, two laps of which were about 5.2 k, then tagged to the final female anchor for another 5.2 k of skating.
Twenty-six teams took part, 18 of which were official (all from the same team), and two of those were junior squads from APU.
The hometown squad, APU entered eight teams into the relay — a testament to the program’s depth at home before the race even started. The Stratton Mountain School (SMS), Craftsbury Green Racing Project (CGRP), Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation (SVSEF) each had two teams. Six official college teams raced (Vermont, New Mexico, Northern Michigan, APU, and two from Alaska-Anchorage).
Reese Hanneman of Alaska Pacific University’s (APU) first team tags Sadie Bjornsen (APU/USST) in the lead at the U.S. Distance Nationals 4 x 5 k mixed relay on Tuesday in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo: Bill Roth/Anchorage Daily News)
With a national title at stake, the senior race was the marquee event of the evening, with a start time of 5 p.m. under brightly illuminated skies on another bluebird day in Anchorage. The question of who was strongest on Tuesday was quickly put to rest when Hanneman of APU’s first team gapped the field early and took a 20-second lead halfway through the first classic leg.
“I came into the bottom of the big hill and just felt good and I kind of accelerated by everybody,” Hanneman said. “It was not planned, but I just decided to go with it at that point. Once you make a move you kind of have to commit.”
The last time Hannemen, 24, raced a relay was Junior Nationals — five years ago, he estimated. On Tuesday, he held on to tag Sadie Bjornsen, one of his three teammates, all of which are on the U.S. Ski Team, in first by 12.3 seconds.
“I definitely was looking back, and about 4 k into the race, a couple k to go, I was definitely dying pretty hard,” he said. “But I could hear people cheering for Lex [Treinen]. I knew he was the next guy behind me so I knew we at least had a two-pronged attack going on.”
Treinen of APU’s second team passed Stratton’s Andy Newell, who initially led the chase behind Hanneman, on the second loop. Treinen, 24, sent Rosie Brennan off in second, 3.8 seconds ahead of the University of New Mexico (UNM), which Mats Resaland put third, and 16 seconds ahead of Stratton, with Newell tagging to Sophie Caldwell.
Caldwell went on to pick off two places early to rise to second by the end of her first classic lap, but said she paid the price the second time around Kincaid’s up-and-down classic loop.
Stratton’s Simi Hamilton (3) and APU’s David Norris (4) head out of the exchange on the first of two skate legs in Tuesday’s 4 x 5 k mixed relay at U.S. Distance Nationals. (Photo: Chris Hodel)
“When I started there were a couple people I could see so I just tried to catch them and then got a little tired, but I think it went well,” she said. “There were very different conditions in different parts, but we had good skis.”
From there, Sadie Bjornsen extended APU’s lead to 50 seconds, tagging off to her younger brother. Brennan put APU 2 in second, half a second ahead of Stratton’s first team. U.S. Ski Team member Liz Stephen lifted her unofficial team, Fastest of the Fast Twitch (FOTFT), with Brian Gregg, Noah Hoffman (also of the USST) and Caitlin Gregg, from sixth to fourth, 2.2 seconds behind third by the exchange.
As a side note, Brian Gregg (Team Gregg/Madshus) scrambled for the team in Superman underwear outside his Loppet Nordic race suit (Hoffman did as well). Brian’s wife, Caitlin, also of Team Gregg/Madshus, anchored the team wearing a bikini outside her uniform.
By the time Erik Bjornsen finished his two-lap skate leg, he was 28.7 seconds ahead of anyone else, and Hamilton lifted Stratton to second. David Norris kept APU 2 close in third, another 6.7 seconds back.
“It’s a good atmosphere — it’s laid back but still serious,” Hamilton said after the race, with red hearts painted on his face. While the men sported their softer side, Stratton women wore painted mustaches.
Stratton teammates greet and assist Jessie Diggins (SMST2/USST), who anchored them to second place in Tuesday’s 4 x 5 k mixed relay at U.S. Distance Nationals in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo: Bill Roth/Anchorage Daily News)
Her first time around a fast skate loop, Randall widened APU’s gap to 46 seconds. Stratton’s Jessie Diggins followed, and APU 2’s Holly Brooks lapped through another eight seconds back in third.
As spectators, volunteers and teammates from the previous three legs waited at the finish, it was pretty clear who the first-ever national mixed-team title and $750 dollars ($187.50 apiece) of prize money was going to.
Randall crossed the line uncontested in 55:51.5 minutes, 45.6 seconds ahead of Diggins, who locked up second for Stratton. Brooks anchored APU 2 to third, 32 seconds behind Stratton.
“Coming into today we knew it was gonna be tough competition,” Randall said. “We knew Stratton would have a good team, our other APU team, Craftsbury, the mixed team with Liz and the Greggs and Noah, so it was kind of fun to have the nerves come into the club relay.”
Fortunately for Randall, she didn’t have to stress too much.
“I just thought it was fun to try to at least hold the gap or make time,” she said. “We have so many fans out here. I’ve had so many people say it’s fun to watch us race this week so I figured why not race with what’s in the tank today? I had fun catching a couple young [junior and university] boys out there, and giving them a challenge.”
Holly Brooks (APU/USST) anchoring APU’s second team to third at the U.S. Distance Nationals 4 x 5 k mixed relay at Kincaid Park on Tuesday. (Photo: Bill Roth/Anchorage Daily News)
After Eric Packer brought Stratton’s second team from seventh to fifth, anchor Erika Flowers passed Caitlin Gregg on the second lap to finish fourth, 51.5 seconds back from third and 13.9 ahead of FOTFT in fifth.
Sun Valley’s first team placed sixth, CGRP 1 was seventh, APU 3 was eighth, University of Vermont ninth, and Sun Valley’s unofficial team 10th.
