NENSA News

 

This past weekend mother nature aided the return of competition to Prospect Mountain, Vermont.  One hundred skiers made the journey to the southern part of the state for a weekend of classic competition on newly designed trails.  While temperatures hovered in the single digits and teens most of the weekend intermittent sunshine and the excitement of racing again warmed everyone to the core.

Saturday was a test of our Covid-safe sprint protocol, where skiers perform to “runs,” 20 minutes apart, replacing typical head-to-head sprint heats.  The U16’s started the day racing under the shade of the mountain, with an enthusiastic announcer and the sounds of 70’s rock and roll filling the air.  While the lodge was not open to prevent close contact between visitors it provided an iconic Vermont backdrop for a stadium filled with sponsor banners and Bullitt’s high tech timing systems.  The new 1.2km sprint loop was a combination of several steep climbs and descents – garnering descriptions ranging from “brutal” to “fun.”  Skiers had a section of double poling out of the stadium, but the two noteworthy climbs were a running affair.  With easy-to-find-kick many competitors were able to keep their skis parallel for most of the course.

Fin Bailey of the Stratton Mountain School, turned heads with convincing speed – his first run time of 3:09 was the second fastest skied by any competitor on the day.  His teammates Wyatt Teaford and David Shycon we able to hold on to second and third in both runs.

Miley Bletzer, SMS, also won both of her runs with times of 4:02 and 4:03 — showing consistency that many were not able to match during the demanding back-to-back sprint qualifiers.  Virginia Cobb of Mansfield Nordic, who topped the field last week in the Craftsbury distance race, came second in both runs followed by her fellow Pug, Esther Cuneo.

Bill Harmeyer, SMS T2, was finally able to put on a bib for the first time in a sprint competition since last January’s US Nationals in Houghton, Michigan.  The clear race favorite, and the producer of our NENSA recap videos, showed the junior field what smooth and fast looks like, recording times of 3:01 and 3:04.  In the first run, Brian Bushey and Aidan Burt, both GMVS skiers took second and third place.  In run two, Burt was able to move up a place and Jack Young from Craftsbury snuck into third.

2020 Junior World Sprint competitor, Callie Young of Dartmouth set the tone for the women’s field — winning both runs by nearly 10 seconds apiece.  Her fastest run was 3:32.  In the first run, Mansfield’s Ava Thurston, who will represent USA at Junior Worlds this year snagged second place with her impressive running.  Rena Schwartz was able to nip fellow Dartmouth skier, Chelsea Moore for the third position.  In run two, second was claimed by Anna Lehmann who skis for SMS this season and Schwartz remained in third.

Sunday morning dawned a skiers paradise and a striders dream.  While nearly two feet of snow had fallen over the past week – cold temps and a reprieve from new snow allowed groomer Steve Whitman to transform the newly homologated 5km course into a piece of Nordic artwork.  While the sprint course challenged racers to steep climbs, the distance course is filled with undulating and rolling terrain allowing for traditional technique.  Before the skiers knew it they were halfway up the mountain were they either rocketed into the stadium to finish (5km U16) or hit the lap for a second trip around to make 1okm.  The two parallel tracks of natural powder snow didn’t look much different at 3pm than they did as initial skier inspections started at 8am.  Folks will remember that day for some time.

In the U16 boys race the Stratton trio of Bailey, Teaford and Shycon continued their speedy ways making for a clean sweep on the weekend.  Bailey ripped a 5km lap in 14:41.

Miley Bletzer kept her momentum as well with a :47 second victory over second.  She completed the 5km course in 18:25.  Julia Thurston of Mansfield claimed second and brought Virginia Cobb along to third.

Bill Harmeyer was in his own class Sunday too, where he achieved his pre-race goal of negative splitting the second lap.  He covered the 10km course in 29:04.  Zander Martin, a Vermont resident who races for Bates College, put down an impressive performance to take second place just shy of :40 seconds from Harmeyer.  Brian Bushey finished in third just :12 seconds back of Martin.

Ava Thurston stepped up in the absence of the college women to claim victory by over a minute with a time of 34:55.  Quincy Massey-Bierman continues to ski into race form and found herself in second on the day ahead of Emma Strack who has found some new gears recently.

As a spectator it was apparent that this was a group of competitors who really know how to ski and the organizing committee and volunteers knocked the weekends event out of the park.  Being a part of such a well run event, only weeks separated, from when Vermont residents weren’t even able to gather for club practices was nothing short of surreal.  We look forward to visiting Prospect soon again.

Full Results.

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Racing Updates:

We are halfway through the Virtual Freeman Frost with registration closing on the 31st.  There is a 22km and 14km option – both will be scored to Zak and Club scoring.  This is an opportunity for any club regardless of their location to compete for the A Hallmark of Excellence.

This weekend racing resumes at Craftsbury with the Kendall Cup a FIS event with opportunities for open skiers and masters.  Although the masters numbers will be limited we will score the event to Zak and Club Cup points.  And we will be giving out NENSA / Hall Prize money in the FIS race.

New to the calendar, Dublin XC will be hosting a “New Hampshire Cup” race on February 6th.  More details to come soon.

Stay up to date on all in-person and Virtual Popular Race listings here.

 

We continue to forge ahead into a winter of change.  Many regions have created local solutions to reduced travel and number of competitive events able to be held.  We remain strong and committed to keeping our community as safe as possible during a pandemic.  We also realize that this comes with understandable frustration, especially for many of our junior athletes.  Please read on for the latest updates of whats happening and where we are headed.

It’s also a great time for all to review our New England Cross Country promise and be fully familiar with the resources on our Covid Considerations page.  The pandemic is playing out with tremendous force – perhaps stronger than many of us could fathom – and the only way to get back to normal is strict adherence to these guidelines.

