This year’s event will be held on January 25th, 2026 at the Holderness Nordic Center in Holderness, NH. You can read up on all the event details on the NENSA website HERE.
New England Women’s XC Ski Day was started in 2002 by former 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. This is a fantastic opportunity for BKL Parent Leaders, NENSA clubs leaders, endurance sports enthusiasts, Masters’ competitors, and more to join us to increase your confidence and technical knowledge of the sport with a world-class team of instructors!
All ability, skill, and experience levels are welcome. In addition to this event being open to all women, we also encourage and support the participation of nonbinary people who are comfortable in a space that centers the experience of women. NENSA hopes that Women’s XC Ski Day helps bring more folx together to enjoy this wonderful sport.
Registration includes cross-country ski clinics, wax demonstrations, a fantastic prize drawing, a tasty lunch, and a donation to our benefit organization (see below).
Since this is our 25th anniversary and we’re returning to Holderness where it all began, we’re excited to celebrate in a number of fun ways throughout the day. As part of this, we hope to recognize anyone who attended the very first event in 2002. During registration, you’ll see a question asking if you were part of that inaugural day—please let us know there so we can honor you at lunch.
We are proud to feature Peggy (McKay) Shinn as our lunchtime speaker, presenting on the history of women’s cross-country skiing and the inspiration behind events such as NENSA’s Women’s Day. Over her career, Peggy has contributed to all of North America’s ski magazines, including SKI. She’s the founding writer for the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee’s website TeamUSA.com and has covered eight Olympics. Her favorite memories include watching Mikaela Shiffrin win her first Olympic gold medal in 2014 and Jessie Diggins and Kikkan Randall win the U.S.’s first gold medal in cross-country skiing. Her worst memories? The food in Sochi and all of the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games. Her second book, World Class: The Making of the U.S. Women’s Cross-Country Ski Team, was published in 2018 — two weeks before Jessie & Kikkan won that gold medal. The book won the International Skiing History Association’s Ullr Award and NASJA’s Harold S. Hirsch Award. Peggy’s also won five other Hirsch Awards for ski writing, as well as the Vermont Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame’s Paul Robbins Journalism Award. A graduate of Amherst College with additional master’s degrees in teaching and environmental science, she previously taught middle school and competed in demanding endurance cycling and mountain events. She returned to Vermont in 1997 and now lives in Rutland with her husband and daughter.
You can check out this year’s official Women’s Day Skida hat below. We are also excited to partner with another fantastic NENSA sponsor, Birdie Blue, for a limited edition 25th anniversary Women’s Day Fanny Pack. They are available for purchase through registration and will also be for sale on event day.
We are also pleased to share that Voices Against Violence is our 2026 Women’s XC Ski Day benefit organization and you can make a direct donation through registration.
Voices Against Violence is a crisis services agency located in Plymouth, NH. We provide information and support to victims and survivors, their family and friends, community members, and professionals around domestic violence, children who witness domestic violence, sexual violence and harassment, stalking, human trafficking and bullying.
Please click HERE for the Women’s XC Ski Day Page on the NENSA website for full details on lodging, rentals, and clinic information.
Get the feel for Women’s XC Ski Day by watching last year’s video recap!
