Oslo, Norway Tim Burke has been struggling with his standing shooting this season, but not today. He had his first 4-stage clean race of his career to move from 15th place into 6th in today's Pursuit race. Teammate, Lowell Bailey, who finished 8th in the Sprint on Thursday, was in third place in todays's Pursuit after two shooting stages, but had three misses in his standing shooting to drop to 12th. Jay Hakinnen finished 25th today. 

The Men's performance on Thursday moved them into 8th Place in Nations Cup points, ahead of Italy. It was also strong enough to put Lowell Bailey and Tim Burke into the Mass Start tomorrow. To watch the race live visit: www5.biathlonworld.com/en/ and look for the BIATHLONWORLD TV box on the right of the page.

 Pineland Farms, Maine The Super Bowl raffle to support the US Biathlon team closed at 1PM this afternoon. Thank you to all of the people who bought tickets. We raised $64,000, sold 54,000 tickets and have given a big boost to the US Team. The winner was from Canton, Massachussetts, and bought 50 tickets this morning...

The fourth North American Cup that was scheduled for LaPatrie was quickly moved to Valcartier after Tuesday’s rain deteriorated the course. Athletes and coaches quickly changed reservations and arranged for the change in race venue.  The Maine Winter Sports Center Athletes arrived to Valcartier on Friday afternoon to preview the course at the Myrian Bedard Biathlon Center in the powdery snow.

 Brezno-Oserblie, Slovakia Follow Russell Currier and his teammates, Leif Nordgren, Mark Johnson, Hannah Deissigaker and Laura Spector at European Biathlon Championships. Click here for results: services.biathlonresults.com/Schedule.aspx

There was a big turnout on Sunday at 10th Mountain for the second Aroostook Cup of the 2012 season.

Fort Kent, ME-  North American Cup number four kicked off in cold January temperatures in Ft. Kent, Maine this past weekend. Each day MWSC athletes had to wait  in the logde for the temprature one hour delay. The cold temperatures allowed for excellent grooming on the trails on the home course. There were a total of 14 biathletes representing the Maine Winter Sports Center in the Masters Men, Senior Men and Women, Junior Men and Women, Youth Men, and Junior Boys and Girls at 10th Mountain.

Rumford, ME—The Junior classic race at the  U.S. Cross-Country Skiing Championships helped to determine the U.S. teams to the World Junior Championships and the J1 Scandinavian Trip.  But, those were not the only titles determined on the tracks at Black Mountain that day: Maine’s Tenth Mountain Division Junior Cross-Country Championship went to Rachel Hall and Tom Rabon for the second consecutive year. 

Four tickets to the Super Bowl, NFL Experience theme park, Pepsi Smash Concert plus hotel rooms, transportation allowance, and funding to cover taxes

Pineland Farms, Maine The United States Biathlon Foundation has partnered with Celebrities for Charity to offer a once-in-a-lifetime Super Bowl experience. Raffle tickets went on sale this morning and are being offered at $2 per ticket, with a minimum of 5 tickets.  All proceeds go to support the US Biathlon Team in their quest to win America’s first Olympic Biathlon medal. The winning ticket holder will get the following:

Rumford, ME- Cold temperatures and windy conditions did not stop members of the Maine Winter Sports Center Development Team from outstanding performances at the Jr Sassi Race on Saturday at Black Mountain of Maine. 

 The Aroostook Cup season got underway Sunday with the Deprey Classic at Four Seasons Lodge in Madawaska. 

 Rumford, Maine Black Mountain of Maine has made substantial investment in snowmaking this season, preparing their nordic trail system for US Cross Country Ski Championships. The result is the best skiing in the East with mid-winter conditions on nearly 5K of trails. 

"I know how little snow there is outside of Aroostook County in the east this year and the devatstaing impact that is having on the middle school, high school and college seasons," said Andy Shepard, President of the Maine Winter Sports Center. "We've put a tremendous amount of effort into preparing for US Championships and I hope the schools will take advantage of that."

To arrange training and events contact Jim Carter at bmomoperations@gmail.com, or at 207-364-8977.

Rumford, ME--Welly Ramsey (New Sharon, ME) led the Maine Winter Sports Center's cross-country squad through the final two races at the U.S. National Cross-Country Skiing Championships at Black Mountain of Maine.  Ramsey used solid classic technique and excellent mental focus to earn his first two top 15 finishes at the contest.  Following the week of racing, he now sits in the top 20 on both the U.S. SuperTour sprint and distance rankings. 

 Caribou, Maine Russell Currier posted 7th and 27th place finishes this weekend at the IBU Cup in Forni Avoltri, Italy to earn a spot on the US World Cup team. Currier will join fellow MWSC alumni Lowell Bailey, Tim Burke as well as Jay Hakinnen and Leif Nordgren in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic. 

