Aroostook Cup Message Board

Season Standings

2010-03-15T09:26:00.001-07:00

Greetings Everyone!

Congratulations to all for a wonderful season of community-based ski races. Each club and community did a wonderful job with events, and the turn out at each race was excellent.

You will see "unofficial AC results" posted, now that the Himie Towle Frolic is over. These results are posted on the Four Seasons site. Our end-of-season Aroostook Cup awards will take place on April 2nd at the MWSC banquet. More details on this to come soon. I'm going to allow the remainder of this week for any questions, comments or disputes of AC Points to be brought to my attention. You can email me at mikes@mainewsc.org. Protests will not be considered after 5:00 PM on Friday, the 19th.

You will notice all season some folk's points have not been given to any specific club. If people did not specify a club at registration time, I could not fairly award those points. If you are one of those people, and intended to have your points given to a specific club, please notify me immediately.

After the end of the protest period ends I will begin compiling individual point results, and will name a winning club. Please check back in next week at this time to see official results. Thanks again for a great winter season, and I hope to see you all at our awards night!

Cheers,

Mike

Annual Ski Frolic Brings 2010 Aroostook Cup to a Stylish Close

2010-03-15T09:22:00.000-07:00

Nordic Heritage Center, Presque Isle

3/14/10

The 2010 Aroostook Cup Cross-Country race series that started with a brisk and cold day in January this year, wrapped up with a sunny day more reminiscent of May in the County than March. More than fifty club and community members came out for the annual Himie Towle Memorial XC Ski Frolic on Sunday at the Nordic Heritage Center in Presque Isle. A tremendously busy week for fans and volunteers at the USSA Junior Olympics did not deter skiers from coming together once again to celebrate the sport and the season in style.

Participants in the frolic enjoyed freestyle cross-country races for all ages and abilities. The main event of the afternoon was a 7.5 km race around a beautiful course, taking skiers up and down the trails surrounding the main lodge and stadium and the Heritage Center.

In the men’s division Seth Hubbard of the Nordic Heritage Sport Club took first, while Sarah Dominick of Stockholm’s Snowy Mtn Ski Club took the win in the women’s division. In unofficial results for the Aroostook Cup Club Point series the 10^th Mtn Ski Club of Fort Kent finishes in first place with 126 points, while the Nordic Heritage Sport Club of Presque Isle finishes close behind with 114 points.

For a list of the full season’s results and point standings please visit http://www.fourseasonstrail.org/Aroostook_Cup__.html. Official point series results will be posted online, and the awards will be presented at the end of season Maine Winter Sports Center banquet on April 2^nd. Details on this event will be posted at www.mainewsc.org. Congratulations to all the participants and organizers from this winter’s events!

22nd Annual C-ME Ski

2010-03-01T11:51:00.000-08:00

22^nd Annual C-ME Ski Event

Aroostook Wildlife Refuge – Limestone, ME

2/27/10

With temperatures hovering around the 40-degree mark, and the threat of rain showers, the 22^nd annual C-ME Ski Event took place this past Saturday, February 27^th, at the Aroostook Wildlife Refuge in Limestone. Jointly sponsored by the Friends of The Aroostook Wildlife Refuge and the Limestone Ski Club, the C-ME Ski drew a strong gathering of citizen skiers from the surrounding area.

While junior skiers raced a 2km loop, youth skiers raced a 7km course, and adult participants took three laps around the same course for a 21km classic race. On the women’s side Snowy Mtn Ski Club skier Sarah Dominick took the win with Patty Hebert and Bonnie Cyr of the 10^th Mtn Ski Club following suit in second and third place.

Fred Bailey of the Nordic Heritage Sports Club won the men’s field, barely edging past Northern Skiers club member Joey Bard. Rounding out the top three was Adam Fisette also of the Nordic Heritage Sports Club. For a complete list of results and Aroostook Cup Point standings visit http://www.fourseasonstrail.org/Aroostook_Cup__.html. The final race in the 2010 Aroostook Cup series is the annual Himie Towle Memorial XC Ski Frolic, which takes place on Sunday, March 14^th at the Nordic Heritage Center in Presque Isle.

Update on results

2010-02-23T07:55:00.000-08:00

Greetings Aroostook Cup Fans -

My apologies for the delay in getting results up from the last two AC events. You should be seeing the latest tally of AC points and results from the Henry Anderson up on the Four Seasons site today. We had a bit of confusion surrounding some bib numbers at the Karen Sprague Memorial, and although it didn't affect the AC points, I am trying to clarify the results before posting them. Please bare with me!

Only two events left in the series and my hats off to those of you that have shown up and supported each event. Please join us this Saturday at the Aroostook Wildlife Refuge for the annul C-ME Ski event. It should prove to be an excellent event, as the Limestone Ski Club does outstanding work in their community.

In the meantime...think snow!

