It turned out to be a Super Bowl of suffering and stamina.
In an incredible display of mental and physical toughness a pair of alpine touring skiers endured skinning and skiing for some 60-plus hours at Black Mountain last weekend in the second annual Last Skier Standing competition organized by Ski the Whites.
kAm%96 F=EC2 6G6?E DE2CE65 $2EFC52J 2E `_ 2]> H96C6 2E9=6E6D D<:??65 FA 2?5 D<:65 5@H? E96 4@FCD6 @?46 6G6CJ 9@FC 2?5 5:5?’E 7:?:D9 F?E:= |@?52J ?:89E 2E `_icd A]>] H96? q6? t4<[ ag[ @7 |657@C5[ |2DD][ @FE=2DE65 y6C:>J pC?@=5[ c_[ @7 (6DE7@C5[ |2DD][ 3J D<::?8 2 >:?5\3@88=:?8 e` =2AD E@ pC?@=5’D e_]k^Am
kAm%96J 6I466565 5@F3=6 E96 6=6G2E:@? @7 |@F?E tG6C6DE 5FC:?8 E96 E9C66 52JD @7 A2:? 2?5 D=66A 56AC:G2E:@?[ 2?5 EFC?65 2 D4965F=65 EH@\52J 6G6?E :?E@ E9C66] {2DE J62C’D H:??6C 5:5 bc =2AD]k^Am
kAm“x 5:5?VE E9:?< :E H@F=5 =2DE E9:D =@?8 3FE xV> 2=D@ ?@E DFCAC:D65[” 6>2:=65 @C82?:K6C p?5C6H sCF>>@?5 %F6D52J] “xE E2<6D EH@ 56E6C>:?65 :?5:G:5F2=D E@ AFD9 E9:D 6G6?E D@ 566A 2?5 H6 H6C6 7@CEF?2E6 E@ 92G6 2 566A 7:6=5 @7 4@>A6E:E@CD H96C6 :E H2D A@DD:3=6 E@ 36DE =2DE J62CVD A6C7@C>2?46]”k^Am
kAmt:89EJ\EH@ 6?EC2?ED 7C@> 24C@DD }6H t?8=2?5 :?4=F5:?8 D@>6 =@42=D 4@?7C@?E65 E96 a]d\>:=6 4@FCD6 FA 2?5 5@H? H:E9 `[___ 766E :? 6=6G2E:@? 82:?] u@C E9@D6 H:E9 tG6C6DE:?8 @? E96:C >:?5D[ E92E H2D C624965 2E ah =2AD]k^Am
kAmt?EC2?ED 925 E@ 7:?:D9 E96 4@FCD6 H:E9:? 2? 9@FC] %96? E96J 925 E@ 36 :? E96 DE2CE:?8 2C62 367@C6 E96 ?6IE =2A] %96 C246 H2D @G6C H96? E96C6 H2D @?=J @?6 A6CD@? =67E :? E96 DE2CE:?8 2C62 2?5 96 4@>A=6E65 2 7F== =2A]k^Am
kAmsCF>>@?5 D2:5 y6C:>J 2?5 q6? 76=E 8@@5 27E6C ca 9@FCD[ :?E6?5:?8 E@ 8@ E@ DF?C:D6 2?5 E96? E2<6 :E =2A 3J =2A] y6C:>J E9@F89E 96 H@F=5 BF:E 2D 96 DE2CE65 =2A d`[ 3FE H2D 4@?G:?465 E@ 8@ @?]k^Am
kAm“xE H2D E96 >@E:G2E:@? 96 ?66565 E@ >2<6 :E E@ E96 e_E9 =2A 2E H9:49 A@:?E 96 42==65 :E 32D65 @? 36:?8 A9JD:42==J 2?5 >6?E2==J E:C65 H:E9 ?@ 6?5 :? D:89E[” D2:5 sCF>>@?5]k^Am
kAm$276EJ AC@E@4@=D :?4=F565 2 r~'xs\`h D4C66?:?8 2E C68:DEC2E:@? 2?5 >2?52E@CJ >2D<D :? E96 32D6 2C62] %96 7:6=5 :?4=F565 CF??6CD[ 3:<6CD[ 9:<6CD[ 324<4@F?ECJ D<:6CD[ D?@H3@2C56CD 2?5 @E96C >F=E:\DA@CE 2E9=6E6D D66<:?8 A6CD@?2= 36DED 7@C G6CE:42= 82:? 2?5 6?5FC2?46]k^Am
