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FreeFall Fun in BTV

MNC and NENSA held the first edition (or at least “new version”) of the FreeFall on Sunday. This was billed Burlington’s Rollerski Festival and we hope that with a successful and fun proof-of-concept this year we can grow things in years to come!

The hub was an awesome location: the back parking lot of the Burton factory store in the south end of the city. The trees were turning bright colors, the sun was out, and a fast and flowy course was laid for some sprint racing.

The course looped around two separate lots, with a few slaloms and lots of curves and high speed. As close to an F1 street track as you can get for rollerskiing! After a qualifying round, skiers raced in heats of three. Because we used a court-style format, everyone got to race three rounds: win your heat and move up, finish in the middle and retain your bracket position, finish 3rd and jump down to the next heat.

Fall rollerskiing at its finest

While there may have only been 15 competitors, those were some speedy and capable skiers! The day ended with awards from MNC, NENSA and Skirack, some pizza and cookies, and good vibes.

But a festival isn’t just for racing! Not long after the competition portion ended, the games and toys were brought out! Lots of young rollerskiers got to try their skills and learn about the sport with NENSA’s Swenor fleet, and the parking lot was taken-over in a totally different way.

While the kids were skiing around, playing games, getting facepaint, and enjoying the company of a rollerskiing cow (thanks Hanna!) the Masters group ski also took off for a trip down the bike path. The sun was still shining, and the path was abuzz with bikers and runners all enjoying the cool recreation opportunity Burlington offers.

This event wasn’t as large as we’d hoped it would be this year, but the seed has been planted. Thanks so much to our volunteers, NENSA, Skirack, Burton, and Burlington itself for a really fun time!

FreeFall Event Photos: BKL/Masters

FreeFall Event Photos: Sprint Race

FreeFall Sprint Results

Caldwell Sport stonegrinding ’24

By Adam Terko on 16 September, 2024 in Junior Blog, Masters Blog

September is well underway, and it’s time for the annual ski grinding action!

MNC delivers skis to Caldwell Sport in Putney for stonegrinding.

What is stonegrinding? Put simply, stonegrinding removes an incredibly thin top layer of your ski base while also applying a new pattern. This is all done with an incredibly-expensive, finely-tuned machine using special stones, depths, speeds, and pressures. If it sounds complicated, that’s because it is! But you only need to know the outcome, which is that a freshly stoneground ski will:

-Be much much easier to wax because the base will be flat and even. This means it will be faster

-Hold wax better due to this even distribution of material and opened “pores” that were previously damaged by heat from irons or corks

-Repel moisture better with a new pattern and structure

Most skiers only assume that stonegrinding “gets the scratches out” and while this is true for very minor dings and blemishes, stonegrinding won’t necessarily make a base look perfectly new. And more often than not, it isn’t the scratches that are slowing your ski down: it’s all those passes with an iron, all that dirt that you can’t see in the base, and all the uneven rises and falls at a minuscule level from repeated use and abuse.

With the transition to non-fluoro racing, flat bases and fast bases have never been more critical.

Here is a simple rule:

If your skis have not been stoneground and you have raced on them for two years in a row, they should probably get ground before this season. Even if they do not have scratches, they are likely to have thermal damage and wear. This is ESPECIALLY true for race skis, which have likely seen a lot of action from hot irons and roto-implements used in racing.

Our coaches have some detailed knowledge of Junior skis from the past race season, so if you are a Junior and are interested to know if you’d benefit from some stonegrinding please reach out. Masters, don’t hesitate to reach out either!

So, how does this all work?

1) Fill out the form below to indicate # of pairs, grind options, and personal info by SEPTEMBER 30th

2) Deliver skis to Adam any time before SEPTEMBER 30th (reach out to coordinate a drop-off), or stop by the MNCC on Wednesday evenings between 5 and 8pm to drop-off at our headquarters!

3) Adam will drive skis down to Caldwell Sport, and pick them up when done (usually before Thanksgiving)

4) Individuals will be billed by the club and can submit payment via all our usual means (online form, or check made out to MNC)

5) Stonegrind cost includes rate for grinding, plus transport of skis to/from Putney and the involved labor/admin steps. Individual grinds from Caldwell Sport are $100/pair, but with a batch of skis from our club there should be a discount. The more skis we bring, the bigger the discount!

Skis will be returned to owners upon receiving payment

Need some suggestions for grinds? Zach helped lay out his best options for various numbers of skis and I have utilized that info on the form. If you only have one skate or classic pair, for example, chose the “Universal” option. Most of us, if we have a 2nd pair of either skate or classic, are utilizing a specific “warm” pair which is also an option to select.

MNC Caldwell Grind Order ’24

Looking for used skis, or looking to part with skis or gear? Mark your calendars for the MNC Ski and Gear Swap on October 12 (dropoff) and 13th (swap)

A typical MNC batch lined-up for loading and delivery in Adam’s garage!

