STATES RACES during February vacation week

IMPORTANT - The State Races will be held Wednesday and Thursday, February 23 and 24, at Black Mountain in Rumford. This is during vacation week (for MCWS). Please plan your vacation so that you are available during these days.

Practice plans for Tuesday & Wednesday this week

Due to current NYA covid protocols, we will miss the NYA skiers this week but hope they get out on snow on their own and we look forward to having them back on board next week.

The practice plans for Tuesday (December 28) and Wednesday (December 29) are:

Tuesday at Pineland:

Unless someone contacts Susan by Monday at 5:00, there is nobody riding the van.
Everyone - meet at 10:30 in the usual team meeting spot

Wednesday at Quarry Road in Waterville:

Van riders - meet at school at 9:15
Others - meet at Quarry Rd at 10:30

Plan on ~2.5-3 hours for practice both Tuesday and Wednesday this week.

According to the poll everyone was asked to complete, we are expecting the following skiers at practice:

Tuesday: Emma, Odessa, Evan, Noah K
Needs a ride: nobody

Wednesday: Conrad, Emma, Evan, Noah K, Leah
Needs a ride: Evan, Noah K, Leah

If your name is NOT listed above and you find you can attend practice, please just show up. If you need a ride on the van, please email Susan - highschool@mainecoastwaldorf.org - by 5:00pm the day before.

If you name IS listed above as needing a ride and you don't need one after all, please email Susan by 5:00pm the day before so we don't end up waiting for you to catch a ride.

Looking ahead to next week

We are hoping to get the team on good snow for two practices next week - Tuesday, December 28 and Wednesday, December 29. Since it is during vacation and we realize people may have family plans, these practices are optional but if you're around, we hope you'll make it to practice.

In order to continue with plans, we need to know who's available and what the transportation needs are, so please complete the form linked below as soon as possible (and no later than Sunday at noon). Due to changing and unpredictable weather and snow conditions, we can't yet say for certain where these on-snow practices will be held. It could be Pineland, but also could be Quarry Rd in Waterville or Black Mt. in Rumford. Stay tuned to the blog as the date approaches for more precise info on location and timing. Regardless of location, practices will ~2.5-3 hours beginning on snow at ~10:30. If we travel to Waterville or Rumford, we will still have 2.5-3 hours on snow and folks will also need to add on travel time (~1 hour each way to Waterville, 1.6 hours to Rumford), so if we travel, everyone should plan on practice taking a pretty good chunk of the day.

***Click HERE to complete form***

Please note - This form wasn't correctly capturing names when it first went live so if you filled out the form around noon on Thursday, we don't know who you are. As of 6:15 on Thursday, the only person whose name got attached is Conrad, so if you filled out the form and you're not Conrad, please submit it again. Thanks!

***CHANGE TO PRACTICE LOCATION - Tomorrow (Thurs. 12/23): Moved to Pineland

Practice for tomorrow, Thursday 12/23: MOVED TO PINELAND - after this freezing rain the snow will be better there than Val Halla, I think. Meet in the parking lot beyond the market, where we usually meet!

***CHANGE TO TOMORROW'S PRACTICE LOCATION (Tues. 12/21): Moved to Pineland

Practice for tomorrow, Tuesday 12/21: MOVED TO PINELAND - meet in the parking lot beyond the  market, where we usually meet. 

Team Practices This Week: Tuesday, 12/21 & Thursday 12/23

Hi Team, 

The results are in and the people have spoken: we will have team practices tomorrow (Tuesday, 12/21) and Thursday, 12/23 this week. If you have skis and boots but no poles yet, bring what you have and hopefully we can find a pair of poles for you to use - everyone: please bring extra poles if you have any - ideally ones that might work for Evan, Pendo, or Odessa! If you don't have any skis/boots yet, you are of course still welcome to come along and do the on-foot version of the workout, but running in the snow will be more difficult and your feet will get wet!

Tuesday 12/21: Meet at *PINELAND (park in same place we normally do, in the parking lot beyond the market lot)*, bring skate skis, rock skis if you have them (originally thought we might be able to do classic, but temps are going to be in the 40s which means we would need klister and I'm not going to make us klister up for our first team ski). Start time: 2:30pm, end time: ~4:30pm

Thursday 12/23: Meet at *PINELAND (park in same place we normally do, in the parking lot beyond the market lot)*, bring skate skis, rock skis if you have them (you're welcome to also bring classic if you'd like, but I think after the warm temps the snow will be glazed and waxing will once again be difficult). Start time: 2:30pm, end time ~4:00pm. 

