El Lobo Loco National Cup Series Report

The first US National Cup Skimo races took place in Wolf Creek, CO this weekend. In total, 274 competitors took to the start line over the two days of racing. Perhaps it’s the fact that it was my first time racing in the National Cup Series, or the quintessential Colorado blue skies that we got to enjoy both days, but it felt like there was an excitement in the air that has been missing from USA Skimo until now. 

I’ll ride on the coat tails of Hagan Ambassador John O’neill and his description of the weekend in his Instagram post:

“For years and years skimo has been a fringe but growing sport in the US among summer sport endurance athletes and passionate backcountry skiers. It’s been fun to see more people grasping the fast and light gear movement every year, either for racing and fitness or realizing there are better tools for their big days out.

This year things have shifted. 115 vertical athletes, closer to 150 individual course athletes, and youth teams from Colorado, Utah and New Mexico all hammering at an early season race in Southern Colorado.

We now have a youth skimo team in Nederland. The GT and Power of 4 are all selling out in hours. There was a line of 50 people at Eldora waiting to get uphill passes at Eldora on Friday. The competition at the front end of the races this year will be deep.

Could this be the year that skimo has arrived?"

John O'neil Mid Race

 I think so. I’d be shocked if anyone in Wolf Creek this weekend would disagree. The sport is growing at an unprecedented rate, and people are recognizing it. To me the shift John is referring to is this mutual recognition of growth that has generated the excitement and energy that many of us felt racing this weekend. Junior programs are booming. Boulder Skimo has been revived. Sun Valley launches their first program this week and Bozeman takes off in January. New skimo programs are popping up everywhere, and the established are expanding. More skimo races are being held across the US and fields are larger and deeper than ever.

It’s not a coincidence this seems to all be happening at once. US Skimo has caught some momentum. I have always been motivated by the satisfaction of becoming self aware of my individual growth within endurance sport as I’m engaged in it. As a community, I think we are experiencing a similar phenomenon in regards to the state of USA Skimo and riding a wave of momentum that is driving exciting, and competitive skimo racing like we had at Wolf Creek this weekend.

Hagan USA showed up in force. Young gun Victor Doronin took second in his division both days, Jason McGowan, John O’neill, and I held down the senior category with some top 10’s in both the vertical and individual. Finally, Jack Breezley placed a strong 5th and 4th over the two days respectively in the U23 competition. I was proud to see that brat green was overwhelmingly the dominant color of the field, with Ultra 65’s, World Cup Bindings, and Hagan skins seeming to be everywhere. So thanks for supporting and being part of our family.

Finally, I’d like to personally thank Mark Koob, the head of Rocky Mountain Skimo and an integral part of why USA Skimo is in the place it is today. Mark wears about every hat there is as a race organizer, and he was out there all weekend flagging, organizing, timing, and deflagging while remaining stoked the entire time. This effort and energy is what has inspired the momentum we are experiencing in the sport today. He was already out in Frisco, CO on Tuesday night organizing the Frisco Sprints. So when you see him next, tell him thanks!

Simon

Results Here