Tracy Colliander will join fellow MWSC alumni Annelies Cook, as well as Sara Studebacker and Susan Dunklee on the Womens team.

To follow this weeks World Cup visit services.biathlonresults.com/Schedule.aspx

 Rumford, Maine  MWSC's Welly Ramsey put in an outstanding effort today to place 14th in the rugged 30K Classic race at US Championships. The course took the large field up and over iconic "High School Hill", known as one of the toughtest climbs in New England, 9 times. For full results click here: www.chisholmskiclub.org/chisholm_results/2011-12/11-12_results_frameset.htm

Rumford, ME--The MWSC Cross-Country Team left Black Mountain of Maine earlier than they had planned today, after failing to qualify any men for the rounds of the U.S. National Skate Sprint.  The lone contestant in the women's bracket for MWSC was biathlete BethAnn Chamberlain, who finished the day in 28th place.

 Rumford, Maine The Freestyle Sprint Races, originally scheduled for Monday, will be held Tuesday starting at 9AM. Heavy rain and warm temperatures last night forced the everts to be pushed back a day, but organizers will take advantage of the rapidly dropping temperatures to make more snow and get the course in top shape.

he Maine Winter Sports Center has a number of athlete competing this week so please follow their results at www.uscrosscountryskichampionships2012.org/results.html

 Rumford, Maine Heavy overnight rains and warm temperatures have forced the postponement of today's Sprint competitions. Temperatures are expected to drop quickly tonight, allowing the organizers to make more snow and get the courses in shape again. There will be a jury meeting this morning at which plans for moving forward will be determined. Stay tuned and for more information visit http://tinyurl.com/86avobu

Rumford, ME - Tomorrow marks the opening of the U.S. National Cross-Country Skiing Championships at Black Mountain of Maine, and the Maine Winter Sports Center athletes are raring to go.  The championships open with the freestyle sprints, 1.4km for the women and 1.6km for the men.  Hilary McNamee and Welly Ramsey are set to lead the Maine Winter Sports Center.  Other Maine athletes to watch include: Mike Lessard (MWSC), Nick Michaud (Bates), Derek Rowe (MWSC) and Lauren Jacobs (MWSC).

 Rumford, Maine The 2012 US Cross Country Ski Championships get underway tomorrow at Black Mountain in Rumford with the Sprint Race. In spite of the warmest fall on record and a number of warm stretches as the winter officially got underway, Black Mountain is well prepared for the Championships. The sprint races start off the week and both the Men's 1.4K and the Women's 1.2K courses are completely covered are ready for action. The addition of the 3.5K distance course, including the iconic "High School Hill" will be opened in advance of Wednesday's races.

Temperatures are expected to be in the mid-30's tomorrow and then drop steadily throughout the night and be cold through the middle of the week. That should make for fast skiing and a great week of competition. To follow the results or check out the schedule visit http://tinyurl.com/86avobu

Eight new high powered guns along with four generators give themountain plenty of new snowmaking capacity 

Rumford, Maine -  Black Mountain of Maine had very ambitious plans for the start of this winter season. Those plans included hosting a snowmobile hill climb, opening their alpine trails and hosting the US Cross Country Ski Championships. Given the record-breaking warmth of the late fall, and temperatures too warm to make snow, it would have been easy to expect a lot of cancellations.

Not this year – and not at Black Mountain.

 Snow arrived in Aroostook County just in time for a day-long ski leader workshop held at the Nordic Heritage Center in Presque Isle on Saturday December 10. Both Healthy Hometowns coaches and Maine Winter Sports Center competitive coaches were present to work with community ski leaders from all over the state.

West Yellowstone, MT--The U.S. nordic ski racing season opened this weekend with four races on the border of Yellowstone National Park.  After three days of racing, skiers had contested two sprints and two distance races.  When the snowflakes settled, Mike Sinnott (Sun Valley) and Jesse Diggins (CXC/US Ski Team) sat atop the SuperTour standings. Seven different racers from Maine Winter Sports Center raced to top 30 finishes, and Welly Ramsey sits in 20th place on the SuperTour points list.

MARS HILL – As the late November sunshine reflected off Bigrock in Mars Hill this past weekend, the ski area’s downhill trails remained brown and bare.  At the base of the mountain, however, a large field of white set the stage for skiers of all ages to get their first taste of cross-country skiing for the season.  For the second year in a row the Maine Winter Sports Center, in conjunction with Bigrock put together three days of cross-country ski action for enthusiasts across the region.  The weekend, which drew skiers from around the state, served as the kick off for yet another ski season in Aroostook County. 

