NYSEF Nordic

The New York Ski Educational Foundation XC Program hosted 17 athletes from around the state at the Olympic Training Center July 8-13 in Lake Placid. The week was to be a high volume week and a chance to contunue working on technique.

Athletes had three focuses for the week:
1. preparation (for training and the upcoming winter)
2. focus while training
3. technique (improve efficiency)
All three of these areas were linked together through thinking while training — think about what you are doing and how you are using your muscles while skiing.

group classic ski

The first evening athletes were checked off for their first day of training on the “Are you ready?” board. Many of the kids had 1s, 2s, or 3s for day one, rather than the ideal 8 points per day. The board showed each athlete listed for each day of training and had areas such as on time for training, water bottle with a carrier, watch, snack, dry shirt and shoes, correct gear, recovery in between sessions and a coaches’ surprise for the day. Each day was scored and totaled up for the week. By the end of week, all athletes were getting the max daily score on the board. Charlie Bencze (J2) was the grand champion and won a NYSEF hooded sweatshirt.

The week of training looked like this:
Tuesday PM - trail run, mobility and core circuits at Mt. Van Hoevenberg (1.5 hour)
Wednesday AM - classic easy distance with technique stations (2 hours)
Wednesday PM - skate easy distance with technique and video (2 hours)
Thursday AM - 20 mile double pole with 20 x 30 sec repeats (2 hours)
Thursday PM - soccer, agility and core (1 hour)
Friday - High Peaks hike including five 46er peaks of Lower Wolfjaw, Upper Wolfjaw, Armstrong, Gothics and Sawteeth (5 hours for the boys, 6 hours for the girls - the boys went the opposite direction of the girls and bet them back by 1 hour!)
Saturday AM - 17 mile distance ski, skate followed by classic (2 hours)
Saturday PM - off from training, trip to the summer ski jump competition and town
Sunday AM - skate time trial (1.25 hours)
Total for the week: 16.75 hours for the boys, 17.75 hours for the girls

Athletes finished up a great week of training with the famous Franklin Falls skate rollerski time trial – 7 km for the ladies and 9km for the men. It’s a real tough course with the last half of the course climbing steep uphill. Everyone pushed through and finished the week off strong.

Elizabeth and Carly during the Keene-Jay double pole ski

Special thanks to James Upham (USBA Development Coach), Zach Hall (USBA B Team), Sara Studebaker (USBA B Team) and Eric Carter (UVM Student-Athlete Intern) for providing group meetings on technique, nutrition and principles and adaptations of xc ski training.

Athletes attending: Dan Stevens (Scotia), Willie Bencze (Tupper Lake), Charlie Bencze (Tupper Lake), Wayne Clark (New Paltz), Judd Collier (Plattsburgh), Will Frielinghaus (Queensbury), Alex Goff (Lake Placid), Sam Phanuef (Old Forge), Sam Cowan (Lake Placid), Colin Delaney (Lake Placid), Alex Madden (Lake Placid), Elizabeth Izzo (Lake Placid), Carly Wynn (Queensbury), Amanda Moreland (Bloomfield), Kati Christoffel (Clifton Park), Mairead Fogarty (New Paltz), Heather Mooney (Keene Valley/Saxtons River, VT).

Coaches: Margaret Maher (NYSEF), Jason Hettenbaugh (Rochester Nordic Racing), Eric Carter (UVM Student-Athlete Intern)

the girls on Armstrong Mountain

 Photos from hike

The Paul Robbins Celebration, a memorial service for our friend and family member who passed away this February, is coming up this weekend, Saturday, June 28 in Hanover, NH. The service will be held from 1-2 p.m. at the Dartmouth Skiway, with a short reception to follow. Complete information is available at the link below.
http://www.paulrobbinscelebration.com

Location
Detailed instructions and a map link for the Dartmouth Skiway are available on the Web site. Thanks to the generosity of Dartmouth College and USSA trustee Andy McLane, the service will be in the McLane Family Lodge. The Dartmouth Skiway is north of Hanover, near Lyme, NH

Flowers
Some friends have inquired about sending flowers. You may do so through Morgan Perrone at Valley Flower Company (603.298.3370) at valleyflowercompany@yahoo.com.

