Cold and Snowy Greetings NENSA Community!

Wow ~ winter has arrived ~ at least it feels like it this week in New England. Hope many of you are out enjoying the early snow at your local cross county touring center or back fields. Just bitter coffee cold here in Boston today, but looking forward to getting up to Vermont over the Thanksgiving long weekend for some skiing then. Some NE XC venues that are skiing right now include, but not limited to: Craftsbury, Rikert, Quarry Road, Ole's, Sleepy Hollow, Mt. Van Ho (this weekend).

Check out what's in this weeks issue, in the boxes below:
  • The NENSA Auction is coming! Starts next Wednesday 11/20. Check out some of the really wonderful items that will be available this year, and thanks in advance for supporting NENSA with this important annual fundraiser!
  • An introduction to NENSA's Popular Race Series ~ our citizen races that include both Zak Cup and Marathons
  • Photos of the November 9th L100 Coaches Clinic in Lincoln/Sudbury MA ~ over 41 coaches attended!
  • Updates from our NENSA sponsors and supporters, including Share Winter Foundation, LL Bean Team Night, Fischer Demo Days, US Ski Team names their 2019-20 Team and the 75th anniversary of the Stowe Derby this year
  • GETSKIING NENSA's FREE membership category for first time members!
  • SafeSport Info
  • NENSA Wax Policy for 2019-20 season
  • Women's Day Registration is OPEN
  • NENSA's Calendar of Events!

See you on the trails soon!
Best,
Amie

Amie W. Smith
Executive Director
New England Nordic Ski Association
Amie@nensa.net

Be sure to follow us on fb, Twitter and on Instagram @nensa_nordic
NENSA News from the Field
Highlights and Notes from NENSA and the Nordic World
NENSA Announces our GET SKIING
FREE Membership
for First Time Members
2019-2020 NENSA  GETSKIING  MEMBERSHIP: FREE!!!!
Good for First-Time NENSA Members only
Yes, you heard that correctly ~ we want everyone to  GET SKIING , so we are offering anyone, of any age ~ Youth, juniors, seniors, masters, parents, grandparents, a FREE membership to NENSA  (if you have never been a NENSA member before) . This is a great way to try our NENSA programing this coming season and join in all the summer, fall and winter fun! You can try out that rollerski race, BKL program, an Eastern Cup race, a Citizen’s race or a coaching clinic, and your NENSA membership is FREE! 
Click here to   JOIN NENSA TODAY
If you are already a NENSA member ~ THANK YOU! Click here to  RENEW   your membership today. June is the official start of our new membership year, so take a few minutes to renew, or join for free, and GET SKIING today!
NENSA's online Auction starts in ONE WEEK!
Here is a preview of just a few of the AWESOME items
we have for you this year!
  • Ciclismo Classico - Taste of Tuscany Bike Tour
  • Salomon S/Lab Classic AND Pursuit boots
  • Rossignol Gear bags for your boots/gear and skis & poles
  • A set of Nokian Tyres!
  • Trapp Family Lodge 2 night and 3 night get-a-ways
  • Kennebec Cheese
  • Hosmer Wine
  • LL Bean duffel
  • Highland Lodge 2 night get-a-way
  • Jessie Diggins Olympic autographed posters
  • Craftsbury Outdoor Center family membership and one-night get-a-way
  • SKIDA gift pack of a hat, neckwarmer and headband in their latest fabrics
  • UnTapped sample packs - waffels, fuel and drink mixes, and, an UnTapped SKIDA headband
  • Gift Certificates from New Balance, Marathon Sports, Salt Hill Pub, Three Tomatoes Trattoria, Heartbreak Hill Running, Didrik, LL Bean....and more
  • Vinalhaven Maine vacation rental
  • Laughing Moon Chocolates gift basket
  • AND SO MUCH MORE!!! Come back next week to start your bidding!
Photos from NENSA's L100 Technique and Coaching Clinic held 11/9 at the Lincoln Sudbury High School in MA
Last Saturday dawned bright and sunny in the greater Boston area. Over 41 coaches and BKL parent leaders were on hand to be the beneficiary of a great coaching clinic lead by Jim Stock, Head Coach for EMBK and Alex Jospe, Head Coach of SMS Nordic. Link to more photos from this NENSA clinic HERE
POPULAR RACING IN NEW ENGLAND
NENSA rolls out our Popular Race Series:
Zak Cup & Marathons
November snow has touring centers giddy with excitement for the 2019-2020 season. Indeed many cross country skiers are already sliding on their skinny skis throughout New England and ski areas have snowmaking operations underway. In response to last winters amazing season there are twenty-two races on the   Zak Cup calendar ,  eight marathons   and the increasingly popular   New England Club Relay Championship .  NENSA’s mission is to implement educational, recreational, and competitive programs at all levels to sustain a vital and active cross-country skiing community in New England — these popular races are the lifeblood of that community!
Link to full story, and lots more great photos HERE

