Ski racers find ideal conditions at Government Peak

HATCHER PASS — The Brewer brothers were nearly inseparable on the second day of the Mat-Su Ski Club’s Icicle Double ski races at Government Peak Sunday, with the 23-year-old twins from Chugiak skiing to the top two spots in the men’s 30-kilometer freestyle race.

“It’d be pretty cool to go 1-2,” Kenny Brewer said as he waited at the finish line to see who would follow him across the line.

Brewer’s brother didn’t disappoint, outracing Nick Treinen to the line to claim the silver spot.

Kenny Brewer was quick to point out that his two-minute win came with a bit of an asterisk.

“They all raced yesterday and I didn’t, so I kinda felt bad,” Kenny Brewer joked.

Though he finished third in Sunday’s freestyle race, Treinen parlayed his win in Saturday’s classic technique race into a four-minute victory in the two-day combined overall standings over Peter Brewer. The former West Anchorage standout said he wasn’t expecting to win, especially after spending most of the winter off his skis.

“I easily tripled my total ski kilometers for the year,” said Treinen, a two-time all-state skier who graduated in 2010.

Treinen said he’s been living and working in Nome and didn’t bring his skis with him to the Bering Sea city. He’s spending the holiday break in Palmer, however, and said he decided to stretch his legs at Government Peak.

“It’s nice to do the local races,” he said.

Racers raved about the course on Sunday, saying the groomed trails were fast and smooth.

“I was just enjoying it out there,” Kenny Brewer said of the conditions.

Sunday’s conditions were nearly ideal for racing, with temperatures in the high teens, low wind and sunny skies at the trails near Hatcher Pass. About 70 racers turned out each day for the third-annual races, although some folks skipped either the first or second day, electing not to do the full double.

Races included 5-kilometer, 10-kilometer, 15-kilometer and 30-kilometer events for both men and women. In addition to Treinen, combined two-day winners included Anna Rix in the women’s 30K, Davis Dunlap in the men’s 15K, Blasé Burkhart in the women’s 15K, Ed Strabel in the men’s 10K, Jocelyn Kopsack in the women’s 10K, Chris Smith in the men’s 5K and Annika Hanestad in the women’s 5K.

The snowy conditions on the trails are a bright spot in the Valley. Race organizer Mark Strabel pointed out that the trails have been lucky to get a decent amount of snowfall — a stark contrast to the lower parts of the Valley, which have been wind-scoured and are free of snow.

“We’re very fortunate to have this snow here,” Strabel said.

Racers raved about the course set-up, which was a series of loops for all distances. Being able to circle back past the Government Peak chalet gave the race a more spectator-friendly feel, Treinen said.

“It’s a really fun course,” he said. “It’s way better for spectators this way.”

CORRECTION: This story has been corrected from its original version, which misspelled Dunlap's first name.

ICICLE DOUBLE

Day 2 Freestyle Races

Top 3 finishers

Men’s 30K — 1) Kenny Brewer, 1 hour, 17 minutes, 12.1 seconds; 2) Peter Brewer, 1:19:22; 3) Nick Treinen, 1:19:31.5

Women’s 30K — 1) Anna Rix, 1:39:34.4; 2) Tamra Kornfield, 1:50:11.6; 3) Lorene Lynn, 2:31:06.9

Men’s 15K — 1) Will Timmons, 37:37.0; 2) Davis Dunlap, 42:48.1; 3) David Freer, 52:36.4

Women’s 15K — 1) Anjanette Steer, 56:01.8; 2) Karen Hopp, 57:40.0; 3) Faren Crow, 1:02:59.5

Men’s 10K — 1) Dakota Peterson-Thompson, 26:12.7; 2) Ed Strabel, 41:44.7; 3) Paul Bierman, 42:54.2

Women’s 10K — 1) Quincy Massey-Bierman, 29:10.9; 2) Jocelyn Kopsack, 43:50.6; 3) Amber Allen, 44:56.3

Men’s 5K — 1) Bradley Grover, 15:05.5; 2) Manveer Singh, 17:13.2; 3) Glenn Steer, 17:43.5

Women’s 5K —1) Anika Hanestad, 17:14.3; 2) Jana Jenkins, 17:57.7; 3) Tracie Haan, 18:53.1

OVERALL 2-DAY RESULTS

Men’s 30K — 1) Nick Treinen, 2:45:54; 2) Peter Brewer, 2:50:17; 3) Jeff Kase, 3:06:53

Women’s 30K — 1) Anna Rix, 3:40:22; 2) Tamra Kornfield, 3:43:49; 3) Loreen Lynn, 5:25:33

Men’s 15K — 1) Davis Dunlap, 1:30:05

Women’s 15K — 1) Blasé Burkhart, 2:05:03; 2) Karen Hopp, 2:08:29; 3) Faren Crow, 2:27:25

Men’s 10K — 1) Ed Strabel, 1:23:34

Women’s 10K — 1) Jocelyn Kopsack, 1:30:13

Men’s 5K — 1) Chris Smith, 45:58

Women’s 5K — 1) Annika Hanestad, 35:08; 2) Tracie Haan, 40:50; 3) Deborah Rix, 57:31