from www.postindependent.com - February 7, 2006

A very full day of skiing awaits locals

By Joelle Milholm

Post Independent Staff

On Saturday morning at 10 a.m., skiers, boarders and snowshoers, on teams or as individuals, will begin trekking up Sunlight Mountain.

Twenty-four hours later, after hiking up and skiing, riding or snowshoeing down all day and all night, they'll stop.

They will be competing in the first annual WestStar Bank's 24 Hours of Sunlight. As participants try to break the record for the most vertical feet skied by a human in 24 hours, they will also be benefiting the Heuga Center for Multiple Sclerosis, a national, nonprofit center based in Edwards.

" This is really about MS and helping the Heuga Center," said Mike Marolt, who came up with the idea for the event and has organized it. "When people get tired up there at three in the morning, they can think about people with MS who wake up and don't know which limbs are going to work. There are thousands of people with MS who would love to be in this race and that is the motivation for me. It's earning money, but even more than money - it's spreading awareness and that's important because there is no cure for MS."

An estimated $15,000 will be donated to the Heuga Center, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of people and families living with MS through its interactive and educational programs that are unique to any in the world.

The event is produced by Granny Gear, a company that organizes similar 24-hour events such as 24 Hours of Moab and 24 Hours of Big Bear with mountain biking participants. For 24 Hours of Sunlight, Granny Gear, along with RealTime, will be attempting the endurance competition on snow for the first time.

Competitors such as Greg Hill, who skied one million vertical feet last year, Ed Viesturs, who summited all 14 of the world's 8,000-meter peaks and Lou Dawson, who was the first person to ski all 54 of Colorado's 14,000-foot mountains will all be gunning for the record. Hill, who currently holds the unofficial record of 40,170 feet skied (just skiing down) and 80,340 feet obtained (hiking up and skiing down) in a 24-hour period is shooting for 50,000 feet, according to event staff.

While Hill, Viesturs and Dawson will go for the record, there are many participants who have never competed in any sort of alpine event and are in the race for fun.

" This appeals to everyone. It is a misnomer to call it a race," Marolt said. "It is for personal achievement. People can come out for one hour, two hours or all 24. Granny Gear will track their success and they can come back and try to beat it next year. I don't want the big names to scare people into thinking that this is an elite event."

There are 17 different classifications people or teams can register for, which includes all ages and abilities. As of Thursday, 26 individuals/teams were signed up, but the event is still accepting more.

" For a first-year event, it is coming together well," Marolt said. "If the event went off today, I'd be happy with it, but I think a lot more people will register."

At an elevation of 8,152 feet, the course will begin at the bottom of Beaujolais, a blue run with a summit elevation of 9,675. The total ground distance of the course is 8,908 feet. Participants will be allowed to set up a 'pit area' in the lower level parking lot where they can set up R.V.s, tents or whatever kind of camp they desire.

The event was not planned for this Saturday just by coincidence - it was planned so that participants will have some lighting from the full moon.

" I thought they (Sunlight) had lights, but I guess it's all about headlamps," said Polly Samuels-McLean, a backcountry skier from Utah who will be competing in 24 Hours of Sunlight along with her husband, Andrew, a well-known ski mountaineering enthusiast. "With a full moon, if it is clear, it should be really cool. I have gone out at night before with a full moon and you don't even need a headlamp. But if it is snowing, it will be a little difficult."

Entertainment is planned all day and all night for spectators and sponsors. Last Turn Lodge will be open 24 hours, bands will also be playing during the entire event and prizes will be given away hourly.

" It's going to be a carnival. There will be bands, food, margaritas, beers - Sunlight has knocked themselves out to make this a flagship event for their resort," Marolt said. "I'm hoping that this event will be like the Leadville 100, where it puts a town like Leadville on the map. I think this could do that for Sunlight - it is a great venue."

Prior to the competition, a gala will be held Friday night at the Hotel Colorado from 6-10 p.m. Viesturs will be speaking on his new book, "Himalayan Quest: Ed Viesturs on the 8,000 Meter Giants," and there will be a silent auction with 100 percent of profits going to Heuga Center.