Friday: 11.21.08.
Ride On-Tomorrow...

It has been a busy few weeks here with Nordic starting up again and I am sure it is no different with your families. We have been getting in some great training, even without the snow, but we know the kids are already looking forward to getting on the white stuff. We were able to get in some great intervals yesterday for the veteran skiers and our newer skiers are looking better and more comfortable on those crazy things we call "roller skis". As we transition (hopefully soon) to on snow practices, remember that we should be getting a few coats of wax on our skis before that happens.

Tomorrow is our Ride 'n Tie event! We hope that many of our family members will be able to join us in this event as the winning team will be judged not by the fastest time this year but by the most number of pair crossing the line before the cutoff. Either Elk River will win or Maple Grove will win, we would like it to be Elk River but in talking with the other coach last night, they may have a number advantage at this point. Step Up Elk River Nordic - Let's show the Crimson what we can do!

If you are looking for directions, your athlete should have brought them home tonight but you can also download them here: Directions. Please be there by 9:45 am so we can go through any directions and be started at 10:00am. You need to have a helmet for each pair for when the biker is biking. We will have a shorter distance if you don't feel you can complete the full 12 miles. Just come and join us for a morning of activity, fun and team bonding. Oh - and dress WARM!! See you there!

Wednesday: 11.12.08.
And So It Goes...

Well, the weather has thwarted us already and it is only the third day of practice. While we survived our pole hike in the sleet last night, our planned first excursion on to roller skis will need to be postponed. With the wet/slippery conditions we will be in shoes again today. It will actually work into our training schedule well but hopefully we'll get your skiers on wheels soon. Tomorrow looks like it will be a "little" warmer so we’ll give that a shot. We will be out in the field doing some technique work and then games. Your skiers shoes may get a little wet so encourage them to get them dried out at night. Newspaper or paper towels stuffed loosely into the shoes works pretty well.

Also, we didn’t see any water bottles at practice last night and with a 90 min pole hike, they really need to have access to water. We'll be doing some intensity work on Thursday so a gentle reminder about water would be great! As always, if you have any questions, please contact us so we can get them answered right away for you. This Saturday is the Ski Swap down in Minneapolis at Dunwoody College. The doors open at 10:00am but there are always lines. Get there early and talk with people on the team as they may be able to arrange some car pools or look for something you need if you can’t make it down there. If you have questions, talk to the coaches at practice. If you need directions, we can get those for you also or you can just look on-line for the college. Take 94 toward Minneapolis and then take the Lyndale Exit and take the first right at the lights(Dunwoody Blvd.)

Tuesday: 11.11.08.
Day One, Check:...

The first day of practice is over and we are mid-way through November already. In a few weeks it will be December and then the snow will be on the ground and then you will turn around and January will be on our door. As with every winter it seems that the season speeds past until around February 20th and then it just drags. Until then, let's enjoy what mother nature throws at us, and that includes today. The weather is a bit iffy and it is not the best of conditions but we are Hearty Minnesotans and we are prepared for the climate. Preparation includes: having/dressing in layers, wearing a hat and gloves, having a wind-proof shell(outer layer), having dry socks and other clothes for after practice. These essentials become more and more important as the weather becomes more intune with the nordic climate(becomes worse). We bring this up because yesterday we had many skiers that weren't dressed very well for the chilly temps. Check what your skiers are wearing to practice and if you need some help or have any questions, please contact Kirstin or Chris and we'll help you with that.

We did have a great first day with a little conditioning, some work on body positioning and of course some 4-ball soccer. The rest of the week will include a long pole hike today at Hillside Park(behind wal-mart), some easy wheel technique tomorrow and Thursday(depending on conditions), and Friday we will be inside for core body strength. Check the "Weekly Practice Schedule" for each week's updates as they come up. We will try to have the schedule up by Saturday night but it is always subject to change as the weather changes. Any questions, please contact us or send questions with your skiers! Happy Winter!

Thursday: 10.30.08.
So it begins again:...

Congratulations to fall sports that have been wrapping up. Don't forget to watch the State Cross Country Meet this weekend at St. Olaf College in Northfield. The season is shaping up quickly and practice starts up on November 10th already. The preseason meeting will be on Monday, November 3rd at 6:00 pm in room T4. This will be in the temporary building behind Elk River High School. We will be getting all the documents online in the next couple days but we will have everything copied for you at the meeting also.

I know that many of you are going to be disappointed in missing out on those last minute election commercials but hopefully you won't go through withdrawal in the short time that the meeting takes place. We promise not to campaign or try to sway your vote in any way. We will talk a lot about skiing, the upcoming season and hopefully you will find it helpful. If you are new to the sport, welcome. If you are a veteran to the program, we are glad to have you back. Look around the website and pick up some additional information, we are hoping to add a bit more to it this season and clean it up a bit. We'll let you know when updates take place to different areas.

Also, if you want to get any pictures off the site, please do so in the near future. We are going to have to start cleaning out the photo pages and taking them down to get ready for the new season. If you have any questions, please contact Coach K or Coach Chris and we'll get back to you as soon as possible. Coach K has a new e-mail address so please update your contacts with that info, it is updated on the contact-us page now, Coach Chris is still at the same address. We would also like to welcome our new coach to the program. Molly will be joining us this season and we are excited to have her with us. We are hoping to have her join us at the preseason meeting where we can introduce you all to her.

Again, any questions, please let us know! We'll see you in a few days, and please, spread the word!

Sunday: 06.08.08.
Congratulations!!...

We want to send a huge congratulations to spring sports participants as their seasons have wrapped up or are just finishing. We would also like to send a jumbo congrats to Miss Emma Bates! She ran against the best in the state this weekend in the state track meet and placed 2nd in the 2-mile and 7th in the mile! Emma, way to go!

To our seniors, we want to send a fond fairwell. You have given us a lot of memories and we hope that you will come back to visit next year! Good luck in all you do, you will be great!

Tuesday: 06.03.08.
A few days left!...

Summer is almost upon us and we know that you are just itching to get out and start your dry-land training. Roller Ski check-out will be happening on Wednesday, June 4th. We'll be down by the equipment room so head in that direction. Besides checking out equipment, you can come and say a fond fairwell to our wonderful Coach Wells. Coach Wells has accepted a teaching position down in the fine area of Dover-Eyota. She is looking forward to being closer to her family but will greatly miss us, of course. Join us in wishing her well for next year as she, her husband Chris, and lovely Benna, will be moving down to Winona this summer. Please check out the skinnyski.com website for summer training programs if you are interested in those this summer. They are a great way to keep you fit, active and focused this summer. (For those of you that need a little motivation to get off your duff, they give you that too.) Otherwise, PLEASE, do some training, call up a teammate, have a regular Saturday or Monday or anyday time set up and if you are in town, meet and roll. You will really notice a difference next season if you put some time in over the summer. That goes for any sport, your fall sport included. Any questions, please ask a coach, as we have additional updates on anything else, we'll post it here and hope that you can pass the word. P.S. - Those of you that ordered video's, they will be available tomorrow at the check-out. Please come to pick them up!

Wednesday: 04.16.08.
Again New!...

Thanks for the great season all. The season dvd's are done and have been done since before spring break. Coach K has been having some issues getting them to school. (She keeps leaving them on the table or desk or in the kitchen) She vows to have them here for you on Monday and will send them to you through school delivery if you ordered one. She is sorry for the LONG delay. In preperation for next year we are in need of doing some trail cleaning. Please come and help out on the new trail, "Stony Rollers", that is being developed off the top side of Top of the World.

Things will get started around 8:00am, bring your own tools and try to label them if possible. Ticks are out already so make sure you have long socks and pants if available. Meet at the Proctor trailhead (near the top of the hill on the west side of Proctor, North of Salk School. You will see our cars through the gate)

Thanks in advance for all your help and work on this project and all of the others!

Tuesday: 03.04.08.
Updates...

The banquet time has been changed to 5:30 on Sunday. There were several people that couldn't make it earlier and in talking it over last night we've decided to move it a little later. Hopefully they will be able to join us for the program/awards portion at least. Information should be coming home today with what we'll need you to bring. It is a pot luck again at the Hallway Cafe in the High School. We'll start with dinner and chatting and move on to awards and the movie. We are looking forward to seeing everyone there!

Wednesday: 02.27.08.
Wrapping Up...

