NENSA News

This past weekend the New England Bill Koch League festival descended on Great Glen Trails in Gorham, NH. Nestled at the base of Mount Washington in Pinkham Notch, Great Glen was the perfect site for the event. High snow accumulations in the weeks leading up to the event set us up for an awesome festival, with amazing race courses maintained by the staff at Great Glen, and plenty of snow for all of the non competitive activities of the weekend.

Saturday morning dawned cold and gray, but that didn’t deter the 586 BKL skiers who took part in the weekend from getting out there and enjoying the snow! The day started with a parade led by Olympians Bill Koch and Ida Sargent. Skiers waved flags from their clubs and districts, and donned their favorite super hero costumes in keeping with the festival theme of Super Ski Heroes.

The main event from Saturday morning is the freestyle relay, with skiers completing one loop of the course before tagging off to their partner who skis a loop. This is a fun and exciting race, and in keeping with the fun spirit of the Bill Koch League no times are recorded, only order of finish.

There was a lot going on besides racing though, with many skiers taking advantage of the Nordic Adventure (non racing) activities throughout the day. These included a tubing hill, obstacle course, laser biathlon, Super Hero Ski Tour, and the “bump jump” presented by New England Ski Jumping Nordic Combined (NESJNC). The bump jump has been a staple of the festival in recent years and NENSA is thrilled to be able to partner with NESJNC to be able to help introduce a whole new generation of skiers to ski jumping!

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On Sunday, festival attendees were treated to something special – the sun! The solar warmth was a welcome addition after a chilly Saturday; but the wind still blew through Pinkham Notch and skiers bundled up with puffies and buffs against the wind. With the gorgeous backdrop of the Presidential Range now in view, the Sunday morning individual classic races got underway. Thanks to the crack team at Bullit Timing and all of our wonderful volunteers the races went off without a hitch.

Sunday’s classic races were broken up by more fun activities, as well as an 8th grade graduation ceremony and the famous lollipop race. Graduating 8th graders followed Olympians Sue Wemyss and Bill Koch a short distance up the Mountain Washington Auto Road, before turning around and skiing down behind Bill to receive their certificate. Following graduation, the 8th graders lined up at the end of the lollipop race to hand out lollipops to the next generation of Bill Koch League skiers. It’s a wonderful tradition and a great way to cap off the BKL careers of the 8th graders, while kickstarting those of the lollipoppers.

Overall this was an amazing festival full of fun and excitement! We’d like to extend a huge thank you to the crew at Great Glen Trails, as well as all of the volunteers, sponsors, skiers, parents, coaches and everyone else who made the weekend what it was!

Results 

Photos from Joe Viger

A talented field of 200 skiers, comprised primarily of athletes ages 14-20, were treated to true winter conditions last weekend in New Hampshire.  The two-day affair started on the serpentine trails of the Dublin School – for the Dublin Double – with two fast paced freestyle races on a shimmering track.  In one of the final tests for athletes in the hunt for a spot on the New England Junior National team – racers contested a 3 kilometer prologue and a 1.5 kilometer sprint.  On Sunday the Holderness School sculpted the perimeter of their trail system to traditional skiing perfection – with two parallel tracks on a 5 kilometer loop.  If that wasn’t enough a terrain filled course for Bill Koch skiers and a well designed cross country jump made for a true Nordic scene.

For the second year of the Dublin Double – an event designed to test top end fitness, speed and agility – the strength of New England skiers shined bright.  Spectators were treated to a display of grace and grit, allowing skiers who could both effectively pressure their bases on the uphills and feather their edges on the downs to excel.  At the end of the day, Will Koch and Nina Seemann, both from the Stratton Mountain School prevailed as the overall champions.  After combining the total time of 4.5 kilometers of racing, mere seconds separated them from formidable competitors – Brian Bushey of GMVS and U16 standout Ava Thurston of Mansfield Nordic.  Sam Murray (U18) of the Putney Ski Club and Sophia Scirica (U16) of Cambridge Sports Union would take the third step of the podium with perhaps their best skiing of the year.

Full Results.
Photos provided by the Dublin School.

The Cheri Walsh Memorial historically marks the end of the regular Eastern Cup season and the naming of the New England Junior National Team.  Many purists are drawn to the “old school” trails that undulate naturally through the woods with rounded corners and transitions that make capable skiers smile with delight.  For the two hundred junior skiers who travel to Holderness each year they are likely thinking more of how fast they can ski – but it’s the ones who embrace the terrain that undoubtably rise in the results.  The 2020 edition of a nearly thirty year tradition greeted competitors with some of the best fine grained snow conditions one could imagine.  As it was a race of the classic technique, coaches scrambled to create the perfect concoction of grip wax – the most successful with subtle combinations of klister buried in hard wax.

