February 19, 2026, by the Seward Folly Staff

Last Friday, under clear blue skies, the Seward Seahawks hosted the Kenai Peninsula Borough ski race. Eighty-two skiers gathered at Divide Ski Area for a 5K skate skiing event, representing the Kenai, Soldotna, Homer, and Seward Nordic ski teams. Divide Ski Area is a unique Nordic skiing venue, winding through old-growth spruce forest with several ups, downs, and corners.

Girls’ Varsity Race winner Tania Boonstra. Girls’ varsity is in position to start the race. Photos by Seward Folly Staff, 02/13/26

Jason Leslie, the Seward Seahawk ski coach and Friday’s race director, reflected on the day: “This is our first race at the Divide Ski Trails, I think, in about three years, and conditions are perfect. It’s sunny, and we have lots of new snow. It’s a little bit soft, which isn’t as fast for racing, but it doesn’t hurt as badly when you fall. So it’s really nice.”

He continued, “I encourage people to come ski up here. There are a lot of hills with tight corners, but when the snow is soft, it’s a really fun place to ski. It’s actually been really great ski conditions since December. The team hasn’t had to travel far for conditioning.”

Jordan Theisen, assistant coach for the Kenai High School Nordic Ski Team, also appreciates the technical challenge of the Divide Ski Course: “The course is all-encompassing for all aspects of the freestyle ski technique, often referred to as skate skiing. You can V1, V1 alt., V2, power skate, tuck skate, and step turn. You can do these things all over the course. If you are learning to do these things, it’s a great place to practice. If you’re someone who already excels at these things, you’ll be the one winning.”

Coach Theisen brought a team of 45 skiers.

JV Girls on the course. Photos by Seward Folly Staff, 02/13/26

Indigo Leslie, the Seward Seahawks’ top varsity skier, enjoyed her experience on the course: “It was good. It was fun. We had an interval start with lots of scratches, so I never saw anyone while I was racing, so it was hard to push myself. The snow was good, and by the second lap, it had gotten roughed up a lot, so it was a little sketchy around the corners. I see mile 12 so many times that it’s not that scary for me, but I can see how it would be for others. It was fun to have a ski race at home.”

Throughout the day, the mood among the skiers was jubilant. In fact, the top varsity boys decided to race shirtless under their cotton bibs.

Darr Fletcher, a sophomore at Kenai High School, explained, “We decided to do the fun shirtless race today because we do our regionals race, and then we do this Boroughs race. It’s kind of a stepdown or a fun race before State, and we get to goof around a little bit more than normal.”

Boys’ Varsity mimicking Olympic 10K racers, and skiing without shirts. Photos by Seward Folly Staff, 02/13/26

Olie Dahl, a sophomore from Soldotna, added, “A guy in the Olympic 10K race yesterday had his shirt off because it’s really hot there. I think I saw about five. They were just going for it, with shirts off in Italy. I thought it would be pretty cool, but it was team Kenai that decided to do it, and I’m just following along.”

The last and largest race of the day was the boys’ JV event. While they kept their shirts on, some skiers, like Reid Rauch, enjoyed the course: “I really, really enjoyed this race. A lot of it is small hills, keeping your momentum, and that makes all the difference. It’s something I’ve been practicing. I really liked the race.” Reid went on to win the JV race.

For other JV boy competitors, the tight corners were a challenge. Several didn’t make a hairpin corner between Luna and Paradise Loops, while another had a full yardsale crash meters from the finish line. Once he was up, another skier ran into him, sending the timers and spectators stumbling back. As one timer reflected, “This was the most action-packed ski race I’ve ever seen.”

JV Boys are managing the tight corners and readying for the race. Photos by Seward Folly Staff, 02/13/26

With plenty of snow, Divide Ski Area remains a lively hub for the local ski community.

The Kenai Peninsula Nordic Ski Teams departed today for the State Competition at Government Hill in Mat-Su. The three-day meet begins with a 5K freestyle race on February 19, followed by a 7.5K classic ski race on Friday. The event wraps up Saturday with a four-person relay.

Divide Ski Area, Trail River Campground, Bear Lake, Iditarod Trail, and Exit Glacier are areas regularly groomed by Seward Nordic Ski Club volunteers with grooming equipment, funded by SCF, ACF, and member donations. For more information, go to: sewardnordicskiclub.org