ELDORA SKI RESORT – A grateful Nederland Nordic Ski Team Coach Dan Vardamis recently related that “Eldora is a huge supporter of the community and youth Nordic skiing. To show that support they essentially comped the Eldora Classic Ski Race on January 29 to the school and the Colorado High School Ski League.”

A strong showing from top to bottom, Amika Begin grabbed a 24th place finish in the Women’s 5k with a time of 23:02.4. Benjamin Weber blazed the trail to take 26th place in the Men’s 5k, registering a time of 20:21.5. In the middle school classification, a time of 23:35.8 earned Silas Fitzer 39th place in the Boys' 3k race. Overall, as a team, Nederland placed 8th out of 13 schools.

After the competition, Coach Vardamis offered a synopsis about the Nordic Ski Team’s season thus far: “Ben Weber has a massive engine and is our fastest skier. He’s a tenacious competitor who knows how to dig deep and make himself suffer.

“At 4’11” tall, Johnny Moss is half the size of most of his competitors, with twice the heart and the athletic ability to do real damage to the field. Johnny will be a star in years to come.

“Our captain and senior Maeve Dufton has some of the most graceful technique you’ll ever see. She’s a wonderful skier and a fantastic team leader.

“Amika Begin is a star runner and after two years of practice, her skiing technique is turning her into one of the fastest rising athletes in the entire field.

“Abby Hess is a warrior. While quiet in demeanor, Abby is hardly demur in her skiing ability, as she turns herself inside out every single race to achieve the best result possible.

“Maeve, Amika, and Abby are very close in ability and speed. One week one of them will be the fastest, the next week another will be the quickest. It’s a perfect situation for them to push themselves and get better.

“We’re still a young developing team. Our theory is to build a love for the sport and to push athletes when they need to be pushed. We’re building the foundation for what we believe will be a program that will be highly competitive at the state level.

“Our team will take four girls and four boys to states. So far Maeve Dufton, Amika Begin, and Abby Hess have qualified for the girls. For the boys, Ben Weber has qualified.

“The Eldora course is the most challenging of the entire season. Instead of another flat, boring golf course, it’s a real Nordic course, with big hills, descents and narrow trails that test fitness and mental toughness.

“This team is a phenomenal group of young men and women. They get up at 5:30 a.m. every day to ski up mountains while most people are still asleep. They love skiing.

“Our assistant coach Allie Wagner is a huge asset to the team, with years of training in mental tactics for athletes. She’s helped us make a big jump this season.

“Assistant Coach Ethan John brings decades of Nordic skiing competition experience to the table.

“Our team motto is, “Falling is a lack of will power.”

The Nederland Nordic Ski Team wraps up their regular season on February 7 in Breckenridge, then on February 15 in Leadville with an eye on the state championships that begin on February 27 at Steamboat.