In the men’s race the tables turned with Brian Bushey edging out Will Koch for the victory – a perfect display of New England athletes pushing each other as we head towards Truckee, California to defend the Alaska Cup Trophy (an honor awarded to the strongest division at Junior Nationals).  On the women’s side Shea Brams of the Cambridge Sports Union (CSU) took a decisive victory of some thirty seconds over Sammie Nolan of Mansfield Nordic.  The third step of the podiums were claimed by late charging Griffin Wright from Craftsbury and Amelia Tucker of CSU.

Full Results.
Photos provided by Holderness School.

At the conclusion of the races – including an enthusiastic Bill Koch event with jumps, under hoops, and hay bales to navigate – the ultimate moment of many skiers seasons was realized with the naming of the New England Junior National Team.  While only a small portion of those skiing in New England get this opportunity it is important for athletes to remember the journey they took this year – laying their best efforts on the line and traveling to awesome venues across the region.  The spirit of cross country skiing is strong in the East and the United States and it is the community that provides the strength that our 51 skiers will take to Junior National Championships.

This year’s team New England boasts both proven and fresh talent and NENSA is proud to support this amazing group of athletes with a dedicated staff of fourteen drawn from our clubs.  The team will travel to Truckee, California arriving by March 7th with races beginning on the 9th.  Athletes will compete in two distances races, a sprint and before concluding the championships with a team relay.  You can check out the full schedule here: https://www.xcjuniornationals2020.com/schedule and of course stay tuned right here and on our social media channels here for up to date recaps.

Full team New England Team naming:

• U18/20 Women JN Points 2020 – 2/16 Final
• U18/20 Men JN Points 2020 – 2/16 Final
• U16 Girls JN Points 2020 – 2/16 Final
• U16 Boys JN Points 2020 – 2/16 Final

For New England high school skiers, U16 Eastern Championships and Eastern High School Championships are some of the most exciting events of the year. U16 Eastern Championships (U16s) began modestly in 1992 and has grown into one of the highlights of the season for junior athletes. U16s this year will be held at Mountain Top Inn & Resort in Chittenden, VT on March 6-8.

Eastern High School Championships (EHSC) is the premier event for high school and prep school racers in New England and New York. Athletes qualify for both championships through state qualifying races. Each New England state and New York can bring their fastest 24 boys and girls. EHSC this year will be hosted by Gore Mountain in North Creek, NY on March 13 – 15 and will feature the return of the popular Cross Country Cross (XCX) race in place of the traditional sprint race.

In recent years we have been lucky to have guest teams from both Midwest and Great Lakes Division join us at U16s. We are very excited this year to have them joining us again at U16s and making their debut at EHSC! 

Qualifying events got underway over the past few weeks with Vermont and Massachussetts holding their qualifiers, and New Hampshire holding the first of its two Coaches Series races that serve as qualifiers. New Hampshire will hold the second event of the Coaches Series on February 22 at White Mountains Regional High School, and Maine will hold its qualifying race on February 29 at Quarry Road Trails.

Vermont’s qualifier was held at Rikert Nordic Center on February 2. The crew at Rikert did a great job, and skiers were treated to good conditions, favorable temperatures, and light flurries. Massachusetts held it’s qualifying race at the Weston Ski Track, taking advantage of snowmaking capabilities that often make the Ski Track the only reliably groomed trails in the area. New Hampshire’s first Coaches Series race was moved at the last minute to Plymouth High School, where skiers were treated to a fun and fast 5k course winding through the woods behind the school.

Reports from all events were extremely positive, and NENSA is looking forward to hosting strong teams from all around the region at the Championship events in March!

For more information on the Championships please visit the links below

NENSA U16 Eastern Championships

NENSA Eastern High School Championships

Results from the Vermont, and Massachusetts qualifiers can be found below, along with results from the first New Hampshire Coaches Series Race.

Vermont Qualifier Results

Massachusetts Qualifier Results

NH Coaches Series 1 Results

The previous two days of tumultuous weather gave way to a bright sunny day.  Before the storm moved out, it left several inches of new snow.  The Bethel Inn had a firm base before the storm, but what it left much-improved things.  As we drove eastward, it was easy to tell that the big snow event was to the west, and we were driving into areas that saw a lot more rain. There was significant snow the whole way, but we were moving from feet of snow to inches.

We arrived in Bethel with little time to spare but saw the familiar scene of skiers going about preparations for a classic race.  One of the defining elements of the Flying Moose is that there is always a large contingent of high school racers competing in the 10km.  It is fun to see the coaches reining in a distracted young waxer, as well as, the egos of many who have never raced against such “old” people.  The spectrum of skiing is broad, and while the youth are on a trajectory upward, many do not know how high the arc can go.  While they may be right that the masters are on a downward trajectory, they are not prepared for whooping that the masters are about to issue to them in a race twice the distance.  They need to look past the overhanging bellies, tight race-suits,  and gray hair to see the precision to which we execute our waxing, warm-ups and as Jim Fredericks (MNC) once told me when I was their age, “elimination of all the variables to gain any advantage our experience, and income can afford us.”

