Upcoming• Mid-Atlantic Bill Koch League Festival, Feb 24-26 at Old Forge It's BKL Festival season - low-key racing and lots of different kinds of non-racing fun on and off skis. Our friends at the Polar Bear Ski Club in Old Forge are hosting the Mid-Atlantic festival this year, with a Friday Night Lights prologue, a full day ski fest on Saturday and morning races on Sunday. Schedule and registration are here - should be a blast as a long weekend or as a Saturday day trip if your time is more limited.
No organized practice the weekend of Feb 18-19 as many of us are heading out of town for whiter skiing pastures. Bristol's snowmaking loop is fairly thin and icy after this ridiculous week, but should get refreshed with some snowmaking weather this Saturday and toward the end of next week. If you're looking to ski locally on your own, give their nordic center a call (374-1114)to get the skinny on skinny ski conditions (the website is usually pretty vague). • New England BKL Festival - March 4-5 in Craftsbury VT. A long drive, but so worth it for the ultimate in BKL Festivals - 500 or so kids from all over NY and New England, parents and friends celebrating the various ways to have fun on XC skis. Racing ranging from introductory to age-appropriate high-level, activities/adventures, great swag. Craftsbury throws a great ski party, and this should be on of the best festivals around. All the details here, register online by Friday Feb 24 (they'll let you register late, but it's more of a hassle for everyone). OngoingEquipment See our Equipment page for advice about what to get, and links to online stores.
• Used gear - now that the HFL Ski Swap has come and gone, check our club Facebook site for deals on hand-me-downs within the club. You may get lucky at Play it Again Sports, Goodwill, or the consignment sales at the Bristol Summit Center, but selection is hit-or-miss and prices tend to be higher. • New gear - visit Tom's Pro Bike in Victor (300 High Street) sells some new nordic gear, though selection may be limited in small sizes so would call ahead. Your best bet may be online ski stores, links to some are here. • Club loaner gear - we have an assortment of equipment that you may borrow, if we've got your size. If you've joined the club, can't find what you need at the Ski Swap, and are looking to borrow for a practice or for the season, please fill out the online form to let us know what you need. If you're a new skier who wants to try skiing out before deciding whether to join, email us (including shoe size, height, weight and age/experience level) and we'll see what we can do.
• Share the equipment, share the love. We want help make it easier for more kids to try out skiing and fall in love with it, and are looking to expand the club's fleet of loaner equipment. If you have used gear that you're looking to pass on, let us know!
Bristol Nordic Center season passes. Bristol's nordic center has trails with snowmaking at the top of the mountain (usually open by late December), and is where we ski when there's no good skiing on natural snow. Every year we go there often enough to make a season's pass worthwhile (6 or more times) - otherwise you'll need to buy a daily pass whenever you go. Order your season passes (parents, kids) at a slight discount ($95 vs $100) before 12/12, through the Group Login at the Bristol Mountain online store - username BILLKOCH and password BIL202. Note that kids 6 and under ski free with a paying adult (daily or season's passes).
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RXCSF WearNew for 2023! New-look RXCSF hats and headbands will be coming in early January. New race suits will also be available - if you're planning to rep RXCSF at races across NY and/or New England and are interested in borrowing a club race suit, or want to buy one of your own, let us know (size chart here). Prototype below, more info to come as the order is finalized. Classic RXCSF headwear (and some race suits) are also available while supplies last
Lend Us Your SkillsWe're an all-volunteer club, and the more who get involved the more fun we all have! Help out as an assistant coach (a great way to learn to ski better yourself), help organize kids at practice, help manage loaner gear, take and share photographs, help organize the ski festival - there are many ways to help. If you've got a skill you'd like to share, let us know!
Support your local ski organization• Our parent organization Rochester XC Ski Foundation (RXCSF) provides grooming, trail maintenance and insurance to support our program and Rochester area skiing in general - check the main RXCSF site for updates on conditions as new snow falls, and become a supporter for a tax-deductible donation to further the cause.
•. NYSSRA organizes festivals, racing on a state-wide level and provides insurance for our club events - all BKL kids should join (free for the first year, $5 for kids after that, $45 for the whole family - membership or $5 one-day licenses are required for all NYSSRA-sanctioned races and events). Highlights from winters past |
