Ray Gunness proved the old adage that for every rule there is an exception.
He was the exception.
The Whitehorse skier actually cut more than 11 minutes off his first lap time and cruised to an easy win in the 39th Annual Buckwheat International Ski Classic on March 7. With his sensational effort over the final 16 kilometers, he extended his overall lead over Yukon racer Levi Bruce by more than 15 minutes.
Gunness and Bruce staged a heated battle through the first lap of the race. The two finished the initial trip around the course separated by about 5 minutes. Gunness powered his way to the top of the standings with a time of 1 hour, 11.22.7 seconds. Bruce, who has finished in the top 10 in each of the last two years, began the second lap with a time of 1:17.12.9.
Once the second lap began, Gunness found an extra gear. He completed the final lap with a mark of 59 minutes, 28.1 seconds. His overall time was 2 hours, 10 minutes and 50.9 seconds.
Bruce, who also hails from Whitehorse, clinched second with a second lap time of 1:08.38.4. His final time was 2 hours, 25 minutes and 51.4 seconds.
Laura Salmon and Bryana Van Leeuwen staged a dramatic battle for the women’s 32-kilometer title. A Whitehorse resident, Salmon rallied from an early deficit to edge out Van Leeuwen by just over 3 minutes.
A resident of Surrey, British Columbia, Van Leeuwen powered her way to a slim lead in the first lap. She posted a time of 1 hour, 28 minutes, 59.3 seconds. Salmon trailed by approximately 8 seconds later, beginning the second lap at 1 hour:28:59.3.
Salmon took the lead midway through the second lap and never looked back. She completed the race in a time of 2:39:42.3 – good enough for fifth in the overall race standings. Van Leeuwen checked in at 2:42:57.4 – sixth in the overall standings.
Rachel James was the top Alaskan finisher in the women’s race. The Anchorage skier placed fourth in the women’s standings with a time of 2:54:20.6. Jessica Stichelbout of British Columbia, was third at 2:53:12.7.
Overall, 24 racers competed in the 32-kilometer race.
Whitehorse’s Madeleine Williams won the 16-kilometer race, edging out Juneau’s Cora Soboleff by more than 4 minutes. Williams finished the race in a time of 1:10:34.2. Soboleff was second at 1:14:54.6.
Haines’ Chip Lende was the top area finisher in the 16-kilometer race. The Haines resident placed eighth overall at 1:30:27.5. Skagway’s Skip Elliot top the list of local entrants, finishing 34th at 2:13:16.4.
Nan Saldi was the top finisher in the women’s division, taking 49th at 2:44:45.1.
Whitehorse’s Noah Thompson claimed the 10-kilometer title. He completed the race in a time of 42 minutes, 57.1 seconds. Christopher Elliott-Stamp, also of Whitehorse, was second at 43:37.2.
Skagway’s Esme Mandeville turned in a strong outing in the 10 and Under division of the 5-kilometer race. She placed 14th in the division with a time of 1:31:16.5. Sullivan Wacker was 18th at 1:51.27.8.
Midori Nishikawa of Whitehorse won the 10 and Under 5K race with a run of 30:46.5.
Whitehorse’s Carl Embacher won the 11-12-year 5K crown with a time of 25:55.9.
For complete results check out the results at www. https://buckwheatskiclassic.com.
Photo by Jeff Brady
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