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MNC Skiathlon 2020

Wow, what a great day for a ski race! Thanks to Sleepy Hollow for the awesome venue, Christine Massey for being our race director, and all the volunteers, racers, and spectators who came out to be a part of the fun.

With bright sunny skies, beautiful deep snow, and an atmosphere of Nordic passion, the 2020 edition of our Skiathlon race will be one to remember. The location change to Sleepy Hollow meant hosting a race right in our backyard, bringing this big race back to Chittenden County. Although we had the whole round barn for indoor space, the pleasant weather meant that most people chose to enjoy the day out on the snow. Overall we had 135 racers!

Things began with the “What The Heck, I’ll Try It” 5km race, undertaken by a number of folks who have skied but never raced before! And even as that race was still underway, the Open skiers lined up for the longest event of the day.

A first-time racer and a not-so first-time racer getting after it! Steve’s first time rocking that hairdo

Rick and I had devised the course a week prior, meeting with Eli and Christine to ski various options, measure out lengths, and settle on a reasonable route. Our goal was a course that included mostly gradual climbing for both classic and skate techniques (the race would be the same loop for each technique) without terrifying descents. Given that Sleepy Hollow was operating in full swing, we were tasked to create the course on the Northern side of the trail system.

From Molly’s Meadow, racers headed downhill briefly before swinging onto Potato Farmer. This provided the first gradual uphill, which is the perfect gradient for striding. Some more rolling climbs on Bear Claw, ending with another straight and gradual striding climb, brought racers to Ridge Road. Normally skied in the opposite direction, this part of the course was a fast but very straight tucking downhill.

The last part of the loop is what could be argued as the “technical” section, the trail known as Zig-Zag. True to it’s name, the course features long gradual/flat straighaways that change direction with a few short punchy switchbacks (mostly herringbone in classic, or V1 or coaches-skate in freestyle). A return to Molly’s Meadow either meant another lap (2 laps per technique) or a switch to the skate skis.

Kickwax was definitely a bit interesting with temps warming during the course of the race and some variability between sun and shade. A few who opted to go speedy on the kickwax (Rode T-lines) ended up slipping more than they would have preferred, while others going the Toko Red/Toko Yellow route were in a slightly better position. Despite this being a non-fluoro race, the snow during the skate leg was extremely fast due to ideal weather and grooming conditions!

Off to the races!

MNC Juniors taking the race SUPER seriously!

MNC packed the results sheet with a TON of racers. Thanks again to everyone who came out!

But the day was just getting started, as BKL races were lined up for the whole afternoon. Whether they were racing for a lollipop or sprinting for a lunge with a fierce competitor, all the kids seemed to have a great time and especially enjoy the swoops, turns, and jumps of the skier-cross course which has been a highlight of Sleepy’s grooming this year and, of course, had to be included in the race.

Pack of youngsters ripping through the Nordic Cross course

will race for lollipops!

Preliminary Results

Photo Album

 

Geschmossel Masters Trip: Meet @ Richmond Park and Ride

THE RACE FOR THE CLUB CUP IS TIGHT and our club is within striking distance. Never before have we held this close to the top of the leaderboard, with only a few key points separating us from the lead. Remember, everyone that races scores points for the Club Cup, regardless of your ability level or speed. The Club Cup is most often won by participation number, NOT by hardcore racers. The best opportunity to close the gap is the Geschmossel ski race

This event features a beautiful, gentle course and conditions are looking fantastic with a big storm of new snow hitting New England on Saturday.

Geschmossel MNC Trip Info

We will have a TEAM VAN for Masters looking to race this event…just jump in the van and focus on your race. Coach Adam will drive the van (12 available seats assuming we remove the rear 2 seats to fit team and personal gear) down to Bretton Woods. MNC will provide wax and waxing help, though if you have your own wax you are encouraged to utilize it.

Depart: 7:30AM from Richmond Park and Ride

Arrive: 9:45AM

Tent set-up, bib pickup, wax testing, etc

Race begins: 11:00AM

Awards: 1:00PM

Ride back: 1:30PM, with stop for libations at the delicious Bethlehem Village Store

NENSA EVENT PAGE

SKIREG REGISTRATION

Image result for geschmossel ski race

 

MNC Skiathlon Recap

We had bright sun and amazing conditions for this year’s MNC Skiathlon! Racers from lollipop age to seasoned Masters all competed on Sunday in one of the club’s premier events. The day began frigid, but the clear skies and abundant sun warmed things up and the atmosphere was fun and exciting. Icy klister and fast snow were the conditions on-hand, and our racers all did great.

