MNC Skiathlon

Mansfield Nordic Club Skiathlon 2026

2/22/2026

Results:

You never know when the NENSA Masters are going to throw it down during the season.  This year, the MNC Skiathlon served as the event.  A very deep field of mostly master skiers showed up at the 2026 Skiathlon, and the quirky, low-key event was taken to the next level.

Things started out mellow enough.   Participants were excited to get their bibs while registration was being set up.  There was a Sponsor Product Demo and a bake sale, but tension was mounting.  The unsuspecting organizers did not sense how eager folks were to get things going. 

In the wax area, people were gathering and comparing tests.  Initial trials were disappointing as the colder waxes were not getting a good grip in the tracks, with a layer of moisture seeping up from the snow base.  It was exclaimed that this was wet moisture.  Not the lack of moisture we have had most of this season.  There was not a lot of steep climbing on the course, but having a positive kick on the striding sections was going to be a significant factor.  We warmed our waxes and continued testing.  Settling on one that was not perfect, but was going to get the job done.  This was felt to be about right for the course, as you did not want to compromise speed at all.

One MNC skier kicked Scott off the NWVE bench; all are welcome at the NWVE bench, and it seemed that the urgency of this individual's skis was non-negotiable.  Tension was mounting as he helped himself to NWVE’s Toko Red, overlooking the more advanced formulas we were using.  Meanwhile, MNC’s Dunbar Oehmig was at the Craftsbury bench helping himself to the best-smelling wax.  I figured it was some sort of Jergen’s Roll-On that was kicking around Craftsbury’s wax box to be used as punishment when the GRP does not podium.  (Just imagine that van ride home!)  Testing wax by smell made me think of the time King Milne (EABC) zeroed his rifle by feel after his rear sight fell off. (I do not think King hit any targets that day.)

Pressure continued mounting as skiers picked their exchange stalls.  They were spaced closely, and some were on an incline, meaning you would have to put your skis on their sides to avoid having them run away.  Many factors went into picking the right spot.  The early birds fared better than the latecomers.  There are things that not everyone thinks about at a one-off event during the season.  Clearly, some had prepared, some thought it was going to be low-key, and some thought it was better to spike their skis in the adjacent snowbank. 

While there was an unspoken friction mounting among the participants, the conditions were outstanding!  The coverage was some of the best I have ever seen at Sleepy Hollow, the temperatures were comfortable in the low twenties, and the snow was fast.  At least a lot faster than we have seen in New England for much of the season.  There was also a light breeze.

The course was interesting.  We had a mass start hairpin in Molly’s Meadow, then another hairpin onto Acadia Mania.  Climbing started on Ridge Road to Bear Claw.  Usually, a nice steady strider, but in a short race, it's a grind for those who have not been doing their interval work.  The return rolled back on Bear Claw and returned to Molly’s Meadow down Potato Farmer.  The lap sent you over Butter Nutter before returning through the stadium.  Each discipline was two laps, and the finish was through the Fun Park with a minor elective jump.  Grooming was superb with well-set tracks.  The tracks were a little close to the edge in a couple of spots on Bear Claw, but nothing that impacted the race. 

I am not sure what was getting into people.  Perhaps this was the de facto Wednesday Night Worlds Championships.  Skiers were eager to start and were ready to go when Brook Hodgeman (NWVE) showed up, and Chief of Timing Eric Tremble (Tremblebach Timing) delayed the start to allow Brook to take his warm-ups off.  Somebody commented that Craftsbury always starts on time!  In a flurry of action, the Men were off.  The double hairpin start was clean, and skiers snaked their way to Ridge Road.  The Women started shortly after.  The racing was contentious through much of the pack.  At the back, a few were taking it easy, but for the most part, people were pushing the limit.  There is something about a short loop that gets you going.  Also, the seasoned WNW’s regulars were taking extra risks in the daylight.

