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Eastern Cup Primer

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NENSA is proud to present the 2022-2023 Eastern Cup Series, a set of eight U.S. Ski & Snowboard sanctioned  competitions.  Each year, venues bid and are elected to host these prestigious events, balancing regional locations and collaboration with collegiate and SuperTour competitions.  We are extremely fortunate in the East to have many robust venues with incredible physical and human infrastructure.  Eastern Cups are open to all U.S. Ski & Snowboard and NENSA members (NENSA 1-Day memberships are available on all registrations.  Athletes under 20 years of age are scored to the Junior Ranking List (JRL), which is the basis for qualification for the New England Junior National Team.

Each year NENSA committees review our competition guidelines — athletes, coaches and parents should be familiar with the Race Rules document.

This year features some major changes, the most notable that all events feature equal distance for male and female competitors.  All NENSA races remain fluoro-free, and testing could occur at any event.

NENSA is also introducing two new TEAM Oriented Competitions this year for all to be involved in! Whether you are a junior racer new to the Eastern Cup, or come from one of the more established clubs in the East there is something for everyone to get on board with:
1) Club Cup – Season Long Club Points Tally
2) Eastern Cup Club Score – For Juniors for each Eastern Cup Competition

We are poised for a successful season, starting in just over three weeks, with many areas already seeing natural snow — and temperatures that have allowed venues to get a strong start snowmaking.  Eastern Cup’s are built to be spectator friendly events, with inspired action and a festival atmosphere — we so look forward to seeing the Eastern skiing community soon!

The first stop on the tour is the Rikert Nordic Grand Prix – Eastern Cup Opener on December 17th & 18th in Ripton, Vermont. The Rikert Outdoor Center is a storied race venue with iconic mountain views and winding wooded trails.  The historic Bread Loaf Inn is available for housing for the first time, offering trailside lodging with meal package options for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  You can find out more about these options on the registration page under Merchandise Options — book early as these rooms will likely fill quickly and all reservations must be made by December 6th.

Rikert Nordic Grand Prix Registration Page

On January 14th & 15th, we travel to Black Mountain of Maine for the Chisholm Ski Club Eastern Cup and Bates Carnival in Rumford.  This unique event overlaps with an EISA Carnival this season on Saturday — which will likely be one of the largest and most competitive races in the East this winter.  Registration will open shortly.

After several years of hosting the Opener, the Roy Varney Memorial Quarry Road Eastern Cup will be hosted on February 4th & 5th in Waterville, Maine.  Quarry Road Trails puts on a beautiful event and continually invests in the Quarry Road Recreation Area, which is owned and operated by the City of Waterville Department of Parks & Recreation.  Registration will open shortly.

For the second year we will conclude the Eastern Cup season with the Dublin Double Eastern Cup,
February 18th & 19th in Dublin, New Hampshire.  The Dublin Nordic Center and its undulating trail network provide a fantastic weekend of fast paced racing, with the collaboration of the Dublin School and the Dublin XC Club.  Of note the New England Team is named at the conclusion of the races Sunday. Registration will open shortly.

NENSA also promotes and supports a diverse set of Popular Races.

 

Striding into the Future: Winter Competition Primer 2021 – 2022

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A skier headed out at Craftsbury. 12/1/2021.

  Only two weeks after Rollerski season, the snow is coming in on command — with the aid of heroic snowmaking efforts by venues across the Eastern region.  This weekend the Popular Races start at the Quarry Road Opener — with races for all ages.  These 24 competitions are designed to bring skiers of diverse ages and abilities together to celebrate skiing.  Two weeks later we return to Quarry Road for the first Eastern Cup of the Season, the Roy Varney Memorial.  The Eastern Cup Series features a balance of U.S. Ski & Snowboard and FIS sanctioned events, and a few additional Popular racing opportunities.

 Popular Calendar
Eastern Cup Calendar

  NENSA would like to highlight that Club Cup Standings will include all Popular and Eastern Cup races for the winter of 2021-2022.  The goal is to bring the entire community together across our competitive programming and provide an overall ranking of Club participation and performance.  Eastern Cups will also be scored as individual events.

Eastern Cup Race Rules
Race Support at US Nationals

Covid Guidelines
(please note vaccination is required for U16, EHSC and JN programs)

 

We look forward to seeing many of you this weekend in Maine, whether you might be a BKL’er in your first race, a junior prepping for the Eastern Cup, or a Master seeking valuable Zak Points.  We are also stoked that Rikert Nordic Center and the Middlebury College Snowbowl are hosting the Grand Prix — a three-day mini tour to put a cap on final events of the NENSA Popular Race calendar with season-end awards and celebration on Sunday.  The event is designed to provide something for every level of skier.

Zak and Club Cub Scoring Rules
Printable Popular Race Poster

  NENSA is excited to partner with Pastimes, the Outdoor App.  Download the App and connect with friends by joining NENSA.  Find all of our events listed and connect with others who you might meet at competitions or just get out skiing together.

