Sunday was one of the bigger racing days for Vermont skiers: the Eastern High School/U16 Qualifier. This is a huge endeavor with all the teams in Vermont (public HS, club team, and ski academies) all converging on one venue for nonstop racing…a mens and women’s 3km classic, followed by a men’s and women’s 3km skate.
This year the races were held at Rikert, which had ample snow to begin with and then picked up a few extra inches Saturday night. It was beautiful!
The classic races got interesting because the sun came out and things warmed up quite a bit in a short timeframe. There was dry snow underneath as a base, with more moisture and loose snow on top that was starting to get packed and compressed. It was definitely more of a tricky day than many of us probably bargained for (or anticipated) but that’s the fun of our sport. And it was a great reminder of why we do stuff like classic rollerskiing on slippery astroturf and car wax.
Our crew skied well and handled a very tough 3km classic course well! As the preparation turned to skating, some light snow began to fall and the sun went away. The skate course was “easy” on paper with a long gradual uphill and long gradual downhill, but what that really means is “no recovery” and a full effort the whole way.
Always ready to bring the music to the people (whether they want it or not?) our boys finished their race and were immediately back out on the trails with their Soundboks speakers to cheer on the girls. Levi Peters captured this cool photo which says all you need to know about that!
At a ski race, you are competing directly against others. There’s no way around it: the timing system provides a pretty objective view of how fast each person skied the course.
It would be so simple if we could keep it at that one layer. How fast can you go? How fast did those other people go? Ok, cool!
The thing is, even the most consistent competitor who seems to always win and is never flustered or faltering is not a robot. Each ski race is a bit of a Venn diagram of competitors…some you race against nearly every event, others you come across from time to time at a larger regional race, and some you may have never seen on snow before.
As a racer, there are probable some skiers you have history with. Maybe you always used to beat them in the BKL days, but now they’re way ahead of you. Is it something in the water over in Craftsbury/Putney/Jackson/Bethel? Are they doing something different with their training? Did they actually start training after all this time? What’s harder to realize, and extremely hard to appreciate in the moment, is that in many cases as a racer you are that skier that might’ve never beaten a rival in the early days, and are now ahead of them with regularity. We tend to only see that relationship from one side, and it’s too often the negative side.
Charlotte on the charge in the skate race
Isaiah with his trademark orange hat and balanced technique
Each day this past weekend in Waterville, the final race was the U16 boys competition. In both a skate interval start and a classic mass start, the top spot came down to an absolute battle between Jorgen Pirrung (MNC) and Matthew Northcott (Caldwell Sport). These two guys know each other well, and have been at or near the top of most U16 races. Jorgen is about 6′ 3″ and skis with a powerful, glide-heavy style. Matthew is closer to 5′ 4″ and skis with an energetic, snappy and crisp style. They are living proof that skiing does not have a singularly advantageous build!
In Saturday’s individual start race, Matthew started 30 seconds behind Jorgen, meaning Sara and Kristen and I could easily take splits and know how they stacked-up against one another. Which one was the hero, and which was the villain? You might expect the answer to vary based on which one you were asking, but put a pin in that thought.
With two laps of a 2.5km course, and three coaches spread out across the loop, we could report that during at least 6 (and more if you could scoping through the trees) checkpoints Jorgen and Matthew were never separated by more than 5 seconds. Matthew would be ahead, then Jorgen, then Matthew. It didn’t seem to depend on whether they were on the hilly part of the course or the flat field section: they just went back and forth the whole time like a street racing scene from the Fast and the Furious:
In the end, Jorgen took the win and Matthew followed close behind. That of course set things up for an intense classic mass start day on Sunday. But the U16 boys race was the final event in a busy day of racing for everyone…
Things dawned cold and clear. It was a brisk -11F outside, and we arrived to a frozen trailer. We even had to bring the space heater and propane heater into the cab of the truck for a little bit to get it going, in order to then heat the inside of the trailer. The start was delayed, which was actually an un-welcome update given the lengthy travel home but…racing was wonderful with no wind, firm tracks, and great snow.
