A little February 2025 re-write of a famous poem by an old Rikert Outdoor Center regular:
Fire and Ice
Some say [the Eastern Cup] season will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of [the] desire [to race],
I hold with those that favor [the wind.]
Hey, we all had to think about something on the long drive home Sunday, right?
Not to turn this into the kind of English Literature lecture that’s usually on hold until the summer up at Breadloaf, but Sunday was an instructive reminder that in narrative theory, there’s a difference between a resolution and a denouement.
Sunday was supposed to be was the denouement of a season that began in December at Craftsbury Outdoor Center. The loose fibers thread into one thing, an Eastern Cup finale that made it all make sense. A final push to the finish of a season, a mass start, and a grand finale of naming Team New England in that most quintessential of fixtures to New England nordic skiing, the Rikert Barn.
Instead, to paraphrase that old poet again, the darkest evening of the year came. We left with promises to keep, and miles to go before we’d sleep.
So, instead, we got a resolution. A moment in the narrative of a season that left some meaning lingering out past the story’s climax. Something to read into what it was, and could be at its highest point of action.
That resolution: Saturday. The skiing community converged under sunny skies for a Middlbury Carnival, an Eastern Cup, and a beautiful 10 km ski race done Classic, in perfect Classic conditions. There was the great breadth that has been characteristic of this season’s Eastern Cups – some senior skiers from EISA ranks completing Eastern Cup journeys they started nearly a decade ago – down to new U14 and Introductory skiers experiencing the circuit for the first time on our first ever “Try it” day. There was depth too, over 350 skiers making a start throughout the day.
What to do with that resolution then? To paraphrase that question every English teacher you’ve ever had would ask – what was the theme?
Well, during this February break, perhaps every skier present on Saturday will have the time to do their own homework on answering that…
From NENSA’s perspective though, it lies in the dialectic: an Eastern Cup season of not just fire and ice, but rain and snow, sunny days and windy whiteouts. At the Frost Mountain Eastern Cup last weekend, it seemed to take on a different plane too. Something temporal. Amidst the old-style New England farmhouses and ancient mountains at Breadloaf, there was fresh energy, introductory skiers, and something new. Frost Mountain Nordic Club, Middlebury College, and the folks that live in that pocket of the Green Mountains have been putting on races outside that famous barn for a long time. The fire always requires more fuel though, and when new skiers, with new approaches to skiing, cycle through, what you arrive at is a tradition. The Eastern Cup, in all its forms, and the one thing that we love, continues on. What a weekend. What a resolution. What a season.
EASTERN CUP RESULTS ON BULLIT TIMING HERE
A few more words on the Eastern Cup at Frost Mountain…
First, NENSA is aware that the significant decision that was made on Sunday to cancel the races due to poor weather conditions had an effect on the competitive resolution of the Eastern Cup all skiers.
In an email to all race registrants on Sunday, we laid out the decision-making process that went into the safety cancellation that happened, and we will re-print it here for all to understand the hard decision-making process. Ultimately, we thank you for your understanding, and know that in balancing hundreds of variables to make a single decision, there will some that weigh heavier on individuals than others:
Note on Race Decision Process: Frost Mountain and NENSA reiterate that as people who love ski racing, we would have loved to put on a ski race Sunday. Ultimately, there was a decision-making process that was followed according to the systems that we, over years of race in New England, have developed as a community. This includes well-trained Race Officials and experienced local organizers who are experts in their respective areas of ski racing, including grooming, stadium set-up, volunteer coordination, and the nuances that go into putting on an event. Ultimately, the decision making process on these events comes down to a well-informed Race Jury – which includes 3 voting members of our Technical Delegate, Assistant TD, and the Chief of Competition, as well as the NENSA Comp. Program Director as an advisory, non-voting member. This set-up is meant to keep the focus of our Officials on the safety and fairness of the whole field, rather than vested in any particular racer or outcome from putting on a race in unsafe conditions. When the Race Jury met to deliberate at 6am this morning, it also took into consideration the Groomer’s report, as well as input from those at Rikert Outdoor Center who know the area best. When it became apparent that increasing winds would lead to unsafe conditions throughout the day, particularly in the exposed stadium at Rikert, the decision was made that it was unsafe to race.
Thank you to Volunteers, Jasper Hill Cheese, our Media Partners, and all of you!
At the conclusion of this Eastern Cup season, we again want to say that NENSA is grateful for everyone involved at Craftsbury, Lake Placid, Quarry Road, and Frost Mountain for the thousands of volunteer hours, dedication, and passion placed into these events. In skiing, it always takes a village, and at NENSA, that village (or town, I guess that’s more New England-y) extends across our entire region, and the clubs and people that lend their talents towards keeping nordic skiing a unique part of our regional identity.
NENSA would also like to extend its gratitude to all of our sponsors, including LL Bean, Fischer Nordic, Podiumwear, nad Jakroo Nordic, and our podium cheese provider Jasper Hill Cheese, for providing the resources for us to have a premier skiing circuit for our racers to experience.
Finally, nearly all the photos you have seen featured in these recaps and reflections this year have come from the dedicated camera lens of Daryn Slover, who shows a particular attention to the small details that make Eastern Cup racing special. We are grateful for his outlook, and work!
The denouement of Eastern Cup season comes with the naming of our Team New England Junior Nationals Team. A full announcement of that team will follow next week, but for now, the roster and details are available here.
