For the fourth year in a row, Ready Room was proud to be a sponsor the Great Ski Race, a fundraiser for the Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue team.  This year's photos focus on the camaraderie at the finish line. It was wonderful to see family members and friends racing together, including a number of parent/child teams.

Some fun facts about this year's Great Ski Race:

• The Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue team were called out to assist with the rescue of a snowmobiler the day before the race, underscoring the importance of their work.
• The first and second place finishers of the 26k race were both from Truckee, California, where Ready Room HQ is located.  Go Truckee! (That's Zach Williams, #57, in one of the photos below.) 
• The top ten finishers in the 10k race were five men and five women, including a fourteen-year-old girl (#2) and a 62-year-old man (#7). It's great to see such age and gender diversity in the top finishers!
• Although most competitors were from California and points west, there were entrants from Maine, Moscow, Manitoba, and Tasmania. 
• The 26k course is a nearly unbroken uphill climb for the first half, with an elevation gain of 1636 feet. 
• The aid station near the high point of the 26 km course is known as the Soup Station (but if you ski the 10 km course, no soup for you).
• The youngest competitor in the 10k race, Louisa Hood, is four years old!  A 5-year-old, 7-year-old, and 9-year-old also raced, with the latter - Kohven Thomspon of Olympic Valley - finishing 13th overall.  Four 10-year-olds - two girls and two boys - raced the 26k. 
• The oldest competitor in the 10k race, Warren Harding (not that one), is 74, a mere youngster compared to the oldest in the 26k, Bill Roberts, who is 78. 
• After you ski 26 km, a race volunteer will approach you at the finish line and release your bindings, so you don't have to bend over (how thoughtful!).