Archive | BKL Race Blog

Spring Skiing at the BLK Festival

By Liz Hollenbach on 18 March, 2024 in BKL Race Blog, BKL Training Schedule

This year the BKL Festival was March 2 +3 hosted by Frost Mountain Nordic at Rikert Outdoor Center in Ripton, VT. We were luck to have this event so close to home for a second year in a row (Craftsbury in 2023). Mansfield Nordic Club BKL brought 38 skiers this year. We had kids skiing in the Nordic Adventure, lollipop races all the way up to the Grade 7/8 races. And it was a great combination of skiers participating in their first BKL Fest to others that have raced every single year.

In addition to some super fast racing, weekend highlights included trying out biathlon, skiing the mini marathon, lots of jumping, face glitter, racing through puddles and disappearing snow. We had an awesome MNC tent hang out spot with hot drinks and food.

Thanks to our skiers, families and coaches for fun weekend!

BKL Festival Recap from NENSA
Photos from Josh Hummel
Results
Coach Adam’s Post BKL Fest and Graduates

Grade 7/8 boys spectating under the umbrella

Walking together in the Festival Parade!

Wax techs in training!

Th Pig Race is this Saturday 3/16!!

By Rosemary Shea-Cobb on 15 March, 2024 in BKL Race Blog, Junior Blog, Masters Blog

The Pig Race is the infamous end of season race at Blueberry Hill in Goshen, VT. It is a very fun event!

Here are some details about the event. We can’t wait!

Day of Race registration and check in will be in the Outdoor Center starting at 10 am. This will be your zone for leaving belongings, bathrooms, etc.,
The 2km kids race will start at 11, and everyone else at ~11:30. The Pig Race is self-timed. We’ll have a big timing clock if you don’t have a watch, and also make Strava segments for the competitive types. You’ll write your name and time down right when you cross the finish line.
We’ll serve pizza n’ pig around 1pm-~3pm.
A map of the short course and long course can be found at these links. The course will be well marked with pink flagging tape and signs at intersections.
This will be good old-fashioned VT spring skiing! Expect water bars and muddy sections. Don’t bring your best (or second best, or third best) skis–old fish scales are your best bet, or wooden skis with pine tar. Feel free to hike/run the course as well if you prefer, or take skis off for sections! All obstacles except some water bars will be optional 🙂 The Pig Race is about embracing whatever winter throws at us, and acknowledging that we don’t need perfect conditions to enjoy all that VT has to offer. There are some pics of current conditions on our Instagram.
We will have Red Clover Ale Company beer for sale. Please bring cash or card and an ID if you plan on purchasing.
We still have some meal tickets available for friends and family. To make sure you get one, you can pre-order on Skireg. We’ll have some for sale day of as well.
Costumes encouraged!

Thank you for your support of the Blueberry Hill Outdoor Center! It’s been so fun to bring the Pig Race back this year. Our goal with this event is to have fun and break even so please consider an additional donation to the Outdoor Center if you are able–it will help us fund some more bridges for those water bars!

Feel free to reach out with any questions. See you soon.

BKL Fest and Graduates

By Adam Terko on 5 March, 2024 in BKL Race Blog, Junior Blog

While our Juniors are preparing for the post-season events like JNs, U16s, and EHS, it’s time to recognize our latest class of BKL graduates who are now officially Juniors themselves!

The snow was slushy and the skies were (mostly) grey at Rikert over the weekend, but the energy was still amazing at the BKL Festival. With over 700 young skiers it was the biggest festival ever! MNC had the most skiers of any club in the 7th/8th grade group, and everyone skied great.

Many of these skiers participated in Mini Mtn Camp over the summer. From that experience, as well as the great overlap and organization with Coach Kristen taking on this Devo group alongside the Juniors, it feels like I know this group and better each year.

James giving a good display of the “East Coast” conditions

The classic relays on Saturday were won in strong fashion by MNC teams on both the girls and boys side! Mia started

Mia in the classic relay

gaining a lead about 100m into the start of the girls race and never looked back extending it by a wide margin and tagging off to Astrid who only increased the margin. In the boys race, Matthew Northcott (Southern VT) double poled on skate skis, meaning a fast downhill start and flatter section. But when the trail went uphill, James closed the gap significantly. Henry then made the charge past the second skier from that team and came in for the win!

The skate individual day belonged to Mia and Astrid, with Mia a scant 1 second ahead. It was strong skiing through some of the slushiest snow I’ve seen, with standing water in places. Isaiah had a standout race and finished fifth, and it was a grouping of MNC all near each other with James, Oakley, Liam and Ansel all pushing hard through deteriorating snow.

Isaiah climbing into the finish in his trademark orange hat

While some of these skiers are 8th grade U16s (Brooke, Astrid, Henry, James) and many of the 2nd-year U14 skiers got to try out their first Eastern Cup race this winter, the fact that they are in middle school and get to participate in a final BKL Festival, complete with a graduation ski and send-off, is really nice.

These skiers have officially capped-off their BKL careers, but I’m sure they’ll take lots of great memories with them!

BKL Info March 4-10

By Liz Hollenbach on 4 March, 2024 in BKL Race Blog, BKL Training Schedule

The weather has turned very spring like in the last week and it seems the season is wrapping up pretty quick. The Range still has a little snow on the snow making trail. This will be our last week of practice at the Range Tues + Thurs. Penguins will have their last day and Awards on Tuesday. All our other groups will have an Awards Celebration on Thursday from 4-5pm.

Thanks to everyone that rented equipment through MNC this season. If you have MNC season lease ski equipment or a season lease race suit feel free to return at practice this week or keep a little longer if you think you want to ski or race more. All the info and details about return is here.

Tuesday 3/5: Penguins, Jack Rabbits, Arctic Foxes & Racers *** Practice cancelled ***

The Range has cancelled all skiing today. Check back here for updated plan for Thursday.

Location: The Range
Details: Skate, bring rock skis if you have them. We’ll do some adventure skiing on the Airplane snow making loop.

Classic for Penguins and Award Day, hot chocolate, edible medals and new Penguin BKL pins. This is Penguins last day.

Devos check out the Junior training doc

Thursday 3/7: Penguins, Jack Rabbits, Arctic Foxes, Racers & Devos

*** We are on for Awards Day – Penguins can come too***
Location: The Range from 4pm-5pm
Details: Awards Day for Penguins, Jack Rabbits, Arctic Foxes, Racers + Devos

Wear running shoes or snow boots and we’ll start with a big game. We’ll have Hot Cocoa and do awards at the Walker Building. We have paper plate awards, edible medals and new BKL pins for every skier. (We have a GF edible medals please email if you want one for your child and I’ll make sure their coach gets it to hand out. bkl@mansfieldnordic.org)

Season Lease Ski and Race Suit Return

By Liz Hollenbach on 4 March, 2024 in BKL Race Blog, BKL Training Schedule

Thanks to everyone that rented equipment from MNC this season.

Race Suit Rental Return:

If you are done racing for the season, please return your washed suit to Coach Liz at practice on 3/5 or 3/7. Please put it in a bag and write your name on the outside so we know who returned the suit.

If you are hoping to race some late season races, please keep your suit and return by March 30th. Email Coach Liz to make a drop-off plan – bkl@mansfieldnordic.org

Ski Equipment Rental Return:

If you are done skiing for the season please return your skis at practice on either 3/5 (penguins) or 3/7 (all other groups). If you can’t make it to practice this week or want to try and ski a few more times this season please return skis by March 30. Email Coach Liz to make a drop-off plan – bkl@mansfieldnordic.org