The conditions were superb, as we have come to expect in Bethel.  The course had been groomed at the optimal time after all the rain and snow, and a soft powder track had been set.  It was cold with a strong, steady wind that was a significant factor in the race.  The course used the Village Trail Network starting at the Bethel Inn.  Skiers started out on the Dog Days Trail until it joined Tibbetts Loop.  We then climbed and climbed some more up Paradise Hill.  After cresting the top of the hill, we descended back to Tibbetts for a bit before taking a hard left onto the Moose Trail.  At the end of Moose, we continued onto Mill Brook (avoiding Corkscrew this year).  In the 3-way intersection at the bottom of the golf course we started an inner loop going in the opposite direction picking up another section of Tibbetts, then Dick’s Best Guess, before hitting Mill Brook again back to Tibbetts, to Pasture Path (a.k.a. the wind tunnel today) back to the 3-way and this time taking Mill Brook to the Lap/Finish area.  The course was well marked, and while sounds complicated, flowed smoothly with no 2-way traffic and was simple to follow except where the wind had drifted snow over the trail.  The wind also continuously replenished the powder in the tracks in exposed areas.

Racing got underway, and the field was quickly blown apart.  There was plenty of double poling with a crosswind. Skiers looked for the fastest snow, which was sometimes in the tracks and sometimes out.  Later in the race they would look for the firmest snow so their poles would not punch through.  Different wax, ski flex, and fitness played a role as the mass start pack quickly disintegrated into a long string of skiers.  Much different than last week’s experience where people were able to stay together for 30-40 kilometers at Craftsbury.  That is the nature of ski racing, and the quicker you can adapt to the conditions, the better you can do.  Conditions were flying at us on 30mph wind gusts.

Neal Graves (Stowe Nordic) wasted little time powering away from the field.  He has been training hard for the American Birkie and was healthy this week.  The Flying Moose was his opportunity for a primer for the next big race.  Tyler Magnan (NWVE) and Tristan Williams (unattached) skied together, but on the twisty course, lost sight of Neal.  Line of sight was another factor that gave skiers an isolated feel as often you would see another skiing in the opposite direction on the next trail over and wonder how they got there.  A small chase pack stayed together up the first climb on Paradise Hill.  Nick Trautz (Hebron), George Aponte-Clarke (Portland), Tyson Weems (3 Levels), and Dennis Page (Nansen) had as much of a pack as we would see for the day, that lasted less than 2k. On the downhill that followed, ski speed separated the group, and there was no return.  Nick and George had a friendly rivalry going, but Nick was in excellent form and continuously pulled away over the rest of the course.  Dennis had the slowest skis of the bunch, but his instincts were sharp from all the racing he has done this season. He was able to use that to his advantage to retake Tyson and hold his position for the rest of the race.

Robert Bradlee (Wide Meadow) is always a big mark on course.  His ToKo Race suit is easily identifiable and he always has consistent results.  David Herr (Unattached) Kirk Siegel (BOC), Steven Moreau (CSU), and I were hopeful to connect to Rob, but the disparities of styles within the group made any organization hopeless.  David is a much faster climber; Kirk was trying the double pole thing, Steven and I were doing the best we could to hang in.  David eventually did catch Rob, and they skied together until the final climb when David was able to run the last hill faster than Rob.  Kirk caught me at the bottom of the course, where I realized by noting the skate skis that he was double poling.  I gave him a tip that Kris Freeman (Caldwell Sport) had told me and Kirk was immediately appreciative as it was an aha moment.  Being a middle-distance runner, I formulated my plan to demolish Kirk on the second lap. (Run like hell up anything with even the slightest incline.)

Todd Taska (Unattached) showed his grit skiing the 20km mostly alone like many of the racers did.  He loved the powdery conditions and had a solid result taking one of the few sprints of the day over Dykstra Eusden (Unattached).  Robert Faltus (CSU), like Neal, was using the Moose as a primer for a bigger event. In this case, Gatineau.  Robert skied with the Elite Woman Jessica Bolduc (NWVE) but could not hang with her over the final 5km.  Jessica was having a much better race due in part to a new pair of skis hand-picked from the Caldwell Sports Fleet specifically for her.  It made a big difference over the last pair that had served her well for so many years.  With each kilometer, Jessica’s confidence grew, and she was unstoppable up the final climb to the finish.

