The club is excited to be hosting two big events during the month of October. You could say that they are on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to physical exertion…one is a ski race, and the other is a dinner and trivia night! The common theme running between them? Fun and spirited competition!
First up is the Rossignol Free Fall, formerly the Fall Rollerski Classic on Saturday, October 12th
Last year this race, hosted by our club, topped the charts as the LARGEST ROLLERSKI RACE IN NORTH AMERICAN HISTORY. Let’s make history again, and let’s do it in a big way with the most exciting, well-run, and fun rollerski race the continent has ever seen. What do we need to make that happen? Volunteers who are willing to share their passion for racing and managing a busy day.
From traffic ushers and registration checkers to course monitors and bib collectors, there is a job for everyone. Check out the form below if you’re interested in being a part of what we hope will be another one for the record books!
Steve Crafts gives his take on the awesome Climb to the Castle race!
MASTERS BATTLE THE EYE OF SAURON!
There’s a joke among Masters that all through the Summer the “Eye of Sauron” (aka Whiteface Mountain) keeps a watchful eye on our progress.
The one and only Whiteface Toll Rd
The peak juts out from the Adirondack mountain range, peers across Lake Champlain and wrathfully observes our training. Even on the loveliest of summer days seeing the diamond peak can elicit a palpable sense of dread. I know I’ve seen it’s formidable form and thought to myself “we’re actually going to ski up that?” But like brave Hobbits that’s just what our Masters did this past weekend.
Each one of us dug deep and conquered our fears knowing that we’d prepared.
All Summer a dedicated crew has been putting in the training and it showed. Multiple treks up Bolton, hill workouts, long distance skis and even “better than nothing” days where we managed to scrap together a little time paid off. There were tons of PR’s, impressive times and moments of pure grit.
On the Women’s side Rosemary showed the mountain who was boss. No small feat in pain management. I remember her getting to the top of Bolton once and exclaiming that the climb was harder than child birth. I wouldn’t know, but luckily she must have “hill climb amnesia” because she’s no stranger to elevation gain and on Sunday she cranked up Whiteface in about one hour. Fast!
On the Mens side 4 of the top 10 Masters were Mansfield with 3 in the top 5! This made me wish there was team scoring!
“Rookie” Master Adam Terko lead the way nabbing a 2nd place Masters podium. I believe this was Adam’s first podium and race as a Master. Welcome to the club Adam! A complimentary tube of Bio-Freeze and a foam roller await you!
Not all that far behind were Michael Gaughan and Mike Millar. Like many of our Masters these guys are inspirational examples of new comers who’ve grown tremendously while having fun.
Last year was their first C2C and together we spent a lot of time training and thinking about the race.
Like anyone tackling this for the first time fear of the unknown was a factor. The idea of skiing up that big seemed impossible but with each hour of skiing that passed their skill and ability grew. This year they powered up Whiteface and demolished their previous times by minutes. They even V2ed long expanses–a concept that seems impossible to my V1 loving brain! Seeing them power into the finish was pretty amazing. They looked like college kids (and even managed to beat some).
The mountain climbers Mike and Michael!
On the seasoned racer side Rick Constanza also had a great day. Rick is one of my personal ski heroes and whenever he blows past me in a race I think to myself “well he’s just had more years to practice” and I feel better about myself.
After almost two decades on the same pair of ancient Marwes, Rick finally broke down and bought a “gently used” pair of roller skis with substantially less miles. 57 minutes was all it took for him to slay the mountain.
And slaying the mountain and our fears is just what we did.
For me this race was a turning stone. Going in I was lacking confidence despite putting in the prep time. When I finished I realized I was actually prepared and ready. Go figure. It reminded me that sometimes the hardest part about a big challenge is believing in yourself and stepping outside of your comfort zone.
Driving to the race we were talking about strategy and Michael Gaughan said something that struck me…”The race will find you”.
When it comes to racing that’s so true. It’s a personal journey and struggle but if you put in the time and effort and just make it to the start the race sort itself out.
The Eye of Sauron certainly found us this weekend and it wasn’t as scary as we thought.
