You would think that with no snow on the ground there will be issues for Wednesday’s start to the North Shore Ski League season.
Quite to the contrary.
“For the first time in at least three years, we are starting the ski season on time,” said Haverhill/Pentucket coach Logan Seale. “We have been able to practice (all last week) on the (man-made) snow at Bradford (Ski).”
Last winter, the season started two weeks late.
“The reason why we had so much trouble in past years was simply the mild temperatures. It needs to be 28 degrees or lower to make snow,” said Seale. “Since it is an expensive process, the ski area wants to look at weather forecasts to make sure that if they make it, they can keep it.”
Haverhill/Pentucket is one of the six schools that offers both boys and girls ski teams in the North Shore League. The other programs include North Andover, Andover, Masconomet, Newburyport and Hamilton-Wenham. St. John’s Prep offers just a boys’ program and Manchester-Essex offers just a girls’ program.
Central Catholic boys and girls compete in the Mass Bay Alpha Division.
North Andover head coach Jerry Marchegiani is entering his 52nd season as head coach. He is excited that this year’s season is starting on time and the conditions at Bradford are perfect for competition.
“If there’s no snow, people automatically think there’s no skiing, but if you are into ski racing, you understand that man-made snow is more dense, more consistent and wears down much better and holds up much better than actual snow,” he said. “Real snow is very soft and mushes. It doesn’t hold up in traffic.”
Marchegiani also said that when it comes to high school skiing, the teams that have skiers involved in weekend programs at resorts such as Waterville Valley or Wildcat Mountain, have the advantage.
“If skiers are in the weekend programs, they are on advanced hills, can hit the deeper and faster slopes, and the coaching is more intense and challenging,” he said. “St. John’s Prep, the state champions last year, got 55 boys out for the team. They had to cut it down to 30. All those kids are part of weekend programs.”
Wednesday the league will kick off with the girls races beginning at 3:40 p.m., followed by the boys races which will be held on Thursday, also at 3:40 p.m. All of the league’s races will be held at Ski Bradford .