Craftsbury Outdoor Center webcam 11/13/19 – one of the touring centers in NE that will open this weekend.
NENSA's Women's Day Registration is OPEN
Save the Date: Bethel Village Trails at The Bethel Inn, Bethel, ME, February 23, 2020

Link to more info and registration page click HERE
NENSA WAXING POLICY
2019-2020 SKI SEASON
Mission Statement:  NENSA is committed to making safe and supportive competitive events for all cross country skiers. Concerns about fluorinated waxes have emerged from three schools of thought: the health implications of exposure, the environmental effects involved with the raw materials in many of the wax products, and the competitive advantage certain clubs may gain due to the perceived complexities of available products. NENSA would like to address these issues and help reduce the dependence on fluorinated waxes through education and waxing guidelines.
It is important to note that the wax industry will shift as the international market responds to mounting regulation of ingredients in Europe. We hope our stance will promote a healthy environment for athletes, technicians, spectators and New England venues. These policies are based on trust and NENSA cannot enforce compliance.

Click HERE to see our NENSA Wax Policy for the 2019-20 Season
SafeSport Program
U.S. Ski & Snowboard, our National Governing Body (NGB) requires the following individuals complete training provided by the U.S. Center for SafeSport:

Individuals associated with Member Clubs (that means any NENSA club)

  • Adult athlete members of Member Clubs, except Short Term Athlete Members due to their limited participation and Master Athletes who do not i) have regular contact with minor athletes or ii) have authority over minor athletes
  • Adult members (who are not athletes) of Member Clubs who i) have regular contact with athletes, or ii) have authority over athletes
  • Employees and Board Members of Member Clubs
  • Individuals providing services to Member Clubs, including but not limited to contractors, volunteers, interns, who i) have regular contact with athletes or ii) have authority over athletes
  • More info here: https://usskiandsnowboard.org/safesport-athlete-safety/safesport-training

NENSA urges ALL New England coaches, parent volunteers, venue volunteers and anyone working with youth to take the SafeSport on-line course and get certified. NENSA requires this of all our staff and volunteer coaches and wax techs at JN's and REG Camps. Please take time this season to be sure all your club volunteers and coaches are SafeSport certified. Do it today. Go to: https://www.safesport.org

Further information on SafeSport, and important updates made as of 4/15/19 to the SafeSport Program, can be found on our NENSA website HERE
Exciting News from our Partners:
NENSA receives amazing grant support each winter from the Share Winter Foundation for our Nordic Rocks programing. Here is a great article from Forbes Magazine on their CEO, Constance Beverly, and how she made the move from Wall Street Lawyer to improving the lives, health and fitness of youth through winter sports. NENSA for one is very glad Constance made this career change!

From Wall Street To Ski Slopes:
How This CEO Increases
Youth Engagement Through Winter Sports

Constance Beverley, CEO of Share Winter Foundation, pivoted from being a Wall Street lawyer to now operating a grant-making organization that works to improve the lives, health and fitness of youth through winter sports. Share Winter works closely with carefully selected grantees to build efficient, effective and sustainable winter sports programs and pipelines to ongoing winter sports participation.

The Foundation, initially founded in 2012 as the National Winter Sports Education Foundation, recently underwent a rebranding phase. “We fund youth learn to ski and snowboard programs across the country in Nordic skiing, Alpine skiing and snowboarding,” Beverley states. “Rather than be an organization that runs programs directly, rather than be someone that starts another thing that is also competing for funding, the founders decided that there needed to be a fund that supported these sports for the sport’s sake. They are expensive. The industry itself is ripe for disruption and innovation. If you could get money and put it to work, that that would actually be more beneficial.”

