Friday, December 30, 2016

Arrived at ski camp :)

Letting everyone know that the vans successfully arrived at ski camp without event.  Kids had lunch and have been out skiing in the fresh 18" of new snow.  All is well!

Thursday, December 29, 2016

Pre-Ski Camp Note from John

The conditions for ski camp are looking very good - the new expected snow on a good base should allow us to do our first CLASSIC SKIING this year for many. Please be sure to have classic skis ready for an afternoon ski on Friday.  Travel may delay arrival but lets plan to ski classic upon arrival.  The Friday temps will be low to mid 20's I expect with a colder day on Saturday and back to mid 20's Sunday thru Monday. If possible you can wax with a cold wax such as SWIX 30 /40.  I will bring team wax but any waxing you can do ahead will help.  Remember a water bottle and holder as we will be skiing for 1.5 to 2.5 hrs each early session and slightly less on the afternoon session Saturday and Sunday. Be sure to dress in layers and do not let your body cool down and prevent you from skiing.  Remember a good hat, gloves, socks, wind breaker (top) and bring extra hats and gloves too.  Looking forward to seeing everyone on Friday.

John

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Departure for ski camp

We are currently aiming for a 10:00am departure from the Desert Rd campus in Freeport on Friday morning to head to ski camp.  Please continue to check the blog in case this time needs to be adjusted.  It will not be any earlier, but could possibly be moved later based on snow and road conditions.

Be sure to read the blog post below with more detailed ski camp info.

Ski Camp 2016/17 Info

SKI CAMP INFO ...
Lodging: Two condos at Rock Pond (#34) at Saddleback Mountain in Rangeley
The adults on this trip will be John Tarling, Sam Kapala, Sarah Pierce, Dan Pierce, Gina Quinn-Skillings and Jim Skillings.
Contact information:  There is no landline at the condo and cell phone reception is not very reliable.  We can, however, receive emails/texts so this is the best way if communication is necessary during camp.  Sarah 776-4959, Dan 776-0503, Gina 210-0864, John T. 807-1919.
We will assess the cost per family after camp once all expenses are known.  Families will be billed

Monday, December 19, 2016

Race suits

Race suits were handed out today to all team members.  We require the following things regarding the care of these team uniforms:
  • These race suits are to be worn for races only, not as an underlayer on non-race days or as a practice suit at any time.
  • See tag below for proper care of your race suit - Wash in cold water, hang dry, and NEVER wash with anything velcro.
  • Race suits must be returned at the end of race season.
Note that these race suits cost $150 each.  If you lose or damage your suit, you are responsible for the cost of replacing it.



Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Fitness Info

From John ...

Check out this website: https://www.ntnu.edu/cerg/vo2max

Once you connect to this page, also navigate along the left side to:
Heart Rate calculator
Exercise advice
Fact sheets

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Ski camp - updated

Ski camp will take place at Rangeley from Friday, December 30 until Monday, January 2.  The team will leave on Friday morning and return on Monday by dinnertime.  If there is not sufficient snow at Rangeley, it is possible that we may make a last minute switch to somewhere up north (Fort Kent, Presque Isle, etc.), but we are hopeful that Rangeley will work out.

In order to move ahead, Susan needs to hear from every single skier/family by tomorrow (Monday, December 5) to know who will be attending.  This is important for us to know how many beds, how much food, etc. will be needed.

More details will follow in the weeks ahead!

Saturday, November 19, 2016

How to size ski poles

Jim Ahearne has shared the following link on how to size poles for nordic.  This could come in handy no matter where you buy your poles.  Thanks Jim!
http://crosscountryskitechnique.com/how-to-buy-perfect-poles/

Thursday, November 17, 2016

2016-2017 Nordic Season

Everyone that has expressed interest in the ski team should have received an email today from Susan with lots (maybe more than you wanted to know) of information about the team in general and the upcoming season.  Let Susan know if you didn't get this.

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Welcome and Ski Swaps

Welcome to the (almost) start of the 2016-2017 nordic ski season!  Keep an eye here on the blog for updates and info, as more will be posted as we get closer to the season.

On the horizon at the moment are ski swaps, taking place in October, November and December.  I can't speak to which swaps will have more nordic vs alpine equipment, but good deals can be found at most.  Check out the list of swaps here: Link to Ski Swaps

Monday, March 7, 2016

Team end-of-season gathering tonight!

