March 2, 2008
What a Difference a Day Makes;
Day Two at the Masters World Cup
By Ron Bergin
It was a 180 degree turn-about with weather and trail conditions on day two of competition at the 2008 Masters World Cup in McCall, Idaho, on Sunday, March 2. Where unsettled weather including fresh wet snow was the order of opening day, a cool start with slowly rising temps and partly cloudy to sunny skies greeted the multi-national cadre of Nordic skiers for the second installment of this annual celebration of cross country skiing.
The Masters World Cup, now celebrating its 28th running, is held in a different country each year: last year Finland, next year France and in 2010 the competition moves to Sweden. The last time the MWC was held in the United States was 1998 in Lake Placid, New York.
Day Two featured longer distance freestyle racing at 30 km, 15 km or 10 km. In a stark contrast to Saturday’s difficult conditions, racers found Sunday’s trail hard packed with a tilled surface that held up well throughout the day. Overall conditions were fast and waxing was not nearly the challenge it was the day before. The trails at Ponderosa State Park wind through heavily wooded areas including dense pines, some as old as 300 years. Many areas are shaded for the majority of the day where the snow remained colder and slower. But these were incidental areas and did little to slow the competition.
In Masters World Cup competition, racers are assigned race distances by virtue of their age class. In the men’s competition, skiers from the 30 to 34 age class, designated M1, through 55-59 (M6) race the 30 km distance. Age classes M7 (60-64) through M9 (65-69) ski 15 km while men 70 and older ski 10 km. Women race 15 km in age classes up to 60 to 64 and 10km.
Age class waves ranging from as few as 10 (or even less in the younger classes) to 70 or more launched at 10 minute intervals from the starting chutes at the Ponderosa State Park venue. Each racer had an assigned starting location in one of four rows deep by 18 lanes across. From this format racers funneled into the wooded trails where within a relatively short amount of time they spread out and moved relatively unimpeded along the Ponderosa trails.
U. S. skiers continued to show that they can compete with the best in the world, with numerous podium finishes. And while the odds are definitely in the Americans’ favor, comprising over 50 percent of the starting field, skiers representing the Stars and Stripes continued to acquit themselves admirably.
Taking home some hardware for the U.S. in Sunday’s freestyle events were: Brad Bauer (M1-2nd), Joseph Jensen (M1-3rd), Michael Brothers (M2–3rd), Barry Makarewicz (M4-3rd), Jon Engen (M5-2nd), Rick Reynolds (M5-2nd), Randy Beckner (M6-1st), David Christopher (M6-3rd), Del Pletcher (M7-3rd), Tom Biggons (M11—2nd), Daniel Bulkley (M12-1st), Inge Scheve (F1-2nd), Rebecca Rusch (F2-1st), Molly Zurn (F2-2nd), Karoline Droege (F2-3rd), Laura McCabe (F3 -1st), Leslie Taylor (F3-2nd), Beth Reid (F4-1st), Roxanne Toly (F4-3rd), Muffy Ritz (F5-2nd), Victoria Shreve (F6-3rd), Trina Hosmer (F7-1st), June Lane (F7-2nd), Elizabeth Schluter (F7-3rd), Joanne Davis (F9-2nd), Joyce Quadri (F9-3rd).
Monday’s racing is a full slate of shorter distance classic competition in the morning followed immediately by freestyle events. It should be a day where just about everyone gets into the act.
For more information and complete results, visit www.mwc2008.com.
MASTERS WORLD CUP MEDAL COUNT |
|
|
DAY TWO |
|
|
|
GOLD |
SIVLER |
BRONZE |
CANADA |
1 |
2 |
|
ESTONIA |
1 |
|
|
FRANCE |
1 |
1 |
|
GERMANY |
1 |
1 |
|
GREAT BRITAIN |
1 |
|
|
ITA |
3 |
1 |
|
NOR |
1 |
3 |
2 |
RUS |
5 |
4 |
2 |
SUI |
1 |
|
|
SWE |
|
|
1 |
USA |
6 |
9 |
11 |
|
