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Meanwells in the Noquemanon Log on Jan 02, 2007
Skier Spotlight - Stacey and Walter Meanwell and the MadNorSki Club
by Carol Fulsher
After the 8th annual Subaru Noquemanon Ski Marathon, I was opening mail and found a skier survey with the message, "There were more MadNorSkis than Superiorland Ski Club participants. What's up with that?" :-) Walter
What's up with that is that MadNorSki Co-President Walter Meanwell has been singing the Noque praises to his ski club and it's been working. Madison is 300 miles away from Marquette yet their ski club members drive up en masse every January and every January one of them gets their face plastered on the front page of the local paper. Walter explains, "The Mining Journal puts us on the front page after the Noque because they are very insightful people and they know that our club racing suit is by far the coolest on the planet and that it looks great in pictures." I think it's their smiling faces after the race that captures the reporters and cameras.
Walter and Stacey Meanwell have been skiing the Noque since its inception eight years ago. Reading about the new race back in 1998, Walt immediately said they were in. Experiencing the "prettiest race around" and "friendly people" have kept them coming back each year since. Getting on the podium hasn't been a unique experience for either of them. As if betting each other how well they would do, they mirrored their best results two years in a row. In 2004, they both took third place overall in the men's and women's division of the 25K freestyle. In 2005, Stacey took 2nd in the 25K Classic race while Walter placed 2nd in the 25K Freestyle. Each has also done well in the marathon as well. Obviously having a spouse share your enthusiasm for a sport has its advantages. Plus Walter adds, "Stacey having a wax boy doesn't hurt either." (I could use one of those).
But what strikes me most is their attachment to their ski club. Walter is Co-President of MadNorSki and has been involved for 15 years or so (his Waltzheimers seems to blur the years.) Dirk Mason, the other Co-President has respect for Walter's devotion. "Walt has offered an unbridled enthusiasm for Nordic skiing. He has created early season skiing opportunities for those of us in the banana belt by fostering the relationship with Tyrol Basin, an alpine ski area, to create early season Nordic skiing and racing opportunities for local skiers. This opportunity has helped advance the juniors (high school) program and allow the master skiers to get a jump start on the season. Walt's enthusiasm flows over into creating a local awareness for Nordic skiing and getting the word out about the Madison Nordic Ski Club. Walt is always focused on putting the best interests of the club first."
Walter and Stacey get out of the ski club what they put in. MadNorSki is important to them because it offers a social outlet with other Nordic skiers. As Walt explains, "You could never have this much fun all by your lonesome self. The ski clubs are vital to the future of Nordic skiing --especially where there is inconsistent snow like there is down here in the banana belt. We organize roller ski training and instruction, put on roller ski races, make snow at Blackhawk ski area to train and race on, and develop partnerships with local ski areas to train and race at. We are racing November 29 and Decembers 5 and 12 and have for the last three years. The club race results demonstrate the importance of getting on snow early in the season."
Stacey and Walter don't just have fun on cross country skis though. The two also waterski, teleski, and rollerski. Sense a theme here? However, they also race canoes and Walter bikes and does triathlons. The two showcase the importance and exuberance of active living.
For those of us out there who don't belong to ski clubs, I hope we can gain an appreciation for what they do and be encouraged to join. We all get some kind of satisfaction and enjoyment from Nordic skiing. For the future of the sport, we need to work as the Madison Ski Club does to get kids involved, work for the promotion of the sport, and look for areas to enhance: be it snowmaking, opening new areas, preserving trails for quiet sports, and/or starting events.
This article was originally printed in the December 2006 Noquemanon Log and was used by permission.
