October 27, 2014 (Canmore, AB) – Devon Kershaw (Can) NST-Onaping Falls claimed the top spot on the podium for a great start to his season winning the men’s 15km FR Frozen Thunder race at the Canmore Nordic Centre today. American Kris Freeman (Freebird) showed his form claiming second as Canadian biathlete Scott Perras (National Biathlon Team) finished third.

Rising Canadian biathlon star, Rosanna Crawford (National Biathlon Team) gave her discipline a lift taking the women’s 10km victory over stalwart USST skier Elizabeth Stephen (USST-Burke Mt Academy) with veteran Zina Kocher (National Biathlon Team) in 3rd.

The temperatures dipped to -2˚ overnight and by race time it was around zero degrees with overcast skies and solid sugary snow conditions. “It was a good day and I felt good,” said Kershaw post-race. “It’s a good stepping stone in training as we build into the season ahead.”

The Sudbury skier, who was second overall on the World Cup in 2012, had a tough season last year and is hoping to turn things around this season. Freeman is also looking for redemption from last year and was in good spirits the previous day during workouts and seems ready for action as well.

Also ramping up for the season ahead are Stephen and teammate Jessica Diggins (USA) U.S. Ski Team/SMST2 who completed their 4-laps for the women’s race and continued for two more loops to match the men.

The WinSport Frozen Thunder Races are the first on-snow distance race in the world this year, thanks to the Canmore Nordic Centre’s annual snow preservation project.

In an effort to provide Canada’s Nordic athletes with the ability to train on snow at home in October – not to mention provide recreational enthusiasts with early-season trail access – the Frozen Thunder initiative stored enough snow to cover two kilometres of trail in a large pile under a thick layer of sawdust to insulate it over the summer months.

Originally piloted in 2009 with 400-metres of trail, the innovative snow project has expanded each year. In 2010, the Nordic Centre expanded the project by increasing the mass of stored snow to realize a one-kilometre loop that entered the biathlon range that now expands up to two kilometres.

Modeled after snow preservation projects in Europe, the Canmore Nordic Centre was the first to take on the project in North America – and is subsequently the first to open its trails on the continent each year – providing another critical resource for Canada’s high-performance Nordic sports.

Results (with lap times here)

Men’s 15 km – Free

1. Devon Kershaw (Can) Onaping Falls 23:00.4
2. Kris Freeman (USA) Freebird 5.1
3. Scott Perras (Can) National Biathlon Team 30.8
4. Brendan Green (Can) National Biathlon Team 32.1
5. Kevin Sandau (Can) AWCA-NST 41.2
6. Noah Hoffman (USA) U.S. Ski Team (Ski and Snowboard Club Vail) 43.0
7. Jesse Cockney (Can) AWCA-NST 45.0
8. Brian McKeever (Can) NPNST 59.8
9. Matthew Neumann (Can) RMR 01:10.9
10. Macx Davies (Can) National Biathlon Team 01:12.8
11. Michael Somppi (Can) AWCA-NST 01:19.8
12. Patrick Caldwell (USA) U.S. Ski Team (Dartmouth) 01:22.2
13. Andrew Newell (USA) U.S. Ski Team (SMST2) 01:22.7
14. Inniger Mathias (CHE) SC Adelboden 01:25.1
15. Graeme Killick (Can) AWCA-NST 01:28.4
16. Russell Kennedy (Can) AWCA 01:33.9
17. Brian Gregg (USA) Team Gregg/ Madshus 01:39.5
18. Scott Gow (Can) National Biathlon Team 01:40.5
19. Jack Carlyle (Can) AWCA 01:40.7
20. Scott Hill (Can) NDC TBay 01:43.0
21. Benjamin Saxton (USA) U.S. Ski Team (SMST2) 01:43.5
22. Christian Gow (Can) National Biathlon Team 01:43.9
23. Nicholas Monette (Can) AWCA 01:54.9
24. Ian Murray (Can) RMR 01:59.0
25. Julien Locke (Can) Blackjack 02:10.4
26. Patrick Stewart-Jones (Can) AWCA 02:10.6
27. Bob Thompson (Can) NDC TBay 02:12.0
28. Evan Palmer-Charrette (Can) NDC TBay 02:17.9
29. David Palmer (Can) Blackjack 02:18.8
30. Andy Shields (Can) NDC TBay 02:21.6
31. Colin Ferrie (Can) Blackjack 02:30.7
32. Carsen Campbell (Can) BATC 02:43.7
33. Joey Foster (Can) Hardwood 02:50.4
34. Julian Smith (Can) NDC TBay 02:52.0
35. Pearce Hanna (Can) RMR 02:54.7
36. Vincent Blais (Can) Biathlon Alberta Training Centre (BATC) 03:01.4
37. Kai Skinstad (Can) RMR 03:06.7
38. Andrew Brisbin (Can) RMR 03:13.2
39. Benjamin Wilkinson-Zan (Can) NDC TBay 03:18.3
40. Simeon Hamilton (USA) U.S. Ski Team (SMST2) 03:21.4
41. Matthew Hudec (Can) BATC 03:22.7
42. Andrew Chisholm (Can) BATC 03:35.3
43. Yannick Lapierre (Can) AWCA 03:40.9
44. Guillaume Bertrand (Can) RMR 03:58.6
45. Aidan Millar (Can) BATC 04:00.3
46. Alexandre Dupuis (Can) BATC 04:00.6
47. William Poffenroth (Can) RMR 04:01.2
48. David Askwith (Can) NDC TBay 04:03.6
49. Scott Fraser (Can) Blackjack 04:08.0
50. Samuel Greer (Can) NDC TBay 04:25.6
51. Matt Strum (Can) BATC 04:26.6
52. Jasper Mackenzie (Can) WinSport 04:42.1
52. Wesley Savill (Can) Nordic Combined Canada 04:42.1
54. Alexander McDonald (Can) CVTC 04:53.6
55. Amund Wirstad (NOR) AST 04:59.7
56. Peter Hicks (Can) WinSport 05:07.0
57. Ryan Jackson (Can) Hardwood 05:10.7
58. Alec Stapff (Can) WinSport 05:12.7
59. Arthur Roots (Can) BATC/Caledonia Nordic 05:30.3
60. Paul Moore (Can) Fast Trax 05:38.8
61. Eric Byram (Can) WinSport 05:48.4
62. Daniel Kerr (Can) Hardwood 06:00.4
63. Kyle Reinhardt (Can) Hardwood 06:01.3
64. Nate Gerwing (Can) RMR 06:03.0
DNF Rogan Reid (Can) Altius
DNF Timothy Austen (Can) WinSport
DNF Geoffrey Richards (Can) CVTC

