The Zak Cup series is named after Vlastimil Zak and commemorates his enthusiasm and dedication to our sport. The Zak Cup is a season-long series to determine the best skiers in each five-year age group over 30 and Seniors (20-29). All events that are part of this series are scored for Club points, with all participants earning at least one point for their club. 17 of the 20 scheduled Zak Cups were held during the 2023-24 season, showcasing New England’s varied terrain and snow conditions and resilience in low snow conditions! Many thanks to the host clubs, volunteers, venues and skiers who make these events well-run, fun and social ski events. Here are a few photo and video highlights from this season:
December:
January:
February:
March:
There were tons of great events and camaraderie this winter. The energy of the season is really summed up in this video:
Silver Fox Trot Start Video – Mackenzie Rizio clip
The Zak Cup winners in each age group are NENSA members that completed at least three races, with the best six races counting for SR-M6 and best three for M7+. Note there were several ties this year! The age group winners for this year are as follows:
SR women – 1st: Annika Landis (Enjoy Winter Factory Team)
SR men – 1st: Will Meehan (St Michaels College), 2nd: Gaelan Boyle-Wight (NWVE), 3rd: Thomas Clayton (NWVE)
M1 men – 1st: Chris Burnham (NWVE), 2nd: Dennis Page (Nansen Ski Club), 3rd: Nathaniel Duquette (Ford Sayre)
M2 men – 1st (tie): Sam Quintal (Putney Ski Club) and Nick Laurence (Holderness Nordic Club), 3rd (tie): Sam Evans-Brown (Concord Nordic) and Tristan Williams
M3 women – 1st: Kasie Enman (NWVE)
M3 men – 1st place: Tyler Magnan (NWVE), 2nd: Jake Hollenbach (NWVE), 3rd: Dennis Claire (Gunstock Nordic Ski Association)
M4 women – 1st: Jessica Bolduc (NWVE), 2nd: Cipperly Good (NWVE), 3rd: Michele Smith (Cambridge Sports Union)
M4 men – 1st: Damian Bolduc (NWVE), 2nd: Eli Enman (NWVE), 3rd: Tyson Weems
M5 women – 1st: Rosalie Wilson (Ford Sayre)
M5 men – 1st: Rob Riley (Gunstock Nordic Ski Association), 2nd: Carl Ring (Holderness Nordic Club), 3rd: Eric Darling (NWVE)
M6 women – 1st: Elizabeth Ransom (Gunstock Nordic Ski Association), Karen Alence (Mansfield Nordic Club), Kathy Maddock (Dublin XC)
M6 men – 1st: Jeff Palleiko (Gunstock Nordic Ski Association), 2nd: Stuart Kremzner, 3rd: Frank Feist (Ford Sayre)
M7 women – 1st: Amy Patenaude Gunn (Black Water Nordic Ski Club), 2nd: Ellie Bouffard (Mansfield Nordic Club)
M7 men – 1st (3 way tie): Kirk Siegel (Bethel Outing Club), Ed Momm (Gunstock Nordic Ski Association), and Stephen Wright (NWVE)
M8 women – 1st: Lisa Doucett (Cambridge Sports Union)
M8 men – 1st (tie): Charlie Gunn (Black Water Nordic Ski Club) and Mark Lena (Maine Nordic), 3rd: Robert Burnham (Eastern Mass Nordic, inc (EMXC))
M9 men – 1st (3 way tie): Rich Barker (Freedom Trail Nordic), Bruce Katz, and Dhyan Nirmegh (NWVE)
M10 men – 1st: Jud Hartmann (NWVE)
Congratulations to Jessica Bolduc (NWVE) and Will Meehan (St Michaels College) for being the overall winners this year of the Zak Cup series! For the women, Rosalie Wilson (Ford Sayre) is 2nd overall , and Annika Landis (Enjoy Winter Factory Team) is 3rd. In the mens category, Gaelan Boyle-Wight (NWVE) is 2nd overall, and Sam Evans-Brown (Concord Nordic) is 3rd place.
The Club Cup rewards participation by lots of club members across many races and various age groups (up to three deep per gender). The strongest clubs generally are scoring in several age groups at many of the races. For overall Club scores, the Masters heavy NWVE came in 3rd place, with the multigenerational teams of Ford Sayre in 2nd and Mansfield Nordic Club coming in first this year! Click HERE to find rankings for age categories, overall, and club points.
Congratulations to all those who participated in the Zak Cup and Club Cup series, and thank you to the Clubs and host venues for continuing to put on great races in New England. Bids are now open for the 2024-25 season. Click here for more info on how to bid!
