Sectionals 2012 !

Sectionals is the 2nd biggest day of the year when it comes to High School Skiing here in NY. Their is a lot on the line and as usual you find out what people are made of. You could win every race of the year but when it's on the line will you come through? This year the 2 most dominate skiers in Section 5 did just that ! Eric and Alyssa have been on top of the results list all year and Monday was no different ! They are both deserving champions and representatives of their High School programs. Lucky for us they are also part of Rochester Nordic Racing ! They have been a part of the program almost from the start and it is a testament to themselves, family, friends, and coaches that they have been able to be successful !

(Alyssa and Eric 2012 Sectional Champions !)

One of the reasons that Sectionals is such a pressure packed event is that you throw all the season results out the window and it's a one day showdown to qualify for states. If you finish in the top 12 your headed to the big show if not your a spectator. You could argue that it is not fair or you don't like it but that's the way it is !

Luckily in a sport like nordic skiing hard work is often rewarded and this year was no different. It was pretty obvious in many ways that the athletes who have been making an effort to become better are doing better.

This year R.N.R athletes were stacked in the top 12. On the girls side Alyssa led the way claiming the over all victory Margot had a repeat performance from last year and finished 3rd, Colleen had arguably her best race of the year to finish 4th, Emmy was 6th, Jenna 10th, Maggie 11th and Hanna 12th, Just out for the 2nd year in a row finishing 13th was Katie ! Sara also had a great race finishing in 18th followed by Megan in 27th and Jenna in 29th.

The biggest story of the day was that the Mendon girls were ahead of HF-L in the team score. I'm not sure when if ever HF-L had not won sectionals on the girls side? So the overall came down to the relay the next day where HF-L was able to get the victory and secure the Sectional Title ! ! Congratulations to HF-L !

(Top 3 girls from the distance Race Alyssa, Riley, and Margot. )

The picture below is from the top 3 teams in the relay race. HF-L had 3 teams in the top 4 places but only one scores so Webster was 3rd ! I really like this picture because EVERY GIRL EXCEPT 1 attended an R.N.R Practice this SUMMER ! ! A picture is said to tell a 1000 words but this one probably reviles more than that!

(Top 3 Relay Teams)

Girls State Team ! Lot's of familiar RNR faces !

On the boys side of things Eric led the way winning the race ! I'm not sure if he is the 1st Champion from Webster or not ? I will have to ask coach Weston but Eric has brought Webster back in a big way the last couple of years ! Just behind Eric was Langton in 2nd, Gavin in 3rd, Peter in 4th, Conner in 6th, Tommy in 8th, Jack in 11th and Marco in 12th ! Yea your reading that correctly 8 R.N.R'ers in the top 12 !! YAHTZEEEEE ! The boys of the summer have been rocking all year long and sectionals was no different great to see them make the show ! Woody had a good race and was 14th less than 10 seconds out of 12th! He has had a great season and will be working hard this summer to make his way in to that top 12! Scott also had a great race finishing 19th, Mike was 29th I think he was a little disappointed but will be back to fight again at JN's !

(Boys top 12)

As with the Girls the Boy's title would be decided by the Relay and the biggest surprise of the weekend was the Pittsford Boys knocking off HF-L to win the team title ! Piitsford has been knocking on the door recently and they were able to make it happen. Congratulations to coaches Gorbold and D'Hont ! As with any high school program the coaches put in more hours than anyone and they were rewarded today !

(Boys relay team bringing home the trophy ! All 3 of these guys were a part of the summer program so it was pretty awesome to see them win ! Also to note is that they all will be back to defend next year !)

I'm lucky to have the opportunity to coach all of the athletes of R.N.R and without the help and support of all the high school coaches that would not be possible. The reason R.N.R was started was to raise the level of skiing within the Mid-Atlantic division and I think we are doing that one stride at a time ! Thanks for all the support and congratulations to all of the coaches, athletes, friends and families !

Next stop Lake Placid for the State Championships !

www.rochesternordicracing.com

Eastern Canadian Champs !

(Nakkertok !!)