Email with any questions - thanks!

Plans for the next two weeks

All skiers should have received an email from Nathan on Saturday, December 18, with info and a link to a doodle poll re: availability for practice this coming week. Please respond to that poll by Sunday evening at 8:00pm. Nathan is happy to have practice in person this week, but only if we know a number of people are able to attend. Once the poll numbers are in, we will post on this blog what days we will have in person practice.

We are also planning on getting the team on snow on Tuesday and Wednesday, December 28 and 29. If we have snow locally, skiing could happen at Pineland. However, if Pineland is not yet open, the team will travel (Quarry Rd/Waterville, Black Mt/Rumford, etc.). We'll see where the snow is as the dates get closer. We will send out another poll this week to see who's available for the 28th and 29th and what everyone's transportation situation is, so be on the lookout for that.

Two important things ...

A reminder to all that in order to participate in afterschool activities (which includes ski practices and races), students must attend a full day of school on the day of the activity. Medical appointments are exempt from this, however sleeping late, getting your hair done, taking half the day off for vacation, etc. are not excuses. The big message is that you need to be in school in order to attend practices and races. Re: Saturday races - you need to have attended school on Friday in order to race on Saturday. If you have extenuating circumstances, please talk with Susan (highschool@mainecoastwaldorf.org or 865-3900 x201).

We have not turned up parent chaperones for overnight ski camp during December break, so we will not be having overnight camp. Although camp is always fun, we do understand that it is a big ask to parents, especially during covid times, so while we'll sit this year out for overnight camp, we hope that parents will start thinking about next year and ready themselves to step up for chaperoning duties. It is work but it is also super fun to go away with the team!

We will be planning a couple day trips for the ski team over break and will get dates out soon. Realizing that many will have family plans over break, these day trips will be optional.

Weekend Practices - On Your Own

Sat. 12/4

Older/More Experienced Skiers – On your own: Distance run with 15x15 sec bursts or RS classic w/ 20 min double pole, 20 min no-pole *Emma/Lydia version: reduce or skip no-pole depending on how it feels, can increase DP time to 30 min. (1:30 – 2:00) and Core - each exercise 1 min unless otherwise specified, equal rest, whole circuit 2-3x

Younger/Newer Skiers – Off or On your own: Distance run with 10x15 sec bursts or ski walk w/ poles (1:00-1:30) and Core - each exercise 30 sec. unless otherwise specified, equal rest, whole circuit 1-2x (lower difficulty versions – feet on floor for core-focused exercises; knees on floor instead of feet for push-ups)

Sun. 12/5 

Everyone: Off

Core/Strength Info

 MCWS Core/Strength Circuit - To be completed Thursdays and Saturdays on your own

(Note: I have tried to describe each exercise as thoroughly as I can, but if any exercise is unclear to you or you are not sure how to do it, skip that one for now and ask me about it at the next practice. Be sure to engage your core muscles during all exercises--think about drawing your belly button toward your spine. This will help stabilize all your other movements and also help protect your back!)

 

If you have been doing strength/core exercises on a regular basis: all exercises 1 min each unless otherwise specified, do whole circuit 2-3x

If you are new to strength/core exercises or haven't done any in a while: all exercises 30 seconds each and start out with lower difficulty versions (feet on floor for more core-focused exercises; knees on floor instead of feet for push-ups), do the whole circuit 1-2x

 

-       Crunches (normal - arms crossed on chest, hands on opposite shoulders, feet flat on ground or lifted slightly for greater difficulty)

-       Push-ups (normal - lower body toward ground until elbows are at 90 degrees) 30 sec.

-       Kayakers (sitting, knees bent, heels on the ground or lifted for greater difficulty, hands clasped in front, rotate trunk side-to-side)

-       Push-ups with Twist and One-Arm Extension (at end of each pushup, pivot weight onto one arm so that your chest is now in line with that arm, point other arm at the sky, then pivot back onto two arms, alternate sides) 30 sec.

-       Dips (normal, palms on seat of chair behind you, heels on floor, lower body toward ground until elbows reach 90 degrees) 30 sec.