Charlotte held things down for MNC in the open women’s race. Seven was down-for-the-count with the sickness that has been rampaging through the skiers these days after a super successful (but super tiring) trip to Europe for IBU Junior Cup racing. Charlotte moved up almost 10 places from her starting seed though, and made the most of a classic mass start that was essentially a cold and snowy xc running race!
Niko charging up “Hero’s Hill”
In the open men’s race things got splintered quite early thanks to the impressive efforts of Ford Sayre skier and skyrunner extraordinaire James Underwood, who used a tried-and-true tactic of “make them all suffer right from the start” to spread out the field. But an MNC skier with a distinctive blue and white hat could be seen getting a little closer to the front every lap…in fact his time splits across each checkpoint in race went 28th->19th->11th->11th->7th. It was Niko Cuneo out there absolutely charging through the field with his best distance race yet for 12th overall. 10 places back was Lorenzo who used a similar smooth strategy and tactical skills working with the skiers around him to nab his best finish in 22nd, while Pat also continued to impress with his improved classic skiing. Anders and Nico had tougher days with bodies that just weren’t responding, but will bounce back no doubt.
There was plenty of excitement leading into the U16 girls mass start, because the day prior in the skate race something pretty special had happened. The MNC girls SWEPT! That’s right, a bona-fide 1-2-3 finish, making good on what Acadia, Astrid and Mia demonstrated at the last Eastern Cup in Lake Placid. As far as I know, this is the first time MNC has swept an EC podium of any kind!
Mia (on her first lap) and Acadia (on her second) charging together in sync during Saturday’s skate race
So it had to be on everyone’s mind…could they do it again? In a mass start near the front, you always know what place you’re in. Other skiers would surely work hard to claim a place on the podium, and there had to be some targets on the backs of the MNC girls. It was definitely a tense situation, but Mia, Astrid and Acadia wasted no time in getting right up to the front:
Charging at the front. But wait, there are only two here, not three..
Starting the descents from the high point of the course, it was MNC in the top three spots when Mia crashed! With both poles flung out of her grips, she had to scramble to a ditch to get them back on, and climb back up to the trail. At the end of the first lap of two, it was Acadia and Astrid charging up Hero’s Hill together. Antonia from SMS was starting to fade about 15 seconds back, out of sight around the turns. And then into view came Mia with her own 15 second gap to close on Antonia.
It was clear by watching them ski that Acadia and Astrid were going to make it a 1-2, barring any other crashes. But the sweep was now in jeopardy unless Mia could get closer to-
OH WAIT
-I barely had time to register the thought before out from around the field section emerged Mia, now well ahead of Antonia and closing back in on Acadia and Astrid. With an awesome display of composure from Mia in the second half of the race, the back-to-back podium sweep was complete! Acadia charged furiously up the final few short hills looking like she could head right out for a third lap, and for the second race in a row Astrid proved that she has the ability to dig so deep that I think I can see her soul starting to drift away from her body as she barely hangs onto conscious thought and the ability to move her legs.
“I feel like I physically aged three years after that race,” blurted an exhausted Mia at the finish.
“I think you aged three years emotionally after that race,” I replied.
Making some MNC history!
But even after the excitement of sweeping both days, there was still one more race to go on this coastal edge of the New England ski world: It was time for the rematch between Jorgen and Matthew.
With the MNC boys clearly visible on the start line thanks to their matching orange hunting hats (Isaiah Bowen style) it was easier than ever to glance through the woods and see how things were shaping up throughout the race. James and Isaiah started off in the back of the “peloton” but moved up and up throughout the race, finding their best finishes yet. Liam got a taste of the tougher side of the Quarry Road trails, but will be back for the BKL Fest in March with a level of experience he’s never had before.
At the front of the race, two skiers broke away and were locked in a back-and-forth battle much like the day prior. The only difference was, this was playing out in real time, and it was even tighter than 5 seconds at a pop. Often skiing in adjacent tracks, rather than one-behind-the-other, Matthew and Jorgen might as well have been engaged in a choreographed kung fu battle. Matthew would make a push over the top of a hill, and Jorgen would catch him on the corresponding downhill. Jorgen would push into the start of a climb, and Matthew would be forced to respond.