This weekend the R.N.R team faced a tough decision we could head to Trapp's and race the Eastern Cup with the rest of the North East or we could head to Ottawa and race the Eastern Canadian Championships with all of Canada. Both races would offer great competition and the deciding factor ended up being the travel time. It takes about 4 1/2 hrs to get to Ottawa and about 7 to get to Trapps so it was off to the great North and a little racing across the boarder.

(Marty During the Mass Start)

Upon departing a quick check at the registration revealed over 700 racers ! ! ! ! Not only were the fields deep but they were talented. Their were a handful of athletes which have been on and off the Canadian World Cup squad as well as many of Canada's up and coming stars. We knew it was going to be a quality weekend of racing!

(The new Madshus Equipment being brought out by Greg Christie's one of them best shops in the Business ! If you need a pair of boards these guys have them and lots of them )

The scene in Canada was off the HOOK to say the least with Kershaw winning the World Cup the excitement at the venue was overwhelming. It was hard not to get engulfed in the experience. Even though we were racing in a foreign country it's hard not to treat Canada like the states but this had the feeling of a European Country with the excitement, athletes, spectators, and atmosphere just killing it all weekend.

(Chad during the mass start)

Copyright to the Musicianonskis !

As for the races they went about as well as they could have for us. Without having a FIS licence we were starting in the back of the pack on both days which really did not turn out to bad since the course was a FIS certified 5k you got to mix it up with everyone. The course itself was what you would expect from and FIS course HARD ! A little bit of everything including long climbs technical descents and rock hard tracks ! It was quite a change from the flat 1k loop that we have been skiing on.

(Jason during the mass start)

Copyright the Musicianonskis !

The 15 skate was first and went decent for everyone Jason 66th Chad 83rd Marty 96th out of 150 starters. On Sunday we raced in the 30k classic. Since we were not part of the mini tour we started in a mass start after the top 40 started in a pursuit interval start. Again we started in the back and it was game on when the gun went off. The race went well and was a great tune up for the Gatineau Loppet next weekend we ended up Jason 58th Chad 80 Marty103 out of 134.

(On the back line ready to break some SH)(*&&^*()

On a side not Eric headed to Trapps to keep an eye on the rest of the NY and led the way both days flying the colors for RNR !

(Eric on the line at Trapps flying the flag in the states ! )

Until next time ! RNR

Up Next Section 5 State Qualifier for the Juniors and the Gatineau Loppet for the big boys !

R.N.R protecting our house !

Last weekend Rochester hosted the first and last Junior National Qualifying Races of the year. Unfortunately due to the lack of snowfall the first 5 qualifiers had to be canceled leaving only the Rochester race remaining. In an effort to do the best with what they had the Mid-Atlantic Committee added a race on to the scheduled classic race and a SUPER Qualifier was created ! !

(Getting the classic boards ready to rock, with all of the R.N.R' ers racing it was a good tune up for JN's)

Historically the Rochester is the most poorly attended races due to it being the last race and also due to the fact that Rochester is a hike for those in the North and Eastern part of the state. This year however if you wanted to go to Utah you were going to have to go to Rochester !

Unfortunately like most of the state Rochester was lacking in natural snowfall, however unlike most of the state we have a Nordic center with a 1k man-made loop. This loop sits atop the Bristol Mnt Alpine area and without it I think we would be up a creek !

(Katie)

Saturday's race was also a section 5 high-school race so the loop was busy with over 100 athletes getting dizzy with the boys doing 8 laps and the girls doing 6 laps.

(Margot and Tommy out on course)

Sundays race was not a high school race but provided plenty of competition as section 5 is one of the most competitive areas within NY State and most of the top athletes came out to race, as well as some senior and masters racers.

As this was our home course we were not taking any prisoners ! We wanted to let people know this is out turf and we were going to put up a fight to qualify as many athletes as possible to this years team ! It has been a focus since June 1st for most of these athletes and they had one weekend to show what they were made of and they DID !

It was awesome to see the results that everyone was able to achieve and also that all of the hard work had paid off !

(Mike and Chad)

The entire weekend the J2 boys led the way going 1,2,3 each day with Petter and Tommy each taking a win Conner ended up 3rd each day to complete the R.N.R J2 podium sweep !

