What happens if you put a steep downhill at the start of a nordic race?

Chaos and crashes at the Eastern High School Championships

Lucy's last high school ski races

Eastern High School Championships at Middlebury ... three top ten performances with a fourth in the 5k skate race.

Cable Wisconsin ... 2016 Nordic Junior Nationals

Lucy at the start of Monday's 5k, the race today has been postponed until tomorrow when she will race the 10k mass start. Use the link below to watch the live stream on Thursday morning about 11 am.

http://www.xcjuniornationals2016.com/livestream.html

Nordic Junior Nationals

Lucy at the start of the 5k; tomorrow she will ski the 1.3k sprint course and hopefully qualify for the elimination rounds. (They are being live streamed.)

NCS Nordic Alumni

Last weekend at the New England Prep School Championships, Lucy and the St. Paul's relay team finished first, while Hyelom and the Dublin relay team placed third.

Skimeister

A tradition I started back in 1982, yesterday was moved to Mount Pisgah for the first time, and it was a great success. The results have not been tabulated yet, but it seems like the nordic team did quite well.

Not yet released ... but coming soon a full-length movie about the greatest ski story in history

CLICK The LINK TO WATCH THE TRAILER ...

http://www.filmweb.no/trailere/article1254528.ece?clip=1

CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO READ THE FULL STORY ...

http://www.newsinenglish.no/2015/03/19/birkebeiner-film-races-to-a-finish/

Sharks and Minnows, the Inner Loop, and a short time trial ... A Good Practice

Matthew. 1:25. Skating
Isaac. 1:43. Skating
Grady. 1:52. Skating
Santi. 2:08. Classic
Carly. 2:09. Classic
Horsland. 2:23. Skating
Shusei. 2:29. Classic
Spencer. 2:30. Scooter style
Jamie. 2:32. Classic

The U.S. Ski Team Race Prep Routine

Jessie Diggins, our top nordic athlete, walks us through her 24 hours pre-race routine.

Click here to watch a short video

Prep school sprints

Along with seeing alumni in Middlebury, I was able to watch the nordic races at Proctor Academy. The enclosed pictures are of Hyelom (NCS 2013) racing in one of the B finals, and Lucy (NCS 2013) racing in the A final ... Both had a very good day, and Lucy was .4 seconds off the top of the podium.

NCS alumna heading to the junior nationals

For the third time, Lucy (NCS '2013) is heading to the junior nationals. She was the top ranked mid-Atlantic junior girl, and hopes to place in the top ten. Patrick Quinn narrowly missed qualifying, and seems certain to qualify next season.

Fantastic conditions

I would love to take some nordic team members skiing at the jumps on Wednesday afternoon.

The nordic team's search for snow ... or how to turn a lemon into lemonade

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZpcRtMziHc

Free the heel

A few nordic ski team members (Kelly, Isaac, and Ava), did a Friday afternoon at Mount Pisgah. Tele-Kelly is just about to master the T-bar.

Double Poling wins the Drammen sprints in Norway

Click to watch the short video


Doubling poling has become increasingly important in cross country ski racing. (Lucy and her St Paul's and NYSEF buddies spend at least 2-3 days a week doing strength exercises in the gym.)  Watch Petter Northug win Wednesday 1.2k sprint race, beating the other skiers using kick wax. The broadcast is in Norwegian.

Don't give up yet ...

Just finished a scratchy 5k on the Cascade Loop.

Lake Placid Super Tour

The premier domestic ski races have come East. This past weekend 350 nordic racers had a freestyle sprint competition on Saturday and a classic 10k on Sunday. Lucy had strong back-to-back races, with Saturday being a personal best ... first ever skating into the knockout rounds. Patrick Quinn also came over from KUA to race (unfortunately my battery ran out so there are no pictures). NCS alumni Tys Sweeney, Hannah Runyon, and Naomi Peduzzi were also on hand to cheer. Next week the season long series moves to Stowe. Take a look at the short video.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CdbRnvhqSM4&feature=em-upload_owner

Results from the first paintball biathlon race

Still good skiing on Porter

The importance of double poling

Martin Sundby is currently leading the Nordic World Cup. In this short article - translated from the Norwegian - he mentions how he came to win the 15k Norwegian National Championship yesterday without kick wax. Last year in the most famous, and most hilly, of all ski marathons he was passed by the winner who was just double poling. (Talk to Dave Steckler who double poled the Loppet.)

SO WORK ON YOUR DOUBLE POLE!

Impromptu NCS reunion

Lucy, Zoe, Maeve, and Reece met at St. Paul's for a visit last Sunday ... All were former nordic ski team members.

Tracks in the snow

First time trial of the season

Skating tips

The race photos were taken from my video of the paintball biathlon. As this was the first time skating for several people there is no surprise that our technique was rough. Here are some general things that we can learn though:

1. As you spend more time skating, and your balance improves the base of your triangle will get smaller and smaller. ( bottom pictures)

2. The size and angle of your skating wedge (or V) depends on your technique and the terrain. In general on flat, well groomed terrain, with good technique your feet will come quite close together giving you a very small base to your triangle. The steeper the terrain, more poorly groomed, or the rougher your technique the wider will be your base.

3. What is harder to notice is that in the top two pictures all the racers have put the skating ski down on the snow on its edge. You can tell, because the ankle is rolled inward. However, the Swiss team skier is getting ready to put his skating ski down absolutely flat ... thus giving him more glide.

Video ... fantastic relay by the American women

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2iiHGIgxSA&sns=em

USA finishes Second

I will post the link to the race this afternoon. The order of the finish:

1. Norway
2. USA
3. Finland

Blast from the Past ... 2013 World Championship Sprint Relay

Click here to watch the exciting last 9 minutes of the race!

Racing In High School

We had three alumni racing on the prep school circuit yesterday.  I just got the results and there were 170 racers, and our former NCS students all finished in the top 20. I want you to know, that there is a huge mix of students racing at the high school level, from "never ever" skiers to those getting ready to go to the junior nationals. So, I just want you to know, that you will all be capable of nordic ski racing in high school.

Click here to watch the short video

Yahoo ... it snowed all afternoon on Tuesday!

It was pretty darn cold but we had a good skating workout.

Paintball pictures

Paintball biathlon and our week on skinny skis

Click here to watch a recap of last week

Last year's Skimeister

Good body position

We need to work on balance a bit more so we can get the arm swing looking better ... more like the Swiss racer.

First Prep School Race Hosted By Dublin ... NCS alumni Lucy and Hyelom

Click to watch the first prep school race

Blast from the past ... 2013 NCS loppet skiers

Get psyched for Nordic skiing tomorrow

This afternoon I classic skied at Mount Van Hoevenberg, and it was reasonably good. This morning I skied to work on the perimeter of the lake (staying away from the outlet and the bubbler). So we have a couple of options for tomorrow.

This is one of my favorite posters!

NCS nordic records

click here to watch the video

Key nordic dates

Some NCS Nordic Records