Amie Smith

NENSA is thrilled to announce that Swix has renewed their partnership with NENSA with a 3-year sponsorship including increasing their financial commitment to us.  Swix is the official fluor-free wax of NENSA and we are thrilled to partner with Swix to commit to a fluoro-free future.

“The decision to extend and elevate our financial support for NENSA over the next 3 years was an easy decision when I see this vibrant cross country skiing organization inspiring and empowering lifelong learning and development in the sport of Nordic skiing. Amie Smith and her great staff have done an astonishing job, especially in these challenging times. As we enter into this upcoming fluoro-free season I support NENSA’s goal to preserve and protect the environment and our outdoor playground” ~Steve Poulin, President/CEO at BRAV/Swix Sport USA

Through long-standing sponsorship of New England Nordic Ski Association, Swix is proud to support NENSA programing, from the Bill Koch Festival to the New England Junior National Team and beyond.

This coming season Swix, Salomon and L.L. Bean will return as sponsors, their support visible in the new all-lycra racing bibs used at Eastern Cups, Bill Koch League Events, the U16 & Eastern High School Championships, REG Camp and our Rollerski Race Series.

Swix is also the Official Performance Techwear of the New England Junior National Team, which includes the race kit, hats, jackets, and a sharp dressed coaching and waxing staff.  Additionally, Swix will continue to be the official sponsor of the Bill Koch League Apparel program, available to all NENSA BKL Clubs.

“Swix understands our mission and our vision to promote the culture of cross-country skiing by creating opportunities for youth, athletes, coaches, officials and skiers of all levels…….and with the added support from sponsors like Swix we can achieve these goals as a united ski community. Thank you Swix”   ~Amie W. Smith, Executive Director, NENSA 

About Swix Sport:

Swix is a Norwegian manufacturing company of winter sports equipment, headquartered in Lillehammer. Range of products by Swix include ski wax, ski poles and sportswear.  Swix is one of very few Norwegian consumers’ products to be found in shops all over the world having snow and winter.

Drizzle. Wind. Sweat. Mud. Swix is for everyone who loves training in all conditions. Since 1946, Swix has been testing and developing products for a multitude of conditions, not only for Alpine Skiing and Nordic Skiing, but outdoor activities in general. We knows what it takes to be the best and how to look good doing it. We call this SWIXFACTOR. – INSPIRED BY DREAMS

About the New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA):

The New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA) is the umbrella organization for Nordic skiing events in the region. We are a member-supported service organization that promotes the culture of cross-country skiing by creating opportunities for youth, athletes, coaches, officials and skiers of all levels. NENSA provides the support structure necessary to bring cross-country skiers to their highest potential at regional, national and international events.

NENSA VISION:  Be a vibrant cross country skiing organization that inspires and empowers lifelong learning, development and community-building through the sport of cross country skiing.

NENSA MISSION:  Share the joy of gliding on snow through educational, recreational, introductory and competitive programs to nurture and sustain an active cross country ski community for all ages and levels throughout New England.

NENSA is excited to bring back our annual Coaches Symposium and Technical Delegate & Event Organizers Training at the newly renovated Mt. Van Hoevenberg venue in Lake Placid, NY.  NENSA will be having one of our Eastern Cup and U.S. Ski & Snowboard SuperTour weekends there in January of 2022, so it will be great to preview the new trails, the stadium and venue!

This Symposium will include both L200 & L100 Coach Certification, Technical Delegate & Event Organizers training, BKL Leader Education as well as a fun evening of great Keynote speakers (following and outside dinner).

