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Northeast VT Bill Koch League Mini-Festival

Since we cannot all gather in one place for the annual BKL Festival in 2021, Craftsbury is hosting a Northeast Vermont district Mini-Fest. The theme this year is State By State, United We Ski.​ This Mini-Fest is for kids up through 8th grade and is open to racers and non-racers alike, with activities ranging from a costume contest to fun and challenging races. Read on for all the details!

NENSA Activities, Prizes, Gear

Although NENSA (the New England Nordic Ski Association) can’t organize a New England-wide BKL Festival as usual, they’re still here to support the various regions and clubs, and have pulled together a raffle, 8th grade graduate slideshow, trivia/activity booklet, and opportunity to purchase some themed gear. Check out the NENSA offerings here.

NEVT BKL Mini-Festival Registration

Everyone must pre-register for the race. There will be no Day-of-Race registration and no late registration. Registration closes at 8pm on Friday, 3/5. These registration deadlines are in place for COVID-related requirements; please respect them. Register here (select “Ski Racing” and then “BKL Mini-Festival” and then the time that corresponds to your group’s start time). Non-racing BKL participants should select the time that best corresponds to arrival time, but do still need to register. Registration is $10.

Parents

Parents and other family members who plan to use the trails or facilities in any way need to make trail use reservations for while kids are participating in the Mini-Fest. Those who are going to ski, snowshoe, etc., should also buy a day pass if they are not already COC members. Remember! Per current Vermont State rules around youth sports, spectating is not permitted. Parents of athletes ages 10 and under may assist their child in getting ready for up to 15 minutes but then need to make themselves scarce. No spectating; no cheering; no lingering. We know, it’s weird, but it’s the rule and we have to follow the rules if we want to have races. Please rely on coaches to assist your young skiers and have a plan for regrouping post-race.

Schedule

• 9:00 AM: Bib pickup opens in Murphy’s Field

• 9:45 AM: 8th graders report to start for bedazzling

• 10:00 AM: Scavenger hunt opens (goes until 2:00)

• 10:00 AM: 7/8 grade race

• 10:30 AM: Costume contest opens (goes until 1:30)

• 10:30 AM: Grades 5-8 jump jam (younger racers going first to get to their starts on time and give the older racers time to regroup after their race)

• 11:00 AM: 5/6 grade race

• 11:30 AM: 3/4 grade race

• 12:00 PM: Grades 1-4 jump jam (younger racers going first to get to their starts on time and give the older racers time to regroup after their race)

• 12:30 PM: 1/2 grade race

• 1:00 PM: Lollipop race

• 1:30 PM: Costume contest closes

• 2:00 PM: Scavenger hunt closes

Note that with one racer starting every 30 seconds for each age group, start times are approximate. If we get a lot more registrants than we expect, we may expand the schedule, and if we get a lot fewer, we may condense it slightly. Final “start lists” will be sent out by the end of the day Saturday, 3/6.

Technique

All age groups will be racing freestyle for this one! (That means that you can pick—most kids will skate, but if you feel faster/more comfortable at classic, go for it!)

Scavenger Hunt

Families are invited to participate in a fun and low-key scavenger hunt with prizes on the line. The scavenger hunt opens at 10:00am and closes at 2:00pm and can be done any time within that window. The time at which you choose to hunt doesn’t affect your shot at a prize. Only registered Mini-Fest participants are eligible for prizes (sorry, big siblings). Please note: the scavenger hunt involves some singletrack—we recommend that younger skiers bring fishscales if they want to navigate the scavenger hunt with ease.

Costume Contest

We will also be having a costume contest! We expect this to be the most competitive part of the day. To enter, simply stop by Mini-Fest Headquarters in Murphy’s Field to get your picture taken, and you’ll be entered in a raffle (prizes to be mailed out after the event). There will also be numerous categories for you to try to win! You do not have to race in your costume, but it maaayyyy earn you bonus points.

Start Lists and Results

Start lists (with exact times) will be sent to registered participants by the end of the day Saturday, 3/6.

Craftsbury’s policy for BKL results is as follows: results for grades 7/8 list order of finish with times. Results for grades 5/6 list order of finish only. These will be emailed to participants but not posted elsewhere. Grades 4 and younger typically do not receive any written results (instead they just get to remember how things shook out by the finish line!) but given that

(a) we can’t have mass starts;
(b) we can’t get people together to hand out ribbons; and
(c) we can’t post anything at the venue; this year we’ll email participants order-of-finish “results” for grades 1-4 as well.

Health Screenings

The state requires us to have all racers complete two health screens prior to racing: one 24-48 hours ahead of time, the second on the day of the race. The first will be a part of your race registration—and we’ll email out a reminder in the appropriate window to update it if anything has changed. The second will be emailed out on Saturday night and needs to be completed on Sunday morning.

Bib Pickup

Bibs will be laid out on a table near the start in Murphy’s Field for racers to grab before starting.

Race Course Maps

Course maps will be posted here when available. Approximate distances are:

• Lollipop: 1/2k

• Grades 1 & 2: 1-2k

• Grades 3 & 4: 2-3k

• Grades 5 & 6: 3-4k

• Grades 7 & 8: 4-5k

For this race, all racing will take place in Murphy’s Field. The start/finish is not in sight of the Touring Center; you’ll have to ski out a little ways to get there. We will have signs/volunteers helping direct kids to their start! There are a few JUMPS on the course (all with ways to ski around), so be sure to preview your course to check ‘em out.

We’re hosting team sprints. Get all the details on this low-key fundraiser for the Kathy Wright Junior Scholarship fund.