35th Annual Henry Anderson Ski Dag Recap

2010-02-23T07:54:00.000-08:00

Henry Anderson Ski Dag

Caribou, ME

2/21/10

Despite gray skies and soft snow a field of 30 competitors from around northern Maine took the trails at the Caribou Country Club this past Sunday for the 35^th annual Henry Anderson Ski Dag. The race, overseen by the Caribou Rec Department, was a 5.4 km classical event shortened due to challenging conditions from an 8 km race.

In the men’s field UMPI skier Aaron Schmersal took the win, followed by Finn Bondeson of the Northern Skiers Club in second, and Seth Hubbard of the Nordic Heritage Ski Club in third. On the women’s side Alice Goodwin of the Maine Nordic Club took first, while Patricia Hebert and Bonnie Cyr, both of the 10^th Mtn Ski Club took second and third place respectively.

With two races left in the series, club point standings find the 10^th Mtn Club of Fort Kent still holding a strong lead with 95 points. The Nordic Heritage Sports Club of Presque Isle is in second with 65 points, and just behind in third is Caribou’s Northern Skiers Club with 63 points.

The next race is the C-ME Ski Event, scheduled for this Saturday the 27^th at the Aroostook Wildlife Refuge in Limestone. For more information on that race as well as a complete listing of results and Aroostook Cup point standings please visit: http://www.fourseasonstrail.org/Aroostook_Cup__.html.

Valentine's Day Race A HUGE Success!

2010-02-14T18:17:00.000-08:00

Karen Sprague Memorial

2-14-2010

A fresh dusting of snow and mild temperatures brought out the crowds at
the 8th annual Karen Sprague Memorial Ski Day. A record breaking field of
nearly 90 competitors, from age 4 to 78, took to the Snowy Mountain Trails
in Stockholm, to make the day a success.

Costumes, kisses and fun were the name of the game at the Sweetheart
Relay--a two lap, two person classic race. The MWSC/UMPI team of Austin
Ross and Chandra Wisneski took the race out hard, followed closely by MWSC
coach and athlete duo of Gary Colliander and Grace Boutot. At the
exchanges, the MWSC/UMPI team of Fred Bailey and Justine Cyr put up a
furious fight, but the crowd was rooting for the home teams of Jonathan
Sprague and Anna Sprague Van der Rhee and Will Sweetser and Sarah
Dominick. In the end, Sweetser and Dominick had just a bit more course
saavy and were able to eke out the win over Bailey and Cyr.

Age group winners included Gannon Therien and Sarah Doak, Derek Rowe and
Vicky Bernard, and Norman Paige and Connie McClellan.

In the Aroostook Cup Pursuit, competitors toed the line for a 3km
classic/3km freestyle continuous pursuit. MWSC Team members Fred Bailey
and Welly Ramsey staged a break away from the rest of their teammates and
coaches to claim the top two spots, with Bailey taking top honors and 3
Aroostook Cup points for the Northern Skiers Club. In the women's race,
it was Sarah Dominick and Anna Van der Rhee, both of the Snowy Mountain
Club, crossing the line in first and second.

After this weekend's racing, the home club of Snowy Mountain has made up
significant ground in the overall Aroostook Cup standings. For full
results and Aroostook Cup points updates, please visit
www.fourseasonstrail.org/Aroostook_Cup

The next Aroostook Cup event is the Henry Anderson Ski Dag, February 21 at
the Caribou Country Club.

Karen Spraque Memorial on tap for this Sunday, Valentine's Day!

2010-02-08T17:31:00.000-08:00

Check out the AC site on fourseasonstrails.org for up to date info on the Karen Sprague Memorial Race this coming Sunday, and the Henry Anderson Ski Dag next Sunday, the 21st. Both events should be an excellent opportunity to get out and ski with other enthusiasts from around the County. Don't miss out!

Also please note the festivities continue in Stockholm after the race this Sunday:

EUREKA HALL—After the races for food, music, raffle drawings (Gift certificates—2-$250 Van Buren Ski Shop, 2-$50 Eureka Hall, 2-$50 for gas at Anderson’s Store, 2-$100 Bills, GRAND PRIZE – USE OF VACATION HOME IN SOUTHWEST HARBOR FOR ONE WEEK IN SEPTEMBER, 2010 PLUS $300 CASH), awards to first and second places

JOHN TERCYAK—Entertainer—Fiddle, Guitar, Vocals (repertoire of about 700 songs) 3:00 – 7:00

Madawaska Ski Sprints Video

2010-02-06T03:54:00.000-08:00

I've just posted a short video containing footage from the Madawaska Ski Sprints on YouTube. The following link with take you to it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e638jW5hYT8

Austin Ross

Henry Anderson Memorial Ski Dag

2010-01-26T11:18:00.000-08:00

Aroostook Cup Series-

35th. Annual Henry Anderson Memorial Ski Dag. February 21, 2010. Caribou Ski Trails, Approx. 3 miles north of Caribou at the Caribou Country Club. 11:30a.m. registration. 1:00p.m. race time. 4.8 mile classical race. FREE VEST TO THE FIRST 35 REGISTRANTS. $16.00 for adults, $10.00 for students. Includes lunch.

