It’s not unusual for the Boothbay Region High School Nordic race season to get off to a slow start. Skiable snow can be an iffy proposition in midcoast Maine any year, but this Nordic season, a warm November eased into an unusually warm December. With Christmas beckoning, there is still no significant snow in the forecast.

Despite the lack of snow, the BRHS Nordic ski team is as all-in as any other year, Coach Nick Scott wrote in an email. The team isn’t merely waiting for snow, it is actively training for its arrival.

Combining weight room conditioning, outdoor running and inline skating with studying proper technique through articles and videos, the team has been working hard to master technical skills and improve physical conditioning. When the snow finally flies, the team should be well-prepared to hit the trails.

“The season has been going really well. I’m impressed with how well the kids are dealing with the fact there isn’t any snow or even any cold weather on the horizon,” Scott wrote.

This year’s Nordic team is composed of 17 skiers, six girls and 11 boys, and a mix of veterans and newcomers.

“We have decent numbers this season and I am particularly happy to have a full girls roster again. The team is quite eclectic, as there are athletes from a variety of backgrounds who have come out to ski this season,” Scott said.

“The boys have several strong returners including Joey Paolillo, who made the all-conference team last year, Liam Conlin and Ray Perry, who are returning varsity team members, and Sam Betts, who is primed to have a strong season. In addition, the team has many talented newcomers. Among those donning skis for the first time is Blake Erhard, who had an impressive freshman season on the cross country team, has lots of alpine experience, and is an impressive ice skater, which are all skills that transfer well to Nordic skiing. Gabe Purin, Xavier Downing, and Duncan Drapeau are athletic upperclass men who have a lot of potential.”

“Angela Machon is the only returning athlete from last year’s girls team. Summer Chamberlin has prior ski experience from when she was living in the Kingfield area and it will be exciting to see how well she does competing for the first time on a high school team.” 

Joining these veterans are several young athletes who are anxious for their first season of Nordic skiing, including Meaghan Oakes, Lilly Harris, Olivia Paolillo, Riley Sullivan, Bayly Carrasco-Gaughan, Reed Beavis and Alex Bryer.

The actual skiing part of the Nordic season will not begin until after the Christmas holiday, and its success will be dependent upon Mother Nature’s bounty. At this point, Coach Scott has no predictions about the team’s likely competitive success or the weather.

“The inconsistency of winter makes it hard to get a grasp on just how competitive we’ll be during the season, but the team has been working really hard during the dry land season. It is, however, a great group of kids, kind and hard-working, so I think it will be a great season,” Scott said.

In addition to snow, the Nordic team also needs some inline skates and waxless skis for training. Anyone who could donate either is encouraged to drop them off at the high school during regular school hours or contact Scott at nscott@csd3-brhs.org.