Dakota Blackhorse-von Jess of Bend Endurance Academy (r) leads (from r-l) Mads Strøm (CU), Rune Oedegaard (CU), and Eric Packer (APU) in the A-final of Friday’s Super Tour freestyle sprint in West Yellowstone.
WEST YELLOWSTONE, Mont. — Dakota Blackhorse-von Jess used a strong finish to edge out two skiers from the University of Colorado in Friday’s men’s 1.5 k skate sprint in West Yellowstone, Mont., marking the first U.S. SuperTour race of the season.
The 28-year-old Blackhorse-von Jess, of the Bend Endurance Academy, took command of the lead after the final hill when the University of Colorado’s Mads Strøm made a last-ditch attempt to pass him on the outside. The 23-year-old Norwegian had been working with CU teammate and fellow countryman Rune Malo Ødegård to hold second and third position throughout the race, waiting for the opportunity to make a move on Blackhorse-von Jess. However, Strøm finished in second while Ødegård, 25, crossed the line in third.
Eric Packer of Alaska Pacific University (APU) finished fourth, 2.98 seconds after Blackhorse von-Jess. Welly Ramsey of the Maine Winter Sports Center (MWSC) finished in fifth (+3.52). Canadian Andy Shields of the Thunder Bay National Development Centre (NDC) was 36.49 seconds back in sixth place, though FasterSkier was unable to locate Shields to determine what happened on the course.
Dakota Blackhorse-von Jess of the Bend Endurance Academy pushes in front of the University of Colorado’s Mads Stroem during the A-final of the SuperTour men’s freestyle sprint in West Yellowstone, Mont. (Photo: Toko)
Blackhorse-von Jess was second in qualifying (after Stratton’s Ben Saxton) and made it safely through the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, though he emphasized the challenging nature of the early-season race.
“West Yellowstone’s a hard place,” he explained. “I’m tired, everybody’s tired. You know, it’s just hard being here.”
However, he said winning is a good “confirmation of fitness,” and he was happy with his strategy.
“It just became apparent to me I had the speed at the end, but to really maximize it you need to be first on the hill,” he said, “So, that’s what I did. Worked out great.”
He said being in front was especially an advantage on the rolling course, as the corners are close together and “the straight line provides no opportunity for passing.”
Only 0.9 seconds behind Blackhorse von-Jess, Strøm was disappointed to not have overcome Blackhorse-von Jess, but recognized his attempt to take the lead was too little, too late.
“He went away from the other guys and I just tried to get past him and he was faster than me,” Strøm explained.
Strøm was happy for his Colorado team, saying they generally expect to do better in distance races. Having two skiers on the podium in the sprint was well above their expectations.
Ødegård was pleased with his third-place finish, echoing Strøm in saying the race went “a lot better than expected.”
The Norwegian has suffered from injuries and illness throughout the past year, including an ankle surgery, a meniscus tear and a bout of strep throat. Despite that, he said he was better in a skate sprint than he has ever been.
Ødegård and Strøm finished seventh and fifth, respectively, after qualifying, then comfortably made it through their quarterfinal races. They ended up racing together in the first semifinal, where they skied a strategic race and helped each other maintain and finish in the first and second positions.
Despite being happy with his race, Packer was a victim of the course’s lack of passing opportunities. According to the 24-year-old Alaska native, he started out in third or fourth and never had a real chance to move forward during the race.
“The final went out pretty hard and with this course it’s really difficult to pass,” he explained.
Packer qualified in 13th, surviving a competitive quarterfinal while squeaking through the semifinal to make it to the A-final.
Sun Valley’s Miles Havlick leads (from l-r) Brian Gregg (Team Gregg/Madshus), Matt Gelso (SVSEF), and Forrest Mahlen (MSU) in Friday’s B-final at the 2014 SuperTour freestyle sprint in West Yellowstone.
Finishing fifth, Ramsey was ecstatic about advancing to the A-final. The 23 year old is an accomplished distance racer, having finished eighth at last year’s 15 k at U.S. nationals, but hasn’t considered himself to be a sprinter in the past. Starting the day by qualifying in 12th, he finished just behind Blackhorse-von Jess in the men’s first quarterfinal. Then he led Blackhorse-von Jess going into the last hill during the second semifinal, before the eventual winner passed him on the closing stretch.
