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BKL Vacation Week – Sleepy Hollow and Craftsbury

By on 23 February, 2024 in BKL Race Blog, BKL Training Schedule

It’s February vacation week and for those vacationing in Vermont we have a couple fun BKL ski options this week. (We don’t have regular Tues/Thurs BKL during February Break, but practice resumes March 5th.) We’ll do some field trips and both Sleepy Hollow and Craftsbury have snow making, so conditions should be good even if the snow melts in town.

Please RSVP and let coaches know that you are coming (There is a tab for each of these events on the spreadsheet)

 

Sunday,February 25th 10:45am-1pm- Ski Games Day with the UVM Ski Team at Sleepy Hollow

Everyone is invited. We’ll play games on skis and have fun with the UVM Ski Team.

Meeting Time: 10:45am at the Pavilion at Sleepy Hollow. Eat a big snack before you come and bring a water bottle. If you arrive late get your skis on and meet us up in Molly’s Meadow (this is where the Skiathlon start and finish were a couple weeks ago). Sleepy Hollow Website

Ending Time: We’ll ski until about 12:00pm, then head back to the Pavilion for hot chocolate and snacks. UVM is also going to bring stickers, posters and shwag!!

Technique: We will skate ski. Bring rock skis if you have them. Penguins classic.

Tickets: Everyone needs a Sleepy Hollow ticket or season pass. We’ve organized $5 Sleepy Hollow tickets for this event. Please purchase your ticket inside the lodge when you arrive.

UVM Ski Team and MNC BKL having fun doing a games day at Bolton in 2010!

 

Wednesday, February 28th 10am- Craftsbury Ski Day
Join us for our traditional MNC BKL ski adventure day at Craftsbury.

This is a family event! Parents are encouraged to ski with us. We’ll have all different abilities and speeds and only a few coaches.  If you have never been to Craftsbury, you are in for a treat! Impeccable grooming and beautiful trails at and it’s very affordable.  Craftsbury Outdoor Center Website

Getting There:  In google maps or your map app, enter: Craftsbury Outdoor Center, Craftsbury Common, VT

Meeting Time: 10:00am in the upper field, just outside the Nordic Center Lodge (bring a water bottle and holder)

Ending Time: It’s a little fluid. We will ski from 10 to about 12, have lunch and then play some games and do some relays, probably ending about 2. You are welcome to stay as long as you want!

Technique: We will skate ski. Penguins classic. And any parents that wants to join, but don’t skate ski, can classic too.

Lunch: Bring lunch! There is also a food option in the Nordic Center. Front Seat Coffee (of Hardwick) has an outpost at Craftsbury and they serve m-f 10-4 with sandwiches, baked goods, drinks and coffee.

Tickets: Everyone who skis needs a day pass or membership. Purchase them online HERE.  It’s $5 for kids and $10 for adults.

Conditions: Craftsbury Trail Conditions

Margo and Daisy give two thumbs up for Craftsbury Ski Day last year!

US World Cup ACTION

By on 21 February, 2024 in Uncategorized

What a time!

There were many MNC friends and family in attendance during the World Cup races in Minneapolis last weekend. It’s no surprise that when the highest level of international competition comes to US soil, the impact of club skiing comes out in full force.

MNC at the World Cup? Yup, that happened.

Racing in her first ever World Cup was MNC’s Ava Thurston, who took some time away from her studies and EISA racing at Dartmouth to compete against the world’s best. With a 40th place finish you could say it was a pretty amazing day! But if you ask just what made it amazing, I have a hunch that Ava or any other person in attendance would tell you it was all about the ATMOSPHERE.

This was the most spectacular Nordic ski event I have ever seen. I have watched some World Cup races in person before (in nearby Quebec). I have seen BKL Festival days with hundreds of kids all having their best days on skis. I’ve been at Eastern Cup and Supertour races with speakers and boomboxes blasting and flags waving. I’ve seen NCAA mass start days when the course was lined with drunken alpine skiers really bringing the party…

But absolutely NOTHING compares to what happened at Theodore Wirth Park on Saturday and Sunday. Crowds of 15,000 people lined an entire sprint course. Deafening roars told you, without needing to look, exactly where on course any American athlete was. For Sunday’s distance race, the US Ski Team took note of the chaos on Saturday and purchased a handful of dry-erase whiteboards to write out split information, because they now knew that any amount of yelling would not get through to the athletes, such was the fervor of the crowd.

