Justin Beckwith

The leaves are starting to change and that means its time for our masters population to start thinking about ski specific training, including rollerskiing!  This weekend marks a full weekend of rollerski action in Lake Placid — which includes the historic Climb to the Castle.  The Climb is also the second event of our 2022 Allagash Brewing Masters Cup — based on skiers (ages 30+) best two placements of the three hill climbs in this years Rollerski Series.  Most years the Climb boasts the largest participation by our adult skiers — although the final race up Mt. Greylock on November 6 is likely to be big this year too.

Lake Placid Weekend Registration (Keys and Climb to the Castle)

We hope to see increased adult competition and camaraderie out there this weekend — after all it’s more about the experience of doing something challenging and fun and the socialization that comes with great events!  There is lots of opportunity to watch, learn and participate this weekend in Lake Placid.  This includes sprints, a kid (and adult) friendly agility course, and a biathlon event Saturday at Mt Van Hoevenberg.  Followed by early bib pickup and socialization (with beverages provided by HPC) from 4-7pm at High Peaks Cyclery — the store will remain open during this time for last minute needs and sales on goods for competitors.

Sunday’s Climb offers several categories to accommodate all skiers, including for the first time a “short course” of 3 miles vs. the typical 5 mile.  For the Masters Cup we will score the classic and freestyle “long course” together.  While we totally support the use of race wheels you must use regular (or medium) speed wheels for ranking.

Current Standings:

Women:
1) Rosalie Brown – Ford Sayre

Men:
1) Victor Feofilaktov – EMXC
2) Rob Riley – Gunstock Nordic Association
3) Nathan Richer – Team Pinnacle
4) Robert Rothe – Hopkinton Nordic
5) Rob Bradlee – Freedom Trail Nordic, LLC
6) Brian Dooley – Ethan Allen Biathlon Club
7) Landon Vom Steeg
8) Simon Rakov – Freedom Trail Nordic

 

NENSA is excited to support a full weekend of coaching and leadership training for coaches of all ages. This weekend will support U.S. Ski & Snowboard (USSS) Level 100 and Level 200 certification options and offer NENSA Bill Koch League Coach Education. Participants cans also shadow the L100 In-Person clinic, as a technique refresher and earn USSS continuing education credits.

Continued participation in education elevates the quality of our member clubs experience. NENSA also acknowledges the key added benefit of conferences as they bring together a wide range of coaches for collaboration and socialization outside their respective courses.

Register for Bill Koch Coaches Education OR NENSA Technique Clinic (shadow L100 In-Person)

U.S. Ski & Snowboard is committed to creating coaching standards and creating safe environments for athletes via their certification pathway (please note some events already require these certifications to be “inside the fence” and more will in the future). “We are excited to have you embark on your coach certification pathway. Your investment in creating a coaching standard is ensuring that all of our athletes receive the best training experiences and outstanding support during competitions. Thank you for helping U.S. Ski & Snowboard achieve our vision to be Best in the World in Skiing and Snowboarding!”

Please note if you are pursuing L100 or L200 Certification — you register for the the In-Person part of the course through U.S. Ski & Snowboards website — and are expected to fulfill several requirements and a significant amount of Portfolio work prior to your attendance.  Please click the links below for more information.

Registration for L100 is now live through U.S. Ski & Snowboard — CLICK HERE

(Step by Step instructions on how to gain L100 Certification)

Registration for L200 is now live through U.S. Ski & Snowboard — CLICK HERE

U.S. Ski & Snowboard Continuing Education Framework

NENSA will facilitate U.S. Ski & Snowboard L100 and L200 certifications in Dublin, New Hampshire. The L100 in-person practicum / Technique Clinic will be Saturday from 10:00am – 1:30pm. The L200 course will have classroom time on Saturday afternoon and the in-person practicum on Sunday.

