On a typical day, Jim Jager works as an employee of the city’s highest rank in Anchorage’s Port.
However, earlier in the week Jager was performing manual work on the cross-country ski trails located at Kincaid Park, on the western side of town. There was snow accumulating on the course markers, and Jager removed an air blower from his vehicle.
“I am blowing off snow from the V-boards to let skiers be able to see the location of the trail,” Jager said.
Jager is among the dozens of Anchorage residents who volunteer at Kincaid for the duration of the week-long, national-caliber cross country ski race series known by the SuperTour. The series, which runs both Saturday and Sunday have attracted Olympians as well as top junior athletes as well as a contingent from Canada to compete in some of the most prestigious events that are taking place in North America this year.
A good performance could aid racers in getting into the World Cup in Minneapolis in February, the first top-level circuit to travel across America. U.S. in two decades. In general, World Cup races are held in Scandinavian or Central European venues.
“I think it’s an incredible experience to compete in at a World Cup on home soil,” said Sammy Smith 18 years old, a skilled Idaho junior who was the winner of both Wednesday and Tuesday’s racing at Kincaid. “It’s difficult for many American racers because they’re all winter in Europe which means there’s not many opportunities for relatives or family members to attend.”
The Anchorage cross-country events could not have been possible without the help of volunteers such as Jager -one of the city’s residents with strong ties the highest levels in the game.
Jager is a seasoned long-distance ski racer; His nephew Luke also is an Olympian who is competing in Norway in the World Cup.
Others who were retired Alaska Olympians were scattered across Kincaid Park as volunteers and race officials: Adam Verrier was doing announcers for the play-by-play on the stadium intercom. Tyler Kornfield was helping to conduct tests to determine the presence of banned chemicals, which when applied to skis, may assist them in sliding faster.
On the other hand, Tuesday’s guest included Kikkan Randall who took home the gold medal at the 2018 Olympics and is now the head of his own Nordic Ski Association of Anchorage that is responsible for coordinating the competitions.
“It requires a large group,” she said. “But thankfully, we have a great group in Anchorage that automatically comes out and do this.”
Randall said she was slightly unhappy that her job prevented her from spending the day skiing. However, she added she also remembered the pain racing causes, “so it’s kind of enjoyable to observe.”
Many of the competitors were taking part in Anchorage for the first time, and the reviews were overwhelmingly positive — especially from those who had raced at beautiful European mountain races.
“I wasn’t expecting to see this huge of a city initially,” said Liliane Gagnon one of the Canadian national team player. “Skiing here in Kincaid watching the mountains and oceans when the weather is sunny, it’s lovely, actually. The trails are amazing. I’m enjoying it here so far.”
As is the case with Anchorage’s official status as the Cross-Country Ski Town USA, more than a dozen Anchorage residents are taking part this week as members of the two Alaska club teams.
These Alaska athletes typically spend a lot of winter traveling and living out of suitcases in Airbnbs in ski resorts across the nation.
It turns out that staying at home and competing at Kincaid did not provide as beneficial as many had hoped. Michael Earnhart, a 21-year-old U.S. Ski Team member who trains in his Alaska Pacific University club, said he was excited at first to take part in the race in Anchorage.
“But it turned out to be strange to not be able to go anywhere else and feel that lock-into-the race sensation,” he said. “It’s the final week of my semester for me and I was thinking about different things. You usually go on a trip to the ski slopes and you just ski. You can inform teachers”Sorry I went skiin.'”
Earnhart was able to secure a third place finish in the first event, which was a three-minute sprint race.
The father of the race, William, was watching from the other side of the trail. He’s the president for the Anchorage ski club, and added that, besides the SuperTour races He’s looking forward to next season, when his group hosts the National Championships in Kincaid.
“Nordic skiers in Anchorage began with racers and volunteers,” he said. “And that’s the way it continues today.”
