The Gun Show

The World Cup race season started today and snow flakes were in the sky today as Director Kozoil checked his morning email correspondence.  Things were all going to plan......Then in a shocking and jarring twist he learned that the greatest threat to HURT's nordic winter 4-peat may not be from the mighty barbaric hordes of skiing-dead from Peru, or from the speedy black suited ninja-skiers from Rochester......but it may just be from the SOUTH!  The island of Manhattan may prove to be breeding ground for the most formidable threat yet.....and I'm not talking about bankers and lawyers.

The following correspondence was deciphered by the crack intel team at HURT nation.....


"another bee in my bonnet ... A five person MNSC crew had a fun day trip to the Kingston rollerski race on Sunday. But here's the thing ... There's a team from near there called HURT Nordic. They all used "doped" rollerskis -- that is to say their hard wheels and fast bearings allowed them to stand up and lolligag in sections where we "undoped" wheels skiers had to hammer the V2s.....were only able to take 5th and 6th, a minute behind the guy in a bike jersey who won the thing. HURT is claiming "domination" of this event ... So, as a club, we must do something about this! I propose the Harry Eldridge races (Jan 5 and 6 at Lake Placid) may serve as the real "Gun Show at Van Ho," where the absurd advantage of doped wheels is eschewed for pure fitness. It's a 7.5k skate on Saturday and a 10k classic on Sunday. I say we get some people together and rent a house. The score must be settled!"

In response, The Director has issued the following statement....

"HURT nation!  It is time to go to the GUN SHOW!  Let's aim to get the biggest and fastest HURT turnout up to Lake Placid for the Harry Eldridge races.  I know many of you won't be able to race on Saturday because of the high school race held in Glens Falls, but let's aim to bring a force at least 25 strong to Sunday's event.  Let's flex our nordic muscle once and for all and show that our "wheel doped" roller skiers and our "undoped" rollerskiers (of which there were quite a few who tore it up at Kingston) are ready to toe the line with anyone from anywhere.  Put it on your calendar today!

Oh...and besides....we know someone who has a lot of experience with gun shows."

See you in Placid!

Oh....Peru and Rochester....you should come too.

HURT swarms on Kingston

In the largest team showing ever, HURT nordic brought their depth and talent to the Kingston Nordic Rollerski Race and rolled away with the team title for the 4th straight year.  Expectations were high with most of HURT top guns making it down to the race and some of them sporting "technology enhanced" rollerskis.  It was looking especially exciting among the junior men as top guns Austin Huneck and Brian Halligan looked for their first of many opportunities to battle for the top spot this season and a speedy and fit Adam Luban and Seth Mares looking to spoil the party.  In the classic 5K the team was able to feast on the 2-9 spots across the finish line. It was a heartbreaking loss for Austin Huneck as he gave up the inside line on the final turn to allow his much more senior rival, Jospeh Iwan, to spoil the party for the HURT fans.  In the skate race, it was "HURT for a day" dad-extraordinaire who came to bat and snatched the 10K race from the hungry Iwan.  The skate rac was no picnic for the HURT-pack as the Manhattan Nordic trio of Donahue, Love and Herz stole the 5, 6 and 11 spot from the nine HURT skiers who made up the top 15. Director Kozoil was unable to make it down to the race but we caught up with him via satellite after the race.

HRT: Your wheel-doped dynamic duo fell a little short today. Do you take responsibility?  Are you setting yourself, your team and your skiers to be just another big "second-best" team?

Director Kozoil: "I resent this type of "gotcha-journalism". Have a little class like that guy on fasterskier who goes to Colombia. He was even there today....why don't you get him to run this interview...then it might be worth reading.  Anyway....no it's not my fault and my team has never been more ready this early in the season.  Yeah we had a couple bobbles here and there today...bad lines, missed attacks etc. but it is the warm up to the race season.  You don't see Petter Northug winning in Mounio do you? Trust me...we are going to be on this year.  We are bigger than ever, added more talent and are fired up for the snow season.  I loved what I saw from our new additions and it is game on.  My team is hungry for wins and this day will do nothing but fire us up."

Enjoy the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4IZoglbdKA

Odd Makers Odds - Kingston Edition: Gathering Momentum

Welcome to the latest installment of HURT Nordic's race previews! Here we break down what to expect from the HURT Nordic Ski Team’s cross-country athletes on the world-championship-of-kingston-high-school-international-rollerski-stage in 2012.