L100 will be led by Kathy Maddock, DublinXC and U.S. Ski & Snowboard L100 Coach Developer

L200 will be led by Bryan Fish, Cross Country Sport Development Manager, U.S. Ski & Snowboard

More information on the L100 In – Person / Technique Clinic: This one-day clinic is open to anyone looking to improve their ski technique, and learn ways to teach others effectively. We will cover both classic and skate techniques. This clinic is part of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard (USSS) L100 certification process but you do not have to seek certification to participate. The clinic will be led by Kathy Maddock, Dublin XC.

To receive USSS L100 credit you must signup through the USSS website, complete the prerequisites and sign up for the in-person assessment. If you cannot complete the prerequisites before the deadline please select the USSS L100 In-Person Assessment category so we can best keep track of attendees.

During the 3 hour technique clinic, coaches on the L100 track will participate in coaching demonstrations.

NENSA membership information, including details about the free “Get Skiing” first time membership, HERE.

Participants are encouraged to rollerski during the technique portion of the clinic. However, rollerskiing is NOT required. We will be staying in the parking lot of Yankee Candle so you can easily stay with the group on foot and learn about how to coach ski technique.

All clinic participants will have access to our fleet of Swenor skis and we will also have Swix poles to demo.

Saturday L100 Schedule:

9:45 a.m. – Arrive, get equipment, get ready.
10:00 a.m. – Classic Technique work – starting on foot and moving to rollerskis
11:30 a.m. – Break for Lunch
12:00 p.m. – Freestyle Technique work – mostly on rollerskis
1:30 p.m. – Clinic Wrap Up

What to bring:
– running shoes
– poles (skate and classic)
– roller skis (skate and classic)
– helmet (mandatory for rollerskiing!)
– water, and snacks
– high visibility vest, shirt, or jacket
– a penchant for having fun!
There is a lot of information to cover so please arrive early and be ready to start the clinic at 10:00am.

For clinic specific questions, contact [email protected] and [email protected]

Bill Koch League Coach Education:

9am-12pm | Dublin School, Dublin, NH

Join NENSA’s Youth & Introductory Program Director, Kait Miller, for a morning of Bill Koch Youth Ski League Coach Education! This workshop is intended for club leaders, parent/caregivers, volunteers, and youth ski coaches from all across the Northeast. If you have old skis you don’t mind using in grass, please bring them along with boots and poles!

Schedule

9:15am: Indoor presentation on BKL Philosophy & Long Term Athlete Development followed by Q&A

10:15-10:30am: Break and transition outside

10:30am-11:30am: Outdoor clinic

11:30-11:45am: Break and transition to rollerskis at the Yankee Magazine parking lot

11:45am-12:15pm: Optional opportunity to try rollerskiing

Presentation on BKL Philosophy & Long Term Athlete Development
This presentation will cover a variety of topics including an introduction to the Bill Koch League; BKL Philosophy; a case study on youth sports today; models, methods, and best practices for coaching; and coaching for long term development and success. We will wrap up with a Q&A session and open discussion.

Outdoor Clinic
We will cover some basic drills and exercises for building general comfort on skis followed by some games.

Optional Rollerski Opportunity
Anyone curious about rollerskiing is welcome to try it out using rollerskis from NENSA’s fleet. NENSA staff will be on hand for basic guidance and instruction. We will meet at the Yankee Magazine parking lot.

What to Bring
running shoes/sneakers
rocks skis/ski you don’t mind using on grass
ski boots (classic, combi, or skate)
classic poles
helmet (mandatory if rollerskiing!)
water and snacks

More details to follow. Direct questions to [email protected].

