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KNSC marathon showcases new trails, volunteer spirit

'Ski bandit' Schwiesow honored at stadium dedication

By Aaron Selbig
Staff Writer



Thirty years ago, when Nordic skiing pioneers like Doug Schwiesow were making do with an unconnected stretch of about five kilometers of makeshift trail at Lookout Mountain, the Kachemak Nordic Ski Marathon would not have been possible.

On Saturday, more than 100 Nordic skiers from Homer and beyond donned their bibs, strapped on their skis and were treated to miles of carefully groomed trail through Homer's beautiful backcountry, from Lookout Mountain over Crossman Ridge and Bridge Creek to the Baycrest trailhead, all of it prepared by volunteers with the Kachemak Nordic Ski Club.

They started their trek from the newly dedicated Schwiesow Stadium, named for the self-described "ski bandit" who helped forge Homer's expansive network of safe, legal and consistent trails.

Schwiesow, who suffers from ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease and is no longer able to compete in the marathon himself, was on hand for the dedication of the stadium that now bears his name and reflected on 30 years of trail building in Homer.

"We were dreamers," he said. "We had trails then but we didn't have the extensive system that we have now. Mainly it was backcountry touring and we were lucky to have a three-foot wide trail. There just wasn't that many skiers then and we didn't have the equipment and the group effort that's going on now."

One member of KNSC's legion of volunteers, Marylou Burton, has been in charge of preparing the trail for the annual marathon for the last four years. It's a lot of work, she said, involving crews going out on snowmachines to cut overgrown willows and deliver supplies to aid stations along the route. On race day, more than 30 KNSC volunteers manned various checkpoints throughout the course.

"It's like everything in this town it all comes down to the volunteers," said Burton.

All the work paid off for the army of skiers who competed in the marathon, which offered 25-kilometer and 42-kilometer routes for men and women.

For the women, Leslie Klaar led the pack in the 25-kilometer race, turning in an impressive time of 1:43:58, minutes ahead of Homer High School skiers Marie Schmidt, Denali Critchett and Katherine Miller, who finished second, third and fourth respectively. HHS Assistant Ski Coach Megan Corazza, meanwhile, won the 42-kilometer race with a time of 2:24:23.

Dan Harbison paced the men in the 25-kilometer race with a time of 1:32:12, just ahead of ski legend and designer of the new Schwiesow Stadium trails, Bill Spencer, who came in at 1:36:20.

Ski Head Coach Jan Spurkland took first place in the 42-kilometer race, clocking in at 2:08:21.

The day after the race, Burton, relieved that the race had yet again gone off without a hitch, could finally relax and hit the trail herself.

"I did the whole thing and it was great," she said. "That's my idea of racing to go out by myself and not wear a watch."

Although Schwiesow wasn't able to participate, friends placed a cushy recliner out near the Diamond Ridge Road checkpoint for him to use while cheering on the competitors.

"The main thing for me was being able to see everybody show up and knowing that we have this new blood online to help see us through all these projects," he said. "It's not just about one person, it's about the community.

"We've been doing this a long time. To be able to provide the opportunities for people really makes me feel good about what we've accomplished here."

Aaron Selbig can be reached at aaronselbig.@homernews.com.

http://www.homernews.com/stories/031...s_11_002.shtml