Broken Record - 20.04.2007

For 15 years, without even knowing it, I held a record, along with my brother and Mitch Dammeyer, for the fastest time at the annual Sea to Ski competition in Homer, Alaska. The memory comes back to me because the record was just broken this year by a team of University of Alaska Anchorage students.
The Sea to Ski was one of the most unique competitions I have ever taken part in. It is an ideal spring competition unlike any other. The race begins with a run on the Homer Spit, which is a small piece of land which jots out into the ocean. I believe when I competed my brother, Jared, did the 5 km running portion, and then tagged to me for the 7 km biking portion. The bike is a rather challenging uphill time trial which goes up to the ski trails for a 5 kilometer ski, which Mitch did back in 1992.
It is somewhat ironic, because shortly before the race took place on April 1, I had looked at the website (http://kachemaknordicskiclub.org) and saw that our team record, at that time, still stood.
I cannot say I feel too bad about losing the record, I was 14 years old at the time, Jared 16 at the time, and Mitch only a year or two older than that, so I certainly hope the UAA kids could beat us. I am actually glad to see a new record set so athletes have motivation to break it, which is what sports are all about.
Congratulations to Andy Leibner, Darrin Marvardsen and Raphael Wunderle for setting a new high mark with 53:05, and all the competitors who competed this year, and over the past 15 years.


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