Team NordicSkiRacer holds off HH/CCSS to win the 2024 Brumbaugh Cup

Thu, Mar  7, 2024 - By Ernie Brumbaugh

It takes a full season of commitment to win the Brumbaugh Cup and that is exactly what it took for Team Nordic Ski Racer to clinch the 2024 Brumbaugh Cup. With the first four races cancelled, Team NordicSkiRacer took full advantage finishing the Frosty Festival of races with a 116-point lead over Hanson Hills Cross Country Ski Shop. Now the race began. After the Cote Dame Marie HHCCSS cut the margin to 89 points and after the Boyne Mountain Classic it was down to 69 points.

A break for the Noquemanon brought the skiers back together for the Marv Stevenson Memorial Classic and HHCCSS was only 63 points back. With the cancellation of Vasa Festival of Races the following week another hiatus was in store. So two weeks later the Forbush Freestyle was the venue and HHCCSS brought the Team NordicSkiRacer led down to just 19 points. Then on Sunday the Team NordicSkiRacer lead was further reduced to 12 points.

With the Birkie in between, the Black Mountain Classic and Freestyle would decide the end of the epic battle. Then word came out that the Black Mountain races would be reduced to just one race, a 12K Freestyle. With 8 inches of snow predicted tensions mounted. Just days before the final race, the news came out that Black Mountain had only received an inch of snow and the last race of the Brumbaugh Cup was cancelled.

Results were finally announced at the Michigan Cup Relays with much anticipation by all teams. Team Nordic Ski Racer had prevailed with a mere 12 point lead, closest in Brumbaugh Cup history. Hanson Hills Cross Country Ski Shop was second. Grand Rapids Nordic Ski Team succumbed to the relentless HHCCSS pursuit and finished third just 62 points back. Vasa Ski Club used the Forbush races to move into fourth place just 12 points ahead of Cross Country Ski Headquarters.

WHAT A YEAR. WHAT A COMPETITION.