Friday, March 23, 2007

Serial thriller: Town Alpine Series ends with a bang


By JODY ZARKOS
Express Staff Writer

SunvalleyRealEstate.com won the team title for the Budweiser Town Alpine Series. Team members celebrate after being presented with perpetual trophy. From left are Tom Kennedy, Ted Tuma, Barrett Molter and Bob Buchanan. Photo by Willy Cook

Participants in the Budweiser Town Alpine Series capped seven weeks of racing with an award's party at Apple's Bar & Grill Wednesday.

"I think the Series went great," said Mike Wroebel, of the Sun Valley Race Department. "We had more people than we have had in the last few years and a lot of new people. The average Joe did really well."

So did elite racers, including Kat Latham (Baldy Babes), who recorded the highest-ever finish by a woman in the Town Series. Dressed to thrill in a speed suit, Latham, a former Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation alpine racer, turned in a two-run time of 56.84 to finish third overall.

"She smoked it," Wroebel said.

Miles Fink-Debray, of Theodore, clocked in at 49:31 to win by more than three seconds over John Campbell of Shrunken Members (52:80).

Fink-Debray and Nate Schwing (Hailey Ski Team) shared the men's overall title with three wins apiece. Carl Rixon was the only other race winner.

With four individual victories, Theodore's Christine Cordeau was the woman's overall champion. She finished second in Wednesday's event and seventh overall in 58:13.

"First, we had all their dads, and now we have all these young girls that are skiing really well," Wroebel said.

Heidi Watanabe of Der Vedelen Underhausen was the third fastest woman and 10th overall. Other top 11 racers who clocked in at less than one minute were John Summers, Cam Fraiser, Sean Murphy, Steve Brown, John Lee and D.J. Hart.

SunValleyRealEstate.com was the top team with Barrett Molter, Tom Kennedy, Ted Tuma and Bob Buchanan. The quartet took home Coleman coolers for their effort. Flat Out Ridiculous was second and Scott USA third.

Molter was one of four Sun Valley season pass recipients. The others were Joyce Fogg of Karma Chameleons, Brian Caulkins of Der Vedelen Underhausen and Troy Thayer of Flat Out Ridiculous.

"He was the happiest guy in the world," Wroebel said of Thayer. "He had never raced in the Town Series and we found a team for him and then he won a pass."

Alpine Series founder Kathy Rothgeb was on hand to mark the 16th anniversary of the race series and special recognition was given to Frannie Hjort, who has never missed a race.

"She's the grand dame of the series," said announcer Barry Irwin.




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