Frost Mountain Nordic

Friday, September 30, 2011

Breadloaf and Beyond: Improvement Taking Shape at the Rikert Touring Center

by Agardner on SEPTEMBER 29, 2011 in NORDIC

“If you had told me we’d have all the logging for the new trail done by 3 this afternoon, I would have told you, you were crazy.” – Mike Hussey on the progress of the new race trail.

Patty Ross and Mike Hussey survey the scene.

Since beginning the process of the new trail roughly a year ago, there have been a solid stream of goals and objectives. Approval from the college, approval from Ripton town residents, approval from the state by way of an Act 250 permit and a lengthy planning process with alum and renown trail builder, John Morton and his business partner, David Lindahl were just steps along the way. Tropical Storm Irene slowed the process but as of today, all the trees necessary to remove from the site are down and the ebb and flow of what will be one of the best courses in the country is beginning to take shape. Excavation rolls soon and with plans to race the new trail at this year’s carnival events, there’s a lot of work to be done to get it to a race-ready condition. Early visits with FIS representatives have taken place with more to follow soon. The home of the Middlebury Ski team is soon to be home to an Eastern course favorite.

Simultaneously, the touring center itself is getting a facelift, improved adaptive bathroom facilities and indoor access to the second floor promising a wider more inviting place to enjoy some soup out of the cold, pick up a tin of wax and figure out the conditions of the moment.

The touring center's new look takes shape.

This blog was first posted on Middlebury Skiing. read more...

Monday, September 19, 2011

BKL FALL FUN

From the top of Worth Mountain.

You'll find some of us

out-standing in our field.

Embracing the last daring splashes of summer.

Laying in wait for Jack Frost to arrive.

To the top of Snake Mountain!

where we stretch, perform some M(ountain)Yoga,

munch on some yummy treats, take a deep breath and enjoy the view!

Have fun and see you at the next stop.

Monday, February 28, 2011

More Festival Photos

Clyde Malhatra and Zach Wilkerson

L to R: Kim Callahan, Linda Punderson and Maggie passing out hot cocoa
at Robert Frost's cabin. Kim even recited poetry. This was
a stop on a 10K loop for the Bill Koch kids and
their families. The skiing was beautiful!

L to R: Keith Wilkerson and Nick Wilkerson minutes after Nick's race.

L to R: Barney Hodges and Sam Hodges.

What would we have done without Donald Remeniak (far right) and his help
in feeding all the little hungry squirrels, mice, raccoons and bears. Cam (far left)
and Anders (middle) shift from waxing 170 pairs of skis to
flipping (and eating) a few burgers.

Circle-Of-Life of Skiers

Below is a letter that Cam MacKuglar, our Frost Mountain Nordic coach, sent out today to his high schoolers, college kid and masters. We thought you would enjoy it, too. Cam waxed over 170 pairs of BKL skis this past weekend with the help of Anders Meyers. Wow!

Hey Frosties,

Firstly a huge thanks to all of you who helped out at the Festival this past week! I know that I had a ton of fun (despite only being in the background on tv and thus ruining my future movie-stardom), and it was really awesome to see how huge the sport is now! 525 registrants, insaaaane!!! I think the coolest part of the festival, for me at least, was really seeing and appreciating the circle-of-life (cue Elton John) of skiers and alums of the BKYL. You had a Middlebury College Ski Team captain organizing the event, ex US team coaches waxing and coaching, an Olympic silver medalist cheering on his son, foreign Olympians waxing up a storm, national champions forerunning, even the volunteers at the finish were NCAA all-americans and ex US team members!! That right there is a testimony to the sport, but also to the characters that it creates. These ex athletes and coaches have been on tv, raced internationally, competed in Olympics, nationals, college, and all enthusiastically volunteered to help usher the next generation of racers into the spotlight. That was really cool.

Tiger Zach Wilkerson

So with the festival behind us we're now in our own competition time! States, Loppets, World Masters, Eastern Highschools... you get the picture. This is how this week is going to break down: (remember that we're tapering right now, so I give you coaches' permission to put your feet up on your desks, take the elevator, and drive to the road to get your mail... the goal is to rest and be super recovered for your big races)

Thanks again so much for you all being total rockstars this past weekend and helping out, although I do have one question- who helped Zach write his name on his bib?

