January 12, 2007 (Rumford, ME) – This weekend the best cross-country ski racers in New England converge in Rumford, Maine for the TD Banknorth Tour de Rumford races at the Black Mountain. This is the most competitive regional series in the United States, with its races also serving as Junior Olympic Qualifiers for the New England JO Team.

Following the model of the recent International Ski Federation (FIS) Tour de Ski, athletes times from all three days of the event will be added together to produce an overall Tour de Rumford Champion for men and women.

This weekend provides an additional point of interest: the first annual Chummy Broomhall Cup will be awarded to the top collegiate team from Maine. This competition has drawn athletes from Bates, Bowdoin, Colby, UMaine Orono, UMaine Presque Isle, and UMaine Fort Kent. An informal coaches poll favors the Bates men and the Colby women, but it is the overall combined score that counts. The coveted title will most likely come down to the last event on Sunday.

The TD Banknorth Eastern Cup openers scheduled for mid-December in Vermont were cancelled because of lack of snow and warm temperatures, so this is the first chance for all of the region’s best to come together in New England. Individual favorites for men include recent World U23 Team nominees Ben True (Cumberland, ME/Dartmouth), Glenn Randall (Collbran, CO/Dartmouth), Mike Sinnott (Sun Valley, ID/Dartmouth). But those college men will have their hands full with World Junior Team qualifier Alex Howe (Gilford, NH /Gunstock Nordic).

On the women’s side, Carina Hamel (Northampton, MA/UVM), Hannah Dreissigacker (Morrisville, VT/Dartmouth), and Cassidey Edwards (Glen Lake, MI/Middlebury) are coming off particularly strong performances at US Nationals. Parker Tyler (Londonderry, VT/Stratton Mtn School) was recently named to the World Junior Team and will be looking to reel in those older skiers.

The event is hosted by the New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA) and Chisholm Ski Club. Chisholm Ski Club is located at Black Mountain of Maine Ski Area in Rumford, Maine. The Club has a rich tradition dating back to the early days of the 20th century at its Spruce Street location and its mid 1900’s days at Scottie’s Mountain. Over the years the Club has hosted several world class Nordic skiing events, including the 1950 World Championships, 1976 NCAAs, 1991 National Biathlon Championships, 1993 US Nationals, 1993 U.S. Masters Nationals, 1996 National Junior Olympics, 1996 US Nationals, the 1999 NCAAs, and the 2003 and 2004 US Nationals. Black Mountain is also the site of Chisholm Ski Club’s annual Winter Carnival, a traditional event that dates back to 1924.

On November 3, Maine Governor John Baldacci announced the first annual Maine Collegiate Nordic Ski Championships to be held at Black Mountain of Maine in Rumford. The event, hosted as part of the TD Banknorth Tour de Rumford weekend is called the Chummy Broomhall Cup, is named in honor of Rumford native, 10th Mountain Division veteran, two-time Olympian and Chisholm Ski Club leader, Wendall “Chummy” Broomhall. Governor Baldacci will be present at the awards ceremony on Sunday to award the Cup to the winning team.

The event starts with a 2PM Team Sprint on Friday, followed by an 11AM Classic Race on Saturday, and a 10AM Freestyle race on Sunday.

All events are open to day of race registrants. See NENSA.net for full details.

Results are posted at the www.NENSA.net
Contact: Patrick Cote, NENSA Executive Director
(E) pat@nensa.net
[P] 207/873-2360 (office and cell)

* The New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA) is the Olympic development organization for cross-country skiing in New England, providing year round educational, recreational and competitive events.

* NENSA’s programs are supported by Title Sponsor, TD Banknorth,
Associate Sponsors include LL Bean and Stowe, Vermont’s Trapp Family Lodge.

* For more information on cross-country skiing in New England and on NENSA’s sponsors, please visit the NENSA Website