NENSA’s summer rollerski series is growing fast enough to be the next Blink Festival, and that’s alright with us. We’re so fortunate to not only have access to this great rollerski programming, we get to play a key part in it! Whether it’s racing in the event or hosting our own (coming up in October) it’s hard not to be motivated by this awesome community of athletes at all ages and levels.
That full spectrum was on display this past Saturday, when MNC skiers from BKL age through Masters rolled up the gap in a challenging and daunting race. Adding to the energy were Olympians like Sophie Caldwell and Simi Hamilton, racing right alongside the clubs of New England and standing in line for pulled pork and brats just like the rest of us! You probably wouldn’t see that from Tom Brady or Serena Williams.
About half of our Masters contingent, psyched at the summit. The full squad? Kort, Jim, Peter, Rick, Mike, Michael, Dave, and Tristen!
Unless I’m mistaken I believe Farmer Lindemuth was the youngest racer affiliated with MNC, and having recently conquered the Kanc on rollerskis at Mini Mountain Camp, this was only the next logical step! We had Juniors right up through our long-time Masters like Rick and Kort toeing the line as well, and you can bet everyone made it to the top.
Special congrats to Tristen who took 3rd in the women’s masters race! Some strong Junior results included Meredith taking 4th and Finnegan taking 6th in the women’s Junior race, Aidan with a great 6th in the men’s race,and Charles a strong 14th. Rose and Quincy got seeded in the “elite wave” and got to battle it out with some top names. Crossing the line ahead of some Dartmouth and US Nordic Combined team skiers was certainly a huge excitement boost in a race that rewards good fitness and the ability to dive headfirst into the “pain cave”.
Quincy and Rose: Racing in the elite wave meant an extra 2.5km of skating for these two…they don’t look that tired though, right??
The MNC trailer was the official gear shuttle for equipment going down from the top. Did you know it can easily fit over 15 pairs of rollerskis??
Here is a little taste of the action demonstrated by some of the MNC masters men. None other than the infamous hip hop posse including “Killa Rick”, Michael “Meatball” Gaughan, “Mic Drop” Millar, and The Notorious D.A.V.E.
As you can see, our awesome new Podiumwear spandex shorts are ideal for these races! The 2nd round of ordering is open, and you can pick up your own pair by visiting THIS LINK and using the password “uglycool”. Ordering closes tonight, August 5th!
Courses will be marked and labelled in the intended direction of travel. For safety reasons, please DO NOT ski backwards on the course at any time.
A designated rollerski warmup loop (400m) separate from the race courses will be marked within the stadium area. Course preview for U18 and older athletes available after the finish of the final U16 athletes, roughly 10:20-10:30AM
Race and Ski Notes
NENSA will determine seeding list for matched Swenor rollerskis as part of the NENSA Bag Balm Rollerski Race Series. Expect matched ski list to be published alongside start list on Friday, 10/12
While this is a race, please keep safety in mind at all times. HELMETS ARE MANDATORY for all racers. Avoid overtaking competitors on fast downhill and cornering sections.
Coaches First-Aid and Red Cross certified will be on hand in stadium and on-course.
Volunteer course monitors will be present on race day. While TD officiating will not take place, please do your best to observe all FIS rules regarding races in the classic technique. Link: FIS Classical Technique Rules
Race organizers reserve the right to omit or make note on published/final results any skiers utilizing rollerskis with unreasonably fast or “racing” (e.g. urethane) wheels.
Directions to Camp Ethan Allen Training Site
Please follow THIS LINK for some helpful directions. Be mindful of Range speed limits at all times!
The NYSEF Climb To The Castle rollerski race will be on September 18th! This is a fun but challenging 5-mile rollerski hillclimb up the Whiteface Toll Road outside of Lake Placid.
Members of the US Biathlon Team will be in attendance, as well as some of the top junior races from New England and New York!
Preview of the course from NYSEF skier Everett Sapp:
Race footage 2015:
The race starts early Sunday morning. MNC is excited to offer Juniors an overnight option Saturday! Please see itinerary and form below:
