From EABC’s John Madigan:Hello Folks!We are looking forward to racing at the range in Jericho again this winter and excited to host the US Biathlon East Regional Cup #2 on Saturday January 15th and Sunday the 16th, 2022. January is coming upon us quickly. With the Canadian border now open, we can expect a large competitive field of racers. Saturday will be a Sprint race and Sunday will be a Mass Start! Always one of the most exciting races to watch.
In order to make these races happen we need your help. Many of you have been very generous with your time. Weekends can be very busy for everyone, but if you are able to spare one or two mornings that weekend it would be a tremendous help. As always training will be provided to all volunteers on whatever your assignment may be.
Let us know if you are interested in helping and please invite your friends to help out as well. For those of you that continue to come back year after year, it is your enthusiasm, sense of fun, and great attitudes that make events at our range some of the best in the country. Thanks for all the help in the past and in the future. Feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions.
Best,
John Madigan
Ethan Allen Biathlon Club
802 373 5777jpmad2013@yahoo.com
Author Archive | Adam Terko
Craftsbury Opener Weekend
The first one is in the books! Not just timetrials or intervals, but real racing with stiff competition and all of the familiar elements of a Nordic weekend took place at Craftsbury over the weekend.
Many of the MNC Juniors, along with some Masters and older BKL skiers, donned the race bibs for a skate sprint and classic distance race on fully manmade snow (some if it the remains of snow from last year, dutifully saved under sawdust by Craftsbury). Saturday was all about braving the rain, as soaking conditions meant everyone went through every pair of gloves they owned.
The “Royals Court” format meant skiers got to race three head-t0-head rounds against competition of similar speed…finishing top 2 in your heat moved you up in the brackets, finishing in spots 3 or 4 kept you in the same bracket, and finishing 5th or 6th dropped you to a different bracket. This meant each heat was tough as you were vying for position among very comparable opponents! The MNC crew got a lot of practice trying different tactics, like leading from the start, or holding back for a late push. While there may not have been a lot of warming-up or cooling-down (aside from sitting in a huddle around the heater in the trailer) in the midst of the racing everyone was only thinking of pushing hard and not the crazy weather.
On Sunday everyone was treated to calm skies and a warming sun for some klister classic skiing. This distance classic race brought even more competition, as skiers from EMXC (formerly CSU) and Ford Sayre joined the likes of MNC, GMVS, Craftsbury, NWVE, UVM, Gunstock, SMC, and more. It was quite a miniature Eastern Cup, you could say.
I am incredibly proud of how all the Juniors handled the day. From arriving and getting themselves situated, to testing wax and making race-time decisions, everything went very smoothly. This entire summer and fall has been a theme of young athletes taking the professionalism and quality of their everyday interactions with the sport to a higher level. Oh, and don’t forget all that training the crew did! Clearly that paid off with some stellar early-season results. Whether a skier had a great result, or a result they weren’t pyched on, they were coming to me with reflections, analysis, and plans rather than just a “yes!” or “shoot…” attitude.
Results via Bullitt Timing:
Can’t wait for Waterville!
Virtual Team Meeting/Wax Tip: Rodrigues/Kendall Weekend
The first races of the season are approaching this weekend. We’ve got a rainy, warm day in the works for Saturday’s Rodrigues Sprints, and a cool night for plenty of ice leading into the Kendall Classic.
For ski prep:
- Iron a layer of blue or green paraffin into skate and classic skis. Scrape and brush. Hard wax adds durability and is a great way to start every wax job.
- Skate skis: Apply a layer of yellow/warm paraffin wax of your choosing (Toko Yellow, CH10, etc). Scrape and brush.
- Classic skis: Apply a layer of medium/warm paraffin wax of your choosing (Toko Red, CH8, etc). Scrape and brush.
- Clean and mark all kick zones on classic skis. Choose white base/warm skate skis and stiffer/klister skis if you have an option.
The MNC trailer will be located in the lower parking lot. It is a black trailer that’s currently unmarked, but MNC flags and paraphernalia will be located around the vicinity. Stop by for final coats of race wax or structure if you have not already provided skis to Adam.
Virtual team meeting notes: Saturday
- Please plan to arrive at least one hour before race start (start is 9AM). Check-in at the trailer, and plan on skis being ready 10-15 minutes before the qualifier start. Skis outside the trailer in the wooden racks are ready to race.
