Fred Bailey

On Deck: Stratton Terrain Challenge, Craftsbury Marathon Festival & Women’s XC Ski Day

Fred Bailey · January 23, 2024 ·

We have an adventurous weekend ahead! Skiers from all over the Northeast are flocking to Craftsbury for the Marathon Festival. Women’s XC Ski Day – one of the season long highlights of NENSA’s non-competitive programming is on this weekend. An a real crowd pleaser – the Stratton Terrain Challenge will be thronged by BKL families and adult skiers wanting to experience some old school ski racing with a freestyle twist! Click on the blue links below for more details.

Stratton Terrain Challenge

Stratton Terrain Challenge returns for the third year at the Stratton Nordic Center as part of NENSA’s Popular Race calendar. With support from the Stratton Mountain School Nordic ski team, West River BKL and the Putney Ski Club, you can look forward to a fun and challenging “terrain challenge” freestyle race. There’ll be tight corners, swerving downhills, dips and loops, and plenty of ups and downs on a course that will keep your heart pumping. This grassroots event has a great festive atmosphere. It certainly one you want to make sure to experience! This event is part of the NENSA Zak Cup and Club Cup Series.

Craftsbury Marathon Festival

The Craftsbury Marathon Ski Festival includes two days of racing. Day one is classic technique, with day two in freestyle and the reverse direction of the classic course. There will be a 13.5km loop this year, with feeds at 2km/15km and 7km. Two or three laps on Saturday, two laps on Sunday. This weekend is part of the NENSA Zak Cup and Club Cup Series and includes the second & third events in the NENSA Marathon Series. Be sure to gather family and friends to join you for this incredible weekend of long distance skiing and racing. REGISTRATION CLOSES THURSDAY AT 7:00PM

Women’s XC Ski Day

Women’s XC Ski Day is coming up this weekend at Inland Woods + Trails in Bethel, Maine. This very popular event is a huge gathering of women who enthusiastic Nordic sport in New England. The highlight of the day is learn-to-ski clinics with women instructors; the emphasis being on relaxed, fun learning in a supportive and encouraging environment. All ability, skill, and experience levels are welcome. In addition to this event being open to all women, we also encourage and support the participation of nonbinary people who are comfortable in a space that centers the experience of women. This event is part of NENSA’s Community Tours and Event Series. Please note that this year’s event registration had already reached capacity. Be sure to sign up early next year to guarantee your spot!

Geschmossel Recap

Fred Bailey · January 17, 2024 ·

Blue sky, fresh powder snow, and easy kick waxing temps made a perfect recipe for a great experience at this year’s Geschmossel. The Geschmossel made its first appearance since the pandemic began, much to the delight of many Master’s skiers. This event has been held nearly every year since the 1972-73 season, making it the oldest regularly held ski race in the country and earning a reputation as a favorite among the New England master’s ski community.

(L-R) Amy Gunn of Black Water Nordic Ski Club & Jessica Bolduc of NWVE enjoying post race stories

Mother Nature has not been cooperative this year, with The Bretton Woods Nordic Center only opening last Thursday. The Bretton Woods staff did a great job putting a fun course together for this year’s event. They brought good energy to the event with a fun raffle, gold, silver, and bronze cookies for awards and some great post race socializing. It was great to see so many of them out on the course in various roles making the event a success!

John Wigglesworth of SDXC cruises through the finish

The Skiers seem to thoroughly enjoy themselves at the event. There were lots of smiles and groups gathered at the finish sharing their experiences on the day. Jessica Bolduc said “the crusty snow under the new powder made for fun conditions, the snow was fast enough for comfortable double poling.” Others comment on how nice the weather was – unusually calm winds for Bretton Woods, allowing skiers to soak up the sun and stunning mountain views. Participants had a nice time chatting in the lodge while waiting for final results and awards.

For those that missed out on this year’s Geschmossel, stay tuned for the Mt. Washington Cup at Bretton Woods in March. Up next on the NENSA Zak Series is the White Mountain Classic at JacksonXC on Sunday.

