Author: Jason Hettenbaugh
It was another great winter for RNR athletes. With the return of USSA Junior Nationals, this season was as important as ever for athletes who are skiing at a high level. Due to the cancellation, after 1 race, of the Junior Nationals in the spring of 2020 and the complete cancellation of Junior Nationals in 2021 everyone was looking forward to getting back to the big show!
Continue readingAuthor: Jim Pippin
I hope everyone has been enjoying the 2022 Beijing Olympics, especially the Nordic skiing events. Jackie had the pleasure of discussing some of the local Olympians from our area with Ruth Hayes, a legend in the Rochester Nordic skiing palmarès, and has put together a very interesting article from her discussion. Stina Bridgeman from the Rochester Orienteering Club provides a look at “Ski-O” which is a great way to enjoy an afternoon with friends for fun or even participate in some competitive events. Lastly, local skier Todd Williams and his family share their experience participating in the 2021 virtual Canadian Ski Marathon and provide details for this year’s event.
Continue readingAuthors: Jaclyn Masci & Ruth Hayes
In the spirit of the Olympics, we wanted to highlight the skiers from our area who have competed in past Olympics. I had the pleasure of speaking with Ruth Hayes recently about these former Olympians. Ruth deserves full credit for the information presented here. She shared incredible stories, some dating back to when these Olympians were mere middle school students. We hope you enjoy this read and come out of it with maybe a touch more pride for our local xc ski community. Many great skiers have come out of our community in years past and, with continued support of the sport, there will be more in the years to come.
Continue readingAuthor: Stina Bridgeman
Ski orienteering combines the map-based navigation sport of orienteering with cross-country skiing. Participants use a detailed topographic map showing ski trails, water features (streams, marshes, ponds), clearings, buildings, and other landmarks in order to navigate to a series of checkpoints. Unlike summer forms of orienteering, all of the checkpoints are on trails – if you can use a trail map, you can do ski orienteering! It’s a great way to explore new areas, or to see familiar places with a different perspective.
Continue readingThe Canadian Ski Marathon (CSM) runs from Feb 5 – March 20. The most important thing to know is that the CSM is NOT a race! It is a celebration of winter and the community of Nordic Skiers. In it’s 56th year, the CSM will be virtual again which makes for a great opportunity to extend the season and set new goals for skiers. Read the full feature from local skier Todd Williams in the attached PDF below.
Continue readingSome snow and cold have finally arrived here this week. Here’s hoping we get a long cold snap and more snow for us to get out there and start grooming trails. I have some unfortunate news about our trail signage initiative at Harriet Hollister Spencer State Recreation Area. The State didn’t get enough time to review our proposal and issue authorization this fall so we could order and install the new signs. We will work with the State to make sure that happens in time for next season. We will also continue our discussions with Monroe County Parks and try to complete our trail signage plans for those parks next year/season as well.
Continue readingAuthor: Vince Daniele, RXCSF Donor (Pittsford, NY)
Attention skiers, parents of skiers, and grandparents of skiers. Are you aware that RXCSF can accept charitable contributions that are in addition to the “Supporter Levels” listed on the website? It’s true. You can support the organization by making charitable contributions in several ways, including donating online, or printing the donation form found on the website and mailing the form and a check to RXCSF. However, if you are 70 1/2 years of age, or older, what may be better than writing a check or donating online is using money from your IRA to make a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) to RXCSF, which, in addition to helping the organization, can help you reduce your taxes and your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI). QCDs don’t require that you itemize your income tax deductions, which due to the current tax laws, means you may decide to take advantage of the higher standard deduction, but still use a QCD for charitable giving.
Continue readingAuthor: Jaclyn Masci
Contributors: Darren Leach, Bob Kuehl
This month we are featuring one of our local RXCSF-groomed ski locations, Durand Eastman Park. Durand is the home course for Irondequoit High School and a relatively new addition to the RXCSF squad of parks. The location offers an extensive network of trails convenient for North and West-siders as well as city residents. Personally though, we think it is worth a drive even if you live in the South or East! Durand also benefits from lake effect snow which gives it a leg up over Mendon Ponds when a storm hits.
Continue readingHe’s an Irondequoitan runner-turned-diehard-nordic-skier who chose cross-country over ski jumping, won back-to-back Rochester Cups, and skied his way into the Alfred State Hall of Fame. He has dined with Olympians in Alaska, and was literally at the cutting edge of the rise of skating in cross-country skiing. You might read his posts from Durand Eastman, where he finds good skiing when you thought the ground was bare. If you’ve huffed your way up Bristol’s Race to the Summit, you’ve done it next to him. And if you cross ski tracks with a bearded guy with sunglasses and a gregarious laugh who’s skating fast on classic skis with the tips sawn off, hop in the track next to him and talk skiing. You’ll be bound to learn something cool about the history of the sport in Western NY, and stories to remind you that in an ever-more-complicated world, cross-country skiing can still be simple, practical, and addictingly fun.
Continue readingRXCSF is working to revise the current trail maps, create new maps for the groomed Nordic ski trails, and install new signs that clearly indicate trail names and difficulty. RXCSF believes this work will provide improved trail information and guidance for Nordic skiers that visit Harriet Hollister Spencer State Recreation Area (HHSSRA) and Mendon Ponds Park (MPP).
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