Gordon Scannell (Schussverein), Rick Chalmers (Portland), Deven Abrams (Portland), and Ken Kimball (MWN) had a great race together.  Some of the top elder statesmen of the sport skiing with the top U18 in the field. As they climbed to the finish, Gordon was having none of it taking the lead with determination. Rick was right on his heels, and Deven had all he could do to hang on.  Ken had been gapped coming through the wind tunnel down Pasture Path but recalibrated and brought himself back into the mix on the final climb.  In the flurry of action, the finish order went M8, M6, U18, M9!  After this pack, there was almost a 2-minute gap to the next athlete, indicating that racing was intense.  Mia Shifrin (Bates) would be that athlete, finishing 2^nd overall for women.

Raul Siren (Unattached) skied it in looking as happy as everyone else did on Saturday.  Perma-smiles were on everyone as the course was not too technical nor hilly, and the conditions in spite of the cold wind were something to smile about. Perry Bland (NWVE) was happy with his race and the graciousness of our host.  He does prefer more striding, but any skiing suits him fine.  He liked the wax as it was his favorite, Extra Blue!  Kimberly Moody (Schussverein) was psyched to be the 3^rd overall woman.  She skied some with perennial marathon challenger Bruce Katz (Unattached) before he made a move going into the final inner-loop of the race.  Cipperly Good (NWVE) liked the course and had fun racing.  She was not particularly partial to the wind replenishing the powder in the tracks, but that is not a bad problem to have when the alternative within the week could have canceled the race.  After a strong race, she contemplated how she can fit next weekend’s John Roderick at Black Mountain into her schedule.

CSU usually does not send too many racers to this event, but they dispatched a handful to represent and maintain their lead in the points series.  The Berman’s were out in force, enjoying the day.  Sara Mae wowed some fans cheering the racers, sharing some of her stories about skiing.  She did so humbly without mentioning any of her or Larry’s pioneering achievements.  When I mentioned a few to them, as they wondered why I had gone out to offer encouragement, they were in disbelief, exclaiming that they had been skiing in the presence of somebody who is “like a national treasure!”

Once again, the Flying Moose Classic delivered a wholesome fun event.  Skiers continued skiing for their cool-downs and then went in for the post-race meal.  They shared the usual stories, but a new topic came up when Ken Kimball stated that with the pending abolishment of fluoros, he looked at all the wax he has accumulated over the decades and thought “I ought to use this up before I die.” Everyone laughed and began sharing the stuff they have that has been sitting on the shelf for years, waiting for that perfect moment to be used.  The Race Director Jim Reuter thanked all the volunteers and participants for making it such a fun event and had a spirited awards ceremony with the traditional loaves of bread, but also some engraved coaster sets and merchandise.  Skiers made their way home, still smiling from the perfect race on a perfect day.

Stellar racing continued in New England this weekend as Craftsbury Outdoor Center hosted the Lost Nation Cup Super-Tour, and the New England Marathon Series got underway at the Freeman Frost White Mountain Classic.  Popular Racing continued at both events with competitive fields enjoying some excellent conditions.  The fantastic early forecast of a significant snow event was replaced with a gloom-and-doom mostly rain wintery mix; however, the storm never materialized over northern Vermont, and New Hampshire and pleasant conditions prevailed.

The staff at Jackson, led by Ellen Chandler, were as transparent about the situation as possible as the race approached.  There was a good base but not much snow on top of it to work with.  Confidence grew as the weather predictions improved, and before registration closed, an enthusiastic call to have the race was made.  There would be modifications, but Jackson was able to uphold their reputation for grooming and event hosting excellence.  There was evidence all over of the work done to prepare the course in time for the start.

As racers made their way to Jackson, their eyes were glued to the temperature in the car as well as the forms of precipitation stuck to tree branches.  We saw temps stable in the low thirties and snow clung to trees in higher elevations with ice in the lower.  As we closed in on Jackson, the snowbanks were high, and optimism grew when we arrived.  Relieved with the ease of commute, we quickly got to work preparing skis.

Early tests of warm and universal klisters were conclusive, as were the trials of Zeros, though many were favoring klister as the Zeros occasionally had a premature release.  NWVE tested Swix Nero due to a fair amount of tree debris on the course but ended up going with a final layer of Rode KM3 as it had a good bite and skied free.  It has also never given us a reason not to like it.

The course utilized the starting area across the road from the Touring Center.  A short double pole zone into a hard left turn and a double track.  Racers were routed around the field back to the starting area and back out again to climb Yodel.  Racers crossed Carter Notch Road over to the Eagle Mountain Trails and skied two laps.  The race ended at the Eagle Mountain House as the cover on Yodel was a little thin to race back down to the traditional finish.  While the course was significantly shortened, most people seemed satisfied that it ended where it did!  The sun was out, and the temperature rose significantly, causing the tracks to become saturated in exposed areas.  Most experienced a slowing of skis, so the race finished on a good note when faced with the alternative of doing another lap with increasing drag slowing the skis.  Many did elect to take an extra lap for a cool-down — a testament to the good coverage and fun course.

