AMH Anchorage Cup

The AMH Anchorage Cup Citizen Races are five ski events brought to you by the Nordic Skiing Association of Anchorage and sponsored by Alaska Mountaineering and Hiking. Skiers of all ages and abilities are welcome. The goal is to have fun, ski on well-groomed trails, and enjoy the amazing Anchorage ski community. All of our races feature the Anchorage Nordic Ski Patrol, a valued partner in keeping all skiers safe!

This series is for people of all ages and abilities. Choose a distance, line up on the starting line, and go! Whether you prefer the warmth of wool or the speed of spandex, whether you want to go as fast as you can or ski with friends, it’s a great way to get outside on a Sunday and enjoy the winter!

GENERAL INFO

Race Conditions

Anchorage Cup races will not be held when weather or trail conditions pose a safety risk to participants. When weather or trail conditions are marginal we may encourage participants to enter the shorter distance events. There is no specific minimum air temperature that races will be held. The determination of whether the race can be safely held will be based on multiple factors including temperature, wind, precipitation and course conditions.

The Race Director will make a final determination regarding the acceptability of racing conditions as soon as possible, but no later than 10am the morning of the race. Any cancellations or updates will be posted to the top of this website and to the NSAA Facebook page. A race that cannot be held due to unsafe conditions will have to be canceled. Registration fees will not be refunded.

Pricing

Youth (11 & Under) -Free
Student (12-24) -$20.00
NSAA Member Adult (25+)-$30.00
Non Member (12+)-$50.00

*NSAA Member Adults: Register by Dec. 9th for all 5 races and receive a $25 registration discount!

Registration link

https://zone4.ca/event/2023/Om2EY9/

RACES

Hello Skiers! We’re excited to announce our integration of Zone4 timing software into the AMH Anchorage Cup series this season!

1) Register! You can register on the NSAA webpage, or even on race day! (Cash not accepted)

2) Get your bib at the bunker

3) Get a timing chip when you head to the start line. This should be done just before heading into the start lanes

4) Race day volunteers will remove timing chips at the finish line

Come have a great time in a fun atmosphere.

Race #1

AMH Anchorage Cup Race #1

December 10,2023

Freestyle

2x2km

The 2 (skiers) x 2Km x 2 Laps is a family friendly relay event. In this race, skiers will partner up with a friend, family member, or brand new race day pal to ski a 2km lap twice over. Skiers can opt to race with either racers of their own gender, in a mixed gender event, or even in both under the same race-day registration.

That’s right, that means two races for the price of one! That’s a 2(2x2x2) for all you mathematicians out there. For younger, new skiers, we will also offer a youth 1 lap Cub ski option, kids will ski a single lap.

Racers will finalize their relay partners at bib pickup on race day. There will be a UR code at the bunker to scan and put in the bib numbers of the relay partners.

Please register ahead of time in order to get the series discount. If registering the day of, please show up to the wax bunker at least 30 mins before your race starts.

Registration link

Course Map

Start Times:

Men’s Race 12pm
Women’s 12:30pm
Youth Cub ski 1 lap 1:00pm
Mixed Gender 1:30pm
After Party 2:00pm

Distances- 2 skiers x 2 laps x 2k or 1 lap Cub ski

Race Day Sponsor: Alaska Winter Stars

Click here for volunteering opportunities!

Race #2

AMH Anchorage Cup Race #2

January 7, 2024

Hickok Skiathlon & Classic

The Hickok Skiathlon combines the two techniques of cross country skiing into one rad event! Skiers who choose to race in the skiathlon format will race their classic leg first, and then transition into skate gear in the stadium. Nervous about doubling down on a dual technique race? Don’t worry! We will have a classic only option for folks who are still perfecting their skate technique.

Registration Link

https://zone4.ca/event/2023/Om2EY9/

Race Start Time:

12:00 10k skiathlon

12:20 5k skiathlon

12:25 5k freestyle

12:30 1-2k Cub ski

Distances: 10k skiathlon(5k classic 5k skate) 5k skiathlon(2.5k classic 2.5k skate) 5k freestyle, 1-2k Cub ski

Course Map

Race Day Sponsor: Alaska Pacific University

Volunteering opportunities

Race #3

AMH Anchorage Cup Race #3

January 21, 2024

Kincaid Classic & Wooden Ski

The Kincaid Classic is a return to a simpler skiing time. A time when “skating” referred to a thing you do on ice with much pointier boots, not a powerhouse of V2. The Kincaid Classic will host a number of different events, all sponsored by the Anchorage chapter of Sons of Norway.

The Kincaid Classic part of the day will entail a traditional classic ski race, with a long, intermediate, and short distance option. There will also be a wooden ski specific race, where all racers will be encouraged to don their very finest knickers, wool sweaters, leather boots, and freshly pine-tarred wooden skis. Keep on the lookout, legend has it there be trolls afoot here! Be sure to look your finest, we will also be awarding a “best dressed” category at our traditional waffle feed award ceremony!

