Ed Lis : one of the masses preparing for the Old Forge race...

What a turnout! Almost 300 racers took to the MacCauley Mt. ski trails. Everything and everyone about nordic skiing in NY was there, except snow. Peru Nordic was well represented with a huge squad putting in some killer times. The race featured the Peru Nordic debuts of the highly recruited David "Call of Kvtulu" Kvam, Steve "Incursion of Fury" Bailey, and Janet "Banshee of Bedlam" Findlay. In a true testament to the power of team ski racing, Kvam was given a special pair of racing skis by team technicians just before his start. "...They had some kind of obscure rilling pattern on the bottom... almost if they had been inadvertantly stoneground or something... whatever they were, they were rockets, well, maybe not quite rockets but they saved my good skis from some brutal blemishes."

It was an interesting race. The course was closed to competetors due to the marginal snow conditions. Few got in a quality warm-up. In a strange twist, Peru powerhouse, Doug Diehl turned in his bib just before the start. "... I got some bad vibes about this course, man. It's messing with my mojo. I have visions of high-school kids laying in mud puddles out there... plus I didn't bring my rock skis." Of course, Doug's premonitions were justified. The course was short (2 km max) and there were many rocks, high school kids and mud puddles to negotiate. And, true to Diehl's vision, there was at least one high schooler who was seen rocketing uncontrollably down a quick slope and into a puddle of cold black Adirondack mud.

Peru Nordic's contingent reported good races. Mike Wynn skied well. Ed Lis rode some quality glide. Joe Korzinecki really felt his rollerski training kick in. And Bob Maswick managed to keep his boots out of the mud.

Although the race was short and conditions were marginal at best, the comraderie of the Peru Nordic team made the event worthwhile. Plus, Chris Rose and Jim Kobak got to stop at every Stewarts shop between Peasleeville and Inlet (Did you know that Stewarts on Routes 30/28N are perfectly placed so that just as you have to pee from the coffee you had from the last Stewarts, you arrive just in time to buy another coffee at the next Stewarts?). And a good time was had by some.