The field lined up and was given a hopeful, optimistic, and enthusiastic blessing.  The minute, then thirty-second warning was announced.  It was evident that we have been conditioned to Amie’s Magic Watch at the Geschmossel, but this week’s countdown seemed to coincide with traditional time-keeping.  Just as people relaxed from their starting stance, the command was given, and we were off.  The first turn created a bottleneck, and an early skier snapped the handle off their pole.  Silas Eastman (Unattached) opted to go back for the remnant of his pole and use it to get to the overflow parking lot where he removed his skis, leaving the course, to grab a spare from his car.  He worked his way back through the field and into third place overall by the finish.  Upon the second approach to Yodel, we turned right, given a supportive cheer by the volunteer, Ron Newbury (Mt. Washington), and began climbing.  The field again bunched up, but this time it was a little cleaner. The field was starting to string out with no gaps developing yet.  The climb up Yodel did change that, and by the top small groups had formed.  It seemed most were climbing well, and it was a matter of fitness that separated the field.

The leaders had broken away with Eli Enman (NWVE), and Sam Evans-Brown (Concord) methodically pulling away.  Behind them, Tom Thurston (NWVE) was having a good race.  Tom was not able to hold the pace of Eli and Sam up the first climb, but his skiing was as good as his skis as he pulled away from everyone else.  The first real pack chased from a distance.  Nathan Moreau (CSU), Brian Lavoie (Stowe), Ben Taska (Unattached), and John Sakalowsky (CSU) broke away and began working together.  David Herr connected briefly with the group as his skis were climbing very well but suffered a bit when they were slower on the flats and downhills.  A deficit that could not be made up.

The next group had a few more of the master’s contenders, David Johnston (MNC) was skiing well after an impressive performance on Saturday in Craftsbury.  Rob Bradlee (Wide Meadow) was also skiing very well with Stowe Nordic’s Chris Bean and Portland Nordics George Aponte Clark in his sights.  Nat Lucy (Unattached) and Charlie Gunn (Blackwater Nordic) connected as a formidable force.  Things became a little more dynamic as James Donegan (NWVE), Brad Clarke (BOC), and Denis Page (Nansen) mixed it up.  Early in the race, they pulled Andy Milne (CSU), who always throws it down for the One Day Club Championship. As the course began rolling, other skiers made their way to this group.  The top women Elissa Bradley (Ford Sayre) and Jessica Marian (Dirigo), were the first to bridge up.  This shook things up as Elissa began driving the pace around mid-race.

Watching things unfold from a short distance Stephen Wright (NWVE) and I had some company briefly with Bob Burnham (CSU).  Bob was climbing with ease while Stephen and I were racing a little more conservatively.  Bob had previewed the course and tested extensively, which both seemed to be advantageous.  He was targeting his teammate Ari Ofsevit (CSU), who eventually traded places with Andy in the pack ahead of us.  Ed Momm (Gunstock) worked his way up to us and skied most of the first lap with Stephen and me before fatiguing on the second time up the Eagle Mountain climbs.  Stephen’s Zeros would ultimately maintain better speed while the klister skis gradually slowed due to a minor accumulation of debris.

Emanuel Betz (NWVE) opted for crown skis and felt they were slow on the flats, but unbeatable up the climbs.  In the end, with an uphill finish, they delivered.  He skied much of the race with Robert Faltus (CSU) and Todd Taska (Unattached).  Trina Hosmer (Stowe Nordic) had quite a lot of company last week but had some space once the field got to the higher elevation trails.  Victor Golovkin (CSU) and Rick Chalmers (Portland Nordic) were close to Trina. Still, the disparity in the size of these athletes created an accordion effect that prevented them from taking advantage of pack tactics on the roller coaster course.  Kathleen Maynard (Unattached) and Ann Burnham (CSU) had a good race.  Kathleen surged late, besting Ann despite continuous support from her son Jimmy who seemed to be cheering at every corner on the windy loop.

An M9 battle unfolded. Jud Hartmann (NWVE), Doug Armstrong (Mt. Washington), and Perry Bland (NWVE) raced in close proximity.  Adding energy to the group was Amy Gunn (Blackwater Nordic) and Mark Lena (Maine Nordic).  Jud was able to make a break; however, being it his 10th ski and the first race of the season, his fresh legs faltered with fatigue.  He did manage to hang on and win for the M9s.  Amy was next and with a cheer that Perry was right behind her, hustled up the final climb, holding off the rest of the group.  Doug is another skier like Andy Milne that always has a good race in Jackson.  Doug was not going to settle for third for the M9’s and surged late dropping Perry as they exited the field before the climb to the finish.  He charged up the last hill, gaining on Perry with a display of unbeatable determination for the home crowd.   Doug’s tactic was the same employed by the overall winner Eli Enman using the one-lane bridge to gain an advantage with less than a couple hundred meters to go.

