This past weekend Whistler Blackcomb hosted the annual Crud 2 Mud Downhill race. Participants race on their skis from the Roundhouse down to the top of the Fitz chair, where mountain bikes await and the race continues down B-Line. The racers could either tackle the entire race solo on skis or a board, or team up with a friend in a relay format.
I decided to tackle the race solo, and on skis for that matter. I normally snowboard, but I knew that skiing would be ultimately faster. I borrowed a set of fast rossi’s from Spicy sports, and without ever skiing them before, I ascended to the top of the racecourse. Everyone would have to ski the racecourse blind, which was also a challenging factor, considering there were about 50 gates strewn about that we had to ski through.
I skied the course like a champ, but it wasn’t until I got to the transition area where I really started to blow it. Because of my lack of experience in ski boots, I couldn’t get them off in a timely fashion, and ended up expending about a minute and a half fiddling my buckles, putting my shoes on, and then stripping the race bib off my back. By the time you make it to the last steep pitch on Tokum, your legs are on fire, and when you jump on your bike and start pedaling, the burning only gets more intense.
I had a pretty decent run on the bike minus one minor crash in some mud, and managed to keep it pinned right to the finish. It was such a good challenge in endurance and skills, and I can’t wait until the race next year. Everyone gathered on the GLC patio to celebrate the fastest times with a few pints of beers in the sunshine before a thunderstorm rolled in.
What a great day, and a great race. Special thanks to all the organizers and volly’s who made it happen.
– Mason Mashon