-       Planks (front, left, right) 30 sec. each side

-       Alternate Leg/Arm Raises (on hands and knees)

-       Leg lifts (laying down on your side, lift upper leg toward sky and lower slowly back down) 30 sec. each side

-       Crunches (oblique - hands behind head, one leg crossed over and perpendicular to the other, foot of straight leg flat on the ground, crunch to touch opposite elbow to knee of folded leg) 30 sec. each side

-       Russian Twists (lie on back, arms straight out on the ground making right angles with your trunk, legs lifted together, knees bent with shins parallel to chest – twist legs left and right toward the ground, make sure to engage core muscles)

-       Penguins (lie on back, knees bent, feet flat on the ground or slightly lifted to increase difficulty, arms at your sides, tip right and left to touch your fingers to your ankles, make sure to engage core muscles)

-       Supermans (lie on stomach, lift both arms and legs at the same time, hold for 5 sec., lower slowly and lift again. Lift arms only to decrease difficulty)

-       Bridge with Leg-Lift (lying on back, arms at sides, hips elevated, alternate) 30 sec. each side

-       Circle Squats (squat on one leg while using your other leg to draw a half circle from the toe to the heel of the weight-bearing leg). 30 sec. each side

-       Tuck Squats with 3 Vertical Jumps (arms overhead, jumps evenly spaced - i.e., after 30, 45, and 60 sec. of tucking)

Change to today's practice plan

Due to the inclement weather, practice will NOT be at Pineland and will instead be here on campus. Skiers should be finished 4:00-4:15.

A couple things ...

This week's practice schedule has been posted on the Practice Info tab. Since we are in dryland mode, all skiers should bring workout clothes to school and change as soon as classes end, being ready for practice as quickly as possible.

On another note, as referenced in the email from last week, we are still looking for one (and ideally two) parent chaperones to attend ski camp over December break (we are targeting Sunday, December 26 - Wednesday, December 29 for camp). Note these dates are one day earlier than originally shared. These helpful parents will drive, plan and wrangle food, and provide overall camp oversight. Parents - please let Susan know asap if this can be you. If we don't manage an overnight camp, we will aim for a number of day trips to get some skiing in.

Skiers also need to let Susan know if they plan to attend ski camp so that we can have a sense of numbers.

Ski Team 2021-2022

Welcome to the ski team blog! We are looking forward to the 2021-2022 season and hoping for lots of snow.

Practice will begin on Monday, November 29 after school and will be dryland training (running, hill bounding, roller skiing, etc.) until we have snow on the ground.

Everyone should keep an eye on this blog as the season ramps up, as this will be the go to place for all ski information. Day of changes will be emailed to parents and communicated to students at school, but for the regular schedule of what's happening, this is where all info will be found.

Think snow!

Reminder to stay after school Tuesday, March 30

Reminding everyone that we are having our final ski team gathering tomorrow (Tuesday) afternoon. All skiers should plan on being there and parents are welcome!

If you are currently on the track team, on Tuesday you should come to the ski team event, not track. The track coach knows to expect this.

See you all tomorrow!

End of season gathering AND videos

The date has been set for the end of season ski team gathering. It will be next Tuesday, March 30 right after school and should be finished by 3:30. It will take place outside and parents are welcome to attend. It will primarily be a recap of the season and an opportunity to thank everyone who helped make this season happen.

Also, Keith took video at a number of races this year. The folder with these videos can be found HERE.

Rescheduling needed for end of season gathering

The ski team was hoping to get together this coming Tuesday, March 16, for a final team gathering, which unfortunately needs to be postponed for a week or two as something has come up and John Tarling will not be able to be there. While we don’t want to drag out the ski season finale too long, we really do want John to be there, so we hope that by pushing back a week or so will make this workable for all. Once we have a new date, we will notify ski families of the new plans.

In the meantime, skiers should wash their race suits and return them to Susan at school.

End of Season

This is a sad post, because though it feels like the ski season only recently really kicked into gear, the end came quickly. Today was a spectacular day in Fryeburg and both the boys and girls teams came in 2nd - awesome work by all the skiers and coaches!

There will be no more after school practices, but we are working on putting together a final team gathering, likely Tuesday, March 16 right after school - please save this date. We will post more info about this shortly. Also, Pineland passes are still valid, so everyone is encouraged to get out and ski as long as Pineland remains open.

For now, a big congrats to the entire team and an enormous thank you to all the parents for all their support, driving, and flexibility this season and to John and Keith for captaining this ship in a challenging year!

Videos!

Keith has taken some video from this year's races. Skiers may find these informational (and fun), so take a look - Click HERE for Ski Team Videos. Thanks, Keith!

Info re: Saturday's race

~ Updated Friday, March 5, 7:00pm ~

Here's the plan for Saturday in Fryeburg ...

