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24 Hours of Telemark Is Another One for the Books
By Phil Valkenberg
The woods were brightened with candlelighted luminaries and the glow
of headlamps as racers skied through the night during the fourth annual 24 Hours of Telemark January 10-11.
Held on a 5K course at Telemark Resort, the Team Sports Events
contest challenged skiers to test their endurance and determination. The resort's hallways seemed to have a near constant stream of traffic as racers headed to or from the start line to begin their laps or back for
some food and brief sleep. With team names like Daydream Nation, Chix and Hix on Stix, and Our Wives Are Smarter, many skiers took a less than serious approach to the ordeal.
When all was skied and done 174 participants covered over 13,000K of distance, an average of about 75K per skier. Top dog for the men in the 24-Hour Solo Freak category was Matt Aro who logged 290K.
Aro's triumph marked the first time in the event's history that 24-hour-solo-record holder Chris Ransom did not prevail. Ransom showed up and despite skiing with one pole and the other arm in a cast
from a recent break, covered 122K while encouraging other skiers on the trail. The top honors for the women's solo 24-hour class went to Ransom's wife, Julie Lynch-Ransom, with 173K.
As usual the big Ks were racked up by the 24-Hour Big Teams which allow up to six skiers. For the second year in a row Skinnyski.com took the top award after covering 464K. The classic technique category was
taken by the Birch Leggers four-person team which includes Silent Sports columnist Mitch Mode. They racked up 306K after a nightlong battle for first with the revitalized Eat, Bowl, Relax team.
Remarkable temperatures that never varied more than a degree from 20 during the entire event made for less arduous conditions than last year's
deep freeze. The traditional playing of "Here Comes the Sun" heartened racers as they skied into the dawn. The 5K course consisted of 3.5K on
natural snow on Telemark's Birkie Loop and 1.5K on man-made snow in the stadium area. The Birkie Loop which was boiler plate ice a week before had been reconditioned to a very skiable course with prototype
Tidd-Tech sleds able to pulverize such surfaces.
For complete results or information on other events visit Team Sports Events at www.teamsportsinc.com.
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2004 Winter Badger State Games
Quadrathlon
The quadrathlon events at the 2004 Winter Badger State Games will be held on Sunday, February 8, at Sylvan Hill Park, 139 Sylvan Street, Wausau, Wis.
The event includes four stages: a 5K run, 5K bike, 5K snowshoe, and 5K Nordic skiing. The race can be completed individually, as a four-person relay, and as a pair's team. Athletes must be 16 years or older.
Snowshoe Racing
The snowshoe racing events at the 2004 Winter Badger State Games will be held on Saturday, February 7, at John Muir Middle School, 1400 W. Stewart Ave., and Rib Mountain State Park, 5301 Rib
Mountain Drive, Wausau, on Sunday, February 8. The events include 4 x 100, 4 x 200, 1 mile run, children's fun run, 5K run, mountaineer and 5-mile run/tour.
Nordic Skiing
The Nordic skiing events at the 2004 Winter Badger State Games will
be held on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, February 6-8, at Nine Mile Forest Ski Trails, 8704 Redbud Road, Rib Mountain, Wausau. Events include 10k freestyle and classical races, 20K classical, 21K freestyle,
40K classical, 43K freestyle, junior classical and freestyle, torch light tour, and 1K youth race in all age groups and levels.
For more information on specific youth and adult events, fees, deadlines
and times, please download the sport flyer below or call us at 608/226-4780. If you register online by certain deadlines, you will receive a discount on your athlete fee. There's no on-site registration for
any event.
The Badger State Games is owned by the Wisconsin Sports Development Corp., a nonprofit sports management organization that helps develop sports tourism in Wisconsin and promotes positive
lifestyles and physical fitness through amateur athletic events and health education programs.
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Birkie Trail Start Area To McNaught Road Closed
The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation is closing the section of the trail from the start near Telemark Resort to McNaught Road until race day. We are asking skiers to not ski on the race course for the first 2.5 kilometers.
Skiers who wish to access the Power Line part of the trail may start at McNaught Road and ski south, or, if skiing from Telemark Resort, may
ski to the Power Line on Telemark's Birkebeiner 7K loop. A trail pass is required to ski the Telemark Resort cross country ski trail system.
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Ripon Native Captures Cyclo-Cross Championship
Megan Monroe, 23, daughter of Mike and Ronni Monroe of Ripon, and a graduate of Wautoma High School, captured the Collegiate National Cyclo-cross Championship in Portland, Oregon, on December 12,
2003.
Defending last year's U-23 championship, Monroe rode cautiously on the mud-slicked technical course, earning a second national championship, this time in the collegiate division. After a successful road
season that took her across the nation, from New England all the way to famous Filmore Street in San Francisco, with an incredible climb to a top 25 international placing in the T-Mobile road race, Monroe turned
her efforts to Cyclo-cross.