  Finally, NENSA is confident for an awesome winter of outdoor activity, yet cognizant that we are conducting events during an ongoing pandemic.  Please read our most recent Covid Guidelines and be safe in your daily lives and travel.

  We look forward to reuniting with skiers from across the East Coast and beyond this winter and spring-boarding the enthusiasm of Rollerski into the Winter.  Ski you out there.

 

2020-21 Eastern Cup and Vermont Cup Primer

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Eastern Cup & Vermont Cup Primer – 2020-21 Season

Eastern Cup Sprint at Rumford 2020. John Bernard photo.

Resilience, ingenuity and compliance will be the mantras for the winter of 2020-21.  NENSA, alongside venues throughout the East are committed to making the Eastern Cup Series happen by providing safe competitions.  State and institutional guidelines will continue to shift throughout the winter and the proposed Eastern Cup and Vermont Cup is designed to give us the best chance for success.  Athletes will need to be resilient as challenges arise, and use ingenuity to stay focused on the overall goal of development through the season.  Perhaps the keystone in the puzzle is compliance to Health Protocols – we ask that athletes, coaches and parents adhere to the high standards we have created to insure the health of not only participants, but the communities we visit throughout the season.

Vermont guidelines dictated the creation of a “Vermont Cup” within the traditional Eastern Cup framework.  All 15 races listed on the proposed schedule will be run to the same high standards of a typical Eastern Cup and used to score points for the Junior Ranking List.  We encourage athletes and clubs to be judicious in their planning and travel – giving priority to race starts in close proximity to their homes.  Athletes will be ranked on their “Best 3” races this season to help support this guidance.  As the final details and disciplines of our newly calendared races occur we will publish guidelines on qualification for Eastern Regional Championships, scheduled to happen at a similar time to Junior Nationals.

Read on below to learn how the 2020-21 Eastern Cup season will be conducted.

All Eastern Cup (EC) & Vermont Cup (VC) race registrations are hosted by SkiReg.com and will be open by December 1st.  Please note all competitors who intend to attend multiple EC, VC or FIS races should purchase a bib and rent a chip – this page is open now and will close December 1st.

  1. All racers must have valid NENSA and U.S. Ski & Snowboard (USSS) membership to race – please note a $10 daily NENSA membership is available on individual race registration pages.
  2. **Due to our expanded calendar there are several EC’s and VC’s that will not require a USSS membership –  EC’s: January 24, February 7.  VC’s: January 24, February 6-7. 
  3. Purchase or renew your your NENSA membership here.
  4. Purchase or renew your U.S. Ski & Snowboard membership here.
  5. Foreign membership options updated (11/26/2019).
  6. Purchase both your NENSA & U.S. Ski & Snowboard memberships early to ensure proper validation at registration.
  7. All EC & VC racers will be listed in the overall race results, regardless of your U.S. Ski & Snowboard membership type ($20 general or $115 competitor).  If you want to be listed on the National Ranking List (NRL) you need to purchase a U.S. Ski & Snowboard competitors membership.  Competitors 17+ (who will turn 18 during the 2020-21 season need to purchase a Competitor membership to comply with SafeSport regulations.
  8. For the 2020-21 Season all junior competitors from New England will be ranked to the NENSA Junior Ranking List (best 3 races for both U16 and U18/U20).  This list will serve as the qualification list for the Eastern Regional Championships.
  9. You can upgrade to a U.S. Ski & Snowboard competitors license later in the season (points may not retroactively apply to previous races).
  10. Each Eastern Cup has a Virtual Team Captain’s Meeting (VTCM) an information page for updates: on venue, times changes, and important racer/coach information.
  11. Registration will close at 5pm on the Wednesday before each Eastern Cup weekend.  Please note all competitors must also fill out a Health Screen Form on this day in order to compete – the form will be sent via SkiReg to all competitors and coaches on Wednesday.
  12. Seed lists will be posted on Thursday (using points from the current NRL / FIS lists)
  13. Start lists will be posted on Friday by 6pm for Saturday and Sunday races.
  14. Final Eastern Cup race results can be found here.  Live results links will be made available on the EC event pages.
  15. Eastern Cup and Vermont Cup races will be scored by U.S. Ski & Snowboard (except for the 5 races listed under #1 above), and updated to the NRL.  Races marked as (FIS/NRL) are also scored by FIS.
  16. NRL and FIS listing dates can be found in the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Nordic Competition Guide. 
  17. SEEDING:  All racers will be seeded by their best of either, NRL or FIS points.  If you have a U.S. Ski & Snowboard general membership, or have 990 points you will be seeded randomly at the end of the field.
  18. U18/U20 Junior Ranking List:  Best 3 EC or VC races.  Scored by USSS points **see 2. Junior Ranking List Points.
  19. U16 JN Junior Ranking List:  Best 3 EC or VC races.  Please note for the 2020-21 season U16 will be scored by USSS Points – the same way as U18/U20.