In the end, how else could it possibly end but with a sprint finish and a lunge for the line? You’ll have to watch yourself to see how it played-out:
Yup, it was win #2 in a row for Jorgen! But even though Kristen captured the footage above (which was further validated by the official Bullitt Timing finish camera) it was an unknown outcome for a little bit. In their heads, Jorgen and Matthew might’ve been hoping to come out on top, or hoping the other would end up behind.
But they instead looked around and wondered aloud, “can they just keep it as a tie?”
After two days, two races, and continuous trading of the lead, both would’ve been absolutely fine with a conclusion in which both rivals came out on top and shared the win. It turns out that you can have fierce competition without necessarily having a hero/villain narrative.
The 2025 Craftsbury Marathon felt like a true “classic” event, with frigid early morning temperatures leading into to bright sunshine and firm classic tracks for all.
Chilly drive through Wolcott
Coach Sara and I set our alarms for an early wakeup in order to secure an indoor space in the lower wax room at the Outdoor Center (the thermometer on my car said -13 on the drive through Wolcott) and we succeeded with our choice of benches. The MNC flag denoted our “home” for Masters to check in and receive kick and glide support on their skis.
I think it’s worth noting here that Sara and I both started our MNC coaching careers at the same time: the summer of 2015. So, 2025 marks the start of our 10th year working together. I like to think this makes us pretty dialed when it comes to our preferences for kick and glide (in terms of ski feel) and our timelines and process for preparing race skis. We used the MNC test skis to work through a number of options for both kicking wax and cover waxes, eventually settling on a result that would probably surprise nobody: Start Oslo.
We really love these waxes, and race on them quite frequently. Many suggest that Oslo waxes are “too slow” to be effective race waxes, but at MNC we are frequently covering Oslo, mixing it with other waxes or klister, and applying them via an iron. In short, we manipulate the Oslo wax in a variety of ways to get it to our liking. Also, let’s be real: even if it’s a little slow, don’t you prefer to have kick in a classic race?
Despite the fact that it comes in a regular-looking kickwax tin, our favorite way to apply Start Oslo is via an iron. A few have asked about this method, so I took a few extra minutes at Craftsbury to film a clip of the process. This is fast, simple, and waaaay less hassle than trying to cork this goopy mess.
For this race, our final wax decision was Start Oslo Blue under the toe, with Start Oslo Green on the rest of the kickzone. This was all ironed in (over a hardwax binder) and then cooled. We then covered it with a cold green wax…actually a homemade combination of Guru Super Halgier and Rode B310. We call this mixed wax “Fairbanks” if that gives any indication of when you’d pull it out of the box. The cover was very lightly applied over the top of the cooled Oslo, and corked very subtly…not enough to mix it into the Oslo, but rather to create a shell layer above it.
After the gun went off, Sara and I brought a wax bench up to the upper field and put some corks and Toko Red out as “emergency wax” for anybody interested. Last year was a klister day, and Coach Rosemary brought out the speedy wax roller and offered an extra layer or two for anyone skiing by who needed it…so we decided to keep that tradition alive.
As the racers made their way through the event, Sara and I met up with Junior skier Mia Gorman and waxed up our skis for the opposite of a ski marathon: a classic old school tour!
We avoided the race course and took the Village Trail toward the town of Craftsbury. There was ample snow and bright sun, and skiing through rolling farm fields got me in a very excited mood. It felt like a vintage day in Norway when you might go out with your family into the woods and have a picnic on the trail. The scenery also reminded me of that famous and still-inspiring old video of Bill Koch ripping around the woods and fields of southern VT!
What a lovely day for a ski tour through the outskirts of Craftsbury
In keeping with the vintage vibes, it was only natural that we ski over to the general store (Genny) in town. We purchased a locally-made fresh baguette and a block of cheddar cheese, and I was really getting into the spirit now. Would we sit on the bench at the store to eat our bread and cheese? Absolutely not: we were going to carry that thing right back to a ski trail along a red barn and rolling hills and eat that stuff on the snow just like you would in the halcyon days!
