PR: Bretton Woods Nordic Center Hosts 15-km Geschmossel Classic Nordic Ski Race

January 18, 2010 – On Monday, January 18, Bretton Woods Nordic Center, part of Omni Mount Washington Resort, hosted the annual Geschmossel 15- kilometer classical cross-country race. The race followed a course along the rolling terrain of the Bretton Woods Nordic Center in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. The race followed a classical ski format, with no skating allowed.

Originally staged during the winter of 1972-73, the Geschmossel is one of New England’s oldest citizens’ races. The race originated as a 6-kilometer fun race and grew to attract high-level skiers, including members of the United States Ski Team. The original race course at Bretton Woods was groomed using a homemade track sled that was pulled by a rope fastened to a grooming machine. This year’s Geschmossel provided skiers with a double-tracked surface set by a state-of-the-art Pisten Bulley grooming machine. Today’s Bretton Woods trails are also considerably wider and smoother than those of the early 1970s. Now that The Mount Washington Hotel is open year-round, the mass start can easily be viewed from The Mount Washington Hotel’s Conservatory, or outside from the Hotel’s fabled Veranda.

There were 94 participants in this year’s Geschmossel, and awards were presented to the top three finishers in men’s and women’s categories and the winners of separate age groups. Overall, Tucker Murphy of Stowe, VT, finished in first place with a time of 53:26; Phil Lawson of Bethlehem, NH, came just behind in second place at 53:28 overall, and took first place in the Grand Master Men category; and Chris Nice of Hanover, NH, finished third overall with a time of 56:04. For the women, Kelsey Allen of Franconia, NH, was the first to finish with a time of 1:00:03. Ruth Hall of Cumberland Center, ME, came in second in the Women’s division at 1:04:47, and placed first in the Grand Master Women category; and Cheryl Carlson of Lebanon, NH, came third in the Women’s results with a time of 1:05:47. First place finishers for the Great Grand Master category were Doug Armstrong of North Conway, NH, with a time of 57:16 for the men, and Sally Swenson of North Conway, with a time of 1:16:28 for the women. The complete Geschmossel race results can be found on-line at the following link: www.brettonwoods.com/geschmossel.