01/28/2007

'We have enough snow'

White Pine will offer 10K and 20K events

BY JEFF PEEK

jpeek@record-eagle.com

TRAVERSE CITY — Patience has paid off for the White Pine Stampede.

One week after officials were on the verge of canceling the 31st annual cross country ski race, director Jack McKaig has announced that the event will definitely be held on Saturday in Antrim County.

"My stomach has stopped churning,” McKaig said. "We have enough snow.”

"Enough” is a relative term, McKaig warned. There is enough that two race distances will be offered — 10 kilometers and 20K — but not enough to save the marathon.

This will be the third consecutive year that the 50K race has been shortened or eliminated.

McKaig said the 20K race will begin at 10 a.m., with the 10K set for 11 a.m. Both races will start near Mancelona High School and finish at Schuss Mountain.

"It's 9 kilometers from the start to Schuss and another 1K to the finish, so we'll just loop the 20K skiers,” McKaig said.

McKaig warned skiers to use their "rock skis” and said there will not be a track for classic skiers. The trail will be groomed for freestyle competitors.

"We've been packing the snow as it comes,” he said.

McKaig also said that the price — lowered to $35 early last week — would remain the same, even though there will be a 20K.

For more information call (231) 587-8812 or long onto www.whitepinestampede.org.

Vasa officials, meanwhile, report "good” ski conditions for their Feb. 10-11 races. All the trails have been recently groomed and tracked.