REGISTER

Here is a sneak peak below of the weekend agenda! (Note: subject to change and please refer to the Event Notes in SkiReg for any updates or changes):

NENSA and U.S. Ski & Snowboard Coaches Symposium, TD & Event Organizer Training 
Hosted by Mt. Van Hoevenberg, Lake Placid, NY
Saturday and Sunday, October 2nd & 3rd, 2021

**PLEASE NOTE**  NENSA will be following both CDC recommendations (as well as state and local COVID guidelines).  We will be REQUIRING mask wearing inside, no exceptions.  This means all our Symposium participants must alway wear a mask during all indoor classroom and evening presentations.  Thank you in advance for your compliance.  We want to keep our ski community safe, as well as be able to continue with our NENSA programing this year.  Any questions or concerns can be directed to NENSA’s Executive Director, Amie Smith at [email protected]

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L200 Certification:
Coaches seeking certification should register and take L200 Coach Certification Training on-line (more info to follow on how to do that), before coming to this weekend.  Then join Bryan Fish, U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross Country Program Director, and Justin Beckwith, NENSA’s Competitive Program Director, along with NENSA Coach facilitators, for portfolio / pertinent discussions and an in-person practicum.  In-person discussion will allow a deeper dive into topics covered on the L200 level coach certification.  U.S. Ski & Snowboard and NENSA Coach Membership are required for certification, although all are welcome to participate.

Schedule:
Saturday:
10:00am – 12:00pm: Classroom Meeting time
1:00 – 2:00pm: “Power and Speed Development”, Bryan Fish, USST
5:00 – 5:45pm (optional): Ramps to pressure ski and #skilikeanamerican, Justin Beckwith, NENSA
7:00 – 9:00pm: Evening Presentations

Sunday:
1:00 – 3:00pm: On-foot Practicum

L100 Certification:
Coaches seeking certification should register and take L100 Coach Certification Training on-line, before coming to this weekend.  Then join NENSA staff as well as NENSA Coach Developers, for portfolio / pertinent discussions and an in-person practicum.  In-person discussion will allow a deeper dive into topics covered on the L100 level coach certification.  U.S. Ski & Snowboard and NENSA Coach Membership are required for certification, although all are welcome to participate.

Schedule:
Saturday:
10:00am – 12:00pm: Classroom Meeting time
1:00 – 2:00pm: “Power and Speed Development”, Bryan Fish, USST
2:30 – 4:30pm: On-foot Practicum
5:00 – 5:45pm (optional): Ramps to pressure ski and #skilikeanamerican, Justin Beckwith, NENSA
7:00 – 9:00pm: Evening Presentations

For the L200 & L100 in-person practicum please bring running shoes, rollerski equipment (skate and classic), helmet, water bottle and holder.  NENSA will provide our fleet of Swenor Skis and SWIX poles (please note in custom questions).

Also of Note: We are also co-hosting the 2021 Climb to the Castle with the New York Ski Education Foundation (NYSEF) on Sunday morning the 3rd, which allows for more education or participation as a competitor or spectator.

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An evening with NENSA and Keynote Speakers:
6:00pm: catered dinner on the open patio 
7:00pm:  Paul Wylie | Keynote speaker – Overcoming the Odds: Just making the Team to Olympic Medal
7:45pm:  Megan Chacosky  | Sports Dietitian USOPC – Creating good habits: Nutrition considerations for young athletes and Identifying and working through Red-S
8:30pm: Steve Poulin from SWIX to discuss the new non-fluoro waxes

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Technical Delegate & Event Organizer Training:
10am-4pm Saturday & 9am-Lunch Sunday:

All current TD’s as well as those folks running events this season (such as Chief of Comp) are highly encouraged to attend for both Continuing Ed, TD and Event Organizer training, all wrapped up into one, at the same time.  Any venue who is hosting a major NENSA event this coming season (or next), such as an Eastern Cup, U16’s or EHS Championships, BKL Festival, are required to attend and have at least one person from your event organizers committee.

There is the possibility of incorporating equipment control at all competitions.  This is related to, but not directly contingent on utilization of sampling for Fluoro. It is clear that to maximize the deterrent to use Fluoro that there should be equipment control at all races regardless if there is sampling or not. What is not clear is what sampling methods will be available (funded).

MVH presents a great opportunity to discuss stadium layouts, with at least four different options. This would be good though exercise for other organizers. 