Cyclo-cross is similar to mountain biking but on a road bike with modifications such as a higher bottom bracket, wider tires and cantilever
brakes. The sport includes running and jumping over 18- to 24-inch-high barriers. It's an "extreme sport," considered so due to the weather conditions of the competitive season, the technical skill level
required, tactics and aerobic conditioning strength and balance. "Cross," as it is nicknamed, has a large following in the New England states and
the Pacific Northwest. Monroe placed well in the Verge series races out East and brought the Midwest to the forefront in the Pacific Northwest for two years in a row.
USA Cycling wrote, "Afterward, Monroe explained her tactics that
contributed to her victory. 'We all just stuck together at the beginning of the race and took it easy on the off-camber sections. There were a lot of
riders sliding out, so the mud really made the race. One slide-out and you were out of contention. Basically, I just slowed it down a notch and rode a clean race.'"
Monroe has been riding competitively for only four years and is a relative newcomer on the scene. Completing her first bike race at age 10, she did not consider the sport seriously until college. She lost her
2002 road season to a debilitating arteriovenous malformation, a vascular tumor on her hamstring muscle, that grew to the size of a large softball, filling with de-oxygenated blood as she exercised. The painful
condition required very technical surgery, and the cautery of over a hundred tiny blood vessels. Much to her doctor's amazement, only eight weeks after the four-hour-long surgery at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison hospital, she went on to place fourth at the Collegiate Mountain Bike Championships in Angel Fire, New Mexico, and then on to win the U-23 Cyclo-cross Championship in Napa
Valley, California, in December 2002 .
With the 2003 championship secure and her bachelor's degree in zoology in hand, Monroe has signed a pro contract with TDS cycling.
She quips, "Now that I have earned my zoology degree, I can ride my bike!" Balancing a full-time school schedule including physics and
calculus this semester, compiling a 3.4 cumulative grade-point average, working a part-time job in the school zoology lab, cycling two to four hours per day and traveling across the nation to races on weekends left
Monroe with little time for leisure, but she has no regrets. Graduate studies in water resource allocation are in the future, but for now she plans to devote herself to professional cycling and recreational reading.
After training in Tucson this January with her former teammates at UW, she will leave for Mallorca, Spain, to train with the TDS road cycling team and teach at a TDS developmental cycling camp. Upon her return
to the United States, she will attempt the United States Olympic Trials in road cycling. She is the youngest rider on the internationally star-studded
TDS team. She is coached by Dean Gollich, USA Cycling Coach of the Year, of Carmichael Training Systems. Gollich coaches only 20 athletes, among them the top performers and Olympians.
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Dairyland Triathlon Now Spirit Of Racine Triathlon
Wisconsin HFP Racing, founder of the Dairyland Triathlon, has announced a new partnership with the Racine County Economic Development Corp. RCEDC has secured the title sponsorship and is
renaming the half-Ironman event. The Dairyland Triathlon is now the Spirit of Racine Triathlon.
According to Executive Director Gordy Kacala, "The Racine County
Economic Development Corporation is proud and excited to be the title sponsor for the 2004 Spirit of Racine Triathlon. The triathlon is a reflection of our quality of life in Racine County, offering our residents
and visitors abundant opportunities to play, as well as work, in an environment that provides an array of outdoor recreational opportunities. We are equally pleased to be associated with HFP
Racing and their long history of managing quality multisport racing."
The Spirit of Racine Triathlon is returning to Racine, Wis., on July 25.
Once again it will feature a field of exceptional competitors from throughout the nation and beyond. And once again the spirited people of Racine County will support it. That means you can count on fans and
volunteers cheering at every turn. The triathlon features a 1.2-mile swim along Lake Michigan's pristine lakefront, followed by a 56-mile bike in
the scenic rolling hills of Racine County and finishes with a 13.1-mile run through Racine's quaint, historic neighborhoods. Participants truly enjoyed last year's inaugural event and this year we're making it even
better. With its scenic course, spirited people and a competitive field fighting for a share of the $25,000 prize purse, this is an exciting triathlon
for first timers and international competitors. Last year's event was so popular we're raising the number of participants to 1,500. And it's filling up fast. So be sure to register early and take your place in this
spectacular event with the brand new name.
Go to www.dairylandtri.com for details.
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Wisport Tour De France Bicycle Tour, July 16-27
WISPORT, the Wisconsin-based citizen bicycling racing club, is sponsoring a special bicycling tour of Burgundy which will feature the Tour de France finale in Paris, July 16-27.
Participants will cycle for 10 days along the canals of Burgundy and enjoy wine tastings and the ambiance of this peaceful French Province before going to Paris to celebrate the finale of the Tour de France.
Quality cuisine, culture as well as cycling are the key points of this customized tour which is limited to 20.
