December 29, 2008 (Fairbanks, AK) – Two hundred nineteen skiers participated, 115 skied their age, more than 5400 kilometers were skied in the 5th annual Wells Fargo Ski Your Age in Kilometers, presented by Banner Health. The event was a fund-raiser for the Fairbanks Cross Country (FXC) ski program, the year-round junior training program of the Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks.

Skiers brought Christmas leftovers to share with other “Ski-Your-Age” participants during breaks between skiing sessions. Fifty-eight of the participants were 50 years of age or older, 95 were under 20, and the remainder (74 skiers) were between 20 and 49. This year had, by far, the highest number of participants in the event with the previous record being last year’s 144.

No entry fee was charged to any participant, but all were encouraged to donate to FXC, or to join the “Friends of FXC” boosters group. The goal of the event was to get as many people as possible onto the trails at Birch Hill to enjoy a fine day of skiing with family and friends, to celebrate the holidays and good health, and to burn off any excess calories consumed the prior day at dinner! The event is non-competitive(for the most part).

Part of the thought behind the event is to create an opportunity for people to ski where all participants can have the opportunity to achieve their goals, and where speed is not an issue. Skiers have basically all day to ski their goal in kilometers. In addition to the categories listed below, skiers can achieve bronze, silver, gold and platinum levels of kilometers for their respective ages, total kilometers in various parent-child categories are tracked, as well as siblings, grandparent-grandchild, etc. There is also a “Sunup-to-Sundown Challenge” in which skiers attempt to ski 50Km or their age (whichever is greater) between sunup (10:58AM) and sundown (2:44PM). No one met that objective this year, although Mike Kramer and Harald Aas came close.

Temperatures were in the comfortable single digits during most of the day, cooling a little and dropping slightly below zero later in the day. Conditions were excellent for classic skiing, but the freshly-fallen inch of overnight/early-morning snow made skating a bit of a chore.

John Shook skied the most Km among men, with 84, one more than Bad Bob Baker, who had hoped to ski 50Km classic and 50Km skating, but ended up with 50+33=83. Bob’s daughter Davya Flaharty also got edged out for the most K’s among women, with 69 – Megan Corazza of Homer skied 70Km.

Other noteworthy performances: 64-year-old Tom Wickwire skied his age in Km; 62-year-old Andy Blossy skied 70Km. Libby Burgess (age 55) and Norma Haubenstock (age 54) were the two oldest women to ski their ages.

The Del Alba-Strehl family had the most participants (8) and the Kerndt-Mayo family had six particpants. Tania and Tobben Spurkland and their son Jan and Megan Corazza achieved a “Quadruple Century” totaling more than 400 in years and Kilometers skied. The more one looks at the data, the more interesting performances one sees.

FXC and the NSCF would like to thank the title sponsor Wells Fargo, the presenting sponsor Banner Health, and all the FXC parents and supporters who helped out with the event.

Below are lists of:

* skiers who skied their ages,
* skiers who achieved the “Century” award (total of age in years + kilometers skied = 100 or greater)
* skiers who achieved the 50-50 standard (50 years old or older and skied 50Km or more)
* families of 3 (ranked by total kilometers skied)
* families of 4 or more (ranked by total kilometers skied)
* couples (ranked by total kilometers skied)
* “Double Century” rankings (total of ages in years + total of kilometers skied by a couple = 200 or more [all couples listed, even if under 200Km])

Results in the many other categories will be available tomorrow on the NSCF’s website.

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Skiers who skied their ages, listed from oldest to youngest (age in
parentheses) – 115 achieved this standard:

Tom Wickwire (64)
Andrew Blossy (62)
Kes Woodward (57)
Libby Burgess (55)
Norma Haubenstock (54)
Gary Knuepfer (52)
Will Putman (51)
David Edic (51)
Kent Karns (50)
Roger Sayre (50)
Donovan Granger (50)
Bad Bob Baker (50)
Sharon Baker (50)
Corrine Leistikow (49)
Susan Faulkner (49)
Tim Prusak (49)
Susan Kerndt (49)
Jim Herriges (48)
Eric Troyer (48)
Darren Rorabaugh (48)
Tina Devine (47)
Gary Holton (44)
Christine Matson (43)
Cathy Weeg (41)
Mike Kramer (40)
Martin Truffer (40)
Sergei Streltsov (39)
Dorte Dissing (39)
Peter Fix (38)
Ed Plumb (37)
Eugenie Euskizchen (37)
Ann Farris (37)
Max Kaufman (37)
John Shook (36)
Erik Brunner (35)
Chris Garber-Slaght (33)
Steffan Oppel (33)
Robbin Garber-Slaght (33)
Matthew Klick (32)
Lalida Crawford (31)
Jan Spurkland (30)
Megan Corazza (30)
Mary Brunner (29)
Harald Aas (28)
Brandy Reeves (25)
Laura Gutierrez (25)
Davya Baker Flaharty (23)
Connor Cole (23)
Adele Mery (21)
Nick Ferree (21)
Brett Broda (21)
Olivia Karns (19)
Reese Hanneman (19)
Erica Blake (19)
Jordan Buetow (18)
Willie Via (18)
Anna Deveraux (18)
Coty Mayo (18)
David Durst (18)
David Norris (18)
Josh Branham (18)
Ian Wilkinson (18)
Stephanie Whisenhant (17)
Jacob Remington (17)
Carl Richmond (17)
Marisa Rorabaugh (17)
Keith Hoza (17)
Wyatt Mayo (16)
Matt Stoller (16)
Mary Strehl (16)
Logan Hanneman (15)
Kipp Wilkinson (15)
Patrick Nugent (15)
Michelle Strehl (15)
Mason Anderson (15)
Elizabeth Whisenhant (15)
Hannah Boyer (15)
Simon Viavant (15)
Sarah King (15)
Nina Ruckhaus (15)
Eliza Rorabaugh (15)
Ema Mayo (14)
Sarah Jackson (14)
Kieran O’Neil (14)
Kyle Hanson (14)
Claire Ferree (14)
Mikayla Hamlin (14)
Flora Kielland (14)
Helen Walker (14)
Maura Barry-Garland (14)
Maya French (14)
Sydney Stone (14)
Riley Troyer (14)
Nichole Rood (14)
Aven Bross (14)
Mikko Sayre (13)
Alicia Lenze (13)
Cory Johnson (13)
Mason Strehl (12)
Tristan Sayre (11)
Kiana Hamlin (11)
Joe Bue (11)
Amber Lenze (10)
Logan Mowry (10)
Matthew Strehl (10)
Jenna DiFolco (9)
Maya Yoshikawa (9)
Quinn Vinlove (9)
Else Mayo (8)
Emma Jerome (8)
Eric DiFolco (6)
Christine Del Alba (6)
Alden Jerome (6)
Lars Vinlove (5)
Florin Del Alba (4)

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CENTURY (Age + Kilometers Skied >= 100) – 34 achieved this (name, age/km)

Don Lokken, 71/33
Tobben Spurkland, 68/35
Tom Wickwire, 64/64
Bob Perkins, 63/42
Andrew Blossy, 62/70
Tania Spurkland, 60/44
James Mery, 58/44
Frank Soos, 58/42
Kes Woodward, 57/61
Jerome Jackson, 57/45
Libby Burgess, 55/55
Terry Schmidt, 55/50
Chris Puchner, 55/45
Eric Buetow, 55/45
Norma Haubenstock, 54/55
Gary Knuepfer, 52/55
Will Putman, 51/56
David Edic, 51/51
Kent Karns, 50/57
Roger Sayre, 50/51
Donovan Granger, 50/51
Bad Bob Baker, 50/50
Sharon Baker, 50/50
Corrine Leistikow, 49/51
Susan Faulkner, 49/51
Jim Herriges, 48/60
Eric Troyer, 48/52
Tina Devine, 47/53
Gary Holton, 44/57
Peter Fix, 38/63
Ed Plumb, 37/63
John Shook, 36/84
Jan Spurkland, 30/70
Megan Corazza, 30/70

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50-50 (Over 50 years old, 50 Kilometers or more skied) – 14 achieved
this (name, age/km):

Tom Wickwire, 64/64
Andrew Blossy, 62/70
Kes Woodward, 57/61
Libby Burgess, 55/55
Terry Schmidt, 55/50
Norma Haubenstock, 54/55
Gary Knuepfer, 52/55
Will Putman, 51/56
David Edic, 51/51
Kent Karns, 50/57
Roger Sayre, 50/51
Donovan Granger, 50/51
Bad Bob Baker, 50/50
Sharon Baker, 50/50

——————

Family of 3 (ranked by total Kilometers skied)
Rank/Family Name/Number of family members/Total Km Skied/Family
Member and Km Skied

1. Baker, 202 (Bob 83, Davya 69, Sharon 50)
2. Spurkland, 149 (Jan 70, Tania 44, Tobben 35)
3. Mery, 101 (Jim 44, Adele 42, Rikke 15)
4. Schmidt, 74 (Terry 50, Jennifer 17, Ingrid 7)
4. Carter-Cole, 74 (Connor 32, Dermot 25, Debbie Carter 17)
6. French-Allen, 71 (Jim 35, Claudia 21, Maya 15)
7. Ruckhaus, 63 (Mike 43, Nina 15, Thea 5)
7. Granger, 63 (Donavan 51, Dorian 8, Claire 4)
9. Ferree, 59 (Nick 31, Claire 16, Diane 12)
10. DiFolco, 49 (Donna 10, Jenna 10, Eric 6)
11. Hajdukovich, 30 (Mike 30, Steffan, Jade)
12. Paskvan, 26 (Adam 10, Jacob 10, Susan 6)
13. Vinlove, 25 (Dirk 10, Quinn 10, Lars 5)
14. Chiu-Yoshikawa, 20 (Maya 10, Kent 5, Arva Chiu 5)
15. O’Brien-Wooler (Matt, Owen, Diane)

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Family of 4 or more (ranked by total Kilometers skied)
Rank/Family Name/Number of family members/Total Km Skied/Family
Member and Km Skied

1. Kerndt-Mayo (6 family members), 143 (Susan 50, Wyatt 37, Ema 22, Coty
18, Eric 8, Else 8)
2. Faulkner-Rorabaugh (4), 137 (Darren 51, Susan 51, Marisa 20, Eliza 15)
3. Sayre (4), 123 (Roger 51, Tamara 32, Mikko 22, Tristan 18)
4. Leistikow-Troyer (4), 122 (Eric 52, Corrine 51, Riley 14, Montana 5)
6. Hanneman (4), 110 (Karl 28, Nancy 28, Reese 27, Logan 27)
6. Wilkinson (4), 98 (Bob 28, Deb 27, Kipp 25, Ian 18)
7. Hamlin (5), 76 (Ginger 30, Mikayla 15, Jeff 14, Kiana 14, Ethan 3)
8. Del Alba-Strehl (8), 76 (Michelle 16, Mary 16, Mason 13, Matthew 10,
Dorin 6, Christine 6, Lisa 5, Florin 4)

——————

Couple (total Kilometers skied)

