PARK CITY, UT (Sept. 26, 2015) - Olympian Liz Stephen (E. Montpelier, VT) of the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team held off a hard-charging Veronika Mayerhofer of Austria to claim the win at the Red Bull 400 hill climb at the Utah Olympic Park. The event, which attracted over 400 athletes who climbed a 400-meter course up the HS134 meter ski jump landing hill and inrun, made its U.S. debut. Turkey's Ahmet Arslan took the men's title. U.S. Nordic Combined Ski Team member Bryan Fletcher (Steamboat Springs, CO) was fifth, leading three American Olympic nordic skiers into the top 10.
The hill climb essentially reversed the path of a ski jumper, starting at the end of the outrun with a flat 50 meters before hitting the Olympic HS134 meter ski jump. After 100 meters, the pitch increased precipitously up to the 250 meter mark where it briefly flattened before athletes climbed stairs onto the inrun and up to the top of the jump. Most of the steep portions were hand crawled with athletes grasping onto the cargo netting placed over the plastic jumping surface.
Liz Stephen begins her final climb up the inrun of the HS134 jump.
Stephen had posted the fasted qualifying heat for the women, but Mayerhofer, an Austrian cross country skier and runner, was in striking distance in the other head. Stephen took an early lead into the pitch, but had Mayerhofer hot on her heels. At the stairway climb from the landing area up onto the ski jump itself, Stephen had about a 10-meter lead. Mayerhofer quickly closed the gap, but didn’t have enough to overtake Stephen.
“This is a fun race and something I’ve never done before - running up a ski jump.” said Stephen. “But I like to ski up mountains so I felt it would be a good crossover.”
Stephen, an Olympian and one of the top cross country skiers in the world, is especially noted for her prowess on hills. She is one of the perennial favorites in the annual climb up Alpe Cermis in the closing stage of the Tour de Ski.
“Compared to the Alpe Cermis, this is a lot shorter,” she said. “Cemis is more of a mental endurance thing. Here you hurt for the whole time But there always that adrenaline thing that gets you through the first few minutes. At Cermis, there’s another 40 minutes. It’s much easier to get your head around it mentally in a short event like this.”
Fletcher, an Olympian and World Cup winner in nordic combined, is more accustomed to flying down the hill rather than climbing up. He had been sixth in his qualifying heat and stepped it up to fifth in the finals.
“The race was awesome - it was challenging and fun,” said Fletcher. “The hardest part was knowing that after the first heat you would have to do it again.”
Bryan Fletcher powers his way up the Olympic ski jump.
He was joined by Torin Koos (Leavenworth, WA), a four-time Olympic cross country skier, who finished seventh, as well as Olympic champion Billy Demong (Vermontville, NY), who was ninth.
“A couple years ago I saw on TV in Europe a Red Bull run up Planica (Slovenian ski jump). It looked like such a cool event I knew if I ever had the chance to throw down I'd have to take on the big hill,” said Koos.
“I thought I might have a chance for the podium and was in a good position to make it happen. Then rigor mortis, the stiff pain of death kicked into high gear in the hammy’s.”
The event was produced in partnership by the USSA’s 2015 Club of the Year, Park City Nordic, along with the Utah Olympic Park, and served as a major fundraiser for the club.
Four-time Olympic cross country skier Torin Koos crawls up the HS134 meter ski jump.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Olympic cross country skier Liz Stephen (E. Montpelier, VT) won the Red Bull 400 hill climb at the Utah Olympic Park.
- Nordic combined Olympian Bryan Fletcher (Steamboat Springs, CO) was fifth in the men’s race, with Olympic cross country skier Torin Koos (Leavenworth, WA) seventh and Olympic nordic combined champion Billy Demong (Vermontville, NY) ninth.
- Close to 500 athletes took part in the event which was co-produced by the Utah Olympic Park and Park City Nordic.
QUOTES
LIZ STEPHEN
This is a fun race and something I’ve never done before - running up a ski jump. But I like to ski up mountains so I felt it would be a good crossover.
Compared to the Alpe Cermis, this is a lot shorter. Cemis is more of a mental endurance thing. Here you hurt for the whole time But there always that adrenalin thing that gets you through the first few minutes. At Cermis, there’s another 40 minutes. It’s much easier to get your head around it mentally in a short event like this.
I tried to stay out of the nets as much as I could; I didn’t want to trip and you don’t have as much control over your limbs as usual. I tried to stay out and use it where I needed to. Most of it was a hike with your hands and legs.
BRYAN FLETCHER
The race was awesome - it was challenging and fun. The hardest part was knowing that after the first heat you would have to do it again.
All in all it was a great training day and, of course, I was really happy to see so many people come out. The turnout will help the club (Park City Nordic) out so much this season. I hope to see an even bigger turnout next year, especially in the relay division.
TORIN KOOS
A couple years ago I saw on TV in Europe a Red Bull run up Planica (Slovenian ski jump). It looked like such a cool event I knew if I ever had the chance to throw down I'd have to take on the big hill.
I thought I might have a chance for the podium and was in a good position to make it happen. Then rigor mortis, the stiff pain of death kicked into high gear in the hammy's.
The Red Bull 400 is such a cool event. You had athletes flying in who were professional trail runners and sky scraper stair runners like the Turkish dude who won with the world record for this event, the best ski mountaineer in the country and nordic combiners like Billy D. and Bryan Fletcher. I'm glad I got to throw down against them all.
Congrats to Liz and Veronika Mayerhofer for repping the top two podium steps on the ladies side.
RESULTS
Men's Red Bull 400
Women's Red Bull 400