More information on L200 In Person:

Saturday:
2:00 pm – Introductions, Welcome and Course Overview
2:30 pm – Engaged Portfolio Questions

Sunday:
9:00 am: Gear up for skiing/rollerskiing.
9:15 am: Dynamic Warm Up / Skate Technique Progressions
9:30 am: The Games Approach
9:45 am: Agility on skate skis/rollerskis
a. Have each coach practice each element for 5-10 minutes and discuss the value of each
b. Adjust distance between cones to change the stimulus of each element
c. Assess each candidates’ ability to demonstrate skills
11:15-11:45 pm: Lunch Break
11:45 pm: Small Group Assessments
2:15-3:45 pm: The “Games Approach” for Classic skis
3:45-4:00 pm: Wrap-up

We’re thrilled to once again be partnering with Mansfield Nordic Club to host the FreeFall Rollerski race on September 18th! The race will be held at the rollerski track of the Ethan Allen Biathlon Range in Jericho, VT and is part of our 2022 NENSA Series.  This will be the fourth time NENSA has hosted an open competition in Jericho, with a Fall Classic in 2017 and 2018, and last year’s freestyle competition. Events at Jericho tend to bring large fields with junior, collegiate, pro, and master skiers all taking a liking to the amazing closed track on the Ethan Allen Biathlon Range. The 2021 FreeFall saw 118 skiers on the start list!

REGISTRATION AND FULL EVENT DETAILS

This will be the third event of the 2022 Series following the Lost Nation Roll held at Craftsbury in early July, and the Rollins Roll held in Warner, New Hampshire in August.  NENSA is hosting a total of seven rollerski races this season.

NENSA 2022 ROLLERSKI SERIES POSTER

During the first week of August a collection of 20 athletes and coaches gathered in Waitsfield, Vermont for the Eastern / Central edition of the U16 National Camp.  The U16 Camp concept was created by Rick Kapala and is seen as a crucial component of the U.S. Ski Team Pathway.  The program is typically the first opportunity to bring together athletes from across the country, along with U.S. Ski Team staff, and coach representatives from each region for a rich training and educational experience.  After a hiatus due to Covid, the National camp was split into two individual camps for 2022, one for West / Alaska and one for the Eastern / Central divisions.

The Eastern / Central camp was built in affiliation with the Green Mountain Valley School (GMVS), New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA) and Central Cross Country Skiing (CXC).  A special thanks to National Nordic Foundation (NNF) who provides financial support for this and many other Nordic development projects.

The design of the camp allowed for two days on the GMVS campus and surrounding training venues with just the U16 athletes, but over the course of the week the GMVS campus became a hotbed of cross country activity.  During the second half of the week, GMVS hosted its own summer training camp in conjunction with athletes from the Sportoberschule, in Mals, Italy.  This allowed for some training overlap, including an uphill run event at Mad River Glen.  This additional collaboration during the second half of the week provided the unique experience of interacting with a broad spectrum of coaches and athletes from throughout the world.

Adding to this awesome experience, a rollerski time trial, the App Gap Challenge (West) brought together  some very special visitors including the SMST2 Team, Team Birkie and the U.S. Ski Team!

Camp Results

Camp consisted of two training sessions per day and three tests (rollerski time trial, strength test, uphill run).  A few of the favorite workouts included traversing the Green Mountain ridge line from west to east, agility at Sugarbush (including several ramps and team relays), the App Gap Challenge and a river run down the Mad River.  Evenings were spent with educational talks, socialization and on the final night a bonfire in the woods with smores.

In the middle of camp the U16’s were able to utilize both of the rollerski tracks in Lake Placid, New York.  Some of these very trails will be utilized for Junior Nationals in the coming years. Kris Seymour delivered an inspiring talk and tour of the extraordinary and recently renovated multi-sport facilities at Mt. VanHoevenberg.

Development camps continue to illustrate just how strong the cross country skiing culture in the United States is becoming.  There is no doubt the success of this camp was built on the shoulders of years of hard work by Bryan Fish, Rick Kapala and all of the programs that support skiers across the nation.  NENSA is proud to have been a part of this project and we can’t wait to see where these skiers (and coaches) journeys take them.  A special thank you to Colin Rodgers and the GMVS staff for hosting this experience.  It takes and army and we have a strong one!

