Feb. 4th and 5th.....a new monster is born

Desperate for snow and for a ski race, the Director loaded his team in the HURT wagon and drove to Stowe, VT to compete in the Eastern Cup at Trapps. He pulled no punches and brought a laundry list of competitors for the Saturday 10K classic, Sunday 10K skate race. Making the trek to Vermont was Chirs Yarsevich, Dave PK, Austin Huneck, Tim Huneck, Brian Halligan, the Director himself, Adam Luban, Ed Luban and Emma Underwood. The move was not without controversy though. By taking large amounts of his team out of state he made an opportunity for other NYSSRA clubs to jump out to a massive points lead if they chose to compete in the Empire State Game weekend at the Lake Placid jumping complex.

The team in Vermont suffered from lack of racing, but were still able to turn in some solid results. Full results can be seen here. Top performers on Saturday were Austin Huneck (154th)), Emma Underwood (149th) and THE DIRECTOR with a podium finish in the Bill Koch race! In Sunday's skate race Adam Luban lead the team with a 131st place finish.

Critics of the Director saw this as a foolish and a somewhat arrogant move as he openly said the he "felt he could afford to give his top rivals the points with still ample opportunity to make up ground before season end". One unnamed HURT member felt like this was a huge mistake and went out of his/her way to undermine the direct orders of the Director. Since the team's inception, this type of brazen disobedience has never been seen. The Director has always ruled with an iron fist and nobody had thought to test it.

We here at the HRT newsroom did a little digging and a thanks to a mysterious leak (let's call him deep-klister) we recovered the following document which apparently was sent out to all of HURT's fastest females. It appears that they were directed to go to Lake Placid and sweep up the medals at the skate prologue, Ski-O race and Classic 5K. (We suspect that Emma was dragged to Vermont kicking and screaming by her father, and that is why her race performance had her kicking up the hills and going screaming-fast down them)


Bottom line....the HURT's ladies (Sarah Duclos, Amy Duclos, Jill Kozoil) responded to the directive and delivered big at Empires. And in doing so, a new monster was born. Not three heads this time.....but a fierce, twin, Ducl-o-licious fire breathing juggernaut of scholastic race speed. Both Sara and Amy Duclos stomped up the podium catching medal, after medal, after medal, after medal. (x6) It was impressive, inspiring and a little scary. At least for the Director.....someone on his team is looking to start a coup.....and they wield much of the female power.

I guess we have Jessie Diggins, Kikki, and "fast and female" to thank for the new developments in US skiing. HURT is no exception

(visual approximation of the Duclos sisters)

Is the Director's power slipping away?
Who is the man/women behind the mask?
Has the Director thrown away his three-peat?

Many questions still remain in the 2012 nordic campaign. Stay tuned.....and enjoy the February rollerskiing??!!??

Visual approximation of the new leader to be?


Full results to Empires can be found here. Congrats to all the athletes from HURT who raced this weekend in VT or at Empires (Eric Hamilton, Rene Clarke, Jill Kozoil, Brian Chrzan, Matt Tornianen, Dave PK, Chris Y, Adam L, Brian H, Austin H, Aaron H, Mike Halligan, Tim Huneck, Ed Luban, Emma Underwood, Sara D, Amy D....I think that's it.....phew)