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 EMXC athlete, Leigh Niedeck.
Your connections to NENSA and years involved.
Leigh Niedeck (LN): I’ve been involved with NENSA for too many years to count! Through both local and regional racing. I started participating in NENSA events as a BLK skiier – running and shuffling around a loop to be rewarded with a HUGE lillipop – and have continued through high school, racing in Eastern Cups, regional championships, and Nationals. NENSA has been a huge part of my development as a skier — it’s connected me to a wider community beyond my team, given me a sense of belonging in New England skiing, and shown me how much passion and dedication exist in this sport.
Through NENSA races, I’ve met skiers and coaches from all over the region, learned how to handle every kind of snow and weather condition, and found motivation in seeing how strong and supportive the New England ski community really is.
What has skiing in New England meant to your life or your community? What does it mean to you to be a cross-country skier from New England?
LN: Being a cross-country skier from New England means being shaped by both the beauty and the toughness of this place. The sport reflects the region itself: unpredictable, gritty, and full of quiet resilience. We train through freezing mornings, icy rain, and deep snow, when most people would rather stay inside; or in my case, rollerskiing in Eastern Mass. during the middle of the winter! The cold doesn’t scare us; it builds us. Every winter, the trails become a second home — lined with birch trees, rolling hills, and the sound of skis cutting through crusty snow.Whether at small local races or big regional ones, there’s always this shared sense of belonging — of people who love winter and the challenge it brings.
For me, skiing in New England has become more than just a sport — it’s a way of life. It’s taught me discipline, patience, and how to find joy in discomfort. It’s given me a community that understands what it means to show up, even when conditions are far from perfect. It has taught me adaptation; living a mile out of Boston, our terrain and luck with snow rather lacks, but this has taught me how to be more resourceful with where and what i do for workouts.
To be a New England skier is to carry that mindset everywhere: that progress is earned in the toughest conditions, and that beauty often hides beneath the frost.
Can you share a moment that embodies the spirit of New England skiing?
LN: It was one of those perfect late-March weekends — Southern Vermont had just been hit with a fresh wave of snow, ideal for a mix of adventure and jib skiing. We hopped out of the car, buzzing with excitement, and waxed up our classic skis. The sun sat low in the sky, casting that golden shimmer that makes the snow look like it’s been dusted with fairy-tale sparkles.
After a few loops on the trails, we reached the top of Wild Wings Ski Center. The descent back to the lodge was one of my favorites — a winding downhill with sharp turns, surprise jumps tucked behind corners, and a long runout perfect for a big hockey stop to spray your friends with snow. But that day, instead of rushing down, we decided to explore.
There were three other athletes and a coach with me, all of us trenching between trails, searching for a hidden patch of untouched powder to launch off. When we finally spotted a line, I unstrapped my poles to avoid snapping them and pushed off. I carved through the powder, snow flying up around me, heart pounding. I didn’t catch huge air, but I got that unmistakable rush — the blend of adrenaline and joy that only Nordic skiing can bring when the snow is perfect, the air is crisp, and you’re surrounded by friends who love it as much as you do.
What does NENSA mean to you?
LN: 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.
