Kenai Central sophomore Isla Crouse and Homer senior Leif Jaworski won the Candy Cane Scramble at Tsalteshi Trails just outside of Soldotna on Friday.
The event takes on a different format every year with an eye on competition as well as fun. This year, the format was a foam version of biathlon.
Skiers started by skiing a loop of about 1.5 kilometers. They then approached the range for the first of two times.
The first shooting stage was done prone. Competitors had four chances to use a toy gun to launch the foam bullet into a trash can that was lying down.
Those getting three in the can didn’t have to do a short penalty loop. Those getting two in the can had to do a penalty loop, one in the can meant two penalty loops and none in the can meant three penalty loops.
After the first time at the range, competitors skied 1.5K again, hit the range for a standing session, then skied 1.5K to the finish.
Those dressing up in Christmas attire got an extra foam bullet.
“It was so much fun being able to incorporate shooting dart guns along with the skiing, and breaking it up like that,” Crouse said. “I’ve never done anything like this before.”
Crouse won the girls race in 18 minutes, 35 seconds, while Kenai’s Teresa Fallon was second in 19:03, Homer’s Myra Kalafut was third in 19:13 and Kenai’s Ruby Davis was fourth in 19:14.
“I never had to ski any penalty laps,” Crouse said. “That’s probably what got me the win, because my teammates are so fast.”
Fallon and Kalafut had to ski a penalty lap, while Davis had to ski two penalty laps.
“Thank you to them for putting this on,” Crouse said. “It looked like a lot of work picking up all those bullets.”
Many of the Homer skiers are very familiar with biathlon thanks to a program at the trails at McNeil Canyon. That program uses laser rifles.
“I actually did biathlon last year, all year, every weekend,” Kalafut said. “I’d go and train with the laser rifles.”
Kalafut said she prefers doing 5K races, but said Friday was a fun change of pace. She said the penalty loop after the standing session cost her.
“I worked the whole race to catch back up, but couldn’t really get up to them at the end,” she said. “Close. Next time.”
As darkness fell over the course, times were not kept for the boys race. Jaworski was able to win a tight battle over Kenai freshman Fletcher Darr.
Because Darr didn’t move to Kenai from Homer until last summer, both Jaworski and Darr also did the biathlon program at McNeil.
While Darr didn’t have any penalty loops, Jaworski had a penalty loop after the prone stage. He was able to quickly get ahead of Darr once back on the course.
“I was worried about holding him off,” Jaworski said. “He’s a good skier, so I’m excited to see what the next few years will hold.”
Jaworski said even if it’s fun racing, racing helps because going at a high heart race for short periods of time helps sharpen cardiovascular fitness.
After all, even if it’s for fun, biathlon is serious business at Tsalteshi, where four-time Winter Olympian Jay Hakkinen, then of Kasilof, got his start.
“One of the things I talked about with my team coming into this, as one of the captains, is regardless of whether or not we think it’s fun, what matters is that we put in maximum effort every single day,” he said. “Those are the thoughts we’ll remember every night, that we go to sleep with, that today I achieved something, pushing myself to the maximum.”
The range scene was so chaotic that the race didn’t even try to use officials, leaving skiers to the honors system.
Darr is still not sure whether he should have done a penalty loop.
“I probably, maybe, should have done one,” he said. “I decided to count it. I had two that bounced off the ground and went in the bucket.”
While Jaworski had the penalty loop, Darr said the transitions of getting his poles on and off cost him valuable time.
“This is awesome,” Darr said. “They should do more stuff like this, definitely.
“I’d like to go up to Anchorage, maybe later in high school, or in college, and do real biathlon, with actual guns.”
Candy Cane Scramble
Friday at Tsalteshi Trails
4.5-kilometer biathlon sprint
Top 10 girls — 1. Isla Crouse, Ken, 18 minutes, 35 seconds; 2. Teresa Fallon, Ken, 19:09; 3. Myra Kalafut, Hom, 19:13; 4. Ruby Davis, Ken, 19:14; 5. Kylie Smith, Sol, 19:32; 6. Mya Taylor, Ken, 20:26; 7. Inga Smith, Sol, 20:37; 8. Leanne Gordon, Sol, 20:50; 9. Swift Blackstock, 20:52; 10. Katie Van Buskirck, Sew, 21:16.
Top 10 boys — 1. Leif Jaworski, Hom; 2. Fletcher Darr, Ken; 3. Daniel Christ, Hom; 4. Charlie Rustand, Hom; 5. Noble Cassidy, Sol; 6. Levi Strong, Ken; 7. Logan Cartwright, Ken; 8. Jameson Hall, Sol; 9. Silvan Krieg, Ken; 10. John Holt, Sol.
