NENSA is celebrating our 30th anniversary in 2025. As part of the occasion, we’re gathering reflections from skiers across New England on the people, moments, and values which have defined the NENSA community. This week, we are featuring SMST2 skier and US Ski Team Member, Julia Kern.
Your connections to NENSA and years involved?
Julia Kern (JK): I have been a part of NENSA programming from the very beginning at 5 years old, so it has been 23 years now! From BKL festival, Eastern Cups, Junior Nationals, REG camps, and now through summer programming like rollerski races in the summer.
What has skiing in New England meant to your life or your community?
JK: The NENSA events are where my love for cross country skiing truly began. As a kid, skiing was simply a fun way to be outside with friends in the winter—playing games on skis, going on scavenger hunts, and exploring the beautiful trails across New England. I always looked forward to Eastern Cup weekends—not just for the chance to race hard and push myself, but for the moments in between: reconnecting with friends from all over New England, cheering on teammates, and gathering around the legendary food tables and devouring food made by all the families on my team. There was a deep comfort in knowing I’d see the same smiling coaches, dedicated volunteers, ski families, and NENSA staff at every event. It felt like coming home. Now, even as my path in skiing has taken me far beyond those early races, I still find myself yearning for the feeling that only a NENSA event brings. It reminds me that skiing is about so much more than results—it’s about connection, joy, and being part of a community. No matter where I go, NENSA and the New England ski community remain a core part of who I am. I couldn’t imagine a more special community to grow up in—or a more welcoming one to come back to.
Can you share a moment that embodies the spirit of New England skiing?
JK: One of my favorite memories from the BKL Festival each year was the adventure ski or scavenger hunt we got to do once the racing was over. Some years, it came in the form of a “passport” that you’d get stamped at each spot you visited on the map—looking back, it’s funny how that mirrors what I now do for a living, collecting literal passport stamps as I travel the world racing. At the time, it just felt like the coolest adventure. I especially remember one year—if I’m remembering right, it was at the Trapp Family Lodge—when my teammate Zoe Snow and I did the entire scavenger hunt on a pair of double skis. It was absolutely chaotic and so much fun. Moments like that really captured what BKL was all about: pure joy, creativity on skis, and making memories with friends that stick with you for a lifetime.
What does NENSA mean to you?
JK: NENSA is where my love for cross country skiing began—a community that embodies joy, inclusivity, and a shared passion for getting outside and connecting through the skiing.
We want to hear from you! Send in your NENSA 30th reflections using this form HERE.
