Nate Carlson displays the strong uphill technique that helped carry him to an excellent 20th place finish in the JV race at Spirit Mountain.
Cook County Vikings’ Nordic skiers, in a small but strong force, recently traveled to Duluth for a race that yet again was surprising and exciting for all. It was another race full of wicked hills, abrasive snow, a congested course, strange weather, and stellar skiers. It was another race at Spirit Mountain.
At the first race at Spirit Mountain, racers had encountered uphills and downhills in the extreme sense. This was exciting (and slightly terrifying) on the downhills and hugely tiring on the uphills. A new course was to be put in place for the January 10 race, to the general happiness of racers. It would still only be one kilometer long, with racers completing four laps, but hopefully would contain fewer hills.
Arriving at Spirit Mountain, racers noticed two things. It was warm. In fact, it was hot (by ski standards). The sun and snow also created a blinding, painful combination.
Looking at a thermometer, Will Seaton commented, “I’m pretty sure they don’t make glide wax for this temperature.”
The thermometer said a little above 50 degrees. I was in total agreement. We then saw racers in “shorts” and “T-shirts” (Spandex uniforms rolled to the correct, shorter, length) and realized this would be, again, unlike any other race we had experienced.
The very first varsity racer out was boy and Cook County’s own Ben Seaton. Going out strong, Ben stayed steady and showed excellent technique. Levi Axtell was the second racer out for the Vikings. Always enthusiastic, Levi attacked the course at a fierce pace and managed to hold it the entire way. After the race Ben said he had felt stronger on this race, more than any other. This was reflected in his time of 10:46, just 14 seconds out of 10th place. Levi also had a great race, with an excellent time of 11:36.
Due to illness, the only varsity girl was me, Mara MacDonell. I was lucky to start my race with a girl of a similar speed, so we pushed each other throughout the entire race. This is an opportunity you rarely have in Nordic skiing and when it does occur, it can be extremely helpful, as it was for me. I felt strong and had a steady race, finishing with a time of 14:27.
The junior varsity boys, Will Seaton and Nate Carlson, once again provided an exciting finish to our meet. Will was fast and strong on all four laps. He also showed especially good technique, a key to success. Nate took off at the start and kept up his momentum throughout the race. Cheered on by teammates and propelled by technique and strength, both Will and Nate posted fantastic results. Will finished in 6th place with a time of 11:47 and Nate in 20th with a time of 12:52 in the field of over 50 racers.
Though the team was small for this race, the event was a success. Though the snowfall has been small this year, this ski season too has been a success, and luckily it is far from over.
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