Young Local Skiers at BKL Ski Festival

WATERVILLE, Me. – Every year 1st to 8th graders from across the Northeast gather for two days of skiing, games, and socializing as part of Bill Koch League (BKL) Ski Festival. The event rotates between the states and this years’ event took place at the Quarry Road Trails in Waterville, Me., March 1 and 2 with over 550 participants. Twenty-five Craftsbury Ski Club (CSC) youth took part, including Eliza Bakeman, Andrew Sheehan, Eleanor Hammond, Hollis Allen, Petra Stewart, Christopher Stewart, Fern Hammond, Scarlett Podolin, Henry Young, Ruthie Podolin, Winter Pelland, Enid Hammond, Scarlett Pelland, Joe Krebs, Finn Nunnery, Willa Nunnery, Salvador Doyle, Teddy Harvey, Emmerson McCarthy, Bea Johnson, Oakley Crawford, Elliot Stewart, Sam Koshak, James Kehler and Isaac Nadzaam.

Enid Hammond skis on chilly day in the BKL Festival classic individual race in the grade 1-2 division.
photo by Martha Hammon

First up were the two-person relays divided up by grade level 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, and 7-8. Divide these up by boys and girls and that makes for a lot of races. When the kids were not racing, they could try laser biathlon, ski in the terrain park with jumps, bumps, and turns, learn about animal tracks and winter adaptations, and ski the mini-marathon course. Individual races took place on Sunday.

A bunch of the Craftsbury Ski Club youth in costume carry the NE Vermont banner at the BKL Ski Festival in Waterville, Me., March 1.
photo by Martha Hammond

Craftsbury Academy Graduate Finn Sweet 2nd at NCAA Championships

HANOVER, N.H. – Two Craftsbury Ski Club skiers, Finn Sweet and Jack Young, showed their stuff at NCAA Championships hosted by Dartmouth College. Sweet, a senior at UVM, made the podium finishing 2^nd in the 7.5 km classic race behind Dartmouth’s John Steele Hagenbuch. Young (Colby College) placed 14th. Two days later in the 20 km mass start skate race, Young placed 14th overall and was the 4th fastest eastern skier. Ten of the top 14 spots were taken by western college skier, many of whom are Europeans. Sweet settled for 24th in the mass start. The classic race was Finn’s best race of his college career, and the result earned him All–American honors. It was fitting for these two to both have solid last races of their college careers, as they have skied together over the past decade from middle school to now.