Ken Dreyer
Express Correspondent
The Sun Valley Ski Club and Sun Valley Resort hosted the Intermountain Masters Division Skoch Cup last Friday through Sunday. Formula Sports provided sponsorship for this event and supplied door prizes at Saturday's awards ceremony held at Carol's Dollar Mountain Lodge.
On Friday, 76 competitors raced under ideal snow and weather conditions on the Greyhawk super-G course. Local Sun Valley Ski Team coach Erika Hogan won on the women's side with Dana Alexandrescu in second. Katherine Suttor, a visiting college student from Australia, rounded out the top three for the ladies. Ski team coach Carlos Rixon made winning the men's division look easy, but not without a good chase from fellow coach Nate Schwing who wound up in second place. Third place for the men went to John Campbell.
Saturday's giant slalom race had a large field of 97 racers vying for honors on the Hemingway's 31-gate course. Erika Hogan demonstrated her solid skills, winning both runs to take first place for the ladies with Dana Alexandrescu in second place, and Chris Katzenberger third. The top three men were John Campbell in first, Matt Murphy in second, and Tim Hill third.
Because of a large field of 72 racers in Sunday's slalom, separate courses were set. The field was divided between men under the age of 60, and men over 60 and women. Perfect snow conditions prevailed which provided equal opportunity for all racers. Once again, Hogan led the ladies with two impressive runs, Alexandrescu gave a good show but wound up in second while Katzenberger was third. In the men's over 60 division, Jim Ragan took both runs for first place followed by Tom Kronthaler. Local ski legend Bob Sarchett settled for third place. In the men's open division, Hill won both runs to take the victory while Campbell and Ben Yurga fought it out for second and third respectively.
More than one thousand dollars in prize money was divided between the overall winners. Overall winners were determined by adding the times of all three of the races.
The women's 2010 overall Skoch Cup crown went to Hogan ($300), second Alexandrescu ($200), and third Anna Droege ($100). Campbell claimed the men's crown and the same prize money as Hogan. Mike Falk was second and Victor Roy third.
Event organizers thank Sun Valley Resort and the Sun Valley Race Department for hosting the event, and sponsors Formula Sports, the Sun Valley Ski Club and Intermountain Division.
Sun Valley’s Erika Hogan rips up the giant slalom course in the annual Skoch Cup on Bald Mountain Saturday. Hogan won all three events, super G, giant slalom and slalom to claim the overall championship. John Campbell was the men’s winner.
