Serotta Skiing

Serotta is now a proud new supporter of the New England Nordic Ski Assocation (NENSA), often regarded as the nation’s most effective regional Nordic program. I know, I know; Serotta is a bike company . . . what are we doing on skis? Well, endurance athletes are all-season athletes. And in Ben Serotta’s neck of the woods (Saratoga Springs, NY) winter means snow on the roads and skiers on the trails. Serotta’s involvement with NENSA is simply a reminder that the warm season is coming (eventually), and cycling is the perfect complement to a Nordic skier’s training.

We’re honored to have the opportunity to introduce this tight-knit New England ski community to Serotta’s top regional dealers while educating NENSA members about the importance of professional bicycle fit. For many skiers, off-season training includes serious mileage on the bike. Serotta wants to make sure it’s the right bike!

In partnership with NENSA, Serotta has also created a new “Spirit of Skiing Award” to be presented at the end of the season to the person who best embodies the spirit of skiing.

And, sometimes, Serotta employees even get into the act . . .

I participated in a NENSA event this weekend, the Craftsbury Marathon in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. As fate would have it, the first skiers I encountered were Trina and Dave Hosmer, Serotta owners and happy Fit Werx (Waitsfield, Vt.) cusomters. Trina’s Serotta was a wedding anniversary gift from her husband; she skied away exclaiming, “I don’t deserve it!” . . . this from a woman who routinely crushes well-conditioned, finely-tuned collegiate and ski academy athletes.

I headed to the starting line, the sun barely above the horizon of Craftsbury Common’s high, wind-swept plateau. 8 degress - perfect conditions for a classic race. After a few kilometers I settled in alongside a clump of skiers with whom I would complete the entire race. Looking for energy-saving efficiency, we eyed each other’s technique and searched for the fastest lines. We exchanged encouragement and stepped politely aside at feed stations, never farther than arms-reach from emergency gulps of warm energy drink.

My closet company was 14 year-old Heidi Halvorsen——a New England J3 standout——and her mother Diane who was skiing the full 50K. Heidi strode effortlessly up the climbs, glided expertly on the flats and tucked like a bullet on technical descents. Ah, youth . . . her calves were no bigger than my forearms, her lungs and heart clearly devoid of pain receptors. “What can she do on a bike,” I thought as I glided along in her pint-sized draft.

Serotta will be found at many of NENSA’s stops on the New England nordic circuit this winter. This weekend is the famous Lake Placid Loppet held on the 1980 Olympic course——right in High Peaks Cyclery’s back yard. Two weeks later (February 22), look for Serotta banners at the Stowe Derby where Ian Buchanan and the FitWerx crew will be contemplating just how much skiers and cyclists share in common!

See you on the trails!!