The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
What’s the difference between a plum and an elephant?
Nothing, except an elephant’s not purple.
It’s been a weird winter, there’s no doubt about that. What better way to close out the bizarre season than with the 38th Annual Al Johnson Uphill/Downhill Telemark ski race on Sunday, March 25.
The race is a time-honored tradition among ski enthusiasts as well as those who just like to dress up in costume for any and all occasions.
Unfortunately, due to the weird winter, i.e. thin, the AJ downhill course has been changed. The Crested Butte Mountain Professional Ski Patrol expressed its concerns with the thin conditions on the Last Steep that will only get thinner with the forecasted 50-degree days this week. As a result, the downhill route will go as follows. The start of the downhill from the top of the North Face Lift will be the same heading down Rachels and through the notch to Hard Slab. Choose your route from there but you MUST head out Easy Out. Then, to keep things spicy in true AJ fashion, competitors will end with a run through the skiercross course finishing in front of the Paradise Warming House.
Only like to go up, or down? Find a friend for the tag team race, which starts at high noon. There will be a Golden Ticket worth $50 cash for one tag team.
Once you’re done and the taste of bile has subsided, kick back with your fellow competitors at Paradise Warming House, share a few tasty beverages and watch as the group costumes attempt to make their way down in one piece.
Who will win the group costume contest between the team formerly known as Tetris and the Brick Oven and what car will Ben Furimsky and Ben Morello attempt to “drive” down the Last Steep?
The infamous Al Johnson party will be at the Butte 66 starting at 4 p.m., complete with beer specials from New Belgium Brewery, an incredible raffle and awards for best costume, best crash, and 38th place, as well as the top three male and female finishers among other prizes.
You have until 6 p.m., Friday, March 23 to register at the Alpineer. There will be registration the day of the race, Sunday, at the Brick Oven from 8 to 9:30 a.m. The first 200 to register are guaranteed an Al Johnson hat.
It costs only $25 to do the individual race, $30 for tag teams, and is well worth it. Proceeds from this year’s “AJ” will go to the Crested Butte Avalanche Center.
