Kangaroo Hoppet 2010

September 15, 2010

I received two reports from the Kangaroo Hoppet and rather than trying to merge them they are both presented below.

From Judy Barnes:

One month before the Hoppet the snow cover was so poor that participants were concerned whether the race could be run. Even the high altitude course had poor cover. However the snow finally came and it made up for all the snow that hadn’t fallen earlier in the season. Additionally the wind was strong making it not only unpleasant but correspondingly dangerous to ski out onto the trails around the top of the hills. Most skiers did not get much chance to ski the course before the race.

In the last week before the race the snow continued, including one night where 54 cm of snow fell overnight. There were a variety problems throughout the resort, from land slips or trees falling and blocking the road, or the huge amount of snow causing traffic problems and decreasing the available parking spaces. Those who were parked within the resort had a big job to dig their cars out. IAWLS member Jay Wiener had the misfortune to have a snow plow strike his hire car where it was parked. It is easy to see how this could happen when a car looks just like a snow drift. IAWLS committee member Colin Addison is shown digging his car out.

The Hoppet organisers also had to prepare the course at the last minute. Due to the difficult weather none of the drinks stations could be set up until the day before. Grooming continued all night to ensure that the course was up to standard.

When race day finally arrived the sun was out, the sky was clear and the wind had dropped. The tracks were firm and there was plenty of snow. All the trees were coated in snow creating spectacular scenery. The course consisted of 2 laps of the usual first half of the race. Participants were treated to views across the Australian “Alps” from the top of the hills. The 20th Kangaroo Hoppet was a spectacular success.

From Hannes Larsson:

This year was the 20th edition of Kangaroohoppet, one of the very few Worldloppet races that has never been cancelled. The organizers dispose of several backup sites in case of scarce snow or bad conditions. We expected a record participation because of the jubilee, but at first sight the numbers were more or less equal to those of the previous years. Kangaroohoppet  is a relatively small race, and this makes it pleasant with no need to have a wave start and lots of space on the tracks.
During the week preceding the race on August 28, the weather was bad with snowstorms, making training rather difficult. Two days before the race there was an additional 60 cm of fresh snow and the organizers’ task seemed almost impossible. But on the race day the skies were blue and the wind had disappeared; it had frozen overnight and the morning temperature was a few degrees below zero, ideal conditions! The course consisted of two 21 km loops: SunValley, across the dam wall and up the Paralyzer, back to the Nordic Bowl across the high plains and down the Blade Runner (the course was modified here making the entry of Blade Runner easier). The organizers accomplished a miracle: the tracks were hard and stayed in good conditions even on the second lap in spite of the temperature rising above freezing. The 21 km Birkebeiner skiers had one loop and the 7 km Joeye Hoppet skier had only the Sun Valley loop.

Some results of IAWLS members are given below.

Kangaroohoppet 42 km
287 finishers, winner’s time 1:42:46

Marg Hayes is the only woman that has completed all 20 Kangaroo Hoppets.

Rod Clutterbuck is one of 30 people that has completed all 20 Kangaroo Hoppets.

Birkebeiner 21 km
274 finishers, winner’s  time 0:56:46

Joeye Hoppet 7 km
329 finishers, winner’s time 0:18:04

This page was last revised on September 20, 2011