Parents - Please remember to do the ParentSquare health screening before arriving at the race site.

Skiers - Thank you for wearing your mask at all times.

Race times:

10:00am - Boys start

11:15am - Girls start

Arrival times (at the race site, out of the car):

Boys - No later than 9:00am

Girls - No later than 10:15am

Transportation:

See the post below for a link to a map to Stark's Hill in Fryeburg

One van will be leaving school at 7:30, giving rides to Seamus, Maeve and Leah.

All other skiers have indicated they will be providing their own transportation (thank you!).

Wax:

A wax recommendation will be posted on Thursday on the Wax Info tab.

John will have rub on wax at the race for those skiers that can't wax at home.

Spectators:

Sadly, no spectators will be allowed at this race. Parents, bring a book and a blanket to stay cozy while your skier races and thank you so very much for driving your skier.

Live timing and live video:
LIVE TIMING link: http://live.starksmountain.org/ There will not be a display monitor for results. Use this link to view results on your phone or computer.

LIVE VIDEO STREAM link: https://vimeo.com/event/665835
Many thanks to Waynflete for providing the video stream.

Pineland is open!

 Pineland is open so today's practice will be there.

WMC Championship Race on Saturday!

Details about the last race of the season have been determined. Please note this is the last week of ski team this year, so we'll have practices every day (as long as conditions/weather permit) and a race on Saturday. Here's what we've got to look forward to on Saturday:

Who:

All MCWS skiers are eligible to ski in this event.

This will be a question on the ParentSquare ski team questionnaire on Monday morning to find out who wants to participate in this race.

When & Where:

Saturday, March 6

Stark’s Mountain, Fryeburg - Click HERE for map to Stark's
10:00am - Boys start
11:15am - Girls start

Race info:

SKATE ONLY

15 second interval individual starts
5.7k – 2 lap course

Transportation:

As per usual this year, we can take some skiers in a van but believe that many skiers will have their own transportation, either via driving themselves or being driven by a parent.

There will be a question on the ParentSquare ski team questionnaire on Monday morning to find out who has their own transportation and who needs a ride.

Those of you who have been on the team in previous years will recall that this final WMC Championship event is usually two days, where one day is a classic race and the other a skate race. This year due to a variety of covid related reasons, it will be one day only, one race only. The reasons for Skate only are:

• Many teams have had limited time classic skiing and don’t feel comfortable putting kids on a championship level race course.
• Only 2 coaches per team will be allowed which will make waxing more difficult, particularly for larger teams and the likelihood of klister conditions.
• Low or no snow around Portland venues would mean 2 races at Stark’s. This additional travel during COVID is not wanted by many teams.

All schools felt it was important that we allow all kids to race that want to (with no limits on number of entries/team). Therefore a plan was developed to split Stark’s into 2 venues, which is valid per state event guidelines. This will allow us to race all kids in each gender on the same day in the same location.

Venue #1 will be the race course and Venue #2 will be a separate loop for skiing/warm-up/entertainment for the other gender not racing. Click HERE to see course/site map.

No outside spectators will be allowed but they are looking into setting up a streaming option (which might or might not pan out). They will also have live timing available on the web.

Girls will have a 25 minute window for race course preview prior to their race – from 10:50 to 11:15. (remember it is a 2 lap course so they only need to preview about 2.7k).

Awards will be given, but distributed through individual schools – there will not be the usual group ceremony.

Although this race won't look exactly like what it has been in other years, this is still all good news! Us having a safe nine team Championship event to end the season is a very good thing, something which many other sports have had to forgo this year. Fryeburg has plenty of snow so we will hope for a nice day.

Wednesday race info

The particulars for Wednesday's race are:

Date - Wednesday, February 24
Time - Boys start at 3:30, girls to start after boys finish
Location - Pineland, Oak Hill trails
Technique - Skate race
Start - Individual starts, 15 second intervals

Skiers should arrive at the race venue by 2:30.

We are planning on providing rides from school for Seamus, Maeve, Wyatt and Leah.

The van will be leaving school at 2:00, so skiers need to be ready to go by then.

This week ...

Week of February 22 - 26:

We will have practice Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday this week with a skate race at Pineland on Wednesday. 

Just like before vacation, with only half the students in school on any given day, it's hard to know who to expect at practice each day, as well as who needs a ride on the van. We will again have a daily questionnaire on ParentSquare for parents of skiers, asking about attendance at practice and about van rides. Also, on Monday only, there will be questions related to the weekly race (will your skier be racing? will they need a ride?). Thank you for getting this taken care of!