Results
Rankings

On Deck: White Mountain Classic, Tour de Stowe & Lake Placid SuperTour/Eastern Cup

Fred Bailey · January 16, 2024 ·

We have an action packed weekend ahead! Senior and Masters will be gathering for the annual White Mountain Classic/1 Day Club & State Championships at JacksonXC. Juniors, Canadians, and Pro Skiers will be at Mount Van Hoevenberg for the Lake Placid SuperTour/Eastern Cup. If you’re interested in something non-competitive, the Tour de Stowe might be a great option for an outing with family and/or friends! Click on the blue links below for more details.

White Mountain Classic

The word on the street is the skiing is getting really nice at JacksonXC – just in time for the White Mountain Classic! A long time favorite of Master skiers, this event doubles as the NENSA 1 Day Club and State Championships – this is the first year both categories are being contested. All age groups, Senior through M12+ can contribute to State and Club scores. The key to success is wide diversity, so gather as many club teammates and in-state ski friends to boost your scores this year. This event is part of the NENSA Zak Cup and Club Cup Series and the first event in the NENSA Marathon Series. In addition to great scenery and trails, this event offers a great post race meal and extended opportunities for camaraderie.

Tour de Stowe

Join us for a fabulous tour on some of Stowe’s best Nordic trails. The Tour de Stowe is a non-competitive classic technique ski tour taking place on the gorgeous trails of the Trapp Family Lodge and Stowe Mtn Resort cross-country centers. This is a reimagining of the Stowe Mini-Marathon that some may remember from 20 years ago and this event is intended to be a fun challenge for all ages. Be sure to check out the vendor Expo, the food stop, and the acres ski festivities at the Trapps Bierhall. This event is part of NENSA’s Community Tours and Event Series.

Lake Placid SuperTour/Eastern Cup

Eastern Cup skiing resumes at Mount Van Hoevenberg this weekend! Skiers from all over the Northeast and Eastern Canada will gather to test themselves on the new World Cup trails. The weekend is an all classic skiing affair, with lots of Sprint heats for juniors on Saturday in addition to the Open rounds, as well as Mass Start action on Sunday. REGISTRATION CLOSES WEDNESDAY EVENING. Be sure to check out the event schedule for more details.

The Geschmossel is on!!!

Fred Bailey · January 14, 2024 ·

The good news is the Geschmossel is happening. Due to low snow conditions and washouts from the previous rain storms we are on limited terrain – the course is about 10-11km long. The format is still classic, but it is now INTERVAL START. Conditions are improving, though rock skis are recommended. Thanks for your patience as we figure out the best way to host this event. Looking forward to seeing everyone at the event tomorrow!

Course map – Start near Junction 16, then 3 laps around Brookside/Esker, Finish near Junction 27.

Online registration is open until 5pm today. There will be day of race registration from 7:30-9:30am tomorrow.

Live Timing Link
Results Link

Gunstock Freestyle Recap

Fred Bailey · January 10, 2024 ·

This year’s Gunstock Freestyle was a great collaboration between the Gunstock Nordic Association and the Holderness School. Lacking enough natural or machine-made snow at Gunstock, the event was moved to the Holderness School who provided a groomed 1.4km machine-made loop. Skiers at the event were rewarded with several inches of new fluffy snow – which is a good recipe for lots of smiles. It also made for slow driving and soft skiing conditions. Several of the racers noted that the snow made it tough, but it was a really fun race.

The participants had to do either five loops for the 7km race or 3 laps for the 4km race. Many of them remarked that it was a really fun course, with lots of rolling terrain and fun woods sections! Parents and spectators could see about half of the course from the stadium area. The skiers came from all over New Hampshire and a few beyond that, with the largest contingents coming from Gunstock, Ford Sayre, Holderness and Plymouth programs. Many of them were so excited to be on snow and quite of few spent extra time skiing before heading home. A big thanks to the Gunstock Nordic Association and the Holderness School for pulling off a great event!

Results
Rankings
Staff Photos