Swills and Spills at the longest classic ski race in Alaska, the OOsik!
I wrote about the Oosik last year too, but I have to say that this year’s course was nothing in comparison because we had hills, we had spills, and we had general idiots on those trails! This race is for all walks of life, in costume, not in costume…skier…..don’t have a clue how to ski? In Talkeetna, Alaska, none of that matters. The town is full of happy people; I can’t ever recall running into an asshole in Talkeetna. In most towns, even in the intoxicated sense, you will run into unhappy folks, but for whatever reason, Talkeetna is immune to those types. Combine that toxicology with people who love skiing and you’ve got magic on your hands!
Highlights from this year’s race:
- Watching people fall down, a lot, and enjoy themselves nonetheless
- The station with the dog Gus and perfect homebrew at 20km (the race was over at 25). I call that excellent timing.
- Costume theme teams seemed to be popular this year, much more so than last: Guinness, Rainbow Brite, Cowboys…you name it!
- I shaved 40 minutes off of my time from last year
- The hills and tree paths of this year’s technical course
- The lady that had the outdoor speaker hip belt system playing 80s music, and Led Zeppelin
- Pure beauty of nature and sun
Happy Spring everyone!
The start and finish line!
Feed Station #1
Beer Station, 20k
The gang-Oosik 2014!
All done!
Welcome home-March 2014!