Keep reading on Forbes
L.L. Bean Nordic Team Night
Coaches, Teams and Parents
Thursday, November 21st, 4:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
L.L. Bean Bike, Boat and Ski Store
 57 Main Street, Freeport, Maine
Information – 207-552-7670 

4:00 - 5:00 p.m. – Dryland Training  
·       Dryland Training with NENSA's Tom Weir and Bowdoin's Nathan Alsobrook (parking lot behind store)
o   Athletes must bring signed Participant Agreement or have a coach present to sign
Snacks, energy bars, and drinks provided after workout
 
5:30-6:30 p.m. – Clinics
·       Fundamentals of Efficient Classic Ski Technique with Nathan Alsobrook, Bowdoin College Head Nordic Ski Coach (1st Floor)
o   A detailed analysis of Classic ski technique for coaches and athletes.
·       Stretching and Foam Rolling with Joel Hinshaw, Freeport High School Nordic Team Head Coach & L.L.Bean Wellness Employee (2nd Floor)
o   While stretching and foam rolling Joel will teach the importance of nutrition, hydration, and how to warm up and cool down properly

6:30 p.m. – Meet and Greet with Kris Freeman: FOUR-TIME OLYMPIC XC SKIER, MULIT-SPORT ATHLETE & TYPE 1 DIABETES ADVOCATE
·       Get an autographed picture after Kris gives a quick motivational talk 

5:00 - 8:30 p.m. 
·       Waxing Demonstrations by Swix & Toko Professionals (service shop)
o   Learn skate and classic waxing techniques that will help improve your performance and enjoyment this season
·       1000 Meter Ergometer Head to Head Sprint Races (ski shop 1 st  floor)
o   Challenge yourself against other local racers for the chance to win great prizes
·       Podium Photo Booth Contest
o   Jump up on the podium and post your victory photo to win a gift card
·       Get Sized Up-  Factory Reps will help you select all the gear you’ll need for a successful season. 
o   Sales reps will be available from Salomon, Rossignol, Fischer, Craft, Swix, Toko, Darn Tough Vermont, Redd Energy Bars & L.L. Bean
o   Special team pricing for team members this night only!
o    NEW THIS YEAR!!    We will have inventory on hand from Swix, Fischer, Rossignol, Darn Tough, and Redd Bars.  We will also be taking special orders.
o   Coaches, this is the time to get your wax order in for the season! Special team night pricing will be available from Swix & Toko. 

L.L.Bean Nordic Ski Team Cards will be distributed to all eligible athletes.   Each card entitles the athlete to 1 free hotbox and a 20% discount throughout the race season (expires February 29 th ).

There will be several door prizes and raffles throughout the evening!
2019-20 U.S. Cross Country Ski Team Stacked with Talent
U.S. Ski & Snowboard has announced the 20 athletes of the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team for the 2019-20 season who will open their World Cup season Nov. 29-Dec. 1 in Ruka, Finland, and the SuperTour season Dec. 6-8 in Canmore, Alberta.

“We’ve been really impressed with the fitness, professionalism, and motivation of all the U.S. Ski Team athletes this summer,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross Country Program Director Chris Grover. “The athletes are making big steps forward technically and physiologically. All the personal coaches and club partners have been doing an impressive job of preparing these national team athletes, and we are excited to watch them race this season. We expect American athletes to have some breakthrough performances all season long, from the Norwegian opener in Beitostølen, to the World Junior and U23 Championships, to the Minneapolis, USA World Cup.”

Jessie Diggins and Simi Hamilton will lead an experienced team of athletes heading into the 2019-20 FIS Cross Country World Cup season, which includes the return of World Cup racing to the U.S. for the first time in 19 years on March 17 in Minneapolis, Minn. Other North American World Cup events will also include Quebec City, Canada, March 14-15, and for the second consecutive season, the World Cup Finals will also be held on North American soil in Canmore, Alberta, Canada, March 20-22. All 11 members of the U.S. Cross Country A & B Team will kick off the season in Ruka. 

The 2019-20 team also includes the largest D-Team the United States has fielded in many years with nine athletes, including all four members of the gold-medal-winning 2019 FIS Junior World Ski Championships men’s relay team: Luke Jager, Ben Ogden, Johnny Hagenbuch, and Gus Schumacher. Members of the D-Team will open their competitive season in Canmore. 