The banquet is scheduled for Sunday, March 9th! It will pot luck again so look for more information about what to bring in the future. Equipment turn-in and the end of season meeting will be on Thursday, February 28th. Bring your uniform and any equipment that you checked out from the school (skis, poles and ROLLERSKIS!) We'll check rollerskis back out for the warmer months but we need to take inventory and check wheels before they go out again.

Look for more details about the banquet in the next week. Skiers, remember the meeting tomorrow - equipment turn-in, voting, and end-of-season details. Meet downstairs by the ski room. It won't take long if you get there right away. Thanks for a great season!

Friday: 02.15.08.
We Have Survived...

The race went off today, as scheduled, with the 1.5 hour delay. Eric got underway at 11:30am with Emma following closely behind at 12:00pm. The racing was tight and exciting all day. Eric finished the skate in 27th place, just a few seconds out of All-State awards. He started the classic portion in a sprint with the other 115 skiers and he had a 20th Classic placing and 21st overall earning him All-State Honors. Congratulations Eric. Emma was in 72nd after the skate portion and skied an awesome classic race, results are not in yet though! Congrats skiers and a huge thank you to all the relay skiers for their support and cheering of our athletes!

Thursday: 02.14.08.
We Have Arrived...

The state skiers have skied their course, completed their starts and are now relaxing in their room. The relay skiers have hit the road and should be arriving up here in Biwabik in a few hours. We are planning a spit dinner at the Banquet and at Jarv's cabin. The State Meet start time has been officially delayed until 11:30am for the boys skate and 12:30 for the girls skate. The officials will be re-evaluating the start time and weather conditions at 11:00am tomorrow so we won't know any more until then. Stay in contact with your skier and you'll have the updated info! Happy Valentine's Day and stay WARM!

Wednesday: 02.13.08. 10:00pm
And We Have Transportation...

We have two "fan vans" to leave after school tomorrow (Thursday). There is enough room for the skiers to ride up to the Ridge to cheer on Eric, Brian and Emma. We'll depart after school from the locker room door. Make sure to pack a sleeping bag and pillow along with WARM clothing to cheer in. Coach Chris and Coach Wells will be driving the vans and we will still be returning on Saturday. Thank you for your patience and flexibility today and this evening. We're sorry for all the late phone calls and unknown plans...Now get to bed!

The temps are still questionable for Friday but the plan is to try to remain on schedule or to delay slightly as needed. Please check "Skinnyski.com" for updates as once we head north we won't have the opportunity to update the website. The kids will also be able to contact you so they'll be the best source of information. Again, thank you for your flexibility, the vans will be ready to take off tomorrow after school with the State skiers heading up tomorrow morning.

Wednesday: 02.13.08.
Planning - Who Needs It...

Well, as you have all heard by now, the relays have been canceled for this year. Different weather models are showing different things and one is predicting 5 below zero at race time and a wind chill of -40. Based on that information the relays were canceled and we were diverted back to the high school and our own homes for this evening. The three State skiers will be heading up tomorrow morning (Thursday) to ski the course and prepare for Friday. We'll meet at the High School at 9:00 and leave at 9:30. Make sure you dress warm because the weather outlook is mighty cold for Friday.

We are still waiting to hear about having the "fan van" (as we are calling it) drive up on Thursday night. As soon as we hear we'll post it and start calling the relay skiers. We wish we had more news to share but things have been tossed up in the air at the moment and we are still waiting to see how they fall into place. Jarv still has his cabin available for any that come up so hopefully we'll get the news soon.

Thank you for your patience and check back later tonight. I'll update at 10:00pm with news or with the fact that we have no news. Thank you to all the parents that were flexible enough to come pick up your skiers tonight, even when you thought you'd have a night to your self! Also, huge thank you to the Volk family that was able to host a pasta dinner with less than 2 hours notice. We had all that food available and they were willing to have us drop in, and eat a great meal! Thank you!

More news later, hopefully good news. Posted at 7:50pm

Monday: 02.11.08.
And the Racing Continues...

We've got a race tomorrow folks! For any of the skiers that did not ski in the Conference Meet at Trollhaugen,the spotlight is on you tomorrow! The bus will pick up at Salk around 1:55, the high school will get out 10 mins early at 2:10. The racing will begin at 4:00 with about a 5 minute break between races. Both classic and skating are offered so you choose your best race. The rest of the team will also be practicing at Elm Creek and will be cheering you on as you race!

For those of you heading up to Biwabik this weekend, we will have a handout at practice tomorrow with a list of what is needed. (This will include some dinner items and food for meals) We'll be leaving right afterschool on Wednesday (by 3:00pm) and will return on Saturday. Parent's of State skiers, Coach K will be calling you about the room situation but otherwise, things are set. Skiers, you will need to pack light, everything needs to fit in the vans. More details will come tomorrow and we'll have the handout posted online tomorrow by noon.

Saturday: 02.09.08.
Practice Update...

With the newest weather forecast for tomorrow we are not going to be meeting at 12:30 for the optional practice. We will start phone calls now but pass the word to your teammates so we don't have people showing up in the cold. We were hoping to get in some intervals tomorrow before heading up North but with the cold, we don't think it is worth any gain that you would get. We will have practice on Monday though, it will warm up(they say). Thank you for your flexibility. Enjoy the extra rest day, it won't hurt you, we'll come back with some different intervals for Monday, some quick pick-ups for Tuesday along with the JV Conference Meet and then we'll head North Wednesday afterschool. Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Friday: 02.08.08.
Celebrate...

Wow. What a day yesterday! It was a little cold and damp but we had classic tracks and decent snow. The racing started at 10:30 with the boys classic and they were hammering the trail, working for decent position to start the skate race with. Eric V. came in 4th behind two of Wayzata's strong skiers and a Cathedral followed by Jacob in 10th and Brian not far behind. Tony (representing Rogers today) came in a strong 22nd for the classic with Morgan and Tom not to far behind and then Chris and Donald followed by Kyle K (also representing Rogers).

The girls had their classic race next with Renee C. being first out on the course. The girls headed out strong with a team goal of placing 5th or better. (We are glad they had that "or better" clause at the end because after the classic portion they were sitting a solid 3rd overall. Finishing in strong form, Emma was tops for the ER girls team, she came in at 9th and with the Wayzata girls slipping 4 into the top spots she was sitting 5th for qualifying positions. Helena and Renee slipped in next for ER followed closely by Jane, Ashley K., Hillary and Kayla. They put together some great races and we were excited to see the team sitting so well, especially behind a powerhouse like Wayzata and the likes of Maple Grove.

After a short(!) break the boys headed back out to what turned out to be some very tight and competitive racing. Eric went out strong with a competitive field and finished a solid 5th overall. Brian closed the gap on Jacob and with a strong finish pulled ahead at the very end. Tom picked up a several more places and points for the team followed by Tony(Rogers), Morgan, Donald, Chris and Kyle(Rogers). The boys moved enough places to bring the team up to 3rd place overall behind Wayzata(ranked 2nd in the State) and a new addition to the section, Orono. The boys put together some great races and really laid everything out on the course. Huge congratulations go to Eric and Brian for qualifying for the State Meet next Friday at Giant's Ridge in Biwabik.

After the boy's exciting finish the girls headed out for their second race of the day. There were some changing positions all the way along as the girls were fighting to hold onto their placing and pick up a few more. Emma maintained her 9th place spot with some great skating and focus, she was followed by Helena who has been improving constantly every race and first year skier Renee. Ashley K. started out the skate at near sprint pace and caught several girls, she may not have held the speed the whole way through but she did hold her position and didn't let anyone slip past. Jane was working hard too and had a great day with her racing (even with a slight encounter with a crazy tree!) and Hillary and Kayla also put together great races, skiing the hills hard, pulling tight corners and tucking low on the downhill. The girls were able to maintain 3rd place which far exceeded their goal and sets them up well to make a push for things next year. Emma B. qualified for the State Meet next week also so a huge congratulations to her!

Today will be an easy practice, classic, working to loosen things up and relax a little after yesterday's stressful day. Saturday will be off completely, rest day, and we'd like to practice Sunday afternoon with the State and Relay skiers if it is possible for them. Looking ahead to next week: Monday will be regular practice at Woodland Trails, Tuesday will be the JV Conference Meet for skiers that were not skiing at Conference last week, Wednesday the State and Relay skiers will be heading to Biwabik, the Relay is Thursday and the State Meet is Friday. We'll get more information up as things come together. Congratulations for yesterday skiers!

