Rollerski XCX showcases Cross Country Skiing on NBC Channel 6.

The fourth running of The Maine Event featured speed and skill development, and palpable excitement for cross country skiing in New England. For the second year in a row, sensational weather allowed for hearty spectating and highlighted the beauty of the Pineland Farms campus. Nearly seventy skiers toed the line for competition on Sunday, but perhaps more importantly the regional community came together to share the joy of playing on (roller)skis.

The concept of Cross Country Cross (XCX) was born from agility training, sprint racing and the desire to create an exciting atmosphere for both athletes and spectators. Each year, this somewhat complicated event to host, has developed into a smoothly run, staple event for Maine clubs including Bates, Bowdoin and Colby colleges. This continual improvement stems from a passionate organizing committee including NENSA staff, local TD and race official Justin Easter, Colin Rodgers the Program Director of the Green Mountain Valley School, Michael Collin of Portland Nordic and Bullitt Timing.

The competition format allows each competitor to run two qualification rounds on a 400 meter course filled with ramps and other agility components such as hairpin turns and under gates. Skiers advance into rounds based on their best time of the two runs. For 2022, 16 Open skiers and eight Juniors of each gender, advanced into head to head rounds, with corresponding “red” and “blue” courses. The first skier to return to their finish advances — a format the is very fun to witness indeed! Even better, the course and surrounding campus roads are available for skiing throughout the day. It is likely the event will increase the number of qualifiers for next years event due to increasing participation. The 2023 Maine Event will be hosted on October 22, 2023.

The 2022 Rollerski Series wraps up November 6th with the Mt. Greylock Hill Climb. This more traditional cross country ski event makes a beautiful undulating climb to the highest point of Massachusetts. As a culmination of the competitive rollerski season, we expect skiers of all ages and are offering both classic and freestyle options for masters skiers and long and short course options for all. Awards will honor the top Open, Junior and Masters (including prize money for the top masters on the day provided by Pastimes), crown the 2022 Allagash Masters Award winners and recognize the 2022 NENSA College Cup winner. We hope the temperate weather holds until the November 7th when we can all shift our attention to gliding on snow once again!