7th/8th grade girls heading out on course

Thanks so much to our great events supporters: Skirack, Toko, Rossignol, and of course Craftsbury for putting together an immaculate venue as always. We also had an army of MNC volunteer making sure things ran smoothly! Whether in the timing booth, the registration table, or on the snow, our club pulled off another successful day.

Carl showing the Lollipop skiers the way!

Mike and Kort racing up the steep Chip Hill

Results  can be viewed HERE

Photos (including above) from Dave Priganc can be viewed HERE.

Photos (from Paul Bierman) can be viewed HERE.

Crosscut Classic 2018!

The first big Zak and Club Cup race, right in our backyard, kicked off this past Sunday with the Crosscut Classic hosted by Stowe Nordic! MNC had a great turnout and many racers of all ages. Our BKL skiers ended up being the large majority of the kids race, and we had competitors in the U14 class all the way up to the older Masters.

Cold temps were no surprise after a brutal few weeks of thick hats and face tape…this made for simple waxing and beautiful striding conditions. The course wound uphill with some smooth sections and gradients before a couple of steep “Klaebo-style” steeps that required a run or herringbone. From there is was a rollercoaster ride down hills that were fast and flowing, but not so crazy that you had to get out of the tracks much. You could “ride the rails” around some smooth bends and dips, before hammering it home to the stadium.

Below are a few select photos from Dave Priganc, with a link to the full album at the bottom (along with results). Enjoy!

Magda winning the U16 girl’s race

Men and women all raced together in the 10k! Coach Adam and Ava sending some fun downhills near the finish

Karen does a lot of legwork to get folks psyched to race, and this one was no exception. We had a great turnout!

Kids on the start line for the BKL race. Lots of MNC suits! Congrats to Esther on the win 🙂

A group of the masters staying warm!

RESULTS

PHOTOS from Dave Priganc

The next Masters race opportunity, the Geschmossel, is taking place next Monday! MNC is just a bit shy of the podium in the NENSA Club Cup and we definitely want to make that jump up! At these events EVERYONE who races helps score points so don’t be shy about signing up and hitting the start line in some really fun and exciting races.

Geschmossel registration page

New England Club Relay Championships *^

This past March was our inaugural event, which had about 35 teams. The event is designed to create a fun atmosphere where we encourage everyone from first time racers to top collegiate athletes to team up in <200 and >200 year combined age groups. Each 4 person relay team will ski 2 legs of classic technique followed by 2 legs of skate technique.  Awards will be given out to the first place team in men’s, women’s, and mixed in both the <200 and >200 combined age groups. All official teams must be made up of all members from the same club in order to score club points to determine the team results. Unofficial teams made up of people from different clubs will be eligible for prizes but not score for the club points. The event was a real hit with all those who attended last year.

Race Information:

4 person mass start relay with 5km of classic and 5km of skate technique. Race starts at 11:00 AM.

Registration Information:  Registration via SkiReg

MNC member  looking for a team?

As last year, we are encouraging MNC members of all ages and abilities to cap off the season with some spring racing and a challenge to score lots of points for the Club Cup.  This is a race for everyone: teams can be mixed in gender, all ages, and all abilities.

So if you are looking for a team please sign-up on MNC Relay Sign-Up google form.  Provide your name, preferred technique or any other requests and we will do the rest matching people up.

Please sign-up by 3/19.  On 3/20 we will finalize teams and designate team captains to manage registration for their team members.

For volunteer signup CLICK HERE


^ MNC New Racer Friendly – Never raced before but would like to try?  These races have been identified as great places to give it a try.

* MNC Masters Target Race – This race is part of MNC’s  Masters target race series.  Whether you are new or an experienced racer, come join MNC Masters for a fun day of racing.  MNC skiers and Coaches will be available to provide wax support, race advice and share post race  stories.  For more information and to get on our weekly mail list contact Karen at kalence@comcast.net

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