TRIPLE TREAT: Part I

This is the first of a three part series introducing the three newest additions to the men’s Nordic team: Connor Regan, Evan Dion and Nick Michaud.

Connor “Condor” Regan/ “Casual Condor”

When the sun rises over Mount David, and beams of light illuminate room 234 of 280 Hall, wakes a man. Rolling out of bed, Connor Regan completes his usual morning routine of 100 “casual” push-ups and squat thrusts. After gargling pure gasoline, the Condor slides a classy cashmere “cut-off” sweater over his burly build and heads out the door to begin his day.

Connor did not come of age like most kids. Hailing from Cumberland, Maine, nearly all hours of his days were spent in the forested region behind his home. Taking down trees, moving 400-pound rocks, and chasing rabbits and creatures alike, barefoot, became a part of Connor’s lifestyle. Separating himself from Lennie in “Of Mice and Men”, he always let the unharmed animals run free upon their capture.

No animal has ever outrun Connor. He proved this at the annual Rangeley training camp, as a pack of furious Bobcats chased him up Saddleback Mountain. Snatching the overall victory, Connor shook all his competitors’ hands displaying his “Trident-white” smile and never-before-seen level of sportsmanship. Due to Connor’s noble work ethic and innate ability to suffer copious amounts of pain, no animal ever will outrun him.

Connor is not just a titan in the world of athletics and manliness. Since his early days, he has been an academic all-star, a chivalrous companion for many lucky ladies, an outstanding family member, and a leader in the community. Some of Connor’s hobbies illustrate a more sensitive side: poetry, holding doors open for strangers, succeeding, helping elderly ladies carry groceries, and saving animals lives. Connor also has a musical gift. Teammates have described his voice as “a mixture between Fergie and Jesus,” having “the ability to make hairs stand on end,” and “wow”. A well-rounded and exceptional man, Connor’s desirable qualities are boundless.

In just a few weeks with Condor, Bates students and members of the Nordic team have been nothing short of impressed. His presence has been inspiring and uplifting. We are extremely excited to have Connor join the Bobcat squad.

Adapt and Overcome and You Will Surely See the Sights.

Day two of our Thanksgiving Training Camp dawned bright and early with a 7am trip to Commons then a 7:30 departure to…oh wait. Where are we going? We were planning on going to Mount Washington, but too much snow and ice changed those plans so we headed to a road just outside of Bethel for a classic ski up to the mountain, Old Speck, for a hike. The ski was gorgeous; it started a little chilly, but was still beautiful especially because there were very few cars. As we climbed, there was some ice on the road and snow on the sides, which reminded us that winter is coming. After passing many signs for different parking lots and waterfalls and somewhere called “Moose Cave,” we got to final destination #1. After a quick lunch, complete with sandwiches, cookies, and brownies, we got ready to hike/ run Old Speck. We were unsure if there were hunters in the area, so we tried our best to not look like deer, and avoided wearing white hats and headbands. We went up the mountain and saw some beautiful views of various mountains. The rocks started to get slippery as we went up and about an hour in, the girls turned around, but the boys were still set on their summit bid. We all reunited back in the parking lot for some more food and the trip back to Bates. Our post dinner entertainment for the evening was watching an awesome snowboard movie The Art of Flight, which probably got everyone even more pumped up for some snow!

Who needs snow in Canada? I'd rather have a double session of kicking butt and taking names.

Today turned out to be jam packed with strong racing turnouts, good mental attitudes and a serious amount of Bobcat pride. The team piled into the vans at a leisurely 8:00am this morning, headed to a skate rolle-rski sprint race against Bowdoin at Pineland Farms. The races ended up going really well, with Bates skiers stealing the top three places for both men and women. The sprints today gave everyone on the team a chance to realize how strong and competitive we’ve become in the last few months of training, as well as what things we can work on to get ready for the upcoming racing season. And as for those polar bears, I think they were reminded that a bobcat is a ferocious beast, and when you let it run free there’s no telling what it might accomplish.

After returning to campus and spending a good amount of time at lunch, luckily it was all-you –can-eat Commons day (again), it was time for a friendly game of football. In the first annual Turkey Bowl 2011, the girls stepped up their game and scored several early touchdowns. The boys ended up catching back up to us, but with a huge amount of spirit and strategic guidance from coach Dylan we held them of and the game may have ended with a tie (the results are controversial).

In the words of coaches Becky and Dylan, today the entire team showed a whole lot of heart. With times like these, who needs snow in Canada? This was an excellent start to Thanksgiving break.

T.T.F.N.

-Caroline