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You may be familiar with some of our old Pugcast videos. These were some informative-but-mostly-humorous interviews with some of our Juniors.

Well, the Pugcast has a new look going forward. We’re bringing back the concept as a panel discussion reviewing the weekend’s World Cup races throughout the season.

Are we reaching new levels of boredom and virtual nonsense in quarantine? Probably. 

Is this podcast/video series ideal for a wide audience? Probably not. 

Is this podcast just a poor-man’s-version of the Devon Kershaw Show? Pretty much.

Are the hosts just so starved for ski racing content that they will talk about things like 2006 racer Bjorn Lind’s sunglasses for multiple minutes? Yes. 

So without further ado, please be enthralled for over an hour by Mike, Silas, and Adam as they discuss World Cup Weekend #1 in Ruka, Finland. Below the video you will find links to topics referenced in the video such as Rosie Brennan’s story, World Cup viewing resources, and yes, Bjorn Lind’s epic racing from 2006.

Thanks to Mike and Silas for making this happen…and stay tuned for some additional guests!

https://youtu.be/C9G7ksH6Bto

Topics referenced:

Today is Giving Tuesday! If you feel that MNC programming, experiences, camps, gatherings (when they can happen!) and races are important parts of your life or the lives of others, consider a donation to our club.

As always, a donation link can be found under the ‘About’ tab on our homepage.

You can also find a direct link below. Remember, as a 501(c)(3) non-profit all donations to Mansfield Nordic Club are tax-deductible.

Thanks! Think snow!

MNC Donations

 

A nice community event we are passing on from our friends at Dee PT!

The Dee PT Great Diaper Drive

Dee Physical Therapy is very excited to announce our 13th annual diaper drive to benefit the Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS).  

Did you know that more than half the kids that stay in COTS shelters each year are under the age of 5 and COTS programs assisted more than 546 children last year?  

Did you also know 1 in 3 families struggle with diaper needs?  Over the past 12 years the Dee PT diaper drive, through generous community donations, has collected over 900,000 diapers. 

 We know that 2020 has been a difficult year, that’s why especially now all donations no matter how large or small continue to make a great impact.  

Our diaper drive will look a little different this year but the sentiment is still the same, a community-based event to help our neighbors.  

Due to the ongoing health pandemic we regret we can’t do in-person donations this year, however, together with COTS we have a virtual event. 

 To participate please visit https://cotsonline.org/give/diaper-drive/ 

There was a new update to Vermont guidance issued on Friday. What does it mean for ski training? Read on.

The new guidelines allow for outdoor exercise conducted with a maximum of 2 people at a time, 6′ apart and wearing masks. You can read a press release about the updated guidance here.

For MNC, that means that training in pairs is allowed provided the guidance is followed. Please be aware that we will still not be holding any official training or practices as this would constitute the “organized recreational sports” that is still not allowed under current guidelines.

However, you may call or text a training friend to put in some exercise with…this should come as a huge relief to many who are not a fan of just going it alone! Please keep in mind, though, that even if this training is not official club time, you still represent Mansfield Nordic Club and the sport of Nordic skiing.

There was a great interview with Sun Valley coach Rick Kappala recently on the Toko page (which I recommend parents and coaches listen to…thanks for sharing Rosemary!) and while the interview covered many awesome topics, one relevant point that applies to us right now was this [paraphrased] statement from Rick:

“When are Nordic skiers, and when is our sport, MOST visible to the general public? It’s not when we’re out on the ski trails…because only other skiers see us. It’s when we’re out ROLLERSKIING and DRYLAND TRAINING that our presence is seen and felt by the communities we live in.”

What a simple and well-put concept. Not only do we need to be wearing hi-viz clothing for vehicular and hunting safety…it also shows others who don’t ski that we are still responsible and focused. When we move over for cars it shows them that skiers are aware and attentive. When we wave to others on the trail it shows that we’re all excited to share the outdoors together.

So…with that said:

Please be aware of this guidance, but take the opportunity to communicate with a friend or teammate who you’d like to train with. Ski or run a session and work hard together. But always remember the bigger picture!

Thanks-

-Adam