Also, to be clear, we do hope all skiers will be at practice every day, but realize there is the occasional conflict/injury/etc. that prevents a skier from attending.

Info about the tomorrow's race at Riverside

The following skiers are racing in tomorrow's (Saturday, February 20) skate race at Riverside Golf Course in Portland.

Boys - Seamus, Conrad, Nate, Will and Noah K
Girls - Emma, Lydia, Sierra, Ruth

Remember that ParentSquare health screenings must be done prior to arrival at the race site.

Boys start at 1:30 (note this updated start time), girls to follow. All skiers should arrive at Riverside at 12:30 (and not any earlier, as there are other races taking place in the morning). Note that the original start time was 1:00, but is now 1:30.

It is hard to pin down an end time, especially since some skiers will participate in Part 2 while others will not, so best would be for kids to call/text parents when they're done (unless the parent is waiting/parked close by, in which case the skier can just go to the car). The earliest any boys might be done is likely not before 2:00, though those participating in Part 2 will obviously be later. The soonest any girls might be done is no earlier than 2:30 and again, those in Part 2 will be later. Since all skiers are already there, everyone is welcome to stay and cheer on the Part 2 skiers even if they are not skiing in that part of the race. We even hesitate to say these times of 2:00 and 2:30, since they are the absolute earliest that a skier might be finished and it could be an hour or more later than that. The best we can say to parents providing transportation is to bring a warm drink, a book, maybe a blanket and prepare to wait.

The most up-to-date information on race format is shown below. We will update this post if we receive new information.

Wax info was posted on the Wax Info tab this morning.

OVERVIEW:

Location: Riverside Golf Course Ski Track – North Course

The race will be on the “North” section of Riverside (closer to I-95). Come to the main parking area with the club house. Look for the Kiosk at the far right-hand side of the parking lot as you face at the course. This is our usual start area.

Parking: Parking will be tight since it is a Saturday afternoon. Please let me know if you'll be bringing a bus so I can reserve areas.

Toilets:

The only bathroom is a porta-potty at the far end of the parking lot opposite the trailhead. The club house is NOT open. Plan accordingly.

IMPORTANT:

Please be aware that Saturdays are very busy at Riverside and there will be a lot of recreational users occupying the spaces as well. Parking may be tight. Team members are asked to be mindful and respectful and stay as close to the edge of the “stadium” area as possible (below the maintenance building). Racers should keep to the designated racecourse for all skiing.

Covid-19:

Health screenings must be completed prior to arrival.

Masks are required at all times for skiers and coaches. Please remind your athletes to check that their mask fits well and works for them while skiing. Masks need to cover both the nose and mouth.

No spectators allowed.

Also please remind athletes to stay spaced apart and not gather. Please maintain physical distance guidelines at all times.

Course:  

Course will be open to ski warm up and cool down while races are going on. PLEASE SKI ONLY IN THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL. And remind skiers to not ski too closely to a racer and to move off the trail when racers are coming. See race format below for more details about the course.

RACE FORMAT:

1)      Primary Plan (3k prologue followed by XCX sprints)

1:30 – Prologue

Boys’ 3k Skate Prologue – 2 laps around 1.5k loop

Girls to follow

 

2:30 – Heats begin (approximately 1k loop with XCX terrain features)

24 total racers max each gender.

Racers will keep their same bibs.

Boys’ and girls’ heats will alternate as follows:

 

Preliminary Heat – 24 races – 6 waves of 4 – top 2 from each heat move forward.

Quarterfinals – 3 waves of 4 – top 2 from each heat move forward plus 2 “lucky losers”.

Semifinals – 2 waves of 4 – top 2 from each heat move forward to finals (no “lucky losers”).

FINALS – top 4 for the cup!

 

2)      Alternative Plan A

Same format as above for a 1K sprint race without XCX features.

3)      Alternative Plan B

1:30 – Boys’ 4.5k race (3 times around loop).

2:15 – Girls 4.5k race (3 times around loop).

Wednesday through Saturday this week

See below for what's happening the rest of the week. Please note that in Wednesday's ParentSquare questionnaire, parents will be asked to weigh in on the following:

• Will your skier be at practice on Thursday this week?
• Will your skier be at practice on Friday this week?
• Does your skier want to participate in the race in Portland this Saturday, February 20?
• If yes, will they need transportation?

Wednesday:
Confirmed Classic race at Pineland. Teams will be Freeport, Waynflete, Greely, Brunswick, a few skiers from Falmouth and MCWS. Boys start at 11:00, girls will start 5 minutes after the last boy finishes (so probably close to 11:30). Boys should arrive to the Oak Hill parking lot by 9:00, girls arrive by 9:30. We've got the following skiers in this race:
Seamus, Conrad, Nate, Noah C, Noah K, Will
Maeve, Lydia, Leah, Nora

There will be NO spectators allowed at this race. Any parents dropping off/picking up are asked to stay in/near their cars.

Thursday:
Skate practice at Pineland - 3:00-4:30.

Friday:
Skate practice at Pineland - 3:00-4:30.

Saturday:
Skate race at Riverside Golf Course in Portland, 1:00 1:30 start. The proposed format, conditions permitting, is as follows, although subject to change based on what Thursday's storm brings.

PART 1: 3K skate race for all skiers. Boys race followed by girls.

PART 2: An XCX sprint race on Riverside's Nordic terrain park course (this is what may or may not happen - will depend on the conditions).
Top 24 Boys and Girls from their respective Part 1 will compete in heats of 4 with 2 "lucky losers" from the second heat to make numbers work.

The XCX course will have up and down hill challenges and other features. It will be less than 1K in length... final course TBD.

Sounds like fun!

Update on the next couple days

~ Updated Monday, February 15 @ 6:00pm ~

We are NOT going to Fryeburg on Wednesday. Instead we will be in a classic race at Pineland. Boys start at 11:00, girls will start 5 minutes after the last boy finishes (so probably close to 11:30). Boys should arrive by 9:00, girls arrive by 9:30. As of today, we are thinking the following skiers will be racing in this race:

Seamus, Conrad, Nate, Noah C, Noah K, Will

Maeve, Lydia, Leah, Nora

There will be NO spectators allowed at this race. We will send out an email from the Freeport Athletic Director (Freeport is hosting this race) with specific instructions re: spectators.

Also, practice is cancelled for Tuesday, February 16. The weather on Tuesday will make for messy driving and Pineland likely won't want us on the trails given the expected freezing rain and sleet.

We are awaiting word from the Portland organizers with more info re: Saturday's race (skate vs. classic, race time, etc.). We will share that info once we have it and will then ask for a commitment re: what skiers want to ski in this race.

We also want to thank everyone, skiers and parents alike, for their flexibility in this "more changes than usual" ski year. Between covid and weather, let's just acknowledge that things can change frequently and that the best laid plans can and do get switched up. Again, everyone's understanding is much appreciated.

The most important thing to remember ... have fun!

Week of February 15

~ UPDATED MONDAY, February 14 @ 10:30am ~

***Monday update*** We are NOT going to Fryeburg on Wednesday. Instead we are awaiting word on whether we can join a Wednesday race at either Pineland or Libby Hill (in Gray).

Also, I mistakenly attached a non-updated questionnaire on today's ParentSquare - sorry! Please answer the question as posed re: participation in the Wednesday race. We'll have to catch up on participation in the Saturday race with tomorrow's questionnaire. Again, sorry for the confusion.

Happy vacation! We've got a lot going on this week, with practices, a race Wednesday and a possible race on Saturday. Last week we gauged interest for the Wednesday and Saturday races via the ParentSquare questionnaire. Tomorrow, Monday, February 15, is commitment time. In addition to asking about who will be attending Monday's practice via the ParentSquare questionnaire, we need everyone to make a final decision as to whether or not they will be racing on Wednesday in the classic race at either Pineland or Libby Hill (Gray) and also to decide whether they will race in the skate race on Saturday at Riverside. We must submit a roster for the Wednesday race by Monday evening and, while we don't yet have a lot of race details on the Saturday race, Portland does need a headcount from us in order to proceed with their planning.

Also, a friendly reminder that everyone must have their daily ParentSquare health screening completed each day they attend practice or a race.

We also want to say again that even though there is a lot going on this week, we hope everyone can enjoy being out skiing as a healthy respite, especially in these pandemic times, and revel in just being outside in the winter in Maine. No stress - just fun!

Vacation week things to think about and know

First, happy vacation! We hope everyone finds time to relax, enjoy the week off, and get outside to make the most of winter in Maine. Usually at this time of year, we are at the end of ski season with just the states races happening over vacation. This year, with our delayed start to the season (because of covid and lack of snow), we really are just midway though our shortened winter sports season, so there is a lot going on, even over vacation week.

The overall message regarding practices and races is that we hope ski team members are excited to ski and will make themselves available to participate in these activities over vacation. That said, we understand that it may not be possible for everyone to make it work every day. It is always more fun when everyone is on hand to ski and your teammates will miss you if you're not there! If you are just being lazy at home, come to practice, and if you are off adventuring, enjoy your adventure!

Practices:

We will hold practices on Friday, February 12 and next week (all w 3:00 start time) as long as skiers will attend. We don't want the coaches to make time in their schedules if skiers won't be there. To that end, there will be a question in the daily questionnaire we send out tomorrow (Friday, February 12) asking about your expected availability over vacation.

Also, since it's vacation week, we are thinking school transportation won't be needed, but if that makes the difference between you attending or not attending practice, shoot Susan an email and we can definitely make it work.

Races:

We have a Western Maine Conference classic race scheduled for next Wednesday, February 17 (11:00 boys, girls to follow) at Fryeburg. This is one of only three regular season races this year, so we hope all skiers will participate. Again, knowing it's vacation week, we understand if some families have made other plans, but these races are really fun and since there aren't a lot of them this year, please try to be there. Ideally skiers/families will drive, but we can transport a few skiers if necessary. This race will also be on Friday's questionnaire to gauge availability, with a commitment needed by Monday morning.

There is a slight possibility of another race next week on Saturday, February 20 at Riverside in Portland. Yet another question on Friday's questionnaire to gauge possible interest. If skiers are interested, we will look for confirmation that there is room for us in the race.

Race details

~ Updated Wednesday, February 10 at 9:00am ~

THE RACE WILL BE ON THE CAMPUS LOOP at Pineland, not Oak Hill. START/FINISH IN THE GROVE (the open area in the woods "behind" the Y).

ARRIVAL: Skiers should arrive 1 hour prior to their race start, so boys arrive at 2:30, girls arrive by 3:00. There will be a van from school departing at 2:05. It will return to school after the girls finish, but it's hard to predict the exact return time (likely around 5:15/5:30?). Skiers on the van can call from the road.

START FORMAT: 15 second individual starts. Start lists found HERE.

What's happening this week February 8 - 12

Greetings skiers and parents! A few important things to note ...

With only half the students in school on any given day, it has been difficult to know who to expect at practice each day, as well as who needs a ride on the van. To help us capture this necessary information, starting Monday there will be a daily questionnaire on ParentSquare for parents of skiers, asking about attendance at practice and about van rides. Also, on Mondays only, there will be questions related to the weekly race (will your skier be racing? will they need a ride?). Sorry to throw another questionnaire your way parents, but since we don't see all the students every day, we need some way to get this info.

To be clear about practice expectations - all skiers are expected to be at practice every day. However, we do know there is the occasional day where a skier might have a doctor appointment, there might be a transportation issue, etc., hence the question.

The exciting news of the week is that we have our first race of the season this Wednesday, February 10 at Pineland! This will be a skate race. Because we have to get rosters in, all skiers on the team must decide by Monday morning whether or not they will be participating in this race, then make sure their parents know so parents can accurately answer the questionnaire. Usually we encourage everyone on the team to race, but this year being what it is and with the team not having a lot of practice under their belts, each race everyone should do what feels right for them. Do know that the focus for this race and the whole season is just getting out and having fun, not on results or performance.

A few things to note about general rules for ski season and especially at the races:

WAXES: NO Fluoro waxes at all, all year.

MASKS AND COVID: Masks are required at all times. Skiers should check that their mask fits well and works for them while skiing. Masks need to cover both the nose and mouth. We recommend a plastic or silicone insert to help give space to breathe. Skiers are also reminded to stay spaced apart and not gather. 

COURSE: Snow dependent, but the plan as of now:  Campus Loop at Pineland. Stadium will be "The Grove," which is the field at the top of campus loop. This will be a 5.2km, 2 lap course.

Course will be open to ski warm up and cool down while races are going on. PLEASE SKI ONLY IN THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL. Skiers are reminded to not ski too closely to a racer and to move off the trail when racers are coming. 

START FORMAT: One skier every 15 seconds. Boys 3:30 and Girls 4:00. 

FINISH AREA: Finish zone will be wide and skiers must immediately disperse after finishing. This will be a major change! No hugs, handshakes, holding poles, etc. 

TOILETS: There will be two porta potties delivered near "The Grove." We are not yet sure of the exact location. Please do NOT go into The Market to use restrooms.

