Greetings NENSA community,

We officially wrapped up the season in Craftsbury this weekend with a spirited relay, community BBQ, Zak and Club Cup awards, and some of the nicest conditions we have seen all winter. The New England Club Relay Championship, originally conceived by Jim Fredericks, is emblematic of the spirit, inclusivity, and camaraderie we wish at all of our events.  

As the season winds down, NENSA staff have already begun a period of reflection and planning, thinking about how to be more creative, diverse, and broadly inclusive with our event offerings and programming. We are energized and inspired by our community and feeling some momentum from rising membership and participation numbers this season. Thank you for being a part of that.

Funds raised in our Championship Fund Drive directly support our operating budget and the work that makes this all possible. Please see the update below and thank you for supporting NENSA!

In this week’s edition of KickZone

• NENSA Championship Fund Drive Update
• Club Relay Championships Recap
• Supertour Finals Recap
• Nordic Rocks Update
• Bill Koch in Vermont Public's 'Vermont Madness' bracket
• Opportunities beyond BKL
• XC BINGO Final Call
• Cochran's Nordic Cross
• SMST2 Seeks Program Director
• GRPSki, Biathlon and U23 Training programs accepting applications
• SMS T2 accepting applications
• Scenes from the Community
• COC Summer Collegiate Training Group application open
• GMVS Summer Camp Registration
• SMS Summer Camp Registration

In the news

• U.S. Ski & Snowboard: Diggins Second in World Cup Overall, Ogden Wins U23 Green Bib To Close Out 2022-23 Season
• Nordic Insights: Americans Take Home 46 Medals from World Masters in Seefeld

Enjoy the fantastic spring skiing and the brilliant daylight.

All my best,

Heidi

Heidi Lange

Executive Director

New England Nordic Ski Association

heidi@nensa.net

www.nensa.net

Thank you!

Memberships directly support all of our year-round programming,

backing us in our mission to nurture and sustain an active cross country ski

community for all ages and levels throughout the East. 

Thank you for taking a minute to join or renew your NENSA membership,

and for the important support that it provides!

Please join me in thanking and supporting our wonderful NENSA Sponsors 

for their generous contributions and the ongoing impact that they have on NENSA programming and cross country skiing in New England!

Thank you for supporting NENSA in our annual fundraising drive. With over $17,500 raised, we are approaching the half-way mark of our $40,000 goal!

Please consider a gift of any amount and help us finish the year strong, backing us in our mission to share the joy of gliding on snow through educational, recreational, introductory and competitive programs to nurture and sustain an active cross country ski community for all ages and levels throughout the East.

“The NENSA Club Relay Championship attracts skiers of all ages and abilities and is the perfect way to involve all club members in a fun and exciting event. It is a true test to see who has the premier ski club/team in New England”

– former event host Jim Fredericks. 

Craftsbury not only put on another first rate show,

but they also put together nine (!) complete teams for the

Club relay. This effort (and a third place finish in the

Nat’| Champ relay) jumped the Craftsbury squad

from third to first in the year long Club Score.

The Craftsbury Outdoor Center put a beautiful event together top cap NENSA’s Popular races at The Henchey Memorial New England Club Relay Championships. 44 teams came out for the event, which was held in conjunction with the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Super Tour Finals. The race consisted of a 4×5km relay with a course that mixed easier terrain together, and kept the speed and oxygen uptake high! You can get a nice feel for the fast snow and festive atmosphere in our “Magic Movie” — most skiers have a spot!...

The National U16 Camp will be held at Paul Smith’s College just outside of Lake Placid, New York from July 31 to Aug 6, 2023. It is exciting to have a full National Camp back together after a few years — for many athletes this is the first time they are exposed to their National peer group for outstanding training and competition. Paul Smith of NYSEF will work with Greta Anderson of the US Ski Team to plan and coordinate this project.