kAm(96? E96 DF? H6?E 5@H? E96 9625=2>AD 42>6 @? :? E96 52C<?6DD H:E9 :ED E6>A6C2EFC6 5C@AD]k^Am
kAmv=6?’D qC:EE?: v@C92>[ 2? 6?5FC2?46 3:<6C[ CF??6C 2?5 D<:6C[ H2D 4@>A6E:?8 :? E96 6G6?E 7@C E96 D64@?5 E:>6[ 9@A:?8 E@ 8@ ac 9@FCD WD96 H6?E agX] $96 DA6?E 2 =@E @7 E:>6 D<::?8 7@C A9JD:42= AC6A2C2E:@?[ ;@FC?2=:?8 7@C >6?E2= AC6A 2?5 =62C?:?8 23@FE ?FEC:E:@? E@ 36EE6C 7F6= 96CD6=7 5FC:?8 E96 6?562G@C]k^Am
kAm“xE H2D C62==J 4@=5 =2DE J62C[” D96 D2:5 $2EFC52J 27E6C?@@?] “%9:CEJ 568C66D H2C>6C >2<6D 2 3:8 5:776C6?46] }FEC:E:@? 2?5 DE2J:?8 H2C> 2C6 :>A@CE2?E 7@C D<::?8 2E ?:89E]”k^Am
kAm(9J 5@ E9:Dnk^Am
kAm“%9:D C62==J E6DED >J >6?E2= E9C6D9@=5 2?5 E@ AFD9 >JD6=7 :? E96 >@F?E2:?D 2?5 =:76[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmp=6I {6:49 @7 }@CE9 r@?H2J 2?5 8:C=7C:6?5 $2C29 ~D>F=D<: @7 qC@@<=:?6[ |2DD] H6C6 3@E9 @? E96:C E9:C5 52J @7 D?@H E9:D D62D@?] w6 5:5 E96 6G6?E =2DE J62C] xE H2D 96C 7:CDE E:>6] %96 8@@5 9F>@C65 8@2=n u@C ~D>F=D<: E@ 5@ @?6 >@C6 =2A E92? {6:49] {6:49 5:5 ac =2AD =2DE J62C]k^Am
kAm“%96J 492?865 E96 7@C>2E 2 =:EE=6 3:E E9:D J62C D@ E96C6 :D =6DD G6CE:42= A6C =2A 2?5 >@C6 5@H? E:>6[” 96 D2:5] “x H2D AC6EEJ E:C65 2E E96 6?5 @7 =2DE J62C D@ x’> ?@E DFC6 :7 x H2?E E@ 36 :? E96 D2>6 DA246] |J 8:C=7C:6?5 :D 96C6 2?5 D96 D2:5 D96 :D 8@:?8 E@ 5@ @?6 >@C6 =2A E92? >6 D@ x’> 8@:?8 E@ >2<6 96C DF776C]”k^Am
kAmp CF??6C 2?5 4J4=:DE[ :E H2D ~D>F=D<:’D “7:CDE 6?562G@C :?E@ E@CEFC:?8 >JD6=7]”k^Am
kAm“x’> 766=:?8 @<2J[ 3FE :E’D 86EE:?8 4@=5] x’> ;FDE 9@A:?8 x 42? 8@ F?E:= x 42?’E 8@ 2?J>@C6[” D96 D2:5] $96 5:5 `c =2AD[ {6:49 `e]k^Am
kAmt?EC2?ED 925 G2C:@FD 8@2=D]k^Am
kAm%9@>2D %C24J @7 #@H=6J[ |2DD][ D2E 2E E96 DE2CE =:?6 H2:E:?8 E@ DE2CE 9:D D6G6?E9 =2A[ DE2CE:?8 E@ 766= E96 4@FCD6’D E@== @? 9:D =68D[ H@?56C:?8 9@H >F49 =@?86C 96 4@F=5 8@]k^Am
kAm“x’> E9:?<:?8 x 4@F=5 5@ `_ W=2ADX >2J36 `a :7 x’> =F4<J[” D2:5 E96 2G:5 9:<6C 2?5 CF??6C H9@ 2=D@ 92D 5@?6 uC:52J }:89E {:89ED] “x ;FDE H2?E E@ >2<6 :E E@ E96 ?:89E E:>6]”k^Am
kAmw6 5:5[ 4@>A=6E:?8 `a =2AD]k^Am
kAm{@42=D 2=D@ :?4=F565 r9C:D $2F=?:6C @7 y24<D@?[ bg =2ADj r@?H2J’D #6>:?8E@? $E@?6[ ad =2ADj y6DD6 q:==:? @7 r9@4@CF2[ ac =2AD 2?5 yFDE:? rF==:82? @7 y24<D@?[ `_ =2AD]k^Am

(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.