STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK
Nearly 70 Wood River Valley-and-beyond Nordic skiers turned out for the 2020 Billy Goat Loppet on a chilly Saturday morning at Sun Valley Nordic Center.
Some of the hardcore racers tested themselves on a new 12-kilometer race incorporating the Sidewinder Trail off the Proctor Loop. Enthusiastic kids—the future of Nordic skiing—tested themselves on a fun 1-km. course.
Charley French at 93 was the oldest skier among men. Shauna Thoreson at 86 was the oldest female skier, with 78-year-old Grace Dyck also setting an example for women to emulate.
The youngest racers were 10-year-old Bailey Kurtz and Duncan Fryberger and 6-year-old Piper Renner.
The overall winners:
Men’s 12K: Peter Holmes, Sam Wood and Chris Mallory.
Women’s 12K: Katie Feldman, Alexia Turzian and Betsy Youngman.
Men’s 10K; Tom Liby, Willy McSlowpants and Ralph Johnson.
Women’s 10K; Jill Norton, Toni Ramey and Jennifer Oliver.
Men’s 5K: Sam East, Mel Dyck and Charley French.
Women’s 5K: Linda McClatchy and Aurelie boloix.
Boys 5K: Bailey Kurtz, Nicholas Gardiner and Duncan Fryberger.
Girls 5K: Mazzy Conners and Zoe Liberatore.
1K Boys: Charlie St. George.
Girls 1K: Stella St. George, Josephine Renner and Sadie Guss.
12KM SIDEWINDER MEN (with time and age):
PETER HOLMES 30.27 23
SAM WOOD 31.05 23
CHRIS MALLORY 34.10 37
SAM YOUNG 34.30 43
TOM DEHART 36.53 51
ROBERT YOUNGMAN 36.55 63
DAVID KNOOP 38.04 61
JIM SANTA 38.11 59
JOHN KURTZ 40.37 50
JIM McCLATCHY 42.13 67
ROB CURRAN 42.20 38
BOB ROSSO 43.06 74
JON HOLMQUIST 44.27 67
GARY BOWLIN 45.09 63
MICHAEL GORDON 48.52 39
12KM SIDEWINDER WOMEN:
KATIE FELDMAN 34.07 23
ALEXIA TURZIAN 37.37 26
BETSY YOUNGMAN 38.42 56
MUFFY RITZ 40.15 62
TRICIA SWARTLING 40.58 54
KIM KAWAGUCHI 41.15 58
NAOMI GOLDBERG 42.08 40
PEGGY BOGGS 43.15 46
KIM NALEN 48.09 63
CARMEN FINEGAN 49.13 41
ANN JAEGER 53.55 48
GLORIA KIMBALL 54.03 63
KATHRINE SHELDON 54.50 62
10KM MEN:
TOM LIBY 31.47 48
WILLY McSLOWPANTS 34.06 50
RALPH JOHNSON 36.48 71
TATE MILLS 38.00 34
SIGI VOGL 40.30 67
TIM RAMEY 42.24 50
TRISTAN BOLOIX 43.30 11
JAKE SPARLING 47.37 40
MARSHALL PETERSON 50.57 72
10KM WOMEN
JILL NORTON 40.06 43
TONI RAMEY 42.11 50
JENNIFER OLIVER 42.56 45
HEIDI BATHUM 45.33 52
GRACE DYCK 49.34 78
LUCY BOURRET (skied on Classic skis) 50.17 58
SHAUNA THORESON 1hr:18 86
5KM MEN:
SAM EAST 31.16 79
MEL DYCK 31.54 78
CHARLEY FRENCH 43.14 93
TOM FREY 43.33 78
5KM WOMEN:
LINDA McCLATCHY 26:00 71
AURELIE BOLOIX 37:46 39
5KM BOYS:
BAILEY KURTZ 25.48 10
NICHOLAS GARDINER 26.59 11
DUNCAN FRYBERGER 27.14 10
CALEO MORRISON 28.04 11
LEVI RENNER 30.48 11
5KM GIRLS:
MAZZY CONNERS 26.43 12
ZOE LIBERATORE 34.26 10
1KM BOYS:
CHARLIE ST.GEORGE 6.44 11
1KM GIRLS:
STELLA ST.GEORGE 6:47 9
JOSEPHINE RENNER 6:48 9
SADIE GUSS 8:48 7
PIPER RENNER 11.19 6
ABBIGALE LIBERATORE 12.25 7
PHOTO
Several Vamps took part in the Billy Goat Loppet, including 93-year-old Charley French who has long worn the Vamps uniform as an honorary member at World Masters races throughout Europe and North America.