Proving he knows how to do more than send people into battle, HURT Director Aaron dominated the family Battling Tops tournament the day after Christmas. The youngest of 19 competitors, Aaron cruised through the brackets, defeating two adult cousins and both parents on his way to the championship.
In this picture, Aaron shows his steely gaze as he prepares to launch his top in the final round.
Aaron stayed focused throughout despite much taunting and numerous attempts to distract him. "I wanted to show my team how it's done," said Aaron. "Don't worry about the competition, trust your training, keep your eyes on the goal. None of these people believed in me, yet I knew I could win."
For anyone who doesn't know, Battling Tops is a game from the late 60s. It's no longer made, but thanks to the wonders of technology you can find it on ebay for only 10 or 12 times what it cost back then.
"It's a great way to prepare for competition," said Aaron, "especially since all it ever does around here is rain and the boys can't ski."
The World famous Christmas 5K in Osceloa, NY saw a huge turnout from HURT skiers and may have given the team a substantial edge in the quest for the NYSSRA club championship. While NYSEF had a solid turnout yet again and may have added to their early season lead, HURT stormed passed idle Peru and had 9 skiers earn massive points in the todays 5K event. The HURT team bus brought Chris Yarsevich, Tim and Austin Huneck, Dave Kvam and Justin Tetlow and they were joined at the race by Adam and Ed Luban, Doug Diehl and Matt Torniainen. (HURT team bus....slightly modified)
Team Director Aaron was psyched to send his boys out on a near-perfect day to ski on the finest snow NY has to offer in the early weeks of the season. The climbers course was no match for the speed Aaron sent into action today. (Team director Aaron was conspicuously absent from todays race but TMZ earlier reported that he was seen driving a garbage truck West on 90 to reportedly "pick up all that trash" that the RNR boys had been talking.)
We caught up with Aaron just outside Macedon via cell phone and asked him about the days events.
Q: So Aaron...your thoughts on the day?
A: Well RNR brought some muscle today and Chad didn't disappoint....I was pleased with Kvam's 2nd place effort and speedy 12:20 but quite frankly....we haven't got our special-Russian-made-HURT-uniforms in the mail yet so I really didn't expect him to take him down in his first race. Other than that...Rochester doesn't scare me too bad...I mean....I beat the Donkey Kong game on like my fourth try...and that was with no cheat codes, power boosts or banana-wammas.....I mean seriously...that game is like so 2001.... Honestly I am really psyched.....Yarsevich ripped through the M1 category and was joined in very solid performances by Diehl, Tetlow, Torniainen and the Lubans. The race of the day had to be from my big brother who turned in a solid second place in the J2 race...and more importantly....beat my father....for the first time ever.....This is the one part of the day that concerns me. If my brother becomes the alpha male in household it could be a long winter for us all.
Q: How do you feel about the mysterious absence of all of Peru?
A: Its a huge early season advantage for us. But I have been around this block before and I know that their director is a crafty veteran with more than one trick up his scull-laden sleeve. Perhaps its just strategy....rest now...wup-ass later. Or perhaps its a move designed to lull us into a false sense of security....I dunno. All I know is we plan on keeping the pedal to the metal and gun for those speedsters from NYSEF.
Q: What are your training plans between now and Christmas?
A: top secret....but I will tell you this...I am personally taking all of Justin's christmas cookies....no more excuses!
Seven HURT members rendezvoused at their secret training grounds to find perfectly groomed skate lanes and super fast conditions with no bare spots and a firm base. The team did 8 x 3.5 minutes intervals on a crazy course, featuring two big down and ups along with some sharp turns and one huge step turning 270 degree high speed oval. It was like roller derby on skis, complete with a few good crashes. It was great!
Race #1 is in the books and now it is time to consider your own plans for racing in the weeks ahead...What races will you do? Where will you travel too? When will you peak? Whatever you do, plan to be in Chestertown on February 14th for the 1st annual TRI-HURT-ATHON. This combination sprint/pursuit race will test all three facets of your racing. It will be an event not to be missed with great skiing, great food, cash prizes, and a full day of nordic events. Check out the official race site at http://www.hurtnordic.netne.net/trihurtathon.html
HURT Team Director Aaron sent his boys to the NYSEF season opener Sunday and he was not disappointed. The master's race was a showdown between HURT and Peru, with both clubs putting four skiers in the top 10. Doug Diehl led the HURT parade, finishing 2nd overall and 2nd MM5. He was joined by Martin Donelly-Heg, 2nd MM3; Chris Yarsevich, 1st MM1; Tim Huneck, 3rd MM5; Andy Farry, 3rd MM2; and Dave Burt, 2nd MM6.