So will we see this format again? Chances are, you can count on it.
“I always think it’s fun to mix it up a little and do something we don’t see on the World Cup, but I’d also love to see this on the World Cup,” Caldwell said. “To have a club event, I think we can all find an extra gear for the team which is fun.”
“We discussed the mixed relay in the FIS meetings last spring because … a lot of the athletes supported adding that to the calendar, testing it out,” said Randall, a FIS Cross Country athlete representative.
“What a great idea,” she said. “The clubs have been getting so much stronger over the last 10 years, but the depth is still building. So to have two men and two women, that makes sure it can be a very competitive race. I think it’s fun … certainly makes it interesting, hopefully this proved to be a good example so they’ll consider experimenting with it on the World Cup.”
The 4 x 5 k mixed relay at U.S. Distance Nationals, with winners APU 1 (c), the Stratton Mountain School T2 Team in second (l), and APU 2 in third. (Photo: Chris Hodel)
APU head coach Erik Flora explained the relay was a motivator for his team throughout the season.
“When we did intervals back in June, we’d tell the athletes, ‘Technically this is the trials for the relays,’ ” Flora said. “We kept that joke going all year long so by the time we got to this point we had so many jokes about it was probably pretty simple.”
He said they selected the teams mostly based on recent results, with two individual races (the 10/15 k freestyle and classic sprint) earlier this week.
“Reese is in really good shape right now … and Erik always has a pretty good finishing kick,” Flora said. “Then you have Sadie who’s a really strong distance racer right now, so you put her in the middle, and then Kikkan for the finishing speed as well.”
He added that it was “a great surprise” to see Hanneman with such a significant lead after the first lap, and even more exciting when he and Treinen tagged off first and second. The fact that they more or less held it through three more legs capped off another successful day for APU.
“Coming through an Olympic cycle, we’ve been working for the last eight years toward the last Olympics and so now to turn the page and then have the depth of our team expanding so quick, it gets me fired up for the next four years,” Flora said.
“This is probably the highlight of the year so far,” Hanneman said.
“This is a really fun accomplishment for us,” Randall said. “The women’s team has certainly been strong for several year, but the men’s team is really coming on strong, so to put together a complete team today … I think everybody is gonna be super proud about this.
“The techs have been working really hard for us all week; there’s a lot of skiers to manage,” she added. “It’s really cool for our whole community-based program to see this. Our juniors are out here hopefully going, ‘Man I want to be on the APU A-team someday for the club relay!’ ”
The Stratton Mountain School T2 Team’s post-race pow wow, celebrating a second-place finish in the 4 x 5 k mixed relay at U.S. Distance Nationals. (Photo: Rob Whitney)
Alaska Pacific University’s Reese Hanneman (r) leads Andrew Newell (c), of the Stratton Mountain School (SMS) T2 and U.S. Ski teams, and Benjamin Saxton (SMS), in the men’s classic-sprint final at the Super Tour Finals at Kincaid Park on Sunday in Anchorage, Alaska. The three went on to finish in the top 3, with Newell first, Hanneman second and Saxton third, but Newell was relegated for obstructing Hanneman and listed as sixth. (Photo: Bill Roth/Anchorage Daily News)
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Andy Newell’s victory was over almost as soon as he’d finished. The U.S. Ski Team member’s lane switch in the last 80 or so meters before the finish of the men’s 1.4-kilometer classic sprint final at SuperTour Finals on Sunday prompted several jury members to convene once he finished first.
In the second lane from the right out of four lanes to the finish, Reese Hanneman of Alaska Pacific University (APU) had been trailing Newell slightly, who was farthest right, before Newell decided to shift left to the inside of a slight lefthand curve before the final straightway.
He had to accelerate to do so and needed to leave enough room between him and Hanneman before jumping across his lane, two tracks to the left. Hanneman, who’s lived and trained in Anchorage for the last five seasons and is originally from Fairbanks, later said he had to stand up for a second and the move cost him a chance at winning. Newell claimed he had the space and went for the opening.
Andy Newell (SMST2/USST) changing lanes 80 meters before the finish of Sunday’s classic sprint final at SuperTour Finals in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo: Peter Morris)
Andy Newell (SMST2/USST) changing lanes 80 meters before the finish of Sunday’s classic sprint final at SuperTour Finals in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo: Peter Morris)
Andy Newell (SMST2/USST) changing lanes 80 meters before the finish of Sunday’s classic sprint final at SuperTour Finals in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo: Peter Morris)
The two double poled to the line, where Newell stayed ahead of Hanneman by several meters through the finish. Hanneman tossed his head back in disappointment — it was the one low point of an otherwise picture-perfect day. Warm sun, consistent conditions, and for Hanneman, a win in each of the preceding heats with the exception of the qualifier, in which he placed second to Newell by 2.6 seconds.
Andy Newell (101) beat Reese Hanneman (102) to the finish of Sunday’s 1.4 k classic sprint final, but was later relegated to sixth in the heat for obstructing Hanneman about 80 meters before the finish. (Photo: Rob Whitney)
In the final, Hanneman had to come to grips with losing to Newell in the end-all race of the day. In first for much of the 1.4 k loop, which included a gradual downhill into a tight right corner and long descent before the big climb back up, Hanneman initially attacked at the bottom of the final hill known as Elliott’s Climb and led halfway up.
Newell followed him closely and pulled up alongside Hanneman some 200 meters before the finish, then the two raced side by side over the top. Skiing in the same suit for the same team as Newell, Ben Saxton of the Stratton Mountain School (SMS) was the next closest competitor a few seconds back.
