Carnival gears up for 87th year

The thrills and excitement from Vancouver are coming to Middlebury College next weekend as the Olympic-themed Winter Carnival kicks off next Thursday, Feb. 25. The theme, “Go Gold,” seems even more fitting given that two Middlebury alums, Simeon Hamilton ’09 and Garrott Kuzzy ’06, are competing in this year’s Winter Olympics.

The pair of Nordic skiers were two of only four Americans competing in Tuesday’s 15K freestyle race in Vancouver, B.C. Kuzzy finished 58th and Hamilton finished 64th among the 96 qualifiers. The experience should be both humbling and incredibly rewarding, noted Nordic skiing head coach Andrew Gardner, who coached Hamilton.

“Having these guys representing Middlebury and the USA at the Olympics in Vancouver is incredible on so many levels,” added Men’s Nordic captain Graham Egan ’11. “Obviously, the whole team is really psyched for Garrott and Simi personally,  as they both have put in an enormous amount of work to reach the Olympic level.

“Both Garrott and Simi provided an incalculable amount of motivation and support for the skiers that had the fortune to compete along side them during their time at Middlebury.,” Egan continued. “Training, racing and even just spending time with athletes of their caliber cannot help but make you a better skier and a better competitor. As a program, having two alums on the US Olympic Ski Team––more than any other college––really goes a long way to demonstrate the quality of the program that we have here at Middlebury and the type of racer that the Middlebury Ski Team produces.”

For this Olympic games, one of Hamilton’s strengths is “his ability to soak up whatever is right in front of him,” said Gardner. “I can’t imagine many people being made happier by the Olympic experience.”

Several other cross-country events are taking place in this year’s games and the two Panther alums are vigorously competing. Avid fans can read more in Simi’s blog post at http://www.middleburyskiing.org.

But while the 2010 Olympics are just starting on the international level, the College’s own intercollegiate winter competition is fast-approaching.

“It was definitely a conscious choice to have an Olympic theme for the event this year,” said Winter Carnival co-chair Katie Hubbard ’10. “Hopefully people following the Olympics will at least be more aware of what’s going on during Carnival weekend.”

The Carnival co-chairs are hoping some of the tradition involved in the Winter games will inspire Middlebury students to get involved in the local competitions. Co-chairs Hubbard and Catherine Collins ’10.5 have helped revive the traditions involved with the Carnival since their first year in the position as sophomores. Having introduced the Thursday night bonfire and fireworks, along with the ice sculpture contest in 2008, Hubbard and Collins are breathing new life into an old institution.

“Our winter carnival is the longest student-run winter carnival in the U.S.,” said Hubbard. “It is now in its 87th year. It’s something we should all be proud of.”

Although the Carnival has recently become defined by a series of social events, it is important to remember the athletics and to lend support to Middlebury squads at the Snow Bowl and Rikert Ski Touring Center.

“Come to the Carnival and see at least one of the races,” said Gardner. He recommends the Saturday race, as it will be better understood while watching it as a mass start.

“Also, folks should check out the ski team Web site at http://www.middleburyskiing.org and comment,” said Gardner. “It feels good to know people are paying attention and we have a lot going on right now that people would be interested in.”

Both the alpine and Nordic teams have been performing very well lately, so spectators are sure to see some exciting performances.
“The ski team now is the most cohesive team I’ve coached,” said Gardner. “The men are on a bit of a winning streak and the women’s team, though small and young, has turned in some amazing performances.

In the height of Olympic fervor, the Winter Carnival should provide an event that will honor the current Middlebury olympians.
“It’s a perfect time to get everyone out to Bread Loaf and the Snow Bowl to celebrate winter,” said Hubbard.

Carnival celebrations start Thursday, Feb. 25 and races begin the next day on Friday, Feb. 26.