Skijor Orienteering
Creamer's Field
Sunday, March 20, 2005
15° F

Eleven intrepid skijorers braved 15 degree temperatures and a wind chill of -5 degrees on Sunday afternoon to participate in the 3^rd annual Alaska Skijor and Pulk Association (ASPA) skijor orienteering meet, held at Creamer’s Field and the adjacent mushing trails.  After the race, Sara Elzey wondered, “how can you have a headwind no matter which way you skijor?”

Fortunately, the wind wasn’t strong enough to blow wipe out the course, so competitors chose to spend 30 or 60 minutes to look for 20 orienteering controls.  Each of controls was valued between ten and 100 points, depending on distance from the start/finish area and access difficulty. Keeping track of time was important because a ten point penalty was assessed for each minute over the time limit a competitor returned to the finish line. 

In the 60 minute class, Chad Carroll with Tico scored 930 out of a possible 1000 points to beat two-time and defending champion Matt Bray with Kayak and Aily, who scored 800 points.  David French with Boone was close behind Bray in third place with 710 points and Sara Elzey with Shadow and Ayla finished fourth with 650 points.  

The course was set this year to cover several miles of the “27-mile extension” used during the third day of the Open North American Championship (ONAC) sleddog race.  The increased course difficulty led to several disoriented skijorers and prompted one of them to tell race director Mike Malvick that signs reading “If you are here, you are going the wrong way” should have been posted. 

David French observed that “one moment I was facing Birch Hill, then the next I was facing the University” as he skijored around the fun ninety degree and 180 degree hairpin turns that are features of the extension trail.  Another competitor skijored more than a mile off the map and ended up at Dog Mushers Hall before regaining his bearings and returning to Creamer’s Field. 

The 30-minute class competitors returned looking a little less bewildered, though race winner Pat DeRuyter admitted to skijoring down the wrong ADMA trail with Crisco in an unsuccessful attempt to locate one of the controls.  DeRuyter’s score of 430 points was enough to beat Amanda Byrd with Avril and Miley who scored 230 points.  Lisa Stuby finished third in her inaugural race with 7-month old Killae with 120 points.

Volunteers Tom McGrane, Pat DeRuyter, Amy Carroll, Andy Warwick, Amanda Byrd, Lisa Stuby, and Kimberlee Beckmen helped the event happen by assisting with registration and reopening trails blocked for the just-completed ONAC.

Photos by Amanda Byrd.  Top to bottom:  Windblown Creamer's Field, Chad Carroll with Tico, David French and Boone, and Matt Bray with Kayak and Aily.

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This page was updated March 23, 2005
Please send corrections or comments to Mike Malvick.