This crowd made Junior Nationals feel like an off-season timetrial.

This noise made the F-35 jets in South Burlington sound like a Chevy Bolt.

This energy made Jonah Gorman’s pre-race caffeine shots feel like chamomile tea.

And what was I doing there? I was very grateful to be more than a spectator, and it once again ties back to the growth and impact this club has.

Despite being on the US Ski Team, the “funded” positions like wax techs are reserved for A-team and B-team athletes. When Ava made the start list, she (and all other non-top-team athletes) were notified that:

  • You don’t get a wax tech, you have to bring your own
  • You don’t get wax, or tools, or supplies, or test skis…you bring your own
  • We can help out with what we’re using, but we aren’t going to wax your skis

    Wax trailer squad

This whole World Cup thing has been on the radar for Ava for a bit now, and getting to experience the highest levels as a coach/tech is something that of course motivates me as well. This was new ground for both of us, but Ava and I were able to tackle it together in this case. If this World Cup had been in Europe, or overlapped with a bunch of racing back in New England, that might not have been the case, but everything just really came together nicely. I was able to join up with SMS T2 coach Perry Thomas, who has been to this type of rodeo before, and learn the ropes from a friend and fellow coach.

The two of us helped take care of skis for Alayna Sonnesyn (former UVM, now SMS T2), Will Koch (former SMS, now CU), Haley Brewster (UVM and MNC University), and Ava. It was kinda like the wax trailer having a special New England contingent!

 

I learned a lot, had a great time, and got to see how the highest levels operate. While I made a bunch of notes and shared them with our Eastern Cup waxing crew, it should be noted that nothing was crazy or unheard of…the processes and strategies and thought that goes into a World Cup waxing situation is very familiar to what we do here on a regular basis.

Of course, I was lucky to get out of the cabin and not only test skis, but occasionally (usually during the last race of each day, when ski duties were all taken care of) get out and watch the action. I bumped into MNC folks all over the place!

The awesome crowds of people cheering hammered-home just how much this sport means to so many people. That MNC and New England friends and family were big portions of the fanbase shows that the culture is just so damn strong.

And having so many athletes from the US race well (including Gus Schumacher WIN on Sunday) shows that we really are some of the best out there. And on top of that, many athletes with MNC ties, like Ava and Haley, had incredible World Cup debuts. In the skate race, Haley started one bib ahead of Heidi Weng from Norway. Not only did Haley hold her off until the last kilometer, she re-passed and outsprinted Weng to end up 25th on the day…incredible!

Haley Brewster (UVM/MNCU) vs Heidi Weng (NOR)

Skiers from within and adjacent to this club, Mansfield Nordic Club, can compete not only among the best in the US, but the best IN THE WORLD.

As if I needed any more reminders of what it means and feels like to be surrounded by passionate, hard-working, high-level athletes and support staff…we all rushed the podium after the final race and joined Jessie Diggins in celebrating more than podiums or points or placements, but the whole sport of Nordic skiing. That’s something to be proud of!

BKL Info Feb 19-25

By on 19 February, 2024 in BKL Race Blog, BKL Training Schedule

Tuesday we are going to Classic at Tomasi Meadow for a mid winter ski! Tomasi has great powder snow right now and is groomed. (but the trail from the Underhill Central Parking Lot to Tomasi is a skied in track) Please note that our practice time is 4:00-5:15, to give everyone time to get there.