Madawaska Valley Ski Sprints Display Club Savvy and Local Talent

2010-01-25T07:21:00.000-08:00

Madawaska, ME

1/25/10

Before Monday’s winter drizzle set in, residents of Aroostook County enjoyed perhaps the nicest weekend of the winter season thus far. Nowhere was the sunshine and blue sky more appreciated than in the rolling hills of Madawaska. As Saturday slowly warmed to a mild afternoon, members of the Four Seasons Trail Association could be found outside their bustling lodge preparing a newly constructed sprint course for Sunday’s third Aroostook Cup event, the Madawaska Valley Classical Ski Sprints.

As Sunday’s temperatures reached their peak, men and women took their turn racing, in the classical ski discipline, around a 1.3k course to qualify for head to head heats later in the afternoon. Racers advanced through quarter and semi-final rounds to eventually take their turn in heats of five to six competitors attempting to earn top honors for the day.

In the men’s final round it was John Dixon of the Nordic Heritage Sports Club in first, Joey Bard of Caribou’s Northern Skiers Club in second, and Seth Hubbard also of the Nordic Heritage Sports Club in third. Filling out the final heat for men were Derek Rowe (4^th), Nick Michaud (5^th) and Austin Ross (6^th).

On the women’s side, Eileen Carey of Presque Isle’s Nordic Heritage Sports Club took the win, with Vicky Bernard of the 10^th Mtn Club in second, and Sarah Dominick of the Snowy Mtn Ski Club in Stockholm taking third. Danni Anderson, Alice Goodwin, and Sherry Dubis finished 4^th, 5^th and 6^th respectively.

After three Aroostook Cup events the club leader remains the 10^th Mtn Club of Fort Kent with 75 points, the Nordic Heritage Sports Club is in second and gaining ground with 45 points, and the Northern Skiers Club remains in third with 35 points. For full results and point standings, please visit http://www.fourseasonstrail.org/Aroostook_Cup__.html. The next race in the Aroostook Cup series is the Karen Sprague Memorial Race in Stockholm, on Sunday February 14^th.

Madawaska Ski Sprints Update

2010-01-24T06:21:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone!
It's going to be a beautiful day in Madawaska today! Temps in the 20's, sunny, and some pristine tracks. The Madawaska Ski Sprints are going to be sweet, so come check it out. A race division, touring division, and Bill Koch Youth division will all be a part of the mix, so if you're in 1st grade or older, there's a division for you.

Hope to see you there!

Madawaska Valley Ski Sprints

2010-01-17T20:24:00.000-08:00

Info for the next event in the Aroostook Cup series is up at:

http://www.fourseasonstrail.org/Aroostook_Cup__.html

This promises to be a new and exciting race format for the Aroostook Cup. The Four Seasons Trail Association is hosting the Madawaska Valley Ski Sprints on Sunday, January 24th. This will be a classical sprint series, on an entirely new course.

Don't miss the action, as it will display talents not yet seen in the Aroostook Cup. Registration begins at noon, and competition begins at 1:00 PM.

Caribou’s Annual New Year’s Race Brings Sunshine and Fast Trails

2010-01-17T15:14:00.000-08:00

Caribou, ME

1/17/10

Nearly 70 participants came out to the Caribou Ski Trails this Sunday to participate in the season’s second Aroostook Cup Series event, the 2010 New Year’s Ski Race and Scavenger Hunt. Volunteers from the Northern Skiers Club and Cary Medical Center were on hand to deliver a fast and fun 5k freestyle race and tour, followed by a ski and snowshoe scavenger hunt.

January’s cool temperatures and lack of precipitation in combination with diligent grooming and trail maintenance resulted in a blazing fast race course. Taking advantage of the awesome conditions were Will Sweetser and Sarah Dominick of Stockholm’s Snowy Mountain Ski Club. Sweetser and Dominick took the fastest overall time for men and women with a time of 12:40 and 13:42 respectively.

On the men’s side Jeff Dubis of the 10^th Mtn Club took second, while Anthony Drouin, also of 10^th Mtn, took third. In the women’s field Sherry Dubis (10^th Mtn) took second to Dominick, while Patricia Hebert (10^th Mtn) took third.

In the Aroostook Cup Club Standings Fort Kent’s 10^th Mtn Club remains in the lead with 64 points, while the Nordic Heritage Club of Presque Isle holds on to second place with 26 points, just ahead of Caribou’s Northern Skiers Club at 22 points. The next event in the Aroostook Cup is the Madawaska Valley Ski Sprints, being held at Madawaska’s Four Seasons Trails next Sunday, January 24^th. These sprints will bring a new race format the Aroostook Cup that is sure to bring forth regional talents not yet seen. For more information check out www.fourseasonstrail.org.

Madawaska Ski Sprints Update

2010-01-14T10:20:00.000-08:00

The Madawaska Ski Sprints will now also be an official Bill Koch Youth Ski League race with 1.4km and a .5km distance options. Kids as young as 6 are encouraged to come join the fun in Madawaska on Jan 24. Registration starts at noon, races start at 1:00pm.

Austin Ross

Fort Kent Frostbite a Big Success

2010-01-11T08:59:00.000-08:00

The Aroostook Cup season got off to a fantastic start yesterday with the Fort Kent Frostbite event! Skiers from around the County braved the cold to compete in 5km, 20km, and 40km freestyle events. Top honors in the 5km Whoopie Pie Chase went to Russell Currier (Snowy Mountain Trails) and Danni Anderson (Nordic Heritage Sport Club). In the 20km Frostnip the winners were Austin Ross (Four Seasons Trail Association) and Justine Cyr (UMPI/10th Mountain Ski Club). The champions of the 40km Frostbite were Seth Hubbard (Nordic Heritage Sport Club) and Kelly Murray (Radical Edge). Congratulations to all participants!

Skiers enjoyed excellent grooming, delicious feeds, and fun terrain at the 1oth Mountain Center. A big 'thank you' goes out to the volunteers who prepared the course and feed stations. Spectators cheered not only for the racers but for the chili, cake, and whoopie pies that were served inside the lodge. Another big 'thank you' goes out to the volunteers and organizers who worked on those aspects of the event. A quick shout-out also goes out to Vicky Bernard, who was selling Cookies for Climate Change to benefit the Willy Neal Foundation.

The next Aroostook Cup race will be in Caribou this Sunday, Jan 17th. It will be the make-up race for the New Years Event. The standings are still wide open, so please come represent your club this weekend!

Caribou New Years Race Postponed!

2010-01-02T17:16:00.001-08:00

The Caribou New Years Aroostook Cup race has been postponed due to weather. The make-up date will be January 17th.

Austin Ross

Start Times

2009-12-01T09:10:00.000-08:00

I'll start with a quick update: A link to this blog is now up on the Aroostook Cup page of the Four Seasons website, so people should be able to find it fairly easily now. The race schedule for the season has also been posted on the same website. Please take a moment to check it out.

Now the start times question:
I don't see it as a necessity to have consistent start times. It is something we have done in the past, and I think there were some benefits. I also think there were some drawbacks. I would suggest that organizers choose their start time based on what works best for each individual race.

I think that a 9:00am start time allows people to race in the morning and still have time in the day for other things (especially if they have a longer drive home). It also lends itself to serving a lunch afterward if that is a part of your race. Afternoon races may accommodate those who attend church, and don't want to miss it for a ski race. Consistency in the schedule may make it easier for people to remember. Variation in the schedule may make it possible for a wider array of people to fit AC races into their schedules. I personally like racing in the morning, and in general, most races do begin early in the day. The snow is usually more consistent in the morning, and the temperatures more predictable.

As we figure out the best solution for start times for each race, it would be a good idea to post them on this blog. We will also be able to update the Four Seasons website with start times. That should allow everyone to figure out when the races start. If you already know your start time, it would be great to get it to Mike, so he can put it on the poster.

Please contribute to the blog by posting responses to keep this conversation thread going.

Austin Ross
Development Coach
Maine Winter Sports Center

2009-11-19T15:16:00.000-08:00

Just testing this out on a new ( used)laptop. Learning lots about computers this year.

Sherry

Welcome to the Aroostook Cup Message Board

2009-11-12T15:48:00.000-08:00

Dear Aroostook Cup Organizers,
Welcome to the new blog. This message board has been created for your convenience as you update, publicize, and discuss your Aroostook Cup races. This blog is an opportunity for you to communicate with other organizers. Sharing information and successful strategies for improving your races is an important means for making the Aroostook Cup successful in the long-run. It is my hope that this blog will facilitate that communication.

Additionally, as our races approach, this blog can be a good tool for disseminating updates and notices about each event. Please feel free to share information about race distances, start times, trail conditions, and any other information geared toward racers as well.

This blog will be visible to the public, so everyone will be able to come read it. However, only event organizers will be able to post messages on it. I will have a link added to this blog from the 4 Seasons website, so the public will be able to find it.

In order to post on the blog, you must register with blogger.com, which is an easy process. It only takes a minute, and it's free. If you need any help let me know. (austin@mainewsc.org)

I hope to hear from you all soon!

Austin Ross
Development Coach
Maine Winter Sports Center