This season’s 10^th Mountain Division Junior Championships Set for Rumford and Fort Kent

Caribou, Maine – The Maine Winter Sports Center is pleased to host the 10th Mountain Division Junior Nordic and Junior Biathlon Championships in 2012. These events serve as Maine's state-wide junior championships and offer Maine's best young cross-country skiers and biathletes the opportunity to show their skills at the highest level of junior racing.  For the 2012 season, the 10th Mountain Division Championships have been slated for Rumford and Fort Kent, Maine. 

Big Rock is blowing snow for Thanksgiving Camp, skiing opens November 25th, at 8AM.

Weather Update

The County weather forcast is looking favorable.  We plan to open & ski on 11/25/11

Who is it for? 

 Maine Team J2

Maine EHS skiers

 Maine JO skiers

Sign up by November 18th.  See PDF on next page for complete information

Hey adults - the Arooskis Adult Nordic Program kicks off for the 2011-12 season this week at 10th Mtn in Fort Kent and Nordic Heritage in Presque Isle. Don't spend your winters indoors, get out and get moving with Arooskis this coming season. Check out the link for more info:http://mainewsc.org/arooskis-adult-nordic-program.html. And join the Arooskis group on Facebook. 

The Yarmouth Ski Club is hosting its 22^nd annual ski sale on Saturday, November 19^th, from 9am till noon.  This is a great chance to sell your out-grown gear, or to pick up some great deals on quality ski equipment. 

Caribou, ME—Maine Winter Sports Center is pleased to announce the hiring of Amber Dodge as Development Coach. Dodge will take the reins of the highly successful MWSC Development Team from departing coach David Chamberlain.

Amber was born in Worthington, Massachusetts and started skiing in her backyard with her family.  She joined the local Bill Koch Youth Ski League at the age of 4 and grew up running, hiking, skiing and canoeing.  Her most influential youth coach, Ed Hamel, taught Amber about ski racing and technique and about how to have a lot of fun outside.

HAMPDEN - The Healthy Hometowns Leader Workshop calendar kicked off last week with one session at the University of Maine Orono and another in Hampden. Community leaders from all over the Bangor area, and from as far away as Danforth, joined Healthy Hometowns for workshops focusing on a variety of topics applicable to outdoor activities. Participants learned about childhood growth and development, programming development, leadership skills, and games. The workshops were a great opportunity for participants to ask questions and learn about ways to strengthen the outdoor community in their area.

NORTH HAVEN – Crisp autumn air and brilliant blue skies greeted members of the adult Nordic program known as Arooskis this past weekend along the coast of Maine.  While regular weekly sessions don’t start for another few weeks in Aroostook County, those anxious to start training as a group took part advantage of perfect fall weather to get out and get active. 

Halloween masquerade dinner, dance, and silent auction October 29, 2011 at the Presque Isle Inn and Convention Center Grand Ballroom.  Dinner and auction begin at 6:00pm followed by dance at 8:00pm. See poster for more details.

This past weekend Maine Team Camp athletes from around the state of Maine joined the junior team and post graduates from Maine Winter Sports Center for a weekend camp at Sugarloaf.

This training camp consisted of a Canadian strength test, two running tests, a skate technique session, and concluded with a ski walk through the rain and fog to the top of Sugarloaf.

Great turn out for an open range day this last weekend in Presque Isle with the Maine Winter Sports Center Development Team and others. People were shooting air rifles and .22 biathlon rifles, playing games and having fun. Look for the next Open Range day if you are interested in trying Biathlon and the MWSC Development Team!

Katrina Howe visits Madawaska Elementary School where she met with a 4th grade class. She spoke about her life as a skier/biathlete and how it got her from central NH, to going to college in Northern VT, to training at an Olympic Training Center, and finally to living/training in Northern ME with MWSC. She plans to keep in touch with the students throughout this season. When in Maine she will visit them at least twice a month and perhaps ski with them if time permits. When on the road she plans to write letters and emails back and forth with the students.  The children also learned how to access her blog so they can follow her wherever she goes.

As the summer moves on, the Adopt a Tree Program is taking on steam. Jim and I visited the nursery to get more details and see the trees first hand. We are making plans for planting in early October. 

Raffle to benefit US Biathlon Foundation Ends August 19th 

Rumford, Maine  Historic Black Mountain of Maine is excited to announce the expansion of it's Race Development Program for the 2011/2012 season. The Chisholm Ski Club Alpine Race Program will be launched this season with the well-respected team of Mark Thibodeau, Tim LaVallee and Olympian Julie Parisien. This coaching staff has a long track record of helping alpine skiers prepare for success on and off the slopes. 

To view full story and to register click here campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render

Caribou, ME--Maine Winter Sports Center is proud to announce the hire of two new coaches to our staff. Lauren Jacobs, a recent graduate of Bates College, joins us as a coach in the Healthy Hometown programs. She will be responsible for community development projects throughout Northern Maine. Sarah Kamilewicz will add depth to our competitive programs as a Development Coach. She will work specifically with junior racers from across Maine.