Nordic racing: Sierra Nordic Duathlon blends both cross-country skiing formats
Sierra Sun
Classic or skate? This is the question always asked to Nordic skiers. And when it comes to racing, it’s usually one or the other.
With the relatively recent addition of Nordic duathlon to the cross-country ski world, racers have the chance to compete in both the traditional stay-in-the-tracks classic or out-of-the-tracks skate skiing in the same race, testing their ability in both disciplines. The format, which is growing in popularity, is now a World Cup event with specifically made equipment for the race.
Now local racers have the opportunity to try the format with the annual Sierra Nordic Duathlon held at Auburn Ski Club last Sunday ” the only race of its kind in the region.
The race started with racers on their classic skis in a mass-start format. After one 4-kilometer loop, the racers headed into a transition area where they had their skate skis lined up, bindings open, ready to go for another 4-kilometer loop.
The tricky part is skate and classic skiing require a different set of skis, boots and poles, not to mention twice the waxing! To save time, most skiers opt to use their skate boots for the classic leg.
“It does put some people off,” said Sally Jones, Nordic program director at Auburn Ski Club. “But (the style) is growing in popularity; most people really love the format.”
What racers and spectators get is perhaps an even more exciting race in which skiers have to master both techniques to win.
“I think it’s awesome,” Tav Streit, the overall men’s winner, said of the race format. “It makes you utilize both skills. It’s something different.”
“It adds an extra element,” Jones said. “It really levels the playing field.”
Cold temperatures and firm tracks on race day made the conditions ideal for classic skiing, a rarity in Tahoe.
“It was a perfect day for ski racing,” Streit said about the conditions.
Unlike the Snowshoe Thompson Classic the week prior, the weather was perfect. The snow was cold and hadn’t transformed yet, which meant racers could use an “easy hard wax” for the classic leg.
In the men’s race, Tyler Wright took the early lead in the classic leg before Streit took over on the hillier sections of the course. Streit held onto his lead and won with a time of 24:05.7. Wright followed with a time of 24:41.2, and Jeff Schloss was third with a time of 25:03.8.
Behind Schloss was the top-finishing junior of the day, Alex Hamilton, who finished with a time of 25:42.5 after out-sprinting Justin Ondry, who finished four-tenths of a second later in 25:42.9. Just seconds behind in third place in the junior division was Bryce Tiernan with a time of 25:49.8.
Kelsey Dion was the first out of the start in the women’s race, followed by Emma Garrard. Garrard was the first into transition but was passed during the skate leg by Julie Young before a sprint to the finish, where Garrard won with a time of 29:25.3 ” nine-tenths of a second faster than Young’s second place in 29:26.2. In third place was Laura Stern with a time of 31:21.8.
Dion also was the top-finishing female junior racer, placing fourth overall with a time of 31:21.8. She was followed by Allie McDaniel with a time of 38:35.4 and Kelly Habibi with a time of 40:58.4.
The race also featured a shorter 4K duathlon for children. Megan McCandless won the girls’ race with a time of 28:35.4 and Sam Zabell won the boys’ race with a time of 20:04.4.
Overall and raffle prizes were donated by the event’s sponsor, Sierra Nordic in Truckee.