The Rodrigues Cup

The Craftsbury Outdoor Center was able to host a Vermont Cup for 124 athletes last weekend.  The first U.S. Ski & Snowboard sanctioned event in Vermont for the season was further testament to the protocols and participant adherence to NENSA and state guidelines.  Bullitt Timing is proving to be an invaluable resource to our community – allowing for touchless timing and precise data management.  Competitors were separated throughout the day in 25 (or less) person cohorts keeping distance between individual groups, and embodied the states motto of, “arrive-race-leave.”  These protocols will be practices in any Eastern or Vermont Cups we are able to host this winter.

NENSA continues to provide livestream video at events and professional recap videos as we currently have a strict “no spectator” policy at our events.

Ben Ogden of UVM and SMS T2 set the pace in the men’s race covering the 8.8km course in 22:10 despite the constant suction of the zero-ski conditions.  Juniors, Finn Sweet (Craftsbury GRP) and Brian Bushey (GMVS) continue to push each other and the pace of US Junior skiing, taking second and third respectively.

Alayna Sonnesyn, SMS T2, was thrilled by the last minute opportunity to jump in a race.  New guidelines produced just last week in Vermont now allow for adult competition in snow sports.  She topped the field with graceful and powerful skiing with a time of 25:47.  Alex Lawson and Margie Freed, both skiing for the Craftsbury GRP were second and  third.

In the U16 Boys field, Fin Bailey of SMS took the victory with a time of 12:42 for the 4.4km course.  SMS teammate, Wyatt Teaford was second just 19 seconds back and Leo Circosta from Craftsbury was third.

Virginia Cobb from Mansfield Nordic topped the U16 Girls field with a time of 15:32.  Ten seconds back, in second was Miley Bletzer of SMS followed by Julia Thurston from Mansfield.

Full results.
Current Junior Ranking List.

Eastern Cup and FIS Racing

NENSA and the Gunstock Nordic Association have made the difficult decision to cancel the Eastern Cup weekend slated for February 6th & 7th — the joint decision highlights the priority of keeping our communities safe.  The remainder of the schedule is currently moving forward as planned.  We ask for your continued patience and understanding as we work to provide the highest quality races.  There have been many questions about “Bibs & Chips” — these will continue to be sent to larger clubs, or picked up at venues in a sealed bag at the first event an athlete is able to attend.  Please note there are no spectators at any of these events and coaches, volunteers and officials all must complete registrations, pre and day-of health screens.  Registration pages will open much closer to the events than normal and all will close at 5pm on the Wednesday before the event. 

The latest Vermont and Eastern Cup details are posted here.

Craftsbury has calendared a FIS race, The 2021 Kendall Cup, on January 30th.  The event will boast generous prize money made possible by Kathy and Marty Hall and also have master racing opportunities.  That race will also be scored to the Zak and Club Cup Series which has season-long prize money of $5000, $3000 and $1000 as a part of the A Hall Mark of Excellence.

Current rankings here.

Popular Racing

Citizen racing has been greatly reduced by the pandemic and associated state guidelines.  However through Virtual Challenges and in-person events our skiers have already logged 63,794.85 kilometers – that’s 1.5 times around the earth, and it’s only January!

Upcoming events include a self-recorded version of the Freeman Frost White Mountain Challenge, beginning on the 23rd and running for nine days.  The above mentioned Kendall Cup allows for a racing opportunity for Vermont based masters on January 30th — and the winter long Virtual Craftsbury Marathon is open to all.  Gunstock has moved its Zak Cup event to February 7th – allowing an in-person race event for many New England athletes.  The student led Race for Snow also provides a race experience for all and has a wonderful environmental mission.

Full and updating Zak and Club Cup calendar.

Enjoy the Snow – Stay Safe.  We hope to see you out there!

 

As we bravely stride into 2021 we are fortunate for folks like Bob Haydock who are adapting to a Virtual world by creating competitive and fun-focused events.  The Bogburn motto has always been, “anyone who takes this race too seriously will be disqualified.”  In all, 86 participants from nine clubs took part in the event.  The event was scored to both the Zak Cup and the A Hall Mark of Excellence (Club Cup) standings.  Rankings here. Results here.  Keep reading below for a wonderful view into the mind’s eye of Damian Bolduc from NWVE about how he prepared and executed the 2021 Bogburn.

The Bogburn dates back to 1986 and has only been cancelled four times due to lack of snow.  As you can see from the above historical results there have been some impressive names on the leaderboard!  We look forward to next winter when we can hopefully travel to North Pomfret, Vermont and celebrate a set of tracks winding through the woods.

While in-person events are starting to happen across New England, many locally organized, there is a new season long Craftsbury Marathon Virtual Challenge that has recently been released.  You can find complete information about that here: https://www.craftsburymarathon.com/

Stay safe and keep skiing.

Virtual Bogburn 2021
by Damian Bolduc (interspersed with participant Strava maps)

The Bogburn has always had a little lore surrounding it. While there is not really a question in the mantra “Ski the Bogburn,” there are things that need to be answered. What is a Bogburn? Bob Haydock, the long-time director of the race, can eloquently answer that, but it never satisfies Why the Bogburn? Of course, once you have Bogburned, you most likely will have the answer ingrained in you as the name suits the experience so well, and you will keep coming back for more. After a night of restless contemplation of how to attack the Virtual Bogburn, I rose to the occasion a bit grumpy due to a lack of sleep.

