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Greetings NENSA Community,
If you look closely below, you’ll find two separate nods to Mike Gallagher in this week’s Kickzone. The overlap was purely coincidental, but the connection is not.
Mike’s deep influence on U.S. skiing began with his own competitive excellence and grew through his coaching and mentorship of the next generation of Olympians, including Bill Koch, as well as Vermont high schoolers, newcomers to community programs, and BKL skiers. Famed announcer Peter Graves once said, “What he leaves is a rich tapestry of goodness, of inspiring countless people to ski and enjoy the richness of life.”
And so we see below his “Ski Tracks Through Time” at the 25th anniversary BKL celebration in Putney, VT and in the successes of this year’s Gallagher Award recipients, Astrid Longstreth and Joey Sluka. Astrid and Joey are sincerely deserving of this recognition, both as athletes and as leaders. The joy and spirit they share with our community would undoubtedly make Mike proud!
All my best,
Heidi
Heidi Lange
Executive Director
New England Nordic Ski Association
heidi@nensa.net
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In this week’s Kickzone
Job Openings
| | NENSA News From the Field | | Honoring Astrid Longstreth and Joey Sluka as Gallagher Eastern Cup Champions | | Photos: Daryn Slover & Britton Mann | | |
Each year, NENSA recognizes our Eastern Cup Series Champions with the Mike Gallagher award. The award recognizes consistent excellence in the East’s premier race series, with skiers scored on 7 of 8 EC races. The award is named in honor of the late, great Mike Gallagher, who at various points in his life in nordic skiing served as a three-time US Olympian, US Ski Team and US Olympic Coach, a High School Coach, and always, a Vermonter and Champion of New England skiing.
This year, we are thrilled to share that Astrid Longstreth and Joey Sluka are our Gallagher Eastern Cup Champions!
| | NENSA Community Training Day at Stratton | | |
Calling all 7th - 12th graders and collegiate skiers (U14 through U23 are welcome)! Come join NENSA, Stratton Mountain School, SMS T2 and West River Nordic BKL coaches for a fun, informative day of instruction, training, and a day so full of skiing fun that it'll almost make you think it's snowing in July!
When: Saturday, July 19
Where: Stratton, VT
| | THANK YOU TO OUR PLATINUM SPONSORS | | Chris City and Katharine Call step into NENSA Board Leadership roles | | |
We're thrilled to share that as of this spring, Chris City has taken on the role of NENSA Board President and Katharine Call the role of Vice President.
Joining the NENSA Board as a director in 2022, Katharine grew up in Southern Vermont, ski racing and benefiting from all of NENSA’s competitive programming from a very young age. Joining in 2024, Chris has brought significant organizational and leadership experience to the board.
| | A Couple Mornings in Maine: Maine Nordic Team Camp at Gould Academy! | | For a couple of mornings in Maine last weekend, it felt just a little more like winter.. 30 skiers from across the Pine Tree State re-united from last winter’s Eastern High School and U16 Championships for a two-day camp hosted by Maine Nordic and Gould Academy in Bethel! | | THANK YOU TO OUR GOLD SPONSORS | | Renew your NENSA Membership! | | |
We just kicked off our 2026-27 membership year and hope you'll join us again for another season.
Our members are a vital part of the NENSA ski community whose support keeps our operations running year-round and ensures we can offer programs and events to skiers of all ages and skill levels. In gratitude for this support, we aim to provide an array of great member benefits including.
Individual Membership Renewal Instructions:
- Log into our Membership Portal here. A password is now required to log in. Set one up by pressing “Having trouble logging in?” on the login page. Every member will need a unique password.
- Once logged in, click "Membership Status, Renewal & History" on the left side menu.
- Click the "Rejoin Now" button under the "Memberships" header.
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Additional helpful info:
- Auto-renew is back! Just click the box after selecting your membership level.
- You can change your profile information, including your team/club affiliation, by clicking "Edit Profile" on the left side menu of your Dashboard.
- As of this year, transaction fees are included in the total membership cost. You can review pricing here.