The J1 boys also represented the top step of the podium both days with Langton winning the skate race just getting the best of Eric who finished 2nd. On Sunday Eric left nothing to doubt by winning the classic race by over 1 min.

(Eric striding his was to the overall victory)

Not to be outdone Alyssa and Margot went 1,2 in the J1 girls race on Saturday. On Sunday Alyssa finished 2nd with Hanna in 3rd !

Over all the weekend went incredible well and we were able to qualify 14 athletes and 1 coach (Steve Mangan) who is still an OJ skiing for Dartmouth and auto qualifying to the Junior National Team ! !

all I can say is YEAH BUDDY ! ! ! ! !

Here is a link to the team naming and results

https://sites.google.com/site/midaxc/home/announcements/2012mid-ajuniornationalteamnamingandpoints

Ready set GO !

Well I'm glad to say that we finally got some snow here in central NY. It was the first weekend of the winter that our local multi-use facilities had enough snow to ski on !

(First classic ski of the season, I mean race!)

As with everyone else we have been dealing with Mother Nature being a real B*(&% this winter! But that's how it goes, you have to make the best with what you have and move on.

We had a great trip to U.S Nationals in Rumford, the results were not what we were hoping for but it was great to live the life for a week and to see everyone and everything that makes skiing so much more than just sport !

(Our sweet cabin kitchen set up in Andover)

(The living room)

(Wax room entry way. TOKO and Madshus the only way to GO) !

The Highschool scene here is in full swing and the kids have been killing it ! Due to the lack of snow we have been racing on a 1k man made loop atop the local alpine area. It's great to have a place to race but the lack of terrain is going to make it interesting when the kids get on a real course ! I'm not sure which will be worse for them going up hill or down hill !

(G-Man having nightmares of coaches corner after racing on the pancake)

On the girls side Alyssa has been in a league of her own winning the 1st three races of the season ! Eric would of had the same outcome except for a miscount on his laps during the first race of the year. Now that he has gotten a counting lesson from his brother and many others he has been leading the way with big wins in the last two races !

(E-Money leading the way thus far !)

It's always exciting to see how the kids are going to improve from one year to the next and I could not be happier with how EVERYONE is doing this year. The best result so far this year was an astounding 9 of the top 13 places for the guys ! and 5 in the top 10 on the girls side ! That's a high percentage of RNR'ers a top the varsity results! !

(We are not roller-skiing but it feels like it sometimes!)

The Young Gun himself has also been knocking on the door of the JV races just missing the top spot in his first 3 races ! All in all everyone has been doing a great job !

As always it's not only a testament to the athletes but also to their parents, friends and coaches ! I still scratch my head each time the HF-L and Pittsford buses roll up to the races each sporting 2 buses full of kids something like 70 kids on each high school team and you see 2 coaches get out ! ! WTF ! 35-40 athletes per coach?? It's amazing that they even get the kids to the race much less everything else they are doing on a day to day, year to year basis. The ability of the high school coaches is amazing and without them everyone would be in big trouble !

Next Stop LAKE PLACID for our first JNQ of the season. Due to the for-mentioned lack of snow we have had to cancel the first 3 races so things are going to kick of in a big way in LP !

We will have a full crew headed to LP and I can't wait to see what happens !

(Pack up the skis, we are on the road again)

West Yellowstone Recap

Well we all made it back to NY safe and Sound. After an amazing week in West the depression has now fully set in as I look at the 10 day weather forecast and realize that the chance of snow any time soon is slim to none.

( The Demo Tents Set Up In West, I'm Pretty Sure Mike Won The Most Products Demo'ed In A Week Contest, A Three Year Veteran Of West He Knew How To Do It)

(Making it up Telle Hill)

After getting such a boost in motivation at West it's going to be a challenge keeping the momentum rolling until the snow falls, or at least until they start making snow. Hopefully it will not be as long as they are saying but we will have to wait and see.

(Blue Bird Skis Mid 30's Temps and LOTS of SNOW and Lots of good times )

As for a recap of West I can make it pretty short and sweet. It was amazing. The snow, the skiers, the friends, everything ! I'm already looking forward to next year !