“I’m pretty stoked that I’m able to sprint this year,” Ramsey said, emphasizing how much technical work and “on-snow” time during the fall has helped him out.
The day started off well for Saxton, a 21-year-old U.S. Ski Team and SMST2 athlete, who was first after qualifying.
“I think the qualifier today rewarded smooth skiing and I don’t think very many people would list smooth skiing as one of my attributes thus far,” Saxton explained.
However, he fell behind Ødegård and Strøm in the semifinal and faded on the final hill, then ended up 11th overall after falling behind in the B-final. In that race, he said his right hamstring “balled right up” going into the tuck, leaving him unable “to put forward the effort” that was representative of his abilities.
Sun Valley’s Miles Havlick, who was fourth after qualifying, won the B-final, barely nudging out Brian Gregg (Team Gregg/Madshus) and Forrest Mahlen (Montana State University). Alaska Pacific University’s Lex Treinen was put out of the race at the start, falling immediately after the gun sounded.
Paddy Caldwell (SMST2) also suffered a race accident earlier in the day. After qualifying in 22nd, one of his poles broke at the top of the final hill during the fourth quarterfinal. Alex Schulz of Craftsbury Green Racing Project was on the inside, and as they rounded the curve Schulz’s ski and Caldwell’s pole collided.
There were certain issues on Day 1 of the event involving timing, bib numbers and placement into semifinals. Races and results were postponed, and athletes at times questioned when or if they would be racing.
SuperTour racing continues for the men on Saturday in West Yellowstone with the 15 k freestyle individual start. Snow is expected to fall throughout the day, making for interesting racing conditions.
The men’s 15 k freestyle individual start podium at the 2014 SuperTour Finals in Anchorage, with (from l-r) Patrick Johnson (6th), David Norris (4th), Scott Patterson (2nd), winner Noah Hoffman, Erik Bjornsen (3rd), and Lex Treinen (5th). (Photo: Rob Whitney)
Note: This article has been corrected to describe the race women’s SuperTour leader Caitlin Gregg is shooting for at World Championships: the 10 k skate.
WEST YELLOWSTONE, Mont. — National racing begins Friday as the SuperTour kicks off in West Yellowstone, Mont., and the excitement on the Rendezvous trails couldn’t be higher. The best skiers from around the country have been training for at least a week in the little Montana town as they prepare to compete for American dominance and possible positions on World Cup and World Championship teams.
With several departures from the racing scene including, Olympian Torin Koos (BSF), Rose Kemp (SVSEF), and Kate Fitzgerald (APU), and a multitude of up-and-coming racers on the cusp of success, the 2015 SuperTour will be anyone’s game.
When the USST selected four men (Erik Bjorsen, Brian Gregg, Koos and Kris Freeman) and no women from outside the regular World Cup team, it left many skiers hungry to show that they could perform well on the international level.
This year they’ll have another shot with the 2014 Nordic World Championships in Falun, Sweden.
While the U.S. is allotted 12 spots for each gender in Falun, USST head coach Chris Grover explained that he and his staff would select eight skiers per gender at most.
World Championship team selection will be based on several criteria. Those skiers ranked in the top 50 in the World Cup sprint or distance standings as of January 18 will be named to the team. After that coaches’ discretion kicks in. If coaches feel that the World Championship team could benefit from additional skiers after their discretionary picks, they will then begin selections from the USSA points list.
The selection is identical to last year’s Olympic process, with the exception of the USSA points. When making selections for the Olympics, coaches picked three non-USST skiers from the FIS points list to fill in the gaps.
According to USST Head Coach Chris Grover, the reason for the switch to USSA points is to emphasize domestic racing so that potential candidates for the championships will be racing against each other, rather than chasing FIS points across the globe like many did last season.
Due to the emphasis on USSA points this season, the SuperTour will be where non-World Cup team athletes will have the chance to prove they have what it takes.
The Veterans
Brian Gregg (Team Gregg) will be a top competitor in 2015. Photo: flyingpointroad.com.
