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Aspen’s Phebe Meyers laughs as she crosses the finish line of the Owl Creek Chase cross-country ski race on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020, near the Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club. Meyers was the third overall female in the 21k skate race, won by Madison Keetle.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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Spectators watch as racers approach the finish line of the Owl Creek Chase on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020, in Aspen. (Photo by Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times)
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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Edwin Ryerson competes in the Owl Creek Chase on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020, in Aspen. (Photo by Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times)
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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Spectators watch as racers approach the finish line of the Owl Creek Chase on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020, in Aspen. (Photo by Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times)
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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The men’s 21k classic podium of the Owl Creek Chase on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020, in Aspen. Magnus Boee, center, was the overall winner, followed by Maximilian Bie and Espen Persen. (Photo by Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times)
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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The women’s 21k classic podium of the Owl Creek Chase on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020, in Aspen. Eveliina Piippo, center, was the overall winner, followed by Leah Lange, left, and Emma Tarbath. (Photo by Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times)
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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Spectators watch as racers approach the finish line of the Owl Creek Chase on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020, in Aspen. (Photo by Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times)
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
A pair of Scandinavians who study here in Colorado led the way Sunday in the annual Owl Creek Chase cross-country ski race in Aspen. The 21-kilometer races start in Snowmass and follow the Owl Creek Trail to the finish, which this year was located near the Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club.
In the main 21k classic race, it was the University of Colorado’s Magnus Boee who took top honors among the men, finishing in 1 hour, 10 minutes, 14.8 seconds. Boee, a freshman at CU, was born in Korea but grew up in Norway and holds dual citizenship in both countries. He won the individual Norwegian championship in the freestyle sprint in 2015.
Finishing second among men was the University of Utah’s Maximilian Bie, who was 48.5 seconds back of Boee, and third was Espen Persen of the University of Alaska Anchorage, who was 50.3 back. Bie and Persen also come from Norway.
Taking the women’s 21k classic crown was Finland’s Eveliina Piippo, who studies at the University of Denver. She finished in 1:17:50.5 to beat the University of Utah’s Leah Lange — a native of Park City — by more than a minute. In third was Alaska native and Montana State University skier Emma Tarbath.
The top overall male and female in the classic race received $300 for winning, followed by $200 for second place and $100 for third place.
There also was a 21k skate race, which didn’t offer any prize money. Erik Lynch was the top overall male, followed by Ryan Potvin in second and Michael Shea in third. Madison Keetle was the top overall female in the skate race, followed by runner-up Jan Parker and third-place finisher Phebe Meyers.
Around 200 combined skiers competed between the classic and skate races, which were put on by the city of Aspen’s special events department.