Last weekend, outside of New England, the largest ski race this side of the Atlantic took place, with over 10,000 skiers flocking to the Wisconsin Northwoods outpost of Cable for the American Birkebeiner Ski Marathon.
In a new history of the famed “Birkie,” American Birkebeiner: The Nation’s Greatest Ski Marathon, my old local sportswriter Jerome Poling managed to track down the one guy who signed up for the inaugural edition in 1973 and then didn’t finish. His take on who does the Birkie? “Hippies, lunatics, and people from Minnesota.”
Well, it turns out in the motley crew that turned up this year, there were at least some New Englanders in there too. Including, in the half-distance junior race the Korteloppet on Friday, a champion, as Ford Sayre’s Donovan Van Citters took a Main St. sprint finish in Hayward.
Donovan’s set to be back in Birkieland real soon, as a member of Team New England for Junior Nationals 2026, which is also in Wisconsin this year.
Why all this fuss about the Birkie? Well, for one, the hushed little secret about NENSA’s Program Director is that I come from Birkieland, and can’t help but still treat it as the center of the universe.
More importantly though, by outside perceptions, a 10,000 person ski marathon should theoretically be pulling in just about everyone in the frozen little sport of cross country skiing. And yet, back in New England, by fate and by fun, we had the busiest weekend on the NENSA calendar. Perhaps another 1,000 skiers joined together back here, and in as many varieties (or more) of ways as there are fish in Lake Hayward!
From BKLers warming up for this weekend’s L.L. Bean BKL Festival in Jackson, NH, to terrain challenges, sprint challenges, skiathlon challenges, and a paintball Biathlon, wherever in the fields and forests of the East you went this weekend, there was skiers.
So, to the Birkie’s hippies, lunatics, and people from Minnesota, we’ll offer the slightly matched sentiment. Who skis in New England? Well, just about anyone…hippies, lunatics, and at least one person from the Midwest (Wisconsin) too.
Capital City Ski Day – Concord, NH
By: Sam Evans-Brown
On February 8th, the Capital City XC Ski Day returned to the Beaver Meadow Municipal Golf Course in Concord, NH. For the first time in many years we’ve had consistently stellar skiing all winter at “The Beav” and this weekend was no exception, with a well timed storm a new coating for truly spectacular skiing on the day of the event. The day brought together a mix of fun “Queen’s Court” style sprint racing and over a hundred first-time skiers, showcasing the growing nordic community in the capital region.
Queen’s Court Sprints and BKL Action
The morning kicked off with the “Queen’s Court” sprint races, a tournament-style freestyle format that ensured every racer—regardless of speed—got multiple heats of head-to-head competition. Around 30 racers tackled the technical course through the golf course “stadium.” On the men’s side, Junior’s Ben Poole and Madeline Ronci took the top spots, showing their elders that the next generation of nordic racers aren’t to be trifled with! Ryan Kelly was the top racer over the age of 18, and the women’s field saw Amy Dupuis claim the victory.
Full results can be found here.
Immediately following the sprints, the focus shifted to the next generation of skiers. Another 30-ish racers from the Bill Koch League (K-5th grade) took to the trails. From the youngest “Lollipops” to the seasoned 5th graders, the energy was high as families cheered on the kids through winding loops and short, punchy climbs.
Learn-to-Ski: From Kindergarten up!
The afternoon was dedicated to the event’s largest contingent: the Learn-to-Ski clinics. Despite the logistical challenge of matching gear for a massive crowd, the volunteer team successfully put nearly 100 participants on snow—many for the very first time. The clinics saw 110 registrants and an actual attendance of nearly 100 people, who all broke out into groups of ten to twenty participants. Many of the learn to ski instructors were the same racers from earlier in the day!
Under the tutelage of the dedicated team of instructors, the clinics focused on the fundamentals of balance, gliding, and—most importantly—having fun. The “Equipment Team” was the unsung hero of the day, making sure every participant was fitted with boots, skis, and poles. Thank you to the Jackson Touring Center and the Bedford Cross-Country Ski Club for helping to ensure we had equipment for all!
A Community Effort
The success of Capital City XC Ski Day is a testament to the partnership between SkiTheBeav, Concord Parks & Recreation, JacksonXC, and S&W Sports. SkiTheBeav, the nonprofit organization behind the event, continues to advocate for expanded access and reliable snowmaking at Beaver Meadow to ensure the capital region has a dependable place to ski regardless of the weather, the city continues to regularly groom the trails, providing access to free, high-quality skiing to everyone in the capital community, and S&W Sports provides generous financial support and help with day of event logistics and gear support.
MNC Skiathlon – Sleepy Hollow Inn, Hinesburg, VT
New England’s Skiathlon returned after a cold weather delay at Sleepy Hollow. The Skiathlon has historically been a showcase of the diversity and competitiveness on offer in the Champlain Valley of Vermont, and this year was no different. Fresh off a weekend of carnival racing, St. Michael’s Henrik Wist took a win with MNC’s Silvester Williams, and Craftsbury’s standby organizer Ollie Burruss in tow. While MNC’s Mia Gorman took advantage of an off weekend to hop in a community race, with St. Michael’s skiers Keeley Kendricks and Mazzy Connors behind…followed by St. Michael’s Coach Annika Martell.
The Skiathlon gave way to a sunny afternoon of BKL racing, all providing a true club day out for Mansfield Nordic Club.
Stratton Terrain Challenge
The Stratton Terrain Challenge also returned after a cold weather delay from last month. The extra month this winter meant more snow, and more cushioning, for skiers to push the bale jumps and obstacles out at the Stratton nordic center.
The photos tell the story, provided by George Forbes, and found HERE.
Bonus: An Ode to the Weston Ski Track’s Tuesday Night Series by Bill Donahue
Boston Magazine recently featured a personal essay on the inane glory of homegrown racing, penned by NENSA Master stalwart Bill Donahue. A selection, with the full essay HERE.
“We were in the bland hinterlands of Greater Boston, skiing along the ho-hum Leo J. Martin Golf Course—otherwise known as the worst golf course in America. The traffic of I-95 hummed nearby; a passenger train clanged in the darkness. But my mind knew nothing of the setting, for I was at war.We clambered toward a narrow hairpin turn, four Lycra-clad cross-country ski racers so close I could see the dried white spittle on my competitor’s whiskery face. The pack constricted like water through a pinched hose. Then suddenly we were on a wider expanse of groomed trail, snow glimmering under the floodlights at the Weston Ski Track’s winterlong Tuesday Night Race Series (TNR)…” READ MORE HERE
Results and Rankings
NENSA Results | Results on Bullitt Timing
NENSA Zak and Club Cup Rankings
Preliminary NENSA Rankings for the weekend are updated by 12pm Tuesday on the NENSA Rankings Page. A 48 hour protest period is open until 12pm Thursday. There will be no retroactive scoring of races after this per the Zak Cup scoring rules posted here.
