- Summer and Fall Schedule is on page 2 and 3

- Uniforms are still available: 3 complete uniforms, size large. The cost is $140.00 post-production. Contact Sue Foster at 237-6830

- Membership forms are available on the club website. The cost is $10.0. www.bangornews.infi.net/~cdorion Or contact Dan Works (207) 786-2945, 3 St.Jean Baptiste Ave. Lewiston, ME 04240

- As of April 7th, 2001, the MNSC has $992.00 in the Club checking account.

Visit our web site, and online discussion group.

www.bangornews.infi.net/~cdorion

Updates are made periodically.

The MNSC will help this happen by providing contact information, and act as mailing service for announcements, flyers, etc. (this is already something that we do with the newsletter), and expenses for these special mailings can come out of the local chapter budget. Unfortunately, with member distribution being so patchy, a few chapters will get very little money. But for 10 dollars you can buy some Gatorade, tack up route signs and host a trail run - and sometimes that's all it takes to make things enjoyable for everyone. Chapter chairs will be advised of available monies and contact lists.

The MNSC will continue to organize and host several events per year for all members and use our collective purchasing power to make purchases for uniforms, banners, etc., as we have done in the past. We will use remaining funds to attract good coaches for summer and winter training clinics, to continue to support a series of seasonal and off-seasonal events, to publish the newsletter, and to promote the skiing way of life in the state.

See you out there. -Peter Brickley (207) 990-0305

This past winter I think we experienced some of the best snow and skiing we have seen in several years. It reminded me of my childhood in the mid 70's when it seemed like every winter was neck deep in powder from December to March. Call it luck or maybe a subtle readjustment of global climate patterns, or whatever you want. The bottom line: I think I used klister three times between December and March. I hope all of you took advantage of this season and got out into the woods, breathed in some fresh air and enjoyed nature.

As you will see we have a long list of events in the summer schedule. It is hoped that at least one event, whether a hike, a rollerski, or a social event, will be located at a time and place convenient to all MNSC members, and accommodate all skill levels. You will note that there are not one, but TWO beach ski races - that's right, a ski race on the beach. This promises to be some serious fun.

During the last spring meeting, I proposed allocating a fixed portion of membership dues to support events in our local chapters. Each chapter is loosely organized by region, and has a chapter chair who's intended purpose was to facilitate local chapter activity. From April onwards, 50% of membership dues will be allocated to each of our chapters, and the total will be proportional to the number of club members who identify themselves as affiliated with a given chapter (Orono/Bangor, Lewiston/Auburn, Sugarloaf, etc...). Chapter chairs are held loosely responsible for spending this money. To keep this simple: in the coming year, I am asking that each chapter organize one scheduled event for their members, hosted in their local area. These events can span the full spectrum: a weekly training event, a footrace, or purely social (refreshments, pot-luck, ski swap), whatever. Please use your

imagination and initiative here. There are already several new events on the summer schedule because of this concept. The long term vision is to support the establishment of healthy, active chapters, especially in locations where there are no other viable ski clubs. This is all in keeping with the philosophy that all good clubs are local.

June 24, The first annual Cape Elizabeth Beach Ski and Relay Race. Race time is at 9:30 am (low tide). Meet at John Atwoods house and carpool to beach. Format: Mixed three person team relay. The course takes approx. 45 min. and grooming is guaranteed to be periodic. Freestyle, but classic style strongly recommended. This race has secured corporate sponsorship and is open to all NENSA clubs. Pot-luck brunch and awards ceremony to follow in the Atwood's barn. Contact David Roberts at (207) 767-3964, or John Atwood (207) 799-0099.

July 1, 10:00 am- Manhattan Nordic Ski Club presents the first annual Rockaway Beach Ski Relay at Riis Park, Rockaway Beach, Queens, New York. Team format and distance to be determined. This is (currently) the second and final race in the series. Beach bar-b-q follows race and then a tour of world famous Coney Island for Boardwalk fun and Roller-Coaster excitement. The MNSC(NYC) will do our best to accommodate and advise all those interested in attending this event. Contact Rick Chalmers at (212) 334-6506, rbc-ski@visto.com

June 29-July 1, Womens Training Weeked hosted by Alice Goodwin and Saranne Taylor in Norway, Maine. This three day event begins Friday evening and will feature a variety of aerobic pursuits. An annual favorite. Contact Alice Goodwin at amgski@gwi.net, or Saranne Taylor at (207) 527-2478, jcn@megalink.net.