When we skied back to the Outdoor Center, the race was winding down. Later finishers were making their way to the line, and many MNC athletes were mingling around sharing tales from their efforts. We caught up to hear how everything went, and one thing was for sure: it was an amazing day to be outside regardless of how your race went! It felt extra special to be both a part of the race event and a memorable, idyllic cruise around the casual trails. Our sport can be truly rewarding in many different ways.
Congrats to all of the MNC racers, and good luck to those racing in the skate marathon event, too!
It’s time for the Craftsbury Marathon! You can expect conditions to be amazing, and probably better than what Craftsbury might promote online…they tend to undersell it, you could say.
Saturday’s classic race looks cold to start, but warming up to reasonable (mid-teens) temps by noon. Add in sun, and you have a recipe for the perfect classic day!
Sunday might involve a bit of snow and more moderate temperatures, but yet again another great ski racing day.
Adam will be present on Saturday: look for MNC either in the basement community wax room, OR look for the MNC tent in the upper or lower field. Adam won’t be present on Sunday, but happy to apply a best-guess wax layer on Saturday!
Classic skis (Saturday)
Clean glide zones (with dedicated glide cleaner) and kick zones. Sand kick zones with 100 grit sandpaper.
Glide:
-Apply one layer of a very cold wax to harden the bases (Start Green, Toko Blue+X-Cold, Swix 5, etc)
-Apply one layer of a mild cold wax such as Swix 6, Rode R20 Blue, or Toko Blue
We will apply a liquid topcoat on Saturday morning. Most likely, we will use Star Next Cold liquid which is reliable, easy to apply, fast to dry, and has good durability! We will also test or look to some structure options on Saturday morning.
If you want to avoid dealing with a liquid topcoat on Saturday morning, a safe bet is Toko Blue liquid, but you must apply this the night before and let it dry at room temperature as long as possible. Scrub with a nylon brush on race morning.
Kick:
Apply a hardwax binder such as Toko Base Green, ironing it in.
We will test kick on race morning. It looks to be a situation where hardwax, or a mix such as Olso, would work well!
Skate skis (Sunday)
Clean glide zones (with dedicated glide cleaner).
-Apply one layer of a very cold wax to harden the bases.
-Apply one layer of a cold-mid range wax as final paraffin layer (Toko Blue, Swix 6, Rode R30 Purple)
A great simple topcoat solution, if applying in advance, would be Toko Blue spray, if you can apply it the night before and let dry completely overnight.
For structure, a very light chevron or cross pattern (such as the Toko Blue 2.0 tool) could be useful!
Tomasi Meadow is skiing GREAT right now! We’ve had a long stretch of cold weather and the snow is sticking around. We never know how long that’ll last in New England, so there’s never been a better time to get out and ski.
If you haven’t been to Tomasi Meadow yet, give it a look! This is a beautiful stretch of conserved land in Underhill, right in the shadow of Mt Mansfield, that our club manages and grooms with the help of Peter Davis.
Skiing is FREE at Tomasi Meadow, and we hope many members of the broader ski community (not just MNC) can enjoy cross country skiing in this wonderful place. Our BKL and Afternoon Masters programs have been making great use of the trails, and on Monday some of our coaches joined a group from the Burlington Parks, Recreation and Waterfront (BPRW) who took a field trip out to ski on a sunny day.
You can always check Peter’s latest grooming report on the snow conditions page, which is also linked right at the bottom of the MNC homepage.
Here’s some photos from Monday, where we experienced bright blue skies and fresh tracks:
Peter, the MNC grooming rig, and Mt Mansfield!
Signage and notes regarding trail use. Thanks for abiding!
MNC Masters skier Tobias enjoys a little skating
If you’ve enjoyed Tomasi Meadow this winter, let others know about it! Share some photos online, tell a friend or family member to check out the trails, or let folks know about the skiing on places like Front Porch Forum. If you’d like to donate to the trails (specifically snow machine fuel and wear-and-tear costs to keep things running) use our Donation Page and mark “Tomasi” in the comments. Thanks!