Eric Tremble, NWVE – Craftsbury
Questions of what I should do for a course kept me awake. Should I find the longest downhill I can and go for time? Should I trespass and set a track for a warm-up and then ski the race? How equivalent to the traditional Bogburn should I be? Should I go over to Hazen’s Notch and ski the Ted Means course? Maybe climb Burnt Mountain, start at the top and use the runout on Route 58? Should I ski Dante’s Loop, away from spectators and everyone? Would all the mass I have added to my abs shock the SMS and GRP Teams? Will my uniform even fit this year?

I decided to go to the Craftsbury Outdoor Center and slug it out on the humanmade loop. So, the decision answers the question, What would the Bogburn be like if it were held on a course, I can ski rather than one I fight against? I know it is a copout, and perhaps I will try the Dante’s idea this weekend to make it more legit, but as I said, I spent a lot of energy overthinking it and ended up just wanting to get it over with. A Bogburn truism.

The course was the Craftsbury Manmade Outer Loop. I extended it as much as possible. I had a homologated course with bomb-proof tracks—a far cry from the usual. There were no water bars; my poles never punched through the ground up to my grip, the tracks never went into that ten-meter section where I am pretty sure it is just set mud after the earthen dam. Mud tracks are fine as long as they are not frozen. There were no hairpin turns, and there was no reason to thrash. It was a tame course designed and groomed by a team of perfectionists.

Elissa Bradley, Ford Sayre – Woodstock

So, my physical condition is not the usual as I have not even done 20% of my racing quota this past year. Only six running races. No December ski races. Only one, more challenging ski effort last Saturday. Thus, all the mass I have added in the off-season.

I started at the Yurt and went out on Lemon’s, taking the Ruthie’s Cut Off onto Screaming Mimi and cresting the hill at Coaches Corner into the dip into the lower field, up Teaching Hill, across the Upper Field, onto Round-a-bit to the Junction with Murphy’s, back to the old clubhouse between the Activity Center and Events building, down Teaching Hill back to the Yurt. To get to 13km and change, it was 6.5 laps of this finishing at the Coaches Corner. So, seven Screaming Mimi’s.

Carole Van Dyke, Stowe Nordic – Trapp Family Lodge

The conditions were excellent. Pistenbully 400 groomed, temps steady in the high 20’s, overcast with no wind. At the end of my warm-up, I inspected what SMS was using for kick. Some type of red, Rode WC -1-7, and some Oslo Violet. I was kicking fine on my Rode Multigrade Violet. I was using my trusty old RCS’s with whatever was on them from before as my base. This is another Bogburn Truism. Not your best skis, and not a lot of prep. I also make sure they are a little slick so as not to rip out the soft tracks (if there are any left) on the traditional course.

I did not feel great; I was compromising what I really wanted to do mentally and was fatigued by the abandoned grandiose ideas that kept me up most of the night. After a 2.5 lap warm-up, I stripped to my racing threads and the Bogburn magic began. While this loop pales in comparison with the Bogburn course, it is still demanding.

Justin Beckwith, Mad River Nordic – Catamount Trail

I got underway in my usual fashion and was launched into the racing zone. An easy start can do that. I kicked up Screaming Mimi fine and thought that this was not going to be too bad. I found the trouble spot on the loop to be the Upper Field to Round-a-bit. I guess getting the heart rate up on Mimi; then a brief recovery turned Teaching Hill into a kicker that launched me through the ceiling. Going into the double-pole hurt, and for yet another season, I was reminded I ought to work on that. Don’t worry; I won’t.

During my race, some GRP and SMS Men were doing different workouts. It was nice to have some speedy company. The coaches were out, so of course, I had to try to step it up a little under their critical eye, especially after Pepa’s presumption that the GRP would pass me at my pedestrian pace when skiing the weekend prior. At the Bogburn, I am familiar with being passed by someone wearing a bib number twenty-plus mine. Here my age was greater than twenty of theirs. We were all cordial, but there may have been some confusion about why I was dressed up in a racing suit and going for it with everything hanging out.

A Master’s practice was also taking place. World Master’s Medalists Trina Hosmer (Stowe Nordic) and Peter Harris (Craftsbury) were participating. So more familiar masked faces from the races were there. The Bogburn Magic continued as I checked my progress, thinking I must be close to done, only to find I was halfway. Just like in the real Bogburn! Do I really want to do this again!? I did. Heidi Caldwell cheered me as I trudged over the top of Screaming Mimi, recognizing I was up to something. I shouted, “Virtual Bogburn!” She kicked it up a notch with excitement – “nice, GO GET IT.” Mansfield Nordic’s Tom and Sheila Weaver gave encouragement at least once every lap. The racing mentality stuck through-and-through.

Cipperly Good, NWVE – Quarry Road Trails

So, while not the usual Bogburn, many of the event’s key aspects remained in place. The anticipation, the dread, the wax, and ski selection, trying not to get caught, the slow burn flaring into anaerobic despair on a course that will not give up, then starting the second half. The internal battle of mind over muscle and the encouragement out of the blue just when you need it most. So, to answer my question, “What would the Bogburn be like if it were held on a course, I can ski rather than one I fight against?” A blast getting a 13km PR!

There is virtually only one way to find out the answer to what the Bogburn can bring you this year – Ski the Bogburn!

The Quarry Road Eastern Cup Opener paints a realistic picture of what the races will look like for the majority of our 2021 season.  It’s a little quiet, safer than your local grocery, and a lot of fun!  Many thanks to Steve Fuller, Ian Tovell and Bill Harmeyer for creating this piece.  We will continue to document our major races and share the victories of every in-person event this season.  Read on to learn about NENSA’s December Challenge, Popular and Eastern Cup Racing opportunities.

Scheduling continues to be fluid as snowpack and regulations oscillate in the early winter.  With every event — big or small — we are gaining confidence and reaffirming that we have appropriate protocols in place to protect the health of both our NENSA family and communities we visit.  Virtual events or hybrid in-person / virtual events will continue to bring the community together and provide competitive opportunities regardless of the cards we are thrown.

