NENSA is proud to present the 2022-2023 Eastern Cup Series, a set of eight U.S. Ski & Snowboard sanctioned competitions. Each year, venues bid and are elected to host these prestigious events, balancing regional locations and collaboration with collegiate and SuperTour competitions. We are extremely fortunate in the East to have many robust venues with incredible physical and human infrastructure. Eastern Cups are open to all U.S. Ski & Snowboard and NENSA members (NENSA 1-Day memberships are available on all registrations. Athletes under 20 years of age are scored to the Junior Ranking List (JRL), which is the basis for qualification for the New England Junior National Team.
Each year NENSA committees review our competition guidelines — athletes, coaches and parents should be familiar with the Race Rules document.
This year features some major changes, the most notable that all events feature equal distance for male and female competitors. All NENSA races remain fluoro-free, and testing could occur at any event.
NENSA is also introducing two new TEAM Oriented Competitions this year for all to be involved in! Whether you are a junior racer new to the Eastern Cup, or come from one of the more established clubs in the East there is something for everyone to get on board with:
1) Club Cup – Season Long Club Points Tally
2) Eastern Cup Club Score – For Juniors for each Eastern Cup Competition
We are poised for a successful season, starting in just over three weeks, with many areas already seeing natural snow — and temperatures that have allowed venues to get a strong start snowmaking. Eastern Cup’s are built to be spectator friendly events, with inspired action and a festival atmosphere — we so look forward to seeing the Eastern skiing community soon!
The first stop on the tour is the Rikert Nordic Grand Prix – Eastern Cup Opener on December 17th & 18th in Ripton, Vermont. The Rikert Outdoor Center is a storied race venue with iconic mountain views and winding wooded trails. The historic Bread Loaf Inn is available for housing for the first time, offering trailside lodging with meal package options for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can find out more about these options on the registration page under Merchandise Options — book early as these rooms will likely fill quickly and all reservations must be made by December 6th.
Rikert Nordic Grand Prix Registration Page
On January 14th & 15th, we travel to Black Mountain of Maine for the Chisholm Ski Club Eastern Cup and Bates Carnival in Rumford. This unique event overlaps with an EISA Carnival this season on Saturday — which will likely be one of the largest and most competitive races in the East this winter. Registration will open shortly.
After several years of hosting the Opener, the Roy Varney Memorial Quarry Road Eastern Cup will be hosted on February 4th & 5th in Waterville, Maine. Quarry Road Trails puts on a beautiful event and continually invests in the Quarry Road Recreation Area, which is owned and operated by the City of Waterville Department of Parks & Recreation. Registration will open shortly.
For the second year we will conclude the Eastern Cup season with the Dublin Double Eastern Cup,
February 18th & 19th in Dublin, New Hampshire. The Dublin Nordic Center and its undulating trail network provide a fantastic weekend of fast paced racing, with the collaboration of the Dublin School and the Dublin XC Club. Of note the New England Team is named at the conclusion of the races Sunday. Registration will open shortly.
NENSA also promotes and supports a diverse set of Popular Races.