2020 Eastern Cup Primer

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NENSA is proud to highlight the 2020 Eastern Cup Series after a snowy start to winter across New England!

photo @flyingpoint

In just three weeks the East’s premier race circuit kicks off at Sugarloaf, Maine for the first time since 2006.  Sugarloaf is opening for skiing this week and excited to put on an innovative event that will honor the life of Roy Varney.  The second Eastern Cup — The 2020 Lost Nation Cup — is combined with the U.S. Ski & Snowboard SuperTour Series in Craftsbury, Vermont January 25th & 26th.  This unique opportunity combines the highest level regional and national series with the University of Vermont Carnival.  On February 8th & 9th the Series visits Rumford, Maine for the Chisholm Eastern Cup and Bates Carnival.  Again the combination of an EISA event and the top regional field ensures inspired competition.  Eastern Cup Finals will be hosted in New Hampshire by the Dublin and Holderness School February 15th & 16th.  On Saturday the exciting Dublin Double will offer two fast paced freestyle events with a 3km and 1.5km aimed to boost New England athletes into post season racing.  The Series, including Junior National team selection concludes Sunday at the Cheri Walsh Memorial where skiers will experience the classic trails of the Holderness School.

Look forward to pre and post event press releases for these exciting events.  Complete details on the Eastern Cup Series can be found on the NENSA website.  Please read the updated Eastern Cup Primer below for important information regarding race details, seeding, scoring and Junior National Qualification.

Registration for all Eastern Cup races are open on SkiReg.com — before you register make sure your NENSA and U.S. Ski & Snowboard memberships are current and you update your team/club affiliations in your NENSA profile.
Also note that Sugarloaf early registration fee ends 12/5.

We look forward to an awesome winter and seeing you on the trails soon!!

  1. All racers must have valid NENSA and U.S. Ski & Snowboard membership to race – please note a $10 daily NENSA membership is available.
  2. Purchase or renew your your NENSA membership here.
  3. Purchase or renew your U.S. Ski & Snowboard membership here.
  4. Foreign membership options updated (11/26/2019).
  5. Buy both your NENSA & U.S. Ski & Snowboard memberships early to ensure proper validation at registration.
  6. All EC racers will be listed in the overall race results, regardless of your U.S. Ski & Snowboard membership type ($20 general or $115 competitor).  If you want to be listed on the National Ranking List (NRL), and be ranked for New England Junior National team (best 4 races for both U16 and U18/U20)  you need to purchase a U.S. Ski & Snowboard competitors membership.
  7. You can upgrade to a U.S. Ski & Snowboard competitors license later in the season (points may not retroactively apply to previous races).
  8. Each Eastern Cup has a Virtual Team Captain’s Meeting (VTCM) an information page for updates: on venue, times changes, and important racer/coach information.
  9. Registration will close at 5pm on the Wednesday before each Eastern Cup weekend.
  10. Seed lists will be posted on Thursday (using points from the current NRL / FIS lists)
  11. Start lists will be posted on Friday by 6pm for Saturday and Sunday races.
  12. Final Eastern Cup race results can be found here.  Live results links will be made available on the EC event pages.
  13. All Eastern Cup races will be scored by U.S. Ski & Snowboard, and updated to the NRL.  Races marked as (FIS/NRL) are also scored by FIS.
  14. NRL and FIS listing dates can be found in the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Nordic Competition Guide. 
  15. SEEDING:  All racers will be seeded by their best of either, U.S. Ski & Snowboard or FIS points.  If you have a US Ski & Snowboard general membership, or have 990 points you will be seeded randomly at the end of the field.
  16. U18/U20 JN qualifying:  Best 4 EC and/or OOR races.
  17. U16 JN qualifying:  Best 4 EC races, and no OOR races using SuperTour Scoring (see page 26).
    Tie-breaking mechanisms:
    ~Best single finish in a selection race
    ~Second best single finish in a selection race
    ~Third best single finish in a selection race
    ~Fourth best single finish in a selection race
    Note: All U16 races at NENSA Eastern Cups are scored; for sprints, the final results for the top 12 come from the heats/finals, and from the qualifying for places 13 and higher.

Note: distances and techniques are listed here as scheduled.  If conditions mandate changes to distance/technique, the race that is held will be scored.

2019-2020 Races Scored to the NENSA JNQ Ranking Lists:   

NENSA Eastern Cup Series Races:

Sugarloaf Eastern Cup Opener – EC WEEKEND #1
Sugarloaf, Maine
Hosted by the Sugarloaf Outdoor Center  (NRL)

December 21-22, 2019

Saturday December 21 – Free Sprint (1.5km)

Sunday December 22 – Classic (5km U16 and women / 10km men and Citizen)

The Lost Nation Cup: Craftsbury Super Tour / UVM Carnival & Eastern Cup – EC WEEKEND #2
Craftsbury, Vermont
Hosted by the Craftsbury Outdoor Center – (FIS/NRL)

January 25-26, 2020 (ST Classic Sprint only 1/24)

Saturday January 25 – Free Interval (5km U16 & Women / 10km Men and Citizen)

Sunday January 26 – Classic Mass Start (5km U16 / 10km Women / 15km Men)

Chisholm Eastern Cup / Bates Carnival – EC WEEKEND #3
Black Mountain Ski Resort, Maine
Hosted by the Chisholm Ski Club (NRL)