#skilikeanamerican

 

NENSA is pleased to announce Ford Sayre as the 2022 NENSA Club of the Year.  Like NENSA, the driving force of their mission statement involves, “a life-long passion for skiing.”  Their cross country ski program is one of the most developed in New England – with options for Bill Koch, highly competitive juniors, and a Nordic Club for High School and adult skiers.  For many decades you would be hard pressed to attend a major event in the East without seeing skiers donning the blue and green of the Ford Sayre uniform (although their newest suit is a sharp dual-tone blue).

During the 2021-2022 season Ford Sayre scored the fifth most points in the NENSA Club Cup with participants in 15 of the 27 events that were scored!

With just a quick look at Ford Sayre’s website you can feel the deep history and support of the organization.  “Ford K. Sayre Memorial Ski Council serves skiers and children of the Upper Connecticut River Valley region of New Hampshire and Vermont. The Council traces its beginnings to Ford and Peggy Sayre, skiing pioneers who began offering skiing lessons to children in 1936. Since that time, the program has expanded to serve over 500 children every year, of all abilities and interests.”

“The Council currently offers Alpine, Nordic, and Ski Jumping and Ski Mo instructional programs.”

Each program offers year round training and event calendars, robust volunteerism, accessible venues, awesome coaches and opportunities for scholarship.

Hilary McNamee started working with Ford Sayre in 2011 and became the Head Nordic Coach in 2019.

“What’s most amazing to me is that it’s largely a volunteer-supported organization: There are only 2 full time employees and more than 130 parent and community volunteers supporting practices, staffing the board and running community events on and off the snow for our 350+ skiers. And that’s just our Nordic program — our Alpine, Jumping and SkiMo branches are thriving too!

Since we are on the border, we serve both New Hampshire and Vermont skiers. Which is neat for our Junior coaches who get exposure to both ski scenes. That being said, the early days of the pandemic were really challenging for us because our VT skiers couldn’t come to Oak Hill due to travel restrictions. But our community was committed to finding a way to unite — so, up to the hills of Norwich we went and we had a BALL!

That’s also the season we saw a huge jump in our numbers — this past season we had a 100 skier increase in K-8th over pre-pandemic. And I chalk that up to the commitment and passion of the community of volunteers: Families who joined because indoor activities were limited felt so welcomed that now they’re hooked! If you’re ever in Hanover on a winter Monday, it’s pretty magical to see 120 K-2nd graders flying around on Garipay Field!

Our Junior racing program places equal emphasis on personal and athletic development. It’s a lot of extra work, but we’re committed to traveling, lodging and cooking as a team at Eastern Cup weekends. It’s a great environment for team bonding and personal development — learning to cook, sharing pre-race jitters and post-race war stories, and all the subtleties of group-living. Traveling together also helps keep races accessible to skiers whose families can’t take them to every race weekend. It’s all so good and so special for kids to have this kind of experience with a group of similarly driven peers, independent of their parents.”

Lou Bregou, Ford Sayre Council Chair

“Ford Sayre is honored to be named the 2022 NENSA Club of the Year.  We have an 85 year tradition of building ski communities and instruction on snow that is only possible due to our awesome coaches and hundreds of volunteers.  NENSA is a wonderful partner that helps us achieve our mission to share the joy of nordic skiing at all ages and levels in our community.”

 

Jay Davis, BKL Head Coach

“I have coached K-12 Ford Sayre skiers over the last 24 years, and have been a close observer of the wonderful growth of both Ford Sayre and NENSA.  There is such a special commitment of NE clubs to developing a love of skiing in skiers of all ages.”

Tricia Groff, K-2nd Head Coach

“The Ford Sayre program is an integral piece of the Upper Valley lifestyle and I feel incredibly lucky to be a part of it. The entire community comes together to bring magic to this program and it transforms winter into the most wonderful season of the year for many area children.”

