Iron Maiden Eve

The fatted calf has been slaughtered and the race socks have been hung by the chimney with care. IT's IMT EVE BOYS AND GIRLS!!!!!

The media buildup has been hitting a fever pitch this past week as teams prepare for the "Queen of the Classics", the "Summertime Showdown", The "Beast of the East", The "War up North"....(alright...you get the point.) HURT Nordic has long pegged the IMT as the most important race of the summer and it has been through continuous focus, "Stanley camps", rollerski sessions and secret HURT training that this year's squad feels more fit, more powerful and more geared up for the win.

With hopes of repeating as IMT team champions, HURT will field a tough team of Austin Huneck, Brian Halligan, Dave Kvam and Tim Huneck. (plus...perhaps one or two secret competitors that the Director is keeping close to the chest). With new IMT team scoring and valuable points preems littered around the course this year's IMT looks to be one of the most intriguing competitions of the season.

We sat down with the fearsome foursome to talk about their thoughts on the race and some team strategy.

HRT: So what do you think of the new team scoring this year?

Tim Huneck: I think this bodes well for our team score. If we can get a group coming fast off the run there is a real potential to group up and fly through the bike course gobbling up the preems. HURT has done a nice job off the run in the past and it may play to our advantage.

HRT: So Kvam....where's your head at? Are you prepared to finish this time or are you yet again channelling your inner Andy Schleck?

Kvam: wow.....ouch.....Where's my brother?

Halligan: HEY NOW! Look....I know what your getting at....He hasn't been able to put together a complete race. But remember....we are team! and a really fit one at that. If Dave collects preems and is able to work together with Austin and I on the bike perhaps he sets us up perfectly for a 1-2-3 podium? If we all go out fighting each other it may leave gaps for Rose and some of the other Peru powerful. I think the team win is way more important to Dave.

HRT: Well...Dave...is it?

Kvam: ummm....Where's my brother?

HRT: uhhhhh.....ok.

Austin: Bottom line.....we want the team win, we all want the individual win, we want the 1-2-3. It's gonna be a war and you don't want to miss this. We'll see you there!!!!

HRT: Well...you heard it hear folks. That's the report from the HRT news room. We are packing the van and heading up north. Tune in for full reports and team interviews post race. Don't forget to tune in to our new post race segment "Ask HUR-BKE" where we answer your questions about the Iron Maiden and the Hill Of Death.


Can Schleck....I mean Kvam....wait, I mean Schleck....NO KVAM! Can Kvam finish off the race and sit atop the podium?

HURT nordic ski camp: HURT in the HEAT

90 degrees! psssh... 95! whatevs.......100?!? Its gonna take more than that to keep the up and coming NYS skiers from getting after at West Mountain.



It was a bench mark weekend for HURT nordic in their quest to dominate the nordic skiing world. This weekend was the first ever HURT nordic ski camp. With help of numerous team members, volunteers, local nordic families and talented coaches from around the region, 31 juniors were treated to a weekend of bounding, running, hiking, rollerskiing, swimming and full on nordic immersion. The HRT newsroom was on hand to see the Director lead the legions.

The focus of this camp was bringing skiers together from all across NY, along with skiers from New England, so that they can train together, challenge each other and create bonds in the nordic community.

The weekend featured an uphill Time Trial from the East Slope Lodge up to the top chair lift. The kids put down some huge efforts and the first running of this race saw some new records set. Check them out....set your goals and we'll see you running next year!

Jason H: 14:36 (World Record Holder)
Ben A: 15:03 (Top Junior Boy)
Adam L: 15:34
Reed L: 15:37
Will F: 15:55
Marco: 17:16
Peter: 17:23
Austin H: 18:16
Brian: 18:45
Eric: 19:05
John: 19:20
Matt: 20:23
Aaron: 20:36
Alex: 21:07
Seth: 21:08
Chase: 21:17
Margot: 21:18 (Top Junior Girl)
Alex Jospe: 21:43
Robbie: 22:04
Ethan: 22:36
Becky: 23:52
Meg: 24:01
Karina: 24:33
Dylan: 24:55
Clara: 27:17
Emily 28:58
Sarah D: 28:59
Amy 28:59
Sarah 30:06
Emily 36:35


Check out the video recap of the weekend:

The Director vs. the pavement (you should fee bad for the pavement!)