February 8-9, 2020

Friday February 7 – Please note Bates Carnival races in AM – Official Training 1-4pm

Saturday February 8 – Free (5km U16 and Women / 10km Men)

Sunday February 9 – Classic Sprint (1.2km)

Dublin Double Eastern Cup – EC Finals
DAY ONE – Dublin, New Hampshire
Hosted by Dublin School (NRL)

Saturday February 15, 2020 – Skate Interval Start Prologue (3km all skiers) followed by a Skate Sprint Prologue (1.5km all skiers)

Cheri Walsh Memorial Eastern Cup – EC Finals
DAY TWO – Holderness, New Hampshire
Hosted by the Holderness School Nordic Club (NRL)

Sunday February 16, 2020 – Classic Interval Start (5km U16 / 10km Women and Men)

Out-of-Region Races for 2019-20 season:
US National Championships Michigan Tech Nordic Center – Houghton, Michigan (U18/U20’s only):

Thursday January 2: Freestyle Sprint 1.4km*
Friday January 3: Freestyle 10/15km
Sunday January 5: Classic Mass Start 7.5/10km

Please note the final Sprint on 1/7/20 of US Nationals is not scored to JNQ Ranking List.  

*US Nationals races will be scored to the NENSA JNQ Ranking Lists using U.S. Ski & Snowboard points for U18 & U20’s (sprint re-scored with distance points).  An athlete must be a U.S. Ski & Snowboard competitor member to compete at the US National Championships.

THERE ARE NO OOR RACES for U16’s

6.  Eastern Cup Scoring:

All Eastern Cup races are scored by U.S. Ski & Snowboard to the National Ranking List (NRL), usually by no later then the Thursday after the race weekend.  NENSA ranks JNQ lists as soon as possible.  Athletes with U.S. Ski & Snowboard General Memberships are not scored to the U.S. Ski & Snowboard NRL or JNQ lists.  All competitors are listed in results.

To determine the overall Eastern Cup Champions (the Gallagher Cup winners) at the end of the season (one male/one female) – the best of 7 out of 9 of the Eastern Cup races are scored to determine the overall winners.

7.     U.S. Ski & Snowboard Nordic Competition Guide

Further information about Race Rules.

Further information about Junior National Qualifying.

Zak and Club Cup Primer – Citizen Racing in New England

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Despite the downright frigid temperatures hovering over New England skiers of all ages enjoyed excellent conditions over the holiday period.  This weekend our Zak Cup races resume with two events on Sunday the 7th, the Stowe Nordic Crosscut 10km and the Gunstock January Thaw 12km/8km (moved from Saturday due to predicted cold temps).  You can find out more about those races, including registration, by searching our Calendar of Events and learn more about the entire series by looking at the Zak Cup page.  Registration for all events are done through SkiReg.com

Read a fun article about “Why Master Skiers Need to Stay in the Game,” by Damian Bolduc of Northwest Vermont Endurance.

NENSA is excited to work with amazing venues throughout the region to put on this robust series of citizen races.  The Zak Cup was designed to promote masters skiing and highlight the top skiers in all age groups (Master 1 – Master 12) for their season long efforts.  Skiers (current NENSA members) who place in the top fifteen of their respective age groups earn points which accumulate throughout the season.  Scoring will be updated to our Rankings Page in a timely fashion so skiers can see how they stack up against their competition.  Detailed information about Zak Scoring can be found here.

NENSA also scores all Zak Cup races for Club Cup scoring.  Club Cup scoring was designed to promote participation and any skier who designates themselves with their active NENSA club at registration will score points for their club, regardless if they are NENSA members or not.  Club Cup scoring includes all age groups from U16 through Masters 12 with a premium for being in the top-10, with all skiers 11 and on earning one point.  Further clarification is available here.

There are two unique Club events within the Zak Cup Series, the 1 Day Club Championships (1DCC) held in Jackson, New Hampshire (15th year) and a relatively new race, the New England Club Relay Championships (2nd year) which is held at Craftsbury, Vermont.  The 1DCC is an individual race that was designed designed to award age-adjusted skiing excellence across age categories.  The sum of the top 4 men and top 3 women placements in separate age categories determine the 1DCC winning club.  Skiers in this event are also scored to Zak and Club Cup points individually.  The New England Club Relay allows clubs six different options to compose a relay team by combining a broad range of ages into single sex, or mixed teams.  Each team will accumulate World Cup points for their club which are combined to crown the top club of the day.  This race will also be scored for Club Cup points for those teams that are designated as current NENSA clubs at registration.  More information about the scoring of both of these events is found here.

If you are interested in being a part of all this Zak Cup excitement please make sure your NENSA memberships are current before registering for any races.  If you want your club to be represented please make sure your club is active for the 2018 season.  When registering on SkiReg for races, make sure your NENSA number is entered and select your club from the dropdown menu.  With those two steps you are well on your way to a great season of scored racing!

Please direct any membership questions to [email protected] and any scoring questions to [email protected].

We look forward to seeing you out on the track!!

