Craftsbury Marathon Ski Festival Day 2 24km Freestyle
- Damian Bolduc
- 13 hours ago
- 7 min read
Craftsbury Marathon Ski Festival Day 2
The second day of the Craftsbury Marathon Ski Festival brought similar conditions to day 1. The exception was that the wind on Sunday was slightly stronger than on Saturday. The sun was also slightly stronger, especially after the race when skiers were congregating and celebrating another successful Craftsbury weekend.
Skiers arrived on Day Two a little more relaxed. There was not much testing or warming up. Those who skied on Saturday did more of a shake-out, loosening up, and called it good. The race fields were larger with more participants opting to do the freestyle race, and all fields did the same distance. There was a difference in the approach to the day between those who raced yesterday and those who were fresh today. Go for it, or ease into it. The challenge of the day moved from how to carry your gels to how to get toe warmers into your skate boots. Some just jammed their foot in, while others tried tucking them into the lining.
The course was yesterday’s course in reverse with a few modifications. We did a “parade lap” around the Upper Field to start. (I seem to remember Nelson at the Claremont Cycling Points Race Series sending participants to the back of the field for going over 10 mph on the parade lap in a race where the average was often over 25 mph, but I guess it is different in ski racing. I wonder what would have happened if those with a hot start got sent to try to do the loop again until they figured out that Parade Lap means getting your sponsors as much exposure as possible, even when no one is watching!) The next modification was a trip down Dennis’ and up Moss before heading around The Pines and down the Mean Hill to Kirby’s. The only other modification was at Hosmer Point, where the course turned left to Charlie's Cabin off of Lakeside rather than take the long way around.
The conditions were cold, with a thin overcast and a noticeable breeze. Those who froze yesterday were concerned, but I think it warmed up more during the race, so people seemed happier with their attire. The surface was expertly groomed overnight and allowed to set up for several hours in the bitter overnight cold. An early-morning fog may also have deposited a slight glaze on the surface. The groomers did an excellent job scrubbing away the tracks and prepping the skate course. The cold corduroy made the squeaky snow a little faster and held up well during the race.
The Men lined up, and after a futile search for a registration mishap, it was decided to get things going. The race started clean, and the field spread out. Things were contentious in the opening kilometers, but as the trail narrowed on Lakeside, pacelines formed and racing was more organized. The GRP Men were driving the pace at the front, with Brian Bushy (GRP) setting the pace. The elite group also had Francis Izquierdo-Bernier (Fondeurs-Laurentides) and Justin Freeman, but the GRP teammates Jack Christner, Keelan Durham, and Finn Sweet (Craftsbury Club) held things close together.
In the chase pack was Jake Hollenbach (NWVE), Gaelen Kilburn (MNC), Luke Murphy (Middlebury), and Cooper Tuckerman (GRP Rowing). Jake was hanging on in this group for much of the race. A little further back were some of yesterday's 50km racers, Will Meehan (SMC Alum), Brook Hodgeman (NWVE), Tim Cobb (GRP), Joel Bradley (Ford Sayre), and Thomas Clayton (NWVE). The group was large with some fresh skiers attacking early in the race, but the climb from the Black River to the top of Dante’s caused the group to simmer down and work in a more organized fashion. Brook made a move to bridge to Jake, dropping the pack. Upon catching Jake, who was off the back of the pack he was in, Brook towed Jake until the last kilometer. Jake went by in Murphy’s, and Brook had nothing to left counter with.
The next group had some of the Masters heavy hitters with Tim Van Orden (Prospect), Rob Riley (Gunstock), Tom Thurston (NWVE), Tyler Magnan (NWVE), Phil Lawson (Unattached), Sproule Love (Manhattan), and Kris Dobie (Craftsbury). Many others were mixed in, and the train was so long that Tom Strasser (Volunteer) could not rattle off the names of everyone. Apparently, coming off Max’s, there was a competition in this group to garner Strasser’s individualized enthusiasm. Phil credits Tom Thurston’s energy to the impact of Strasser’s cheering at a turning point in the race. This group was not quite on the attack as much and held together nicely for the most part.
The next organized pack had a good rotation going with Michael Gaughan (MNC), Ace Serianni (MNC), Michael Dillon (MNC), Hugh Pritchard (ORS), Frank Feist (Ford Sayre), and Eric Darling (NWVE). This group had a lot of multisport expertise and worked well with a lot of fresh legs, helping the tired legs of Eric out. George Aponte Clarke (Portland) commanded another talented group that included Adrian Owens (Ski-O USA), Jeff Palleiko (Gunstock), Michael Millar (MNC), John McGill (ORS), and Dunbar Oehmig (MNC). Jeff was psyched with his race, crediting his Rossi S1’s being matched perfectly to the conditions! Len Amblo (NWVE) was also in this group, returning to racing after a very long hiatus at the urging of Dyhan Nirmegh (NWVE). I think Len has done a few Spring Flings, but it's been a couple of decades since he has jumped in a race of this caliber!