Reminder - we are having our end of season team festivities tonight in the Community Hall at 7:00 pm.  See everyone there!

Saturday, March 5, 2016

Season notes from John

The Maine Coast Waldorf ski team completed a successful 2016 season at Black Mountain over February vacation, winning both the Girls and Boys State Class C Championships.  The team also had a fine result earlier in February at the WMC Championships at Starks Hill in Fryeburg.  This season was highlighted by a new school name, new uniforms and five enthusiastic freshman, along with a solid group of returning racers.

The team benefited from the experience of team leaders Fiona A. and Tucker, and both were among the top skiers in Maine and led by example all year.  Fiona had an exceptional year, winning both races at the Class C Championships as well as other races, including a win at the Sassi.  We all wish her well as she heads to Bowdoin College and racing on the NE college circuit.  Tucker also won both races at the Class C Championships to go with  winning the WMC Championship Skate race.

The team was very solid in addition to Fiona A .and Tucker.  Olivia had a great second HS season - highlights were a second in both Class C races and 4th at the WMC Championship Classic and Skate races.  Louise was always near the top of the results and along with Fiona, Tucker and Olivia, was named to the ALL WMC Team.  Eli was dealing with health issues most of the year but still managed to score points in the important races, helping the boys achieve a solid 3rd at the WMC Championships and a win at States.  Dylan, Thomas and Davis all had great results - Dylan scoring a top 20 at WMC and 15th at States, and Thomas and Davis saved their best for last with a 15th and 20th at the Classic race at States, sealing a team win.

Fiona L. also had a strong finish to the season.  She battled injury all year but was able to get healthy and finish 12th at both the WMC and Class C Championship Classic races. Emma and Ava were both able to get to race at the State Championships, gaining valuable experience for next season.

Our five freshman were a great addition to the team this season.  All were comfortable racing WMC races and gained new skills in a sport with many challenges.  Wilson improved greatly, racing to an impressive 25th at the WMC Championships, as well as a 24th at the State Classic race.  Calvin and Nash also were starters in the Class C Championships and gained championship experience.  Our two State Team alternates, Avery and Quinn on the girls side, missed racing at States due to the strength of the Girls team, but both made large skill gains this season that should help next year.  Again this year we were fortunate to have an international exchange student join the team. Rules prevent exchange students from most races, but Tim was always ready for practice and did get to show off his high energy at the Telstar relay race.

A new positive for the team this year was the addition of  coach Sam Kapala.  His great energy and knowledge were an important part of the team success.  Also, as in past years, a sincere thank you for the support from the school and parents for making the team success possible.

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Looking ahead

Hope you are all basking in the glow of yet another State Championship - well done everyone!  Here's what there is to know about the nordic team for the next few weeks.

End of Season Gathering:
Please be sure to put Monday, March 7 at 7:00 in the Community Hall on your calendar.  This is the evening for our end of season gathering, where we will look back at the season, say many thank-yous, and enjoy dessert.

Races:
With states behind us, the regular high school race season is now complete.  Coming up in a couple weeks is the U16/Eastern High School Qualifier, which is scheduled to take place March 5 at Black Mountain in Rumford.  Anyone is welcome to participate - info will be found on www.mainehighschoolskiing.com.  Please note that this is not a MCWS team event, so you will need to take care of your own registration, transportation, waxing, etc.  Good luck to all that elect to ski in this qualifier race.  Remember that if you make one (or both) of these teams and intend on participating in the festival weekends, you must have a check in hand and be prepared to pay on March 5, the qualifier day.

For those that do make either the U16 or Maine EHS team - those festival weekends are:
U16 - March 11-13 at Black Mountain, Rumford, ME
EHS - March 18-20 at Rikert Nordic Center, Ripton, VT

Practices:
Since the regular high school season is over, there will not be anymore after school practices at Pineland.  If we do get snow, skiers are welcome to stay at Pineland after school and ski on their own (passes are still good), you will just need to find your own rides home from Pineland at the end of the day.

It's possible, again if there's snow, that John may come out to ski a couple afternoons a week.  If/when this happens, Susan will let everyone know ahead of time.  We may discuss a late van if this is the case.  If John does this, he will be volunteering his time because he is really nice, so be sure to thank him :-)

Click on the link below for a nice article in the Sun Journal about the Class C Nordic States Races:
Click here for Sun Journal article.  Small correction to their facts - this is the fourth consecutive win for our boys (not fifth).