(Marty and Stefan went out early Saturday morning to get one last ski in before heading out and got to experience the real West ! )

Here are a few pictures from our last days in West which included the 15k Freestyle race for some of the team and lots of skiing for everyone else. Enjoy !

(Telle Hill Suffer Fest)

(You will be able to locate this guy when he is wearing that hat)

(Bib ON Suffer ON Ski Season ON)

(Be Dynamic Be Powerful Be Fast Be YOU)

(Past success is in the PAST ! New season NEW GOALS Get YOUR game TIGHT!)

(Until Next Year !)

www.rochesternordicracing.com

Happy Westgiving !

Since arriving in West Yellowstone we have a lot to give thanks for ! The weather has been unbelievable with over 20 inches of snow on the ground and seasonable temperatures we have been really lucky.

(The Gates To Heaven?)

The goal and reasoning on our decision to come to West was to get some quality early season hours on snow ! I'm pretty sure we have accomplished that with 4+ hours each day. West is more than just training though. It is an opportunity to be a part of the sport. If you have been around Nordic skiing long enough you have heard about "West" and I'm lucky to have been able to experience it. I know why people come and I know why they come back.

(The Crew)

RD,JH,LD,MW,GH,MM,JUOM,

It's an opportunity to see old friends, meet new ones, and enjoy everything that our sport has to offer. The expo is an amazing opportunity to not only see all of the new products from every major player in the Nordic industry but also to talk to someone who knows what they are talking about. You can walk in to any ski shop in the country and look at skis but the knowledge that is in West Yellowstone is amazing. Each major ski and wax company as well as most apparel companies have there heads of state here in West.

(WEST FEST)

I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the TOKO University for my first three days here in west. The job that Ian Harvey does with TOKO here in the U.S is amazing and put together a schedule that included everything from wax formulations to having guest speakers. It was an amazing opportunity that was only made better by those who were involved.

Alright that's it for now, it's time to ski AGAIN ! Yeaaaaa Buddy !

ROCHESTER NORDIC RACING !

Snow in NY !

Well its official! The first snow of the season is hitting Western New York. I have been keeping up to date with all of the recent updates around the country and it’s hard not to be jealous of some of the clubs that have a geographical advantage over the rest of us (APU). But we have been making it here with what we have to work with.

(This is a webcam shot from the top of the local alpine resort)

Most of the juniors are wrapping up fall sports and making the transition back to skiing. However some of them have a long ways to go. Some of the kids running cross country will be racing at least until Federations November 19^th and then some of them continuing on until the 26^th at the Nike Team Nationals qualifier. If they are fast enough the will go on to race December 3^rd at Nike Team Nationals. We have had quite a few kids from the area make it all the way to the big show including our summer development coach Steve Mangan. It makes for a tough transition to the ski season as some athletes will have competed in counties, sectionals, states, federations, NXN regional’s, and NXN to end the cross season. That’s 5 weeks of championship racing in a row!

We also have some juniors that have been ski training through the fall period and they have been doing some great work. With the snow in the forecast everyone’s enthusiasm is high not only here but around the country so there is no time to rest.

Two weeks ago I ran G-man through his first lactate test. He did really well and I was pleased with the results and his effort. Having lactate to back up HR data is nice just to make sure everyone is on the right page.

Here is a little video from his final Max effort for the day. I had a sweet little set up on my road bike with his HR monitor and a video camera as well as my HR monitor on my bars.

For a big recap of the test visit the MF Uni blog as the kids have been updating. Checking out the kids blog has made me really miss those that have left this last year for college as some of them were with me when I started R.N.R 4 summers ago. It’s great to see them doing what they do and especially when that is skiing at the next level. I hope to see the trend continue!

The next big thing on the calendar is West Yellowstone! This will be our first trip to west as a group. For the past couple of years athletes have been heading out and joining the GMVS crew for the week. It was awesome to have Justin and Tim open athletes with open arms and it was great experience. If you are considering heading out to west and need some support or a group to travel with get a hold of Justin at GMVS or myself and we will take care of you no matter where home is!

Well enough for now hope to see you on the trails !