Tuesday 2/20: Penguins, Jack Rabbits, Arctic Foxes & Racers    4:00-5:15
Location: Tomasi Meadow, Underhill Center
Details: Classic for ALL – Devos can choose to come to Tomasi or go to the Range with the Juniors  (see training doc)

Practice Time: 4:00-5:15pm (hopefully this will give everyone time to get there)

Reminder: There is no inside space at Tomasi or bathrooms (go before heading over)

Penguins Park at the P and all other groups at Underhill Central School (UCS)

Parking: Penguins can park at the lower Tomasi parking lot (P on the map) and meet coaches right at the parking lot. There is space for about a dozen cars, so please park tight or carpool if you can.  To get to Tomasi Lower Lot- coming from the four way stop in Underhill Center go out Pleasant Valley Road, past the Underhill Central School and the Tomasi Lower lot will be on your right about a 1/4 mile past the school.

All other groups please park at Underhill Central School (UCS on the map). We will meet at UCS and ski over with our sub groups. It’s about a 1/3 mile ski from UCS to Tomasi. It will be helpful to have some parents skiing along with sub groups and helping kids cross the road when we get to Tomasi Meadow.

Practice Waxing Info: Clean all the old kick wax off your skis. If you can wax at home that would be good. Conditions will be powder and temps in the mid 20s and will most likely be extra blue or something similar. We’ll have a wax bench setup in the Underhill Central School parking lot.

 

Thursday 2/22: Jack Rabbits, Arctic Foxes, Racers & Devos
Location: The Range
Details:  Skate

Looking ahead: Let Coaches Know you are Coming
Ski with the UVM Ski Team– Sunday, Feb 25 at Sleepy Hollow. Meet at 10:45am at the Pavilion. Everyone is invited to play games on skis and have fun with the UVM Ski Team. We’ll end with hot chocolate. ($5 Sleepy tickets  for this event)
Craftsbury Ski Day– Wednesday, Feb 28 at 10am. Join us at Craftsbury for our traditional MNC BKL ski adventure.
BKL Festival – March 2 + 3 at Rikert in Ripton, VT. Nordic Adventure and Racing options available. Check out our Fest FAQs post for more info

Eastern Cup 4 and the State Meet

By on 16 February, 2024 in Junior Blog

The Eastern Cup finishes up with a skate sprint on Saturday, February 24th and a classic distance race on Sunday, February 25th.

The first day of the VPA State Championship is on Tuesday, February 27th, meaning a quick turnaround between race efforts. This is especially true for U18/U20 athletes who are racing a 15km distance on Sunday (U16 athletes race a 5km).

Regarding those competing for both MNC and their HS teams, there have naturally been some questions from athletes and coaches alike about what the best course of action may be.

I don’t believe there is one answer, or set of standards, that can easily be proclaimed.

While qualification for Junior Nationals looms over a lot of the Eastern Cup, these races do not solely exist to select that team. Eastern Cup races are a big undertaking, but they teach many valuable skills that skiers can carry forward throughout their careers and lives:

  • Going to new venues, including managing travel days and lifestyles “on the road”
  • Competing against a wider breadth of peers
  • Experiencing new race types such as sprint qualifiers + heats, large mass start fields, and more
  • Spending time with teammates from beyond your own HS team/school
  • Racing potentially longer distances, which will become more routine as skiers grow older

So while yes, the Junior National team is primarily chosen based off EC performances, this broad and diverse series of races should not be viewed as a black-and-white qualification format, but rather a development opportunity for all.

These races are some of the only moments in the winter season where MNC is truly all together, in one place, with common goals right in front of us. Do I wish we could spend more time together outside of race days? Absolutely! But our schedules are varied, and it can be hard to find everyone in the same place during the week.

It’s really exciting that NENSA has begun calculating team scores for these races, as it provides another way to look at collective efforts and successes beyond simply team namings. While the scores were not (yet) calculated for Lake Placid, MNC as a club has won the first and third Eastern Cups! Being the strongest team in New England does not simple come from Junior National athletes, and I’m very proud of everyone for what they’ve been able to do on the race trail.

“But you haven’t answered the question yet…should I race at Holderness or not??”

This will always be an athlete’s decision, not a coaches. The Eastern Cup is a voluntary endeavor: we do not register athletes or cover entry fees…everyone has raced the previous Eastern Cups because they want to be there (or at least I hope so!) and this final weekend is no different.