We would also like to thank all the parents that helped the last few day. Waxing dads and other volunteers - thanks for your time and for doing such a great job. You did stellar! Food yesterday, again you did a great job of providing food for the skiers. They were well taken care of and ready for that second race because of your work, thank you! Ski brushers, kick wax corkers and finish line recorders - you allowed us to focus on the athletes, thank you!

Monday: 02.04.08.
Good News (8:30pm)...

We are on for Ripley! Celebrate! We just got the word from our meet director and things are a go for Ripley on Thursday! The Section's Information page is up now with race schedules, directions and anything else that we think you should know. We also will need a worker for each race, Boy's and Girl's Classic and Boy's and Girl's Skate. Please let us know if that is something you can do. After running into several timing issues over the years we want to make sure that we have accurate back-up times for each of our kids. If we could have four parents willing to help out, that would be a great weight off our shoulders so we can focus on the skiers. We will make sure that you will not work during your skier's race. Thank you in advance for your help!

Sunday: 02.03.08.
Stiff Competition...

It looks like Coach Chris had some stiff competition last night in the City of Lakes Sprints. We don't have access to the results yet but we'll get them up when possible. There is a great picture on Skinnyski.com though. Go to skinnyski.com and scroll down to the "City of Lakes Loppet Saturday Coverage" and click on the link for "Sprints - 115 photos". Chris is in Photo #20.

Saturday: 02.02.08.
The Waiting Game...

The waiting game...what are the rules for "The Waiting Game" you ask? Well, first of all, you need to be a member of the Nordic Ski Team or have a family member on the team. Once that condition is met you are able to start playing. The game starts anytime there is lack of snow, an extreme warm-up that might ruin the snow or an extreme cool down that may prohibit you from skiing. Over the past few years (a decade really) we have gotten quite good at the game because we have had a great deal of time to practice. Here we are, February 2nd and we are playing it again. We were bumped around a bit with temps and snow conditions for Conference and it may be affecting us again for Sections. We just want to keep you updated so here is the information as we have it now. We skied the Section trails up at Camp Ripley this morning. They were skiable (freshly groomed), but very dirty with some ground and pavement showing through in some spots. If they receive some snow between now and Tuesday we will be at Ripley with no changes. It won't take much to give us some cover up their so we are hoping that the weather system that is on the way will swing a little further North with the snow.

In the off chance that the weather does not do exactly as we would like...we currently have two options that are being looked into. One of the options will be to keep the meet on Thursday but move it north to Mt. Itaska in Coleraine, MN. The other option is to move the meet to Friday and have it up at Giants Ridge in Biwabik, MN. Both are about 3 and a 1/2 hours from Elk River. We are crossing our fingers that the snow will come through. More information will be coming on Monday night or Tuesday morning. We just wanted to give you the heads up about back-up plans and such.

We'd also like to send a huge Good Luck to Coach Chris this afternoon/evening. He will be racing in the Citizen Sprints on the Uptown streets in Minneapolis for the City of Lakes Loppet events this weekend. Chris' event starts around 5:00pm so if you have a chance, head down and check out the action!

We'd also like to wish Coach Wells a Happy Birthday! Tomorrow, Sunday, is Betsy's birthday. We sang to her on Friday but if you see her around town the next few days, wish her a Happy Birthday again!

In other ski news, the results from Thursday's Conference Championships are posted on the website. We'll get pictures up on Monday from the Conference Meet along with additional photos from M. Bates. Also, make sure you check out Wednesday's Star News for a spotlight on a Nordic Skier!

Thanks for all you do for your skiers, they are wonderful to work with! We'll look forward to seeing many of you Monday for the Jr. High meet or Thursday (at Ripley hopefully) for the Section Meet. Enjoy!

Friday: 02.01.08.
Congratulations!:

The snow conditions were skiable, the temperatures legal, the course - well - it worked, and the conference meet went on without too many hiccups. The skiers really stepped up and we want to give them a huge congratulations! The girl’s team placed 6th, just 15 points out of 5th place. They skied a solid classic race and came back hard in the skate to narrow the margin. We'd like to congratulate All Conference skiers Helena Keller and Emma Bates and also highlight Emma's 4th place finish in the classic race and 6th overall finish in the pursuit. The entire girls team did a great job and we are looking forward to sections next week for some great individual performances and a strong team position.

The boy's team kept us on our toes all day with an exciting classic race in the morning which set them up at the team to be chased. They headed into the afternoon skate with an 8 point lead over Anoka who was gunning hard to pass us by. The classic placings of Eric V. (1st), Jacob S. (5th), Brian F. (11th) gave us a great start but in the end we finished a close second to Anoka, just 8 points behind. The boys gave tremendous effort and we really saw some great improvement in our all of our skiers. We are closing the gap between our top skiers and our next group and heading into Sections, that is exactly what we want to see. All Conference skiers for the boys were Eric Volk (1), Jacob Stevens (5), Brian Fergus (11), and Tony Nowak(27). Congratulations to all of our skiers yesterday, you all did a great job!

We also want to say a HUGE thank you to our parents. The food was spectacular! The kids were well fed and prepared to head back out there for a second race, thank you! The waxing assistance was second to none! The fish house was a huge help along with the generator, thank you. Our waxers and corkers yesterday, you did a great job getting our skiers excellent kick and still keeping their glide, thank you. And a second thank you to our waxers on Wednesday night. You guys put a great final coat on those skies and really sent them off flying down the trails. We can only hope that this Wednesday it will be as easy of a job. ;-) And finally, Thank you to the Volk's for hosting our waxing fiesta on Wednesday. I would like to add, ladies, waxing skis is not a male-only event, you are more than welcome to join us in waxing. If you are unsure how to wax, we will teach you! ;-)

We are looking forward to our sections training trip on Saturday, hosting the Jr. High Championship Relay's on Monday (if conditions improve), and our Section Meet on Thursday. Stay tuned for more info as the conditions - hopefully - change for the better.

Wednesday: 01.30.08. (Part 3)
All Updates are Complete:

(For this race at least!) Check the conference info under the "MEETS" link and the Conference button on the left. Times, directions and anything else has been updated so all is accurate. Thank you again for your patience. Hopefully we'll still see you tomorrow at Trollhaugen!

Wednesday: 01.30.08. (Part 2)
A Date, A Place...

But will we ski? It looks like we will be able to ski the Conference Championships after all. The race will be on Thursday at Trollhaugen in Dresser, Wisconsin. We will have a slightly different time schedule for the races. We'll update with any other details as they come up. Check the "Conference" page (Linked from the MEETS page) for more details this afternoon. We'll get the directions up for you then if you need them. We will still be waxing tonight so if you were planning on helping, we'd still like your help! Thank you for your flexibility and we're sorry for the many changes you've been dealing with. Welcome to Nordic!

Wednesday: 01.30.08.
Nothing is Ever Easy

Parents - The Conference Championships have again been rescheduled. We will let you know more as soon as possible. It may be on the same day at Trollhaugen, it may be Friday at Elm Creek or it may be after Sections. Check back soon and we'll get the final word to you...

Tuesday: 01.29.08. (Part 2)
Still Stretching:

Wow, if it is not one thing, then it has to be another. It was too warm to ski yesterday, and now, it is just too cold to make it reasonable to have the whole team out there. Practice is "officially" canceled. If you don't have a mode of transportation on your own then take the bus home. We would like to you practice though if it is a possibility, either at home or skiing or at the school if you decide to stay. It is a short practice which is why we didn't want to make you stay after school and then not have a ride for 2 hours...The wax room will be open though so you can wax your skis!!

Warm up for 10 to 15 mins, get the muscles loose and warm. 5 Starts (If you are on skis) Start near the finish side of the race Start/Finish area, double pole across the flats and up the hill, you are done at the top of the hill. Easy ski around the small loop to get the heart rate back down, recover fully, and then go again. Easy, 10 min cool down. If you are on feet (dry land) the warm up and cool down are the same. For the middle portion you'll do 5 builds. Run/jog at normal pace and then build your speed so that by 25 seconds you are running FAST, hold for 10 seconds and then slow back down again. Get your heart rate back under control and then go again.

