Nordics find their stride at Oosik Classic

March 22, 2005

DAWN De BUSK/Frontiersman reporter

Over 200 cross-country ski enthusiasts - including athletes from Junior Nationals Ski Team and from Arctic Winter Games - graced the greatly-groomed trail system that winded narrowly through the woods and past the river by the Talkeetna air strip. Under a clear and sunny sky, at the starting line, the excited chatter of skiiers sounded like a flock of chickadees, whose songs celebrate snow and winter days.

Saturday's fifth annual Oosik Classic Cross-Country ski race, which had been held for the past four years near Gunsite Mountain, may have found a new home in Talkeetna, according to Adam Verrier, who started the March event.

"I thought there was a lack of springtime party slash races. I'd been racing in Europe while on the national team and I experienced a lot of big races with a festive atmosphere," said Verrier.

"It's a fun race. Time to celebrate the ski season now that it's toward the end," said Eagle River resident Bob Stehn, who was the timer for the race.

"The tradition of the Oosik Classic is a different course every year," Stehn said, adding that no one has an exact measurement of the trail, which was groomed by the Denali Nordic Ski Club. The long part is between 40 and 50 kilometers, he said, adding that the sponsors had to put a number to the length of the trail so they got mileage off a map. So, the long race was determined to be about 42 kilometers; and the short race was referred to as 24 kilometers.

"I wanted to run a race that was not on an established trail system and goes through beautiful country," Verrier said, adding the Denali Nordic Ski Club spent a lot of time grooming the trail.

He said when he first considered the concept of a late-season race on a non-traditional trail system about six years ago, he envisioned it being in Talkeetna. But then he went skiing around Sheep Mountain Lodge and the owner there offered to have the race there.

Then, this year Verrier was talking with Arthur Mannix, who was thinking of starting a ski race in Talkeetna. Adam asked him "Do you want the Oosik?" And suddenly, the Oosik had a new home; and with spectators and cross-country competitors, about 300 people flocked into the town of Talkeetna.

"Coming here to Talkeetna is a big step up for this race. This race is what I had in mind originally," said Verrier, who placed fourth in the 42-K.

"During the race, I was skiing with Cory Smith (who took fifth). I could tell I was stronger. Trond Jensen was behind us and starting catching up and then passed. I hoped to outsprint him but I didn't have the strength," said Verrier. "It's always fun to ski with other people."

Kjetil Dammen, a member of the University of Alaska ski team, took first place in the 42-K.

He skiied about halfway with team member, Brian Gregg, who placed second; and then, Dammen shot forward, beating Gregg to the finish line by three minutes.

"We're both skiing hard. It was fun, a lot of tight trails, going around in the middle of the woods and I'm trying not to hit trees," said Dammen, who's originally from Norway.

"I've never skied a trail so narrow," said UA's Gregg, who hails from Washington state's Methow Valley, where the second-largest Nordic trail system in the nation is located.

"It felt more like a 50-K. For the college season, I ski 10-K and 20-K," Gregg said.

"The trail was about as wide as a snowmobile trail. And then, it got a little icy on the lake," he said.

Chugiak High School ski team members Annie Brownlee and Alice Bradley, both sophomores, planned to ski together, but discovered the narrow trails and the number of competitors made it difficult to ski together.

"Because of the way it started out with people crashing, we were split up," said Bradley, who said the trail sometimes had on-coming traffic.

"You're going down a hill out of control because of the ice and someone's coming up the hill," she said. "But it was awesome!"

Bradley placed 15th among women competing in the 24-K. Earlier this month, she placed fourth in the 40 k skate ski during the Tour of Anchorage.

In the women's 24-K, teammate Brownlee took 12th in the Oosik Classic.

"It was a lot longer than I expected. The website said 22-K. It was closer to 30-K. But that what makes it fun," she said.

"It's a fun way to end the season," said Brownlee, who also competed in the Tour Of Anchorage 25-K classic cross-country ski and placed first.

The racers and other participant met at the Don Sheldon Hanger in downtown Talkeetna for an awards banquet with dinner, beer, music and dancing.

The volunteers, who helped the race happen - like the Denali Nordic Ski Club - have been busy prior to the actual race and post-race celebrations.

"We do pre-race registrations and bib handout. That keeps us busy," said Meg Stehn, whose husband was the race time-keeper. The Stehns, who are friends of Verrier, have been involved in the Oosik since the beginning.

"One-hundred-thirty people registered at the last minute," Meg Stehn said, adding that some people wait to see what the weather is going to be like first.

"There's almost as many people who registered on the day of the race (today) as actually raced last year," she said while compiling names and race times on her computer at the Don Sheldon Hanger.

Bob Stehn's brother, Tom Stehn and wife Lorraine, were visiting from Texas and got roped into volunteering with the Oosik.

"You can't be at our house around race time and not get sucked in (to volunteering)," said Meg Stehn.