Some of the most striking winter weather in Minnesota seems to come with cold temperatures. Last Thursday, Dec. 12, was a perfect, sunny day for a Nordic ski event (with the temperature a “balmy” 5 degrees).

The StormHawks Nordic team is a co-op team with an equal mix of Chaska and Chanhassen students. Many Nordic athletes tend to be involved in multiple sports. Some come from a skiing family (many on the team are part of the Minnesota Youth Ski League and give back by working with those new to skiing), but many are runners, soccer players, or in track sports.

While Nordic skiing is similar in many aspects to cross-country running, the technique is the differentiator.

StormHawks Head Coach Eric Adams pointed out: “A more fit athlete will not defeat a less fit athlete who has a better technique. Endurance, technique and strength are the major factors to success.”

Thursday’s conference meet was at Hyland Hills in Bloomington and was a sprint race, where the skiers complete a 1.2-kilometer loop and are then seeded based on results. There are quarterfinals, semi-finals and finals, demonstrating a true test of endurance.

Four StormHawks varsity girls made the semifinals with Leah Nelson (11) winning the final and Noella Ross (11) getting third overall. Finnian Adams won his quarterfinal and semifinal heats but ran out of gas in the final and finished fifth in the finals for the boys. 

“I’m Super proud of all of our skiers, including the JV skiers,” Coach Adams said after the race. “Many, like Becca Ross and Conner Heltemes, have only been on skis a handful of times, and the varsity skiers had to race four times with down time in the extreme cold.”

The StormHawks have a meet on Thursday, Dec. 19, at Hyland Park, which will be a classic Nordic 5k race.