If you are skiing, please be careful. The snow is NOT soft today and we don't want bruised knees or heads. Also, we only want you to double pole today. Obviously classic won't work with the icy conditions but we also don't want some of your stabilizing muscles (inner thigh, shin, arches...) freaking out (that is a technical term) because you are trying to skate on an ice rink. Keep it simple, keep it clean, double pole and go home. The wax room will be open for waxing and it would be great for you to get a coat of wax on your skis!

Monday: 01.28.08. (Part 2)
Flexible:

The meet has been changed to Thursday. With the projected drop in temperature for Tuesday and Wednesday the meet has been moved to Thursday. We will follow the same time schedule and will still be at Baker Park. The bus will leave at 7:30 so arrive to school early to gather all your things - race suit, boots (both pair), skis (both pair), poles (both pair)... All skiers are able to race. 12 skiers will be in the Varsity portion and everyone else is able to ski in the JV race in the middle of the day. Additional details can be found from the MEETS link and then the Conference button on the left.

Monday: 01.28.08.
Heat Wave:

Changes for practice!! With the "hot" temps today, Woodland Trails has been closed. We'll be meeting in room 325 to set up the conference schedule and then doing a dry land practice. We should know for then about the potential change in the Conference Meet. Parents - because of the predicted cold temps (I know, it is hard to think about that change with the weather today...) the Conference Meet might be moved to Thursday. We will let you know as soon as we know. It will still be at Baker. We'll let you know today.
We were lucky to get snow early, and yet now...we just can't seem to win. ;-) Enjoy today, it is going to get bitter!

Sunday: 01.27.08.
Busy Week:

Well, we have results from this past Thursday, you can find those on the results page. Congrats to the boys team for taking first place.

The Conference Championships are coming up on Wednesday. They are being held at Baker Park and it will be an all day meet. Remind your students to get their homework ahead of time if possible. The race schedule is below so you will have an idea of race times.

  • 10:00 Girls Classical--one skier every 15 seconds:
  • 11:00 Boys Classical -one skier every 15 seconds.
  • 12:00 Junior Varsity (girls and boys) Classical--coaches organize this.
    - -mini waves girls first boys 10 minutes after.
  • 1:00 Junior Varsity (girls and boys) Freestyle/Skate--coaches organize this.
    --mini waves Girls first with Boys 10 minutes after
  • 2:00 Girls Pursuit--Freestyle/Skate
    -Individual start order and time out is determined from the classic race
  • 2:15 Skate only Girls--one at a time-15 second intervals.
  • 3:00 Boys Pursuit--Freestyle/Skate
    -Individual start order and time out is determined from the classic race
  • 3:15 Skate only Boys--one at a time, 15 second intervals
  • 4:30 Awards Ceremony

    • Wednesday: 01.23.08.
    And Back to Racing:

    There is no rest for the weary this week as we head back to racing tomorrow with the conclusion of the pursuit race. The competition will begin with the boys classic race at 3:30 and will be closely followed by the girls classic at 3:50pm. The racers will head out in the order of their finish from last Thursday and with the same time interval that they are behind the leader. Andover and Champlin Park will be there so it will make for some good competition. Come and watch some great racing on our home course. We'll have the kids back to the high school by 5:00pm again. The start list is available here.

    Don't forget that Friday we are heading to Baker Park to ski the conference race course. The bus will leave from the high school at 2:00pm so arrive shortly before that. We plan to arrive back to the high school by 5:00pm.

    Some things to keep in mind over the coming weeks: The new semester is coming up next week. It is a great time to start fresh but don't put off homework or studying right now. The Conference Championships are an all day event on Wednesday the 30th, everyone is welcome to ski. The Section Meet is the following Thursday, February 7th, and is also an all day event. If you have been attending practices until then, we'd love to have you help cheer on the teams! And then the following week is the State Meet. If we have qualifiers they and our relay team members will be heading up to Giants Ridge for those events and that is another two days of school missed, Feb. 14th and 15th. Your studies are important so make the time to complete them. That does not mean skipping practice to stay after school so you can watch TV when you get home...budget your time. We know you are busy but there are many hours in the day, make good choices in how you use them.

    Have a great night, sleep well, and fast skiing tomorrow!

    Tuesday: 01.22.08.
    Recovery:

    First we want to start by saying a huge congratulations to the team. You guys did a great job yesterday with some tough racing and cold conditions. It was an exciting day with races running constantly. We would love to talk about each skier's performance because everyone seemed to find a good race yesterday, but time and space requests that we keep it short. Talk with your skier though because they can share a lot of great moments with you. We also want to extend a huge Thank You to Ashley M. and Till for all their help with clothing and getting skiers ready before each of their many races. It made our job much easier yesterday. Thank You! Also, a huge thank you to parents that provided food for all of us. The hot soup and baked potatos really hit the spot during the long day and the carmeled apples afterward...WOW! We didn't get to check much of it out but the kids were raving so Thank You.

    Highlights included: Three girls and three boys making it to the second round of the Sprints race. Ashley K. and Tony N. went on to race in the Consolation round for Sprints and Eric V. and Jacob S. raced in the finals. (Eric ended up 4th and Jacob was 6th) In the pursuit both Brian F. and Emma B. placed 6th overall. (This was a 10 km CONTINUOUS Pursuit) The relay events were exciting with the girls racing hard and coming in 5th. The boys had an exciting race the entire way through and you'll have to ask them about it for some details. They did end up coming in 1st with excellent performances from all four. Congratulations to Jacob S., Tony N., Morgan W., and Eric V.

    The rest of this week will be a little easier after such a long day yesterday. We have a short practice scheduled for today and tomorrow, classic. Thursday is the second half of the pursuit race, the classic portion, and we'll be finishing our race against Champlin Park and Andover. Friday we have a bus scheduled to bring us to Baker Park to check out the Conference Championships race course. The bus will leave at 2:00 so please be at the school slightly BEFORE 2:00pm. Saturday practice will be on your own again but we want notes from your parents verifing that you did practice. We'll talk to you about that this week.

    Also, we'll get the results from the Jamboree up soon but for now, check out the updated PHOTOS page. All the pictures from the season should be up (so far). If you notice that some are missing, please let us know. They should also all be functional so if one of the links is not working, let us know about that also!

    Sunday: 01.20.08.
    Directions and Many Layers:

    Okay kids, it is going to be a chilly one out there tomorrow, no question about it. The bus will be staying at Eagle Lake and there is shelter available there but you need to be smart about your clothing. Have a face mask, extra gloves incase they get wet, the hat is NOT optional. (you know who we are talking to) ;-) Sprinters, you should have dry clothes to change into between races. You'll be sweating when you step to the line, you'll need to warm up/dry off between each heat.

    Directions to Eagle Lake if you need them.
    From the north: Take I-94 to Highway 494. Go south on 494 to Bass Lake Road (County Road 10). Turn left on Bass Lake Road, go east to intersection of Zachary Lane. Park entrance on left.

    Thursday: 01.18.08.
    Overall Results Are Up:

    Thursday: 01.17.08.
    And the Cold Sets In:

    Well, we've survived one race and we have another one coming up on Monday. The race was quick and our skiers swift with the great conditions our groomers provided. This was the first portion of our two day pursuit race. It allows us to have a small peak at what is coming up at the Conference Championships and at Sections. We will finish out the race next Thursday with the 5 km Classic portion. (We can hope that the temps will be a little bit warmer.) Team results are online now (9pm on Thursday) but overall results are not ready. They should be available tomorrow and we will link them up as soon as they are ready.

    As linked below, more Jamboree information is available online here.

    We are only allowed a set number of racers and the roster is listed below. We still encourage all skier to attend and support the team. It is a great event day with a lot going on with the many races and there is a second course that will be available to ski on that is not used for the race course so skiers will be able to ski that day.

