Women Off Piste - December

Women Off Piste, captained by Christine Brimley, has run the Wasatch Back two years in a row. Their group formed when they discovered that early morning runs were a good way to bond while doing something they loved. They get together 4-5 times a week and enjoy every minute of it.

We asked Christine about her most memorable Ragnar Relay moment and this is what she said, "During the 2005 Wasatch Back we had 12 Barbie’s mounted to our vehicles. Each Barbie represented a team member and each was posing in a wacky position. Throughout the race many teams asked if they could take pictures with our van. The excitement our Barbies generated was a lot of fun and allowed us to meet many other race participants. After one particular exchange we returned to our van and discovered that one of the Barbies was missing. In it's place we found a note telling us to slow down if we ever wanted to see her again. Unwilling to yield, we continued on our journey. A couple of hours later we were startled to see sirens blaring and lights flashing as a police officer pulled us over. The officer walked up to our drivers window and asked the driver to exit the vehicle. Once she got out of the van he handed her a photograph and a note. The note read 'Barbie is a little scared but she is doing ok. She wants to come home. If you want to see her again leave 6 bottles of gatorade at the next exchange'. The photo, taken only an hour or two earlier, showed a man with a pair of black running shorts over his head. He was holding a knife to Barbie's throat. The team that had taken Barbie for ransom somehow managed to find time to take the picture, develop it, and recruit a police officer to deliver it. At the next exchange we happily left 6 empty bottles of Gatorade, but Barbie didn't show up. We waited desperately for the return of Barbie but by the end of the race we realized she wasn't coming home."

Despite the warnings and ransom notes, Women Off Piste finished first in the Women's division and 9th overall. And don't worry; months after the Wasatch Back Barbie was returned safely home.

Of her team and their first place finish Christine says, "There's nothing special about us, we're just wives and mothers". We think they are great examples of dedicated women who embody the Ragnar spirit. Awesome job ladies!