Dress
Dress is, as Paul would prefer, informal. You are welcome to wear shorts and a Hawaiian shirt, if you wish.

Photos
We’re still looking for photos. If you have any digital images, please email to: Tom Kelly (tkelly@ussa.org). Here’s a link to the current photos.
http://www.flickr.com/groups/717494@N24/pool/

Paul touched many people with his humor, wit and genuine friendship. This will be a good opportunity to share stories and to celebrate what he brought to all of us. And for those of you who cannot attend, yes, we will have a video available through the Web site some time after the service.

Get ready for training and sunshine this summer…

Link to information on Grasshopper and Trailblazer training programs:
NYSEF Trailblazer/Grasshopper Summer 2008

Link to J2/J1 Lake Placid area XC ski training info:  NYSEF XC LP Summer 2008 Program

UPDATED Gore XC Summer Program Info: Gore XC Program Packet Summer 2008

Email Matt or Margaret to sign-up or with questions.

Thank You EVERYONE for a great year and a fun day at Whiteface Mt. for the pond skimming and an all around good time.  Plenty of sun, food, slushy turns and fun was had by all.

Congratulations to Coach Cook for DOMINATING the Pond Skimming Competition.  You made us all Proud.  Did he go huge and lay it all on the line??? This reporter certainly thinks so.  Decide for yourself and check out the video and “post-splash” interview.

What a great day at Mt. Van Hovenberg and the Olympic Sports Complex!  The weather was excellent, the snow was fast and almost 50 athletes showed up to race in these perfect conditions.  Races for everyone were held, 2.5km, 5km and 15km, and all were exciting to watch. 

Cogratulations to Everyone and Thank You for racing in support of, and in memory of, Dr. Dave

Thank You to the ORDA Course Crew and all the staff for making the event so positive.

Thank You to Casey Colby, NYSEF Elite Ski Jumping Coach for taking on the Registration and Results!

Results:   NYSEF Nordic Dr. Dave Memorial XC Race Results

Lowell Bailey and Matt Cook watch as a Bloomingdale skier gets air! The program was funded by Eat Well Play Hard and coached by NYSEF Nordic staff Sean Burke and Matt Cook.

The Cross-Country skiing at Mt. Van Hoevenberg couldn’t get much better.
 
NYSEF Nordic and ORDA are hosting the Season Finale Dr. Dave Memorial this Sunday, March 30th.
 
Come on over and rub shoulders at the starting line with NYSEF Nordic alumni and 06′ Olympian Lowell Bailey!
 
Day of Registration Only, 8:30-9:30 Baselodge, $10 to race.
 
10:00am 5K Mass Start Freestyle.
10:05am 15K Mass Start Freestyle. Porter/ Big Rock Loop it is!
 
Start/ Finish will be in the XC Stadium.
 
Come enjoy the snow and get those skis race waxed!

Download race flyer here: season-finalexcrace2008.pdf

Sam and Willie with the moose in Alaska! 

The Lake Placid Ski Club hosted their annual awards banquet. Named to this year’s Elite Team are (pictured below, left to right): Nina Lussi, Danielle Lussi, Pete Frenette, Alex Madden, Elizabeth Izzo, Andrew Bliss and Colin Delaney.

A huge Thank you goes out to our Elite Team Sponsor FlyLow Gear. Great jackets Abrams!  

XC Awards 2008

Anna Izzo: Jaycee Award, most improved cross-country skier

Dieter Hohmeyer: Most Improved Ski Jumper

Annie Frenette: Most Improved Nordic Combiner.

Elizabeth Izzo: Brad Streeter Award, best Nordic skiing attitude.

Andrew Bliss: Most Points in all Eastern Ski Jumping Competitions combined.

Nate Capone: Adirondack Mountain Club Trophy, for the Nordic skier who shows the greatest profieciency in the Nordic disciplines of classic/skate skiing, telemark, ski jumping and backcountry skiing

Ethan Wood: Rookie Jumper of the Year

Nina Lussi: Top Female Ski Jumper of the Year.