The Eastern Regional Camp (REG) is always a highlight of the summer for coaches and athletes alike.  This years gathering was special as it was hosted over the Fourth of July — featured an open rollerski race, real snow to ski on, and an incredibly focused group of athletes and coaches.  We are so lucky to have the resource of the Craftsbury Outdoor Center and owe a huge thank you to Anna Schulz for her vision and organization.  While one component of the camp includes testing that can place athletes further on the US Ski Team pathway — the driving message was that this was a purposeful training camp with opportunities to work with new coaches and get to know athletes from other areas.

The first full day of camp included an open rollerski race that expanded the experience of a typical physical test.  Not only were the REG athletes competing amongst themselves, but there were other skiers in the field.  This included Elite skiers from the Green Racing Project and SMS T2 as well as local juniors and masters skiers.  The course featured two bicycle ramps, one right out of the start and another in the stadium that skiers navigated each lap.  While this wasn’t an agility race (or cross country cross “XCX”) the added benefit of the ramps challenges the the racers, while providing a fun component for skiers and spectators alike!  You can read more about the event, including results on Fasterskier.

There is probably no better recovery session for a rollerski race than playing on real snow!  It takes some serious planning and resources (hats off again to Craftsbury) to pull something like this off — but it’s a 10 out of 10 recommendation — and a lifetime memory for the athletes!

Day two started with an uphill run test that is used by the Craftsbury Green Racing Project.  The course is a little longer than usual REG tests at two miles and features more undulating terrain.  The camaraderie of the athletes was apparent from start to finish and again the focus was on making your own best effort.

For many years we have included an agility test as part of camp — however this year agility was incorporated as an educational and recovery session.  Camp was split into four groups with each group having 15 minutes to play and learn from each other while the others skied easy on the rest of the loop.  The course featured ramps, different cadenced slaloms, under gates, some grass skiing and two inflatable Cabot animals.  Several coaches found this session especially rewarding as the skiers naturally shared techniques and identified areas for future work.  Despite all the obstacles there wasn’t a skinned knee during any rollerski session — it really is impressive how comfortable our skiers have become throughout the last decade.  #skilikeanamerican is alive and well in the East!

 

That evening the athletes were treated to a nutrition talk with Megan Chacosky focusing on energy systems and the next day they had a workshop where Chacosky showed them how to create their own energy drinks.

As we look back on the 2022 Eastern Regional Camp we can be proud of the work that was done and the lessons we all learned.  A purposeful delegation of coaching roles provided increased collaboration and made for thoughtfully planned sessions.  Read on below to learn about the many athlete take-aways.  NENSA would like to thank all of the coaches who supported camp and we look forward to the RDG Camp happening at Craftsbury at the end of the month as well as the Eastern / Central U16 Camp at the beginning of August at the Green Mountain School.  We are also very fortunate for the support of the National Nordic Foundation and the US Ski Team.  The culture of cross country skiing is so strong right now.

Full Testing Results.

In just two years Cate Brams has become a fixture of the New England coaching community.  In 202o, after  racing for Middlebury College and the Sun Valley Gold Team, she returned home to Boston to help lead the Eastern Mass Cross Country (EMXC) program.  In May of 2021, she was hired as the clubs first full time Head Coach.  Her youthful energy and extensive racing experience, along with the knowledge of growing up in the Eastern Mass Bill Koch and CSU Junior Program (now known as EMXC) made her a perfect fit for the job.

Not only is she a beloved coach for EMXC, but she has jumped headfirst into NENSA programming, including regional camps, coaching at Junior Nationals and leading Coaches Education clinics.  We are indeed lucky to have such engaged coaches like Brams — made in part by increasingly sophisticated clubs — that provide awesome development opportunities for cross country skiing here in the East.  Read on below for accolades from her athletes, peers and coworkers!

