The 22nd Women’s XC Ski Day was picture perfect and our largest one yet! We are so grateful to JacksonXC and their dedicated staff and volunteers for hosting us. Jackson was a winter wonderland and they did a fabulous job with the grooming.
Here’s a little background for those of you who may not be familiar with the event. Women’s XC Ski Day was started in 2002 by Olympian Trina Hosmer of Stowe, VT. Trina was inspired by her “Sisters in Skiing” in Anchorage, Alaska, who started the Alaska Ski for Women in 1997. Like the Alaskans’ original event, Women’s XC Ski Day chooses a non-profit women’s organization to benefit, and gathers as many participants as it can for a day of cross country skiing which includes lunch and a raffle. The highlight of the day is learn-to-ski clinics with women instructors; the emphasis being on relaxed, fun learning in a supportive and encouraging environment. All ability, skill, and experience levels are welcome.
This year’s event kicked off Saturday evening with a social hosted at JacksonXC featuring tasty cheese from Cabot Creamery and delicious beer from Allagash. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet new people and catch up with old friends over snacks and drinks.
Clinics got underway Sunday morning with this year’s event offering 7 clinic options ranging from Introductory Classic to Skate Uphill/Downhill and everything in between. There were also guided classic and skate ski tours lead by local women skiers. We are eternally grateful to the many women instructors who share their expertise, enthusiasm, and love of skiing with the participants year-after-year.
After the morning clinics, everyone enjoyed a bagged lunch and listened to 3x Olympian Dorcas DenHartog talk about the journey that led to the creation of the book “Trail to Gold: The Journey of 53 Women Skiers.” The presentation was followed by a panel discussion and book signing with the five women Olympians in attendance–Trina Hosmer, Caitlin Patterson, Leslie Bancroft Krichko, Dorcas DenHartog, and Kait Miller. Proceeds from book sales are donated to the “Trail to Gold Fellowship” which is a collaboration between the National Nordic Foundation and the Women Ski Coaches Association that is sending 5 women coaches to the World Cup for a two-week immersive internship with the US Ski Team. You can read more about the fellowship HERE and books can be purchased HERE. The lunch time ski break also featured our NENSA sponsor raffle! And wow, were there some good items on that table…
Following the afternoon ski clinics where women fine-tuned skills they learned that morning or challenged themselves to something new, the event wrapped up with the fundraising raffle, a waxing clinic, and some more snacks from Cabot Creamery. This year we were honored to raise over $1500 for our benefit organization, Starting Point, which is non-profit organization in Conway, NH dedicated to ensuring quality services are provided to victims of relationship violence and sexual abuse, preventing future relationship violence, promoting social change, and encouraging accountability and education for perpetrators and stalkers.
Before we wrap up this recap, we’d like to express our gratitude to our associate level sponsors – L.L.Bean, Swix, Salomon, and Fischer. And make special shoutout to the folks from Fischer, Salomon, Rossignol, Skida, Paradis Sport, Cross Country Skier Magazine, and Sidas who attended the event in-person with product for participants to try and buy.
And last, but not least, thank you to everyone who attended this year’s event and we hope to see you out on the trails! You can relive the day by checking out this awesome photo album HERE from Midge Eliassen and the video recap below.