RESULTS: Tarras and Chapman win gnarly Lakes of the North Freestyle

It was another epic race at Lakes of the North: Sixteen inches of snow, rain, snow, fog, and...interesting trail grooming! After a big dump of snow, the temperatures warmed up, the rain came (and went and came and went), and the groomer broke down. The trail was groomed with a large tractor that left firm conditions in the tractor tracks and softer, damp snow everywhere else. But no puddles. Travelers from afar had to navigate occasional heavy rains and dense fog to get to the race.

The warm up and first 30 minutes of the race were mainly rain free and the expected strong gusts of wind never appeared. A very light rain fell for the remainder of the race.

Senior men started at 11:00am followed Senior women at 11:05am. Junior started as a group at 11:10am. No timing was done unless the skier self timed. From a Michigan Cup points standpoint, this is OK because points are awarded based on place, not time.

Carter Dean, Elijah Klee and Mathew Kushman were the top Junior Men. Emma Dykstra, Sage Brown, and Natalie Crowder topped the Junior Women.

Jamie Chapman, Brenda Carlson Brown, and Wendy Anderson finished as top three for the women. The men's podium consisted of Kevin Tarras, Brad Bass, and Denny Paull.

Skiers with great balance did well on the undulating trail. More than one got caught in the soft snow and wet for a tumble. It was an adventure - can't wait for next year!

See photos from the race: https://photos.nordicskiracer.com/Racing/Michigan-Cup/Lakes-of-the-North/Lakes-of-the-North-Freestyle-2021-12-11 

Lakes of the North Winterstart
Preliminary Results, Dec.11th 2021

These results are not final. Please notify Curt Peterson of any disagreements (curtpete@gmail.com o or 989-245-2758).