ACME — There is a new King and Queen.
This year’s 50th North American Vasa King and Queen titles went to Aaron Ditty and Rebecca Davis, respectively.
The two skiers had the best combined times in the George Kuhn 27-kilometer Freestyle and the Lombard Loppet 15k Classic during the two-day North American Vasa staged at Timber Ridge Resort over the weekend.
On Sunday, Davis locked up the Queen Vasa title after finishing first in the Lombard Loppet 15k Classic with a time of 57:05. She took third in the George Kuhn 27k on the first day with a time of 1:27.32.
Kaitlyn Vanias won the women’s 27k freestyle race, but didn’t compete on Sunday.
“She told me she is retired from classic skiing,” Davis said. “She is a phenomenal competitor and I want her to come back to classic and show us how to do it.”
Davis, of Grayling, has won previous North American Vasa races in the past, but this is the first time she has been named Queen Vasa.
“Since [the King and Queen Vasa] started I have had two kids in the last five years,” Davis said. “This is the first time at having a crack at doing both and it feels good.”
At the finish line, racers congratulated one another and chatted about how fast the course was on Sunday.
“It is definitely tricky when it is sitting at about freezing temperatures,” Davis said. “Different waxes react differently to that. So, I took a conservative choice on my skis. I had a pretty good glide. My grip was a little less than I wanted, but I stuck it out and double-poled for most of the way.”
Ditty, of Grand Rapids, won the King Vasa crown for the first time. He took first in the George Kuhn 27k in 1:17:53 and finished fourth in the 15k classic with a time of 48:26.
Weston Willoughby was first in the 15k classic in 47:06, while Edward Roe was second in 47:58. The top two15k classic finishers were not in contention for the King Vasa award, because they each competed in the 50k freestyle the day before.
“Today was fun,” Willoughby said. “I started in the middle of the pack and worked my way up.”
Dennis Paull placed third in the 15k classic just 13 seconds ahead of Ditty, however, not enough to take the King Vasa title.
Ditty didn’t expect to go home as King Vasa, who regularly competes against a lot of the same skiers at other races.
“These guys usually kick my butt,” he said.
Sunday’s event kicked off with the Mark Esper 6k Classic High School race.
Traverse City West sophomore Lindsay Smith won the girls race in 23.08 minutes.
“I was really excited, because I like classic more than skate,” Smith said. “It was fun.”
It was her third time competing at the North American Vasa and first time winning. She placed third last year.
Traverse City Central sophomore Bode Dykstra won the boys race in 20.19, while teammate Solomon Debruyn came in second. On Saturday, Debruyn won the 27k freestyle race and Dykstra was second.
“It was a fast race today,” Dykstra said. “We were together until the 4K mark and then I started to pull ahead on the downhills. I just had more glide. I would say it was faster than yesterday.”
The day also included the Fatbike 25k race. More than 40 riders competed in the race. Jay Click took the top spot in 1:05.56.
An award ceremony was held at Timber Ridge Resort after the races. Cash prizes were awarded to the top three males and females competing for King and Queen Vasa.
Next year, the 51st North American Vasa is scheduled for Feb. 13-14.
RESULTS
Lombard Loppet 15k Classic
Male
1. Weston Willoughby, 47.06
2. Edward Roe, 47.58
3. Dennis Paull, 48.13
Female
1. Rebecca Davis, 57.05
2. Mary Schlimmer-Willoughby, 59.08
3. Dana Pflughoeft, 1:00.20
Mark Esper 6k Classic High School
Male
1. Bode Dykstra, 20.19
2. Solomon Debruyn, 20.38
3. Harrison Jeffries, 21.13
Female
1. Lindsay Smith, 23.08
2. Avery Kelly, 23.11
3. Emma Dystra, 23.16
Fatbike 25k
Male
1. Jay Click, 1:05.56
2. Luke Hubbard, 1:06.56
3. Justin Lesniak, 1:06.57
4. Eric Langley, 1:06.57
5. Rob Walcott, 1:07.34
Female
1. Kate White, 1:23.19
2. Jill Day, 1:26.59