My hope is that athletes will consider racing on both Saturday and Sunday if they feel excited to, if they feel it will help them grow as a skier, and if they feel motivated to contribute to what we can accomplish as a club. If an athlete chooses not to race, there are no hard feelings, and as a coach I respect and understand the decision to balance energy/focus/stress/commitments to other teams.

My other hope is that, if an athlete chooses not to race on Sunday, they will still be present to get in a nice easy ski on some beautiful courses and cheer on the MNC gang that is racing! We will have a team dinner on Saturday night (see below) and what looks like a beautiful forecast for plenty of snow…so I encourage you to still be AT both race days even if you may not be competing.

There’s a key thru-line to this whole thought process…

While we’re competing in an individual sport, it’s really not that individual of an endeavor. You don’t have to rely or show utter loyalty to one team or another, and your “team” may be more than just a suit you wear or school/organization you represent. Your family is a type of team, for example. Your closest friends may be a “team-within-a-team” and there can be many overlaps.

Team Dinner on Saturday after the Holderness Sprints

As alluded to earlier, we don’t always get to spend lots of time together as MNC off the snow during the season. For this final Eastern Cup weekend, we’ve put together a team dinner which we hope can help bring athletes and families a little closer. While we probably should’ve done this at the first Eastern Cup and not just the last one (or maybe every Eastern Cup??) the hope is to let loose a little bit, enjoy the company of our families and friends, and have a good time!

We have rented-out a whole event space at the Lucky Dog Tavern in Plymouth, NH just a few minutes from Holderness. You can find more information, and RSVP, at the link below.

JUNIORS TEAM DINNER @ EC4

PLEASE RSVP BY MONDAY, 2/19 SO THAT WE CAN GET AN ESTIMATED HEAD COUNT TO THE RESTAURANT FOR CATERING! PARENTS AND FRIENDS ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND. 

We’ll have dinner, a chance to play some games, maybe watch a video or two and hear from coaches, and also share some MNC cheering supplies to be put into action the next day!

 

 

 

BKL Mini Marathon: We skied to Quebec City!

By on 15 February, 2024 in BKL Race Blog, BKL Training Schedule

We had an amazing day at the BKL mini marathon today. When we added up the total laps skied and calculated the distance, it came out to 214 miles or 344km. This just happens to be the exact distance between Jericho, VT and Quebec City, Quebec.

Why is that significant? Because Quebec City was the site of the last North American FIS Nordic World Cup event prior to this season and this weekend the World Cup races are coming to Minneapolis, MN. Today at our Mini Marathon we cheered for fellow MNC Ski Ava Thurston, who is racing her first World Cup this weekend. GO AVA!

Link here to find out how to watch the races in MN this weekend.

That’s a long way to ski!

 

Good Luck Ava!

 

Go Ava!

 

Jack Rabbits Sprint Loop .53 miles Airplane Loop 1.13 miles
Ben Cross 9
Bodhi White 2 2
Charlie Goossen 9
Elsie Tuck 6
George Hogan 2 3
Guy Sonderegger 1
Henry Butler 10
Ida Curran 6
Jackson White 3
Leah Schwartz 6
Maeve Popkin 5 1
Margo Dillon 5 1
Mazzy Merritt 5 4
Nathaniel Schroeter 12
Noah Hudspeth 2 3
Oliver Tremble 7 6
Ollie Laber 4 5
Ophelia Popkin 5 1
Ronin White 3 3
Rory Dolbec 4 3
Rowan Crawford 5 1
Willa Niles 5 1
William Hogan 1 4
Arctic Foxes
Charlotte Niles 9 1
Elise Ochs 6 1
Gabriel Schroeter 1 6
Georgia Carroll 4 1
Greta Carroll 11 2
Liam Dailey 5 2
Linnea Dailey 10 2
Logan Cichanowski 4 3
Luke Cichanowski 4 2
Maggie Wilcox 4 1
Olive Chaudoir 5 2
Oliver Wilcox 4 3
Riley Boutin 9 2
Racers/Devos
Charlie Sterner 9
Emma Connell 5 4
Finn Laber 2 6
Isaiah Bowen 15 4
Liam Vile 10

 

 

 

 

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