Kincaid Classic Special Features

Pine Tar Waxing: 8:30-10:30

Wake up to the aroma of pine tar bright and early! Sons of Norway will be offering a free pine tar wax clinic on the morning of race day. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to get your old school wooden skis prepped for the wooden ski classic race!

Wooden Ski Classic

Our last but certainly not least race for the day will be the Wooden Ski Classic race. This is a short distance race and is a chance to prove your commitment to the three-pin lifestyle. Competitors who enter this event will received a limited-edition wooden ski medal hand made on race day!

Best Dressed

It wouldn’t be the Kincaid Classic & Wooden ski without a best-dressed contest!

Celebrate traditional Scandinavian flair by coming dressed to impress in your woolen trousers, knit sweaters, and the thickest most-scratchiest socks under the sun! Compete either solo or in a group!

Waffle-thon

Our post-race celebration will feature…waffles!! Yippee! Join fellow competitors, friends, and family in the bunker following the race for waffles and fun! Following the conclusion of all races we will also be holding a brief awards ceremony, during which we will crown the best-dressed!

Registration Link

https://zone4.ca/event/2023/Om2EY9/

Race Start Times:

15K-12pm

10K-12:15pm

5K-12:30pm

1-2k Cub ski

Wooden Ski 3K-1:05pm

After party@1:45pm

Distances: 1-2k Cub ski, 5k, 10k, 15k or wooden ski 3k

Race Day Sponsor: Sons of Norway

Volunteering opportunities

Race #4

AMH Anchorage Cup Race #4

February 11,2024

Freestyle (Criterium)

The AMH Anchorage Cup is excited to offer the Criterium again with a reimagined course.

Criteriums are commonly found in the world of bike racing and provide an exciting lap-based race format that sees skiers racing against a clock for most laps completed. Criteriums are heavy on “pack mentality” that paces this lap based event.

Plug in for either 20 or 30 minutes and see how many laps you can do. There are two circuits offered, circuit A is a shorter lap offering fun and varied terrain features. Circuit B is a longer lap on smoother terrain. Skiers will ski as many laps as they can until the time is up. End of time will be announced loudly by gong! At the sound of the gong skiers will race the rest of the lap they are on to the finish line, with the first skier across the line winning.

We are offering a kids 1 lap race, have all the fun without the pressure of doing multiple laps.

Registration Link

https://zone4.ca/event/2023/Om2EY9/

Race Start Time:

12pm- one lap Cub ski

12:30pm- 20 min

1:00pm- 30min

Afterparty @1:45pm

The course will be set up the week prior to the race and all racers are encouraged to come out and preview it before race day.

Duration: Cub ski Lap, 20mins or 30mins

Race Day Sponsor:

Volunteering opportunities

Race #5: The Sven Johansson Memorial Race

AMH Anchorage Cup Race #5

February 18, 2024

Freestyle

The Sven Johansson Memorial race is the capstone of the Anchorage Cup series, and provides a distance option for athletes to put all their hard work from the season to the test.

We will be showcasing many of Kincaid’s fantastic trails with one lap courses for each distance. 30k gives you a chance to get out on some trails you might not normally ski. The 15k is the same idea just on a smaller scale. Come show off all your progress from the season.

Registration Link

https://zone4.ca/event/2023/Om2EY9/

Race Start Times:

12:00pm – 30k

1:00pm – 15k

1:30pm – 5k

2:00pm – 1-2k Cub ski

Distances: 1-2k Cub ski, 5K, 15K, 30K

Race Day Sponsors: Moose’s Tooth

Volunteer opportunities

SCORING

Anchorage Cup points will be awarded to everyone who finishes a race. Points are calculated by taking your race time and dividing by the average time of the top 3 finishers in your race. For the longest race course the result will be multiplied by 100. For shorter races, the result will be multiplied by the ratio of your race distance divided by the distance of the longest race. Men and women points will be calculated separately. For determining overall end-of-season Anchorage Cup winners, each person’s top 3 point values out of 4 races will be totaled.

Points = ATTT/Time x Dist/MaxDist x 100

Points = Anchorage Cup Race Points

ATTT = Average time of the top 3 finishers in your race

Time = Your time

Dist = Your Course distance

MaxDist = The maximum course distance

Men’s points: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1J1ZTelqsvLdhE2UfCOPVKX4jtWLzrukgi_0WYIh_PvA/edit?usp=sharing

Women’s points: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jxeLEuEg5Xs9ot1Jby2kkbCA7z0_eB8-ppIono6T24g/edit?usp=sharing

The NSAA will introduce Zone4 chip timing to this year’s AMH Anchorage Cup races. Racers will get their chips at the start line and the finish crew will re-collect them. Be prepared for instant results and an award ceremony after the race!