Eastern Cup Primer for 2019 – Are you ready?

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We are nearly two months away from the beginning of the NENSA Eastern Cup Series.  The first races of the season will be held at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center on the weekend of December 22-23.  You can learn more about the Eastern Cup schedule here — and please read our updated EC Primer below for important information regarding race details, seeding, scoring and Junior National Qualification.

Registration for all Eastern Cup races will open November 1st on SkiReg.com — before you register make sure your NENSA and US Ski and Snowboard memberships are current and you update your team/club affiliations in your NENSA profile.

We look forward to an awesome winter and seeing you on the trails soon!!

  1. All Eastern Cup race registrations will be done on SkiReg.com, and registration will open on November 1st
  2. All racers must have valid NENSA and US Ski & Snowboard membership to race – please note a $10 daily NENSA membership is available.
  3. To renew or get your NENSA membership, go to NENSA.net
  4. To renew or get your US Ski and Snowboard membership, go to USSA.org
  5. Regarding US Ski & Snowboard memberships:  All EC racers will be listed in the overall race results, regardless of your membership levels ($15 general membership or $95 competitor membership).  But, if you want to be listed on the US Ski & Snowboard NRL (National Ranking List), and be ranked for New England Junior National team qualification (best of 3 for U16, or best of 4 for U18/U20)  you MUST buy the US Ski & Snowboard competitors membership.  So, if you have any thoughts, plans, dreams or desires to try to make the JN team, buy the competitors membership now.
  6. You can upgrade to a US Ski & Snowboard competitors license later in the season, (points may not retroactively apply to previous races).  If you want to be listed on the NRL and ranked for JNQ – buy the competitor license, not the general membership before the start of the race season.
  7. Buy both your NENSA & US Ski and Snowboard memberships early.  Do not wait until the day you register on SkiReg.com.  Your correct data needs to be in our systems (NENSA & US Ski and Snowboard) at least a few days before you register on SkiReg.
  8. Each Eastern Cup race Virtual Team Captain’s Meeting (VTCM) will be hosted on NENSA.net.  Please check our website VTCM race information page for frequent updates, especially as the race weekend approaches.  This page will provide you with venue updates, times changes, important racer and coach information.
  9. Registration will close at 5pm on the Wednesday before each Eastern Cup weekend.
  10. Seed lists will be posted on Thursday (using points from the most current lists).
  11. Start lists will be posted by 8pm on Friday for Saturday and Sunday races.
  12. Eastern Cup race results link will be provided from the Timer and a link will be posted on NENSA.net.  All racers who competed in the Eastern Cup race will be listed in this results link.
  13. Each Eastern Cup race will be scored by US Ski and Snowboard, and updated to the NRL.
  14. NRL and FIS listing dates can be found on page 16 of the 18 Nordic Competition Guide. 
  15. SEEDING:  All racers will be seeded by their best of either, US Ski and Snowboard or FIS points.  If you do not yet have current US Ski and Snowboard point profile (bought a competitor’s license but have not raced a race yet to be listed on the current US Ski and Snowboard list in use), or, if you are a general member, you will be listed as 990 and seeded randomly behind the seeded group.  Once you have a US Ski and Snowboard point profile, you will be seeded according to that number.  If you are just a general member, you will always be seeded as a 990 behind the seeded group.
  16. For U18/U20 JN qualifying, NENSA will rank Best of 4 EC and/or OOR races, and this will be posted on NENSA.net for current NENSA & US Ski and Snowboard competitor members.  Races will be posted for ranking once they are officially scored by US Ski and Snowboard.  Racers without a competitive US Ski and Snowboard license will NOT be included in the rankings.
  17. Sprint Scoring: The heat results of the two EC sprint races will be scored. NENSA will re-score the final heat results with US Ski and Snowboard distance points. This change was adopted by the ADC effective October 2017 to seek parity in points between sprint and distance races.
  18. For U16 JN qualifying, NENSA will score the Best of 3 EC races, and no OOR races.  This will be done using US Ski and Snowboard Super Tour Scoring (see below).  NENSA shall use the following tie-breaking mechanisms in order (selection races are the 8 U16 races at NENSA Eastern Cups; for sprints, the final results for the top 12 come from the heats/finals, and from the qualifying for places 13 and higher):
    ~Best single finish in a selection race
    ~Second best single finish in a selection race
    ~Third best single finish in a selection race
    ~Fourth best single finish in a selection race

US Ski and Snowboard SuperTour Scoring:

The US Ski and Snowboard SuperTour scoring system awards points to the top 20 competitors in each event.
Place Points
1 30
2 25
3 21
4 18
5 16
6 15
7 14
8 13
9 12
10 11
11 10
12 9
13 8
14 7
15 6
16 5
17 4
18 3
19 2
20 1

Out-of-Region Races for 2018-19 Season (U18/U20’s only):

US National Championships – Craftsbury Outdoor Center – Craftsbury, VT

Thursday, January 3: Classic Individual Start 10km/15km
Friday, January 4:  Classic Sprint
Sunday, January 6:  Skate Mass Start 5km/10km
*Please note the Freestyle Sprint on January 8, will not be scored to the NENSA JNQ Ranking Lists.

