(Thank you to Kathy Maddock, M5 World Masters Racer, and NENSA member, for this report!)
Dublin XC skier Brad Bates (M4) is cheered on by teammate Kathy Maddock as he heads out on the 30 km classic race.
The 2018 Masters World Cup in Minneapolis, Minnesota, garnered skiers aged 30 to 90 from countries as far flung as Norway, Finland, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Russia, and Slovakia.
Events took place just a few minutes’ drive from downtown Minneapolis in Theodore Wirth Park. As M07 CSU racer Rob Bradlee explained, “If you’ve skied at Weston, then you have the general idea of what’s it like, if you let your imagination envision a larger, hillier golf course, a larger lodge (with a brand new one under construction), and a seven-kilometer loop of manmade snow.” (Hey, a CSU guy can dream, can’t he?) While most of the park was snow-covered the lack of adequate depths of natural snow necessitated that races be held exclusively on the man-made loop.
Saturday’s races were classic technique, with women’s course distances of 15 km (AG 01 – 08) and 10 km (AG 09 – 11), and men’s course distances of 30 km (AG 01 – 06), 15 km (AG 07 – 09) and 10 km (AG 10 – 13). Sunday races were the same distances on the same course, with technique switched to freestyle. On Monday skiers chose between a 7.5 km morning classic race and a 7.5 km afternoon skate race.
Warm temps in Minneapolis were a big change for New England skiers who had spent the bulk of their season dealing with near- or sub-zero temperatures. Warm klisters were key in classic waxing for the wet, granular snow that covered the 7.5 km loop.
Perennial favorite Trina Hosmer skied an outstanding classic race but was bested by US skier Gabriele Andersen who, at age 73, opted to double pole the entire course for the win. Who knew FIS approved “diagonal zones” would be needed for the ladies 70-plus club? In true Trina fashion, however, Ms. Hosmer came back to claim the gold in the freestyle race on the same course the next day.
NENSA sent a strong contingent, with skiers from Craftsbury, CSU, Dublin XC, Ford Sayre, Mount Mansfield, and Stowe Nordic clubs. Alex Jospe (CSU) proved herself a triple threat by earning three Masters World Cup gold medals in as many days. Kathy Maddock (DXC) and Trina Hosmer (Stowe XC) both won MWC gold in Sunday’s skate race. Peter Harris (Memphemagog Ski Touring Foundation) came up big in being crowned National Champion in all three races in which he competed; Rob Bradlee (CSU) earned the title of National Champion for his performance in Sunday’s skate race.
Links to full results and great photos can be found here: http://www.loppet.org/mwc2018/results/.
NENSA Masters Skier Results (Class)
Distance: WM placing/National Placing
Alex Jospe (01)
15 km classic: 1/1
15 km skate: 1/1
7.5 km skate: 1/1
Kathy Maddock (05)
15 km classic: 3/1
15 km free: 1/1
Jean Kissner (06)
15 km classic: 9/4
15 km free: 10/6
Sue Emmons (07)
15 km classic: 13/6
15 km free: 6/2
Joann Hanowski (07)
15 km classic: 6/3
7.5 km free: 6/2
Gina Campoli (07)
15 km classic: 11/5
7.5 km classic: 7/3
Trina Hosmer (09)
10 km classic: 2/2
10 km free: 1/1
5 km classic: 2/2
Sally Howe (09)
10 km free: 6/5
Brad Bates (04)
30 km free: 14/6
7.5 km classic: 8/4
Rick Powell (06)
30 km classic: 7/2
7.5 km classic: 11/4
Bryce Wing (06)
30 km classic: 12/5
7.5 km classic: 12/5
Rob Bradlee (07)
15 km classic: 10/3
15 km free: 3/1
Peter Harris (08)
15 km classic: 9/1
15 km free: 3/1
7.5 km free: 2/1
Jim Fredricks (08)
15 km classic: 12/3
7.5 km free: 14/6
Peter Davis (09)
15 km classic: 9/4
7.5 km classic: 5/2
John Broadhead (09)
15 km classic: 22/9
7.5 km classic: 19/10
David Hosmer (09)
15 km classic: 30/12
7.5 km classic: 27/14
Rick Hubbard (10)
10km classic: 10/1
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