On the men’s side, 2014 overall SuperTour champion Reese Hanneman (APU) will be competing in the first period World Cup races and will return to the national circuit in Houghton, Mich. for the 2015 U.S. Cross Country Championships. While the benefits of early-season World Cup racing are considered mixed, Hanneman can expect his chances of racing in Falun to increase if he demonstrates that he can keep up with the Europeans and his fellow American teammates.
With Hanneman out of the picture in West Yellowstone and Bozeman, the men’s SuperTour favorites are the remaining two non-USST members to attend the 2014 Olympics – Brian Gregg and Kris Freeman.
Freeman, a 34-year-old former USST member, will be racing in West Yellowstone for the first time in nine years. Freeman, who lost his position on the USST in 2013, was one of three non-USST members to qualify for the 2014 Olympics. Despite high hopes of his best olympics yet, he struggled in Sochi. This season he is looking to turn around his skiing and earn a spot on the World Championship team. As one of most experienced skiers on the SuperTour circuit he will have an advantage over much of the competition.
Gregg, like Freeman, will also enter the 2015 SuperTour with a multitude of experience. The 2013/2014 season saw Gregg on the SuperTour podium several times, most notably with his two second place finishes in the 2013 West Yellowstone 15 k freestyle and in the 2014 U.S. Nationals 30 k freestyle. At the Olympics, he constantly finished in the 40s and 50s.
As he starts the season, Gregg acknowledged that the first races of the season would be challenging.
“Kris is in really good shape so I think there are going to be some very competitive races. I’m excited,” Gregg said from West Yellowstone Tuesday.
Joining Freeman and Gregg as veterans of the SuperTour are Matt Gelso of the Sun Valley Gold Team and Dakota Blackhorse-von Jess of the Bend Endurance Academy. Gelso will be looking to build on past results while Blackhorse-von Jess will pursue success in sprinting, especially since U.S. sprint champion Torin Koos retired from competition.
After disappointment in the freestyle sprint at the 2014 U.S. Cross Country Championships and a failure to qualify for the 2014 Olympics, Blackhorse von-Jess said that nothing has changed in his career trajectory.
“I’m re-energized after the disappointment of the Olympics with the reaffirmation that I still want this and believe I have what it takes… My career/goal trajectory hasn’t changed in the least: I’m focused on racing my best in the biggest international competitions and just need to make sure I do what is necessary to make those trips and come to the starting line in Falun prepared to light it up,” he wrote in an email.
Matt Liebsch of Team XC United will also be returning to racing after missing out on Olympic qualification. However, Liebsch, who works near full time for Gear West, has lightened his training load as is looking to “maximize fun and earning potential ” rather than qualify for international events.
“I’m not going to be chasing FIS points around the world or country necessarily. If they fall in my lap because I’m racing well, that’s great, but I’m not going to be stressing about it… It’s not really a change for me. I’m still going to try to race as fast as I can only I won’t be training as much,” he said in a phone interview.
Ryan Scott, living and training independently in Boulder, Colo., will also return to competition, but, like Liebsch, has cut back his training as a result of work.
For the women, one name has particularly dominated the domestic circuit for years – Caitlin Gregg.
Gregg, like Hanneman, will start her season on the World Cup after earning the women’s overall title at the SuperTour finals in Anchorage last season. Gregg said earlier this fall that she is as motivated as ever and has her sights set on a particular race: the 2015 World Championships 10 k skate. To get to Sweden, however, she’ll need to demonstrate that she’s on par with USST and dominate when she returns for the U.S. championships in January. In the meantime, she’s excited for the 5 k next weekend in Lillehammer and aims to earn a start in that race.
With the absence of Gregg, the West Yellowstone and Bozeman SuperTours are anyone’s for the taking.
Rosie Brennan (APU) leading her semifinal in the 2014 U.S. Cross Country Championships. (Photo: http://bertboyer.zenfolio.com).
Always a strong skier, APU’s Rosie Brennan will once again attempt to demonstrate her mettle as she makes a bid for World Championships. Last year Brennan started her season on the World Cup and returned to the U.S. exhausted, but earned a national title at U.S. Nationals in addition to several podiums. This year she will enter the season with fresh energy despite a turbulent fall after loosing her father in August.
Joining Brennan at the top of the SuperTour expectations are APU teammates Chelsea Holmes and Becca Rorabaugh.
