Under the most magical snow conditions in recent memory, the Rochester Cross-Country Ski Foundation hosted the NYSSRA Mid-Atlantic Bill Koch Ski Festival on March 2nd and 3rd. Bristol Mountain’s Nordic ski facility proved to be the perfect venue for 91 skiers from NY, PA, and MD. This annual championship event caps off a winter of ski training and racing for children 5-13. Races in both skate and classic technique were held, along with a fun agility sprint that included zipping around cones, launching of a ski jump, and maneuvering around gates.
As the name Festival attests, fun holds center stage at this event, which Rochester has the privilege of hosting about every 5 years. Pervious festivals have been held in Lake Placid, Old Forge, and Lapland lakes in the Adirondacks; and Highland Forest and Osceola in Central, NY. Rochester’s theme this year was “Ski Fest in the West”, which provided plenty of opportunity for young skiers to show off their cowboy and cowgirl attire and participate in western-themed games such as barrel racing. The weekend concluded with a cowpoke bbq on Sunday, complete with hot potatoes with lots of fixin’s!
Parents interested in exposing their children to the sport of Nordic skiing should check out the RXSCF website (www.rxcsf.org) or the NYSSRA Bill Koch page for a club in your area. RXSCF will post information in the fall about their annual kickoff event in November. For results from the Bill Koch festival please visit http://www.nyssranordic.com/bkyslresults.html
Comments are closed