Colony home of unique ski event

PALMER -- Colony High School did not host the average cross-country skiing race on Friday and Saturday.

The Mat-Su Pursuit did feature local teams and their region foes on a familiar course, the Colony High Trail System, but there was one major difference. Each competitor used the same wax.

According to Colony head coach Ed Strabel, the race is not only unique to Alaska, but to the entire prep cross-country community.

"This is a unique race and possibly the only one like it in the world," Strabel said.

Waxing is normally a significant part of the skiing pre-race strategy.

"Normally each school or individual attempts to find the fastest glide wax for the particular snow conditions to gain advantage over the competition," Strabel said. "In these two races all competitors waxed their skis with the same brand and temperature range of ski wax for the gliding portion of the skis. This levels the playing field, especially for the schools traveling long distances the day of the race."

Strabel and Colony High secured a sponsor for the event, Holmenkol. The company donated large quantities of its wax for use by the schools. Strabel said that each program had plenty of wax for the event, and enough leftover to use during the season.

Strabel said that the concept of the Holmenkol Mat-Su Pursuit has been talked about by coaches, but until six years ago it wasn't put into action. Strabel said this concept takes pressure of the competitors, especially young skiers.

"(Waxing) is a very important part of the strategy," Strabel said. "Especially early in the season, kids do not need to worry about hitting or missing the wax. They can go out and ski hard."

In the event Colony was able to take the team title, occupying seven of the top 10 spots. The Knights also had the top two spots in the boys class.

Ross Wise edged teammate Kerry Klauder by just three seconds to take first in the overall standings. Klauder defeated Wise by three seconds in the classic race on Friday, but Wise had a six-second advantage in Saturday's freestyle race to put him at the top.

Peter Doner (fifth), Nick Wise (sixth), Joe Dougherty (seventh), Brandon Gonski (eighth) and Luke Tegeler (tenth) each finished in the top 10 for the Knights. John Hundley was Palmer's top finisher at 11.

The Soldotna Stars won the girls' team title. Soldotna had four finishers in the top 10.

Kristin Geary was the top female in the Valley. The Colony skier placed seventh overall.

Palmer's Kate Fitzgerald finished just two seconds after Geary to take eighth.

The weekend of sking also featured a skier symposium. Former Region III skiers and current members of the University of Alaska Anchorage ski team Eric Strabel, Sarah Hanson and Brent Knight spoke to the high school competitors. Strabel and Hanson are Colony graduates.

Aleta Phelps and Tazlina Mannix, early honors program students at Alaska Pacific University, also spoke.The group discussed issues pertinent to prep skiers aspiring to advance to the next level.

Valdez's Liz Embick also spoke of her experiences at a ski gymnasium in Trodheim, Norway. A ski gymnasium is similar to a prep school where an athlete goes to focus on a particular sport in addition to academics.