Rorabaugh won the 10 k interval start classic at the 2014 U.S. Cross Country Championships for her first national title, and is looking to have even more time upon the podium as she continues through the season.
Last year Bridger Ski Foundation’s Jennie Bender repeated a national title in the freestyle sprint. While she’s dealt with illness and injury for the past two years, Bender told FasterSkier that her summer training this year was her best to date, and that she is looking to find success domestically and qualify for World Championships.
The Wild Cards
While the veterans of the 2015 SuperTour are names we’ve seen at the top of the result sheets for years, there are several skiers who have an excellent opportunity to shake up the status quo and make a name for themselves on the domestic circuit.
Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation’s Miles Havlick didn’t have the season he wanted in 2014, but has come back with a vengeance in 2015. While he has yet to face his competitors on-snow, Havlick has won a slew of time trials including the USST1o k freestyle rollerski time trial in Park City, Utah against the country’s best. He also broke a 25-year-old record in the Baldy Hill Climb this year.
According to Havlick, he has the all the ingredients for a breakout season. Now it’s only a matter of time.
“I think on any given day – when I am mentally competent, carrying confidence from previous races, focused, and my wax is good – I can be the best skier out there. The college skiing is when I was really able to prove that to myself. Last year was kind of tough because I felt like I was spinning my wheels by the end, but I think I’ve made some adjustments this year that can fix that,” he said in a phone interview in October.
Havlick also has gained the attention of Grover and the USST.
Erika Flowers racing to the fastest women’s time in the inaugural Tim Burke Uphill Run Test at Whiteface Mountain this fall.
“I’m excited to see how Miles Havlick is going to ski. He’s had a great fall. He won our US ski team time trial that we did in Soldier Hollow. He set a new course record on the Baldy Hill climb that stood for 26 years or something. There’s some new emerging faces to keep an eye on,” he said.
For the women, a possible 2015 wild card is a less well known. However, despite her lack of national attention Stratton Mountain School T2’s Erika Flowers has all the makings of an up and coming skier.
Flowers has always been a strong and consistent skier with the majority of her SuperTour results landing in the top-ten. However, when she traveled to Europe in the spring of 2014 she demonstrated her potential, wining a 10 k mass start in Silvapalana, Switzerland. Several weeks later she placed 14th in the Alpen Cup mini-tour. She finished the tour as the second American behind Holmes and had the fifth-fastest time in the final 10 k pursuit.
While Flowers has struggled with sprinting in the past, she demonstrated that she could stick with the best of them at the 2014 Frozen Thunder races in Canmore, Alberta ending the day in 7th.
The following day she finished 7th in the 7.2 k freestyle at Frozen Thunder. She was the 3rd American, and placed ahead of several notable Olympians including Jessie Diggins.
The Rest
In addition to Havlick, there are several other men who could make the domestic season anyone’s game.
Recent college graduates Ben Lustgarten of SVSEF, David Norris of APU, and David Sinclair of Green Mountain Valley School will be looking to take their success from NCAA racing to the SuperTour.
Scott Patterson (APU) is another notable graduate who had success on the SuperTour both at the 2014 Nationals and 2014 SuperTour finals. According to his family, Patterson will not be starting his season in West Yellowstone due to a skiing accident that occurred Oct. 31st in which he was impaled by a broken ski in his upper leg. While the leg wound healed, Patterson developed a pulmonary embolism (blood clots in his lungs) which has limited his exercise to walking. However, according to his family, Patterson is optimistic that he will return to racing at U.S. Nationals.
Ben Saxton (SMST2) and Paddy Caldwell (SMST2/Dartmouth) will be the sole USST members starting the season in West Yellowstone. Saxton who was second in the freestyle sprint at U.S. Nationals last year, is aiming perform well in Friday’s sprint. Caldwell, who has yet to decide whether or not he will ski for Dartmouth this year is a strong distance skier and will be vying for top results amongst the country’s best.
“They need to prove themselves and make those teams just like any other athlete that is on the domestic scene. Obviously those guys are younger guys and they’re still focused on the U23 World Champs,” Grover said of the two USST D-Team athletes.
Welley Ramsey (MWSC), Tad Elliott (SSCV), and a slew of other men from APU and Craftsbury will also look to challenge the national favorites as the season gets underway.
