Despite fresh snow in Concord over the weekend, the non-profit Ski The Beav was busy stashing away as much man-made snow as possible.
Volunteers began pumping snow onto Beaver Meadow with the newly purchased snowmaker to get the course ready for cross-country skiing and racing.
The HKD Super Blizzard purchased by the city ran through the night as a few inches of additional snow landed Friday through Sunday. Ski The Beav groomed the course and opened it up for skiing with their large annual event in sight.
The chairman of the non-profit, Sam Evans-Brown, said the group and Concord Parks and Recreation plan to move the snowmaker to different areas of the course to ensure consistent conditions.
“We are hoping to blow again early next week when it’s still brutally cold and we have the gun out in the middle of the driving range,” he said.
The timing of a weekend cold snap this weekend and the ability to run the snowmaker in different locations promise consistent conditions better than in years past, especially at the Capital Cross-country ski day, which is scheduled for Sunday, Feb 8.
Ski The Beav described the event as a “low-key, community-oriented” race. Six-person heats will launch every few minutes for three rounds of head-to-head racing in what’s known as the Queen’s Court format.
After the first two rounds of heats, the top two finishers move up to the next fastest heat, the middle two remain in the same heat and the last two move to the next slowest heat.
That same day, free ski group lessons will be offered, including loans of classic boots, skis, and poles. Those wishing to learn to skate ski must provide their own equipment.
The Bill Koch Youth ski league will host sprint races for pre-Kindergarteners through 8th graders. For kids new to the sport, Ski The Beav, in partnership with NENSA and Concord’s Beaver Meadow School, will offer orientation to cross-country skiing.