Search the internet, find a race in the area and then find a way to get there. Such is the life of college students and two of them found there way first to the Grand Rapids Langlauf and then first over the finish line. Emily Flynn, a grad student at Michigan State, won the 5K Classic race with a time of 22:57. The enthusiastic lady first wondered if she could ski both the freestyle and classic 5K races. Shades of Smigiel. She was followed over the line by Nathan McLaughan, 27:45, Rick Kraai of GRNST, 29:32, Wilhelm Lowe, 32:01, octogenarian Les Brooks also of GRNST, 39:36, Dan Nolan of GRNST, 53:58 and Jennifer Nolan of GRNST in 54:13.
In the 5K freestyle race, Hope College freshman, Steve Cupery of GRNST, hitched ride with Rick Kraai and smoked the field in an impressive 18:11. He was followed by John Prose, 21:34, Erick Busse, 23:20, Carl Scharphorn of GRNST, 24:50, Kim Soule, 33:17, Jerry Rigney, GRNST, 36:54 and Lee Rigney, 40:49.
After a brutal January of single digit races, this one was a joy. Temperatures in the upper 20's, hard tracks, plenty of snow and a bunch of GRNST MI Cuppers out to make sure no one got lost. It was truly a beautiful day to ski. And the little snowboarders in the club house were quite impressed when Steve Cupery skied up the downhill in his warm-up not once but several times. Maybe we got some recruits, eh. Most skiers thought the course was excellent, with a good mix of hills and rolling terrain. Today they were right. When Pando has snow it is one of the best places to ski in Michigan. It has snow now and lots of it.