Chilly Fun

Pick of the Peppers



A special series of races for nonracers will take place in ski areas around the state beginning in January and lasting through March. The “Dr. Pepper Fun Series,” sponsored by the soft drink company, with prize donations from the makers of Marker bindings and K-2 skis, is intended to promote the recreational aspect of skiing.

Anyone, except card-carrying amateur racers, professional racers, and ski area employees, may enter and try their luck at the “fairly easy” giant slalom courses. Spontaneity is part of the fun: participants may register at the area on the day of the race, and there are no entry fees. Competitors will pit themselves against the mountain and each other in fourteen age categories for both men and women, beginning with the three- to five-year-olds and ending with the over-sixty-five crowd.

Participating areas, which include Sandía Peak, Taos, Red River, Santa Fe, Sierra Blanca, Cloudcroft, and Sipapu among others, are all members of Ski New Mexico, whose vice-president, Drew Judycki, has taken on the task of organizing the first-ever series. Race promoters are counting on widespread media coverage, especially television, to publicize individual race dates and locations. Television cameras will also be on hand to record the events for immediate broadcasts and for a longer special to be aired later in the season.

Angel Fire: Very Special Olympics



This January 15,16, and 17 mark the tenth annual Northern New Mexico Special Olympics at Angel Fire ski area. Again the Angel Fire Corporation and the community have joined to sponsor the event which includes Alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, and ice skating. Some 200 competitors, ranging in age from six to sixty, are expected.

Experience and abilities of the participants vary widely, but after the first two days of training one-on-one with a coach provided at the area, ev-eryone is ready for the competition on the third day.

Nationally, the games were started in 1963 by Eunice Shriver, who wanted to create opportunities in sports for mentally handicapped citizens. The motto of the Special Olympics is “Let me win; but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.” There are no losers in the Special Olympics; everyone takes home a medal, whether a gold, silver, or bronze for the top three in each category, or a competitor’s medal for all others. Everyone also leaves with a sense of accomplishment.

“They get so excited about competing,” says Karee Edwards of the Angel Fire Corporation. “Comments like ’I did it!’ ’I was brave; I tried!’ or ’I tried, and I did it!’ make everyone around feel terrific. Working with these Special Olympians has inspired the entire community as well as others who come up to watch and cheer.”

Chama: Racing for the Ristra



Cross-country skiers from around the state are in on an open secret: their sport has a way of firing up the body’s central heating system. Add a little New Mexican chile, and even a cold day in February can become downright caliente. That is exactly what will happen in Chama, February 17, when more than 500 participants along with hundreds of spectators gather for the Chama Chile Classic, the state’s biggest crosscountry ski race.

This year for the thirteenth annual race, Nordic specialists and neophytes alike will make the trek to Cumbres Pass just north of Chama to race the five- and ten-kilometer courses. Fastest entrants in twelve categories will be awarded prize ribbons at ceremonies back in Chama that evening, and the first, as well as the last, in each category will go home with a proudly presented red chile ristra.

If the previous night’s dance managed to slow down a few racers, there’s still hope: all finishers earn enameled pins, and prizes are also awarded for best costumes, oldest and youngest participants, first wooden skis over the finish line and for other spontaneously decided distinctions.

To preregister call (505) 268-4876. Overnight accommodations in Chama should be booked as early as possible.

UNM’s Hot Shots



“Getting beaten by a ski team from New Mexico opens a lot of eyes. Even people in neighboring states sometimes mistakenly regard us as ’just a desert state,” says George Brooks, with a certain measure of satisfaction. As Head Coach of the University of New Mexico’s (UNM) ski team for the past fourteen years, he has had ample opportunity to observe the reactions of beaten competitors, who have been forced to recognize that the “desert” has mountains, snow, and a growing number of keenly competitive skiers.

Last year, the combined Lobo team, made up of the men’s and women’s Alpine and Nordic teams, was rated third in the nation, and, as their coach is proud to emphasize, they brought back the first National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) trophy ever won by a UNM athletic team. Again this winter the UNM team is expected to be “pretty solid,” with the women’s teams “particularly strong,” thanks to an international coalition of Norwegians, Finns, Swedes, Canadians, and Americans.

Intensive training begins in the fall, with each skier devoting about three hours a day to running, lifting weights, hiking, biking, or roller skiing. While the cross-country (or Nordic) racers concentrate on endurance, the Alpine team tries to develop quicker reactions and strength. They’ll need all of that as they buckle up and point their skis toward a few more trophies this winter.