New Nordic ski race thrown into the local endurance mix

Prepare for suffering and fun

As if there weren’t enough endurance races already.

Travis Underwood, owner of the Alpineer, and the Crested Butte Nordic Center have joined forces to create the 12 Hours of Crested Butte Nordic ski race on Saturday, March 14 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Underwood says he got the idea for a 12-hour Nordic race after witnessing the success of similar races on bikes during the summer.
“The 12-hour mountain bike thing is taking off everywhere,” says Underwood.
The course starts and finishes at the Nordic Center and takes participants on a 10-kilometer loop on groomed Nordic trails. The goal, if you’re racing, is to ski as many laps as possible on the 10-kilometer loop in 12 hours.
There are several categories available; solo men’s and women’s, duo men’s and women’s, four-person teams and a junior four-person category for skiers 18 and under.
While the race is touted as a Nordic ski race, participants are not relegated to Nordic equipment.
“People can choose to ski around however they want,” says Underwood. “If people really want to go AT they can but it is a Nordic race.”
In addition, with the date set for two weeks prior to the Elk Mountains Grand Traverse, the race offers an opportunity for teams to work out their equipment prior to their Grand Traverse experience.
Underwood hopes to get at least 65 racers out for the inaugural event, but with advertisements popping up throughout Colorado, anything is possible.
Competitors will be able to set up tents at the Nordic Center for rest and waxing and a fire pit and rest area will be set up out on the course.
While the inherent competitor in all of us may provide some hardcore endurance action, Underwood points out that the race should also have an element of frivolity.
“It’s also about fun… costumes and all of that,” says Underwood.
For more information and/or to register check out the race website, www.12hrsofcrestedbutte.com or cbnordic.org. Early registration ends on February 1, at which point the price goes up.