Just after the crest before the flat to the finish, that’s where the moment in question went down. That’s what sent APU head coach Erik Flora running to the finish to meet with jury members after the two finished. According to Hanneman, the jury was already aware of the incident and in the process of discussing whether to deny Newell of the victory because of obstruction.
About an hour and 45 minutes later, the announcement was made: unofficially, Hanneman had won, and everyone else in the final had moved up one place — Saxton to second, Tyler Kornfield (APU) in third, Pat O’Brien (Craftsbury Green Racing Project) in fourth, and Dakota Blackhorse-von Jess (Bend Endurance Academy) in fifth. Newell was relegated to sixth with a competition suspension.
A 15-minute protest period allowed Stratton coaches to file the first official protest of the day, in which they opposed the decision to penalize Newell. Twenty-five minutes later, the jury arrived at their decision: Hanneman would remain the classic-sprint champion and Newell was sixth.
Start of the men’s final at the SuperTour Finals classic sprint on Sunday at Kincaid Park in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo: Rob Whitney)
It wasn’t the way anyone wanted it to happen.
“I would rather win without all that shenanigans, but that was one of the few times I’ve actually felt like a move really kind of did affect the race,” the 24-year-old Hanneman said. “So that’s why I wanted to stand behind that.”
As the jury informed both men of their decision inside the timing trailer the finish, Hanneman sat on a table looking down and Newell stood up, smiling. He wasn’t happy. If anything, he was in awe.
“I don’t see how that’s possible. … I don’t really now what they’re thinking,” Newell said. “I think they’re kind of beginners in there.”
For someone who laughed as he said he’s “been to a lot of TD meetings in my life,” Newell’s frustrations were easily understood. Hanneman got it and initially didn’t want to rock the boat. Second was a great result, but he stood behind his coaches’ decision to follow up with the jury. Hanneman is known as one of the most social guys on the circuit, amiable and friends with a lot of people. Newell’s also highly respected at the domestic and international levels.
“That’s what I want it to be. I have nothing against anybody, I don’t want anyone having anything against me,” Hanneman said. “But I don’t want people to abuse that and ski all over me because I’m a nice guy.”
As for the official decision, technical delegate Bill Rogers said Newell was issued a competition suspension for obstruction, something that wouldn’t affect other races this week.
“Basically we had the jury made a decision based on evidence, Andy Newell protested that and so we did have a closed jury meeting, which involves interviewing both the athletes and then separately meeting to go over the evidence,” Rogers said.
The process itself involved calling the athletes and their coaches to the table, which convened outside then moved into a private meeting inside the timing trailer, to review video and photos. Hanneman argued that Newell skied over his skis: “They have pictures of video of him just mobbing all over my gear,” he said.
Newell couldn’t say whether there was contact or not, but said he made a point to get far enough ahead of Hanneman to make his lane change.
“I also changed two tracks over instead of one so I wouldn’t block him,” Newell said. “I guess according to the video he stands up a little bit, but I am barely even going near the tips of his skis, if they did at all.”
The process itself, according to Newell, involves the jury asking each skier involved “was is it intentional or not, is the first question … and it was obviously not intentional,” he said. “And then, was there an advantage or not? And that’s kind of the shady area. It’s not like Reese lost much time, he did maybe stand up for a second and so if you call that an advantage or not, I don’t know because it didn’t really affect the outcome of the race.”
Hanneman said the jury asked about contact first, to which he said, “Absolutely. Was it intentional? That’s more up to [Newell], I have no clue. But to say you accidentally switched tracks? That doesn’t happen. … I felt like once he made that move that kind of decided the race. It seems like they made the right decision even though I wish they didn’t have to make that decision at all.”
Newell knew that because his previous infraction at World Cup Finals last weekend was a technical warning, equivalent to a yellow card on the World Cup (for skating while changing lanes in a classic sprint), it wouldn’t affect anything at SuperTour Finals. Plus, the season was over after these races in Anchorage.
Friends ’til the end: the men’s final, all of which placed in the top sixth (from left to right) Andy Newell, Reese Hanneman, Ben Saxton, Pat O’Brien, Dakota Blackhorse-von Jess, and Tyler Kornfield. (Photo: Rob Whitney)
The penalty cost Newell $650 dollars in prize money, plus the $100 he and his coaches had to put forward to protest. At the end of the day, he made $100 for sixth place, which the protest fee negated.
On the flip side, Hanneman took home an extra $250 dollars for the win ($750 for first as opposed to $500 for second). It was the SuperTour leader’s second victory in national-caliber classic sprints this season after he won his first national title at U.S. Cross Country Championships in the classic sprint in January.
But he also knew what the other side of a jury decision felt like. In December, Hanneman was disqualified for skating in a Besh Cup classic sprint — which he initially won.
“I know that it’s not fun but when you do something that’s questionable, like when I skated in Besh Cup, I was like, well, I shouldn’t have done that and know I know,” he said. “You need that to reinforce … Andy needs to know that he can’t make a move like that because it’s not fair racing. You have to some checks like that to keep people in line.”
According to Rogers, “Unfortunately, obstruction in sprints is common. I think it’s very normal.” He declined to explain how the jury made their final decision and the evidence they considered in the process.
At the end of the day, Hanneman was a champion and the 20-year-old Saxton had one of the best races of his career in second — up there with his runner-up finish in the skate sprint at 2014 nationals. He finished 4.74 seconds behind Hanneman (who ultimately won in 3:25.56) and held off Kornfield by 1.49 seconds.
For Kornfield, the 2012 national classic-sprint champion, third stood as his best race of the season. He finished 4 seconds ahead of O’Brien, who ended up fourth, and 13 seconds ahead of Blackhorse-von Jess in fifth.