Friday, February 19, 2016

Class C States Results

Check the Race Results tab for links to full race results.  The highlights are:

Girls win Class C States!
Boys win Class C States!
Fiona Ahearne wins both the Skate and Classic races!
Tucker Pierce wins both the Skate and Classic races!
Olivia Skillings places 2nd in both the Skate and Classic races!
Louise Ahearne earns top 10 finishes in both the Skate and Classic races!
Eli Gundersen earns top 10 finishes in both the Skate and Classic races!

Huge congratulations to the entire team, and most especially to coach John Tarling and assistant coach Sam Kapala!  Many grateful thanks to the many people that cooked, drove, cheered, waxed, etc.  This team couldn't have done it without you!

Thursday, February 11, 2016

States Info

Class C States - Here We Come!!! - updated 2/15/16

Note new race times (below) on Thursday, February 18!

Now that WMCs are behind us, we can look ahead to States, which this year will be held at Black Mountain in Rumford.  Here's what there is to know ...

Friday, February 5, 2016

Saturday's race at Stark's Hill

Info about tomorrow's CLASSIC race at Stark's Hill in Fryeburg ...

Transportation:

Tomorrow's race at Stark's Hill in Fryeburg is a go!

We will be having a classic race in Fryeburg tomorrow.  More info will be posted here later today, but do know we will be racing tomorrow.

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Season update from John

As we look forward to this week's WMC championships, a brief summary of the regular season races shows many successes for individuals and the team.  We started on a high note in early January at the Telstar Relay in Bethel.  Our team of Fiona A., Olivia, Eli and Tucker bested 29 other teams and repeated as winner in this popular early season race.  Also, freshmen Calvin and Nash got in their first high school ski race in the individual mass start race.  The WMC races started on the 6th at Pineland, and Tucker and Fiona A. lead the team with a 1st and 2nd respectively, Eli had a very strong 5th, followed by Dylan and Davis for the boys.  Olivia came in 3rd and Louise 9th to go with top 20 finishes from Fiona L. and Emma to lead the girls team.  Avery, Wilson and Quinn finished their first high school ski race with a strong showing for our freshman girls.  The next race, also at Pineland, was another win for Tucker and a strong showing on the girls side with Olivia, Fiona A. and Louise leading the team, and a solid finish from Fiona Libby gave the girls 2nd place. The next WMC race at Stark's Hill was a relay and both the boys and girls had great results, with the girls winning and the boys runners up.  Fiona A., Olivia, Louise and Fiona L and Tucker, Eli, Dylan and Thomas were the relay starters.  We also had strong results in the open race with Davis, Calvin and Nash in 2nd, 4th, and 9th for the boys and Wilson, Ava and Quinn 7th, 8th and 14th for the girls.

This past Saturday we traveled to Rumford for the Sassi Memorial Race, one of the largest high school races in the northeast.  We had challenging conditions, with new snow and temps around freezing.  Not the best day from the waxers, but everyone made the best of what they had for wax and worked hard.  Dylan continued his consistent performance and lead the boys with a 39th followed by Thomas, Eli and Calvin. Timothee was able to get a start and put down a good effort in his first race. Fiona A. was the girl's winner, skiing a very fast race against a very strong girls field.  Olivia and Louise were also in the mix with a 6th and 19th.  The girls team finished 3rd and the boys 11th against the best teams in the state. We also were able to get in a new race this year, traveling to Quarry Road in Waterville to race the Hornet Classic. We had a small team, as the race was a last minute addition to the schedule, and we had strong finishes from Tucker in 3rd, Olivia in 2nd and Louise in 19th.  Calvin, Nash and Wilson also raced and got valuable large race experience. 

Sunday, January 31, 2016

Friday, January 29, 2016

Sassi Info

Click on the following link for info about the Sassi Race:

Look for the section with the green-white-red rectangle that says Sassi Memorial.  Within that section

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Looking ahead to Saturday's Sassi Race

***Check the Practice Schedule tab for info about Friday's practice***
---------------------------------
So far it looks like the Sassi race is still on for Saturday.  Here's what there is to know:

Race times:
Girls - 11:00

Practice today - Thursday, January 28

Skiing and its associated arrangements are much easier to plan when there's snow!  Today we are traveling a short distance to find snow, heading to the Freeport Country Club in Freeport!  The

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Today's race is cancelled - Practice will still happen

Due to the extremely warm weather, today's race at Libby Hill has been cancelled.

