Frank Nickels Memorial Masters Race Background

The race is held annually in memory of Frank Nickels, a life long Enumclaw resident who grew up in CMAC and continued racing Masters.  He died of throat cancer in 2009.  His sister, Carolyn Nickels from San Francisco along with other members of the Nickels family attended the 2011 race.  Scott Nickels of Enumclaw raced in the 2011 event.  The Nickels family donated the perpetual trophies that live in the Trophy Case.

The first Frank Nickels GS was held in 2009.  Heavy, deep snow prevented the running of race.  That year all class 6 men (Frank was Class 6 when he died) lined up at the start on Gold Hills and powder skied to the bottom.  The first one down was awarded the Frank Nickels trophy.  Bob Gue won.  In 2010 we could not find a date for the race and so it was not held.  In 2011 the winner of Men's Class 6 was John Forsen. 

Prior to 2011 the annual Masters Race at Crystal was called the Rosenquist/Vala Masters Race.

The Rosenquist/Vala Masters race was run a total of 19 times from 1989 to 2010.  It was not run in 1990, 2005 (year of no snow) and 2009 (road out due to flooding and land slides).  Knut Olberg, Mens Class 9 had his name on a trophy all 19 times.