HOCHEBIRGE 2003
As we trudged from Echo Lake parking lot to Ernie's for the 65th running of the Hochebirge Masters ski race, the air seemed heavy, or was it just our ski bags dragging? With each labored step, we wonder if the State of New Hampshire could design a more difficult ski race access. Maybe its some sort of North Country joke, a sort of pre-race elimination, to see who's fit enough to even start this, the oldest Masters ski race in the country!
Once outfitted, we followed the yellow bib of Dave Wolff as he led us through the course inspection. His warm, talk-show manner gathered quite a crowd!
The race started exactly on time and ran without a hitch, a credit to the well greased Franconia Ski Club machine and its savvy parent volunteers. The course held up well, a solid ice base gleamed at every turn. We reminded ourselves it was better than gaping holes! Ivar Dahl and Carolyn Beckedorff thrilled us with their fastest first-run times.
Second run began at about 12:30 as low clouds pressed in upon the surrounding, spectacular Franconia Notch; rain was predicted.
Was the great ski God watching? It seemed too cosmic that Ivar Dahl clocked an even 36 seconds and Steven Ouelette, the second fastest man, had an even 37. On the women's side, Jesse McAleer zipped her way past Carolyn but not by enough to take the overall.
Results by class for the MEN were first, second and third place respectively: in class 12, Adelbert Ames, Rod Aller and Nate Grifkin; Class 11, Duffy Dodge prevailed over George Caner; Class 10, Larry Voelker, Alphonse Sevigny, and Paul Rich; Class 9 Haldor Reinholt proved pina coladas in Tortola aren't that bad for ski racing, David Britton, without his Bird, then Bob McGrath; Class 9, Robert McKee, finishing with a full body slide… baseball anyone?, Klaus Haas, and Bill Crabtree; Class 7, Bill McCollom again defying his age, Jim Larsen and Michael Rooney. In Class 6, Jason Densmore, having played an exhausting 5 sets of tennis the day before, Hans Truckenbrod, and Stephen Laverty; Class 5 Jim Weitz, Fred Dieffenbach, and John Allard; Class 4, Jim Harding, in spite of frostbitten toes and brand new skiis, Lane Partridge, then Tip Kimball.
As for the younger whipper snappers, in Class 3 it was John Pierce, Dave Wolff, then Jody Lozeau; Class 2, Iver Dahl, loving his home hill, led Judson Bartlett and Jeff Schreiber; and, finally, in Class 1 it was Steven Ouellette, Chris Hudson, and Bryan Reimer.
For the WOMEN, the top finishers were: in Class 8 - the always amazing Anne Nordhoy, in second, Virginia Petrie; Class 7 Dee Larsen, Suzanne Boulter, and Stefi Hastings; Class 6 Meg Nutter led Cindy Berlack; Class 5 Margaret Vaughn won over Stacy Weston and Susan Doran; Class 4 Lisa Densmore, in her usual blistering style, led Martha Hainright, and Kim Wolff. In Class 3, Carolyn Beckedorff showed us all how to do it, Rishlene Tanner was second.
In Class 2, Sise Series leader Jesse McAleer was just as feisty on the slopes as she is off, Anneliese Fejan followed. In Class 1 Michelle Woloshin was winner.
After the after-party at Franconia Village House, (too bad there's not an Olympics for partying), we reconvened at the cozy HOCHEBIRGE Club House.
Amid the annual jubilation of Masters being together off the slopes, we cheered the winners of the HOCHEBIRGE TROPHIES.
Rod Aller was awarded the Thomas Dabney trophy for "fastest oldest racer." Steve Ouellette won the Alex Bright Trophy for "fastest male team member." Carolyn Beckedorff took home the Clarita Bright Trophy for "fastest female team member."
The fastest women's team, "Bode's Babes," consisted of the Bodacious Stacey Weston, Patti Lane, Meg Nutter, and Margaret Vaughn.
The Hochebirge Challenge Cup (the fastest men's team) went to the "Flatlanders:" Jim Harding, Sean Florian, John Pierce, and Tip Kimball.
The following MEN's CLASS TEAMS were victorious: Classes 1 & 2, SSA (meaning 'ass backwards'), John Vanslyke, Chris Henderson, Taylor Lloyd, and Jud Bartlett; for Classes 3&4 it was the Flatlanders (listed above); Classes 5 & 6, Comet Speedsters were Jason Densmore, John Allard, and Jeff Cough.
For Classes 7 & 8, the Hochebirge Seven were victorious( Dwight Conant, Jim Doig, Jim Larsen, and Chuck Thorndike; Classes 9 & 10 were won by the Comet Lion 1 (Duffy Dodge, Larry Voelker, Paul Rich, and Haldor Reinholt); in Classes 11 & 12 it was Super Comets ( Rod Aller, Nate Grifkin, Dick Wood, and George Caner.
In the WOMEN's TEAMS, the honors in Classes 7 & 8 were won by the Sensational Seven, Jen Caldor, Dee Larsen, Suzy Boulter and Steffi Hastings .
As we left the Hoch Club, and the wipers swept away pouring rain, we knew that heavy feeling in the morning was due to the weather AND probably being a year older than last year. But because we resisted the temptation to stay in bed, we had become a part of that charming tradition, the Hochbirge ski Race on rugged Cannon Mtn.
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