Hundreds compete in shovel racing championship
Hundreds of spectators and more than 200 competitors gathered Feb. 8-9 at Angel Fire Resort for the 40th annual World Championship Shovel Races, vying for cash prizes, trophies and bragging rights for being Earth’s fastest person on a shovel.
Taking the pro women’s class, with a blazing speed of 64 mph, was Nadia Gonzales, who was born and raised in nearby Black Lake and has been in Colorado for the past eight years trying to make the U.S. Olympic ski team. She gave up her Olympic bid last year but still loves to compete. Gonzales has participated in the shovel races the past five years, often trading first-place finishes with her sister, Paloma Gonzales, who notched second place this year.
This sister’s showdown included another sibling as well, as brother Justin Gonzales took the men’s pro class.
“It felt good, really good,” Justin Gonzales said after his second run. “I was able to clean it up a bit.”
Justin, who makes his living as a special affects technician in the film industry, has been participating in the event for 25 years. Every year he hand-paints a shovel, and the family had half a dozen proudly arrayed on the snow.
Another local veteran at this year’s event was “Bad” Chad Denney, who grew up in Angel Fire. He finished second in the pro class. He has participated since he was a kid and has won several times. This led to his appearance in Warren Miller’s 50th anniversary film, two features on CBS Sunday Morning ,a National Geographic special and writeups in several magazines. “I also got to spend a week on the Olympic bobsled course in Park City, Utah, on my shovel,” Denney said.
In fact, he’s spent a majority of his professional life in the ski industry. Focusing on super G and downhill, he qualified for three junior Olympics and was on the national team.
Denney eventually gave up on that dream after several injuries and turned to coaching. He returned to the University of Utah in his late 20s to get a masters’ degree in sports management. This led to a job as the on-hill special events coordinator at Park City, Utah, supervising X Games, races and other activities. He lives in Taos and runs a handyman service and is an assistant golf pro.
On the other end of the spectrum was elementary school student Dominic Zuniga of Albuquerque, participating in his first race. His 86-year-old grandfather was the oldest ever to compete in the event, and inspired Dominic to give it a try, racing on the same shovel the family saved. He clocked 27 mph on his first run and a hot 44 mph on his second, vowing, “I’ll be back next year!”
With his bright orange Mohawk cap, flame-colored speed suit and golden goggles, Brian Whitlock of Eagle Nest was in constant demand for photos.
“I’ve been racing five years,” Whitlock said. “I’ve had no victories, but I’m not here for the prize money — just to have a good time and survive to get to the bar. And some bragging rights would be nice. It’s all about tradition, technique, technology and intangibles.”
With a third-place finish in the team category, he earned his right to boast this year.
Matching Denney for appearances was Kelly Haukebo, who has raced 27 times, notched several victories and finished third in the pro class this year. She first competed when someone signed her up for the event, telling her what fun it was.
“It was not what he’d made it out to be,” Haukebo said. “It was scary and I said to myself, ‘What the hell am I doing?’ But overall I had a great time and ended up moving to Angel Fire.” What are her keys to winning? “First off, overcoming your fear, which is kind of impossible; picking a great line; having the right wax; and good balance — trying not to touch anywhere,” she said. “There are also lots of variables — wind, sun, small bumps or divots that throw you off your line. So you can’t show up and just expect to win.”
“It comes down to aerodynamics, good wax and staying tight,” Nadia Gonzales said. “You need to have the confidence to lean back and keep your hands in and run a straight line.”
On her first run this year, Gonzales hit 63 mph and went hard into the netting and cushions at the bottom.
She noted, “That was definitely stressful; I don’t want to do that again!”
Most entrants were from Texas or were locals, but Lindsay McKenrick, who finished in second place the open category for women, hails from Buffalo, N.Y., and came out specifically for the event.
“I’ll be back,” McKenrick said afterward. “I have to defend my standing right now as the No. 2 female shovel racer in the world.”
The race takes place with competitors sitting on the scoop of a standard aluminum snow shovel, handles pointed downhill.
“It began as a simple contest here in the 1970s when our lift operators would ride their shovels down the mountain at the end of their shift,” said Ruth Worden, Angel Fire Resort’s marketing manager. “It has since grown into a crazy competition on the mountain that includes speed suits, costumes and radar guns.”
The event has been featured by national news outlets including ESPN, ABC Sports, MTV and The Travel Channel. Shovel racing was also once a featured sport during the early years of the Winter X Games. NBC News sent a crew to cover this year’s event. The reporter told me the program will air at the close of Nightly News with Lester Holt “sometime over the next month.”
For video of this year’s race, visit tinyurl.com/y6csvbtc.
CONDITIONS
Little has changed in New Mexico since last week’s report, but Southern Colorado resorts picked up 2 to 6 inches, and forecasts predict 1 to 2 feet more Thursday night and Friday. Northern New Mexico expected to get some fresh snow as well.
Ski Santa Fe, as of noon Thursday, had a 61-inch base with all runs open. On Saturday, enjoy live music from JJ and the Hooligans on the Totemoff deck from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The area is also hosting its fourth annual Burton Women’s Snowboard Camp this weekend. See details online.
Taos Ski Valley reports a 57-inch base; Pajarito 34 inches; Angle Fire 29 inches; Ski Apache 47 inches; and Wolf Creek 83 inches.
It began as a simple contest here in the 1970s when our lift operators would ride their shovels down the mountain at the end of their shift. It has since grown into a crazy competition on the mountain that includes speed suits, costumes and radar guns.” Ruth Worden, Angel Fire Resort’s marketing manager