New England is proud to have nine nominees for the camp:

Niko Cuneo – Mansfield Nordic Club

David Northcott – Caldwell Sport

Lucas Barstow – Gould Academy

Henri McCourt – Mt. Blue High School

Annelies Hanna – Ford Sayre

Mary Harrington – Green Mountain Valley School

Amelia Circosta – Craftsbury Ski Club

Ava Schneider – Green Mountain Valley School

Frances Tucker – Eastern Mass XC

We are lucky to have the U16 Camp in the East this summer and this means we have the opportunity to send a few extra coaches — any USSS coaches who have interest in joining this camp please reach out to Justin Beckwith (justin@nensa.net).

We were thrilled to have Old Town Elementary school join our Nordic Rocks program this year thanks to funding from the Killington World Cup Foundation and the Share Winter Foundation. We’re also grateful to Old Town’s PE teacher and community volunteers for spearheading the program on the ground. Old Town Elementary is located right on the University of Maine at Orono ski trails and near the Penobscot Valley Ski Club so students in the Nordic Rocks program have next step opportunities to ski outside of school right in their own community. Below are a few thoughts from Old Town Elementary School students after their first ski session:

“My joy today was trying skiing and my goal is to try skiing hills next time.”

“I want to be a world champion skier!”

From Josh Crane at Vermont Public "In the spirit of our latest episode about the many examples of Vermont’s cultural impact (and in the spirit of fun and friendly competition), we've devised a bracket featuring 64 of Vermont's biggest impacts on today's culture. Our goal? To determine, once-and-for-all, which Vermont phenomenon has had the biggest impact." Learn more and play HERE.

Has your child aged out of the Bill Koch League? Cross country skiing is a lifetime sport with a myriad of ways to stay involved whether recreationally or competitively or both. For a roadmap of options beyond the Bill Koch Youth Ski League, click HERE

THANK YOU TO OUR NENSA CONTRIBUTING SPONSORS:

U.S. Ski & Snowboard works to provide a safe environment in which athletes can train and compete, free from abuse and inappropriate behavior. Please review U.S. Ski & Snowboard's Athlete Safety policies, the SafeSport Code, and the Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies and join us in sustaining a culture of safety.

If you are an athlete who has experienced inappropriate behavior or know of an athlete who has experienced inappropriate behavior, report a concern:

The U.S. Center for SafeSport

Hotline:  833-587-7233

Report:  CLICK HERE

U.S. Ski & Snowboard

Report: CLICK HERE

We all are part of promoting a culture of safety through education, listening, and speaking up.

The SMST2 team is planning to expand our program by hiring a Program Director, adding several new team members and accepting 3-4 athletes into our summer program. It is our goal to make a good thing even better.

The Program Director will work closely with the Head Coach supporting the athletes in establishing training and travel plans. The Program Director will oversee all outreach projects, fundraising events and social media posts. The Program Director will help with most workouts, but will not travel as much as the Head Coach. The Program Director must be positive, organized and knowledgeable in all aspects of cross country skiing. For more information, please e-mail Sverre Caldwell at scaldwell@gosms.org.

Full job description available HERE.

The Craftsbury Green Racing Project (GRP) Ski & Biathlon teams are now accepting applications for the 2023-24 training year as well as for their summer U23 training programs. Applications will be due by end of day March 31 and decisions will be made by April 15.

GRP is looking for skiers and biathletes who have shown good ski speed over the past couple years. Skiers who have not yet tried biathlon will be given the opportunity if they’re interested...click HERE to learn more about the program and the application process.

The SMST2 team is planning to expand our program by hiring a Program Director, adding several new team members and accepting 3-4 athletes into our summer program. It is our goal to make a good thing even better.

Team members must be highly motivated athletes and “team” players. Our team mission is “International excellence, local inspiration”. We believe that by working closely together and with the community, great things can happen. We provide our team members with coaching, housing stipends and a travel stipend. Fill out the SMS T2 Team athlete application HERE.

Our summer program runs from early June through early August. We plan to accept 3-4 athletes into this program. We are looking for eager college age skiers who can add positively to our training group. Fill out the summer program application HERE.

THANK YOU TO OUR NENSA SUPPORTING SPONSORS:

Are you in college, skiing at a high level and looking to put in a solid summer of training to reach your athletic goals for the upcoming season? Do you like convenient, flexible and fun training with friends? This is what you are looking for! Craftsbury is now accepting applications for our Summer Collegiate Training Group.

