The last race of the Twister race series was March 18 starting at Takhini Hot Springs.
Hosted by the Dog Powered Sports Association of the Yukon and sponsored by Icycle Sports, the race was an entertaining cap to the season.
Icy trail conditions made for tricky racing, and more than one musher lost his or her team.
DPSAY president Simi Morrison said there wasn’t a clear consensus on conditions.
“The trails were still safe — there was enough snow pack to stop a team and put a snow hook in — but some spots were icy,” said Morrison. “Some people thought it wasn’t bad and some others thought it was pretty icy. It was a little bit more challenging for sure.”
The 10-mile competitive race included both sled and skijor categories.
Five skijorers and seven mushers hit the trail for the start of the race, although Martine LeLevier’s team decided running along the road looked like more fun and took off alone.
Organizers and LeLevier jumped into action and with the help of an ATV, LeLevier had her team back at the starting line and off down the trail just 15 minutes later.
In the skijoring race, Claudia Wickert finished first in a time of 58 minutes and 32 seconds.
Cynthia Corriveau was second, followed by Lisa Kozkewich in third and Jackie Taylor in fourth.
The fifth skijorer, Adam Robinson, came back mushing a team after skijorers wrangled Coralee Gilet’s run-away sled, hooked up Robinson’s dogs in the lead and he drove the team back along the five-mile trail.
In the sled race, Didier Moggia was the official winner after his team was the first to make it back — albeit without him.
Morrison said Moggia lost his team only a kilometre from the finish line.
“Even if you’re an experienced musher, if you react a tenth of a second too late, the sled can flip. I think that’s probably what happened,” said Morrison.
Fabian Schmitz finished second, Alexandra Rochat third, Cindy Baker fourth, LeLevier fifth — despite the 15 minute detour — and Martin Haefele six.
Both Gilet and Moggia made it back to the start/finish line. Gilet rode with Haefele and Moggia caught a lift from Rochat.
Once the dust settled on the 10-mile race, two competitors took to the trail in the five-mile recreational class.
Claudia Beer finished her skijor in 59 minutes and 19 seconds and Tiffany McLean and her sled team finished in 58 minutes and 38 seconds.
Contact John Hopkins-Hill at john.hopkinshill@yukon-news.com
Results
10-mile skijor
1. Claudia Wickert 58:32
2. Cynthia Corriveau 1:02:10
3. Lisa Kozakewich 1:03:49
4. Jackie Taylor 1:07:22
10-mile sled
1. Didier Moggia 52:46
2. Fabian Schmitz 54:10
3. Alexandra Rochat 56:46
4. Cindy Baker 1:02:45
5. Martine LeLevier 1:06:10
6. Martin Haefele 1:24:15
Five-mile recreational race
1. Tiffany McLean (sled) 58:38
2. Claudia Beer (skijor) 59:19