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