I was suffering a good bit back. My skis were not matched to this condition, but they were working a lot better than last year. I was working with Isaac Lenzini (Unattached), Scott Betournay (St. Paul’s), Brett Rutledge (Down East), and Tim Caldwell (Ford Sayre). If Strasser's cheering for Thurston made you feel jealous, try skiing next to Timmy Caldwell! Everybody cheered for him, including me. He would let me pull ahead on the climbs, but I never got away. Eventually, in the final kilometers of the race, I was out of gas. I wish I could blame yesterday, but the M9 did the same race too. It was a fun and friendly battle, but I had to beg for cheers while everyone hailed the beloved Olympian.
Dhyan Nirmegh (NWVE) kept us in sight, but never managed to gain ground. He was skiing well, especially on the downhills, which there were some fast ones today, but a sore shoulder from a fall earlier in the week was taking some of his climbing power. Julian Underwood (Unattached) got in on the action, perhaps inspired by the season James is having skiing for Colby. To my surprise, Ian Blair (BOC) opted for a skate race! He was in a highly contested race with Victor Golovkin (FTN), Robert Faltus (Unattached), and John Lazenby (ORS). When these guys came across the line, they were going for it, but it was clear that a lot had been left out on the course. Bruce Katz (Unattached) had an odd pairing with Nathan Linzini (Unattached). The two have very different styles, but Bruce’s endurance, or energy management, saw him through the finish in better condition. Nathan was smoked early in the race and limped it in.
The Women’s race was just as exciting. After watching the men do their parade lap, the women worked on removing layers and lining up. Overall, the start was pretty clean. The women’s start was orderly, with Ollie encouraging the women to push forward, as many were holding spots for the ‘faster folk’ with only a couple of minutes to go. The Women compressed, and after what seemed like five more minutes, the starting horn had them on their way. Those who raced yesterday may have felt fatigue early while doing the parade lap around the stadium. Reluctant acceptance happened as they entered Coaches Corner, and instead of the Lemon’s Haunt to Six Corners, the signs directed them to Dennis' and Moss's.
Michaela Keller-Miller (GRP) broke away with a commanding lead in the early stages of the race. She was chased by Olivia Cuneo (Unattached), who also had a very impressive race. Following the elite racers was a fairly organized pack with Britta Clark (Maine Mussel Project/GRP Run), Ingrid Thyr (Pathletics), and Hallie Grossman (Craftsbury Biathlon). Isabell Caldwell (NENSA) was also in the mix. Chasing the group were Sara Graves (NWVE) and Callie Young (Craftsbury). Again, Strasser dynamics entered the race: Tom cheered Callie early, but caught Sara later, giving her the boost to beat Callie by a good margin when it counted. Sarah Pribram (NWVE) was not on her A-game. Her skis were not the fastest in the bunch, and her hands froze, but she still pulled off a top 15 in the deep field, holding off Tricia Groff (Ford Sayre). A little further back in the field, Angeline Andrew (BOC) was in a good group with Amy Bruce (Unattached), Julia Oliver (MNC), and Bonnie Underwood (Unattached).
Jessica Bolduc (NWVE) had an eventful race. After a hesitant start, she settled into the demands of the second day of racing. She got a good boost from Oliver Tremble (MNC) at Charlie’s Cabin. A little later on, she bailed on the sharp turn on Max’s Pond to avoid a head-on collision with a tree. Skiers in her group encouraged her to keep going. A bit later, she would catch back on, but Melanie Schoen crashed at the base of the hill onto Ruthie’s, breaking a binding. Jessica Northan (GNH ADK Vauhti) checked to make sure Melanie was okay. Melanie was, but she had to hike a bit before getting a ski. Jessica B. would continue on with Jessica N. until the final feed. Jessica B. seized the opportunity by skipping the feed with a few km to go and held the advantage to the end of the race.
As people finished, the sun came on strong, beaming warmth to the weary racers. We were still quick to get to our warm-up or changes of clothes, but the sunshine was very welcome, adding to the joy of the atmosphere. A great weekend concluded in a great way as a young person new to the sport crossed the line ecstatic about her progress toward becoming a skier over the course of the race. Over the 24km, she gained so much skill and confidence, announcing it to those who saw the event through to the end. What a way to end the Craftsbury Marathon Ski Festival!!
Many thanks to the organizers and crew at Craftsbury for pulling off another outstanding event. It was incredible skiing despite some cold temps. The staff and volunteers added much-needed warmth and energy with their support for the sport and drive for excellence. It was moving to see the full spectrum of athletes participating and having an enriching experience together. Seeing the last finisher beaming with pride, recognizing the value of achieving a reach goal, shows the value of getting out and doing it!
Next week is a whole different style of race at the Silver Fox Trot at the new and improved Oak Hill. There is also a new favorite of mine, The Great Caribou Bog Classic Ski Race in Orono, Maine.
Damian