The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Back where it all began
The 39th Annual Al Johnson Memorial Uphill/Downhill Telemark ski race this Sunday, March 24 is back to the original course.
That’s right, people—the Last Steep is back and it’s skiing pretty good. Maybe not if you’re dressed up like a dragon, or teamed up in a car, Ben and Ben, but if anyone can pull it off, Al Johnson racers can.
For those of you who have missed the first 38 Al Johnson races, the course is as follows: Racers start heading up from the base of the North Face Lift following Scofield Road to the top of the North Face Lift. Then tear the hides and tip in.
All racers must head down Rachael’s to the right turn into the trees and through the notch onto Hard Slab. From there it doesn’t really matter where you go (unless you want to win), just as long as you finish by coming down the Last Steep and going up the short hill to the finish line on Black Eagle.
The tag-team race will start at High Noon, the individual race kicks off at 1 p.m. The North Face Lift will close at 11:45 a.m. just before the start of the tag-team race so the downhillers need to get there for a lift ride to the top ahead of schedule. It will reopen when the course is clear and deemed appropriate for the general public.
The post-race awards ceremony and raffle—i.e., party—will start at Butte 66 at 4 p.m.
Registration is available at the Alpineer until Friday, March 22 and will save you a few bucks. Or, you can register the morning of the race on Sunday, March 24 at the Brick Oven from 8 to 9:30 a.m. First 200 to register get a hat!
All participants must come to the Brick Oven Sunday morning for bib pick up, wristbands and an AJ hat. For more information check out www.aljohnsonrace.net.
It’s on like Donkey Kong… whatever that means.
