Bill Koch Festival was a Blast!

Posted on March 9, 2012 by meg

This past weekend we hosted more than 575 kids plus their families for the 2012 TD Bank Bill Koch Festival and Bill Koch himself was here supporting all the kids!! Bill Koch had a passion for skiing early on. At 18 he became the first American to win a medal in Nordic skiing during international competition at the European Junior Championships. He then went on to make the 1976 Olympic team and became the first American to win an Olympic medal in Nordic skiing, placing 2nd in the 30 km. The Bill Koch Ski League, named in his honor, is an Eastern US cross-country ski program for children in grade 8 and under.  It’s designed to encourage kids to ski and develop their talent. Here at the festival he signed autographs for hours, skied out on the trails to watch the competition and personally presented awards to those skiers who placed, congratulating every one who raced. Thanks Bill!

Saturday morning’s weather wasn’t so ideal but everyone made the best of it. Kicking off the festival was a parade showing costumes representing the theme-Blast from the Past to the Future on Skis! From the Berkshire Trails team dressed as cavemen….

to futuristic skiers, fun was had by all.

From then on it was non stop racing. Saturday showcased relay racing with racers from 1st through 8th grade. The best part was seeing them finish into the stadium -just like in the Olympics and International races. Spectators watched as they came across the top of the tubing hill, down “Apple Orchard Hill” and around the pond. Cowbells rang out, the crowd cheered non-stop and Peter Graves, the well know Olympic cross country commentator, called their name as they passed the finish line. It must have been such an incredible feeling- I felt the excitement and I wasn’t even racing! There was plenty to do for those who weren’t racing or who were waiting to race. Kids were everywhere-on the tubing hill, playing on the obstacle course, discovering the fairy houses, conquering the snow banks and getting Bill Koch’s autograph!

The races and following awards ceremonies were split, grades 1-4 before noon and grades 5-8 in the afternoon. It was perfect – the younger kids didn’t have to wait. After the top 10 or 20 were awarded, all racers were brought in for photographs and recognition, no one was left out.

2012 Bill Koch Festival

After racing concluded for the day, most attended the delicious pasta dinner held at the Town & Country Inn in Shelburne!

Sunday brought more smiling faces, individual races, 8th grade graduation and probably the most anticipated race of the entire weekend-the Lollipop Race.  This event is designed as an introductory experience for young skiers prior to involvement in timed categories.

8th grade graduation was very special and exciting. Sue led the graduates up into the woods and out of sight.

Next thing we knew they were coming down the lower portion of the Auto Road in pairs skiing onto Great Glen Trails where their names were announced and where they received their certificate.

By the afternoon I couldn’t believe the festival was almost over, a few more races and and one more award ceremony and the 2012 Bill Koch Festival would come to a happy ending. This was the busiest most fun filled weekend we’ve had here in the winter. Seeing kids outside, making new friends, playing in the snow and the camaraderie in the races was truly amazing! I am so happy I was a part of this memorable event and hope to see some of the kids returning to enjoy our trails.

Fantastic job to all who were involved!!
Relive the festival!

Festival Photos:

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XC Ski Camp!

Posted on February 22, 2012 by meg

It was all fun and games during this year’s Penguins and Polar Bears! Kids ages 6 – 11 joined us in the morning for a three day ski camp, led by Sue and Kelly. Together they played games on skis including Flag Snatch, Red Light Green Light, Sharks and Minnows and Moose in the Trail. The games helped them work on their balance and becoming more comfortable on their skis without really being aware of it.

One game named Moose in the Trail was new to me, so I figured I’d watch. The kids line up at the top of a short hill and the first skier begins to descend. The next in line yells “Moose!” which causes the skier to stop as quick as they can to avoid the moose in the trail. It’s a great way to practice stopping and being in control at all times – plus getting to yell “MOOSE!!” really, really loud is always fun!

Lined up for Moose in the Trail

"You want to make sure you get this edge of your skis into the snow to help you stop"

After the games and some snacks and water, the group splits. The Polar Bears (ages 9-11) ski with Sue and the Penguins (ages 6-8) ski with Kelly. They both go exploring our trail system and work on their form. They also participate in our Trails Tracker Scavenger Hunt searching for all the animals and collecting stamps for their Trails Tracker cards.

Join us next winter for some great games and activities on snow. You’ll have a blast becoming a much better skier!!
Penguins and Polar Bears Ski Camps are offered over Christmas Break and February Vacation.

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Women’s Winter Escape!

Posted on January 17, 2012 by howie

“Let’s get the Coach!”  one woman exhorts the other three in our fast-paced game of Flag Snatch.  For a split second I’m delighted to have so quickly attained this vaulted status.  Then it’s time to get moving as four women quickly converge, arms outstretched, reaching to grab one of the colored flags tucked in my waistband.  I wiggle left past one, right past another and . . . I’m in the clear!  But the circle defining our game field is small and they are soon chasing after me again.  Who could guess that some of these women are on skate skis for the first time, the way they are accelerating, turning, dodging, starting, and stopping?

A couple of Ski Game sessions were just a small part of our Women’s Winter Escape this past weekend at Great Glen.  It was the fifth year of this annual program.  Sixteen women came to take ski, yoga and snowshoe clinics, share delicious meals, experience snow tubing, enjoy a massage, learn about food as fuel and laugh at me while I modeled long underwear in our “functional” Fashion Show. (Well, not really the latter.)

Hey but the modeling worked, the next morning I spotted one of our attendees wearing her new Smartwool  zip turtleneck with the “jail break” theme  I’d donned Saturday night.  Yes, shopping was also another popular activity.  The first day of the weekend coincided with Great Glen’s Demo Day—a day when several ski equipment representatives arrived with fleets of skis and boots for our skiing public to try.  It was a great chance to “try before you buy”, and a number of woman went home happy with new equipment purchases.

Mary, Kelly, Meg and I were the fortunate Great Glen folk who got to share the fun of this weekend with “the ladies”, (as Mary calls them.)  We were joined in our hosting, teaching and guiding efforts by Janet and Sindi, Nate (yeah, we let one boy in—he’s our awesome fashion show MC), Lori Kinsey of Tin Mountain Conservation Center, Roberta Balon, nutritionist for AVH, Suzanne the massage therapist, Donna Smyth from Keene State College, Leslie Krichko, an ’80 and ’88 Olympic Nordic skier and Anya Bean, daughter of former WWE instructor Jennifer Caldwell and a student-ski racer at UNH.  Of the sixteen women attendees, seven were returnees.    The camaraderie, support, shared conversation and smiles amongst all these wonderful women make this one of my very favorite weekends of the winter. – Sue Wemyss

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