THERE IS NO OOR RACES for U16’s

US Nationals races will be scored to the NENSA JNQ Ranking Lists using U.S. Ski and Snowboard points for U18 & U20’s. An athlete must be a US Ski and Snowboard competitor member to compete at the US National Championships.

Further information about Race Rules.

Further information about Junior National Qualifying.

“Eastern Cup Primer” for the Upcoming Season – A Must Read for all Racers, Parents & Coaches

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SUMMARY:  In May, the NENSA Board voted to move from using the NENSA points system, to using USSA points only, for scoring all EasternCup (EC) races, and for Junior National qualifying (JNQ) ranking list.  The NENSA staff had been working hard all summer to update, improve and streamline the EC registration and scoring process.  Here is what YOU need to know to be ready to race in the first EasternCup in December:

  1. All EasternCup race registrations will be done on SkiReg.com, and registration will open on November 1st

  2. All racers must have valid and current NENSA and USSA membership #’s to race – NO EXCEPTIONS

  3. To renew or get your NENSA membership, go to NENSA.net

  4. To renew or get your USSA membership, go to USSA.org (prices increase 10/15)

  5. Regarding USSA memberships:  All EC racers will be listed in the overall race results, regardless of your membership levels ($15 general membership or $95 competitor membership).  BUT,, if you want to be listed and ranked on the USSA NRL (National Ranking List), and be ranked (best of 3 for U16, or best of 4 for U18/U20) on our NENSA website for qualifying for the New England Junior National team, you MUST buy the USSA competitors membership.  So, if you have any thoughts, plans, dreams or desires to try to make the JN team, buy the competitors membership now.

  6. You cannot buy a USSA competitors license later in the season and have it retroactively apply to previous races.  If you want to be listed on the NRL and ranked for JNQ – buy the competitor license, not the general membership NOW, before the start of the race season.

  7. Buy both your NENSA & USSA memberships early.  Do not wait until the day you register on SkiReg.com.  Your correct data needs to be in our systems (NENSA & USSA) at least a few days before you register on SkiReg.

  8. Each EasternCup race Virtual Team Captain’s Meeting (VTCM) will be hosted on NENSA.net.  Please check our website VTCM race information page for frequent updates, especially as the race weekend approaches.  This page will provide you with venue updates, times changes, important racer and coach information.

  9. Registration will close at 5pm on the Wednesday before each EasternCup weekend.

  10. Seed lists will be posted on Thursday (using points from the most current list)

  11. Start lists will be posted on Friday

  12. EasternCup race results link will be provide from the Timer and a link will be posted on NENSA.net.  All racers who competed in the EasternCup race will be listed in this results link.

  13. Each EasternCup race will be scored by USSA, and updated to the NRL by USSA.

  14. USSA updates their lists by the calendar on these dates:: http://nordic.usskiteam.com/cross-country-programs/officials/rankings/ussa-fis-points

  15. SEEDING:  All racers will be seeded by their best of USSA/FIS points.  If you do not yet have current USSA points profile (bought a competitor’s license but have not raced a race yet to be listed on the current USSA list in use), or, if you are a general member, you will be listed as 990 and seeded randomly behind the seeded group.  Once you have a USSA points profile, you will be seeded according to that number.  If you are just a general member, you will always be seeded as a 990 behind the seeded group.

  16. For U18/U20 JN qualifying, NENSA will rank Best of 4 EC and/or OOR races, and this will be posted on NENSA.net for current NENSA & USSA competitor members only.  Scored USSA races will be posted for ranking, as soon as we get them back from USSA, usually by no later than Thursday after the race weekend.  Racers without a competitive USSA license will NOT be included in the rankings.

  17. For U16 JN qualifying, NENSA will score only the Best of 3 EC races, and no OOR races.  This will be done using USSA Super Tour Scoring (see below).   NENSA shall use the following tie-breaking mechanisms in order (selection races are the 8 U16 races at NENSA Eastern Cups; for sprints, the final results for the top 12 come from the heats/finals, and from the qualifying for places 13 and higher):
    ~Best single finish in a selection race
    ~Second best single finish in a selection race
    ~Third best single finish in a selection race
    ~Fourth best single finish in a selection race

USSA SuperTour Scoring:

The USSA SuperTour scoring system awards points to the top 20 competitors in each event.
Place Points
1 30
2 25
3 21
4 18
5 16
6 15
7 14
8 13
9 12
10 11
11 10
12 9
13 8
14 7
15 6
16 5
17 4
18 3
19 2
20 1

18.  For JNQ U16/U18/U20 rankings only – the two EC sprint race heats will be scored.

19.  Out-of-Region Races for 2016-17 season:  

~US National Championships, SoHo, Midway, Utah for U18/U20’s only:

Saturday January 7: Freestyle Individual Start 10/15k

Sunday January 8: Classic Sprint

Tuesday January 10: Classic Mass Start juniors 5k/10k

~SLU CARNIVAL/Harry Eldridge MID-ATLANTIC JNQ, Lake Placid, NY

Saturday January 21st ONLY:

EISA men and U18/U20 boys 10 km freestyle (individual start)

EISA women and U18/U20 girls 5 km freestyle (individual start)

THERE IS NO OOR RACES for U16’s

The US Nationals races listed above, as well at the SLU/Harry Eldridge Mid-A JNQ race on 1/21/17, will be scored to the NENSA JNQ Ranking Lists using USSA points for U18 & U20’s. An athlete must be a USSA competitor member to compete at the US National Championships.

