"Ridge Rally" Sunday Jan 23 @ Hurricane Ridge

If anyone's interested in a warm up for VertFest...

Ridge Rally set for Sunday

The first annual “Ridge Rally” will be hosted by the Hurricane Ridge Winter Sports Club January 23.

The Ridge Rally is a fun event for skiers and snowboarders equipped with gear for uphill and downhill snow travel. The course will take place within the Ski Area’s Poma bowl. Participants will start near the top of the bowl, ride down to the bottom, and then transition to uphill travel for the hike back out. The exact course will be determined depending on conditions but will include about 1,000 feet of elevation gain, and require advanced skiing skills. All gear types will be welcome, but all participants must carry an avalanche beacon, shovel, and probe.

“Touring gear including telemark, alpine touring, and splitboards, are increasing in popularity. Close to half the people we see at the Ridge have backcountry gear,” says Ski Club president George Lawrence. “In addition, the challenging terrain at Hurricane Ridge presents a wonderful venue for this event. We encourage everyone to join us for this celebration of winter fun.”

As part of the event, avalanche beacon practice and instruction will be available from the Hurricane Ridge Ski Patrol.

Registration will be at the ticket trailer from 10:30 to 11:30 with the race starting at noon. Cost for participants is the cost of an all-lift ticket, which is $27. The cost is $5 for season pass holders. All proceeds benefit the Winter Sport Club.

It was nice to have a local event. I hope you do it again next year. The weather can only get better!

So? How did it go?

Ridge Rally results:

The first ever Ridge Rally uphill/down race was completed in challenging conditions on Hurricane Ridge Sunday. "We decided to go with a shorter course on Saturday due to bulletproof ice conditions" said event organizer Greg Halberg. "On Sunday the snow softened up in light drizzle for suprisingly good skiing, but the visibility was pretty bad. "

The overall winner was Port Townsend's Micheal Dawson, who took advantage of a quick transisiton from uphill to downhill mode to take the lead through the downhill portion of the race. The under 40 division winner was Greg Schayes, from Bainbridge Island, on telemark gear. Schayes was glad he made the trek from Bainbridge he said. "I came with my wife and young daughter" who went sledding while Schayes competed. "I had a great time and really enjoyed the family friendly atmosphere at the Ridge." Dawson, the overall winner, said he had considered competing in several other uphill/downhill races in years past, but decided the Ridge Rally would be a good first event.