M.W. Otto Rhode Memorial

Event Date:  Saturday, January 25, 2024  12:00PM

*Event Note:  Course conditions are weather dependent.  We will finalize a race course and non-race course the day prior to the event.  Stay tuned!

Registration coming soon!

EVENT OVERVIEW

Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines! The 8th Annual M.W. Otto Rhode Memorial Skin & Ski is coming January 25, 2025, to Great Glen Trails! Skin & Ski the famed Mt. Washington Auto Road in remembrance of that great ole chap M.W. OTTO RHODE.  With the potential of 4,618 vertical feet of skiing from top to bottom (of the road), this event is a pretty big deal! So whether you’re a newcomer to the uphill or a seasoned skimo veteran, this race is for you!

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Who is this historically unknown man and why is he suddenly relevant and the namesake of this insanely awesome new event? Why it's a story you should know! You see, OTTO, as he was affectionately called, in a little known fact, claimed the first ski descent off the cone of High George (Mt. Washington) on January 27, 1859 which, unbeknownst to him, later set the path for the construction of the Mt. Washington Carriage Road in 1861. A legend was born. 

Like any backcountry skier worth his or her salt, OTTO liked to keep his stashes on the so-called “DL”, for fear of exploitation. It wasn't until a night of being over-served did OTTO disclose his secret - that he "slayed Big George." Well, townsfolk took that the wrong way and poor OTTO got kicked right out of town, never to be seen or heard from again! 

SCHEDULE

• 11:30 am: Registration open

• 12pm: Pre-Race Safety briefing for all participants

• 12-1pm: Event begins - schedule and course weather dependent. Stay tuned for updates and potential format changes, such as staggered start.

• 3:30pm: All skiers still on the mountain head to the bottom

• 4 pm: Refreshments and laughs

• *GBA reserves the right to change road format based on weather conditions and/or COVID-19 regulations
  
  We are excited to have you and can't thank you enough for joining the movement! See you at OTTO!
  
  Thanks to sponsors!

  YETI | Great Glen Trails | Mt. Washington Auto Road | White Mountain Ski Co. | Osprey | Lawson’s Finest Liquids | Sierra Nevada | Athletic Brewing Company | Hyperlite Mountain Gear | Big Day Brewing