Cheers!

Cam

A good guess is that there were over 1,000 pairs of skis!

Individual Races and Painted Faces

This article was first posted on Nensa.net

UPDATE: Results added. Stellar individual races at the 2011 TD Bank Bill Koch Festival wrapped up a very successful weekend for the Frost Mountain Crew in Ripton, Vermont.

Link to Results:

Grades 7-8 Boys

What an amazing weekend - and the weather was no slouch, either! For day-2 of the TD Bank BKL Festival, Mother Winter brought low temps and fresh snow at night, and the grooming team at Rikert Touring Center delivered beautiful, packed powder tracks all day. For today's individual classic races, the waxing was easy - your choice of just-north-of Extra Blue for kick wax - and the lanes were lined with super fans.

Local photographer Pam Quinn captured the faces and scenery throughout the weekend. Visit her collection here.

The photos below were taken with a GoPro camera hidden in the fur of a festival fox.

Isabelle Serrano sporting aerodynamic butterfly face paint and feathers, awaiting the race start.

Superfans line the lap lane to cheer on their favorite animals.

Disco Dog adds some pep to the final climb into the stadium.

Grade 1-2 skiers learn the fast-paced nature of a 15-second interval start.

Building a ski jump overlooking the Breadloaf Campus and site of the BKL Festival stadium.

Getting lined up for the start of a high-speed chase of Bucky Beaver and Disco Dog.

Lollipoppers gather mid-day to take a celebratory tour around the main field against a backdrop of cheering spectators.

Caden Cote watches on as Sam Hodges hands out lollipops to the eager finishers.

The picturesque yellow buildings of the Breadloaf Campus and Rikert Touring Center.

Taking a short break for chili bowls and apple cider in the lunch barn.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Fox, Squirrel, and Mice in Ripton, Vermont for Racing & Fun!

This post first appeared on Nensa.

by BKL Alum Jake Whitcomb (a.k.a Bucky Beaver from New Haven) who attended the 2011 TD Bank BKL Festival today at the Rikert Touring Center in Ripton, Vermont.

Saturday, February 26, 2011 - Ripton, Vermont: Under snow-covered trees amidst skiers, parents, and volunteers of all ages in woodland creature-themed attire, athletes aged 5 to 13 descended upon Rikert Ski Touring Center in Ripton, Vermont today for the annual Bill Koch Cross-Country Ski Festival. The annual event brings youth skiers in New England a weekend of championship races as well as non-competitive open activities for families and festival-goers. With the close of the opening day's events, 515 registered racers had competed in a mixed-age relay race and an adventurous tour around Rikert's beautiful trail network, making for the most attended BKYL Festival to date.

The festival is rooted in the philosophy that cross-country ski racing with friends is both competitive and fun, explained Bill Koch, the 1978 Olympic silver medalist from Peru, Vermont-namesake and inspiration for the youth league. "Racing comes and goes, but skiing stays forever." This year's BKYL Festival brings a unique theme and the tradition of over 100 volunteers and organizers coming together to encourage courteous competition - faster racers that call "track" are given the right of way - and an event that celebrates the participation of all - from Olympic hopefuls to first-year participants.

To embody this year's theme, "Skiing by the Woods on a Snowy Day," racers and festival goers alike will be greeted all weekend with activities ranging from an opening parade (see video: http://gallery.me.com/maxkcobb#100368), to event videos at the local high-school awards banquet, a ski terrain park, a ‘mini-marathon' by poet Robert Frost's former summer residence, an animal-costume themed ski loop, and over 30 attending ski clubs from Madawasaka, Maine, to Rochester, New York, to Bedford, Massachusetts. There were the Berkshire Trails ‘Beavers' from western Massachusetts, a family of skunks, bears, moose, birds, canines and critters of all kinds.

For full results of the day's races see the NENSA website: http://nensa.net/news/index.php?id=4643

Here are some more pictures of the day: http://quinnpics.smugmug.com/

The following photos are from a GoPro camera that Abby Weissman was wearing today at the Festival. Fun!