On the women’s side recent graduates Anne Hart (SMST2), Rosie Frankowski (APU), and Anja Gruber (Far West Elite) are new to full-time racing on the national circuit after having successful college careers. While the adjustment from college skiing to professional racing is often difficult, these women will still be a strong force to contend with.
Annie Pokorny (SMST2), Caitlin Patterson (CGRP), Liz Guiney (CGRP), and Mary Rose (SVSEF) are shaping up to be strong competitors in the 2014/2015 season after a productive summer and fall trainings with their respective teams.
WILMINGTON, N.Y. — Saturday’s Climb to the Castle was a success for both organizers and participants. Despite strong winds, the weather held and skiers were able to ski a challenging 5-mile climb on roads that had been paved just the day before. Take a look at our photo gallery to see the race for yourself.
The women’s start of the 2014 Climb to the Castle.
The women’s start of the 2014 Climb to the Castle.
The women’s start of the 2014 Climb to the Castle.
The men’s start of the 2014 Climb to the Castle.
The men’s start of the 2014 Climb to the Castle.
The men’s start of the 2014 Climb to the Castle.
Susan Dunklee (USBA) leads a chase pack of Annelies Cook (USBA), Jessie Diggins (USST/SMST2), Erika Flowers (SMST2), Katharine Ogden (SMS), Mary Rose (SVSEF), and Sophie Caldwell (USST/SMST2).
Susan Dunklee (USBA) leads a chase pack of Annelies Cook (USBA), Jessie Diggins (USST/SMST2), Erika Flowers (SMST2), Katharine Ogden (SMS), Mary Rose (SVSEF), and Sophie Caldwell (USST/SMST2).
Liz Stephen (USST/Burke) sporting pink lightening bolts on her socks as she rockets her way to her fourth Climb to the Castle win in four years.
Liz Stephen (USST/Burke) sporting pink lightening bolts on her socks as she rockets her way to her fourth Climb to the Castle win in four years.
Liz Stephen (USST/Burke) rockets her way to her fourth Climb to the Castle win in four years.
USST women’s coach Matt Whitcomb takes a picture as his athletes ski by in the 2014 Climb to the Castle.
The view from roughly three miles up the Whiteface Memorial Highway.
Caitlin Gregg (Team Gregg) en route to second place.
Caitlin Gregg (Team Gregg) en route to second place.
Erika Flowers (SMST2) leads the chase pack. She is followed by Annelies Cook (USBA), Jessie Diggins (USST/SMST2), Susan Dunklee (USBA), Katharine Ogden (SMS), and Mary Rose (SVSEF).
Erika Flowers (SMST2) leads the chase pack. She is followed by Annelies Cook (USBA), Jessie Diggins (USST/SMST2), Susan Dunklee (USBA), Katharine Ogden (SMS), and Mary Rose (SVSEF).
Erika Flowers (SMST2) leads the chase pack. She is followed by Annelies Cook (USBA), Jessie Diggins (USST/SMST2), Susan Dunklee (USBA), Katharine Ogden (SMS), and Mary Rose (SVSEF).
Erika Flowers (SMST2) leads the chase pack. She is followed by Annelies Cook (USBA), Jessie Diggins (USST/SMST2), Susan Dunklee (USBA), Katharine Ogden (SMS), and Mary Rose (SVSEF).
Sophie Caldwell (USST/SMST2) on her way to a ninth place finish.
Tim Burke (USBA) competing in the 2014 Climb to the Castle. He went on to win the race by over 40 seconds.
Tim Burke (USBA) competing in the 2014 Climb to the Castle. He went on to win the race by over 40 seconds.
Tim Burke (USBA) competing in the 2014 Climb to the Castle. He went on to win the race by over 40 seconds.
Russell Currier (USBA/MWSC) skiing to a second place finish.
Annie Pokorny (SMST2) earned a tenth place finish.
Andy Newell (USST/SMST2) just past the three-and-a-half mile marker. He finished fourth in the five mile climb.
Caitlin Gregg (Team Gregg) approaches the misty finish. She crossed the line in second position.
Caitlin Gregg (Team Gregg) approaches the misty finish. She crossed the line in second position.