December Club Cup Challenge

Last month we launched the December Club Kilometer Challenge #DCKC — 13 clubs mobilized and reported 60878.85 kilometers of skiing!!  Mansfield Nordic started a massive charge from the get go, leading the contest for most of the challenge, with consistent skiing, whether on snow or pavement.  Soon, Ford Sayre activated some 187 skiers to eclipse the Mansfield juggernaut and a back and forth battle ensued for the last week of the competition.  All this time the crafty and robust CSU / Eastern Mass Nordic squad was meticulously logging some serious K’s – backed up by fitness monitors.  It was the home based Christmas camp, typically held at Mount St. Anne, on the Weston patch, that led this team to the top of the Virtual Podium.  In all, 131 CSU / EMN skiers logged an average of 124 km / per skier over the four weeks.  Congrats to all our participants – you can see full DKCK results here – and updated A Hall Mark of Excellence (Club Cup) results here.  Our forever fashionable sponsor, SKIDA, has provided headbands for CSU/EMN, and they along with Ford Sayre and Mansfield Nordic scored valuable points toward the $9000 purse provided by Kathy and Marty Hall to spur Club Development.

We will continue to total kilometers skied throughout the season in Eastern, Zak and Club Cup racing.

Popular Racing 

Bogburn Virtual Edition:

It’s not too late to join Zak Cup stalwarts for the 2021 version of one of the most iconic races in New England.  The competition runs from January 3-9th and reminds us why we love skiing — sliding through the woods with two slippery planks.  As you plan your route don’t forget to keep the race motto of, “anyone who takes this race too seriously will be disqualified” and find some fun single track or off track skiing.  This is one of the first opportunities for all senior and master skiers to get some “points on the board.”  BKL entries have no cost.  Register on SkiReg and check the event Facebook site.

Ain’t Nothing But a Ski Race: 1/10

The newly branded Nonstop Nordic club in Maine is providing awesome opportunities for skiers of all ages and abilities to compete in the state of Maine.  Check out their website for more details. Ain’t Nothing But a Ski Race is the second of a seven event series.  Ain’t Nothing But a Ski Race will be held at Quarry Road Trails.  Bravo!  Prizes by Boulder Nordic East.

Celebrate Good Wax, Come on!: 1/16

Nonstop won’t stop.  The series visits Pineland Farms – the home of our NENSA offices – maybe our Operations Manager will take on his first ski race?

Freeman Frost – White Mountain Challenge: 1/23

Another staple race that is adapting to Covid times.  Jackson XC is excited to host an in-person 22km (marathon) event for those who can attend.  The organizing committee is also finalizing plans for a virtual component that will safely allow for One Day Club Championships continuity.  Overall Club Ranking will provide a “double score” to the A Hall Mark of Excellence (Club Cup).  The in-person event will have distances for M7+ and BKL skiers.

Gunstock Freestyle Zak Cup: 1/24

Gunstock has moved their event a week later to let Mother Nature (and some snowmaking love) give the best opportunity for an awesome race.  New Hampshire provides a unique opportunity for folks to get to an in-person event.  Registration is open.

I Wanna Ski with Somebody: 1/30

One more for good measure. Nonstop visits the Libby Hill Forest Trails in Gray, Maine.

Eastern Cup

The Rodrigues Cup – Vermont Cup #1: 1/16

Craftsbury is an invaluable partner and continues to do what ever it can to support the sport of cross country skiing.  Regulations have allowed for snow competitions to start in a restricted fashion for Vermont residents.  Please visit the event site for more details.  This race will replace the 1/2 event on the Junior Ranking List.  5/10/15k clasic interval start.  Again Bravo!

Prospect Mountain Vermont Cup #2: 1/23-24

NENSA is so excited to bring Eastern Cup to Prospect Mountain.  Race specifics will develop in the next week.
January 23: Classic sprint 1.2k
January 24: Classic interval 5k U16 / 10k men & women

Sugarloaf Eastern States Cup: 3/19-21

Due to current restrictions of intrastate competition in Maine, and the opportunity for a festive Championship Event in late winter, the Sugarloaf event has been moved into March.  Stay tuned for exciting updates of how many juniors might wrap their 2021 racing season.

All other Vermont and Eastern Cup events are set to move forward — stay tuned to NENSA updates.  The calendar will be updated here.

Bib and Chip

We’ve re-opened a third window for “Bib and Chips” as we are confident we will be able to host Eastern and State Cup events.  This window is open until January 31st — if you plan to race in these events please register or contact us.  Bullitt Timing will be reaching out to larger clubs for mailings or you might receive your bib/chip/schwag bag at the first event you attend.

Pending U.S. Ski & Snowboard Memberships

If you registered for a U.S. Ski & Snowboard membership this year please make sure you are marked as “Current.”  Those with “Pending” memberships will jeopardize their ability to participate in sanctioned events.

Thank you all — see you on the trails.

This December we were psyched to see Bingo submissions from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont! We even had a few skiers complete multiple Bingos. Collectively, Bingo players skied at Sleepy Hollow, Craftsbury Outdoor Center, Smugglers Notch, Great Glen Trails, Great Brook Ski Touring Center, Weston Ski Track, and Notchview and we wanted to share a few of their wonderful photos.

Speaking of photos, we LOVE the activity photos we’ve received so far but are no longer requiring them on the Bingo Entry Form. Do include them if you have photos and want to share. Otherwise, no worries!

Another important update… we have 5 lucky winners from our December raffle who will be receiving an LL Bean Pom Hat or Gift Card in the mail very soon. We’ll have raffles all winter long so there’s plenty of time to play and send in a card! Visit our website to print your own MA, ME, NH, NY, or VT Bingo card!                     .

 

One of NENSA’s finest traditions is presenting the John Caldwell Award.  This award annually recognizes a single individual, or entity, which embodies the spirit, dedication, innovation, and pride of John Caldwell. NENSA is thrilled to announce Fred Griffin as our deserving 2020 John Caldwell Award recipient.

Fred has been involved in the New England ski community for over a quarter century and served as NENSA’s first executive director, a position he held for 8 years (1996-2004). Fred also coached Northeast Nordic for 20 years, coached BFA Fairfax (both running and skiing) for 23 years, led numerous U16 and Eastern High School Championship teams for Vermont and New Hampshire, and he has been teaching English for the past 23 years, and worked as a special-needs coordinator at the Galen Center.  In addition, during the winter of 2002-03, Fred co-founded the technical delegate program with Jim Rodrigues. Fred’s friend and former athlete, Jennie Bender, describes Fred as a life coach, a master gardener, an adventure guru, an ultimate frisbee coach, and a loving husband among many other things.

While Fred’s resume is impressive, what stands out most is who he is as a person and how he impacts those around him as he moves through life in the many spheres he occupies.  Fred has touched the lives of so many people in the ski world and beyond that I could fill pages with why he is deserving of this award. However, as my freshman and sophomore English teacher, Fred taught me that more is not necessarily better so I will try my best to be concise.

Fred is a dedicated, inspiring, and motivating individual who leads by example and galvanizes those around him into action. As Jennie described, “Fred sparks the fire in hearts wherever he goes because his inner fire for maximizing life burns strong and steady. He has a knack for making hard work fun, and guiding kids to find their grit, all the while genuinely connecting with people.” Fred challenges those he works with to grow as people and not just as athletes. Jennie shared that Fred kept those around him on their toes and taught hundreds of kids the value of confidence, being true to yourself, and believing in your abilities. Fred held his athletes to a high standard and enabled them to tackle more than they thought possible challenging them with 8 hour canoe trips, backcountry ski adventures, 2am crust cruises under a full moon, and 6am camp yoga sessions. As Jennie notes “you either thought he was a little crazy, or amazing, or both.”

Another friend and former athlete of Fred’s, Julia Snyder, shared similar sentiments about Fred making special note of his inclusive nature. “Fred truly believed that every member of the team contributed equally to the success of the season and on bus rides, Fred would walk the length of the bus and stop at each seat to talk to every person on the team. He saw his athletes and students as people first.” Julia noted that Fred reinforced his belief that being fun, team-oriented, kind, and supportive is what defines you, not your ability in the sport. Through this culture of inclusivity, Fred turned many non-athletes into life-long athletes.

The culture Fred fostered on his teams has had significant and long-lasting impacts on those he worked with. Jennie noted that Fred has developed hundreds of high schoolers into well rounded, kind, adventurous humans. Another former athlete of Fred’s, Heather Peatman, reflected that “Fred takes in kids from all walks of life and renovates them into individuals that are mature, free-thinking adults with strong leadership and team skills.” Jennie says that she tries to harness Fred’s energy in her own coaching and life, because “giving it your all is truly the best way to live. Fred will always be my inspiration.”

In addition to being inspiring, motivating, and inclusive, Fred is also a generous and adaptable man. Every year 20 to 30 of Fred’s skiers participated in the sport on loaned equipment thanks to a team gear recycling program organized by Fred. Friend and coworker, Dan Warner (Mouse) shared that “Fred always gives his time to make things better for everyone. A true leader!”

While Fred has recently retired from teaching and coaching, he has poured his energy into other outlets. Julia notes that Fred isn’t one to mourn losses. Rather, he pivots and adapts turning each loss into a new avenue for adventure. This sentiment is reflected in NENSA Board President, Carol Van Dyke’s observation that Fred’s “maniacal enthusiasm is ever vigorous as he is currently focused on the innovative Farm to School project at BFA Fairfax where the gardens are prolific, beehives are buzzing, compost is moldering, free-range chickens are laying their eggs and his renowned garlic heads gloriously grow.”

Fred fully embodies the spirit, dedication, innovation, and pride of John Caldwell, and we truly cannot think of a more deserving candidate for this award. While it is difficult to describe such a complex and multifaceted person in one sentence, I’ll end with this very fitting attempt by Carol: “Fred cares about all people holistically, and humorously goads them to be their best. He is the consummate teacher of all: from how to read and write, how to ski and run, how to coach and be coached, how to be a TD, and most importantly how to be a good and kind person with pizazz, aplomb and a bombastic dash of shock and awe.”

 

 

 

Chummy Broomhall Award: This award is named after Chummy, who was the Chisholm Ski Club leader for 70 plus years, 2 time Olympian, and builder of the Olympic race courses for Squaw Valley, Lake Placid and Black Mountain.  He embodied the spirit of being a volunteer as he was a man who gave his time to generations. It is in this spirit that this award be in his honor for the unsung heroes of ski racing.

This year’s recipient of our NENSA 2020 Chummy Broomhall Award is Jim Rodridgues ~ posthumous

       

Last February, during one of our weekly NENSA staff meetings, we started talking about our NENSA Awards for 2020.  Two awards were easily and unanimously decided that day – our Chummy Award and our John Caldwell Award recipients.  This was just a few short weeks before Jim’s sudden and unexpected death.  We wish he could be here now to receive this award – we know he would have been thrilled – for the honor, and for the association with Chummy – a dear friend of his and part of his Chisholm Ski Club.  

After growing up in the city of Oakland California, Jim learned to ski when he was 18 at Yosemite National Park, and soon became a backcountry guide for 10 years. In 1985 Jim moved to New Hampshire, as the XC Ski Director at Temple Mountain in Peterborough New Hampshire, where he built ski trails, and by 1989 had a 1 km lighted loop with snowmaking. During that time he was also the Milford High School XC Ski Coach bringing the team along to five State Championship titles. 

Jim was the Event Director at the New England Nordic Ski Association for 12 years, and helped create a higher standard of New England Nordic ski racing.  Jim launched an annual Event Organizer Seminar to help New England race directors and venues raise the bar in their operations ranging from homologation of championship level race courses to hosting youth events. He was a tremendous regional resource, quietly helping bring premier competitions to our region.  Jim has been a tireless volunteer and resource to so many individuals and organizations for over 40 years.

Janice Sibilia had the pleasure of working with Jim for ten years at NENSA. “He was a fabulous mentor and a very giving person. He expected 100% from all of us, but at the same time, had a great way of encouraging and working with each person and venue as an individual. His passion for nordic skiing and all things related, was contagious and his laugh and enthusiasm was something I will never forget. He was truly one of a kind.”

Jim was a FIS Technical Delegate (TD) at races ranging from youth events, to National and International high-level events such as NCAAs, Junior Nationals, and international roller ski races.  Jim always went above the call of duty to ensure races were at the highest caliber and the best race experience for all involved. Jim’s TD resume speaks for itself with over 130 events, but what sets him apart was his constant search for ways to contribute to the Nordic community, and to offer his expertise in any capacity – officially or advisory. 

Amie Smith remembers “I first worked with Jim in 2010-11 when I was the Race Director for a NENSA Eastern Cup in Boston.  He then took me under his wings when I officially started working for NENSA in 2015 as the Competitive Program Director.  He supported and mentored me as a TD, and for that I will always be grateful.” 

Justin Beckwith adds that “Jim was able to serve any position with authority yet able to have a wicked sense of humor – he no doubt helped raise the level of New England and American events.”

Ollie Burruss thinks “Unsung hero is a great description of Jim Rodrigues. While many of us in the race organization and race official world know of Jim and his outsized contributions to our sport, he was probably unknown to most athletes, coaches, parents, wax techs, and spectators. It is one of the grand ironies of his passing that a man known for his enormous personality, warmth, and good cheer to his friends and coworkers was never recognized by much of the race community whom he served so tirelessly. Whether Jim was cracking jokes and telling stories when everything was going well, or commiserating when things were tough, he always had a positive effect on race day. New England skiing lost a real one, but his legacy will live on through those who learned from his drive and commitment to making race day the best it could be for the athletes.”

Knut Sauer remembers “Jim was a frequent TD/COC in Lake Placid where I am a long time dedicated volunteer.  I had the opportunity to interact with Jim many times, and observe his work, which got me inspired to become a TD.  Jim encouraged me to take the step and become a TD.  I had the opportunity to shadow him, unofficially, a few times and he was a great mentor and truly a believer in the sport.“

Mike Bastisi from ORDA adds, “Jim was the one who encouraged us here at ORDA into going after bigger events again, and it was through his friendship and mentoring that I’ve been able to hone my skills as an event organizer/official in regards to Nordic competition. I will be forever grateful that our paths crossed if even for a few short years.”

Besides his multifaceted role as an official, Jim is the person to do what is needed, make the call, pick up the shovel or jump in the Pisten Bully to groom the course. Whatever questions needed to be answered and whichever tasks needed to be done, Jim was a resource, and NENSA and our entire cross country ski community was lucky to have such an outstanding individual in our ski community. 

Fred Bailey fondly recalls that “Jim always impressed upon me that we as TDs are at events to make sure they can give the user a good experience. Often this means helping the OC get ready on race morning with venue setup, particularly the mass start chevron. Sometimes it meant shoveling. Jim’s truck was always full of tools to help pull off the event.  One of my funnier memories is him and Justin Easter gearing up for a night of riding the tracks pans on the snowmobile tracks to make sure we had deep set tracks for the next day. They had a good laugh about who would be the first to fall off or lose all feeling in their limbs from the cold! Jim loved ski racing and we all greatly benefitted from his passion.”

John Estle of Fairbanks AK, and fellow FIS TD sums up Jim’s volunteer spirit this way, “Jim was an active skier, but was also active in almost every aspect of the sport as a Level 3 FIS Technical Delegate, Chief of Competition for major national calendar events, mentor to organizers and officials as NENSA events coordinator for many years, designer of trails, volunteer at whatever job needed to be filled.  Jim had a lasting impact on event organizers and officials throughout New England via his role as NENSA event coordinator.  He used his leadership roles to mentor and teach those with whom he came in contact for the long-term improvement of our sport.  There was no aspect of the sport in which he was not active and did not have extensive experience.  He did all this with a smile on his face and a good sense of humor, which engaged others, assisting in the transfer of knowledge to ‘the next generation.’ “

NENSA and FIS TD Bill Rogers can still recall skiing the Holderness NH course with Jim where he emphasized the simplicity of the TD’s role – “keep the race fair and keep it safe”.  Bill still thinks of this simple advice to this day when he is on an assignment.

Longtime friend Alison Weber shared this remembrance of Jim, that captures his volunteer spirit well, as he was always ahead of the curve, supporting kids of all income levels, always rooting for the under dog and the top dog. “Jim always kept up with what the younger kids were doing in their ski development and always wanted to encourage kids in their racing careers.  He was always cheering on the kids at Koch League and Junior races, and kept himself really informed about how all of the kids were progressing.  Jim and Chip (Woodbury) always got together when they could at races and other times to talk about skiing development and how things could be done without spending exorbitant amounts of money.  Jim was one who liked to come up with new ideas and invent ways where things could be done with whatever materials they had on hand.  One of the last times Chip and Jim talked…last season at the Great Glen Koch Festival, he and Chip spent hours chatting.  One of the discussion points was how to use foam shipping corner protectors as trail markers!  Jim always enjoyed those good times, just jawing about skiing….with his wonderful laugh.”

Brad Bates, Head of School at  the Dublin School had this to say of Jim, which is reflective of so many other venues Jim worked with too: “Our Nordic Center is only six years old and we would not be anywhere close to where we are today without Jim’s wisdom, help, and confidence.  Jim whipped us into shape and helped us organize and train our volunteer base. As he had done in so many towns around New England he helped us build community by making everyone feel they were important and they were valued. He had a story and ten minutes for everyone he met. 

These old friendships ran deep for Jim. He is well known in the Monadnock Region for his work at Temple Mountain back in the day. He was way ahead of his time in creating a “Super Kilometer” race trail at the base of the mountain using the ski area’s snowmaking system. Those who worked with him at that time clearly had a special bond with him. Jim was not always the easiest person to work with but after a year or two, you realized his bluster was endearing, and not meant to be taken too seriously. He had opinions and was not afraid to tell you how you felt. And most of the time, despite not always wanting to agree with him, he was right! He was extremely loyal and would always defend his buddies. The Dublin XC club loved working with him and we hung on his every word. We miss him every day and will never forget what he did for skiing in our area and throughout the northeast.”

Fred Griffin shares how we all feel, that “Jim understood every aspect of nordic skiing. He was a racer, groomer, coach, event manager, Chief of Comp, official.  He knew something about everything. At every level he made lasting friends. He gave all of us so much of him that his final legacy is one of warm and lasting memories.  Jim, we miss you!”

“What comes to my mind when I think of Jim is that whenever I knew he was coming to Black Mountain as an official or just a club member to help, he was a person you always looked forward to seeing. He shared his knowledge in a way that made you want to do better for the sport he loved.”  shared Roger Arsenault of Chisholm Ski Club.

Fellow TD Carlie Casey adds, “Jim was such a big-hearted and generous friend!  Like most who were lucky enough to know him, I miss him.” 

Justin Easter recalled “My last conversation with Jim was about keeping skiing affordable and accessible to everyone.”

Dan Warner “Mouse” of Chisholm Ski Club sums it up:  “Jim was a strong leader in our community and he is missed. He would be honored to get the Broomhall award. RIP Jim!”

Jim’s good friend and fellow FIS TD Matt Pauli of Anchorage AK echoes all of our thoughts ~ “As with everything I do in skiing, Jim always comes to mind.”

Congratulations to Jim, for his many years of volunteer service to our Nordic community, and for all that he accomplished and gave to our sport over the past 40 years.  The fact that Jim is not here to accept the award is heartbreaking, but his many friends and colleagues feel honored to know this Chummy Broomhall Award was bestowed upon him this year.

Being today is December 23rd, we will close with this story from Brad Bates of a time when Jim resembled Santa Claus… “During the Eastern Cup at our Nordic Center last winter I was called out to our famous “S Curves” section of the 3 km loop due to some fast and icy conditions. I kept radioing back to race headquarters for heavier duty rakes to help break up the crust. Just as I was about to panic, our groomer Steve Sanders, one of Jim’s old friends, came snowmobiling out to where we were working with Jim in tow. Without a word Jim jumped off the sled with a large bag in his hands and began spreading salt on the icy sections as if he were distributing toys to children. Within seconds, the areas that he had salted were soft enough to rake into some sweet corduroy. After a quick smile and mentioning how this same technique worked at Black Mountain in ’96 or Placid in ’88…, “he sprang to his sleigh, to [Steve] gave a whistle. And away they flew like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight.” Good luck to you all, and to all a good night…”

 

This past Sunday, a strong field of Mainers toed the line at Quarry Road Trails for an individual start classic race. The course was in fantastic shape thanks to the hard work of the snowmakers and groomers. All event attendees complied with NENSA, state, and venue COVID regulation in addition to completing pre-event and morning-of screening processes to ensure the event was as safe as possible. Below are the results highlights with links to full results. Stay tuned for a lengthier recap, including photos, later this week. Thanks to the Quarry Road crew for putting on a fun event and to Bullitt for the excellent timing!

 

Top-3 U16 Girls (full results here)
1) Kayley Bell, Caribou High School
2) Elise Creagan, Agamenticus Ski Club
3) Annie Bergeron, Yarmouth High School

Top-3 U16 Boys (full results here)
1) Ellis Slover, Quarry Road Ski Club
2) Luke Streinz, Quarry Road Ski Club
3) Benjamin Condit, Quarry Road Ski Club

Top-3 Open Women (full results here)
1) Abigail Streinz, Fort Kent Outdoor Center
2) Emma Charles, Quarry Road Ski Club
3) Hannah Chipman, FKOC/Ford Sayre

Top-3 Open Men (full results here)
1) Daniel Streinz
2) Andrew Siegel, Bethel Outing Club
3) Caden Cote, Quarry Road Ski Club

 

This race is one of the many events counting towards club standings for A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. Stay tuned for more events to come, including virtual options. Club standings will be updated soon! Thanks to Marty and Kathy Hall for this exciting incentive.

Video recap and full rankings (Junior Ranking List, Club) coming for your Christmas pleasure!

Click HERE to read and enjoy!  December racing updates |  NENSA’s 2020 Club of the Year Award | Year End Giving | Women’s Day postponed to 2/21/21 | BKL Youth BINGO in full swing | December Club Virtual KM Challenge reaches 10,000 km’s to date

Club of the Year: This award is given annually to honor a NENSA club that is making great strides in supporting the NENSA mission to sustain a vital and active nordic skiing community in New England.

Our NENSA 2020 Club of the Year is Holderness Nordic!

When NENSA hosts an Eastern Cup at Holderness School we know it will be both an outstanding and an inclusive event.  The Holderness Nordic race organizers encourage high school racers to join, who typically may have never skied in an Eastern Cup before, as well as also having a robust Masters participation.  Holderness Eastern Cups always include BKL races, and in the past few years, they have made a wonderful CXC (cross country cross) course with fun jumps, bumps, gates and tunnels to ski through, even incorporating one of those jumps into our Eastern Cup loop as an option for the older skiers!  The Holderness School and the Holderness Nordic Club are intertwined – the coaches, trails, the whole infrastructure – and this full community support shines brightly at every event they do!

The Cheri Walsh Memorial Eastern Cup race, always held in February, and historically, our final race of the season, has also been the spot where NENSA typically names our Junior National Team.  Holderness Head of School Phil Peck and Holderness Nordic Club Leader Peter Hendel always make sure that there is a fun raffle, filled with lots of great prizes, for ALL participants racing that day, as a fun and inclusive way to keep the celebration going before naming the New England JN Team.

“Holderness always embraced the concept of making a ski race a Festival — recent terrain park additions to BKL and top-junior racing naturally complements the vibe of their events — and helps guide XC Skiing into the future.” Justin Beckwith, NENSA Competitive Program Director

But their commitment to the Cheri Walsh Memorial Eastern Cup race is not the only reason that Holderness Nordic Ski Club rose to the top of our NENSA Club Award nominees this year.  Holderness Nordic has it all – the staff, the support of the entire school community, and fun “old school” trails.  But they are also looking to the future with a new John Morton homologated 2.5k loop and sprint course, snowmaking, and lights all coming to fruition this coming year, thanks to the generosity of an alum. The goal is to still keep the trails playful and fun to ski on!

Holderness Nordic embraces their love of cross country skiing in everything they do. This New Hampshire club of about 30 BKL & middle school athletes and 20 high school athletes has a lot of history surrounding it, and the folks running it.  The coaching staff, led by former U.S. Nordic Team Coach Pat Casey, is also remarkable. Current coaches include Olympian Kristina Joder Casey and NENSA trustee Peter Hendel. Head of School Phil Peck, who was also a World Cup skier and Olympic coach, makes time to ski with the team when he can as well. 

     

Fall Training 2020

Thirty-seven years ago Phil Peck came to Holderness from coaching with the US Team. He wanted to coach young athletes and also teach. The only school in the country he wanted to work at was Holderness because of the balance of academic and snow sports excellence.  Phil was blessed to coach with wonderful coaches like Dennis Donahue, Steve Gaskill, and Peter Hendel. One challenging snow year during the late 80’s Holderness hosted 3 Eastern Cup Races, the Nordic Combined Championships, and two college carnivals. 

While Phil moved out of coaching at Holderness to become head of school 20 years ago, Peter Hendel has never left the program and has been the “quarterback” of 30 Cheri Walsh Memorial Eastern Cup races. Before Peter started teaching and coaching at Holderness, he led the club’s Bill Koch program. Now, in “retirement” Peter is the culture keeper of Holderness Nordic. He works with their remarkable Bill Koch Club coordinator (and Holderness graduate) Molly Whitcomb and Frosty Whitworth to support the BKL program and robust middle school program. Peter also assists the terrific Director of the Holderness Nordic Program, Pat Casey, AND he is the assistant groomer.   Peter is the behind the scenes force who has given tirelessly of himself to the Holderness school and Nordic Club Program for almost 40 years. 

Kristina Casey describes Peter as,  “A dream – gentle, kind, gets everything done – he has such a passion for the sport”

Phil sums it up well saying, “Peter Hedel is a rock star.  He loves coaching and is super excited about the middle school coaching he is now doing.  Peter does not want any attention – he wants to serve.”

Coach Peter Hendel going over some logistics with his team

For the last eleven years, Peter has supported the Holderness School Nordic Head Coach Pat Casey.   The Nordic program at Holderness School has a long tradition of producing world-class athletes, and Pat has been an incredible asset to that program.  He and his wife, Kristina, have been especially impactful in their outreach to the local community.  Working with Molly Whitcomb, they are providing training options for Holderness Nordic Club members, especially middle school and high school, year round.  Pat has also played a pivotal role (working with John Morton) in helping Holderness envision how they can transform their playful “old school” trails into a world class facility that still has that Holderness feel.  These new trails, and the snowmaking will all be in place for the opening of the 2021-22 ski season.

         

Coach Pat Casey (center) with Holderness School coaches Disney and Duran

Phil Peck comments, “What I love about Pat is that he is so capable – as a coach and leader.  He is unpretentious.  As the saying goes – confidence is grounded in humility – Pat exudes that!  He has a huge work ethic, never draws attention to himself – it’s all about the kids and making the program better.”

Kristina Casey talks fondly about her husband Pat and Peter Hendel’s working relationship, “They work so well together – they admire each other SO much – it’s business, but it’s not. They are both psyched to being doing what they are doing”

Phil on Peter & Pat as a team:  “They energize each other!  Peter is continually growing and learning new things – they feed off of each other in a really positive way”

Congratulations to Holderness Nordic, your entire coaching staff and community for being the NENSA 2020 Club of the Year!  Holderness Nordic truly is a community and a family affair.  Here’s to your incredible past and to your future!  Thank you from all of us who have benefited so greatly from your club and your events over the years.  We can not thank you enough, and we can’t wait to get out and ski on those new trails a year from now!