Race Schedule Posted

 We have a tentative race schedule, so check out the Race Schedule tab!

What's happening this week ...

Updated Sunday, January 31 at 7:00pm ...

As you can see, we finally have a little snow on the ground and are expecting an ample amount on Tuesday (and many folks are hoping for a snow day!). This all adds up to the ski team being back in action! See below for what we know and farther below for what we don't know yet but hope for more info about in the next few days. First off is an action item for all skiers and/or their parents (at least one person from each family needs to complete this), so we can catch up on everyone's status as of right now. Since we had to take a break of six weeks, we want to reconfirm everyone's participation and transportation plans, so need to hear from every skier or their parents. Thank you all for your flexibility now and in the coming weeks.

Action needed today:

Please complete the form HERE to provide info re: your participation and transportation.

What we know now:

• Practice starts tomorrow (Monday, February 1)
• Snowstorm expected Tuesday
• Races to start sometime next week (the week of February 8)
• We just got the green light to transport a small handful of skiers on the school vans - yay! Everyone on the van will need to be masked, sit far apart, and windows will be cracked open.

What we don't know yet:

• The race schedule. Hopefully it will be coming out this week, but as with everything these days, given the county color designations combined with the lack of snow and individual schools' restrictions, it's been hard to plan. We do think that races will be on Wednesdays and/or Saturdays.

Practices starting back up next week

Ski practice will kick back into action next week, exact schedule TBD. While we still need more snow, with last night's snowfall we likely can head back out to the golf courses and nearby locales. And Fryeburg does have snow, so we likely will have race opportunities quite soon too! We will post exact practice days/time over the weekend, but will plan on at least one on Monday/Tuesday and at least one on Wednesday/Thursday, possibly more, so dust off those skis and get ready to be back in action!

Also, regarding races, since pretty much everyone (from all schools) hasn't had much time on skis this year, these races will be what you make of it. Some skiers will be actually racing, while many others will use the races just as an opportunity to get out on good snow. This means low stress/no pressure when it comes to races.

Do your snow dance!

Clearly, we need snow, so everyone should do everything in their power to bring on a storm, including but not limited to:

• Sleep with your pajamas inside out and backwards
• Flush an ice cube (or cubes) down the toilet
• Put your winter boots under your bed before falling asleep
• Tuck a spoon under your pillow
• Do your best snow dance
• Put a white crayon in the freezer, then put that crayon under your pillow when you go to bed
• Put ice cubes on the porch
• Run around the dining room table five times, then go to bed

Also, check back for news re: team practices ...

Ski Team Meeting POSTPONED

Last night the MPA unexpectedly came out with some new guidelines regarding winter sports, our school administration is weighing this new information and deciding on what this means for us AND the Western Maine Conference athletic directors quickly arranged a meeting for tomorrow to also talk about what this means for the league. All of this means that there are a lot of balls up in the air right now and we will postpone tomorrow's meeting until next week, exact day/time TBD, when there will hopefully be more specific information and decisions to share.

Good news and inspiration!

America's Jessie Diggins recently won the Tour de Ski, a race never before won by an American. Click HERE for a recap.

And if her results alone aren't inspiring enough, Jessie's blog re: this year's Tour is well worth reading. Jessie is obviously super talented, but her team mentality and appreciation of all the people behind the scenes that helped her and the other athletes get where they are today and race the way they do is a prime example of how to be the best teammate. Read Jessie's Tour blog HERE.

Still Yellow

On Friday, January 15, the DOE recolored Maine counties and sadly, Cumberland County remains yellow, which means no in-person team practice/gatherings. The next scheduled recoloring is Friday, January 29. In the meantime, skiers should continue to get outside and remain active in any capacity. If anything changes re: team gatherings, we will inform families asap.

We may have a team zoom meeting this week, so keep an eye out for info about that.

Think snow!

January 8 Update

The DOE did not recolor Maine counties today, so Cumberland County remains yellow, which mean no high school sports yet. The next opportunity for a change is next Friday, January 15, so fingers crossed for a change at that time.

In the meantime, skiers are encouraged to get out and ski on their own if possible. The local golf courses are good options, as are other nordic venues if you're willing to do a little driving - Quarry Road in Waterville, Jackson Nordic in NH, and Rangeley Nordic all have snow and groomed trails. And on the days you can't ski, get outside for a run, walk, snowshoe, or roller ski. Pretty much anything outside in Maine in the winter is a great thing!