EMXC summer coach and incoming UVM assistant coach Brandon Herhusky:

“This past year has been my first opportunity to work alongside Cate Brams in the coaching world. I feel very privileged to have worked with some of the best coaches in the country as either an athlete or a fellow coach; and despite Cate being a younger coach she easily ranks as one of the best I’ve ever worked with. Cate is constantly in pursuit of perfecting her craft as a coach. Whether talking about waxing, technique, or training philosophy I can always count on Cate to bring something new that she’s learned or thought about to the conversation. In her day to day running of EMXC she continually strikes an incredible balance of being very detailed oriented with everything she does having a purpose, while also having the ability to quickly adapt on the fly for the many individual athlete’s needs she manages. 

Seeing the respect that all of Cate’s athletes have for her is truly the testament of her as a coach. She coaches one of the largest clubs in New England and every single athlete from age 13 to 20 absolutely worships the ground she walks on. She creates an environment in which everyone can succeed while growing a passion for the outdoors and developing lifelong healthy habits through cross-country skiing.”

Mansfield Nordic Club Executive Director and Head Coach Adam Terko:

“After working with her in the wax room for a number of championship events ranging from US Nationals to JNs, I can confidently say that some of my most productive, fun, and memorable days at a wax bench have been with Cate. She’s an awesome communicator, whether it’s making stressful wax decisions, helping athletes find their best selves on race day, or humorously roasting me over something I’m wearing, saying, or doing. Cate’s ability to seamlessly and quickly transition between coach, wax tech, friend, mentor, and leader is something that allows her and her team to thrive in any situation.” 

NENSA Executive Director and former volunteer coach with CSU juniors Amie Smith:

“Cate Brams is a phenomenal Head Coach and leader for the EMXC juniors team.  She stepped into that roll several years ago with grace and maturity beyond her years.  Cate has both the perspective as a former CSU junior athlete herself, but also the skills and knowledge to bring her athletes both a calming balance while also challenging them to be their best.  Cate has also been invaluable as a volunteer coach and wax tech for New England Junior National team and at our REG Camp.”

EMXC Junior Sofia Scirica:

“Cate is an incredible coach who cares so much about her athletes and helping them succeed in skiing and beyond. Her energy and humor make her an amazing coach to work with and the entire team benefits from her leadership and dedication, as well as her coolness 🙂 It is extremely difficult to get thirty 14 to 18 year olds to focus on training, but Cate manages to do it while also making sure that we are having fun as we improve. 

From May to March, Cate works tirelessly to ensure that the entire team has all of the resources they need to feel confident going into the starting gate. It is incredibly impressive how hard to she works to give every athlete what they need to do their best. There’s no way to summarize everything that Cate does for the team because I can’t even begin to understand all of the work she does to make our team run smoothly, but if you want to see how dedicated Cate is, look no further than the wax bench at an Eastern Cup.  From waking up long before the sunrise to test dozens of waxes to staying and cheering until the last athlete of the day has completed their race, Cate is always ready to support the athletes in every way she can. Her pre race pep-talks and post race debriefs are consistently one of the things that I look forward to most on race days. 

Not only does Cate take the time to talk with her athletes about warmups and race strategy, but also our mental health. She cares so genuinely about how we are doing, and she recognizes that mental health is a crucial aspect of the sport. Having a coach that really cares about how her athletes are doing makes a huge difference in her athletes’ performance and their overall mental well-being. 

I feel so lucky to have been able to learn from her coaching the last few years and I am so grateful for all of the support that she has given me and the team. Cate is one of those amazing coaches who cares so deeply about her athletes and team, and I can’t think of anyone more deserving of Coach of the Year!”

 

NENSA is proud to offer seven competitive rollerski races this summer and fall.  This is the fifth season NENSA has offered rollerski racing to complement winter programming and create year round events.  When we design each years schedule we aim to complement high level racing experiences for elite athletes with something for all comers — this year we are excited to again offer three hill climb events.  In conjunction with the racing we have also expanded our Learn to Rollerski clinic offerings.

