Wholistic Fitness

pic of Steve Ilg, multi-time King of the Mountain, racing at the Chama Chile Ski Classic a few years ago.  photo by Pat Hogan.

Cumbres Pass, NM –

Fresh off a 1-2 father and daughter win at the Purgatory Rando (uphill/downhill) Race the previous weekend,  Steve (59) and Dewachen (14) Ilg kept their nordic throttle on “Full Send” throughout the MLK weekend at the 49th edition of the prestigious Chama Chili Ski Classic (CCSC) to help lead Durango skiers to several titles.  The CCSC’s venerable venue at 10,000′ is an iconic nordic ski racing festival and serves as the second of four races in the Southwest Nordic Cup which kicks off the festival’s 2 days of freestyle, classic, and wooden ski racing plus snowshoe races.  Even during this scaled-down version of the event which historically brings several hundred racers and nordic enthusiasts, the organizers still offered free ski clinics, costume competitions (this years theme; ‘Mythology In The Mountains’) and other bonding activities for those of free-heeled predispositions. Next year will be the CCSC’s 50th Year Anniversary and race organizers are determined to go big once again even if the Coronavirus is still a factor.  “I used to race Chama when it was a pivotal race in our High School Ski Program when I was Dewa’s age,”  Ilg said, “I recall being absolutely enthralled by the huge turnout and variety of racing which suddenly erupted over the course of a weekend on an alpine meadow which wasn’t even groomed until race weekend.  It inspired me to win the King Of The Mountain competition which mandates racing a 18k Freestyle, a 12k Classic, and 6k Snowshoe.  It’s absolutely beautiful and brutal at the same time!  For the 50th, I’m gonna do my best to survive the KOM again next year when my racing age will be 61!  I encourage EVERY SKIER – alpine or nordic – to come out, compete, participate, or cheer cuz this event honors the very origins of the art of skiing.”

Here are the Overall Podium (1-5) results of each event followed by other Durango skiers placing at this years CCSC :

Saturday, January 15, 2022 – 18k Freestyle 

1. Karl Walczak – Albuquerque, NM
2. Kyle Beling – Los Alamos, NM
3. Laura Spector – Los Alamos, NM (1st Female)
4. Travis Brown – Durango, CO
5. Molly Hummel – Santa Fe, NM

Also: Chelsea Farley, Durango (10th place) 

– 6k Freestyle 

1. Steve Ilg – Durango, CO 
2. Dewa Ilg – Durango, CO  (1st Female) 
3. Jack Purcell – Durango, CO
4. Fiona Florio – Breckenridge, CO
5. Madalyn Baily – Los Alamos, NM

Sunday, January 16, 2022 – 12k Classic 

1. Karl Walczak – Albuquerque, NM
2. Kyle Beling – Los Alamos, NM
3. Travis Gibson – Chama, NM
4. Steve Ilg – Durango, CO
5. Molly Hummel – Santa Fe, NM  (1st Female) 

 – 6k Classic 

1. Leonard Diego – Los Alamos, NM
2. Levi Gibson – Chama, NM
3. Luke Gibson – Chama, NM
4. Dewa Ilg – Durango, CO (1st Female)
5. Zach Gibson – Chama, NM

Other Durango skiers: Richard Bagienski (26th), Jonathan Middleton (34th), Haley Weak (35th)

 – 6k Snowshoe 

1. Anthony Kunkel – Durango, CO  
2. Mike Englehardt – Los Alamos, NM
3. Luke Gibson – Chama, NM
4. Ken Gordon – Albuquerque, NM
5. Lori Dodge – Bernalillo, NM  (1st Female)

Also: Martha Iverson (8th)

For more info and detailed race results;  https://skichama.com/