There is a little bit of snow to practice on at Pineland, so practice will still take place, ending by 4:30 (maybe slightly earlier).  The late van should arrive back at Desert Rd at 4:50-4:55.

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Transportation home from race at Libby Hill

A reminder that since most parents attend races, we do not plan on providing rides for skiers back to Pineland, Freeport or elsewhere.  If you are in a pinch and need a ride, please contact Susan for help.

Sunday, January 24, 2016

Upcoming Sassi Race

Next Saturday, January 30, we will travel to Black Mountain in Rumford for the classic Sassi Race.  Since this is not one of our WMC races, it is not mandatory for our skiers, however we hope everyone will choose to ski.  We need to submit our entries by Tuesday, January 26, so all skiers need to check in with Susan between now and Tuesday to confirm their Saturday plans.

Saturday, January 16, 2016

Ride to Fryeburg?

Skiers that have reserved rides to Fryeburg on Monday are:
Avery
Ava
Eli
Dylan

Anyone else needing a ride on the van needs to let Susan know asap.

See van and race details in the post below.

Friday, January 15, 2016

Here are the teams for Monday's race at Stark's Hill in Fryeburg:

Girls relay team #1:
Olivia Skillings
Louise Ahearne
Fiona Libby
Fiona Ahearne

Thursday, January 14, 2016

Looking ahead to Monday's race

Monday's race (January 18) is a format similar to Telstar, in that we will have relay teams of four skiers, and those that don't fit on a relay team will ski in an individual race.  Different from Telstar is that the relay teams are not mixed but instead there will be girls and boys relay teams.  As we are

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Today's race is ON!

Pineland received about 8 inches of new snow last night, so we are racing today!  Girls start is at 3:30.

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Wednesday race - 1.13.16

We are still waiting to see how much snow falls tonight to officially know if we can have a race tomorrow.  Skiers should plan as if there is a race, waxing skis tonight and coming to school on Wednesday prepared to race.  Given the info I have as of now, we are hoping for a race at Pineland.

Given the predicted amount of snow, it looks like this race will be changed to Skate, not classic.  Check the Wax Info tab!

Friday, January 8, 2016

Hornet Classic is a go for tomorrow!

We have a critical mass to ski in the Hornet Classic tomorrow, so we are heading up!  Skiers and their start times are:

Thursday, January 7, 2016

Possible Saturday Race

First, thanks to all the parents that came to the race yesterday, either cheering or helping or both!  The race went off without a hitch and it seemed everyone had a great time!

Looking ahead, the Hornet Classic is being held this Saturday at Quarry Rd in Waterville.

Monday, January 4, 2016

Waxing

In preparation for this week's race, skiers are welcome to wax their skis at the end of practice tomorrow (Tuesday) at the Pineland Outdoor Center.  John will be there to help.  Skiers interested in waxing will head in from on snow practice around 4:15, finishing waxing around 5:00.  If there are van riding skiers that are waxing, the van will wait until they are done at 5:00, so the van may not arrive back to Desert Rd until 5:15.

We could also use a couple more adult helpers for the race on Wednesday.  Please let Susan know if you can help - no experience necessary!

Sunday, January 3, 2016

Save the Date - Updated

Oops - originally posted the completely wrong date for the end of season party - sorry.  The actual date for the end-of-season nordic team gathering is on Monday, March 7 at 7:00 in the Community Hall.  While some skiers may still be actively competing as individuals in U16 or Eastern High School qualifiers and weekends, the team season will be over by this date, so we will celebrate yet another terrific ski season and team!

Hosting this week's race

This Wednesday, January 6, we are co-hosting the weekly WMC race with Yarmouth.  This means we will need at least six adult helpers.  Please let Susan know if you are able to pitch in.  This is our one hosting responsibility of the season, so please help if you can.  Helpers should arrive by 3:00 at the Oak Hill section of Pineland.

Even if you can't arrive early enough to be an official helper, we are hoping all parents can come to the race to cheer on our team and provide lots of enthusiastic support.

For van riders - a reminder that we only provide van rides back to Desert Rd after far away races (Fryeburg, etc.), so van riders need to be sure to make plans for a ride home after the race this week.

Friday, January 1, 2016

More Telstar Info

Update at 4:45 pm Friday, January 1!!!
See new race times below

The Telstar race - a 3K skate race - will take place tomorrow.  The location is Telstar High School - 284 Walkers Mills Rd, Bethel, which is right on Rt. 26.