Carol Van Dyke (Stowe Nordic) led what would be the largest pack of women for the day.  Elysha Dyer (Unattached) Lisa Doucett and Kimberly Moody (Schussverein) finished, respectively.  Carol was part of the defending team Champions; however, commitments cost Stowe two of their key competitors, and they were unable to field the squad that earned them a perfect score last year.  Cipperly Good (NWVE) had a great race.  The conditions favored those with finesse and superior technique, not to mention the Rode KM3.  She raced harder this week and put quite a bit of time on Karen Alence (MNC) throughout the race after the initial climb up Yodel.  She was also well ahead of Marathon Series Contenders John Wigglesworth (Drifter XC), Bruce Katz (Unattached), and James Drew (Craftsbury). Jody Newton (CSU) and Sara Mae Berman (CSU) joined Ann Burnham (CSU) to make a perfect team score.  The CSU women dominated the field, with nearly half of the female entrants.  Another proven strategy for success!

Racers slowly trickled back to the Touring Center to check out the results and change for the post-race lunch.  Team scoring got underway, and age group awards were distributed.  While there were nearly 100 registrants, complete team rosters were down significantly.  Scoring rules were used to fill the team podium as much as possible and then went to the jury composed of the members of the Marathon, One Day Club Championship, and Master’s Committee Members to fill any remaining spots.  For the Women, CSU fielded a team with a perfect score.  Stowe Nordic was second and tied for 3rd were the remaining clubs in attendance.  Scoring then went to the overall place, and Elissa Bradley’s Women’s Overall Win, put Ford Sayre over the top.  On the Men’s side, Stowe Nordic’s addition of Chris Bean was key to securing 3rd.  CSU argued a moot point, and regardless of the outcome, it would not have changed the fact that they earned 6 points.  NWVE took the men’s race with a near-perfect score of 5. It is the second year in a row that these three teams have finished in this order.  While NWVE’s racers had an outstanding day, in team racing, it can come down to a matter of who shows up.  We owe MNC’s David Johnston, Craftsbury’s George Hall, and Stowe Nordic’s David Hosmer much thanks for winning their categories for which we did not field a racer!  Eli, Tom, Jud, and James retained the men’s title for NWVE, while Cipperly carried the women to the third-place tie!

This excellent report brought to you by Damien Bolduc.

Last weekend over 500 citizen racers competed around New England in four different events.  Two of the events the 350.org Race for the Snow and the Geschmossel were a part of the 2020 Zak and Club Cup.  Ford Sayre also hosted the Silver Fox Trot at Rikert (write up in preceding Breaking News post) and Craftsbury hosted an informal Team Sprint.  All the events attracted nearly or over 100 competitors and the Silver Fox topped out with over 200!  One thing all the events had in common was a great community vibe – while there is certainly Olympic talent in every race there are also new faces and learning experiences taking place.  NENSA is thrilled to see the concept of Popular Racing taking hold and we look forward to the meat of the season coming right up!

Speaking of NENSA racers, our masters, seniors and Club Cup skiers are filling the ranking lists and stirring up friendly competition.  Over 150 skiers are listed on our rankings pages representing 40+ clubs.   With so many races to chose from the competition will be close all winter.  If you have never been a member, you can “Get Skiing” and join for your first year of racing or renew your old membership – lots of folks are doing it!

This weekend we have two Zak / Club events on the calendar – with a mass start freestyle race at the conclusion of the Lost Nation Cup in Craftsbury Saturday and the Freeman Frost White Mountain Marathon Sunday.  Both events are likely to draw nice fields -pick your challenge: freestyle, classic or ironperson (do ’em both)!  Don’t forget there is another fun option too – including an adult field – down at Mountain Top for their 15th annual Paintball Biathlon Race!

Now sit back and read a nice recap from the Geschmossel – cold snow, kick wax and clear skis – something we can all get used to…

It was a fantastic day to be skiing, and the NENSA Popular Race Series is taking off.  It is great to see so many people jumping into the races, whether for the first time or for the first time in a while.   The Geschmossel field was double what it was last year!

“Oh, what a difference a week can make!  After last weekend’s no holds barred Bogburn bash held in balmy weather on a deteriorating course, the NENSA Series Racing returned with the more refined Geschmossel.  There was a huge turnout for the 47th Annual Geschmossel held in what many considered perfect classic conditions.  While the meaning of Geschmossel, according to Frank Feist (CSU), is far from refinement, it is what we have come to expect when Mount Washington Nordic is our host.