Caitlin Gregg (Team Gregg) approaches the misty finish. She crossed the line in second position.
The finish was both misty and windy and the 2014 Climb to the Castle.
Erika Flowers (SMST2) finishes the 2014 Climb to the Castle in fourth place.
Erika Flowers (SMST2) finishes the 2014 Climb to the Castle in fourth place.
Erika Flowers (SMST2) finishes the 2014 Climb to the Castle in fourth place.
Mary Rose (SVSEF) and Russell Currier (USBA/MWSC) ski side by side into the finish.
Susan Dunklee (USBA) finishes in eighth position.
Welley Ramsey (MWSC) pushes to the finish to earn the last spot on the men’s podium.
Welley Ramsey (MWSC) pushes to the finish to earn the last spot on the men’s podium.
Lowell Bailey (USBA) crosses the line in fifth.
Ben Lustgarten (SVSEF) placed seventh.
Liz Stephen celebrates her win in the finish area of the 2014 Climb to the Castle. Stephen clocked her fastest climb yet despite a strong headwind and exhaustion from the U.S. Ski Team Lake Placid Training Camp.
Liz Stephen celebrates her win in the finish area of the 2014 Climb to the Castle. Stephen clocked her fastest climb yet despite a strong headwind and exhaustion from the U.S. Ski Team Lake Placid Training Camp.
WILMINGTON, N.Y. — Liz Stephen (U.S. Ski Team) is a force to reckon with – even when she’s off her game.
From the beginning of Saturday’s 2014 Climb to the Castle, Stephen powered up the 5-mile course as if Therese Johuag was hot on her heels. Maintaining a steady pace as she rollerskied to the summit of Whiteface Mountain, Stephen secured her fourth win since 2011.
The 27-year-old has skied the challenging course faster each year since she began her winning streak. Her 2014 time of 41:50 was no exception, as Stephen finished 14 seconds faster than her previous record – a surprise given the strong headwind.
The women’s start of the 2014 Climb to the Castle.
Despite having her fastest finish in the Climb to the Castle, Stephen felt flat and uninspired throughout most of the race.
“I didn’t feel super sparky. Some days you wake up and you are super psyched to go a race and other days it’s a little more about making yourself get psyched,” Stephen said.
Stephen said that despite excitement for the climb she had trouble finding her race mentality. She pointed to an exhausting 2014 U.S. Ski Team Lake Placid Training Camp as a possible reason behind her inability to find her racing mindset.
“Today was hard for me and I’m a little disappointed how I was able to mentally push today,” she said.
Despite any disappointment, Stephen was thrilled to earn her fourth win and see her teammates give strong performances.
Caitlin Gregg (Team Gregg) placed second and spent the majority of the race alone with Stephen hammering ahead in the distance. She said the sight of Stephen was an inspiration, but was ultimately the most difficult part of the race for the Minneapolis native who finished with a time of 45:25.
Erika Flowers (SMST2) leads the chase pack. She is followed by Annelies Cook (USBA), Jessie Diggins (USST/SMST2), Susan Dunklee (USBA), Katharine Ogden (SMS), and Mary Rose (SVSEF).
“The hardest part was watching Liz V2 up ahead of me. I was thinking to myself ‘Man, my V1 is super comfortable right now,’” she said with a laugh. “It’s really fun to watch her and to see where that next stage is.”
The rest of the women’s field was more congested behind Stephen and Gregg. A chase-pack including Stratton skiers Katharine Ogden, Erika Flowers, and Jessie Diggins (USST) in addition to Susan Dunklee (USBA), Mary Rose (SVSEF), and Annelies Cook (USBA) skied together for most of the course. It wasn’t until the last mile-and-a-half that Flowers started to pull away and break the pack.
Ogden quickly followed and soon took the lead in order to do her fair share of wind-breaking. However, when the junior skier looked back she found that she had sped away from her fellow competitors.
Ogden was able to hold the distance and crossed the line with a time of 48:12, which was more than enough to earn her third place. Flowers eventually placed fourth.
Men’s Climb
Like Stephen, Tim Burke (USBA) had a history of winning the climb before his victory on Saturday. The 2013 World Championship silver medalist crossed the Saturday’s finish line in first with a time of 38:19.
