Kayaker Mike Freeburn of Durango demonstrated his mastery of the Arkansas River by setting the fastest time in Sunday’s 26-mile downriver race from Salida to Cotopaxi. Registered in the master’s division (40 and over), the 46-year-old assistant principal at Durango High School topped the field of 52 with a time of 2:13:39 for his second win in the 62-year event. Gary Lacy of Boulder was second in 2:22:04, followed by Salida local Evan Ross in 2:23:57. Tiffanie Simpson was the fastest female in 2:42:30.
A day before, Dustin Urban of Buena Vista continued his winning ways in the FIBArk Festival’s pro kayak freestyle competition. Urban followed up his victory at the Teva Mountain Games in Vail by topping Steven Wright and Bryan Kirk in Salida. Ruth Gordon bested world champion Emily Jackson in the women’s division.
Ben Kvanli, a 1996 Olympic slalom kayak racer living in San Marcos, Texas, won the Pine Creek Boater-X race on the most rugged rapids of the Arkansas River earlier in the week.
Program geared toward junior mountain bikers.
Trestle Bike Park at Winter Park is adding a youth downhill mountain bike training program. The Winter Park Bike Team-Gravity Program features three progressive training programs-camps for junior downhill mountain bikers looking to begin or improve at gravity competitions. The program will teach essential skills such as proper riding position, braking technique, cornering, jumping, competition preparation and basic bike maintenance for gravity disciplines.
Registration is open, with the first day of coaching scheduled to begin Saturday. Visit TrestleBikePark.com for details.
Nordic Olympians return to team.
Vancouver Olympic medalists Johnny Spillane and Todd Lodwick of Steamboat Springs will return to the 2011 U.S. Nordic Combined Ski Team alongside Billy Demong of Vermontville, N.Y., and Brett Camerota of Park City, Utah. The A-Team members made history with the first U.S. Olympic medals in the discipline. The B-Team includes Steamboat athletes Brett Denney, Bryan Fletcher and Taylor Fletcher.
Review due in mid-July.
Operators at Crested Butte Mountain Resort recently received confirmation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwill will hold a formal review of the recent appeal decision banning expansion to Snod- grass Mountain. CBMR expects a decision by July 14.
The proposed Snodgrass Mountain expansion would add 276 acres of primarily intermediate terrain to the ski area. Skiing would be served by three lifts, a beginner carpet and a connector Gondola from Crested Butte Mountain.
Scott Willoughby, The Denver Post