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Schedule and Agenda for Saturday 10/2, 10am-4pm

10am Welcome and introductions:  Amie Smith & Fred Bailey (10min)

1.  What did we learn from COVID protocols and event hosting last season and what we will be dealing with for this coming season (it’s not over yet).  Q&A and Organizer issues/thoughts?  Lessons learned: never agains & silver linings – (classroom) – Amie (30 minutes)

2. Equipment Control/Ski Testing (for fluoros) and discussion (classroom) – (20 minutes)

— 15 minute break —

3.  Stadium Layout (outdoors):  (60 minutes)

12:15 – Lunch 1 hour break

4.  State Cup races 2022 and OC Q & A (classroom): Fred

5.  Course layout – able bodied (outdoors): (60 minutes)

— 15 minute Break —

6.  Para Nordic events – course layout (outdoors) TBD: (60 minutes)

7.  Rollerski considerations (outdoors): (20 minutes)

Schedule and Agenda for Sunday 10/3, 9am-Lunch: 

1A. Option to go to Climb to Castle (early morning)

9am classroom start:  

1.  FIS/National Updates (classroom): Alan (60 minutes)

2.  TD reporting FIS vs. USSS vs. NENSA only – show link for watching National update (classroom): Fred (5 minutes)

3. Review of Competition Control, specifically, the use of video pitfalls and solutions (classroom): Amie (30 minutes)

— 15 minute break —

4. Diagonal stride/classical technique zones (outdoors): (30 minutes)

5. Turning zones (outdoors): (30 minutes)

6. Closing thoughts:  Fred & Amie (10 minutes)

12:15 – Lunch and depart

Questions?  Contact Fred Bailey at: [email protected] or Amie Smith at:  [email protected]

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BKL Leader Education:
Sunday: 9:00am-12:00pm

9-10am: Skier Development MythBusters presentation followed by Q and A

10am-12pm: Classic Rollerski Clinic–the primary focus of this clinic is to cover some basic classic ski technique cues and drills that are applicable to on-snow skiing in addition to providing leaders with an opportunity to try rollerskiing. Rollerskis will be provided by NENSA. Please bring your own helmet, boots, poles, gloves, and any other protective equipment you’d like to wear (i.e. elbow/knee pads).

Graham Taylor,  founder of the Eastern High School Championships here in New England, the Massachusetts State Team Leader for decades, and Lincoln Sudbury High School XC Team Coach until the age of 90, as passed away.  Graham was a true legend, and a wonderful man.  I want to share to past NENSA articles on Graham, the first from 2000 and the second from 2017, as well as the family obituary ~

New Graham Taylor Award for Overall State Winner at Eastern High School Championships

Obituary:

Graham R. Taylor, Jr., passed away peacefully at his home in Sudbury, MA on June 25th at the age of 96. Graham, a resident of Sudbury for 50 years, was born in New York City in 1925 to Florence Irene Taylor and Graham Romeyn Taylor, and raised in the socially progressive atmosphere of Greenwich Village, by a family with a long commitment to social justice. After graduating from Exeter Academy in Exeter, NH in 1943, he enlisted in the Army, where he was assigned to the 10th Armored Division, shipping out to Europe in September of 1944 and serving in the infantry during the liberation of France and Germany. Upon completion of his army service, he attended Harvard, graduating in 1949, after which he started working in the Admissions and Financial Aid office there. This began a long career in financial aid and college admissions, which included positions at Harvard, the Pullman Foundation in Chicago, the College Board in New York City, and concluded as the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs for the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education, running and enlarging the state scholarship program. Throughout his career he was dedicated to expanding financial aid and scholarship options for students based upon financial need, providing higher education opportunities to students for whom otherwise a college education may not have been possible.

Taylor was a life-long athlete and sports fan and his favorite sports included running, tennis, baseball, hockey, and skiing. A gift on his 10th birthday of skiing lessons at a New York City department store, where he learned to ski on a ramp covered in fake snow, turned into a life-long love of and dedication to the sport, as a competitor, coach and administrator. He was captain and then coach of the Harvard ski team, officiated at the 1960 Squaw Valley Olympics, served on the boards of numerous regional and national ski associations and foundations, and was the head coach of the Lincoln Sudbury High School Ski Team from 1982-2017, bringing 14 state titles to the program during his tenure. His impact on and dedication to organized high school skiing in the northeast was such that in 2017, a new award was established by the New England Nordic Ski Association and named after him. This award goes to the overall winner at the annual Eastern High School Championships.