Justin Tetlow mixed it up with the college kids and came away with a strong 4th place in the SR race.
HURT young studs Austin Huneck and Brian Halligan finsihed 3rd and 4th respectivley in the J2 race, coming in on the heels of two older and highly touted NYSEF racers.
All this translated into major points for HURT, which made the director happy.
"I knew my team was ready," said Aaron. "They've been skiing on slush and ice across golf courses and soccer fields all week. Clearly, that prepared them for the Ladies 5K loop."
Aaron was also not fazed by having his team ski the most difficult course of the year the first time they were on real snow.
"That course isn't so tough," he said. "Those ladies from the Soviet Union and East Germany didn't complain when they used it in the Olympics. The fact that they only had to do it once and that they were, technically, men is irrelevant. I would have come and skied it myself if my soccer team didn't need me."
With a cunning decisive move, Team Director Aaron sacrifices his personal wax booty for the team.
"Instead of winning all my backyard sledding races this year in dominating fashion, I have decided to donate 2 Kilos of Swix LF6 to my team. This will help eliminate some of their lazy boy excuses! Therefore, when they don't sweep the podium, I can really let them have it."
Aaron added "Oh yeah....AND we just officially added one of Poestenkill's most dominant athletes EVER-that-I-can-remember-hearing-of"
Aaron was referring to the official addition of Mr. Jay Thomas...cyclist turning nordic stud....who was added to the official team roster at http://www.hurtnordic.netne.net/RaceTeam.html
Several other folks have verbally committed their souls to the HURT nordic brigade but without a picture and electronic commitment the roster cannot be completed....so if thats you, send a jpg version of yourself to hurtnordic@gmail.com
Eight dedicated HURT members braved the cold and fresh snow on Sunday morning to clean up 2km of Crandall Park trails. Team HURT quickly discovered this was a bigger job than just one day. Many limbs were cut back, making the trail wider and opening up the trail for the snow. It appeared that some of the trails had not been cut back since the Nixon administration. The "Mayor of Medicare" Rene Clark stated that he remembered when some of these trees were just samplings, back before "the horseless carriage."
Don't forget, the Crandall Park work party is scheduled for 9am Sunday 12/6/09. Meet behind the Inside Edge. Please bring any pruners, saws, shovels, rakes, etc you might have.
The plan will be to trim low hanging branches to maximize snowfall and to fill any holes, erosion, etc.
Team Director Aaron will have no slacking like pictured above! "That's right, be prepared to get dirty and work hard!"
December brings excitement to ski racers in NY because it means flakes are in the air and competition is on the mind. While SOME nordic teams from around the state are JUST STARTING to outline a training plan for the weeks leading into the NYSSRA season, other teams like HURT are amping up their dedication and focus towards stomping through the nordic season events. In a week that saw some of the states first accumulated snow, Aaron sent out his plans to each of his skiers to fine tune their skills and train their weaknesses.
His first move was to test the speed of his two running studs, Dave Kvam and Chris Yarsevich in the Chris Dailey Turkey Trot 5K in Saratoga. The 17:16 and 18:02 respectively show that his guys are ready to handle the race pressure on a course that features a lot of steady climbing and a field of speedy juniors.
His second move on saturday was to scope out the training grounds the arch rival Peru will use in the upcoming weeks. In a stealthy and spontaneous move he sent his father Tim and Dave up to the Whiteface highway to get their first snow legs and climb the toll road to the castle. They were greeted with changing snow conditions and a solid 8 percent grade as they made their way up and down.
Identifying weaknesses is really what Aaron is all about and having studied hours of tape from his Syracuse contingent he noted they needed work on cornering on technical downhills. He was quoted as saying "I see strength, speed and consistency from Adam and Ed but when they corner they look like Bambi on a frozen pond....HEY! what a great idea...I'll send them to rollerski on a frozen pond! As you can see from the photo evidence....the Syracuse boys obeyed the ruthless team director without complaint and gained valuable experience skiing that will be put to good use on hard icy conditions.....and they gained a little toughness too....
Finally...Weekly Wednesday training has stepped up to new levels of ferocity and intensity as his boys continue to roll through hill repeats skating, striding and with power double poling. Each wednesday brings faster times, improved efficiency, and form that is just waiting for snow.