July 7. 1st annual Hampden Maine rollerski marathon and pot-luck. Hosted by the Brickleys and Obrien's. This is planned as a point-to-point ~2 hr rollerski over rolling terrain and ending at the Obrien's house. A hot tub and cool shade await you at the end. Potluck BBQ to follow. Contact Peter Brickley (207) 990-0305 peter@grampus.umeoce.maine.edu

July 14-15, Presidential Traverse and Rollerski, hosted by Ron Newbury. Meet Friday evening in Ossipee where Ron's family has rustic camps, lodge, and swimming/canoeing facilities. Saturday will feature an early start, weather permitting, with the goal of hiking from Mt. Madison to Mt. Washington and down Tuckerman Ravine. Alternative hikes of lesser duration can be done in this area also. Saturday night features a potluck supper cookout. Sunday will be a gorgeous roller ski on quiet backroads in the White Mountain National Forest. Canoeing on remote ponds is also available near the camp. For more information, contact Ron Newbury at 782-1662 or by E-mail: rnewbury@adelphia.net

July 28, 10:00am - 4:00 pm Dryland ski training clinic with Dick Taylor, former Olympic team member and Olympic coach. This is a joint event with the Bethel Outing club. Fine tune your off-season training with some speed and strength-specific workouts. Meet 10:00 am at the Gould Academy fields. Bring running gear and rollerskis if you have them. Some refreshments will be available. No registration fee, but a $10.00 donation is suggested. Contact Peter Brickley 207 990-0305.

August 11-12. The third annual Brighton Bike Adventure hosted by Raul and Sue Siren. Meet in Brighton Saturday afternoon for a trail run followed by swimming and a potluck Saturday evening. Sunday morning begins with breakfast, an event in itself. Following breakfast is a multi-hour mountin bike ride through the beautiful western mountains with several alternate routes. This event is becoming an annual favorite. Contact Raul Siren at (207) 654-3011.

September 22. Bigelow traverse, hosted by Charles Cary. Follow the AT from the east end of Little Bigelow west over the Bigelows and the Cranberry Peak trail to Stratton - about 20 rough miles. Alternative routing available for those interested in a shorter distance, and several groups may be organized. There are several campsites to make a pleasant two day trip. Contact Charley Cary at (207) 725-4048, or cecary@clinic.net.

October 7 , 10:00 am. Tentative. Dryland clinic with former US and Canadian Olympic coach Marty Hall. A special event hosted by the Sugarloaf Outdoor center, the Sugarloaf Nordic Ski club and the Maine Nordic Ski club. Registration TBD. This is a full day of dryland technique and strength training. This will complement an on-snow clinic in December. Contact Sue Foster at (207) 237-6830, (207) 235-3121 or outdoor@somtel.com

Club President Peter Brickley called the meeting to order at 12:25 pm. A meeting agenda was presented. A motion to accept the minutes from the fall meeting as published in the club newsletter was made by Chris Dorion, and seconded by Peter Millard. Minutes were approved.

Peter Brickley gave a "State of the Club" address.

Chris Dorion reported that the club had an account balance of $992.00. A few club uniforms are still for sale, monies collected from the sale of these will go directly to the treasury. Money from the treasury was used to purchase a banner that was displayed at races throughout the season.

The MNSC "Hill Challenge" was discussed. It was decided that the challenge will continue for next season.

Under "New Business", the group discussed a summer calendar of events. [see page two for details] In other "New Business", Peter discussed ideas to stimulate more activity within the regional chapters, some members were unaware of the "Chapter Concept" and it was explained. There are approximately 70 current members of MNSC spread around the state. Geographic distance makes it difficult to organize regular club activities so the "Chapter Concept" was born. Chapter Chairs were assigned in October of 1999, and the role of these individuals is to act as a "contact" for local club activity. The list of chapter chairs was not available at the meeting. Peter recommended that each chapter commit to hosting one event for its regional members in the next year and he outlined a plan to provide club funds to event organizers to plan and pull these events off. The amount of money available to chapters would be based on size of membership in particular chapter. A motion was made to dedicate a portion of the treasury for this purpose, it was seconded and voted unanimously in favor of. A motion to adjourn was made, seconded and approved.

The first annual MNSC Hill challenge was a self-timed, self-regulated personal test of your grit and determination on a difficult course - Trail 27 at the Sugarloaf Outdoor Center. This trail includes rolling and curving terrain, but is predominantly an uphill course with several climbs including the widely feared "Headwall". This challenge is not about winning, its a one-on-one contest of you against the hill with no referee and no prize other than personal satisfaction in doing your best.

This years field was composed of Peter Brickley, Annette Brickley, Paul O'Brien, Karl Johnson, Sue Foster, and Rick Chalmers. Congratulations to all club members who took this hill on single handed and without a medical support team. As the season progressed, the lead changed hands several times, and it became clear that the final outcome of this challenge might be in serious question right up the end. There were many factors contributing to final results, but I'm sure all entrants would agree that your time was correlated with one or more of the following variables: snow temperature, snow consistency, air temperature, skis, wax choice, current VOmax, VOmax in your past life, breakfast cereal, tide height at the New Portland dam, and flavor of the month. As evidence for this uncertainty, consider that times for this approximately 4 km course differed by up to a factor of four.

