Nordic News

Get ready for the Putney Relays 2015!

For our upcoming BKL race, the Putney Ski Club has decided to dust off the old “Putney Relays” brand and run a classic style relay event with an emphasis on participation and fun.

To promote participation by recreational skiers from all clubs, we’re using a unique format:

• Each team will be comprised of one skier from each age group.
• Boys and girls will race in the same race with no separate results or special categories for mixed teams. We’re all in this together!
• Each age group will ski their own lap (different length course for each group).
• Skiers may “ski up” a group, provided they ski the appropriate distance for the leg. (For example, if a 5/6 skier goes in the 7/8 leg, they’ll race the 7/8 course.)
• Skiers are not allowed allowed to “ski down” into a younger age group.

We know this will require a little forethought and planning from everyone, so as you put together your teams this week, please send the line up to Kristin Dawley by Friday, February 20 at 3 p.m.

We also know there will be gaps. If your team has any spots that are tough to fill, let Kristin know as soon as possible. That way, as she gets information she can help to ensure that everybody who wants to race gets on a team.

And be creative! If your team is short a racer in a particular age group, ask a friend who’s never raced before! Or reach out to another club who may have more than one racer in that group! (In addition, we might require adults to fill gaps in their club’s team roster by skiing a special adult lap.) Give yourselves an awesome team name!

To encourage participation AND keep the racing interesting, we’re offering an overall club award for the club with the smallest average time gap between their fastest and slowest teams. We’ll calculate that by looking at the difference in seconds between the fastest and slowest teams from a given club, and dividing that difference by the number of teams entered by the club. This provides an incentive to enter a lot of teams and to distribute the racers carefully.

The race will be timed, but only the team’s finishing time will be recorded and published. No lap splits will be calculated.

There will also be prizes for best relay socks and best costume! Cookies for all teams who wear costumes!

Lap order and other details will be announced next week. Our primary course plan is to utilize mostly open terrain on Page’s Field (which we passed through to get to the course in our last race). If it’s cold and windy, the backup course will be in the shelter of the woods.

Right now Putney’s trails are in beautiful shape with miles of groomed trails. Feel free to stay after the race to ski with family and friends.

Send an email if you have any questions!

The Falun Nordic World Ski Championships began February 18.  The schedule of events is here and you can download the interactive apps.  Below are video invites from Kikkan, Jessie and Liz that are posted on YouTube.

Please pass this info to your friends and families and post it on social media. We are trying to raise awareness of this great event and increase US viewership so we can make a case to USSA to get future cross country events on NBC TV.

Video invite from Kikkan Randall

Video invite from Jessie Diggins

Video invite from Liz Stephen

Glimmers from the setting sun

K/1 “Sliding Penguins” at Garipay Field

With BKL, we have been having a lot of fun skiing in the great snow at Garipay Field.

Thanks to the Dartmouth Cross-Country Ski crew for doing such a great job with grooming.

Don’t forget to come out to the Silver Fox Trot on Saturday Feb. 14 – race yourself or cheer the racers on!

Last week, we enjoyed fresh powder skiing!

There are two upcoming events in Stowe:

• Stowe Derby (Sunday, February 22, 2015).  The Stowe Derby is one of the oldest and most unique ski races in North America. It started in 1945 as a personal challenge between two amazing skiers – Austrian, Sepp Ruschp who was hired to come to America and head the new ski school at Stowe and Erling Strom, world famous mountaineer from Norway. The challenge was the same as it is today – to race from the top of Mt. Mansfield, Vermont’s highest peak to the historic village of Stowe… on ONE pair of skis! The ultimate test of a skiers ability. Ruschp was the winner of the first Stowe Derby.
• Stowe Derby Meister (Sunday, February 22, 2015). The Derby Meister is the TRUE test of endurance skiing! Skiers racing in this race will race both the Skate and the Classic races, back to back. 40km of skiing, a test of endurance, a leg burner, an awesome experience! This is for EXPERTS ONLY. Really.  NEW IN 2015 is the addition of a FAT Derby Meister. This new category if for racers who wish to race in the SKATE race AND the FAT Derby (Fat Bike Race). A whole new experience which we are confident will bring the whole of all worlds, snow worlds that is!

Ten New Hampshire schools brought their ski jumping teams to Oak Hill to compete on the evening of January 28.  A glowing path of ice candles guided the spectators towards the jumps, where a good crowd gathered to cheer on the competitors.  Hanover High School won the competition with 388 points, and 4 jumpers in the top 10.  The event was well organized, and a lot of fun to watch! Thanks to Tihana Strnad for the photos and videos.

Andrew Kazal, Hanover, 5th place

Sam Hasting, Hanover, 3rd place

Asher Brown, Hanover, 2nd place

Roger Burt Memorial Jump Performance Records

*Valley News wrote that this 34 meter jump broke a “decade old” record of Jim Holland’s
**Originally recorded as 34.5 meters but distance stakes found to be greater than 0.5 meter off