Women’s 10km – Free

1. Rosanna Crawford (Can) National Biathlon Team 17:39.2
2. Elizabeth Stephen (USA) U.S. Ski Team (Burke Mt Academy) 3.6
3. Zina Kocher (Can) National Biathlon Team 11.7
4. Caitlin Gregg (USA) Team Gregg/ Madshus 23.6
5. Ida Sargent (USA) U.S. Ski Team (CGRP) 30.9
6. Alysson Marshall (Can) AWCA-NST 49.3
7. Erika Flowers (USA) SMS T2 53.8
8. Jessica Diggins (USA) U.S. Ski Team (SMST2) 55.0
9. Heidi Widmer (Can) AWCA-NST 1:09.2
10. Emily Nishikawa (Can) AWCA-NST 1:13.9
11. Anne Hart (USA) SMS T2 1:15.4
12. Annie Pokorny (USA) SMS T2 1:18.4
13. Audrey Vaillancourt (Can) National Biathlon Team 1:26.1
14. Dahria Beatty (Can) AWCA 1:36.3
15. Anne-Marie Comeau (Can) CNEPH 1:38.9
16. Emma Lunder (Can) BATC 1:43.9
17. Jennifer Jackson (Can) NDC TBay 1:44.1
18. Julia Ransom (Can) BATC 1:46.6
19. Maya Macisaac-Jones (Can) RMR 1:59.1
20. Sarah Beaudry (Can) BATC 2:06.7
21. Annika Hicks (Can) CNSC 2:33.8
22. Alannah Maclean (Can) NDC TBay 2:35.4
23. Ember Large (Can) RMR 3:10.6
24. Isabella Howden (Can) Hardwood 3:27.5
25. Leilani Tam Von Burg (Can) BATC 3:43.1
26. Chloe Selerier (FRA) BATC 4:25.4
27. Sadie White (Can) NDC TBay 4:33.3
28. Madison Fraser (Can) North Bay Nordic 4:38.7
29. Alexandra Stukator (Can) highlands trailblazers 4:45.3
30. Karen Messenger (Can) RMR 4:47.8
31. Sage Bialuski (Can) Caledonia Nordics 5:00.7
32. Emma Camicioli (Can) RMR 5:06.9
33. Kendall Chong (Can) BATC 5:33.4
34. Ilona Gyapay (Can) RMR 7:11.0