The Hay River Ski Club was busy late last month with two sets of ski events all rolled into one.
A group of skiers from Hay River, Fort Smith and Yellowknife were on the trails for the annual Pat A. Bobinski Races, better known as the PABs, on March 25 and 26. The PABs are a continuation of the Ptub Races, which were once sponsored by the Hay River Hub.
A total of 64 competitors were out for two days of racing in the classic and freestyle formats. Classic races are those done in the tracks laid out on the trails and racers take off from the start line in 30-second intervals, while the freestyle races are done in wave starts based on age categories.
Chuck Lirette, who helped organize this years races, said it was a great weekend condition-wise.
It was bright and we actually had some warm temperatures, he said. I went out with the track-setter and the ground was hard in some spots and that meant the snow was packed in pretty well in some spots. The trails were hard and fast and there were some icy sections out on the course.
The age range of those competing varied, he added, with some as young as three years old suiting up to race.
We had those little ones do the 0.5-km loop, he said. We had racers out there as old as 60, so a real range of competitors and thats great to see. We had a big contingent from Yellowknife, around 50 or so, and that always makes it a lot of fun.
The other event as part of the weekend was the NWT Cross-Country Ski Championships, which was included among the PABs.
To determine the territorial champions for this year, Lirette said the top three in each age category received an extra award.
They all received medals for being in the top-three in the PABs, and Cross Country NWT provided badges for those finishing in first, second or third, he said.
MSS and Greenway Realty were the sponsors of this years races and there was a banquet for everyone at The Back Eddy on the Saturday evening. The grad class at Diamond Jenness Secondary School ran the canteen at the ski club all weekend to help keep everyone hydrated.
The PABs is the last big event of the ski season in Hay River and Lirette said its all in the hands of the weather now as to how long the trails will remain accessible.
Well keep the trails in until Mother Nature steps in and decides thats all, he said. The PABs are a huge event for us and its very social event. Everyone has a great time.
Here are the results from both days of action:
Classic races
U8 boys (0.5-km)
1st Gabriel Sears, Yellowknife 5:16.1
2nd Sam Slack, Yellowknife 5:44.0
3rd Elijah Salbadica, Hay River 8:56.4
U8 girls (0.5-km)
1st Anya Marshall, Yellowknife 6:25.3
2nd Olivia Preston, Hay River 11:07.2
3rd Flora Russell, Hay River 12:09.7
U10 boys (1-km)
1st Finn Marshall, Yellowknife 10:14.9
2nd Jakob Sears, Yellowknife 10:43.3
3rd Smith Coombs, Hay River 11:47.3
U10 girls (1-km)
1st Emma Wheler, Yellowknife 10:37.4
2nd Arya Townson, Yellowknife 12:45.3
3rd Tara McShane, Yellowknife 20:11.0
U12 boys (3-km)
1st Peter Kanigan, Yellowknife 13:51.6
2nd Dylan Skelton, Yellowknife 15:01.0
3rd Jack Lyall, Yellowknife 15:20.0
U12 girls (3-km)
1st Lila Townson, Yellowknife 14:28.1
2nd Valda Marrai, Yellowknife 16:31.1
3rd Pippa Palmer, Yellowknife 17:17.3
U14 boys (3-km)
1st Benjamin Lothian, Yellowknife 10:53.2
2nd Cormac Stewart, Yellowknife 11:41.1
3rd Toryn Wheler, Yellowknife 12:03.1
U14 girls (3-km)
1st Sula Ray, Yellowknife 14:33.9
2nd Liliana Marrai, Yellowknife 14:52.7
3rd Emily Lothian, Yellowknife 15:46.3
U16 boys (5-km)
1st Nikolas Hawkins, Yellowknife 23:28.3
2nd Hunter Groenewegen, Hay River 33:59.7
U16 girls (5-km)
1st Neve Mahon, Yellowknife 28:55.3
2nd Iga Olesinska, Hay River 35:35.3
3rd Millie Hunt, Hay River 40:58.8
Senior womens (5-km)
1st Anne-Sophie Ratte, Hay River 27:40.9
Master mens 30 to 39 (5-km)
1st Levi Bruce, Yellowknife 19:19.4
Master womens 30 to 39 (5-km)
1st Jocelyn Apps, Yellowknife 28:16.5
Master mens 40-49 (5-km)
1st Alex Lothian, Yellowknife 21:46.7
2nd Marek Napiorkowski, Hay River 28:03.0
Recreational loppet (5-km)
1st Tamlin Gilbert, Yellowknife 25:24.2
Freestyle races
U8 girls (0.5-km)
1st Anya Marshall, 8:16.1
2nd Olivia Preston, 9:08.5
3rd Flora Russell, 11:02.0
U8 boys (0.5-km)
1st Gabriel Sears, 5:06.1
2nd Elijah Sabaldica, 8:21.5
3rd Jayden Gruta, Hay River 9:07.9
U10 girls (2-km)
1st Emma Wheler, 10:41.5
2nd Arya Townson, 14:30.8
3rd Tara McShane, 25:03.6
U10 boys (2-km)
1st Finn Marshall, 9:10.8
2nd Smith Coombs, 9:30.9
3rd Jakob Sears, 10:55.1
U12 girls (3-km)
1st Lila Townson, 13:45.5
2nd Valda Marrai, 15:04.0
3rd Aliana Lothian, Yellowknife 15:46.5
U12 boys (3-km)
1st Jaxin Coombs, Hay River 11:24.0
2nd Dylan Skelton, 12:43.4
3rd Colin Mahon, Yellowknife 13:33.8
U14 girls (3-km)
1st Sula Ray, 12:21.9
2nd Liliana Marrai, 12:42.9
3rd Kate McShane, Yellowknife 13:26.9
U14 boys (3-km)
1st Benjamin Lothian, 10:17.1
2nd Cormac Stewart, 10:27.1
3rd Toryn Wheler, 10:44.1
U16 girls (5-km)
1st Leah McShane, 21:52.6
2nd Neve Mahon, 28:41.8
3rd Millie Hunt, 41:59.9
U16 boys (5-km)
1st Nikolas Hawkins, 19:34.0
2nd Hunter Groenewegen, 26:14.0
Master womens 30 to 39 (5-km)
1st Rosie Benning, Yellowknife 31:05.0
Master mens 30 to 39 (5-km)
1st Levi Bruce, 16:58.4
Master mens 40-49 (5-km)
1st Alex Lothian, 18:27
2nd Doug Townson, Yellowknife 20:13.0
3rd Julian Kanigan, Yellowknife 20:23.0
Recreational men/women (2-km)
1st Tamlin Gilbert, 22:15.0
Source: Zone 4
