American ski-cross racers are arguably feeling the economic pinch of the failing auto industry more than most mountain dwellers as Chrysler’s Jeep division has pulled the plug on its annual three-event Jeep King of the Mountain/48Straight race series.
The 16-year-old Jeep-sponsored series joined forces last winter with the upstart Honda Ski Tour to establish the nation’s largest race series for the recently Olympic-sanctioned disciplines of ski-cross and snowboard-cross. Despite high expectations and significant private investment from Ski Tour (renamed 48Straight after the merger) founder Kip Nelson, the lack of critical funding from title sponsor Jeep forced cancellation less than a month before its first scheduled event in Telluride on Dec. 12.
Jeep remains a sponsor of the Winter X Games in Aspen.
The loss of the three ski-cross races leaves the Winter X Games and a lone World Cup stop at Lake Placid, N.Y., in January as the only international contests held on American snow one winter before the sport’s Olympic debut in Vancouver 2010.
The JKOM/48Straight series also included snowboard-cross and halfpipe freestyle events. The loss of halfpipe competition for skiers and snowboarders on the winter competition calendar will be made up in part by the introduction of the new Winter Dew Tour, a three-stop action sports series launching in Breckenridge on Dec. 18.
Winter X adds two events.
Women’s skiing slopestyle and snowmobile best trick are the newest additions to the ever-evolving Winter X Games. The two disciplines will make their debut at Aspen’s Buttermilk Mountain at Winter X Games 13 on Jan. 22-25.
Women’s skiing slopestyle will feature the top eight qualified skiers competing on a variety of rails and jumps in two judged runs through the terrain park. Snowmobile best trick will feature three athletes taking two jumps judged by fans both at the event and watching on television.
Team Nike falls behind.
Makie Kloser’s three-time adventure racing world champion Team Nike narrowly missed a fourth by finishing 1 hour, 20 minutes behind New Zealand’s Orion Health at the 2008 Adventure Racing World Championships in eastern Brazil this month. The Nike team — captain Kloser of Vail, Monique Merrill of Breckenridge and Kiwis Chris Forne and Gordon Walker — led the race early before making a critical navigation error that left it chasing Orion Health for the remainder of the four- day, 520K expedition. The multisport race features kayaking, mountain biking, mountain trekking, sailing and a ropes course.
Snowshoe series kicks off.
The 2008-09 Pedal Power Snowshoe Adventure Series kicks off its 13th season of racing to benefit charities in Eagle and Lake counties on Dec. 6. The first 5-mile race of the season will take place at the Tennessee Pass Nordic Center of the Ski Cooper ski area at 10 a.m. on Dec. 6, followed by four more races around the region, including the Colorado State Championship also at Ski Cooper on Jan. 17, 2009. Entry fee for each event is $20 in advance, $25 on race day. Entry forms can be downloaded at and are also available by calling 970-845-0931.
Scott Willoughby, The Denver Post