Saxton said Hanneman and Newell took off toward the bottom of the hill, over the first roller on the way up to the finish. He was caught in the far left lane in fourth and unable to go with them. Despite the fact that he thought he could’ve stuck with them to the finish, Saxton said he was happy with his result — even if it was third at first.
“I haven’t felt this good all year. This was an incredible feeling,” Saxton said.
“Andy and Reese threw down World Cup qualifiers today so that’s pretty awesome,” he added, referring to Newell’s top time of 3:19.52. Hanneman was 2.6 seconds back in second and Blackhorse-von Jess advanced to the heats 4.09 seconds behind Newell in third. Saxton qualified fourth (+7.4).
Saxton went on to win his quarterfinal (as did Newell), as well as the first semifinal by 0.24 seconds over Newell.
“It’s pretty cool for me to get to race against Andy [and] experience that for the first time,” Saxton said. “[Watching him in the quarterfinals] it was incredible dichotomy between him and the other skiers. He’s so relaxed. It’s not that there technique is bad, but it’s just this innate tightness. There’s a laboredness in their movements.”
So to beat him in the semifinal was fun.
“In my semi, we went side by side up the hill, so it was cool to feel that pace and feel the turn of pace,” Saxton said. “It was exciting.”
Hanneman bested O’Brien in the second semifinal by 0.83 seconds. O’Brien and Simi Hamilton (SMST2/USST) also won their quarterfinals, but Hamilton placed fourth in the second semifinal, 2.6 seconds behind Blackhorse-von Jess in third, and did not make the final.
“Reese is skiing incredible,” said Saxton, Hanneman’s roommate in Europe last year, shortly after the finish. “I could not be happier for that guy.”
Noah Hoffman (SSCV/Team HomeGrown/USST) racing to a 10.9-second win in Saturday’s 15 k freestyle at SuperTour Finals at Kincaid Park in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo: Rob Whitney)
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Separated by 30 seconds at the start, nearly 70 men in Saturday’s 15.9-kilometer freestyle raced around Kincaid Park individually on Saturday in the SuperTour Finals opener.
One by one, they ascended massive hills, like Elliott’s Climb at the end of each 5.3 k lap, and descended a winding section of the course known as S Turns. They made their way back to the stadium World Cup start area via trails named Burky’s Climb and Roller Coaster.
Some made up ground on their competitors; others lost it.
With one lap to go, it was pretty obvious which side of that Noah Hoffman of the U.S. Ski Team (USST), Ski & Snowboard Club Vail and Team HomeGrown was on.
University of Vermont senior Scott Patterson racing to second in Saturday’s 15 k freestyle at SuperTour Finals in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo: Rob Whitney)
Watching him climb Elliott’s the second time around 10 k was unlike anyone else. Scott Patterson of the University of Vermont (UVM) led Hoffman by half a second after the first 5 k loop, then fell behind by 4.6 seconds by the end of the second.
“There’s no recovery out there,” Hoffman said after the race. “You’ve got to work the whole thing. The downhills are turny, really require you to work, but for the most part it’s just rolling terrain and no big uphills, no big downhills, quite different than anything I’ve raced [overseas] all year. It was fun.”
With about 5 k to go, Hoffman, 25, put the hammer down on the hills he knew were his strength. The lone skier at Spring Series from his Colorado club, Hoffman stood out in white — and in his ability to attack when most were visibly slowing.
“My strategy was try just to ski really high energy but keep it relaxed, knowing that I couldn’t really go over the line because there was no place to recover,” Hoffman said. “There were limited opportunities out there to attack on the uphills so I had to really focus when I did have that opportunity.”
Hoffman continued to gap Patterson, a UVM senior from Anchorage, on the final lap and ultimately beat him by 10.9 seconds for a victory in his first SuperTour Finals since 2012.
“I knew I was close to Scott,” Hoffman said. “I was getting word out there, ‘Tied! Up by two, down by two,’ so I knew it was a close race and you’ve just got to work for every second out there and see what happens.”
While Patterson gave Hoffman a run, nobody else came too close. Erik Bjornsen of Alaska Pacific University (APU) and the USST was in a three-way fight for third with Patrick Johnson (Far West Elite Team) and David Norris (Montana State University) with one lap to go.
Erik Bjornsen (APU/USST) racing out of the World Cup start area to third place in Saturday’s 15 k freestyle at SuperTour Finals in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo: Rob Whitney)
Bjornsen ended up third, 59.3 seconds behind Hoffman and 3.1 second ahead of Norris in fourth, and said he lost time on the second loop and didn’t have the finishing punch he’s used to.
“I really didn’t find that top gear in the last lap that I was looking for, so that was a little disappointing,” Bjornsen said.
But a podium is a podium at a race series that ranks right up there with U.S. nationals prestige (on March 28, the 30 and 50 k classic mass starts will serve as U.S. Distance Nationals).
“It’s been cool this year going to the Olympics,” Bjornsen said. “I think Anchorage has started to notice my name. Just a ton of fans out there. It was so fun.
“I thought I was fourth,” he continued. “I’m happy with [third]. … It’s a tough race. You’ve just got to keep working the whole time and keep moving. As soon as you kind of rest or chill for a little bit I think you lose a lot of time.”
“I think Anchorage has started to notice my name. Just a ton of fans out there. It was so fun.” — Erik Bjornsen (APU/USST), third in SuperTour Finals 15 k freestyle
Patterson didn’t let off the brakes, especially with Anchorage spectators lining the course, but thought he came undone a little bit on the final climb. At the halfway point, he recalled being two seconds ahead of Hoffman in the lead — an accomplishment for any non-USST member, let alone a college racer.
