BHP Billiton Rock and Ice Ultra
Yellowknifers Win the K-Rock Diamonds
Rob Howard / 24.03.2008
Shortly after a radio call from the Arctic Response HQ saying the lead racers were “flying� Scott Smith raced into the finish area to check everything was prepared for the winners of the K-Rock Ultra race. After that it wasn’t long before the first skier was sighted in the distance, rapidly approaching the finish line – and arriving far earlier than expected.Through the 3 days of competition the leading two skiers in the K-Rock class have a close battle. It was only yesterday evening that Corey McLachlan managed to pull away from his rival, Darren Keith, opening up an 11 minute lead. Today he extended that lead to win first place and the Ekati diamond when he crossed the finish line at 12.52.
The 30 year old employee of NWT is not really a surprise winner, he’s skied competitively in the past and is now the ski team coach in Yellowknife. “It’ll prove to the kids that I can still ski,� he said with a smile. He didn’t race the inaugural event last year as he was at the X-Country ski nationals, and given the cold conditions then was glad he’d chosen this year to enter the competition.
“I’m glad it was warm and sunny this time around,� he said. “I didn’t do much real preparation, just skied with a pack for that last 3 or 4 weeks, and trained with the team. The fresh snow and trails were brutal on that first day, and totally different to the skiing on the trails here at Yellowknife, and I can tell you I might easily have given in if a snowmobile had come by. I’m a skier not an adventure racer and wasn’t used to having snow up past my ankles!
“Luckily Darren and Damian Panayi caught up and they helped me get to the finish, without that I might not have finished the first day. I’m glad I did though, the last couple of days have been fantastic and I’ll remember how beautiful they have been and forget that first day!� He added that he’d bought his wife a diamond in the past … but that she had plans should he win another!
Keith finished 40 minutes later and the third across the line was the leading Diamond Ultra foot racer, Greg McHale. He was well ahead of the top K-Rock foot racer … and he has another 3 days to go and is towing a sled!
Once again the winning K-Rock foot racer is local doctor Ewan Affleck. Running onto the ice road at the village of Dettah he stopped to take off his snow shoes for the first time in the race, and as he did so blood seeped through his shoes and splattered the surrounding snow. “I’m glad to be taking these snowshoes off,� he said, but he was smiling and added, “now there is only the run down the ice road to go. I thought I’d do it again to see if last year was a fluke, but it seems not!�See All Event Posts
