9th Annual DoJoe

The finish line

The 9th DoJoe has come and gone. I haven't been every year, but every year that I do I'm happy I partook in the festivities in support of the local scene and the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC). The race is secondary to the party and costumes, but everyone finishes no matter how seriously they take it. It's pretty much mandatory that you wear some kind of costume, and the best prize goes to the person/s with the most creative costume (this year it was a pair of fat Black Diamond skis). If you don't wear some type of costume, you get heckled. This year the best costume contest went to the father and son "White Trash" duo. The kid finished the race at 10 years old...pretty cool.

However, several didn't think they had the best costume and that the prize should've gone to the Girl Scout and Cookie Monster couple.

The course record was broken by Flash Gordon in 17 minutes on superlight AT gear (and i mean geeky light gear that would cost over $3K to purchase at retail). Hayride had another excellent race and came in 2nd in the AT category! I felt relatively sleepy and got 5th in the Tele category. I raced on my Karhu Guide's and Garmont Excursions which will be the last time I try that setup on this course - way too unstable at speed. I was able to not use skins again but i didn't have very good grip on the steeper sections this year compared to last year. I also took the worst header I've ever taken at the top of West Ridge. I rung my bell pretty well. The light was so flat that I didn't see a sharp undulation and therefore stuck the tips of my skis into a windlip and went head first into the next windlip. I heard my neck vertebrae crack and I seriously thought I broke it. After another assessment, I was ok, if sore, and continued on down the 40 degree, 3 foot high moguled ski run to the finish line. The downhill is just nuts.

Skip and Hayride discuss important things

After the race, the party begins in the upstairs bar in the old lodge. Hillbilly music and dancing, free Upslope beer on tap, and lots of crazy skiers dressed up in funky costumes made for some great people watching. It's a great excuse for a small mountain town celebrate the life of Joe and the passion for skiing in the mountains that bring us all together each year.

A few more photos and a short video in my Photo Album here: