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Greetings NENSA Community,
By all accounts, 2025-26 was a truly memorable year for NENSA. It began with a look back at our founding vision and 30-year history. As we turned the calendar to 2026, we refreshed our logo with a NENSA BKL-Olympian, turned our attention to the Olympic stage, and celebrated standout performances by two more BKL-Olympians on the same day.
Soon after, we said goodbye to our founder and witnessed the strength of his legacy at a BKL Festival that brought together 650 children. Finally, the year reached a fitting finale in Lake Placid, where we gathered with the world to celebrate the legacy and future of U.S. cross-country skiing. As we turn toward a new ski year, we do so with an exceptional foundation for the future.
We are deeply grateful for all who make NENSA such a vibrant community. To our volunteers, partners, donors, coaches, officials, families, clubs, and especially our skiers: thank you for being part of this story and for helping carry NENSA into its next chapter.
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 | | Re-live last winter through our end-of-season slideshow! Thank you to the whole NENSA community who showed up to make this a fun and memorable winter. We hope to see you on dryland this summer as we get ready for the next snowy season to come. | | THANK YOU TO OUR PLATINUM SPONSORS | | Community Race Update: Zak Cup Winners, Marathon Challengers and Club Cup Champion Make the Most of a Wonderful Winter in New England | | The idea of the NENSA Community Race Series is premised on the idea that it will celebrate those that can turn the conventional relationship with such a winter on its head. From fast-rollicking sprints and 10 k races, to events where you ski until only one remains, through to relays where you go until you have to pass the torch, literally, to the next generation. | | THANK YOU TO OUR GOLD SPONSORS | | Women Who Move Us Forward: Bari Dreissigacker and Judy Geer | | We're excited to share that NENSA sponsor, Concept2, is celebrating their 50th year of business! Two of their co-founders, Dick Dreissigacker and Judy Geer, are also the current heads of another one of our other valued partners, the Craftsbury Outdoor Center, and Judy is also a former NENSA board member and active community member facilitating inclusion and access to the sport of cross-country skiing. Below is a wonderful feature article about her and Concept2 co-founder, Bari Dreissigacker. | | THANK YOU TO OUR SILVER SPONSORS | | Coming Together to Support a Community Member | | |
As many in the ski community may already know, Matt Whitcomb, head coach of the U.S. Cross-Country Ski Team, has a 7 year old niece with a rare genetic condition who needs a bone marrow transplant. The ideal donor is someone between 18 and 35.
Tomorrow, May 7th, between 11am and 3pm, the Dartmouth Ski Team is helping host an opportunity for volunteers to join the national registry as potential donors. If you live in the Hanover area and are between the ages of 18-35, we hope you’ll consider joining the registry. And regardless of where you live, you can learn more and join online here. You can also learn about organizing a registry recruitment event in your community here.
| | THANK YOU TO OUR BRONZE SPONSORS | |
GMVS Summer Camp Applications Open
Build training volume on foot and rollerskis while experiencing all that Green Mountain Valley School and the Mad River Valley have to offer – from mountains and trails, to rivers and roads! Enhance your power, strength, and agility in our world-class Racing Performance Center, guided by some of the top coaches in the country. This year, we’re thrilled to welcome back athletes and coaches from our sister school in Mals, Italy, adding an international dimension to the camp experience.
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SMS BKL & Junior Camp Applications Open
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.
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Dublin Summer Camp Applications Open
Our camp has developed a reputation for its perfect balance of hard work and fun! Our quiet, paved roads provide great opportunities for rollerskiing, the Nordic Center has miles of single track for running and mountain biking, and the pristine Dublin Lake offers a great way to cool off after every workout. We’ll reside on the Dublin School campus where we will take advantage of the dining hall’s tasty meals, a fully equipped weight room, and an alpine ski slope for the camp’s famous hill bounding workouts. Mount Monadnock is a quick jog from campus and provides an optimal venue for our distance hike at the conclusion of camp.
| | Scenes from the NENSA Community | | |
Members of the Dartmouth Ski Team at the registry
recruitment event they're co-hosting
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Extra Blue Ep39: 6th at the Olympics w/Julia Kern
Apr 28, 2026 | Alayna Sonnesyn, Extra Blue Podcast
On this episode, I welcome Julia Kern, reflecting on her performances at the Olympic Games this past season. Julia placed 6th in the Classic Individual sprint and 5th in the Skate team Sprint with Jessie Diggins. We discuss the build-up to the Olympics, the nerves, excitement, and preparation. We break down the day of the individual sprint race: strategy and tactics, ski performance, and self-talk. We also dive into the skate team sprint and what the race meant to Julia, racing with Jessie in this iconic event. Listen here.
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The Late Bloomer Who Became a Legend
April 16, 2026 | Peggy Shinn, Dartmouth Alumni Magazine
Read here
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Power in Partnership: How Salomon and POW are Showing Up for Winter
Mar 25, 2026 | Ollie Bowen, Protect Our Winters (POW)
Read here
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New England Nordic Ski Association
P.O. Box 97
Lyme, NH 03768
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