By late March it looked like Karl Johnson had nailed the conditions on the right day, posting a impressive time of 18:07. In fact, it was rumored that Johnson had reserved a spot on his mantlepiece in the event that a trophy was actually offered. But at the tail end of March a challenge was presented from within Johnson's very household. Sue Foster, who was in the process of making an end-of-season charge onto the international racing scene, established herself as a hill-climbing power by shattering the

...continued on page 3

On Saturday, April 7th, nearly 30 (give or take a few dozen) nordic hashers

were initiated into the hashing faith. Hares Peter Brickley (club

president), Chris Dorion (treasurer) , and Annette Brickley set this rather remarkable course throughout the fields, bogs, glaciers, and trails of the Sugarloaf Outdoor Center in Carrabassett Valley, Maine, USA. To start off the event, Hare Chris gave a brief background talk for about 30 minutes on the history of hashing. It was conceived in the Far East (Hashing, not the talk), just

east of Washington County, by a group of British ex-patriots seeking to

re-create their fabled Sunday fox hunts on horses but faced with the steamy

jungles of horse-less, beagle-less, and fox-less Indonesia. Improvisation

ruled the day, and the modern Hash run evolved over the subsequent millennia and ice ages.

Following the cultural and geologic history, Hare Chris gave the time-tested

instructions of Hashing to the nordic skiers. "On, On; ON ON" they shouted in chorus, "Checking right, checking left, FALSE, and ARE YOU????" echoed off the western mountains of Maine. Further instructions included the mandatory trading down (in quality) of ski items found on the trails. "For example," Hare Chris explained slowly and patiently, in fine English, "If you reach the end of a false trail, marked by the universal symbol of an X, and find an old woolly mammoth grazing, you must ride the poor animal the rest of the Hash, or, as another example, if you find an old heavy oak and hickory ski, you must take off one of your light racing skis and trade down." The chirping of the chickadee, Maine's State Bird, signaled the start and off the hashers skated, first left, then right, then left, then right, then Hares Peter and Chris returned to the deck to check on the status of the post-Hash refreshments.

From the Hares' vantage point on the deck, Hashers were seen flailing

through the now-softened mid-morning corn snow of The Bog, which we used to call The Old Cedar Swamp, where the Hashers made a right turn about 5 minutes from the end of the 7th false trail on the left. 'But no, how could this be?' thought Hare Chris ° 'they are taking too long on the false

trails'. So, after finishing their game of chess, the Hares set out to intercept the Hashers. The Hares dutifully swept the course, clearing brush, debris, and TECs (Tail End Charlies). Proper trade-downs were observed and all rules of the International Monetary Fund were followed, especially regulations pertaining to junior Olympic qualifying races.

The FRBs (Front Running --------) arrived in approximately 57:25:03 after

the start with the TECs dragging their anchors about 5 minutes later through the tidal marshes. Cold refreshments were located in nearby glaciers while professional chef Rose Field prepared the day's repast on the grill. The FRBs were presented their marked toilet plungers, to be carried proudly at future Hashes. The foreshadowing, climax, denouement, and iambic pentameter of the long false trails was revealed by one of the FRBs, name withheld due to age, and was easily explained by confusion during the Hashing directions. It seems that the instruction section explaining the grand unification of Gauss's law of magnetism, the wave theory of light, and the riddle of the ice ages confused one of the FRBs, who proudly took it upon himself to remove all Xs from false trails, in the belief that they did not belong in the equation.

ON, ON,

Hare Chris Dorion

After some debate, it was deceided that this epic battle should not go unrecognized, or unrewarded. In addition, it was felt that Fosters victory on an old pair of mismatched boards waxed with used canning paraffin was more in keeping with the spirit of the Challenge. Foster was awarded the hastily purchased MNSC Hill Challenge trophy - a solid gold water bottle - in a ceremony at the clubs spring meeting. By the rules, the trophy must be worn by the current champion in next years challenge. Congratulations to everyone who entered the MNSC Hill Challenge, we hope to see you next year.

October 14, 10:00 am. The ever-popular Long Falls Dam Rollerski marathon. Meet at junction of Route 16 and 27 at Mortons Store in New Portland. A gradual ascent through beautiful fall scenery ending at Flagstaff Lake. The fall meeting of the MNSC will follow. Hosted by Karl Johnson (207) 237-6830 or outdoor@somtel.com.

November 11, The 3rd annual New England Rollerski championships in Cumberland, Maine. Hosted by the Coastal Nordic Ski club. Contact John Eldridge at (207) 829-4540, or jeldrid1@maine.rr.com.

December 9. On-snow masters ski clinic with former US and Canadian Olympic coach Marty Hall. This is a Sugarloaf Outdoor Center event. Details and registration fee TBA. Contact Sue Foster at (207) 237-6830, (207) 235-3121 or outdoor@somtel.com

Additions to the schedule can be posted to our web site, and distributed by email and by special publications. Contact Peter Brickley at (207) 990-0305, or Chris Dorion (web site) at (207) 866-7806.