His other love was music, singing with the Concord Chorus for over 25 years, the First Parish Choir for over 35 years, appearing in numerous musical productions in local community theater (his favorites were Gilbert & Sullivan), and performing every summer at the Berkshire Choral Festival in Great Barrington, MA. An active and involved member of the Sudbury community, Graham was instrumental in the annual Sudbury July 4th Road Race for close to 50 years. His commitment to and involvement with the race will be one of his legacies to the town he loved. He was a force of nature who made an impact on all who knew him.

He is survived by his five children, Doug Smith, Ken Taylor (Sibyl Waters), Rebecca Taylor Callo (Jim Callo), Patrick Taylor (Jane Litwin) and Karen Taylor, his two step-children, Sarah Gaddis and Matthew Gaddis, nephews and niece Paul Kroeber, Arthur Kroeber and Katharine Kroeber Wiley, and five grandchildren. His sister, Jean Taylor Kroeber, pre-deceased him.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Graham’s name to Berkshire Choral International at www.berkshirechoral.org/donate or the Eastern Amateur Ski Educational Foundation at www.easef.org/donate .

A memorial service will be held in the fall in Sudbury.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA)
49 Pineland Drive, Suite 301A
New Gloucester, ME 04260

June 30, 2021

The New England Nordic Ski Association is thrilled to announce our new partnership with Salomon as an Associate Level Sponsor/Partner for the next three years ~ 2021-22 through the 2023-24 seasons.

Salomon is a long time champion of the Nordic community, supporting programs, athletes, venues, and retailers at all levels of the sport across the US and worldwide. “Salomon’s partnership helps support our programing along the entire pipeline, from youth and introductory skiing & rollerskiing, competitive programing, to masters and citizen racing, and beyond. I am thrilled Salomon has made this 3-year commitment to NENSA – their belief in our programing here in New England means a lot to us,” says Amie W. Smith, Executive Director of NENSA.

“NENSA does an outstanding job of getting more people across all ages and ability levels out on skis to enjoy outdoor winter recreation and competition. Salomon is excited to grow its partnership with NENSA to further support the clubs mission of strengthening the Nordic community throughout New England,” says Andre Watt, Salomon’s Nordic Marketing and Race Manager.

About Salomon:
Born in the French Alps in 1947, Salomon is committed to pushing the boundaries of mountain sports through the creation of innovative equipment that allows people to play, progress and challenge themselves in their chosen outdoor sports. The company produces and sells premium footwear, winter sports and mountaineering equipment, hiking equipment, and apparel specifically designed for all those disciplines. Products are developed in the company’s Annecy Design Center, where engineers, designers and athletes collaborate to create innovative solutions that continually improve the outdoor experiences of those who see nature as a vast playground.

About the New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA):

The New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA) is the umbrella organization for cross country skiing in the region that promotes the culture and growth of cross country skiing and offers year-round programming to all levels of skiers to encourage a lifetime love of the sport. With a small paid staff and a huge grassroots component NENSA relies on membership, contributions to our Annual Fund and corporate sponsors to provide a framework for clubs and venues to host successful – and FUN – ski events for all ages and abilities.

NENSA Vision
To be the pre-eminent organization that inspires and empowers lifelong learning, development, and community building through the sport of cross-country skiing.

NENSA Mission
Share the joy of gliding on snow through educational, recreational, introductory, and competitive programs to nurture and sustain a vital and active cross-country skiing community for all ages and levels throughout New England.

The Fort Kent Outdoor Center is now accepting applications to our Post Graduate training program for Nordic and Biathlon Programs. There are currently openings for 4 full time athletes at this time to live in the Jalbert Athlete Residence

Please follow this link for information about the program and how to apply

https://www.fortkentoc.org/programs/

The University of Maine at Fort Kent has just announced that 5 scholarships will be given to five athletes that are enrolled in the FKOC PG program. Check out UMFK programs at this link

https://www.umfk.edu/

These programs are offered on a first come first serve basis, so send in your applications soon to be considered.