Ski mountaineers persevere at Vail
By Scott Willoughby, The Denver Post
VAIL — Marshall Thompson of Crested Butte edged out Gunnison Valley neighbor Brian Wickenhuaser on the final descent of the Eddie Bauer Ski Mountaineering competition to claim first place and the largest purse in North America in a leg-burning uphill/downhill tour of Vail Mountain.
Former U.S. Winter Triathlon Champion Bryan Smith, also from the Gunnison Valley, finished a close third in the Winter Teva Mountain Games' most punishing event.
After circumnavigating the snowy boundaries of the 5,000-plus acre ski area in about 4 hours, the top two skiers finished within about 4 seconds of one another, with Smith in hot pursuit.
Read more about the competition, the competitors and the prizes.
Read a full story about ski mountaineering and the competitors in Saturday's race at the Vail Daily website.
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