Noah Hoffman on his way to winning his first SuperTour Finals race in two years. He did not compete in Truckee, Calif., last season. (Photo: Rob Whitney)
“It seemed like every person was giving me splits, every volunteer was cheering for me so it was pretty cool. Definitely had a good crowd out there that knew me well,” he said.
“Scott’s a great skier, I’ve known that for a long time,” Hoffman said. “It was never a guarantee I’m going to win this race. I’m just glad to edge it out. I hope to ski Scott at the World Cup level sometime soon.”
If Patterson, the younger of the two siblings at the Finals (Caitlin of the Craftsbury Green Racing Project is the other), has his way, that’s exactly how his career will go down. The first step is not being intimidated by a USST athlete. The second: learn how to deal with limited splits on when you start ahead of the person you’re trying to chase down.
“It was hard to kind of know — up, down, going back and forth — so I tried to push it in, but I was a little slow on the last hill,” Patterson said. “He definitely picked it up towards the end.”
For Hoffman, the attack made all the difference. Besides Patterson and Bjornsen on the podium, Hoffman beat everyone else by more than a minute. Norris was fourth (+1:02.4), Lex Treinen (APU) fifth (+1:06.2). Johnson placed sixth, Matt Gelso (Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation) took seventh, Reese Hanneman (APU) was eighth, Brian Gregg (Team Gregg/Madshus) ninth, and the former APU skier Mark Iverson (Rossignol) 10th.
Hoffman and Bjornsen were among four in the top eight getting wax help from APU this week, including Norris and Hanneman.
“I don’t really know how my fitness is at the moment; it was a lot of travel,” Hoffman said after flying from Sweden to Anchorage earlier this week. “I’ve been sleeping pretty well for the most part this week, but it’s a hard transition, it’s also just been a long season.”
The men’s 15 k freestyle individual start podium at SuperTour Finals in Anchorage, with winner Noah Hoffman (c), runner-up Scott Patterson (third from l) and Erik Bjornsen (second from r) in third.(Photo: Rob Whitney)
Kikkan Randall (APU/USST) heads up Elliott’s Climb in Kincaid Park at the end of the first of two laps on Saturday. She went on to win the 10 k freestyle individual start by 2.2 seconds on the first day of SuperTour Finals in Anchorage, Alaska.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Liz Stephen had quite the task ahead of her on Saturday in the first race of 2014 SuperTour Finals. Kikkan Randall’s house guest for the week and her longtime buddy on the U.S. Ski Team, the 27-year-old from East Montpelier, Vt., started a minute behind Randall in the women’s 10-kilometer freestyle individual start at Kincaid Park.
Usually, that would be fine, but when you hear cheers through the woods ahead of you and get splits that you’re right behind Kikkan, that you’re seven seconds down, one second down, it’s hard to know how to beat her.
Stephen tried anyway, but at the end of the 27-minute race — which was actually 10.6 k on the two-lap course — Randall was the one who finished fastest in 27:27.1, by 2.2 seconds over Stephen in second.
Alaska Pacific University’s leading veteran, Randall, 31, repeated her win in the 10 k distance from last year’s SuperTour Finals in Truckee, Calif. There, she won the 10 k classic by 36.6 seconds over her APU and USST teammate Sadie Bjornsen and finished 47 seconds ahead of Stephen.
On Saturday, the 10 k skate was a favorite event for several on the U.S. Ski Team (with the exception of Sophie Caldwell, who finished eighth and smiling in one of her least-favorite races on her 24th birthday. She was greeted at the finish by nearly a dozen costumed competitors, including Randall in a tinsel wig and Stephen in an afro, somewhat contained by a ski headband).
Almost a dozen women quickly switched gears after finishing Saturday’s 10 k skate to wearing costumes and greeting Sophie Caldwell, of the U.S. Ski Team and Stratton Mountain School T2 Team, at the finish at SuperTour Finals in Anchorage, Alaska, on Caldwell’s birthday.
Almost a dozen women quickly switched gears after finishing Saturday’s 10 k skate to wearing costumes and greeting Sophie Caldwell, of the U.S. Ski Team and Stratton Mountain School T2 Team, at the finish at SuperTour Finals in Anchorage, Alaska, on Caldwell’s birthday.
Sophie Caldwell cruises into the finish while being surprised by nearly a dozen competitors in costume to celebrate her birthday on March 22 at SuperTour Finals in Anchorage, Alaska.
A smiling-and-suprised Sophie Caldwell at the finish of the 10 k freestyle at SuperTour Finals on March 22 after several teammates and competitors dressed up to celebrate her birthday in Anchorage, Alaska.
A smiling-and-suprised Sophie Caldwell at the finish of the 10 k freestyle at SuperTour Finals on March 22 after several teammates and competitors dressed up to celebrate her birthday in Anchorage, Alaska.
A smiling-and-suprised Sophie Caldwell at the finish of the 10 k freestyle at SuperTour Finals on March 22 after several teammates and competitors dressed up to celebrate her birthday in Anchorage, Alaska.
A smiling-and-suprised Sophie Caldwell at the finish of the 10 k freestyle at SuperTour Finals on March 22 after several teammates and competitors dressed up to celebrate her birthday in Anchorage, Alaska.
A few minutes earlier, Randall and Stephen had been just as gassed as most in the field at the finish, which ended on the winding uphill called Elliott’s Climb before an 80-meter straightaway into the World Cup stadium (a modified start and finish because of low snow).
“I knew it was close,” Stephen recalled. She was down by 7.3 seconds to Randall after the first lap then two seconds a couple kilometers later.
With 3 k to go, Stephen knew she had some climbing ahead — which was good for her. Randall’s strength was gliding, she reasoned, so Stephen went for it on the rolling (and sometimes-screaming) downhills and tried to ski relaxed, until the last time up Elliott’s.
