Mansfield Nordic Club- BKSL Duathlon

Today was a cold day, but it was not without lots of  skiing action.  Early morning clouds vanished and a brilliant blue sky appeared in time for a great ski day.  We hosted the Mansfield Nordic Club Youth Ski League Duathlon.  It was a great crowd of excited kids and parents coming from as far away as the Frost Mountain Club in Ripton. (Frost Mountain has the best team hats.)

The events started with a Lollipop Race for the littlest kids…. and the prize was not just any old lollipop, but a fancy rock candy lollipop.  The J5-J3 racers did race in Duathlon format- Starting with a mass start and classic race loop, then they changed their skis and poles and finished up the race with a skate loop.  With bomber classic tracks and nice firm corduroy for skate the racers were happy and skied fast.

J3 racer coming into the finish line.

The lead boys working together into the last lap on Picnic Loop.

Parents directing racer into the transtion zone to change skis from Classic to Freestyle.

Lollipop kids coming into the finish line with lots of cheering from parents and other racers.

Racers getting a course description from Murray.

Parents cheering with a bell for the Lollipop Race.

Lollipop racer from Frost Mountain Club making the turn on her second lap as her dad cheers.

Ski Games and Activites

On Friday, January 9th under a clear sky complimented by setting sun and rising full moon the Mt. Mansfield Nordic Club BKSL Skiers and UVM Ski Team joined forces for a great afternoon of ski games, jumping, dual slolom, obstacle course with rollers, Stick in the Mud and a relay race at the end. After the sun had set everyone headed inside for homemade goodies, hot chocolate and poster signing by the UVM Ski Team. [read a little more about this on the UVM blog]

Most important before games on skis is stretching and warmup.

The UVM Team shares their secret stretch with the MMSC skiers. . . we are actually not sure what's going on here.

The group get's organized and UVM Skiers do introductions and tell a story about their first memory of skiing.

Let the games and jumping begin... the snowbank luge jump was amazing. And there were some spectacular landings and huge crashes.

There were also rollers at the end of the obstacal course.

Ryan is starter for the dual slolom and it looks like the kids in the starting gate are about to go down backwards.

This crew is getting ready for a serious game of Stuck in the Mud... including some crashes and spills. Everyone was laughing.

Just before sunset everyone gathered on the snowbank for a group photo.