1. Megan Corazza (70) Jan Spurkland (70) 140
2. John Shook (84) Tina Devine (53) 137
3. Bad Bob Baker (83) Sharon Baker (50) 133
4. Peter Fix (63) Eugenie Euskirchen (57) 120
5. Eric Troyer (52) Corrine Leistikow (51) 103
6. Susan Faulkner (51) Darren Rorabaugh (51) 102
7. Gary Knuepfer (55) MaryKatherine Romberg (43) 98
8. Davya Baker Flaharty (69) Tyson Flaharty (19) 88
9. Roger Sayre (51) Tamara Sayre (32) 83
10. Bjarke Bennedsen (40) Dorte Dissing (40) 80
11. Tania Spurkland (44) Tobben Spurkland (35) 79
12. Chris Garber-Slaght (45) Robbin Garber-Slaght (33) 78
13. Norma Haubenstock (55) John Estle (21) 76
14. Erik Brunner (36) Mary Brunner (36) 72
15. Terry Schmidt (50) Jennifer Schmidt (17) 67
16. Matthew Klick (32) Lalida Crawford (32) 64
17. Jim Gillis (30) Karin Gillis (30) 60
18. James Mery (44) Rikke Mery (15) 59
19. Susan Kerndt (50) Eric Mayo (8) 58
20. Jim Allen (35) Claudia French (21) 56
20. Nancy Hanneman (28) Karl Hanneman (28) 56
20. Don Lokken (33) Carol Lokken (23) 56
23. Robert Wilkinson (28) Deb Wilkinson (27) 55
24. Tom DeLong (30) Ann DeLong (20) 50
25. Daniel Johnson (25) Margaret Brophy (21) 46
26. Ginger Hamlin (30) Jeff Hamlin (14) 44
27. Dermot Cole (25) Debbie Carter (17) 42
28. Owen Q Hanley (27) Anne Hanley (10) 37
29. Lynn Ballam (15) James Ballam (15) 30
30. Dorin Del Alba (6) Lisa Del Alba (5) 11

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Double Century (Ages of couple plus kilometers skied by couple = 200)

1. Bad Bob Baker (50/83) Sharon Baker (50/50) 233
2. John Shook (36/84) Tina Devine (47/53) 220
3. Tania Spurkland (60/44) Tobben Spurkland (68/35) 207
4. Gary Knuepfer (52/55) MaryKatherine Romberg (50/43) 200
4. Eric Troyer (48/52) Corrine Leistikow (49/51) 200
4. Megan Corazza (30/70) Jan Spurkland (30/70) 200

The couples below did not meet the Double Century standard, but are
listed in order of Km skied:

7. Susan Faulkner (49/51) Darren Rorabaugh (48/51) 199
8. Peter Fix (38/63) Eugenie Euskirchen (37/57) 195
9. Norma Haubenstock (54/55) John Estle (56/21) 186
10. Terry Schmidt (55/50) Jennifer Schmidt (58/17) 180
11. Roger Sayre (50/51) Tamara Sayre (46/32) 179
12. Don Lokken (71/33) Carol Lokken (51/23) 178
13. Dorte Dissing (39/40) Bjarke Bennedsen (41/40) 160
13. Owen Q Hanley (65/27) Anne Hanley (62/10) 160
13. James Mery (58/44) Rikke Mery (53/15) 160
13. Robert Wilkinson (52/28) Deb Wilkinson (53/27) 160
17. Karin Gillis (47/30) Jim Gillis (50/30) 157
18. Jim Allen (51/35) Claudia French (49/21) 156
18. Karl Hanneman (50/28) Nancy Hanneman (50/28) 156
20. Daniel Johnson (55/25) Margaret Brophy (54/21) 155
21. Susan Kerndt (49/50) Eric Mayo (45/8) 152
22. Dermot Cole (55/25) Debbie Carter (53/17) 150
23. Tom DeLong (48/30) Ann DeLong (48/20) 146
24. James Ballam (59/15) Lynn Ballam (55/15) 144
24. Chris Garber-Slaght (33/45) Robbin Garber-Slaght (33/33) 144
26. Mary Brunner (29/36) Erik Brunner (35/36) 136
27. Davya Baker Flaharty (23/69) Tyson Flaharty (23/19) 134
28. Ginger Hamlin (41/30) Jeff Hamlin (43/14) 128
29. Matthew Klick (32/32) Lalida Crawford (31/32) 127
30. Dorin Del Alba (50/6) Lisa Del Alba (42/5) 103