2019-20 U.S. Cross Country Team
A TEAM:
Men
Erik Bjornsen (Winthrop, Wash.; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Center; 7/14/91)|
Simi Hamilton (Aspen, Colo.; Stratton Mountain School Elite Team ; 5/14/87)
Women
Sadie Bjornsen (Winthrop, Wash.; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Center; 11/21/89)
Rosie Brennan (Anchorage, Alaska; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Center; 12/21/98
Sophie Caldwell ( Peru, Vt.; Stratton Mountain School Elite Team ; 3/22/90)
Jessie Diggins (Afton, Minn.; Stratton Mountain School Elite Team ; 8/26/91)

B TEAM:
Men
Kevin Bolger (Minocqua, Wisc.; Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation; 4/11/93)
Scott Patterson (Anchorage, Alaska; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Center; 1/28/92)
Women
Julia Kern ( Waltham, Mass.; Stratton Mountain School Elite Team ; 9/12/97)
Caitlin Patterson (Anchorage, Alaska; Craftsbury Nordic ; 1/30/90)
Hailey Swirbul (Aspen, Colo.; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Center; 7/10/98)

D TEAM:
Men
Johnny Hagenbuch (Ketchum, Idaho; Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation; 10/1/2001)
Luke Jager (Anchorage, Alaska; APU/University of Utah; 1/17/00)
Noel Keeffe (Steamboat Springs, Colo.; SSWSC/University of Utah; 8/24/99)
Zak Ketterson (Bloomington, Minn.; NMU; 4/2/97)
Ben Ogden ( Landgrove, Vt.; Stratton Mountain School/University of Vermont ; 2/13/00)
Gus Schumacher (Anchorage, Alaska; Alaska Winter Stars; 7/25/00)
Women
Hannah Halvorsen (Truckee, Calif.; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Center; 2/19/98)
Novie McCabe (Winthrop, Wash.; MVNT; 12/15/01)
Kendall Kramer (Fairbanks, Alaska; NSCF-FXC; 6/25/02)

Cross Country Coaches and Staff
Cross Country Program Director: Chris Grover
World Cup Coach: Matt Whitcomb               
World Cup Coach: Jason Cork                    
D-Team Coach: Bernie Nelson                                                           
Cross Country Sport Development Manager: Bryan Fish           
Cross Country Sport Coordinator: Adam St. Pierre            
Communications Manager: Tom Horrocks

Service Staff
Head of Service: Oleg Ragilo           
World Cup Service: Jean-Pascal Laurin
World Cup Service: Per-Erik Bjørnstad    
World Cup Service: Tim Baucom                       
World Cup Service: Eli Brown    
World Cup Service: Karel Kruuser    
Fischer Skis Opens 2019 West Yellowstone Demo Reservations
Fischer Skis announces the return of their online demo reservation system for use throughout dates of the West Yellowstone Ski Festival, Reserve Fischer Demo equipment for on-trail testing to learn how Fischer technology makes for a better on-snow experience. The 2019 West Yellowstone Ski Festival will take place November 26th -30th in West Yellowstone, MT.

Demos will be available for reservation from Tuesday through Friday.
STOWE DERBY – EPIC CROSS-COUNTRY
SKI RACE – 75TH ANNIVERSARY
Epic Cross-Country Ski Race from Summit of Mt. Mansfield to Village Marks 75th Anniversary

Like most great races, the Stowe Derby began as a wager. Legendary skiers Sepp Ruschp and Erling Strom placed a gentleman’s bet on who could ski fastest from the top of the mountain to the town, plotting a course from the summit of Mt. Mansfield to the historic Stowe village 2,700 vertical feet below. 75 years later, the race remains one of the most challenging, exciting, and entertaining cross-country ski races in New England, attracting professional skiers, adventurous newcomers, and families alike.

Known as much for good-spirited camaraderie and entertaining costumes as it is for its thrilling terrain, this year’s long course will follow tradition with a start at the top of Mansfield’s Toll Road and the finish 20 km later in town. Racers may also choose a 6 km short course, a 14 km fat bike race, or the 40 km derby meister. Organized by the Mount Mansfield Ski Club & Academy, registration is now open for teams and individuals ages 13-100+ at https://mmsca.org/events/stowe-derby/

Media Contact: Brooke Mitchell, 802-696-2251 or stowederby@mmsca.org
Upcoming Events
A Look Ahead at the NENSA Calendar
Upcoming NENSA Events: