Jumping News

The running will be outside today, so please have clothes that are appropriate. Thanks, Ashley & PeterContinue reading →

Location:	Richmond Middle School – park in north parking lot and come in to the building through the door near the auditorium
Time:	3:30-4:30
Technique:	running, indoor stations including video, pre-race strategies and visualization-(bring running shoes, dry socks and clothes for activity)
Wax Recommendation:	none:)
Upcoming Race:	Bogburn Classic (go here to register for the race) and add your child’s name (and yours as a helper) to our planning sheet here. For every race, our site will have the organization sheet available on the “Racing” tab .

Notes:

Dorcas, our 3 Day Lead Coach, has a great plan for tomorrow. The emphasis will be introducing skiers to the elements of a pre-race warm-up. We will see everyone at RMS.

Cheers!

Ashley and Peter

 

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Location:	Thetford Academy Trails, Thetford, VT
Time:	3:30-4:30
Technique:	Skate
Wax Recommendation:	basic glide wax – use what you have on
Upcoming Race:	Bogburn Classic (go here to register for the race) and add your child’s name (and yours as a helper) to our planning sheet here. For every race, our site will have the organization sheet available on the “Racing” tab .

Notes:

1. We WILL ski tomorrow on the Thetford Academy trails in Thetford, VT. Enormous thanks to Dennis Donahue for spending a good part of Tuesday grooming them for our club. We understand that the location puts a dent in logistics for many families. As a club, we do our best to choose the best practice option for everyone. We don’t take this task lightly. We believe this is the best option tomorrow, so we hope as many of you can make it as possible. If you feel like the logistics or the cold are an issue for your child, we encourage you to make your own call. The Academy is a 15 minute drive from Hanover. You can google map it easily. When coming from the highway, drive into the 2nd driveway and follow the drive to the parking area behind the buildings. You will see us there. Kids should quickly get on skis and move around.
2. DRESS APPROPRIATELY. Temps are predicted at 15f and the windchill is supposed to have died down by afternoon, but PLEASE come with layers, toe warmers, buffs, etc. Warm kids are happy kids. There is not an indoor space for warming, so come prepared and please be on time for pick up.
3. STAY  TUNED! If the weather forecast changes for tomorrow, we may cancel practice. As always, we will post this by 11am.
4. Our first race is Saturday. Check it out on the links in the chart above. Please do let us know on the planning sheet if your child plans to race. This allows  our coaches to find and support each racer before and after the race.
5. VOLUNTEER! We need you! The Silver Fox Trot, our “home” race, is coming up on February 14, on Garipay Fields in Hanover. We often have over 200 kids as well as adults racing that day and we need all the volunteers we can get. If your child is racing, come help! If your child isn’t racing, come help and have your child watch. It is a great venue for spectators on and off skis. Go to this google form to sign up. Our goal is to get as many families participating as possible. And really, you don’t have to know anything about ski racing! You can volunteer to help with the BKL races (kids K-8th grades) or with the Eastern Cup Race at Oak Hill (ages 9th grade – masters).

 

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All,

Thanks to those of you who completed the survey we sent out last week. For those of you who didn’t, never fear! You have until tomorrow to do so. And we truly do want to hear from you! We use your feedback to improve our program. Tell us what you love, what works, what is confusing and what you wish we’d do differently. We’ll be reviewing feedback at our committee meeting this Thursday. Don’t delay! Let your voice be heard!

Go here to complete the survey. You can complete one for each child in the program.

And did you notice the snow falling?! Woohoo! Keep it coming!

Ashley and Peter

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Welcome back to real-life-post-vacation! Hope you all had a wonderful holiday and managed to get in some skiing.

We are CANCELING PRACTICE FOR TOMORROW! Dartmouth is not grooming either location and while we have spent many hours trying to find another interesting venue, it just isn’t going to happen in a way that would be safe. We encourage all of you to get outside in some capacity, keep up the good early-season mojo and maybe take a snowshoe with poles in the woods. Better than nothing!

We have a few logistics listed below and then don’t miss the piece written by Noah Phipps, Ford Sayre 6th grader, describing the trip made by 17 Ford Sayre families to Mont Sainte Anne this vacation. This was our club’s first time heading north as a group. Huge thanks to Emily Silver for her fantastic organization! The trip was an enormous success.

Notes:

1. Clothing/gear: don’t forget to check the FS Gear Exchange for used/new items that folks want to sell. There are some great items there. If you ended up with the wrong sizes in clothing for one reason or another, this is a great place to “trade”.  Go here.
2. This Friday is our first Friday practice for 3-Day Skiers! Woohoo! Dorcas Wonsavage will be leading the charge. Get psyched! 3Day skiers will receive emails regarding location…cross your fingers!
3. The Ford Sayre Nordic Committee is meeting this Thursday night at 7:00 in the Rotary Room at the Howe Library. All are welcome.
4. Our first FS supported race, the Bogburn, will take place (hopefully) this Saturday, January 10. It is a classic style race. For details and to register go to the NENSA Calendar here. PLEASE NOTE, snow conditions are unpredictable, so check the NENSA site in case of cancellation.
5. General racing information: Each season Ford Sayre “supports” a certain group of races. This means that we commit to having coaches present to work with each grade level group. For classic races, we also have a wax team that helps apply the appropriate kick wax if families need help. You can find the list of supported races on the “racing”tab on the site.  FAMILIES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR REGISTERING THEIR CHILDREN FOR EACH RACE. We will always remind you at the beginning of the week of the race, but you must go to the NENSA site and register your kids. Later this week we will be posting organizational details for kids who want to race this weekend. It will be on the website under the “Racing” tab. This is where you will be able to find out which coaches will be at the race, what time age groups will warm up, etc. Please email us if you have questions! We are here to help. Carpooling is encouraged, so reach out to friends and drive together.

Mont Sainte-Anne 2014

by Noah Phipps

The Ford Sayre cross-country ski trip to Mont Sainte-Anne surely created many fond memories of skiing and being with friends. Mont Sainte-Anne has plenty of paths ranging from easy Green Circles to steep Black Diamonds, and at least 100 k. (60 m.) of groomed and tracked trails. In the morning, it was common for the Ford Sayre group to congregate at the lodge (a leisurely 10am start to allow it to warm up a bit) and organize into groups to ski together. After lunch at the lodge, Chateau Saint-Julien, families then skied by themselves or with friends. Chateau Saint-Julien provides a snack bar, a fireplace, multiple bathrooms, two lounges, ski shop (the hats were extremely popular!), and a waxing room (“Le salle de fartage”) with over 20 waxing benches.

Pouring rain and warm temperatures in the Upper Valley made people nervous about the conditions but luckily an email from a Ford Sayre parent on the 26th shared “For everyone coming in the next day or so, you are in for a real treat. Conditions are great, and don’t be deceived by what it looks like on the drive up. More opening up tomorrow so it could be back over 100K.”  The trails at Mont Sainte-Anne proved to be well groomed, maintained and simply beautiful.

Kids had fun skiing with friends who might not be in their regular ski group at practice. The ski groups were based on speed and distance and everyone was in great spirits. It was fun trying to speak French, and hearing Canadians talk flawlessly in French. Camaraderie in the waxing room was built upon trading waxing tips and even lending wax and other waxing equipment among FS and other ski clubs. The supportiveness, friendships and amazing skiing made this trip a special time. A new tradition is born.

 

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