    Boys:
    Sprint Relay Continuous Pursuit
    Eric Volk Jacob Stevens SK  Brian Fergus 
    Jacob Stevens Tony Nowak SK  Tom Rehling 
    Tony Nowak Morgan Wigmore CL  Donald Warneke 
    Mitch Nordahl Eric Volk CL   


    Girls:
    Sprint Relay Continuous Pursuit
    Ashley Klotz Ashley Klotz SK  Helena Keller 
    Jane Kallameyn Laura Crepeau SK  Emma Bates 
    Renee Crepeau Jane Kallameyn CL  Kayla Nordahl 
    Laura Crepeau Renee Crepeau CL   

    Thursday: 01.17.08.
    Races and Brrr...:

    It will be a cold one out there today, and for the next week or so according to the "weather people". Bundle up and keep moving are the phrases for the next few days. Yes, we do have a race today. The first have of the Conference Pursuit. We will be competing against Champlin Park and Andover today and next Thursday. Skate is the technique today and then we'll finish up with classic next Thursday. Racing will get underway at 3:30 today with the boys first at 20 sec intervals. We'll have a 5 minute break after the last boy and then the girls will take to the course. We anticipate the girls starting at around 3:45-3:50. Our bus will be staying on sight to give the skiers a spot to warm up in but we do expect them to be out on the course cheering their teammates also. The 5k loop will take them out to the railroad grade, along Scouring Rush Run, up through Wash Pond Flats (NO mitten), and then back along the short side of North Mickey and the long side of the Prairie Loop. It should be a great course and the groomers were in their excellent form again touching up the course last night, a HUGE thank you to them!

    Tomorrow will be chilly so we will shorten practice a little but we will still be out. It will be a classic day so once they get moving the skiers should stay fairly warm. We should finish up around 4:30/4:40. Saturday on the other hand will be an indoor practice. With a projected high of 4 degrees BELOW zero, we'll have our last core body workout inside that day.

    Monday of course will be our big Jamboree so it will be a great day to be out skiing. It looks like the weather will even warm up a bit for us, all the way to a positive 8 degrees! Our bus will be leaving at 8:30 so please be at the school to load up at 8:15. Racing begins at 10:00am and will run until 3:15 with awards at 4:15. The full schedule will be posted soon. We are able to ski only a limited number of skiers in the race so not everyone can ski, we still want everyone to cheer and support the team though. We'll be back to the high school by 5:30.

    Bundle up and stay warm over the next few days. We'll get the Jamboree schedule up along with some conference details soon. Results from today's race should be up tomorrow.

    Check out the Jamboree Information at the Jamboree Website.

    Sunday: 01.13.08.
    Continuing On:

    Well, things have been a little crazy around here and we are sorry for the time between updates. We will be more on top of things in the future. Mesabi was last weekend and we had some strong performances from our skiers and great weather on top of everything. Results are up on Skinnyski.com and we'll get them attached to the results page on Monday. We'd also like to say a congratulations to the JV skiers. They competed on Thursday for the first meet on our home course of the year. Both the boys and girls teams won so that was exciting. Again, those results will be linked on Monday.

    Our training week was fairly light this past week except for Thursday which we hit very hard. Your skiers told you about that I would imagine. We are approaching the championship meets soon and have a little time left until we hit our taper. This will be a hard week of training so anticipate that. We also have the first half of our pursuit race scheduled for Thursday so come on out and cheer us on. The Jamboree is also coming up next Monday the 21st so be prepared for that. It will be an all day activity and should provide some great competition.

    Look for updates much more often through the end of the season! Thank you!

    Sunday: 12.30.07.
    Safe and Sound:

    We are back! Everyone arrived safe and no injuries. They may be a little tired but it was a successful trip and hopefully a lot of fun also. We skied a lot of kilometers and explored some great trails. Ask your skiers about the Nutcracker and VO2 Max at Winter Park or Peltonen Pass(out) from ABR, all three were killers. We had 8 skiers accept the challenge to attempt skiing all 75 km of groomed trail at Winter Park in one day. 6 were able to complete this feat and a we send a huge congratulations to them. We finished the trip with a Time Trial (race) against Maple Grove. While there was a slight mix-up with the course for the girls, everyone did a great job, especially with how much skiing they have done over the last four days.

    I'm sure the skiers will be begging for you to drive them over to Woodland Trails so they can ski more...please resist. ;-) They need rest, and lots of it. If they honestly do want to ski, they could go out for a EASY and SHORT ski. I predict that most of them will be looking forward to crawling into bed tonight and probably not sharing much information with you. I can't change that but we will get more photos up online tomorrow. (Sorry folks, I need my sleep tonight also! You'll have to wait for tomorrow.) I'll also try to get some of the video we shot linked up too. I'll let you know if that happens. Additional talking points for your skiers, let's see...there was the Snowshoe Dance Contest, clearing the "Ice Skating Rink", Wheelbarrow Relay, Skits (including a whip cream commercial), long drives, and countless other things that we probably don't know or were not included in.

    We want to give a huge thank you to our four drivers. Without their time and assistance we wouldn't have been able to have such a great four days of training. They drove many hours, skied, read, and passed the time. They also organized the kids for cooking, supervised clean-up and check out, helped find internet and numerous other tasks that helped the two coaches survive the four days as well. Dave Fergus, Dave Kallameyn, Myrna Krueger, and Jane Stevens; Thank you! We hoped you enjoyed the trip as well but tonight (and maybe over the next few days...) get some rest and recover. Thank you! We'd also like to say thank you to the LaPlants for the use of their large trailer. If you check out the pictures online you'll see that there was no additional space available, we used every square inch!

    Again, check back tomorrow afternoon for additional pictures and any other updates. Happy New Year!

    Saturday: 12.29.07.
    Hello From A-Far:

    Life on the road has been busy and exhausting. We've been skiing 6 hours a day, eating, and sleeping... along with a little bit of fun thrown in. The snow has been excellent, the area received over a foot of snow recently and that has made for some great trail conditions, along with soft spots for occational crashes. ;-) We'll be heading back tomorrow after a head-to-head competition with Maple Grove. We'll plan to return between 7:00-7:30 depending on road conditions and final departure time. We'll call from the road with a better guess.

    Tonight will bring more night skiing and the Ice Skating and Snowshoe Dance Extravaganza. There are prizes for the dance contest winners, wish us luck!! (And warm feet!!)

    Check back for pictures this evening (9:30 pm)

    Sunday: 12.23.07.
    Winter Trip:

    Details for the Winter Trip are posted online. The skiers have the handout from practice on Friday. If they have not shared it with you, click on the Preseason tab above and then on the Winter Trip link that shows up on the left hand side. If you have any questions, please call or e-mail. Our phone numbers are available on the preseason packet or on the Winter Trip handout. We'll see you early on Thursday (6:00am!!). If there are any other updates we'll post them. Happy Holidays!!

    Saturday: 12.22.07.
    Congratulations:

    While most of you didn't race today, you still deserve a loud and enthusiastic congratulations. You should feel proud of the event we put on and the job that you did. Everything fell into place as it was needed. You may get tired of hearing us say "thank you" but we, the coaches, are so grateful for all the assistance that we've had in putting this together. When we first suggested this back in October/November we were excited about the prospect but also a little doubting that we'd have snow to pull it off. It is easy to talk big when you might not have to follow through. (We hoped it would happen but expectations were slightly low) The snow came though, and so did the work to put this on. Celebrate now though. Enjoy, relax, take some time with your family and enjoy the holidays. Thank you...again!

    The Winter Trip is coming up quickly. We handed out a packing list at practice Friday along with a basic schedule for the 4 days. Do not forget to bring a bag lunch for Thursday. The rest of the meals will be provided so don't worry about bringing too much food with. If you have a question as to what to bring, contact one of the coaches and they would be happy to help you. We'll meet at the high school at 6:00am on Thursday the 27th, load, and be on the road by 6:30. (That would be AM not PM!) Check back for possible updates but things are looking good so far. Enjoy the time with your family. Get out and ski a little bit over the next few days but more importantly, come in to the trip well rested. You will be skiing a lot over those four days and you need a healthy body to start with in order to get the most out of your training. Again, if you have questions, call or e-mail a coach. Enjoy!

    Friday: 12.21.07.
    Power Through:

    Many updates are coming at you today, some are thing we need and some are grateful thanks. We'll begin with a few thanks and we are anticipating sending more out to you all after Saturday. Thanks number 1 goes to Rhonda Klotz. Thank you for providing treat for the sprints meet on Wednesday. The athletes were well fed and watered and they send you a big thank you! Thanks number 2 goes out to the team in their help preparing for Saturday's organized craziness. They are excited for this to happen, the awards are ready so now it is time to just get it underway. And Thanks number 3 goes out to all of our parents, friends and wonderful groomers who are putting in extra time and effort to help us pull this off. We could never have even considered working on this without your support, time and effort. Thank you! I know we will be saying those two words many times tomorrow but we want to start now also. We are grateful for the time you've given us at this very busy time of year. We still don't have a final count of racers but it is shaping up to be a fine event.