Colin Delaney: Top Nordic Combiner of the Year.

Congratulations to all Nordic athletes that won an Award!

The NYSEF contingent of Elizabeth Izzo, Sam Cowan, Charlie Bencze, Willie Bencze, Dan Stevens, Kati Christoffel, Peter Morehouse, Emily Burns and Holly Osoweicki returned on Sunday from the 2008 USSA Junior Olympics held at Kincaid Park. Coaches Marge and Sean also went with the Mid-Atlantic team.

NYSEF XC’s top results came from Charlie Bencze, where he placed 29th in the freestyle race and 24th in the classic race. He was the 6th first year J2 boy in both races and 1:16 out of the win in the classic race.

Top Mid-Atlantic Division results came from Steve Mangan. He killed it in the sprints and qualified 6th, skied the heats smart and claimed the J2 boys victory in the A final! Congrats to NY’s Junior National Champion Steve Mangan! Carly Wynn was also impressive in the sprints, qualifying 18th and working her way up to 6th place. Both Steve and Carly earned All-American status. Steve collected 2 more medals over the week with a 7th place in the freestyle race and 5th place in the classic race.

Tara Geraghty-Moats, one of the NYSEF Nordic combined girls, racing for the New England Division won the J2 girls freestyle race.

Charlie Bencze (Tupper Lake, NY) hammering his relay leg at JO’s.

Check out the video on YouTube of the Mass Start J2 boys classic race. When in slow motion you can see Charlie sneak by the mess of boys and stay on his feet! Look for Charlie on the left side in the Mid-Atlantic red, white and blue suit and white race cap.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EStR-Qx1Akg

Matt Delaney (Lake Placid, NY), skiing for Clarkson University, finished 1st for the second year in a row at the US Collegiate Ski Association National Champsionships held at Black Mountain in Runford, Maine. Matt also finished 1st in the 8.5 km freestyle race and 6th in the 15 km classic race. Congrats Matt!

With only one ski in the track for both Skiers, Don West and John Farnham are airborne on Lebanon’s K25.

NYSEF had a great crew with Zach Daniels, Nat Capone, Harley Stankus, Dieter Hohmeyer, Yurgen Hohmeyer, Ethan Wood, and Henry and Gracie McGrew.

Great Skiing, Congrats also to Nate, Dieter and Harley for skiing LP’s K48 for the first time just after the Mud Meet!

Skiing the 2nd fastest time among close to 30 competitors (field is capped at 30 for Mass Starts) Tim finished his season with an 8th place today. Tim had four misses.

For complete results go to www.biathlonworld.com

Anders Johnson, Member of Project X, grabs his first National Title on Park City, Utah’s Large Hill.

Nick Alexander, NSA graduate and NYSEF alumni finished with Bronze, Billy Demong was 5th and our other NSA grad and NYSEF alum Chris Lamb was 5th. Andrew Bliss was 12th.

Demong continued his reign of terror in the Nordic Combined event, with yet another National Title in the sprint event. He hunted Johnny Spillane down like a wounded animal for NC Gold.

Lake Placid’s very own, Colin Delaney skied an impressive 6th fastest XC time to move from 18th to 8th overall, this is Colin’s first top ten at US Nationals

go to www.usskiteam.com for complete results.

NYSEF Nordic, host to last week’s Lion’s Club competitions, will be travelling to New Hampshire to cash in on their similiar styled event.

The day’s schedule includes Ski Jumping on a K10, K25 and K50 size hills followed by a slalom event at their Storrs Hill alpine area and a XC sprint event on complex.

NYSEF Nordic athletes have had several specific training camps in preparation for the events, with last week’s screaming Chinese down hill at the LP ski jumps on XC a big one.

Go NYSEF!

For pictures from the Adirondack Daily Enterprise on the Lion’s Club NYSEF Nordic event, click on

www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com

SJ

Yurgen Hohmeyer screamin’ down the K6 In-Run! Yurgen went on to win the K6 competition over close to 30 other athletes.

More to come…..