NENSA is thrilled to announce that Supporting Sponsor, Cabot Cheese, will be supplying Podium Cheese for Juniors, Open and Masters throughout the Series.  You will also notice some new inflatable animals that will make the journey with NENSA across the Eastern region!

Top competitors in the individual events will use our matched fleet of Swenor Rollerskis, which create a level playing field and provide, The Ultimate Ski Feeling.

There will certainly be developments and updates to the Series in the coming weeks, so start planning and we look forward to seeing you out there!

The racing action starts in Craftsbury, Vermont on July 3rd with the Lost Nation Roll.  This individual freestyle race has three options with a 5.6km for U16, 11.2km for open skiers and a 7.5km intermediate option.  The race is being held in conjunction with the Eastern Regional Elite Group Camp (REG) and the basis of the field will include 42 of the top juniors from throughout the East.  Green Racing Project and SMST2 athletes are also slated to be in attendance.  While the competition will be worthy of spectating the addition of an intermediate race and a Learn to Rollerski clinic in the afternoon make this event complete.

Lost Nation Registration here.

In late August we will return to Rollins State Park for the first hillclimb of the series.  The Rollins Roll is a beautiful 5.6km hill climb up Kearsarge Mountain outside Warner, New Hampshire.  The race starts at 8am before the park is open and registration is limited to 75 people.  Please note that skiers should plan on carpooling and ideally have a driver drop them at bib pickup / warm up area before proceeding to park at the summit.  This is the first of three hill climbs (placement for best 2 of 3 finishes) for our Masters Climbing Award presented by Allagash Brewing Company.

Rollins Roll Registration

On September 18th we return to the Ethan Allen Rollerski Track in Jericho, Vermont for the FreeFall interval start freestyle race.  This is typically one of our best attended events of the series with a wonderful closed loop.  Many junior clubs and college programs are usually in attendance.  Please note the event is hosted on a military base and speed limits must be strictly adhered to.

FreeFall Registration (to open soon)

Last year NENSA hosted two sprint competitions on the newest rollerski track in the East.  Mt. VanHoevenberg went through world class renovations in the past two years with a new trail system including a sporty rollerski track.  This track allowed for the first open heat competitions on rollerskis in the East.  After qualification racers compete in a head to head format in heats of four.  To add to the spice NENSA’s rollerski ramps are utilized strategically on the course.  Final formats, including an intermediate race option will be announced soon.

Keys to the Castle Registration (to open soon)

Perhaps the most storied of the races in the series, NENSA began collaborating with the New York Ski Educational Foundation (NYSEF) in 2018 to host this awesome five mile climb.  While USST and USBA athletes have been highlighted over the years, it’s also historically the most well attended masters event.  The 2022 C2C race will be the second event of the Allagash Brewing Masters Climbing Award.  In 2021 the format was switched from mass start to wave start to spread out skiers on the road and provide more exciting racing.  We are also exploring a shortened race for juniors and adaptive athletes.

Climb to the Castle Registration (to open soon)

On Sunday morning October 23rd NENSA will be hosting the third edition of the first Rollerski Cross Country Cross event (XCX) in the world.  This exciting summer version of Cross Country Cross (XCX) builds on aspects of both sprinting and agility.  The event will take place at Pineland Farms in New Gloucester, Maine.  The course will be set on a 400 meter loop including multiple ramps (Bicycle(s), Speed Whoop, and Step Down Jump) and other agility components including a figure 8, one-legged balance, grass skiing, and several turning features including a slalom.  Skiers should be prepared for a course under 2 minutes in length with sections of open skiing including a finish straight.

The Maine Event Registration (to open soon)

NENSA and the Berkshire Nordic Ski Club are excited to welcome you back to Mount Greylock, Massachusetts for this iconic rollerski race.  This classic hill climb will be interval start with options for a 3 mile and 8 mile course with spectacular finish at the summit of the highest point in Massachusetts.  The toll road will be closed for the season during this event.  This is the final event of the Series and the Allagash Masters Champions will be crowned at awards.

