SNOWBASIN - Rebecca Dessault has spent a year thinking about how different skis might have meant a win in the 2008 Xterra Winter World Championships.
The 28-year-old mother of two wasn't going to let this championships be decided by equipment. So she contacted Dave Goode, of Goode Skis, and got super light Randonee skis that allowed her to hang onto the more than three minute lead she held over the rest of the field in Sunday's race.
The skis made a significant difference, as Dessault not only won Sunday's race, she set a course record of 2:26:54 for the women.
"I think the best part was having something to look forward to on the Randonee ski," she said referring to having state-of-the art equipment and an easier time with the 8 kilometer mountaineer ski section. "It was my first time racing on (the skis), and it was much better. It was way fun on the downhill. I had a good time out there."
The Xterra Winter World Championships attract a diverse group of athletes from all ages and all backgrounds. Dessault's background is Nordic Skiing, but she said Randonee skiing is very different.
"I laughed when the announcer said this was my best event," she said. "I haven't done it since last year's race."
She was persuaded to try the Xterra races by friend Brian Smith, who just happened to repeat as the overall champion Sunday. Smith finished the course in 2:00:21.
He said he knew if he got a good start on the bike section of the race, he'd have a shot at repeating as the champion.
"I knew if I could stay on the gas, I'd be in a good position," said the 33-year-old native of Gunnison, Colorado. "That was my best run and snow shoe to date. Everything felt really good."
Smith finished about five minutes ahead of the second-place finisher, Nicolas Lebrun. Lisa Isom, Vail, Colorado, was second in the women's event.
The Xterra Winter World Championships feature a unique course in which athletes complete a 10km mountain bike course, a 5km snowshoe course, a 5km run, and an 8km ski mountaineering course.
E-mail: adonaldson@desnews.com