Upon our early arrival, it seemed we were late.  Even though we beat our arrival time by 10 minutes and rolled into the parking lot at 9:20, a majority of the racers were already hustling around getting things in place for the race.  It is around this time of the season that excitement in the series takes hold. The Geschmossel sometimes serves as a bit of a reprieve from die-hard racing, as mostly Masters gather for a race that is a little different for the folks that have to go back to work on Tuesday, but this year that would not be the case.  NWVE took an early lead in the club series, and CSU is sure to have smashed that to pieces with their home Race For Snow, on Sunday, and other clubs are seizing on getting their members out in force.  The series is shaping up, and the plotline is a little different this year.

We set about testing our wax options — lots of greens to choose from as well as a couple of blues.  The packed cold powder and forgiving course made waxing a matter of subjectivity depending on how “toothy” you wanted your wax.  We found ToKo Mint, and Rode Green to be the speediest, with Guru Green offering a little more kick but still quite fast.  VR30 and VR40 delivered very positive kick as well, but going that warm was not necessary.  Rode Alaska was chosen to offer a speed shell over the wax of choice, though it was not tested before the start, and probably improved speed in theory only.  Sometimes that is all it takes anyway.

The race was held on a closed course this year, which involved doing laps.  We started on the driving range behind the Nordic Center and after a hairpin turn and dramatic reduction in lanes headed out Perimeter.  The loop we did twice was up Sebosis and down Dark Forest.  There was a lot of double poling, and most of the inclines were of a gentle grade. The snow was fresh-packed powder, and the course had great coverage thanks to a foot of new snow over the weekend.  It was amazing skiing and hard to believe that less than a week before, there were 0 kilometers open at this venue.  Due to the course being closed, the NWVE Fan Club was re-routed the long way around, which was a beautiful ski but was such a long way that they missed most of the field.  NWVE brought along a photographer for this one too, but they slept through the race.

With ten minutes to go, racers gathered and reluctantly stripped to their race suits in the cold and windy conditions.  The temperature hovered around 10-degrees for the race.  We picked our spots on the start and reminisced about races past.  Race Director Veronica Fernandez gave some quick instructions, NENSA’s Executive Director Amie Smith, used her magic watch to provide us with a minute, then a 30-second warning, and before we knew it we were on course!

Considering the size of the field and the tight corner, racing got underway with a clean start.  After looping around the driving-range, racers started to spread out down the long flat stretch of Perimeter to the loop.  It is flat starts like these that often remind many that they should be working on double poling in the offseason, though the thought of it is never appealing.  I comforted myself with thinking that all the canoeing I do counts as many people went by me.  The race leaders quickly established themselves.  Sam Evans-Brown (Concord) went out aggressively, Chris Burnham (NWVE), Adam Terko (MNC), and Tyler Magnan (NWVE) tried to match the pace as best they could.  A chase group was close behind and included Eric Tremble (NWVE), Eric Darling (NWVE), Nate Laber (MNC) John Sakalowsky (CSU).

Dennis Page (Nansen) and Michael Millar (MNC) were too far back in the field to make the breaks and took the helm of the main field.  As the gentle climbing began, a few changes in the order took place; the most significant was Chris Burnham taking advantage of his aggressive kick to drop Adam Terko, who opted to try the double pole thing on this course.  As the field took shape, small gaps opened up, and smaller packs formed.

On a fast course, gaps are hard to close, and it is typical for the race field to spread out with 3-4 second breaks appearing insurmountable.  Bryce Wing (Ford Sayre) valiantly tried to keep pace with Eli Gallaudet (CSU), Ari Ofsevit (CSU), and Rob Bradlee (Wide Meadow).  Drafting Bryce was Kathy Maddock (Dublin), Stephen Wright (NWVE), and me hanging on with all I had after the start but happy to be able to stride a little.   Andy Milne (CSU) and Ed Hamilton (NWVE) raced stride for stride as they have since their BKL days pulling a long train with the likes of Charlie Gunn (Black Water), Nat Lucy (Unattached), Alex Jospe (SMS/CSU) and Peter Harris (Craftsbury).  With Kathy near the very front of the field, a contingent of many of the top women formed around Alex.  Sara Falconer (MNC) Erin Waters (Concord), JoAnn Hanowski (MNC), and Grace Castonguay (Kennett) were a great representation of the deep talent in the women’s field. NWVE’s Kyle Darling and Sarah Pribram were keeping pace with Jim Fredericks (MNC) as Robert Faltus (CSU) stalked carefully behind.  NWVE’s Liz Hollenbach and Jonathan Rodd also paired up racing with Bethel Outing’s Ian Blair.

