2018 Ouray Ice Festival is Biggest Ever
With record attendance, this year's Ice Fest featured the usual mix of top-quality clinics, exciting competitions and highly quaffable beverages.
Unlock this article and more benefits with 40% off.
Already have an Outside Account? Sign in
40% Off Outside+.
$4.99/month $2.99/month*
Get the one subscription to fuel all your adventures.
- Map your next adventure with our premium GPS apps: Gaia GPS Premium and Trailforks Pro.
- Read unlimited digital content from 15+ brands, including Outside Magazine, Triathlete, Ski, Trail Runner, and VeloNews.
- Watch 600+ hours of endurance challenges, cycling and skiing action, and travel documentaries.
- Learn from the pros with expert-led online courses.
*Outside memberships are billed annually. Print subscriptions available to U.S. residents only. You may cancel your membership at anytime, but no refunds will be issued for payments already made. Upon cancellation, you will have access to your membership through the end of your paid year. More Details
The 23rd annual Ouray Ice Festival is a wrap! Weather on Sunday turned blustery with blizzard conditions descending on the Ice Park for the speed competition, but the weather for the mixed competition on Saturday was plum.
As always, the Festival was a rip-roaring good time well beyond the competition: there were clinics, demos and merriment to spare. According to Ralph Tingey, a member of the Ouray Ice Park’s Board of Directors, 2018’s edition had the highest attendance of any Ouray Ice Festival to date.
The Canadian alpinist Nathan Kutcher won the mixed competition for his second ever title at the Festival, following a victory in 2012. Ryan Vachon finished in second and Angelika Rainer took third. For the full results, see the end of the article.
The route—weighing in at a grade of approximately M10—separated competitors just enough: the three medalists, in addition to fourth-place finisher Sam Elias and fifth-place finisher Will Gadd, were the only climbers to top the route. As a reward for reaching the top of the wall, Kutcher, Vachon, Rainer, Elias and Gadd were each gifted a shot of tequila, as is tradition at the Festival. Dangling from the finishing hold, they each dutifully downed it.
Kutcher wrote on Instagram after the competition, “Last year Ryan beat me by 10 seconds. This year I won by only 4 seconds! Two years ago I came to Ouray and was in the best shape of my life. That year the ice I was hooking broke and I came in almost last. In competition anything can happen.”
He continued, “This year I didn’t feel like I was in the best shape but I climbed with commitmentand pushed myself right to the line of falling off without crossing it. I could have topped out and been proud of that. It’s a tough field.”
On Sunday, the speed competition took place in decidedly less beneficial conditions for the athletes and spectators alike. The low temps and gusting winds made for an exciting event that saw Beth Goralski take home gold for the women, followed by Angelika Rainer and Sarah Hueniken in second and third, respectively. On the men’s side, Liam Foster finished in first, followed by Marcus Garcia (Foster’s coach!) and Sam Elias.
Mixed Competition Results – 2018 Ouray Ice Festival
- Nathan Kutcher
- Ryan Vachon
- Angelika Rainer
- Sam Elias
- Will Gadd
- Sarah Hueniken
- Tyler Kempney
- Rudi Hauser
- Wesley Fowler
- Liam Foster
- Jedrezj Jablonsi
- Marcus Garcia
- Kennan Griscom
- Grant Kleeves
- Jesse Huey
- Aaron Mulkey
- Luke Negley
- Chris Gibisch
- Scott Bennett
- Alex Novikov
- Katie Bono
- Beth Goralski
- Rebecca Lewis
- Dawn Glanc
- Rafal Andrownowski
- Luke Lydiard
- Hashimoto Tsubasa
- Susan Owen
- Georgia Witchel
- Anna Pfaff