“On this final climb it was just head down and going,” Stephen said. “[Kikkan] got it and it’s great to see her win in her home state.”
SuperTour leader Caitlin Gregg (Team Gregg/Madshus) clocks the fastest time through 5 k in Saturday’s 10 k freestyle at SuperTour Finals in Anchorage, Alaska. She went on to place third.
While Randall had an edge on Stephen from start to finish, she was actually trailing Caitlin Gregg (Team Gregg/Madshus) by 3.6 seconds at the end of the first lap. However, Randall had little way of knowing; she started 5 1/2 minutes ahead of Gregg. (Stephen started ahead of her as well.)
The 2014 American Birkebeiner freestyle champion, Gregg was also fresh off a flight from World Cup Finals in Europe. She arrived in Anchorage on Tuesday — one day before Randall and Stephen.
While Gregg said her energy was good and wasn’t sure where she lost time on the second lap on Saturday, she credited Randall and Stephen as “great World Cup skiers” and was satisfied with third place, 20.9 seconds behind Randall and 4.1 seconds ahead of Bjornsen in fourth.
“I always have really good skate races here in Anchorage,” Gregg said. “Whether it was at JO’s [Junior Nationals], NCAA’s, nationals twice, I qualified for the Olympics here in 2010 — for whatever reason, Alaska and I, Anchorage and I do great. I love the trails, I love the conditions, the crowds, it’s a good vibe.”
When she and her husband, Brian, who placed ninth in the men’s 15 k, found out that Spring Series was going to be there, they couldn’t pass it up. Even after they raced more than ever this season — both domestically and internationally; Caitlin said she’s only had two weekends off since early October and has been back and fourth to Europe twice.
“Even after our crazy long season, we were like, ‘Oh man, that is gonna be awesome,’ ” she said. “We went for an afternoon jog at nine o’clock last night. We watched the sunset over the ocean.”
“For whatever reason, Alaska and I, Anchorage and I do great. I love the trails, I love the conditions, the crowds, it’s a good vibe.” — Caitlin Gregg (Team Gregg/Madshus), third in 2014 SuperTour Finals 10 k freestyle
The ultimate hometown hero, Randall relied on the crowd to boost her the last time around Kincaid — the same trails she grew up on. Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, Randall moved to Anchorage with her family when she was just a few years old, and went on to rack up 10 state titles at East Anchorage High School, all of which were in running.
As a junior skier, Randall won seven Junior National titles and set Alaska’s record for fastest woman on skis at 74.14 miles per hour in a 1994 speed-skiing event, according to her blog.
But on Saturday, what mattered was that the four-time Olympian had another great day in her storied career, which she most recently added her third Sprint World Cup title to.
“You spend the whole winter on the World Cup and then you come back here and it just feels so familiar,” Randall said. “Just seeing everybody and the snow is familiar. It was really funny packing my race bag this morning, I was so in the routine all winter, but then to do it in your own house is kind of funny.”
Liz Stephen (Burke/USST) heads up Elliott’s Climb the first of two times in Saturday’s 10 k freestyle at SuperTour Finals at Kincaid Park in Anchorage, Alaska. She went on to place second to teammate Kikkan Randall by 2.2 seconds.
She had her husband, Jeff Ellis, and Stephen at home with her, too. Randall said it was that familiarity paired with the ability to make an impact on the community that made her want to have the post-Sochi Olympics, season-ending races there. These Finals are Randall’s first races in Anchorage since 2010 nationals.
“It’s really nice for us racers to come back and race at home, but it’s so good for the community and the next generation of Olympians,” Randall said. “They’re seeing a high-level race for the first time and they’re like, ‘Oh man, I want to be there someday.’ I remember being a kid and feeling that way.”
Randall went on to become the most successful female cross-country skier in U.S. history.
“When I was standing in the start gate [today] I thought, I do this because I love it,” Randall said. “When you’re on the World Cup, it’s such a big scene there, but to do it here in front of all your friends and family, it’s like, Oh yeah, this is the true spirit of cross-country.”
Stephen, who’s also under APU’s wing this week with wax help, said the kind of recognition Randall gets from her home state and supporters stands out.
“Everybody knows her and it’s a really cool atmosphere here in Alaska,” Stephen said. “We were watching TV last night from some shows that had been recorded in December. Usually you fast-forward through the ads, and we were doing that, but on a number of different occasions I would be like, ‘There you are!’ And we’d have to go back and watch it.
“It’s just really cool to see a community and a whole state really embrace cross country skiing and embrace their athletes,” Stephen added. “It’s fun to be here and it’s fun to be home with Kikkan because she is a star. In our minds, all the time and in her state too and it’s just fun to be a part of it.”
Also in the top 10, Jessie Diggins, of the Stratton Mountain School T2 Team (SMST2) and USST, placed fifth (+29.8). Girdwood native Chelsea Holmes (Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation) was sixth (+55.0), Holly Brooks (APU/USST) seventh (+56.2), Caldwell (SMST2) eighth, Erika Flowers (SMST2) ninth, and Anchorage’s own Caitlin Patterson (Craftsbury Green Racing Project) 10th.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — On a sunny afternoon in Kincaid Park, a 1,500-acre public-recreation venue that borders the Anchorage International Airport and Turnagain Arm coast, several World Cup skiers, including three Olympians and three Alaska Pacific University members, took the time to chat on camera on Friday.
Out on the trails before and during training/testing, Kikkan Randall, Liz Stephen, Erik Bjornsen, and Reese Hanneman talk about returning to the U.S., their homecomings and what they’re most excited for at SuperTour Finals and U.S. Distance Nationals — a.k.a. Spring Series.