What’s the difference between this college group and the summer GRP/U23 program? Great question. Both are meant for highly competitive college athletes who are devoted to a summer of hard training. The GRP/U23 program is highly selective, typically accepting 3-4 skiers per summer based on the existing makeup of the GRP team. The Collegiate Training program aims to accept 8-10 people who can form a cohesive and positive training group.

We primarily train on the Outdoor Center rollerski loop, miles of singletrack trails and indoor/outdoor gym space but often explore nearby areas for longer adventures. The Outdoor Center also has the benefit of having multiple training groups and lots of training partners during the summer months. As a coaching staff we are committed to working with each individual and using our resources to create the most positive training experience. Possibility for local lodging depending on demand; program fees a-la-carte based on coaching fee plus individual room and board needs.

2023 GMVSxc Summer Camp registration is LIVE

Build training volume on foot and on rollerskis while exploring our local roads, mountains, trails, and rivers. Increase your strength in our world-class Racing Performance Center, and enjoy rejuvenating recovery sessions led by our experienced coaching staff. This year's camp will conclude with a race effort!

Join us July 25-30, 2023.

Join us for an SMS Nordic camp this summer! 

The 2023 Stratton Mountain School summer Nordic camp will be held on the SMS Campus.

The SMS Nordic Program has combined sports science, a variety of proven training methods, a culture of athlete-driven excellence, and of course, FUN(!) to boast one of the most successful Nordic programs in the world. The program's unprecedented national and international success has produced 16 Olympians in the past seven Winter Olympics. Over 35 SMS Nordic athletes have made the U.S. World Junior Team, and 25 have made the U.S. National Team. Each Summer, SMS Nordic hosts two summer camps for young skiers filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Sign up today! 

BKL Camp: Aug 7-10

Junior Camp: Aug 10-13

Diggins Second in World Cup Overall, Ogden Wins U23 Green Bib To Close Out 2022-23 Season

March 26, 2023 | by Leann Bentley

The 2022-23 World Cup season has come to an end in Lahti, Finland with the 20k classic. It was another historic day for the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team, highlighted by Ben Ogden clinching the U23 Green Bib, Jessie Diggins placing second in the FIS Cross Country World Cup Overall and distance races, Rosie Brennan snagging fourth place in the overall and sixth in the distance and the team finishing in fourth place for the Nations Cup.

Ogden won the U23 Green Bib for being the best skier under the age of 23 on the World Cup, joining an elite class of past winners and cementing himself as one of the most dominant young forces on the circuit. 

Ogden is becoming a household name in the cross country world. As each race passes, there are always stories about how "Benny-O" took it one level higher, pushed the pace that much more or tried something new in the sprints. Winning the U23 Green Bib is a testament to one's consistency and speed in distance, sprint and stage races throughout the entire season. Ogden started dawning the green in Drammen, Norway. Since then, it's been part of his uniform and today, he took it for good. 

Ogden walks away from the circuit with one of the finest seasons on record by an American male cross country skier in over 30 years, winning not only the green bib, but taking home eighth place overall in the FIS World Cup overall standings...click HERE to read the full story.

Americans Take Home 46 Medals from World Masters in Seefeld

March 30, 2023 | by Nordic Insights

It’s been a bumpy few years for the Masters World Cup, the flagship race series of the World Masters Cross-Country Ski Association.

The 2019 championships were held in Beitostølen, Norway, and were a success and a delight (source: I raced in them, and found them delightful). The 2020 championships, in Cogne, Italy, were all systems go as of February 24, 2020, then were quietly canceled four days later as northern Italy became an epidemiological war zone and the emerging scope of the pandemic became clear. The would-be 2021 championships, in Canmore, Alberta, were ultimately postponed to 2022. No Russian athletes competed in Canmore last year; the competitions are FIS races, and a ban on Russian and Belarusian nationals was already in effect.

In 2023, racing continued in Seefeld, Austria, with the 41st edition of the Masters World Cup earlier this month...click HERE to read the full story.

THANK YOU TO OUR NENSA OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS:

New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA)

49 Pineland Drive, Suite 301A

New Gloucester, ME 04260

Phone: 207-688-6503 www.nensa.net

STAY CONNECTED