- If you're looking to renew your club's membership, you can do that here (no login needed but make sure you are logged out of the Membership Portal before clicking the link).
| | Introducing: The 2026-27 NENSA Fischer Eastern Cup! | | The original idea of NENSA was to build towards a dream. One time, there’d been a guy from Vermont who won an Olympic medal named Bill Koch. Point a bunch of skiers in the same direction, and maybe there’d be another guy from Vermont who’d do the same thing. Organize the races here, and New England skiers could go anywhere. The map to a world beyond, from within the sport of nordic skiing, started, and remains, at series of races which brings us all together: the Fischer Eastern Cup. | | THANK YOU TO OUR SILVER SPONSORS | | Photos from the 2003 BKL Festival in Putney, Vermont themed "Ski Tracks Through Time." These photos were shared by Hank Lange who served as the first Coordinator of the Bill Koch League from its founding through 1980 and played a major role in organizing the 2003 Festival. | | A 2006-07 map of all the Bill Koch Leagues in New England from the NENSA newsletter, created by Poppet Boswell. | | We want to hear from you! Share a Bill Koch League or Festival photo and/or your favorite BKL memory by emailing kai@nensa.net. | | THANK YOU TO OUR BRONZE SPONSORS | |
Final Call for Lumi's June Membership Offer!
From snowy villages to warm apple strudel, Lumi curates memorable cross country ski vacations to the European Alps and Scandinavia. Lumi’s passion for skiing, lifelong learning, and shared experiences on and off the snow perfectly aligns with our mission.
In celebration of our partnership, Lumi Experiences is extending a special offer exclusively to NENSA members:
Contact Lumi (info@lumiexperiences.com) and provide your NENSA member number to receive a $300 discount for a new booking on any 2027 Lumi trip through June 30, 2026. Lumi will also make a $100 donation to NENSA for every member who books by June 30.
| "I am so excited to embark on my third Lumi trip - this time with my proceeds going to NENSA, after winning the trip in the NENSA auction. For an avid cross country skier like me, Lumi Experiences trips are the perfect way to explore Europe doing the sport I love most. Garrott's team offers personalized trip planning, knowledgeable guides, flexible itineraries, great food, beautiful accommodations, and most importantly, ski memories to last a lifetime!" - Sarah, NENSA Auction Lumi trip winner | You can also join Lumi's newsletter here to learn more about upcoming trips, favorite cross-country ski destinations and travel tips. | | Scenes from the NENSA Community | | Scenes from the Maine Nordic Camp hosted by Gould | | |
Full Time Nordic Coach - Green Mountain Valley School
Green Mountain Valley School, located in Waitsfield, VT, is seeking a dedicated, passionate, and mission-aligned Nordic Coach to join its cross-country ski program and help develop the next generation of champions and leaders. Details and application.
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Graduate Assistant Coach - St. Lawrence University
St. Lawrence University is currently seeking applications for a Graduate Assistant Coach for Men’s & Women’s Nordic Ski. This is a 9-month position (August 2026 – May 2027) targeted toward graduate students seeking a master’s degree. Details and application.
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June 25-28: Gould Nordic Summer Camp - Bethel, ME
June 27-July 1: NENSA Eastern Regional Elite Group (REG) Camp - Waitsfield, VT
July 2: Lost Nation Roll - Craftsbury Common, VT
July 5-7: NENSA Regional Development Group (RDG) Camp - Craftsbury, VT
July 19: NENSA Training Day - Stratton Mountain, VT
July 20-24: Sleepy Hollow BKL Camp - Huntington, VT
July 28-August 2: GMVS XC Summer Training Camp - Waitsfield, VT
August 3-6: SMS BKL Summer Camp - Stratton Mountain, VT
August 6-9: SMS Junior Summer Camp - Stratton Mountain, VT
August 12-15: DublinXC Summer Camp for BKL & Junior Skiers - Dublin, NH
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New England Nordic Ski Association
P.O. Box 97
Lyme, NH 03768
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