Archive | Masters Blog

Thanks for an amazing season!

This Saturday, MNC held our annual end-of-season party to celebrate a great 2016/2017. No manmade snow was required to make for a great day of skiing, as another late-season storm brought a few fresh inches of snow to an already-snowy Vermont! It served as a good metaphor, to say the least: no matter how great our seasons are, Mansfield Nordic can always look for more!

Thank you so much to EVERYONE involved with MNC at any level: skiers, parents, volunteers, coaches, board members, the Range groomers, the National Guard, our great sponsors (Toko, Bobo’s, Skirack, Rossignol, Rudy Project, Dee PT) and all of the great skiers and community members that make our sport such a joy!

At our event, we also said a very special thanks to Sharon Henry and Gary Solow, who have contributed unimaginable amounts of their own time and energy to help organize events, capture photos, rally volunteers, and handle all manner of gatherings. Many, many thanks Sharon and Gary!

Karen gave a very nice speech recognizing all that Sharon and Gary have done for MNC!

Club Relay Championships (and Spring Fling!)

By Adam Terko on 26 March, 2017 in BKL Race Blog, Coaches’ Education, Junior Blog, Masters Blog

This was a busy late-season weekend that featured the inaugural New England Club Relay Championships, hosted by our club! With ample snow, amazing trails, and great support, the Relays were a ton of fun and brought out a LOT of competitors. In a great display of the depth and health of the Vermont ski scene, some competitors had recently returned from All-American performances at NCAA Championships, while some were jumping into their first ski race ever!

Racers from elementary school to Masters age churned up the trails on teams with names that ranged from intimidating (“Jacked-Up Jim and the Wrecking Crew”) to self-deprecating (“MANSA: Moderately Athletic Nordic Ski Association”). Everyone put the hammer down on classic or skate legs and champions were crowned!

The club and racers can’t thank Craftsbury enough for helping make this event happen. From grooming to race setup to volunteers on course and off, there it nothing that the Craftsbury Outdoor Center doesn’t excel at. Many thanks also go out to Jim Fredericks who first brought up the idea of this event and made it a reality.

Sunday was the annual Spring Fling event, a race which many MNC members also contested. With beautiful weather and a tasty BBQ it really capped off the weekend on a great note! You can find results from both Saturday and Sunday’s events below.

Here are a few photos from Gary Solow, with the entire album linked at the bottom. Enjoy!

Action at the start: 3 Juniors who really don’t like to use kickwax. All three here just double-poled the classic course…Will and Brandon on skate skis, Glueck on “shiny” skis or “blank” skis, which are classic skis wax entirely for glide like a skate ski

Classic specialists Karen and Ellie!

Monica and Renate rocking some matching team colors

BKL, Juniors, and Masters…all in the same race!

Ali tagging off to Aidan, who was soon being chased out on course by Adam 😉

Steve and Steve, part of the Wrecking Crew

MANSA represent!

Find more photos from Gary Solow HERE

Relay results by category Club Totals | BKL |<200 Men | <200 Mixed BKL | >199 Men | >199 Mixed | >199 Women

Spring Fling results

NE Club Relay Champs Wax Rec

By Adam Terko on 21 March, 2017 in BKL Race Blog, Junior Blog, Masters Blog

Note: this initial recommendation is being posted on 3/21 (Tuesday) and is subject to change pending weather updates.

For this race Adam will be on-hand with all the MNC wax, ready to test and help with classic wax. We can also apply a topcoat to skis on-site to ensure maximum speed! The following recommendations are for prep and race underlayers:

Glide for all skis

Begin with a layer of NF Blue/CH6 or other blue glide wax to harden the base. Scrape and brush.

Apply a layer of SkiGo XC or LF Graphite, or Toko NF or LF Black. Scrape and brush.

Apply the following paraffin depending on your brand preference:

Toko: 1:1 mix of HF Red and HF Yellow

Swix: HF8X

SkiGo: HF Orange

Holmenkol: Racing Mix Yellow

Substitute LF or NF (non fluoro) if applicable!

Classic skis

Thoroughly clean your kick zone, and have it clearly marked

Use 100-grit sandpaper, wrapped around a cork or other flat surface, and lightly abrade the kick zone in a tip-to-tail scrubbing pattern

Club Relay Championships: Time to TEAM UP!

By Adam Terko on 20 March, 2017 in BKL Race Blog, Junior Blog, Masters Blog

If you an MNC member looking for a team please notify us by 3/22.

MNC members of all ages: it’s time to cap off the season with some spring racing and a challenge to score lots of points for the Club Cup…this Saturday is the inaugural New England Club Relay Championships hosted by MNC!

Teams of 4 will compete in a relay consisting of 2 classic legs and 2 freestyle legs. This is a race for everyone: teams can be mixed in gender, all ages, and all abilities. With the recent snow from snowstorm Stella and the impeccable work of the Craftsbury Outdoor Center, you can expect great conditions and a fun time!

For all information (from team signups to volunteering to forming a group to race with) please see THIS LINK

We hope to see as many MNC skiers as possible at this event, and at the Spring Fling the next day! Also, for aspiring female biathletes there will be a Girls with Guns event hosted by members of the US Biathlon Team!

World Cup in Quebec City!

By Kort Longenbach on 20 March, 2017 in BKL Jackrabbits, Junior Blog, Masters Blog

Many MNC members and members of the VT ski community were seen in Quebec City this past weekend to watch the World Cup Finals. Under sunny skies on the Plains of Abraham, it was a great opportunity to see the World’s best compete and see the strong support of spectators from Canada and across New England.

Photo Courtesy of Nick Persampieri

While the Norwegian’s dominated and the Canadian’s were treated to great performances by their hometown favorite Alex Harvey, MNC members had a few favorites in the field as well. Representing team USA were MNC alumni Jack Hegman and Ben Lustgarten.