To score NENSA JNQ points, U18/U20 athletes must compete in the designated races at US Nationals. Points for other races will not be scored to the NENSA JNQ Ranking Lists.

Popular Racing Kicks Off in Style at Quarry Road

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Quarry Road Opener Start 2021. (Flying Point Road photo)

On a beautiful sunny December day, skiers descended upon the trails at Quarry Road, where the snowmaking crew had worked their magic to create a loop for the first race in NENSA’s season long Popular Race Series.  We saw lollipop skiers, middle school, high school, collegiate, seniors and masters in action at the event. The return of spectators to ski races was marked by a sizable cheering squad of parents, coaches, and teammates.

Lollipop skier and parent crossing the finish at the end of the day over beautiful corduroy. (F. Bailey photo)

Even with 157 racers, there was ample room on the course.  Granular snow made for fast and fun conditions.  The stars of today’s race showed their alacrity of keeping up with the glide speed of the snow.  They were also challenged by the lap lane’s hairpin turn.  

Emma Charles of Quarry Road Ski Club charges around the hairpin turn.

While all the skiers were happy to just be on snow wearing racing bibs, as evidenced by their smiles at the end of day, we did have a large number of age group podiums contested.  

Girls gather before the start of the Middle School race with some Christmas cheer.  (Flying Point Road photo)

In the middle school girl’s race, Quarry Road Ski Club teammates Brynn Newsom and Evelyn Burnes topped the field in first and second respectively, with Reed Proscia of Freeport not far behind in third.  For the boys, it was Auburn Middle School’s Orrin Slover edging out Nonstop Nordic’s Tait Harvey for first and second places, while Samuel Geissinger of the Farmington Area Ski Team powered his way to the top.  

Middle School skiers line up at the start.

Quarry Road Ski Club’s Emma Charles started fast and didn’t look back, eventually finishing on top of the podium in the high school girl’s race.  Meanwhile her teammates, Brynne Robbins and Bridget Reusch put in a strong performances for second and third.  In a closely contest boy’s race, Quarry Road Ski Club teammates set the pace, with Benjamin Condit coming in third, Ellis Slover slotting into second and Caden Cote setting the pace in first. 

In the open women’s race, Cipperly Good took first place in the M3 category.  A large group from  Colby, Bates, Bowdoin & UNH made for some highly competitive racing.  In the senior category, UNH’s Luci Anderson managed to hold off strong performances from Colby skier Erin Bianco and Bowdoin’s Renae Anderson for the win. UNH skier Jasmine Lyons topped the podium in the junior age group, with Colby’s Rose Clayton and Bowdoin’s Agnes Macy taking second and third.

Greg Harkay from Penobscot Valley Ski Club leads Tim Bernard from Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.  (F. Bailey photo)

The open men’s race saw Gregory Harkay take first place in the M2 category, with Hans Albee and John Lamneck finishing first and second in M3.  Ian Burnes coasted to a win in the M4 division.  The senior age was dominated by the collegiate racers, with UNH’s Scott Schulz rising to the top, while Colby’s Kerker Foss and another UNH skier James Schneider rounded out the podium in second and third places. The junior age group was also thick with collegiate racers. UNH skier Taschi Klaschka snatched up second place, with Colby’s Victor Sparks in third. Colby skier Jack Young topped the podium.

Collegiate skiers in action in NENSA’s Popular Races. (F. Bailey photo)

After one race in the Popular Series, University of New Hampshire takes the early lead in the Club Standings.  Quarry Road Ski Club, Colby College Nordic Ski Team, Bowdoin College, and Bates College, follow closely behind and show the breadth of Eastern ski community — something we are promoting this year with Club Cup Standings.  Rounding out the top-6 in just their second year – Nonstop Nordic showed up in style too.  Nonstop is also hosting their own four race series this winter, and helping boost competition in Maine.

Link to Race Results

Link to Flying Point Road photos

Link to Club Standings

Winter Competition Primer

Link to Zak points (live 12/9)

Up next, the NENSA Popular Series moves to Craftsbury for the Rodrigues Sprints on December 11th and the Kendall Classic on the 12th.

Trail to Gold

WRITTEN BY THE US OLYMPIC WOMEN CROSS-COUNTRY SKIERS 1972-2018
Hardback, 160 Pages

Available for purchase HERE.

Order ahead of time and bring your copy to Women’s XC Ski Day to be signed by at least 5 of the 53 US Olympic Women Cross Country Skiers! (Please note, there won’t be any copies for sale on-site.)