Tim Burke (USBA) competing in the 2014 Climb to the Castle. He went on to win the race by over 40 seconds.
Due to the strong wind, Burke approached the race differently than he had in the past. Normally, he would have made a strong effort from the start but Burke decided that leading with such strong wind resistance would only exhaust him and allow others to draft.
“Today was definitely a little different than the other times I’ve done it in that there was a tough head wind today. It brought a lot of tactics into the race,” Burke said.
Burke eventually attempted to brave the wind and break away, but was followed by Welley Ramsey of the Maine Winter Sports Center (MWSC).
In what he would later call a “stupid” strategy, Ramsey spent much of his energy trying to catch Burke. By the time he reached the veteran biathlete, he was exhausted. Despite his fatigue he was able to finish with a time of 40:01 and finish in third place.
Russell Currier (USBA/MWSC) was also in pursuit of Burke for much of the rollerski race. While it was the 27-year-old’s first climb, he was able to maintain contact with the race winner for much of the race.
Currier said that he did his best to preserve his energy by staying out of the lead, but ultimately Burke played the “moral card” which prompted him take the lead for part of the race.
After several lead switches, Currier eventually lost contact with Burke but was able to maintain his second place position with a time of 39:02.
This year’s climb marked the end of U.S. Ski Team (USST) and U.S. Biathlon (USBA) training blocks held at the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid. Members of both teams were required to participate in the race and were joined by other camp participants and various other locals ranging from college to master skiers.
Race organizers from the New York Ski Education Foundation (NYSEF) were initially worried that construction efforts would hinder the 2014 climb. Even though the top section of the road was paved only a day before Saturday’s race, the road had hardened enough to allow rollerski and car travel.
![Dakota Blackhorse-von Jess of Bend Endurance Academy (r) leads (from r-l) Mads Stroem (CU), Rune Oedegaard (CU), and Eric Packer (APU) in the A-final of Friday's Super Tour freestyle sprint in West Yellowstone.](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/11/IMG_2961.jpg")
![Dakota Blackhorse-von Jess of Bend Endurance Academy pushes in front of the University of Colorado's Mads Stroem during the A-final of the SuperTour men's skate sprint in West Yellowstone, Mont.](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/11/Dakota_1.jpg")
![Sun Valley's Miles Havlick leads (from l-r) Brian Gregg (Team Gregg), Matt Gelso (SVSEF), and Forrest Mahlen in Friday's B-final at the 2014 SuperTour freestyle sprint in West Yellowstone.](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/11/IMG_2933-copy.jpg")
![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)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/03/noname-12.jpeg")
![Brian Gregg (USA). Photo: flyingpointroad.com / NNF.](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/02/SF30971.jpg")
![Rosie Brennan (APU) leading her semifinal in the 2014 U.S. Cross Country Championships. (Photo: http://bertboyer.zenfolio.com) All proceeds from photo sales will be directly donated to NNF.](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/01/Brennan-Semis.jpg")
![Miles Havlick (Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation) tucking down the high point of the course on the fifth of six laps at U.S. nationals in the 30 k freestyle mass start at Soldier Hollow.](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/01/IMG_9661_edited-1.jpg")
![Erika Flowers racing to the fastest women's time in the inaugural Tim Burke Uphill Run Test at Whiteface Mountain.](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/06/IMG_5947.jpg")
![Liz Stephen celebrates her win in the finish area of the 2014 Climb to the Castle. Stephen clocked her fastest climb yet despite a strong headwind and exhaustion from the U.S. Ski Team Lake Placid Training Camp.](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/09/IMG_2076.jpg")
![The women's start of the 2014 Climb to the Castle.](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/09/IMG_1695.jpg")
![Erika Flowers (SMST2) leads the chase pack. She is followed by Annelies Cook (USBA), Jessie Diggins (USST/SMST2), Susan Dunklee (USBA), Katharine Ogden (SMS), and Mary Rose (SVSEF).](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/09/IMG_1890.jpg")
![Tim Burke (USBA) competing in the 2014 Climb to the Castle. We went on to win the race by over 40 seconds.](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/09/IMG_1924.jpg")
![The men's start of the 2014 Climb to the Castle.](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/09/IMG_1800.jpg")