A little further back was the Trina Train.  The effect returned yet again as racers surrounded Stowe Nordic’s, Trina Hosmer.  This time it had the familiar faces of Jessica Bolduc (NWVE), John Lazenby (Onion River), Jonathan Chaffee (Ford Sayre), as well as a rare weekend race appearance by Steve Messier (Unattached).  Do not underestimate the tactics of the phenomenon that often surrounds Trina in a race.  She knows what is going on (people do not want to get “Trina’d,”) and has a reputation to maintain.  While you may get think you can get an advantage, she is tenacious, and we are merely the fodder that fuels her quest for the grander goal of Nordic World Masters Gold.  Oblivious to the cutthroat racing tactics at play within this pack, as it is Trina holding her own against everyone else, Executive Director Amie was enthusiastically bestowing personalized accolades just as Jessica was dropping the F-Bomb not realizing it was Trina squeezing her off course in the lap area.  “Finishing races is important, but racing is more important” (Dale Earnhardt).  Perry Bland (NWVE) had a lot of friendlier company skiing with Melissa Manning (NWVE) and John Witmer (NWVE) as well as Christopher Naimie (Bow Nordic) and Gordan Scannell (Schussverein).  They picked up the remnants of the Trina Train aftermath and invited them to ski in a friendlier pack.

Cipperly Good (NWVE) joined us for this one and found herself racing with some of the large contingent of women that MNC brought to the race.  Cipperly skied with Renate Adamowicz (MNC), Ellie Bouffard (MNC), Karen Allence (MNC), and the much humbler David Hosmer (Stowe Nordic). Though he has been known to brag about the number of Nordic Masters Medals won between him and Trina.   Cipperly was slightly disappointed that she had quite a bit left in the tank upon finishing but was happy with the excellent conditions and connected with her parents to extend her ski after the race.  Sara Mae and Larry Berman (CSU) returned to the club series action exclaiming great satisfaction with the wonderful conditions as they cruised to victories in their respective categories.

As the race played out, the action got more exciting during the final kilometers.  Sam Evans-Brown was uncatchable.  Chris Burnham’s move on Adam Terko was effective, but on the home stretch, Adam was closing quickly.  Nate Labor broke from the chase group with Theodore Mollano (Hopkinton) and challenged Tyler Magnan, though Tyler held them off at the line.  Eric T. and Eric D. found themselves in a sprint with Eric T. taking it by a second, thankful he put the Rode Alaska speed shell on his skis just before the start.  I put a gap on Stephen and Kathy, having some fast skis, and a little more pop on the steep uphill. It was enough to hold them off as they closed on the final stretch. Bryce faded after his aggressive start, and Nat Lucy broke though the pack to overtake him.  Ed dropped Andy going with the break that Nat made along with Charlie Gunn.  Alex held off a few Senior Women, and JoAnn stayed right on their tails.  Kyle powered away from Sarah, trying to close on Jim, who held his advantage to the finish.  Liz was able to overtake Jonathan, though Jonathan was breaking in a new pair of poles to replace the one broken at the Bogburn.  Even though things got testy between Trina and Jessica on course, they were cordial at the finish with Jessica offering some of her signature ginger molasses cookies.  Jessica rebounded from the deep powder and overtook Trina on the gradual climbs up Sebosis never looking back.  Perry raced conservatively but was pleased with his result.  Melissa, John, and Chris were also quite happy as they enjoyed the ideal classic skiing conditions.  Cipperly was happy with the day, and plotting for not only next weekend, but next year too.

A brief awards ceremony was held quickly after the race for the overall winners, and the rest of the field enjoyed eating medallion sugar cookies and drinking warm beverages.  Spirits were high with many smiles for those who had just Geschmosseled Bretton Woods style.  Many headed back out to ski more of the picturesque trails while others made their way home.  It was a fantastic day to be skiing, and the NENSA Popular Race Series is taking off.  It is great to see so many people jumping into the races, whether for the first time or for the first time in a while.   The Geschmossel field was double what it was last year!”

Damian Bolduc is a prize winning sports writer from the Northwest Vermont Endurance and the Chair of the NENSA Masters Committee – read more from Damian by clicking the link above.

A new week, another classic New England ski race, and substantially different weather than last Saturday’s Bogburn. But the cold could not deter the New England Nordic faithful from a day of racing at Rikert Nordic Center for this year’s Silver Fox Trot.

All told, a staggering 227 racers took to the starting line. 90 of those skiers were affiliated with host club Ford Sayre; parents and volunteers who have seen the Silver Fox Trot evolve over the years assumed both totals were among the highest ever. The Rikert crew worked tirelessly to provide excellent skiing on several iterations of their race course.

None of this would have been possible without all the volunteers. Special shoutouts to Race Directors Margaret Loftus and Jonathan Durham for organizing and directing the entire operation; to Jonathan Chipman and Hope Rennie for coordinating the timing and registration operations; and the Ford Sayre JNT team and parents for volunteering throughout the morning and then throwing bibs on and taking part in the Citizens Race! The Silver Fox Trot is many things at once — a mainstay on the New England Nordic race calendar, an event for skiers of every age, ability, and inclination.

For results, click here.

Special thanks to Ford Sayre coach Luke Costley for the writeup and photos