    The sprints: Congratulations to the team on another great job. We were really impressed with how prepared everyone was and we saw some great starts out there and people driving to the line. The first round is always busy with so many races in a short amount of time. We completed 64 races in under 2 hours, that is a pretty impressive undertaking. Nice job with staying on top of your event and qualifications. Congratulations to all the skiers on their performance! We'd also like to recognize those that qualified for additional rounds: Jane Kallemeyn, Renee Crepeau, Laura Crepeau and Donald Warneke qualified for the second round. Making it into round three were Morgan Wigmore, Chris Anderson, Tom Rehling and Ashley Klotz. We had Emma Bates, Helena Keller, Brian Fergus and Tony Nowak make it into the semi-finals. Finally, placing for the Elks were Jacob Stevens coming in 5th and Eric Volk taking third overall. Congratulations to all the skiers on a fine job!

    We survived the sprints and now we come to our community/alumni race. We've been hearing a lot of interest the last few days so it will be "fun" to see how many people come out tomorrow. We should be set for food, registration, parking, grooming...it seems to be coming together quite well. We have some of the kids making signs for race day. We will need a bunch of laundry baskets for racers clothes and extra stuff while they are skiing. You will get them back right after the race so if you have a few that you would be able to share with us on Saturday, we'd be grateful. Registration opens at 8:30 so if you are working that area, we'll need you then. We should have someone from parking there around that time also to get us started on the right foot. Timers and food could come a little bit later, between 9 and 9:30 should be enough time to get you set-up and in place. If you have questions, contact us.

    After we finish tomorrow we'll be looking toward the Winter Trip. Our departure time is slightly earlier than planned, load at 6:00, leave at 6:30. Details will be coming home with your skier today and will be posted online later this evening. Thank you for all your help!

    Tuesday: 12.18.07.
    A Moment of Rest:

    Come Saturday we will all have a few moments of rest, at least that is what I keep telling myself, and yet looking at the schedule, I know that it is not true. Maybe Sunday evening... Sprint Heats are up along with the schedule. Thank you to Maple Grove for putting in some long hours last night to get them together for us. We'll be talking about the heats and racing today at practice and I'll post some of the general information so that new parents will understand the craziness if they show up to watch the event. It will be an exciting event. Just a heads up for the girls, we have so many girls racing this year and a tight time schedule to keep to, you have 12 girls in many of the first rounds, this will make it extremely important to get a good start, we'll work on that today. Everything follows a running clock so if you look at the schedule you'll be able to see when the following races start based on our first race start time, 3:30pm. Thanks!

  • Girls Heat Seeds: Posted December 18
  • Boys Heat Seeds: Posted December 18
  • Evening Time Schedule: Posted December 18

    • Monday: 12.17.07.
    Results and Others:

    Results are up and posted. Thank you for your patience with that. We also have the heat seeds for the sprints on Wednesday. Those will be linked tomorrow morning. Copies will be posted at the course but it will be your responsibility to know your heat and start time. We can't re-seed you or fit you into another wave so be early and warmed up for your race. It should be an exciting day so hopefully many of the parents and fans can show up. Thank you for those that are able to make it.

    The "You-Name-It" Race page has been updated. Check it out and let us know if you think anything else should be added to it. We appreciate all your feed back and checking of the links for us. We have food sponsors and bibs. Entries are coming in and we are expecting many more. We are still looking for a generator to help us keep the soup hot so if you can think of a source for one, please let us know. We are still looking for a few people to help with timing, the food table, parking and the "Name-The-Race" Job. Send word through your skier if you are available to help. We'll fill in with the skiers tomorrow and we think all jobs will be filled then. We would still love your help on race day if you end up being free. Thanks for all your support so far! We are excited about this and a little nervous. It should be a great day. Your kids did a great job making the finisher awards, we are hoping to fire them tomorrow. They made 200+ so we should have more than enough for race day. (And for next year!) Thanks!

    Sunday: 12.16.07.
    Falling into Place:

    Things are falling into place for the "You-Name-It" Race on Saturday. We received our first official entry by mail yesterday. Our own Elk River alumnus, Nick Gray, has joined us for the race and he has made the first suggestion of a race name for next year, the "Wapiti Loppet". Keep sending those entries in along with your suggestion for next year's name. We are also looking for a generator to use during the race. We want to host a quality event and part of that is the post-race food. (We know skiers love to eat!) We are planning to have hot soup available and will need a generator to keep those pots running. Contact the coaches if you have one available. We have many volunteers in place already but we would feel much more confident if we had filled all the spots with extra places. Please let us know if you would be available for any job or if you have one picked out already. Thank you in advance!

    This week is going to be busy, not only because of our race but we also have a meet, the winter trip coming up and winter break is only 5 days away. (Thank goodness!) Let's start at the beginning. Wednesday brings us the Sprint Championships. This will be a great spectator friendly event so make every effort to attend. We don't have heat lists yet but as soon as those are available we will post them for you. After Wednesday's race, we are practically through the week, which will be crazy as the kids have an extended break coming up. They tend to get a little antsy as it gets nearer. Next up is the Community/Alumni Race. We really don't know what to expect for numbers and that is where much of the stress comes from. We have a great group of workers set up so far so we know we'll have a great event. If we could get another inch or two of snow, it might be perfect! We'll nee registration and parking workers to be available at 8:30, everyone should be there by 9:30 to get set-up prior to races starting. Once we reach Saturday afternoon we can all breathe a sigh of relief and start enjoying our break. We know you are all busy with family events and gatherings so after the race on the 22nd, we will not be meeting until we leave for the winter trip on the 27th. We'll give the skiers a more detailed schedule for the WT on Friday and a suggested practice schedule if they aren't able to go with us on the trip. These will also be available online later in the week. Plan to check for updates over break if anything changes. We will also try to update you while we are on the winter trip so you can see our progress.

    Friday: 12.14.07.
    7 Days and Counting:

    A huge thank you to all that were able to stay after practice tonight. We worked on the finisher medals for the races next Saturday. The kids did a great job and made quick work of it. We may have made far to many though so try to recruit more people to ski that day! We are also looking for several more people to sign up and fill some of the spaces. Thanks to those that have signed up so far. We are really looking for someone that has some food connections that might be able to find us some soup to have donated. We'd like to have a warm item for at the finish of a cold race. We also need fruit, liquids, cookies (with enough for the kids!) and anything else. If you have ideas or would want to take over that area, please let us know, we will gladly hand it over to you. ;-) Diamond City has already offered to donate any leftovers to the race to we need to give them a hearty thank you! It is only 7 days away so we are really cracking down on getting things finalized.

    This coming week we have the Sprint Championships. The sprints will be classic this year and should be a great spectator friendly event. The weather looks like it will be a little warmer also so come out to Elm Creek for a great event Wednesday afternoon. If you have any questions, please contact us so we can help with it.

    Oh, I had forgotten to let you know. We are still waiting for the results from Thursday's race. I've posted our Elk River Team's results so that link is working but the other two links are not working yet. I put them up thinking results would be in already so when they come, I'll announce it on the front page. Thanks for you patience! Happy Winter!

    Wednesday: 12.12.07.
    Get your Classic On:

    We have a classic race tomorrow! 5k at Elm Creek. Racing begins at 3:30 again for boys varsity and JV. We'll need to leave school early again to make it to the race course ontime. ERHS will be released at 1:45, head directly to the lockers and change quickly, we'll need to be moving quickly. Boys should try to kickwax their skis prior to boarding the bus, you'll need to warm up as soon as we get there. Salk and VandenBerg, get notes from your parents to be released at 1:35. VandenBerg you will walk over, Salk, the bus will pick you up again and bring you to the High School. Rogers, we will pick you up on the way again.

    This weeks race will be sending kids out in regular waves, one from each school every 20 seconds. The race course will be the same as last week, the full 5k loop but with the far small loop still missing(as of now). First years will again be given the option to ski the 5k or the one loop 2.5k course.
  • 3:30 - Varsity Boys/JV Boys 5k
  • 4:00 - Varsity Girls/JV Girls 5k
  • 4:30 - First Year Boys (one 2.5k loop)
  • 4:35 - First Year Girls (one 2.5k loop)
    • The Nordahl's signed up for treats this week, thank you. We are still looking for a few family to fill in on some of the open dates. Check out the list under the "Fan Club" link and let us know what date works for you. We are also looking for a pasta dinner if anyone wants to take that on next week, that would be great. Also, check out the information on our community/alumni meet coming up on December 22nd. We are still looking for a bunch of volunteer spots to be filled so let us know about that. Thanks!

