Canmore’s Cyd Fraser and Leighton Poidevin will try to etch their name in the Guinness Book of World Records on April 5-6 when they attempt to break the 24-hour cross-country ski record as part of the 2014 Canmore Ski Fest.
Interchanging between freestyle and diagonal stride technique, competitors will tour a three-kilometre loop at the Canmore Nordic Centre, becoming intimately aware of every dip, corner and descent on the course between 11 a.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday.
Both Fraser and Poidevin took cracks at the record in 2012, when Fraser fell a mere 21 kilometres short of the 333-km record, while Poidevin missed the 433-km men’s record by less than 50 km. If the conditions co-operate, they’d love to break that record.
“The idea that you can maybe break 400 km if the conditions are good, that keeps me going,” Poidevin said.
Weather will be a determining factor and organizers moved the race back a week to take advantage of warmer temperatures. Snow conditions have been excellent, and Poidevin said he’s recorded lots of kilometres this season.
“You never really feel like you’ve done enough training for 24 hours, but I have been out a lot,” Poidevin said.
Fraser has been recovering from an injury and missed last year’s event, but said she’s keen to take a crack at the record this year if her body holds up.
Former Czech national team member and Canmorite Kamila Borutova set the women’s world record in 2000, when she skied 333 kilometres around a 2.2-km course through a range of weather conditions. She said she wanted to test her endurance limits, and the record has stood since then. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the men’s record sits at 433.5 km and was set by Teemu Virtanen of Finland in 2010.
Similar races attract several hundred athletes in Europe, however this year’s Ski Fest will be a family friendly affair. The course also offers a 12-hour and six-hour option, as well as a team challenge. Kids races begin on April 5 at 2 p.m., and a bouncey castle and balloons will be available for the children.
Proceeds from the event will go to MitoCanada. For more details, visit www.canmoreskifest.com.
