EVERYONE:

Attendance form keep it up, y’all.
Info about the Mansfield Nordic Skiathlon race on Sunday 1/12: (putting it here for everyone because we’re not actually sure who wants to go—it’s a race with flavors for all ages):
- Skiathlon = first you classic ski, then you swap some equipment as fast as you can mid-race, then you skate ski… and the clock runs through it all
- It’s at Sleepy Hollow in Huntington, VT
- We’ll be sending some coaches to help wax, etc. There’s a chance we could sned a van depending on interest—if this makes or breaks it for you, reach out to jrskiing@craftsbury.com
- Registration and more information is here. Junior/open race is at ~10am; BKL starts with younger groups at ~12pm.
- Please register with your club as “Craftsbury Ski Club” so we can keep an eye on how many people we have going!
The cold is here in earnest. That means everyone should have several appropriate layers, hats, buffs, mittens, etc.

JUNIORS:

Shoutout to Ruth, Emily, and Sisu, for stepping up and racing in the big leagues at Senior Nationals this week, and to coach Audrey for guiding them through their Alaskan endeavor.
Waxing + high school races: we don’t wax your skis for high school races unless there are some extenuating circumstances. That’s the domain of your high school coaches/teams and, honestly, of you yourself! There’s a big high school race at COC on Wednesday. Please don’t all be rolling into the clubhouse expecting to hand off your skis. We’ll be helping CA because Hallie helps us and it’s their home turf. If you need something specific, come talk to us.
About waxing: holy moly get some of your own stuff and bring it to classic practices. There’s a list of suggestions here.
Lake Placid Eastern Cup: info packet in the works here, including a roster as far as I know it to date. If you want to go, please review to see if your name is on the list and please reach out to Anna to let her know if (a) you want to drive with the team; and (b) you have some sort of strict timeline for departure on Friday 1/17.

U14s:

Bogburn: way to crush it, squad! Coach Mike said you were flying.
More racing this weekend: the MNC skiathlon is happening on Sunday this weekend! If you want to go, indicate accordingly on the attendance form. More details above in the “Everyone” section.
Other Eastern Cups: we don’t recommend U14s dive into additional Eastern Cups (though some of you may get dragged along with your older siblings). In addition to the fact that we’re sort of at capacity with the juniors, there are a lot more local, fun, inexpensive options to do while you’re still a BKLer. There are many years of Eastern Cups to come.

BKL:

Consistently coming to practice is how you make progress. Those of you who have been showing up regularly have been crushing it. Wanna get better and have more fun at skiing? Come to practice!
More racing this weekend: the MNC skiathlon is happening on Sunday this weekend! If you want to go, indicate accordingly on the attendance form. More details above in the “Everyone” section.
More racing for your calendars: These are OPTIONAL! More details to come as the relevant dates approach. If you’re interested in other races around New England, check out the complete NENSA list.
- Jan. 12 (Sunday): MNC Skiathlon (classic + skate) at Sleepy Hollow in Huntington, Vt.
- Jan. 25-26 (Sat-Sun): Craftsbury Marathon Ski Festival (classic Sat; skate Sun) - these are verrrry long races only appropriate for older/very experienced BKLers
- Feb. 1 (Saturday): Silver Fox Trot (skate) at Oak Hill in Hanover, NH
- Feb. 2 (Sunday): Tour de Stowe (classic) at Trapps in Stowe, VT (not marketed as a race, but more of an adventure, so could be fun for those hesitant about racing)
- March 1-2 (Sat-Sun): BKL Fest at Quarry Rd. in Waterville, ME (families figure out lodging - lot more info to come on this one later in the season)

BIATHLETES:

JRs/U14s-
1. Wednesday practice starts earlier this week: 4:30pm since many of you will be done HS racing by then.
2. La Patrie Races Jan 11/12: Find invitation here and fill out this google doc and register yourself. You need your own housing & transport. Susan is getting paperwork for club rifles in Derby on Monday morning, so let her know ASAP if you plan to join.
3. Bring your Secret Santa gifts to practice this Wednesday and we’ll start distributing these. If you aren’t here this Wednesday, bring it to a practice sometime in the next week or leave it by the rifle lockers. Missed the memo on Secret Santa? Your assignment is still on the rifle locker door.
BKLers - We need you to do the USBA Basic Rifle Safety Course: It takes 20 minutes online. Please complete this online portion email the certificate to susand@craftsbury.com. (BKL families will need to use the U13 version under an adult account.) We’ll then do the in person portion as part of practice in January.
Always: Bring hat, dry gloves (mittens don’t work for shooting a rifle), poles, dry shirt (U14s and up- plan to ALWAYS change into dry stuff after ski practice).
Other helpful info: Biathlon race opportunities 2024-25. and Club Kick Off Meeting Notes.

ADULTS/MASTERS:

The intermediate and beginner groups are starting this week! Wahoo!
Fun race opportunities: these are also listed above for BKLers, but they’re citizens races that are open to everyone! TBD whether we’ll have masters coach support at any of them, but let us know if you’re interested in going:
- Jan. 12 (Sunday): MNC Skiathlon (classic + skate) at Sleepy Hollow in Huntington, VT
- Jan. 25-26 (Sat-Sun): Craftsbury Marathon Ski Festival (classic Sat; skate Sun)
- Feb. 1 (Saturday): Silver Fox Trot (skate) at Oak Hill in Hanover, NH
- Feb. 2 (Sunday): Tour de Stowe (classic) at Trapps in Stowe, VT (not marketed as a race, but more of an adventure, so could be fun for those hesitant about racing)

Training week of 1/6