Mt. Greylock Hill Climb Registration (to open soon)

Over the past few weeks Divisional Leaders have been meeting to discuss 2023 Junior Nationals to be hosted in Fairbanks, Alaska.  The venue and organization at Birch Hill Recreation Area are second to none and the experience of traveling to interior Alaska is formative.  In an effort to reduce expense, due to high fuel costs and limited lodging options, for large groups this national working group made the decision to run a condensed schedule for the 2023 Junior Nationals.  The event will include three individual races over four days and there will be no relay.  NENSA will make every effort to keep expenses to a minimum while as always, running a high quality trip.  That said, even with the condensed schedule we anticipate the trip cost to be higher than typical years.

Further NENSA has secured a block of tickets an Alaska Air from Boston to Fairbanks with one stop > March 10th am – March 17 early am.  These tickets are locked in at $1056.  We are encouraging all athletes to use this fare as booking tickets at typical times (February) could be cost prohibitive and limit participation.  Auto qualifiers from Senior Nationals will be required to purchase their own fares and are encouraged to do so asap after their trip to Houghton.  NENSA will be poling intents of athletes to attend 2023 JN’s throughout the season so we know what names we will put on tickets as soon as possible.  These tickets will be purchased on February 7th with the ability to change the names on the tickets.

We understand your concerns about the cost of this trip and want to be transparent with you from the start.  If you have any questions please reach out to [email protected].

#25KinMay was designed to bring skiers together when they couldn’t be.  After three years it has morphed into an inspiration to get out and start the training year, and enjoy the activity of rollerskiing.  Since the spring of 2020 over 400 skiers have officially logged over 22,000km of activity — but participation runs deeper and perhaps the most fun is seeing people having fun sharing their early adventures.  During this time NENSA has created more robust year round programming — seeing rollerskiers on the road in New England is becoming more common and we are proud of helping build that culture.

2022 saw participants from nine states and perhaps the “most epic” entry was from Emily Follet of Maine who skied up to the legendary Holmenkollbakken (Holmenkol Ski Jump) in Norway.  Many skiers linked up with old friends or new and we had some big group skis.

Officially in the “Keeping up with Beckwith” category we had five skiers that covered over 250 kilometers.  Huge props to: Erin Mahon-Moore, Scott Edwards, Fred Call, Bob Witkowski and Jay Hole.  We hope we see you at one of the three hill climbs during this summers rollerski races to put all that base fitness to work!

Today we announced our prize winners on social media.

Prize Time!
(Brought to you by @sharepastimes @drinkbivo @alpinepromos @swix_sport @enjoywinter)

Fresh NENSA Trucker Hats:
Speedy Repeater – Tait Harvey, NonStop Nordic
Rockstar – Emily Follet, Greely High School
KUWB – Fred Call, Bethel Outing Club
BKL/My Own Pace – Scott Betournay, St. Paul’s School

BivoDuo Waterbottle – courtesy of Pastimes:
– Ava Rothe, Blackwater/Hopkinton
– Scott Edwards, @charitymiles
– Katie Hill, Mansfield Nordic Club
– Anna Balcerak, Buffalo, NY (Polish Ski Club – TNB Wesola)

Bliz Breeze:
– Viera Proulx, Freedom Trails Nordic

Swix Drink Belt:
– Jeff Dusek, Freedom Trails Nordic
– Mack Greenberg, GMVS

NENSA will contact participants with prize delivery and thank you note.

Our rollerski programs continue to grow and we love offering more ways to better support and engage skiers of all skill and experience levels.  Stay tuned for our upcoming Rollerski Race Series release coming mid-June and be sure to check out our Learn to Rollerski page which we will be updating with opportunities as we finalize the summer schedule.

You can also look forward to the Roy-llerski, a memorial rollerski event for Roy Varney of Maine in July.