Women’s 8K
Place Name Div div place time bib
1 Emma Garrard FS2 F 1 29:25.30 40
2 Julie Young FM3 F 1 29:26.20 24
3 Laura Stern FM4 F 1 31:21.80 26
4 Kelsey Dion FOJ F 1 31:24.80 39
5 Molly Zurn FM2 F 1 31:33.60 35
6 Beth Thomas FM3 F 2 32:34.50 23
7 Carolyn Tiernan FM6 F 1 33:18.70 36
8 Susan Reynolds FM4 F 2 33:59.30 38
9 Vera Strul FM5 F 1 34:18.80 37
10 June Lane FM7 F 1 35:06.30 31
11 Martha Bellisle FM5 F 2 35:19.80 28
12 Juliet Bradley FM6 F 2 35:26.60 29
13 Maggie Filmore FM6 F 3 36:39.40 30
14 Nancy RosenblumFM4F 3 37:28.50 25
15 Allie McDaniel FJ2 F 1 38:35.40 20
16 Hedda Anya FM8 F 1 39:36.00 33
17 Louise Wholey FM8 F 2 40:43.80 32
18 Kelly Habibi FJ2 F 2 40:58.40 18
19 Raylene Chew FJ3 F 1 42:16.60 22
20 Helga Sable FM9 F 1 48:23.00 34
21 Jeri Ann Smith FM5 F 3 55:05.50 27
Men’s 8K
1 Tav Streit MM1 M 1 24:05.70 106
2 Tyler Wright MS1 M 1 24:41.20 100
3 Jeff Schloss MM5 M 1 25:03.80 140
4 Alex Hamilton MJ1 M 1 25:42.50 150
5 Justin Ondry MJ2 M 1 25:42.90 145
6 Rick Reynolds MM5 M 2 25:43.80 108
7 Terry Daley MM4 M 1 25:44.00 109
8 Bryce Tiernan MOJ M 1 25:49.80 107
9 Jakub Benes MS2 M 1 26:05.90 111
10 Glenn Jobe MM6 M 1 26:30.30 132
11 Austin Meng MJ1 M 2 26:42.70 148
12 David Stover MM5 M 3 27:01.90 96
13 Miles Heapes MJ1 M 3 27:03.20 149
14 Adam Wright MOJ M 2 27:06.20 120
15 Carson Lindsay MJ1 M 4 27:07.10 119
16 Peter Mayfield MM4 M 2 27:54.70 98
17 Andrew Deurlington MOJ 3 27:57.90 121
18 Kurt Sable MM2 M 1 28:34.60 101
19 Dave Greer MM4 M 3 28:47.10 95
20 Jordan McElroy MJ2 M 2 28:47.50 146
21 Joe Dengler MM3 M 1 29:24.00 141
22 Jeff Camp MM2 M 2 29:32.20 142
23 Alex Kopytko MJ2 M 3 30:51.30 99
24 Mark Clifford MM5 M 4 30:54.40 135
25 Matthew Sanford MM2 3 31:06.50 97
26 Ralph Johnson MM7 M 1 31:07.00 131
27 paul McKenzie MM5 M 5 31:21.30 116
28 Mitch Dion MM5 M 6 31:37.40 136
29 John Ariza MM4 M 4 31:38.50 104
30 Bruce Eisner MM5 M 7 32:04.30 133
31 Heinrich Klobuczek MM3 2 32:41.50 117
32 John Cobourn MM7 M 2 32:57.80 130
33 Dan Warren MM4 M 5 33:06.00 115
34 Andy Pasternak MM3 M 3 34:03.70 103
35 Joe Piercy MJ2 M 4 34:05.30 144
36 John Campbell MM7 M 3 34:16.30 128
37 Rik Eckert MM3 M 4 35:21.40 92
38 Peter Werbel MM7 M 4 35:47.30 102
39 Allan Erbes MM5 M 8 36:16.10 118
40 Frank Sarnquist MM8 M 1 36:32.50 127
41 Paul McCandless MM4 M 6 38:03.40 114
42 Mark Huffman MM5 M 9 38:56.40 134
43 Erick Studenicka MM3 M 5 40:14.80 91
44 John Gerbino MM5 M 10 40:44.70 137
45 Jack Wilson MM9 M 1 40:51.40 110
46 James Milner MM5 M 11 41:39.60 139
47 Bruce Culbertson MM6 M 8 42:04.40 113
48 Bill Goerke MM8 M 2 42:11.00 126
49 Michael Cohen MM7 M 5 42:14.90 93
50 Tony Francis MM5 M 12 42:58.50 138
51 William Thauvette MM8 M 3 44:08.40 125
52 Andreis Dimits MM4 M 7 44:20.70 112
53 John Goodman MM9 M 2 44:44.50 123
54 Jeff Stein MJ2 M 5 45:34.70 143
55 Jim Wholey MM7 M 6 46:18.40 129
56 Ulrich Luscher MM10 M 1 48:36.50 94
57 Paul Harris MM9 M 3 50:36.50 124
58 Jim Zauradka MM8 M 4 55:11.50 105
Girls’ 4K
1 Megan McCandless FJ4 F 1 28:35.40 5
Boys’ 4K
1 Sam Zabell MJ4 M 1 20:04.40 2
2 Skyler Mullings MJ4 M 2 20:07.10 4
3 Reed Klaeser MJ3 M 1 22:15.90 6
4 Marc Chew MJ4 M 3 27:46.00 1
5 Wesley Romer MJ5 M 1 28:44.10 3
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