West Mountain Preview

The Director is deep in final preparations for the upcoming HURT junior development camp at West Mountain. Both the Huneck boys plan to flex their summer training muscles at this years camp and in order to pump up the 20+ athletes who plan to attend the camp (and in order to set a little fear in his greatest rivals) the Director sent out his scouts Dave Kvam and Tim Huneck to run the course that will be used for the uphill Time Trial. Bring your mountain goat legs people....You'll ride the pain train up this one.

Enjoy the video.

And if you don't have Mountain Goat Legs.....try shopping for them at one of our four camp sponsors

Inside Edge Ski and Bike

The Sportspage Ski and Patio

Stewarts Shops (I think they have them right behind the beef jerky)

or

Price Chopper (also near the beef jerky)

Where Is The Director?

Has this new mysterious Stanley overthrown The Director?

The Director has been missing in action lately, as his team ramps it up for the upcoming West Mountain Training Camp.

Where are you fearless leader?

Stewart and Stanley

It has been a busy week at the HRT news room as summer has officially kicked off and HURT skiers are in full-on summer training mode. Reporters here have been spread thin keeping up with all things HURT. Running and bike miles have been logged, rollerski workouts completed and this week even saw HURT sages Roger Henry, Alec Davis and Joan Henry give intro lessons in canoe racing to M1 skier, David Kvam. When asked about his dabbling in a new endurance sport, Kvam replied "I thought after 30 minutes of canoeing I'd be able to double pole like Santor. It turns out, I was mistaken, damn....does this mean I have to buy a boat?...what are they...like 5 bucks?"

As we begin the countdown to the West Mountain Challenge: Junior Nordic Ski Camp on July 22nd we are happy to report that INSIDE EDGE SKI AND BIKE SHOP and THE SPORTSPAGE have been joined by STEWARTS SHOPS as official sponsors of this years camp. STEWARTS has graciously donated a number of pre and post training beverages to our skiers. The bevy of beverages will be available for our athletes who want some morning refreshment, an afternoon vitamin C kick, or post-run protein/calcium jolt. So if you like juices or milk....and free juices or milk....sign up today for the HURT junior nordic ski camp. Please be sure to have your registration form in to Dave by July 17th. Thanks to Stewarts for placing its name on this soon-to-be memorable weekend.

STEWARTS RULES!!! By the way.....join the milk club.....the Director does it.*



*There has been no conformation of the Director's involvement in the Stewart's milk club.

This week has also seen the HRT newsroom uncover a top secret operation developed in the deep bellows of the Director's elite underground training compound. We have little evidence of what actually happened this past week but we have uncovered a top-secret dossier simply entitled "Stanley Camp". Again, we know little about this operation and we sent a number of our best men and women reporters/paparazzi into the field to dig up answers. We were able procure a few fuzzy photographs from our HURT news blimp and after a great deal of research and several thousand ruples in bribes paid off we are able to release the following information.

"It appears, after months of negotiations, the Director has hired a Russian expatriate to serve as "Grand-Zcar-of-Junior-Development-and-Alternative-Training-Methods". The Director simply refers to his new head coach as "STANLEY". There is speculation that this is simply an acronym for the Russian Phrase "Sloyvokiv Tif Anukk Nief Loshoiuniv Ei Youarif" which means "Ski Fast or I will cattle-prod your a$&" It is guessed that this no-nonsense coach is in fact Youri Vouseliv who is the brother, of the cousin's husband of Yelena Vyalbe the Russian FIS official who has been dealing with allegations of a doping scandal on the Russian ski team. It is unclear whether this is of any significance at all. Whatever the case may be, "Stanley" held a multi-day development camp this past week. From the grainy photographs we received it appears that the camp may have included lessons in "levitation", "disk ballet" and "raising your arms in victory". All this seems to be aimed toward preparing HURT young guns for the ability to levitate over the Hill of Death and act victorious at the upcoming Iron Maiden Triathlon in Peru. We were fortunate to get one grainy photo of the new development coach as he watches disapprovingly as his new athletes go through the learning curve. Needless to say, the dynamic and fearsome Director has added a very powerful and intimidating wing-man. Skiers be warned."





"Who is STANLEY?"

Keep your eye on the HURT blog as we get closer to our HURT Junior Development ski camp. COUNTDOWN IS ON!