Races start Saturday with the 10- and 15-kilometer freestyle individual starts. Start list
The secondary stadium at World Cup start, 0.8 miles from the Kincaid Chalet and main open-aired stadium at Kincaid Park in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday morning. While the primary stadium has a thin base of snow cover, it’s exposed.
Editor’s Note: Normally, FasterSkier will be doing the reporting and the Anchorage Daily News (ADN) will help with photos from this year’s SuperTour Finals and U.S. Distance Nationals, but on the eve of the first of four races, we’ll let the ADN do the talking in the form of this preview, which ran both in print and online.
Like her U.S. Ski Team teammates, Anchorage’s Holly Brooks spent this winter living out of duffel bags, grinding out World Cup nordic races all over Europe and Olympic races in Sochi, rarely staying in one location for long.
That schedule proved exhausting, and Brooks is finally back home in Airport Heights after four months away.
But she can’t hit full relax-mode yet, not with the season’s final four races, replete with the strongest fields in North America this season, scheduled here beginning Saturday, when the 2014 U.S. National Championships and the SuperTour Finals open at Kincaid Park.
The main stadium at Kincaid Park, which will not be used this week for SuperTour Finals and U.S. Distance Nationals because of Anchorage’s low-snow situation. The trails are covered, and race organizers have yet to determine whether all the races will be held at Kincaid — including the 30 and 50 k next Friday. Races are planned for Kincaid unless otherwise noted.
Anchorage Olympians Brooks, Kikkan Randall, Sophie Bjornsen and Erik Bjornsen, who all compete for the APU Nordic Center, are part of the stacked fields registered. By Brooks’ count, 12 of the 14 U.S. Olympians from Sochi will be skiing. And SuperTour points leaders Reese Hanneman of APU and Caitlin Gregg of Minneapolis are also registered.
“It’s the highest level that’s taking place in North America this year,” said two-time Olympian James Southam, the race director. “It’s the only time all season the best athletes in the country are in one place, and in the U.S.
“For Anchorage to be holding these races, I think, is a super-cool opportunity for people to get out and see what the best in the world look like.”
Brooks said she plans to ski all four races — two SuperTour events and two national championship events.
“This is our only chance to ski domestically all season,” she said. “It’s also kind of a reunion of sorts, to catch up with old friends, teammates, old coaches. Most people will plan to ski all the races. It’s the end of the season — there’s nothing to save for, nothing to hold back.”
Randall, the four-time Olympian who recently wrapped up her third consecutive World Cup sprint title, said she also intends to race every event. She appreciates that the country’s top skiers, almost to a person, have traveled here to end the season with loaded fields.
“Everybody’s doing a good job the last few years of respecting the final races, to race domestically and to compete for your club,” Randall said.
Randall said she’s excited for the upcoming races, in part because they will mark the first time she has competed in her hometown since the 2010 U.S. Olympic Trials.
Southam said he was psyched nearly all the top racers have come here at season’s end.
“At this time of year, you don’t always see the best ones because they’re super-tired,” Southam said. “But for the best to come here is great. The last few years, Anchorage has put itself on the map, especially with the APU program. People are like, ‘What’s going on there?’ What’s in the water?’ ”
The races are all scheduled to take place on the world-class trails at Kincaid Park. That could change if conditions or temperatures change significantly. The trails at APU and Hillside give organizers alternatives.
The SuperTour and national championship races lure top racers to compete against the best of the best in the hunt for titles. Prize money is another incentive. All together, about $10,000 in prize money will be awarded
The SuperTour races — Saturday’s individual freestyle race and Sunday’s classical sprints — pay $750 to both the men’s and women’s winners. Second place will earn $500, third place $250, fourth $200, fifth $150 and sixth $100. The fastest male and female qualifiers in the sprint will each earn $250.
In the national championship distance races — 30-K for women, 50-K for men — the winners will earn $1,200, the runner-up gets $600 and third place merits $300. In the relay, the top four-person team will split $750, the runners-up will earn $500 and third place will split $300.
![Lex Treinen and his brother Nick after placing first and second, respectively, at the Ski to Sea on March 30 in Homer, Alaska. (Courtesy photo)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/04/IMG_0117.jpg")
![The start of the 2014 Ski to Sea on Homer Spit at the tip of the Kenai Peninsula in Homer, Alaska. (Photo: Lex Treinen)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/04/IMG_0109.jpg")
![Finland's Aku Nikander (University of New Mexico) celebrates his win in the 50 k classic mass start at U.S. Distance Nationals on Friday in Anchorage, Alaska. He beat Noah Hoffman (SSCV/Team HomeGrown/USST) by 9 seconds after the two skied together for essentially the entire race. (Photo: Erik Hill/Anchorage Daily News)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/03/SkiDSC_3508.jpg")
![Finnish skier Aku Nikander (r) of the University of New Mexico leads Noah Hoffman of the U.S. Ski Team around a corner on the Spencer Loop during the final lap of the men's 50 k classic race at the U.S. Distance Nationals at Hillside in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo: Erik Hill/Anchorage Daily News)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/03/SkiDSC_7706.jpg")
![Teammates on the U.S. Ski Team and Stratton Mountain School T2 Team, Andy Newell leads Simi Hamilton on one of several hills on the Spencer Loop in the 50 k classic at U.S. Distance Nationals in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo: Erik Hill/Anchorage Daily News)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/03/SkiDSC_7665.jpg")
![Winner Aku Nikander of the University of New Mexico (l) and runner-up and first American Noah Hoffman of the U.S. Ski Team congratulate each other after finishing the men's 50 k classic race at U.S. Distance Nationals on Friday. (Photo: Erik Hill/Anchorage Daily News)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/03/SkiDSC_7709.jpg")