Details from Dar Vollrath, WISPORT director, 715/267-6266, www.cycleventuresinternatina.coml.
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Nelson Named DNR Parks And Recreation Director
Minnesota Courtland Nelson has been named the new Minnesota DNR Parks and Recreation director. The Minnesota native joins the DNR after serving as deputy director of Arizona State Parks and the state
park director in Utah for the past 11 years. "Parks in general and state parks in particular are invaluable in what they provide for the mental and
physical health of our citizens," Nelson said. "Whether parks provide a location for physical fitness, spiritual renewal, love and friendship,
appreciation of culture and history or a great outdoor experience, I am committed to improving the quality of life through parks and programs in Minnesota."
In his new role, Nelson will oversee a system which includes 72 state parks and recreation areas (66 parks and six recreation areas), eight waysides, one state trail and 54 forest campgrounds and day-use areas.
Nelson was selected to replace Bill Morrisey who retired from the DNR after 30 years of service, the last 16 as director of parks and recreation.
Nelson's most recent significant project for the Utah State Parks was the development of Soldier Hollow at Wasatch Mountain State Park, which was the Nordic venue for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games and
Paralympic Games.In 2002, Nelson received the prestigious Distinguished Service Award of the National Association of State Park Directors in recognition for his career commitment to outdoor recreation
and heritage development.
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Win Your Own 'Slice Of Heaven' In Marquette County, MI.
The Lake Superior Community Partnership has announced the start of ticket sales for a raffle that will feature 10 acres of Marquette County land complete with a cabin as the prize. Ticket sales will continue until
the drawing of the winner at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, September 1, 2004, at the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame and Museum.
The parcel of land to be raffled is 20 minutes south of the city of
Marquette near recreational trails in Forsyth Township and has year-round access. A cabin will be constructed on the property, which is adjacent to state land. "The parcel has some mixed hardwoods and is
a secluded prime piece of land," states Mike Gokey, director of economic development for the partnership. "We had some different acreages to choose from and this is by far the best piece with the best
access."
The raffle is a groundbreaking event for the partnership. "This is a new endeavor for us and for the area," indicates Amy Clickner, LSCP
director of operations. "While a similar successful raffle has been held in Luce County, this is the first time one has been held here. It will offer
area residents and nonresidents the opportunity to own their own little slice of heaven right here in Marquette County." All proceeds from the raffle will benefit the Lake Superior Community Partnership, a
public/private nonprofit whose main focus is economic and tourism development as it pertains to Marquette County. The partnership has over 800 business, individual and organization members and supports a
positive business climate in the area.
The $5 raffle tickets are now available at both Lake Superior Community Partnership offices located at the U.S. National Ski Hall of
Fame and Museum in Ishpeming and at 501 South Front St. in Marquette and from partnership staff and members of the nonprofit's board of directors. Tickets can also be ordered from the partnership's
Web site at www.marquette.org. For more information on the raffle, call 906/486-4841 or 906/226-6591.
The $5 raffle tickets are now available at both Lake Superior
Community Partnership offices located at the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame and Museum in Ishpeming and at 501 South Front St. in Marquette and from partnership staff and members of the nonprofit's
board of directors. Tickets can also be ordered from the partnership's Web site at www.marquette.org. For more information on the raffle, call 906/486-4841 or 906/226-6591.
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Candlelight Ski/Hikes Planned At Many State Parks
Wisconsin People looking for a break from "cabin fever" or interested in seeing their favorite park trail from a new vantage point may want to consider attending any of more than two dozen candlelight events
scheduled this winter at Wisconsin state parks and trails.
Over the next few months, various state parks, forests, recreation areas and trails will be offering the candlelight events mostly for cross country
skiers, but in some cases also for hikers and snowshoers. Other specific activities may include guided tours, bonfires, ice skating and refreshments.
"Candlelight skis and hikes provide a great opportunity to re-experience our trails," says Wisconsin State Parks director, Mike Willman. "A
favorite trail looks very different under the glow of candles and moonlight."
The entire list of candlelight events can be found on the DNR Web
page. Click on the search button and enter key words "candlelight ski events."
For more information on these and other winter activities in the
Wisconsin State Park System, contact your local state park property, the Wisconsin State Park System office at 608/266-2181, or check out the State Park Web site at www.wiparks.net.
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Ski Backwards Memorial
Iola, WI To honor and celebrate Greg Marr's love of skiing, Iola Winter Sports Club will hold a hold a ski backwards day, Sunday, March 7, with a back-up date of March 14.
Ski our trails in the reverse direction and enjoy a bonfire, food, drink and music at the shelter in the woods.
If you want to help or contribute to this event, call Phil Johnsrud at
715/445-4777. Updates and more information will be available at www.gglbbs.com/iwsc or 715/445-3411 after Feb. 21.
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