Despite chilly weather and snow all morning, more than 500 cross-country skiers invaded Whistler Olympic Park in the Callaghan Valley to take part in the first-ever edition of Sigges Payakentsut on Saturday (Feb. 26).
The 50-kilometre race saw 29 competitors duke it out and Salmon Arms Brian May emerged victorious, finishing in two hours, 37 minutes, 14.1 seconds, beating out second-place Phil Villeneuve of Canmore, Alta., by nearly four minutes.
I feel pretty good but my legs are super sore, May said moments after crossing the finish line. Early on, there were four of us who broke free but I decided to keep pushing it and at around the 30-kilometre mark I took the lead and didnt look back.
According to May, the final, 20-kilometre course lap was challenging.
There are two sections of climbing and it was pretty hard on the second loop, he said. And the final four to five kilometres my legs were burning the whole time but I just kept pushing through.
He added that although it was a chilly day, with a temperature of -8 degrees Celsius at the start, the course was in terrific condition.
I thought it was really nice out there, he said. There was a lot of fresh snow but it was packed well underneath. No complaints from me today.
May also said he would like to come back to defend his title next year and hopes the event continues to grow.
The 30-kilometre race saw Whistlers Dave Burch post the fastest time, 1:26.55. Burch admitted it was chilly but said he didnt mind the conditions.
It was a great event, he said. Perfect race temperature and it was a lot of fun out there.
Burch said that the opening moments of the race were the most challenging.
The first five kilometres where everyone was bunched up was a little tough, he said. Everything was kind of slow to start with but as the race moved on people began to separate.
Burch, an avid mountain bike racer, said it was the first time hed ever participated in an event like the Payak but that he trained for the event by taking part in several Toonie races in Whistler. Like May, he said he plans to return next year to defend his title.
Ill for sure be back, he said. I think the winner has to. Isnt it almost an unwritten rule?
Other top local racers included Squamishs Jan Francke, who placed fourth in the mens 50 km event, and Arlene Schieven of the Whistler Nordics, who won the womens 15 km event.
In addition to the adults, almost 200 children took part in a kids cross-country tournament. Kids were divided up into groups based on age and led through obstacle courses to test their speed and skill. Older kids were taken on a small ski cross course located in front of the ski jumps. Those races featured climbing, obstacles and a downhill portion.
For a full list of results from the race, visit www.zone4.ca.