![APU's first team congratulates anchor Kikkan Randall after she solidified their national title in the 4 x 5 k mixed relay on Tuesday. It was Randall's third-straight win in as many races this week in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo: Bill Roth/Anchorage Daily News)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/03/Relay19.jpg")
![Start of the 4 x 5 k mixed relay, the first of its kind in U.S. cross-country skiing, at U.S. Distance Nationals on Tuesday in Anchorage, Alaska. Up front (from l to r): Reese Hanneman (APU), Brian Gregg (Fastest of the Fast Twitch) and Andy Newell (SMST2). (Photo: Bill Roth/Anchorage Daily News)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/03/Relay01.jpg")
![Reese Hanneman of Alaska Pacific University's (APU) first team tags Sadie Bjornsen (APU/USST) in the lead at the U.S. Distance Nationals 4 x 5 k mixed relay on Tuesday in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo: Bill Roth/Anchorage Daily News)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/03/Relay04.jpg")
![Stratton's Simi Hamilton (l) and APU's David Norris head out of the exchange on the first of two skate legs in Tuesday's 4 x 5 k mixed relay at U.S. Distance Nationals. (Photo: Chris Hodel)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/03/MG_3964.jpg")
![Stratton teammates greet and assist Jessie Diggins (SMST2/USST), who anchored them to second place in Tuesday's 4 x 5 k mixed relay at U.S. Distance Nationals in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo: Bill Roth/Anchorage Daily News)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/03/Relay30.jpg")
![Holly Brooks (APU/USST) anchoring APU's second team to third at the U.S. Distance Nationals 4 x 5 k mixed relay at Kincaid Park on Tuesday. (Photo: Bill Roth/Anchorage Daily News)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/03/Relay16.jpg")
![The 4 x 5 k mixed relay at U.S. Distance Nationals, with winners APU 1 (c), the Stratton Mountain School T2 Team in second (l), and APU 2 in third. (Photo: Chris Hodel)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/03/MG_4084.jpg")
![The Stratton Mountain School T2 Team's post-race pow wow, celebrating a second-place finish in the 4 x 5 k mixed relay at U.S. Distance Nationals. (Photo: Rob Whitney)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/03/noname-20.jpeg")
![(Reese Hanneman (102) leads Andrew Newell (101) and Benjamin Saxton (104) while skiing to victory during the men's final at the Super Tour Finals classic sprint races at Kincaid Park on Sunday in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo: Bill Roth/Anchorage Daily News)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/03/Sprint30.jpg")
![Andy Newell (101) beat Reese Hanneman (102) to the finish of Sunday's 1.4 k classic sprint final, but was later relegated to sixth in the heat for obstructing Hanneman about 80 meters before the finish. (Photo: Rob Whitney)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/03/noname-13.jpeg")
![Start of the men's final at the SuperTour Finals classic sprint on Sunday at Kincaid Park in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo: Rob Whitney)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/03/noname-17.jpeg")
![Friends 'til the end: the men's final, all of which placed in the top sixth (from left to right) Andy Newell, Reese Hanneman, Ben Saxton, Pat O'Brien, Dakota Blackhorse-von Jess, and Tyler Kornfield. (Photo: Rob Whitney)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/03/noname-14.jpeg")
![Noah Hoffman (SSCV/Team HomeGrown/USST) racing to a 10.9-second win in Saturday's 15 k freestyle at SuperTour Finals at Kincaid Park in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo: Rob Whitney)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/03/noname-10.jpeg")
![University of Vermont senior Scott Patterson racing to second in Saturday's 15 k freestyle at SuperTour Finals in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo: Rob Whitney)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/03/noname-7.jpeg")
![Erik Bjornsen (APU/USST) racing out of the World Cup start area to third place in Saturday's 15 k freestyle at SuperTour Finals in Anchorage, Alaska.](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/03/noname-6.jpeg")
![Noah Hoffman on his way to winning his first SuperTour Finals race in two years. He did not compete in Truckee, Calif., last season. (Photo: Rob Whitney)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/03/noname-8.jpeg")
![The men's 15 k freestyle individual start podium at SuperTour Finals in Anchorage, with winner Noah Hoffman (c), runner-up Scott Johnston (third from l) and Erik Bjornsen (second from r) in third.(Photo: Rob Whitney)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/03/noname-12.jpeg")
![Kikkan Randall (APU/USST) heads up Elliott's Climb in Kincaid Park at the end of the first of two laps on Saturday. She went on to win the 10 k freestyle individual start by 2.2 seconds on the first day of SuperTour Finals in Anchorage, Alaska.](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/03/IMG_4822.jpg")
![SuperTour leader Caitlin Gregg (Team Gregg/Madshus) clocks the fastest time through 5 k in Saturday's 10 k freestyle at SuperTour Finals in Anchorage, Alaska. She went on to place third.](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/03/IMG_4870.jpg")
![Liz Stephen (Burke/USST) heads up Elliott's Climb the first of two times in Saturday's 10 k freestyle at SuperTour Finals at Kincaid Park in Anchorage, Alaska. She went on to place second to teammate Kikkan Randall by 2.2 seconds.](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/03/IMG_4843.jpg")
![The secondary stadium at World Cup start, 0.8 miles from the Kincaid Chalet and main open-aired stadium at Kincaid Park in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday morning. While the primary stadium is snow covered, it's exposed and not quite deep enough for setting tracks.](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/03/IMG_5844.jpg")
![The main stadium at Kincaid Park, which will not be used this week for SuperTour Finals and U.S. Distance Nationals because of Anchorage's low-snow situation. The trails are covered, and race organizers have yet to determine whether all the races will be held at Kincaid -- including the 30 and 50 k next Friday. Races are planned for the original site unless otherwise noted.](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/03/IMG_5846.jpg")