Fifty-three American women have participated in cross-country skiing in the Winter Olympics between the years of 1972 and 2018. In 2018, forty-six years after the first team competed, Jessie Diggins and Kikkan Randall won Olympic gold in the Team Sprint, in Pyeongchang, South Korea, the first Olympic medal for U.S. women’s cross-country skiing. Five decades of women skiers stood up and cheered, celebrating this long-sought-after achievement. This book shares the collective journey of these women Olympians, with the skiers themselves telling the story. Part I combines individual stories along a variety of themes, to collectively demonstrate the challenges of competing against the best in the world. In Part II, virtually every one of the fifty-three wrote her own profile to describe her skiing career and post-Olympic life. Photographs throughout put faces with the stories and add vibrancy to the narrative. The anecdotes in Trail to Gold: The Journey of 53 Women Skiers, paint the picture of women’s cross-country skiing over 50 years–a fascinating history recorded in personal heartbreak and triumph and in fun vignettes from life on the trail.

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I love that this book features not only the victories, but also the challenges these women faced in their ski journey. It shows the power of coaching, for worse or for better, and team support. After 50 years, the conditions were finally there to show the potential of American women skiers!

— Bill Koch, first American Olympic medalist in Cross-Country Skiing, (1976); 1982 Overall World Cup winner

Women’s nordic ski racing is enjoying unprecedented success in this country–but that kind of achievement doesn’t come from nowhere. This fascinating account, often told in the voices of the athletes themselves, takes us up through the history of this most beautiful and grueling of sports; it is full of lessons for athletes, and indeed for anyone who strives to excel!

— Bill McKibben, Author, Long Distance:  A Year of Living Strenuously

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When Jessie Diggins and Kikkan Randall won the team sprint gold medal at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games, they were quick to credit their team — teammates, coaches, wax techs, physiotherapists, etc. They also were standing on the shoulders of the 51 other U.S. women who had competed in Olympic cross-country skiing since the 1972 Games. Trail to Gold is the story of these women, told in their voices. But it is more than a look at 50+ years of ski history. With personal stories detailing the struggles — from funding and coaching issues to overtraining and eating disorders — as well as the triumphs — like discovering the power of team — it’s a primer for anyone trying to reach the pinnacle of sport, or really any big life goal.

— Peggy Shinn, Author, World Class: The Making of the U.S. Women’s Cross-Country Ski Team

Racers Find a Roll at Lost Nation

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Craftsbury, VT (October 25, 2020) – If there is anything 2020 has taught us – it’s that we need to focus on overall development and every competition we pull off will truly be a blessing.  Three short days ago skiers from across the region competed in the second rollerski race of the summer – the Lost Nation Roll – on the Craftsbury Outdoor Center‘s new rollerski track. The anticipation of winter racing was palpable and this event was a great way to prepare, especially in light of many pandemic-related changes to our race season.

“It feels great to put a bib on, it really gets me excited for the season to come.”
– Julia Kern, SMS T2/US Ski Team

“It’s fun to be here with the team, we get to put on a bib, it is timed, and there are splits. It just feels very real, this is the best way to get ready for the season”
– Jessie Diggins, SMS T2, US Ski Team

Teams competing at the event included the Craftsbury Nordic Ski Club, Craftsbury Green Racing Project, Stratton Mountain School T2 Team, Dartmouth College, Ford Sayre, Mansfield Nordic, and the Fort Kent Outdoor Center. While we would have loved to have more teams and individuals represented at this event and missed your presence, we are grateful that this crew was able to come out for a closely controlled, responsible day of racing.

The newly paved course with a fresh surface made zipping through the Craftsbury hills as fun as it gets. Both the men’s and women’s fields were quite competitive with multiple Olympian and World Cup athletes competing from both biathlon and cross country.

Women’s top-3:
1. Jessie Diggins, SMS T2/US Ski Team
2. Julia Kern, SMS T2, US Ski Team
3. Evelina Sutro, UVM/Craftsbury GRP

Men’s top-3:
1. Adam Martin, Craftsbury GRP
2. Ian Torchia, SMS T2
3. Akeo Maifeld-Carruci, Craftsbury GRP

Junior Women’s top-3:
1. Quincy Massey-Bierman, Craftsbury
2. Nina Seemann, Craftsbury
3. Maggie McGee, Craftsbury

Junior Men’s top-3:
1. Finn Sweet, Craftsbury GRP
2. Brian Bushey, GMVS
3. Bjorn Westervelt, Craftsbury

Full results from Bullitt Timing can be found HERE.

And a wonderful photo gallery from the day by John Lazenby.

NENSA is honored to be hosting a season long club-based challenge, the Hall Mark of Excellence.  Current Standings.

Thank you to the Craftsbury Outdoor Center for hosting and to all the staff, athletes, volunteers, and coaches who made this event possible by following all necessary safety measures.  NENSA is committed to creating safe competitive opportunities for our population – look forward to a Racing Primer on November 1 that will address developments in the Eastern Cup racing schedule.

Julia Kern - Lost Nation Roll 2020
Photo: Reese Brown