With the pre-World Cup races in Muonio, Finland kicking off the race season for much of the top talent in the U.S. (and those races being covered by much more capable journalists at fasterskier.com) we here in the HRT newsroom can comfortably set our eyes on the domestic race scene in Catskill region of NY.  Now is a good time to take stock of what happened last season, what might happen this race season and what most certainly will transpire at the single largest rollerski race held at Kingston High school in the country. When it was time to write this preview a year ago, HURT athletes were gearing up for a very different winter. The most hyperbolic thing I could say was that Kikkan Randall’s two sprint wins from the season prior was evidence that the U.S. was carrying “serious momentum” into the season....and HURT nordic was also doing ski related things as well. ****

Well the same is true now... and nothing kicks off the 2012-13 race season like the annual trip to the "flatest-fastest-roughest,-toughest-5K classic-10K skate combo-swag-fest-race" known lovingly as the "Kingston Rollerski Race" (We had trouble coming up with a more creative moniker). HURT nordiques love this race and have consistently brought large numbers of race hungry skiers down to the event.  This year is no different and HURT is looking to bring it's largest, most talented, most heavily wheel doped team in the history of history.  We caught up with just a few of the local HURT talent to interview them about the upcoming race as they work their way through final preparations. 

HRT: So Austin Huneck, You've had some success at this race in the past as well as some legendary technical issues.  Have you worked out those problems and how do you feel going into the weekend?

AH: "Well I think I finally worked out the kinks in my "invisible-no-friction" bearing system that was only in the testing phase last year.  I hope to finish upright and with wheels at the front of the pack."

Odds: 5:1 that A.Huneck finishes with at least one pole and one wheel

HRT: Brian Halliagan, history has shown that you are willing and able to try different race strategies to ensure your success in this race.  Your plan to draft off the fresh, rookie 7th grade-girl-talent at the back of the pack last year really paid off big for you.  Any plans for this race?

BH: I have been experimenting with a parachute drop onto the starting line....thinking it might confuse the competition and give me a quick jump off the line.  I been really into the whole "bond" thing lately and I think he might be on to something.

Odds: 7:1 Brian finds a way to draft Austin's invisible wheels and he'll be on the podium at least once. 

HRT: MDH and Chris Yarsevich, as veteran, highly skilled top performers how do feel about the HURT young studs are following in the fast-wheel footsteps.  Martin, you've been advocating this for years and now it has become the trend and Chris, as a technologies specialist do you have any new race technologies in the works.  

MDH and Chris:     Robotics.  I won't say what or where....but trust me.  robotics.

Odds: 5:1 MDH and Chris will find a way to a) be on the podium b) or use a robot. 

HRT: Seth Mares, you recently finished in a position at the CRNA tune-up race to win the fall rollerski series.  What will this mean for you and the start of your race season?

SM: It is without a question the BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT I will ever have in my CAREER for events held on November 18th in Kingston!!!!!!! I could not be more stoked. 

Odds: 18:1 Seth will get hit by a an errant soccer ball.  

HRT: DPK and Adam Luban...seriously guys....what is the deal with not doping your skis? are you asking to lose? 

DPK and AL: We really liked Brian Halligan's strategy last year of drafting off the back of the field.  I think it will pay off big for us.  dope or no dope we are in it to win it. 

Odds: 6:1 Adam still makes it on the podium ... and DPK finishes in the top 300.

HRT: Ed, Sean and Tim, as veterans of this race, and many race seasons, are there aspects of this race that you focus on that perhaps the younger skiers discount? 

E,S,T: It is all about the final turn around the cone.  If you don't know what we're talking about....you aren't a real veteran.

Odds: 4:1 they make it around the cone.....at least at the start of the race. 

HRT: Duclos Sisters, as the lone representatives of the HURT laydz division how do think this race will go for you?

S.D. and A.D.: Well, you see, we are the two most angry, aggressive, take-no-prisioners skiers on HURT and we have no problem turning this into a rollerski blood-bath.  We plan on taking everybody out and skiing casually and beautifully to the finish.  I expect us to be 1-2 in each race.  or actually 1-1.  

Odds: we have no doubt.

SEE YOU SUNDAY!!!!!!!

*****Thanks to Audrey M. at fasterskier for the inspirato.

 http://fasterskier.com/2012/11/american-world-cup-preview-gathering-momentum/

A full November

November is an exciting time in HURT nation....high school nordic programs are ramping up, cold temps at night, flakes begin to pop up in the weather forcasts and skiers get that dreamy look in their eyes when they think about the possibility of Thanksgiving snow.  Director Kozoil knows it can also be a frustrating time for training....dark comes early, cold rains, and after months of rollerskiing everyone is ready for the real thing. In order to make the month go by fast, the Director wants to encourage you to join the team for some of the upcoming November events.

November 9th, 10th and 11th : the annual Festival of Pain.  See the official FOP flyer posted below. These are non-sanctioned training events and each participant assumes the risk of training, pain, injury, having too much fun.....and bears.

November 17th:  Trail work in Glens Falls.  A lot of work has been started at Crandall Park but there is still a lot to do.  Chips to be spread, cut back stuff and clearing sticks after Sandy. All helpers assume the risks of doing work in the woods....and bears

November 18th: Kingston Rollerski race. One of the best rollerski races around.  Tons of fun, tons of prizes, great expo, come and be part of the HURT domination. Email Chris Y, to let him know you will race for HURT as soon as you can.

That should get you to that Thanksgiving ski!  (fingers crossed)

Watch out for bears.