Vail Pro Race Series Snowshoe Event

Well – as you may have gathered, getting hold of snowshoe equipment has not been too easy! Having left the ranks of the salaried masses, I found new gear way out of my budget and second hand gear as rare as rocking horse poo. Eventually I scored some used cross country skate skis, which I’ve only managed to get out on twice due to a hectic Christmas/New Year schedule; a brief back injury and a chesty cough that won’t go away…

However… the long awaited Snowshoe leg of the season’s Vail instructor race series (complete with freebie snowshoe rentals) finally came about this afternoon at the base of Golden Peak, in Vail. With many of the hotshot Alpine slalom racers guaranteed no shows (they typically only leave the bar for a bit of pole bashing) I was in with a good chance of getting ahead on the leader board… provided snowshoe racing wasn’t too much harder than running up hills !

With a private lesson running late into the afternoon, I arrived at the race only 4 minutes before the official start time, scrambled out of my uniform and into some running kit and grabbed the last pair of snowshoes available. Practice consisted of about 50 yards stumbling up the hill and 50 yards falling back down to the start just in time for the gun.

I didn’t have a clue about the course – but figured I was unlikely to be leading anyway. I looked for the most professional looking guy and tucked in behind him up the first climb. Surprisingly, I found myself in the first four at the top of the climb – but it had all been groomed piste so far. I found the shoes were ok to run in once I figured out I didn’t need to lift them very high off the snow – just enough to clear the fronts, so I could kind of flick them forward with each stride.

The first downhill section was also groomed. Joe the Pro (Dawes) was a rapidly diminishing dot in the distance. To my chagrin, the other two members of our front group were pulling away from me despite my flailing limbs windmilling downhill (some things never change).

The second climb was ungroomed through the trees and all bar Dawes were reduced to walking. To my delight, the two lads in front of me seemed to be sinking into the deeper snow and were conveniently breaking trail for my lighter frame. I let them pack it out before passing both of them at the top (some 300 feet above the start) and then threw caution to the wind down the final ungroomed descent (part surfing part stumbling) to try and stay in second place. Alan was breathing down my neck but I managed to hang on by 5 seconds. Dawes, obviously the local expert was hardly sweating !!

I suppose I surprised a few people, including Kelly, the Nordic centre supervisor – who has promised to lend me snowshoes whenever I want now – provided I help her improve her slalom techninque!! So an entry in the North American Champs in March may still be on the cards !!

2 kms, 300 feet vert – 25 runners

1. Dawes 11m27

2. Swaz 12m32

3. Alan B 12m37

4. Kelly M 13m46 (first lady)

…I think some of them are still out there now…