The Hay River Ski Club was busy late last month with two sets of ski events all rolled into one.
A group of skiers from Hay River, Fort Smith and Yellowknife were on the trails for the annual Pat A. Bobinski Races, better known as the PABs, on March 25 and 26. The PABs are a continuation of the Ptub Races, which were once sponsored by the Hay River Hub.
A total of 64 competitors were out for two days of racing in the classic and freestyle formats. Classic races are those done in the tracks laid out on the trails and racers take off from the start line in 30-second intervals, while the freestyle races are done in wave starts based on age categories.
Chuck Lirette, who helped organize this year’s races, said it was a great weekend condition-wise.
“It was bright and we actually had some warm temperatures,” he said. “I went out with the track-setter and the ground was hard in some spots and that meant the snow was packed in pretty well in some spots. The trails were hard and fast and there were some icy sections out on the course.”
The age range of those competing varied, he added, with some as young as three years old suiting up to race.
“We had those little ones do the 0.5-km loop,” he said. “We had racers out there as old as 60, so a real range of competitors and that’s great to see. We had a big contingent from Yellowknife, around 50 or so, and that always makes it a lot of fun.”
The other event as part of the weekend was the NWT Cross-Country Ski Championships, which was included among the PABs.
To determine the territorial champions for this year, Lirette said the top three in each age category received an extra award.
“They all received medals for being in the top-three in the PABs, and Cross Country NWT provided badges for those finishing in first, second or third,” he said.
MSS and Greenway Realty were the sponsors of this year’s races and there was a banquet for everyone at The Back Eddy on the Saturday evening. The grad class at Diamond Jenness Secondary School ran the canteen at the ski club all weekend to help keep everyone hydrated.
The PABs is the last big event of the ski season in Hay River and Lirette said it’s all in the hands of the weather now as to how long the trails will remain accessible.
“We’ll keep the trails in until Mother Nature steps in and decides that’s all,” he said. “The PABs are a huge event for us and it’s very social event. Everyone has a great time.”
Here are the results from both days of action:
Classic races
U8 boys (0.5-km)
1st – Gabriel Sears, Yellowknife – 5:16.1
2nd – Sam Slack, Yellowknife – 5:44.0
3rd – Elijah Salbadica, Hay River – 8:56.4
U8 girls (0.5-km)
1st – Anya Marshall, Yellowknife – 6:25.3
2nd – Olivia Preston, Hay River – 11:07.2
3rd – Flora Russell, Hay River – 12:09.7
U10 boys (1-km)
1st – Finn Marshall, Yellowknife – 10:14.9
2nd – Jakob Sears, Yellowknife – 10:43.3
3rd – Smith Coombs, Hay River – 11:47.3
U10 girls (1-km)
1st – Emma Wheler, Yellowknife – 10:37.4
2nd – Arya Townson, Yellowknife – 12:45.3
3rd – Tara McShane, Yellowknife – 20:11.0
U12 boys (3-km)
1st – Peter Kanigan, Yellowknife – 13:51.6
2nd – Dylan Skelton, Yellowknife – 15:01.0
3rd – Jack Lyall, Yellowknife – 15:20.0
U12 girls (3-km)
1st – Lila Townson, Yellowknife – 14:28.1
2nd – Valda Marrai, Yellowknife – 16:31.1
3rd – Pippa Palmer, Yellowknife – 17:17.3
U14 boys (3-km)
1st – Benjamin Lothian, Yellowknife – 10:53.2
2nd – Cormac Stewart, Yellowknife – 11:41.1
3rd – Toryn Wheler, Yellowknife – 12:03.1
U14 girls (3-km)
1st – Sula Ray, Yellowknife – 14:33.9
2nd – Liliana Marrai, Yellowknife – 14:52.7
3rd – Emily Lothian, Yellowknife – 15:46.3
U16 boys (5-km)
1st – Nikolas Hawkins, Yellowknife – 23:28.3
2nd – Hunter Groenewegen, Hay River – 33:59.7
U16 girls (5-km)
1st – Neve Mahon, Yellowknife – 28:55.3
2nd – Iga Olesinska, Hay River – 35:35.3
3rd – Millie Hunt, Hay River – 40:58.8
Senior women’s (5-km)
1st – Anne-Sophie Ratte, Hay River – 27:40.9
Master men’s 30 to 39 (5-km)
1st – Levi Bruce, Yellowknife – 19:19.4
Master women’s 30 to 39 (5-km)
1st – Jocelyn Apps, Yellowknife – 28:16.5
Master men’s 40-49 (5-km)
1st – Alex Lothian, Yellowknife – 21:46.7
2nd – Marek Napiorkowski, Hay River – 28:03.0
Recreational loppet (5-km)
1st – Tamlin Gilbert, Yellowknife – 25:24.2
Freestyle races
U8 girls (0.5-km)
1st – Anya Marshall, 8:16.1
2nd – Olivia Preston, 9:08.5
3rd – Flora Russell, 11:02.0
U8 boys (0.5-km)
1st – Gabriel Sears, 5:06.1
2nd – Elijah Sabaldica, 8:21.5
3rd – Jayden Gruta, Hay River – 9:07.9
U10 girls (2-km)
1st – Emma Wheler, 10:41.5
2nd – Arya Townson, 14:30.8
3rd – Tara McShane, 25:03.6
U10 boys (2-km)
1st – Finn Marshall, 9:10.8
2nd – Smith Coombs, 9:30.9
3rd – Jakob Sears, 10:55.1
U12 girls (3-km)
1st – Lila Townson, 13:45.5
2nd – Valda Marrai, 15:04.0
3rd – Aliana Lothian, Yellowknife – 15:46.5
U12 boys (3-km)
1st – Jaxin Coombs, Hay River – 11:24.0
2nd – Dylan Skelton, 12:43.4
3rd – Colin Mahon, Yellowknife – 13:33.8
U14 girls (3-km)
1st – Sula Ray, 12:21.9
2nd – Liliana Marrai, 12:42.9
3rd – Kate McShane, Yellowknife – 13:26.9
U14 boys (3-km)
1st – Benjamin Lothian, 10:17.1
2nd – Cormac Stewart, 10:27.1
3rd – Toryn Wheler, 10:44.1
U16 girls (5-km)
1st – Leah McShane, 21:52.6
2nd – Neve Mahon, 28:41.8
3rd – Millie Hunt, 41:59.9
U16 boys (5-km)
1st – Nikolas Hawkins, 19:34.0
2nd – Hunter Groenewegen, 26:14.0
Master women’s 30 to 39 (5-km)
1st – Rosie Benning, Yellowknife – 31:05.0
Master men’s 30 to 39 (5-km)
1st – Levi Bruce, 16:58.4
Master men’s 40-49 (5-km)
1st – Alex Lothian, 18:27
2nd – Doug Townson, Yellowknife – 20:13.0
3rd – Julian Kanigan, Yellowknife – 20:23.0
Recreational men/women (2-km)
1st – Tamlin Gilbert, 22:15.0
Source: Zone 4
