Written by GRP Skier Margie Freed. Photos by GRP Rower Jen Forbes.

The Craftsbury Outdoor Center has been taking many precautions to ensure those using its facilities are able to enjoy their time safely and remain healthy in the midst of a global pandemic - including racing. Part of summer ski training consists of races to gauge fitness. So far, Craftsbury ski groups have participated in a few rollerski races this summer, testing their fitness in addition to testing the organization’s attempts at safe race procedures. 

This summer the Craftsbury Outdoor Center has hosted three race events. The first event was in July, when about 30 Craftsbury Nordic Ski Club juniors participated in a rollerski time trial, following guidelines implemented to slow the spread of germs including: 

• Individual starts

• Mask wearing when not skiing

• Elimination of congregating at start, finish, and in parking lots as much as possible

The other two events were biathlon invitationals of about 20 participants each including racers from clubs outside of Craftsbury. These biathletes used the same protocols as the previous event with additional requirements:

• Space out each club as a bubble - including separate rifle racks and identified, labeled areas to get stage before the race and recover afterwards. 

• Rifles were zeroed on a schedule with enough time to clean mats between each use. 

Race directors are still determining which combination of protocols will provide the best balance of safety and efficiency for all. This means experimentation. For instance, in one race the mats were cleaned after each use during the race and in the other, mats were assigned to each racer. 

These small scale races are paving the way for future racing at the center, with illness prevention processes being refined and new information learned each day. Safe racing requires the work of everyone involved from racers, coaches, and volunteers, to spectators and staff. 

This means all involved maintain a distance from those outside their bubble, something not typically done in ski racing. In addition to no post-race hugs in the finish pen, organization of bib pickup, start and finish areas, parking lot, warm-up, and many other details must be addressed and executed safely. When asked about the race setup, US biathlete Maddie Phaneuf said “I didn’t find anything too frustrating with the TT setup, luckily the women went first and I didn’t have to do much waiting around, and the weather held up for us. THOUGH I could see how if we had a future TT or race in Craftsbury and needed to follow COVID protocols and the weather was wet or cold, it could have been frustrating.” Craftsbury race directors are looking to provide racing for wider groups in the upcoming season while adhering to Vermont regulations limiting outdoor events to 150 people total. 

Although these new rules and regulations aren’t what the ski community is used to, the Center is committed to doing its best to keep people safe while putting on high level and well organized competitive events. Other protocols may be added similar to the approach used by NENSA when it hosted the App Gap rollerski race the last week in August. Athletes and coaches participating in this race were required to fill out health screening prior to the race in addition to similar physical distancing guidelines the Center has used such as mandatory face covering when not racing and individual start order. Much of this relies on a buy-in from participants, requiring everyone to take on a shared responsibility to keep themselves and others safe to have a race season as safe, enjoyable, and competitive as possible. 

Despite trying to make things as normal as possible, there is no doubt races will look different this season. “I’m bummed because things are going to look so much different. I have garnered so much enjoyment and motivation from the vibrant racing community that we’ve been able to build at the Outdoor Center.” said Craftsbury Race Director, Ollie Burruss. “I absolutely love these big races we’ve hosted, whether it’s the high-powered fields at US Nationals and SuperTour Finals or the stoke from all the folks competing at the Marathon Ski Festival. And don’t even get me started on BKL races. There is nothing like finishing out a SuperTour/EC weekend by watching a bunch of little rippers tear around the field, emulating all their heroes from earlier in the day. It rules. Not having that is going to hurt. But if we all band together and do our part every day, in all facets of our lives, to defeat the pandemic and keep ourselves and our communities safe, we will get back to the normal world soon.”

As the fall training season winds down and race season becomes near, race protocols at the Center are taking shape. The COC staff and athletes are putting in significant efforts to ensure high caliber, fun, and safe racing of some sort will take place. The ski community is known for its comradery and trust, and those attributes should work in our favor to keep races happening. Stay tuned for updates to our schedules as we adapt and continue learning.