Homer’s Nordic community came together the day after Christmas to participate in the annual Ski Your Age fundraiser, which challenges people to ski as many kilometers as their age. The event also challenges the high school ski team to a long ski.
Started by local skiers Megan Corazza and Jan Spurkland, the event was inspired by a Ski Your Age event the two attended in 2010, held by the Nordic Ski Club in Fairbanks.
“It was a really big deal up there; it was a good tradition,” she said. “Everybody brought their Christmas leftovers to the Birch Hill Nordic ski area to share.
Corazza said there were certain limits on time — you can’t start before 9, you have to be finished by 5 — but otherwise it was noncompetitive.
“The goal was to ski your age in kilometers but there were many other ways to make achievements. You could do the century club — 100 kilometers minus your age. You could do the sun-downer challenge, which was 50 kilometers between actual sunrise and sunset. You could do a family challenge where you register as a family and see which family skied the most kilometers. We had so much fun, it felt like a great sense of community.”
Corazza and Spurkland, who were coaching the Homer High School ski team at the time, decided to bring the event to Homer and make it a ski team fundraiser.
Jessie Goodrich, current ski coach at Homer Highschool, thanked the community for its support at this year’s fundraiser.
“The Mariners Nordic Ski Team gives a big ‘thank you’ to everyone who donated to the high school ski team this year. The team can always use the funding for travel, so support is greatly appreciated.”
Ski Your Age Results:
Morelli/Sasakura Family — 62 k; Garrett Briscoe — 50 k; Jody Goodrich — 50 k; Ethan Styvar — 50 k; Mike Gratz — 38.8 k “Century Club”; Jane Wiebe — 37 k “Century Club”; Lyn Maslow — 34 k “Century Club”; Katie Miller — 32 k (20 k skate, 12 k classic); Caleb Rauch— 23 k; Jacob Davis — 25 k; Weatherly Bates — 25 k; Autumn Daigle —21 k; Yvonne Leutwyler— 17 k; Ashley Hanson — 15 k; Leif Jaworski — 21 k (volunteered); Sonnen Family — 20 k; Kali Glosser— 20 k; Emilie Otis — 16 k; Gary Scholz — 15 k; Carlin Rauch— 15 k; Leif Rothenberger— 13 k; Reid Rauch— 13 k; Ellis Loretz — 13 k; Thomas 10 k (also volunteered); Bea McDonough — 10 k (volunteered); Jackie McDonough — 7 k (volunteered); Charlie Trowbridge — 7 k; Charles Trowbridge — 7 k; Stephanie Dickerson — 5 k; Stan Purington — 5 k; Story Family — 5 k; Nicole Markelz — 5 k; Team Jaworski — volunteered and skied; Kevin Walker — 7.2 k; John Miles — groomed and donated -Alan Gnad — 76 years old, skied twice his age in minutes and stoppage time.
Emilie Springer can be reached at emilie.springer@homernews.com.
