Team Merrell/Akali’s Carter Johnson is UNstoppable!!!! #1 again this weekend in Wave Chasers Race #2, out of 150 boats (incl tandems). Unbelievable. We’re so proud of him! And always winning in style in his Merrell orange! Xo robyn

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Race 2 -  01/22/2011 – Wave Chaser Race 4 – Sausalito, CA

1st place overall

Because it should not have been done, I had to do it.  The race today was out the Golden Gate Channel. Although it was 80 and calm at the race start, we knew the currents and 9 foot swell of the day would be cranking in the channel.  Throwing common sense to the wind, I choose to race the Flat Water S1-Z again just to see what it could handle.  The conditions turned out to be big enough to turn back even some seasoned paddlers before they could complete the course.  I went out fast and took an early lead, but as suspected, I did lose some ground on the chase pack once outside the gate in the boat made for flat water, although this changed once we were back in the protected water of Richardson bay.  Not even the Tandem could keep the pace and I was able to cruise across the line first for a great victory.  The sunny weather of the day had near record attendance. Almost 150 boats raced.

Woo hoooo! Our snowshoe God is at it again! Tearing up the Colorado competition! Here’s his race recap:

Mild weather in Leadville, Colorado on Saturday provided a peaceful backdrop for a 10k snowshoeing course that was, well, anything but mild.  Hosted by the Pedal Power Bike Shop and Tennessee Pass Nordic Center, the Colorado Snowshoeing State Championship began at 10,024′ in elevation and went up from there. I love the courses created by RD Bruce Kelly.  Feeling fairly confident from the start, I took the lead at the beginning and gained a bit of a gap on Bernie Boettcher, who is always a very strong competitor.  The singletrack–and there was plenty of it–proved to be particularly hard to handle (especially when breaking trail) due to a combination of corn snow, overblown trail, and a chunky freeze-up.  I had to work the whole way, and the descents were particularly challenging in these conditions!
I was able to hold off Bernie and take the State Championship; definitely a fulfilling win!
Up next is the second race of the Beaver Creek Snowshoe Adventure Series on February 6th, followed by the Mt. Taylor Winter Quadrathlon on February 19th.

Yeah, Team Merrell!!!! Xoxo r

Woo hoooo! Yeah, Team Merrell/Akali! Carter is unstoppable….in a class by himself. Xo r

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Race 1 -  01/15/2011 – Bob Hanna Classic Flat water – Lake Natoma, CA

1st place overall

I must admit I was excited going into the race this year.  This was going to be the first race of 2011 and after weeks of intervals it was going to be interesting to see how it would unfold. The course is 8 miles and flat which makes it a great benchmark year to year.  Previous personal best was 7.7mph but this year the new Huki S1-Z flat water surfski was in the arsenal and ready to do some damage.  The push was massive but it felt awesome the entire way. The boat simply purred on the glassy lake. With 0 assistance I was able to hold 8.0mph over the course and take a very healthy first place.  Still smiling ear to ear.

YEAH TRAVIS!!! At the top of the podium at the first race of the Beaver Creek Snowshoe Racing Series! Lookin’ good in that Team Merrell/Akali jacket, kid!!! Xoxox robyn

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The nation’s biggest and longest-lasting snowshoe racing series, the Beaver Creek Snowshoe Adventure Series (www.bcsnowshoe.com) kicked off this weekend. The Beaver Creek races offer 5k and 10k courses at high altitude, and the groomed trails that make up most of the courses make for a good old lung-burning time!Prize money is offered in the 5k and 10k divisions this year. I have had a few close races with Josiah Middaugh in other snowshoe races this season, but I figured that besting him in three races would not be a sure bet. So, when my friend, Greg Krause, informed me of the series details on Saturday during our long bike ride (I had not paid attention to the information due to preoccupation with the birth of our son), I decided to try my hand at the 5k distance. I have not done a 5k running race since college, and my last 5k snowshoe race was probably at about age 13.

The wager paid off, and I was able to win the 5k by a decent margin. In order to maintain a lead in the series, I will need to remain consistent for the next two races in the series, as the victory goes to the person with the lowest combined time.

Up next is the Colorado Snowshoeing State Championship next Saturday at the Tennessee Pass Nordic Center outside of Leadville. The whole course is above 10,000′…perfect!
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Travis Macy