Competition got underway Tuesday, March 18, on Sugarbush's Spring Fling run and has seen participants racing in three different disciplines: the Telemark Giant Slalom, the Sprint and the Classic. The Classic, the signature race of the competition and the one that highlights telemarking's uniqueness, gets underway Friday at 11 a.m.
The race combines the technical turning aspects of giant slalom, distance jumping, a cross-country skating section, and requires competitors to navigate a reipjlekke. Norwegian for "loop of the rope," the reipjlekke (pronounced "rapalushay") is a 360-degree berm turn placed in the middle of the racecourse that competitors enter with a high amount of speed as they are coming out of the GS gates. The Classic is a test of racers Nordic and alpine abilities and can take up to three minutes to compete.
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"This is an incredible competition to watch," remarked Sugarbush president Win Smith. "To see some of the best athletes all competing to be number one in the world is an impressive site."
The World Cup circuit made its way through such European venues as Montchavin, France, Dolni Morave in the Czech Republic, and Pyhatunturi, Finland, before landing at Sugarbush this week.
"Having the International Ski Federation select Sugarbush to host the (World Cup) finals is a true honor and we're excited to showcase to the worldwide racing community all Sugarbush has to offer," continued Smith.
Racing gets underway today, March 20, at 10:30 a.m.; the Classic is tomorrow at 11 a.m. The Awards and closing Flowers Ceremony will be held on the patio of the Castlerock Pub and are scheduled to get underway at 3 p.m. tomorrow. For a complete schedule, visit sugarbush.com.