The top three established themselves early in the race.  Henrik Wist (SMC), Silvester Williams (MNC), and Ollie Burruss (Craftsbury) sticking together from wire to wire.  The chase pack had Jake Hollenbach (NWVE), Eli Enman (NWVE), Isaiah Bowen (MNC), and Thomas Clayton (NWVE) charging ahead of the rest of the field. Thomas would be dropped in the exchange, and Eli held on until the last time up Ridge Road. Dennis Page (Nansen) was in no-man’s-land for much of the race while Brook Hodgeman (NWVE) worked his way through the field.  Ace Seranni (MNC), Owen Lenz (MNC), and Michael Dillon (MNC) skied stride for stride until Ace and Owen took each other out in the turn onto Acadia Mania midway through the race.  Nick Trautz (GMVS) was also in the mix, though the MNC pack was too much to overtake.    Tyler Magnan (NWVE) worked with Michael Gaughan (MNC) to steer clear of the calamity of the incompatibility of Ace and Michael D’s racing in front of them.  Dunbar Oemig also caught up on the skate leg.  His classic leg was not too bad, proving that the olfactory wax test may have something more to it! I guess we should not limit the use of all our senses.

The next group was more dynamic, with Scott Magnan (NWVE), Stuart Kremzner (Enevoldsen Coaching), Jeff Palleiko (Gunstock), and Anders Vikstrom (Team Hamp) staying in range of each other, but having significant independent advantages throughout the race.  Anders, having disposed of me at The Great Caribou Bog Classic, was working on the next NWVE mark, Scott.  Scott struggled with Jeff a bit with the classic leg, but had a fast exchange and blew the group away during the skate, making up almost a minute on Jeremy Ravenelle (MNC).

I hung back with Andre Bolduc (NWVE), Scott Brown (Ford Sayre), and Jeff Mullen (Unattached) while the commotion of the start cleared up.  We had a bit of back-and-forth until the climb on Ridge Road, when we separated, and I thought I could bridge to Anders and Scott. 

On the second lap, the top Women were overtaking the back of the Men’s field.  Mia Gorman (MNC) was easily leading the group with Keely Hendricks (SMC), Mazzy Conners (SMC), and Annika Martell (SMC) chasing.  Kasie Enman (NWVE) was the top master skier working with Zoe Noble (Unattached) for a bit. After the exchange, Kasie was convinced that her skate skis had not been scraped with how hard it was to make them go. Molly Peters (Sleepy Hollow) was on her own as she worked her way through the Men’s field. Molly’s quick ski change put her in with me and Chris Howell (MNC) for about half a lap before Molly skied away from us.  Rose Wilson (Ford Sayre) and Heather LaRocca were a minute back, respectively.  Rose was still excited about her World Masters trip.

The exchange proved difficult for many.  Even those who rehearsed the exchange felt a shock changing disciplines and climbing Nutter Butter, with one commenting that during the skate leg, they should change the name to Butter Buster, and finding agreement.  I found myself skating with my classic poles after a fail with the best laid plan.  Some excelled with the skate leg like Ollie, Scott, and Jeff, though it still hurt after having put in a hard effort on the Classic Leg.  Skiers attacked the course like four 3km laps instead of the full distance of the race.  The intensity of each lap compounding over the long course.  This kept things exciting, and having the elite Women move up through the Men’s field added motivation for all. 

The tension before the race faded, and people were happy with the effort after.   Even those not taking it too seriously found it exhausting.  Everyone was in survival mode, cresting the hills on the last lap.  After the race, things were much friendlier as people skied and chatted about how it went and where the course hurt the most.  There was an awards ceremony as the stage was being set for the BKL races in the afternoon.  A new wave of racers swarmed the venue with a different kind of energy, running through the snowpack, taking and landing jumps, and giving coaches interesting feedback on their wax tests.  Though the smell of the wax was not brought up.  It was great to see the enthusiasm of the next generations, excited for a perfect ski day!

Damian