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Thanks to everyone who helped to make the first-ever MNC Ski and Gear Sale a big success. Not just big…one of our biggest single fundraisers ever!

While raising money for the MNC Scholarship fund was a great endeavor, it was also great to see so many members of the community checking out our event and picking up skis and equipment for their season. We saw high school skiers, BKL families, new interested athletes of all ages, and familiar faces alike.

This event was really spearheaded by Jenn Carlson and Liz Hollenbach, with a ton of help from Eric Tremble in terms of spreadsheet formatting and item tracking. We used our new MNC credit/debit card reader for the first time, and through the whole process could intake tons of gear while also following it right through the sale line for tracking purposes.

We also set up our system for fitting and leasing seasonal equipment for young skiers, and had a big new record in the amount of gear rented out for the season. It’s awesome to know that more BKL skiers than ever will be able to get out on skis.

The final conclusion? Over $4,000 raised! We sold over 75 pairs of skis, and the sheer volume of “retro” MNC suits and jackets now spread out among the skiers of Chittenden County means you’re more likely than ever to spot some vintage Mansfield maple leaf logos and quirky-pattern pants and sleeves out there…

Anybody remember THESE suits? You may be seeing more of them on the trails this year, for better or worse..!

The Community Center in Jericho was a great spot to host this event, and we’re grateful for such a turnkey community resource. There have been talks about a spring/summer gear swap for all those other outdoor activities we participate in, and you can bet the dreams of an even bigger and better event for next fall are in the works.

The Juniors were good volunteers, but also certainly contributed to the event sales

Near the height of the hustle-and-bustle…

…and the end of the day. You could say a lot of things got sold!

From EABC’s John Madigan

Hello Folks!

We are excited to host the North American Biathlon Rollerski Championship on August 6th and 7th. They will be here before we know it. These will be exciting races with athletes from across the US and Canada, many beginning their journey toward a future Olympic dream. Saturday will be a Sprint race and Sunday will be a Pursuit race except for Seniors who will race 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. Summers 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. Socks for volunteers! Time commitment is roughly 8:00am to noon.

We will have a banquet on Saturday night and all volunteers will be welcome guests. Pig roast and an exciting guest speaker. 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 5777

jpmad2013@yahoo.com

It was a beautiful day for our second rollerski clinic of the summer on Saturday. Six participants can be added to the June clinic to make for over 15 attendees total, many of whom were trying out rollerskiing for the first time. With ages ranging from 7 to 53 it truly showed the scope of our sport, and you may just see some new faces out on the bike paths and roads!

This time our warmup included some soccer on skis!

We now have a poster filled with lots of rollerski checklists and safety notes:

For a little more detail, it seems like this would be a great place to share some safety and equipment notes…basically, what these bullet points refer to!

SAFETY NOTES

Helmet: Gotta have this to protect the head! AT ALL TIMES

Pads: Not mandatory, but sometimes helpful for beginners who may fall over a bit more and want to prevent road rash

First Aid Kit: Bandages and antiseptic are the key items here, so it’s worth creating or keeping a small kit on your person or in your car

Road side/route: Know the side of the road to ski on (the right) and know your route ahead of time to avoid sketchy intersections

Daylight: While biking at night sometimes happens for commuters, try to stick to rollerskiing in daylight hours only

Stopping: There are several stopping techniques and it’s great to practice/know when to use them

Hi Viz/Light: As the photos on the poster all indicate, bright colors are really useful. We often try to wear yellow, or if we forget (or take off a shirt when it’s really hot out) we use some reflective vests/strap contraptions to remain visible. The US Ski Team is trying to encourage the use of blinking lights more, and many of the kinds you can put on your bicycle can easily clip/wrap right onto a helmet or water belt!

CHECKLIST FOR YOUR SKI

• Skis
• Boots
• Poles (with rollerski tips)
• Helmet
• Bright colors
• Water
• Watch if you want to record time/data
• Snack(s)
• Gloves if you prefer
• Glasses if you prefer/are skiing in a group/if it’s sunny
• Dry shirt for after training

Thanks again to all those that came to our clinics, or helped out at them! Safe and happy skiing-