Q & A with Brian Smith

Gunnison local Brian Smith won the "Race the Divide" ski mountaineering Race Sunday at Monarch Mountain. The elite race had about 3,500 feet of climbing while the recreation class had about 1,500 feet in altitude gain. Smith’s time of 1:58:44 beat Marshall Thomson of Crested Butte by less than two minutes. Bryan Wickenhauser of Crested Butte came in third. Stevie Kremer of Crested Butte had the fastest women’s time of 2:22:05 followed by Jari Kirkland of Crested Butte in second. Seems to be a Gunni valley theme at the COSMIC podiums...

Q&A with Brian Smith SCARPA/SKI TRAB Team Crested Butte

R&R- How did your race go at Monarch Mountain?

BS-I had a great race at Monarch. Marshall set the early tempo and had me on the ropes initially. As the race progressed I settled into my pace and felt solid the whole time.

R&R- You have been battling for the throne with Marshall this season, was this revenge for TEVA?

BS-Yeah, I felt that I was short changed at Teva after having control of the race all day. At Monarch I felt I needed to establish myself at the front and keep good pressure on Marshall all day. It wasn't until the last climb that I was able to distance myself from him. With Marshall's form this season anytime I can get more than 10 seconds on the guy is a feat in itself! It was sweet redemption although I got a 12 pack of beer not the 1K payday.

R&R- How did you like the course?

BS-The course was fun, great low angle backcountry skiing like the grand traverse. I would have liked more technical skiing and maybe a boot pack. Given the terrain we had to work with, the course was great and the time frame was more in line with other COSMIC events than in past years.

R&R- How do you train for a race like this?

BS-I like to do 2-3 runs per week with some fast paced tredmill workouts for intensity. It is good to have one day on the snow to practice skin transitions and using the race equipment.

R&R- You were ripping down that couloir in "Mirkwood" making it look like a GS course, is that hard with the super-light set up?

BS-Skiing downhill fast on randonee race skis is tricky. You have to sit back and ride your tails in deep snow and bumps to avoid front end crashes. I grew up downhill ski racing so I am pretty comfortable with high speeds. Being on twigs keeps

things interesting!

R&R- What gear do you use?

BS-I race on SCARPA Alien 1.0 Carbon boots, Ski-Trab Duo Race Aero World Cup skis and Attico Race bindings, Ski-Trab 100% mohair skin with tip attachment and no tail clip, Ski-Trab World Cup vertical pole. All my soft goods and helmet are CAMP with the exception of my race suit that is Ski-Trab. I use a Rudy Project race visor on my helmet as well.

R&R- Seems like the podium at these COSMIC races are filled with folks from the Gunnison Valley, why do you think this is?

BS-We have a core group of athletes that take ski mountaineer racing very seriously here in the Gunnison Valley. Not only do we have great COSMIC events close to home but there are nordic events at both ends of the valley and the legendary Grand Traverse. With that many winter sport options as well as a talented athlete pool it's no surprise that we set the standard for top results.

R&R - What is Next?

BS-Next on tap is the Power of Four COSMIC event. This is a team event which you race with a partner for over 20 miles with over 9,000 vertical feet. My partner Bryan Wickenhauser and I won the grueling event in 6 hours 14 minutes. We hope to repeat as winners this coming Saturday. We then have two weeks off before tackling the Grand Traverse.

R&R- Anything you would like to add?

BS-I am so lucky to have such great support with ski mountaineering. SCARPA/Ski-Trab, CAMP, CBMR and Rock and Roll Sports have been very gracious with their product and labor. We wouldn't be winning races without their help. This sport is awesome!