    Sunday: 12.08.07.
    Pictures and a Race:

    Well, pictures are posted from the Ride 'n Tie and our first race, The Age Group Race. Hopefully we'll get them up in a more timely fashion for the next meet. If you have additional photos to add, please get them to us electronically (either by disc, e-mail or a jumpdrive that we will return). Thanks in advance.

    Our citizen/alumni race is coming up two weeks from yesterday. We have snow so it will be a go. The Race web site is www.ElkRiverNordic.org/noname.html We will need a lot of help so if you are available the morning of Decmeber 22nd (or prior) let us know and we will put you to work. Thank you!!

    Thursday: 12.06.07.
    So it begins:

    We've been on real snow since Monday, we raced on the full 5k course at Elm Creek, this has been a year full of surprises already. It was great to see the skiers racing against our conference schools. As we have been training, they look good, but it is hard to visualize where they are in relation to other schools. With our first race under our belts though we can set some individual goals and some team goals and continue working bit by bit towards them. Results will be uploaded as soon as we have them. That may be later tonight but more likely it will be early tomorrow. We will also have a copy for the skiers to look at tomorrow at practice. Great Job today!

    Practice tomorrow will be at the high school, core body work in the gymnastics room. Don't forget about Saturday practice. That will run from 8:00am until around 10:00am. We will meet at Woodland Trails and it will be classic. We will have kick wax available and the groomers are planning to have it tracked. And since we have mentioned the groomers, we need to give them a big "Thank You!" any time we see them out there. They will keep us on snow when others have none and they groom our trails in such fine fashion. Give them a big thank you when you see them.

    A couple other pieces to cover today. One, the red winter trip forms are due tomorrow, Friday, December 7th. Please make sure we get them in along with the money. If you have a question about something, let us know and hopefully we can answer it for you. Two, if you are picking your child up at a meet, please sign your child out. We will have a sign out sheet near the finish line at each race. Look for Betsy in her bright red jacket and she will have the sheet to sign. This just allows us to make contact with you when you are taking your skier and is a way of you signing the responsibility back over to you. Also, we'd like the skiers to stay for the entire meet and cheer on the entire team. This is a team sport also, 7th grade through 12th grade, so if you are picking your skier up, please have them stay until the end of the meet.

    Thank you to all the parents that came to support the team and to Mrs. Anderson for adopting us this week and providing the meet treats. Great Job Team!!

    Wednesday: 12.05.07.
    And it continues to fall:

    It is hard to believe that it is only December and we are skiing on real snow already! What a wonderful season so far and it has just started. We have had our first few practices on real snow now and things are going well. Monday started with an easy day just getting used to being on snow again. Tuesday followed with some longer intervals so your skiers should have been tired last night. Today will be an easyier day with some games at the end and tomorrow will bring our first meet of the season. Athletes will need to be released from school a little early tomorrow, (2:20 at ERHS, 1:55 at Salk and VandenBerge, we will talk to Rogers today). At ER high school, we will take care of getting you released. Middle schoolers, you will need to bring a note from your parents letting you out.

    The race schedule is listed below, this is the Age Group Race so all of or races are divided by grade.
  • 3:30 - Senior boys
  • 3:35 - Junior boys
  • 3:40 - Sophomore Boys
  • 3:45 - Freshman/Middle school/Junior High boys (This will be for boys who can ski 5km)
  • 4:00 - Senior girls
  • 4:05 - Junior girls
  • 4:10 - Sophomore girls
  • 4:15 - Freshman/Middle school/Junior High girls(This will be for girls who can ski 5km)
  • 4:20 - First year boys (2.5km Man-made loop)
  • 4:30 - First year girls (2.5km Man-made loop)
    • First year skiers will be given an option to ski with their age group or with the first-year skiers. The race will be at Elm Creek on the full 5k course. If you are coming to watch, plan to arrive early as parking is limited and you'll need to take the shuttle from the lower parking lot once it fills. If you have questions, send them with your skiier or call one of the coaches.
    We are racing tomorrow!
    (And more snow is in the forecast!)

    Sunday: 12.02.07.
    Snow in December?:

    We survived the Ride 'n Tie. Crazy winter weather, snow falling, bikes sliding and eyelashes frozen, everyone survived and made it home safe and sound. The Elks won the event for the first time, beating out tough competiton from the Maple Grove Crimson. Congratulations to team Candy Cane, Erik Volk and Chris Anderson, they did a fine job! Ashley Klotz and Tony Nowak came in a very close 4th, being edged out of third place by time bonuses. Thanks to the parents that came to support, the younger siblings that participated and the skiers that showed great drive in working through some interesting conditions! If you click on the "MEETS" tab and then on results you will see the final standings for the teams. Pictures should be up later this evening, there are some good ones!

    With the winter snow that has been dropped on us we will be moving practice to Woodland Trails. The trail conditions are not perfect in all locations but with the excellent grooming done by Dave Anderson and the rest of the volunteers, we will be on real snow on our home trails December 3rd. The ski team actually skis? Yes we do! Bring your rock skis on Monday and we'll be skiing up a storm. Cross Country Team, we know you have a banquet that night so we'll make sure we get done at a reasonable time for you. We will have our first meet this week on Thursday at Elm Creek, we'd love to have parents there cheering and we are still looking for someone to bring some treats for our racers. Let us know if you are able to help out. Celebrate the snow!

    Friday: 11.30.07.
    Snow or Shine:

    What ever mother nature brings, we'll take it. The Ride 'n Tie is on and we are ready to go. Make sure you are dressed for the weather and consider having an extra jacket for the bike portion (You can trade that off with the bike also.) It will be a little windy, it may be a little snowy but we are a hardy group and the snow that falls will only bring us closer to real skiing. (We really do ski as a nordic ski team, it isn't just dry land training.) Directions to the Maple Grove stadium were handed out at practice but can also be found from the events page by clicking on Ride 'n Tie...or here Directions and Forming Teams...

    Thursday: 11.29.07.
    Fan Club and Practice:

    The list is up for those that signed up for pasta dinners and meet treats. If you would like to volunteer, look for an open date and send an e-mail to Coach K. The lists are under the FAN CLUB link and then along the left hand side.

    Practice today will be core body strength in the gymnastics room. They have an away meet so it works out well for us. Tomorrow we'll be outside again so be dressed for the cold weather.

    Tuesday: 11.27.07.
    Be Quick:

    If you forgot to request your season ski pass for Elm Creek (even with the checks at practice) please let a coach know by Wednesday, November 28th. We will e-mail the last additions to Elm Creek and should be able to add you to the list. We will make a final check at practice today of the current list so you will know if you are on it.

    The ski meet for Thursday is officially canceled at this time. If several inches of snow magically appears, we may be able to change the ruling, but for now, we will be at practice.

    Don't forget about the Ride 'n Tie this Saturday. Maple Grove is planning to bring their "A" game so we need to show up with ours. Remember to bring your family and friends, the more the merrier! We will also need a couple parent volunteers to work a station so if you are free that morning and don't plan to complete the full distance, let us know and we'll put you to work. We'd love to have you join us for the full race but if you would prefer to bike the entire portion or just turn around when you want to, we'd still love to have you join us! Don't forget that you will need a bike for each team of two (and the helmet!!). We'd also like to have some snacks for after the race so if you want to volunteer to bring treats or apple cider/hot chocolate, please let us know. The weather looks great so it should be a wonderful day. Don't forget to bring dry clothes for afterward, you don't want to get chilled on the way home.

    Monday: 11.26.07.
    Team Night - Pioneer Midwest:

    Reminder that tonight is team night at Pioneer Midwest. If you are still looking for equipment they are bringing in extra staff to assist our team and answer any questions. (They are also providing pizza!) It starts at 7:00 but come at anytime (after practice, of course).

    We are also scheduled for our first meet this week. Most likely we will be having practice instead but we will keep you informed. Don't forget about the Ride 'n Tie this Saturday. Bring the family or any friends, we'd love to have them!

    Tuesday: 11.20.07.
    Saturday Practice:

    Since there is interest, we will be having practice on Saturday at 8:00am. It will be a core body workout so dress for inside and we will either be in the wrestling room again or in the gymnastics room. We will post a sign on the ski room door.