- A good warmup is key! For sprints we like to do a lot of intensity…some L3 followed by 2-3 minutes at L4 pace is recommended. You want to go to the start line breathing pretty heavy and fully ready to give it your all.
- Please note the very busy schedule. You will finish your qualifier race and shortly thereafter a list of heats will be created. 6 skiers per heat, with heats going off continuously.
- MNC will try to bring a tent near the start/finish area to keep bags dry: it would be best to keep a bag with lots of dry clothes/hats/gloves safely in this spot so that you can always have access to warmth even if you cannot go all the way back-and-forth to the trailer.
- After the conclusion of all your heats, bring skis to the trailer for a quick clean and travel wax layer!
Virtual team meeting notes: Sunday
- Plan to arrive at least one hour before your start: 90 minutes is ideal. Note that this race is individual start now, with age groups going off at separate times. If you are a Junior that has not provided skis to Adam yet, please make sure to arrive with plenty of time to get that taken care of.
- The goal is to have skis ready to test 25-30 minutes before your race start. Pick skis up at trailer, and give them a test before reporting back for changes or touch-up. A great way to structure this is to plan a warmup that is set up to have you doing some intensity while you test race skis, so that you get a feel for the skis at race pace.
- At the conclusion of your race, bring skis back to the trailer for a cleaning and travel wax layer.
Racing licenses/Registrations
Juniors (and parents),
Please read below for lots of information regarding race registrations, racing licenses, and more. This is a confusing and headache-inducing part of the sport, but it is necessary for our racing each season.
USSS (US Ski and Snowboard)
A US Ski and Snowboard license is required for all Eastern Cup competitions. You can get this license from the official website here:
My USSA | my.usskiandsnowboard.org
If you want to be ranked and scored for Eastern Cup races, you will need the more expensive Competitor’s License. Without this license you will not receive points, will not be ranked or eligible for Junior Nationals qualification, and you will start every race (individual or mass start) from the back of the field. College teams and coaches view points as valuable recruiting tools, so regardless of JN qualification, without points you will be at a disadvantage if interested in skiing in college.
If you are not at all interested in Junior Nationals or having a points profile, you can still register for a General Membership from US Ski and Snowboard and compete in Eastern Cup races.
Here are some FAQ pages from US Ski and Snowboard:
2021-22 XC U.S. Ski & Snowboard membership FAQ
Cross Country Memberships
Note: for U20 athletes (18 and older) there are several other requirements such as a background screening and Safesport training. If you have not already done so, please acquire your membership ASAP to finalize and meet these requirements.
NENSA (New England Nordic Ski Association)
NENSA is the regional governing body for our sport. NENSA is the organization that puts on Eastern Cup races, and as such you will need a NENSA membership to compete in these events. You can sign up for a NENSA membership below, and remember to select Mansfield Nordic Club as your club!
Note that if you have never had a NENSA membership before, your first year of membership is FREE!
SkiReg (Race Registration)
SkiReg.com is the site that NENSA (and many other hosts) use for race registration. You can make an account at SkiReg, or you can check-out as a guest for each event.
Please pay close attention to the registration closing dates and times for events, listed at the top of each event page, which indicates when registration is NO LONGER AVAILABLE. Most all competitive Nordic races have a deadline and do NOT accept day-of-race entries, so making this deadline is extremely important.
Signing up for races
MNC does not register racers or teams in bulk. For NENSA events, each athlete must individually register themselves for the race(s).
When signing up on SkiReg, either as a guest or with an account, please list your club as “Mansfield Nordic Club” (all spelled out, capitalized). This is more a matter of consistency in results and final scoring documents: it is a clean and efficient way to find and view your results, rather than a hodgepodge of “Mansfield Nordic” or “MNC” or “Mansfield NC” etc.
Masters Training cancelled 12/7 (and likely 12/9)
Conditions at the Range have been described this morning (Monday) as a few hundred meters of icy snow to ski out-and-back on. Given the rain and warmth throughout the day, those conditions have only worsened. This doesn’t allow us the ability to host group training in a safe or functional manner, and so we will need to continue postponing our first official Masters training and skiing until either:
a) More natural snow or
b) More cold days/nights to continue snowmaking operations
While we wait for snow in one form or another, you can check out a few updates on ski-related content and engagement on this blog post below.
A few other reminders about Masters programming:
- You can find the Masters Training Doc at this link. This is the hub for technique and session details.
- You can find the Range Snow Report on Twitter here, or on the upper right of the MNC homepage
- Registering for MNC programs can be done at this link.