Masters Conquer Monroe

By MNC Masters on 16 September, 2024 in Masters Blog

(from Pascal Cheng) This past Sunday, September 15, more than a dozen MNC masters got together to run/hike the Monroe Skyline from Appalachian Gap to Lincoln Gap. This beautiful and challenging 11-mile section of the Long Trail takes you over the tops of Lincoln Peak, Mount Ellen, General Stark Mountain and Mount Abraham. The weather could not have been better with bright sunshine, little wind, and cooler temperatures over 3000 feet. We all were in awe of the spectacular views looking eastward and westward from many different vantage points along the ridge line. And it was a bonus to see bands of fall colors starting to appear in different areas. Along the way, we crossed the summits for several different sections of the Sugarbush Mountain Resort ski area and took advantage of these spots to refuel and rest our legs.

It was great to have such a big group of Masters participate in this hike. Although we broke off into smaller groups along the way going at different paces, we still managed to reconvene at different points and finish together at Lincoln Gap. Many thanks to Katie Hill for organizing all the logistics for this which included coordinating multiple cars and drivers in two different locations. Hopefully, there will be a few more opportunities for fall trail runs/hikes so stay tuned to postings in Slack.

Here are some photos of the outing, courtesy of Ellie Bouffard and Katie Hill:

“Before” photo – two-thirds of the 8am starters

“Before” photo – 9am starters, including Pickle the poodle (who hiked almost the entire trail!)

Wow! What a day!!!

Top of Mad River Glen’s single chair

Following the ridge line through the boreal forest’s moss-covered fairyland

Snack time!

We are so lucky to be able to call this our playground …

The different groups caught up with each other on top of Mount Abe, with a final round of refueling before the descent.

Bummed you missed out? Join us for the next outing!!!

Coming up this Sunday 9/15 – The Long Trail’s Monroe Skyline w/the Masters!

By MNC Masters on 9 September, 2024 in Masters Blog

You’ve been training all summer, now let’s see what you can do! Join the MNC Masters for a challenging point-to-point trail run or hike on the Long Trail’s scenic Monroe Skyline, heading south from the App Gap (Route 17) to Lincoln Gap Road (trail map) – or whatever portion of that you’d like to tackle. This will be a “no drop” outing, and all running/hiking speeds are welcome! The full point-to-point route is somewhere between 10.2 and 11.6 miles, depending on which map you’re looking at, with 2800 ft of elevation gain over four mountain peaks (Stark Mtn, Mt Ellen, Lincoln Peak, and Mt Abe). Meet 9am at the App Gap’s south-bound trailhead (trailhead map); parking is wherever you can find it near the top of the hill on Route 17.

For a shorter outing, consider an out-and-back hike from Lincoln Gap Road (trailhead map) to the top of Mount Abraham (5.2 miles, round trip) or beyond, with your start timed to meet the point-to-pointers at the top of Mount Abe in the 11am to 11:30 range.

DRIVERS NEEDED – We could use one or two drivers to help with the point-to-point route, either to shuttle cars to Lincoln Gap beforehand, or to pick up the point-to-pointers at Lincoln Gap and bring them back to their cars at the App Gap. Maybe someone doing the out-and-back hike to Mt Abe could help with pick up? Please post on Slack or email Katie Hill (khill@gmavt.net) if you can help with driving.

Runners/hikers please RSVP by Friday 9/13 (even if a “maybe”) via Slack or email to Katie Hill (khill@gmavt.net) so that we have time to coordinate rides for the point-to-point participants and make sure everyone has a partner. Indicate whether you plan to run or hike, and which portion of the route you’ll be doing.

Check Slack for last minute changes! Timing may need to be adjusted to accommodate the participants & transportation needs.

Questions? Contact Katie Hill at khill@gmavt.net

Order your MNC Maloja parka here!

By Adam Terko on 5 September, 2024 in Junior Blog, Masters Blog

We are excited to have a new parka on offer for this season from the awesome outdoor company Maloja! Check out more info below. You can also learn visit the MNC Club Apparel page to see this information beyond just a blog post.

MALOJA (Parkas, coats)

ORDER BY SEPTEMBER 15TH!

This season MNC is offering Maloja parkas for athletes and families. These items are available in adult sizing only. They are well-made, offered at an excellent price, and look great! Once purchased, we will have MNC logos added. This will be an additional $20-30 per jacket.

To ensure the greatest sizing availability, orders must be received into the form below (also on club registration page) by September 15th.

There are two parkas available:

A shorter jacket called the Pikuj at $139 (20% off wholesale). The men’s Pikuj comes in black, and the women’s comes in black with a floral pattern on the bottom.

A longer jacket called the Marzola at $219 (20% off wholesale). This parka is unisex in style and sizing, and comes in black.

Please review the sizing charts at the link below. For the most accurate sizing, you can visit the Maloja store on the Mountain Road in Stowe. Again, orders must be placed by September 15th. Team jacket orders are FINAL SALE.

Maloja Parka Sizing and Details

Maloja Order Form: Due 9/15