    Sunday: 11.18.07.
    Details and Turkey:

    Great first week of practice! Reminder that if you want to purchase a season pass for Elm Creek we will need your money by Tuesday. $25 will allow you to ski/race on the man made snow anytime. If you do not purchase a pass in advance, you'll need to pay $4 each time we are on man-made snow (race or practice). If you don't get the team money by Tuesday, the pass price increases to $50.

    If you are planning to attend the Winter Trip, please get us your red form as soon as possible. Money and forms are due by December 6th.

    Practices this week will be held Monday and Tuesday at the normal time afterschool. Wednesday practice will be held at 2:30 for those able to attend. Thanksgiving, take your family outside for a walk, check out a local 5k or enjoy a rollerski after your turkey settles. Friday practice will be at 8:00am for those able to attend. Check out the weekly practice schedule for details and updates. Saturday is the final ski swap of the season in Long Lake near Gear West. We also have a team night at Pioneer Midwest planned for the Monday after Thanksgiving, Monday, November 26th. More details will follow.

    Wednesday: 11.13.07.
    2 Days in: Where is the snow?:

    Practice has started, temps have hit 60, it feels like a fall sport, not a winter one. Things are going well so far and we are excited to be training. Monday started with a short meeting and a morning routine for the athletes to start. Tuesday was an invigorating pole hike at the beautiful Hillside trails (Being careful to avoid the mountain bikers!). Day 3 will be bringing us some ski simulation on wheels and day 4 is the highly anticipated fitness test.

    Just a reminder that any practice that is done on wheels will require a helmet. No excuses! We will be on wheels today and hopefully we will be able to get all the athletes on them for at least a portion of practice. Make sure that your athletes are keeping up on their studies as the season starts. It is much easier to maintain than it is to try to make-up or catch-up after the fact. Get plenty of rest and have a well balanced eating plan. Also, don't forget to stay hydrated.

    It looks like the temps will be dropping in the next few days so make sure you are dressed for the weather. Layers are important so you can remove some if needed. Happy Wednesday!

    Thursday: 11.08.07.
    4 Days and counting:

    It was great to see everyone at the parent/team meeting on Monday. It sounds like a few of you didn't get the message and we are sorry about that. Hopefully with the website (And your knowledge that it exists...) we will communicate a little better. Once the season gets fully under way things will be easier also. Just a reminder that the December 18th meet was changed to December 19th. With changes already to the schedule, this serves to remind us that many things will probably be changing throughout the season.

    Remember to get all forms turned into the office by Monday so you are able to practice the first day. We will meet in room 325 to hand out lockers and go through some admin stuff and them we'll get to the heart of practice for the day. Plan to be outside but start bringing clothes to cover any condition. We will be getting some of you out on wheels the first week of practice so don't forget to bring your boots and HELMET!!

    There is a ski swap at Pioneer Midwest this Saturday, the first local swap. All the info is on the preseason link.

    Sunday: 11.04.07.
    Parent/Team Meeting:

    Don't forget that the Parent/Team Meeting is coming up tomorrow, Monday, November 5th at 7:00pm. We will be meeting in room 325. We'll have all the preseason information including calendars, Winter Trip Information, and general team info. Please bring any questions you may have and high hopes for a good snow season.

    The calendars, schedule, packet handouts, wax info and ski fit info are all posted on the web. You can find those under the Preseason link. They will also be available at the meeting. If possible, please make every effort to attend the meeting, new families and veteran families, we are looking forward to meeting you and getting to know you throughout the season.

    Also, make sure that all forms are turned into the main office before the first day of practice, Monday, November 12th. If you participated in a fall activity this year, all you will need is the activity fee and your emergency card filled out. If Nordic is your first sport this year you will also need to fill out the registration packet and State High School League forms. If you have any questions please contact a coach or the office and they will be able to help you. You will not be able to start practices with the team until you have been cleared through the main office. If cost is an issue, please talk with a coach or the office and we will see what can be worked out.

    Saturday: 11.03.07.
    Congratulations to the Girls CC Team:

    Be sure to tell the Girls Cross Country Team Congratulations! They placed 11th overall in the State Meet, excellent job team. Congratulations to Emma Bates, Elizabeth Dargay, Victoria Janasz, Katie Hanson, Renee Crepeau, Jenna Berkley, Jane Kallemeyn and both the boys and girls teams on another great season. A huge congratulations to Emma Bates on her 3rd place finish in the State Meet. What an exciting day down at St. Olaf, beautiful crisp weather and some excellent racing.

    Friday: 11.02.07.
    Details:

    First of all, Good luck to the girls Cross country Team down in Northfield tomorrow. If you are looking for something to do outside on a beautiful day, head down to St. Olaf College and you'll be in for a treat of excellent racing. ER's CC team will be heading down after placing 2nd in the section meet to take on some of the best teams and individuals in the state. Look for Emma Bates to be near the front runners with Elizabeth Dargay, Victoria Janasz, Katie Hanson, Renee Crepeau, Jenna Berkley and Jane Kallemeyn to be in the mix also. Good luck ladies and congratulations on a great season!

    Okay, step one completed...Halloween has come and gone and I now have candy left over. That is the problem when no trick-or-treaters show up. Next year I'm going to give away granola bars or popcorn. (It is much "safer" for me after the fact.) With the passage of Halloween and the State CC meet upon us it is signaling the upcoming Nordic Season. Things are going to start up quickly and there will be no time to look back until February so make sure you are prepared for everything early. Some things to keep in mind over the next week:
  • 1. Registration is due in the athletic office before the athlete can work out with the team.

  • 2. If your athlete was in a fall sport all they need to fill out is the emergency notification card.

  • 3. If this is their first sport, there are packets in the junior high offices, and in the athletic office of the senior highs.

  • 4. There are swaps starting up check under the PRESEASON link or www.skinnyski.com for details. Two of note are Pioneer Midwest’s on the 10th, and the Minnesota Youth Ski League’s on the 17th.

  • 5. Athletes that are just finishing up a fall sport should get great nightly rest, do some easy recovery type stuff, eat a well balanced diet, and give your competitive edge a break from the constant competition.

  • 6. Make sure your athletes are healthy, we will get right into it on the 12th. A check up at the doctors might not be a bad idea; any injuries should get evaluated so they know where they are at, what they can do and what might not be good.

  • 7. Make sure equipment and clothing can all be found, is in good repair, and still fits.

  • 8. We practice outside in all kinds of weather; make sure your athlete is prepared with the appropriate clothing; the biggest obstacles at this time of year are cold, wind, and rain.

  • 9. A dry set of clothing for after practice including dry gloves and hats is also very important to a healthy athlete.

  • 10. Spend time with your athlete each day to see how things are going for them in their study life, as well as with the ski team. Early adjustments are always easier.
    • Thank you for all you do for your skiers, it is appreciated.

    Tuesday: 10.23.07.
    Website:

    Things are jumping along on the website. All the pages should be linked correctly and are operational. Many of them still need to be updated with information but things are coming along. The season schedule should be up tomorrow, Wednesday, so check back for that.

    Wednesday: 10.17.07.
    Updates are all around...

    We said things would be getting underway quickly and they are. Some dates you should be adding to your calendar:

  • Next week: Captains and Upperclassmen will be visiting schools for recruiting. Talk to your neighbors, friends, cousins, or even your neighbor's friend's cousin. Invite them to join the team.

  • Oct. 31st: Captain's Meeting at 7:15 am. Breakfast will be provided. (As a side note, Coaches will be in full costume dress, captains: you have been challenged)

  • Nov. 5th: Parents/Team Meeting at 7:00 pm. Sorry parents, we won't be providing breakfast but we will have all the important season information that you want. The information is free, I wish I could say the same for the sport.

  • Nov. 12th: First day of practice. We know you are excited because we are. (26 days from today, not that we're counting.) Make sure you have all forms and fees turned into the office before the first day of practice.

    • Saturday: 10.13.07.
    Welcome to the 2007-2008 Nordic Season
    Things will be getting underway quicky here so please check back often. The meet schedule should be posted in the next week along with the preseason meeting date. We have a big focus on recruiting this season so captains and upperclassmen will be visiting the middle schools and high schools in Rogers, Elk River and Zimmerman the last week in October.

    We are very excited about the season and will be continuing to update the website so please check back!