Justin Beckwith

Spring and the new training season are in full swing across the East.  Based on previous year’s feedback and a desire to spice up the fourth edition of this community activating event — #25KinMay will be condensed into the final week of May.  Starting on May 25th we encourage you to get out and safely enjoy rollerskiing as you ease into more specific training.

Categories:
– Best Video — Grab some friends and get creative.  Please choose music suitable for all ages.  Videos should be under 60 seconds.
– Best Image — Rollerskiing can take you to inspiring places, from mountainous terrain to the spectacle of your local green space.  Capture unique lighting, settings or people in your images.
– Roll to Snow (or Water) — It’s getting harder to find white stuff, but there are still patches in the high reaches of ski areas, your local ice rink.  Use your creativity and remember water is snow in another form.
– Members 25 — Any NENSA member who reports a 25km ski.

Rules:
– Check your equipment.
– Get out there and ski.
– Take photos and video (make your edit).
– Make sure tag NENSA and include #25kinmay (email outside content to [email protected]).

Prizes:
NENSA staff will vote on winners from each category — winners will receive our 2023-2024 Rollerski Season Trucker hat.  “Members 25” will include a raffle for a night at the Trapp Family Lodge.

NENSA will share your content on our social feeds Instagram | Facebook and highlight top submissions in KickZone and nensa.net

History and Spirit of #25KinMay:
This is the event that gets people thinking about rolling every spring.  Originally a way for the community to share activity during the pandemic, it has developed into a way to shift the paradigm of rollerski from being just a training mechanism.  It’s a time to reach out to friends or connect with new ones to plan an adventure.  Ever see a road that was just calling for a ski?  Or maybe there is a bike path that you had always wanted to check out.  We want you to challenge yourself and utilize rollerskis as a fun tool and build the social energy of our summertime programs.  We love the stories we’ve shared for the past three years!

#25KinMay is free – simply get out there and report your ski to us via Social Media (or email).  The event is for everyone and based primarily on participation and this year, creativity!  Please add descriptors to your routes, challenges and successes.

The number one rule remains: BE SAFE out there.  Skiers must select terrain suitable for their skill level.

//Rollerski Safety Rules//

NENSA’s mission is to provide excitement to our broader cross country skiing community and continue the momentum of NENSA’s Rollerski Programming.   We look forward to unveiling our 2023 Rollerski Race Series this month and visiting clubs throughout the East this summer!

Recruit friends to join you – use #25KinMay for motivation to get rolling!

Link to David’s Video Challenge from May 2020

By David Northcott

This spring, I had the privilege of attending Junior Nationals for the first time as a member of Team New England.  This has been a primary goal of mine for the last two years, and the experience was every bit as amazing as I had hoped!  Through all the fun, I also gained an important perspective on my training and racing.   My experience at JN’s taught me valuable lessons that I hope to take forward through my skiing career.

My earliest winter memories are on skis.  I was skiing from the time I could walk and it’s always been a huge part of my identity.  I competed in my first BKL race at two years old on homemade wooden skis that my dad made for me for my first birthday.  My parents are coaches and I spent every winter afternoon at their practices for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I chased a crew of older, super fast, and super fun teammates in the Putney BKL program and absolutely fell in love with ski racing.  We were taught how to work hard and to play even harder.  I owe so much to my Putney coaches!

One year ago, at the end of the 2022 season, I felt incredibly motivated after just missing a spot on the JN team as a first-year U16.  I put in a lot of focus over the summer, and it paid off!  My Eastern Cup season went about as well as it could have; I was on form for the majority of the qualifying races.  Going into the season my results goal had been to get the #1 New England U16 seed, and I was able to meet this goal.  Coming off a successful winter, I left for JNs in Fairbanks with high hopes for both the trip and the racing.  The trip didn’t disappoint and was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had.  Traveling as a team really added to the fun, and spending a week in Alaska with a bunch of my friends was a blast.  Beyond that, I realized there is something very special about racing at such a high-level event.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to pull together the races I knew were available for me to get; it wasn’t a disaster, but my performances left a lot to be desired.  What bothered me the most wasn’t the actual results, but the fact that I could tell I just wasn’t racing to my full potential.  

One of the surprising and meaningful parts of this experience was the amount of support I received from my local community.  It got me thinking about how much goes into pursuing high-level skiing.  It’s not only my own time and energy but also the investment from my parents, coaches, and the amazing crew at NENSA who made the JN trip and much of our race season possible. On top of that, it was humbling to see how many of the people in my local community were interested and excited about my season.  I really appreciated it, and it was incredible to have so much support.  However, it added something I didn’t foresee; for the first time I felt pressure outside of my own ambitions.  To clarify, this pressure wasn’t from anyone other than myself.  I began to feel like I owed results to those who supported me. The expectations of high-stakes racing made it a lot harder to race with clarity than I expected. 

Following the Alaska trip, I was asked to put together a slideshow of my BKL to JN’s progression for a presentation to my local BKL group.  In my time spent searching through old pictures and results, I thought it was cool to see how many of the people who raced in Fairbanks with me have been racing alongside me since first grade.  Even more interestingly, many of these people, now some of the fastest in New England, have not always been dominant.  This made me think about my Nationals experience and draw some connections.  In the moment, failing to meet my goals at JN’s felt really difficult.  However, improvement is not always linear and there will always be ebbs and flows along the way.  Looking at those old results reminded me that for most of us, race results are only a part of the story.   It can be really easy to get stuck on results and feel like a set of sub-par performances will continue indefinitely.  I felt this in Alaska and I came away pretty discouraged and unconfident about my abilities.  However, after a few weeks of reflection and making the BKL presentation, it occurred to me that this is really not that much different from the results I have had my whole life.  Some good, some bad, some I was proud of, and some that left me disappointed. I would have been psyched to crush the big races at the end of the season, of course, but I know now that I can use the disappointment to garner a ton of motivation to get after it this summer.

I really appreciate the opportunity I had this year to be part of such a great team. I am also very appreciative of the opportunity to now be pursuing the sport I have loved my whole life at a high level.  I want to strive to use all the generosity from others to motivate, rather than turn the goodwill into unhelpful pressure.  I am ready to pick up the pieces of races lost, find inspiration in setting new goals, work hard, and thoroughly enjoy my skiing friends and incredible support network.  I’m super hyped to get to work this summer and excited to come back next year stronger, faster, and more experienced!

NENSA is proud to bring back the Regional Development Camp after a successful inaugural year.  The RDG is meant to complement the longstanding Regional Elite Group (REG) camp, recognize the depth of talent in the East, and expand the number of athletes invited to attend summer regional development opportunities.  The 2023 RDG Camp will once again be held at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center, June 30 – July 2.

Further, this year the camp will be paired with the Lost Nation Roll and the start of the NENSA Rollerski Series.  Pairing rollerski competition with camps heightens development opportunities and creates a basis for a strong race field.  The Lost Nation Roll is expected to bring in professional skiers, while ensuring a festive experience for all.  More on that to come!

Athletes are selected to attend RDG based on: the NENSA Junior Ranking List, NENSA U16 ranking list, Eastern High School Championship and U16 Championship overall results.  (Please note the Junior Ranking List also serves as the alternate criteria for REG).  Athletes named to REG and RDG will be contacted tomorrow to start determining acceptances.  Alternates will be named per declines in each criteria.  (further Mid Atlantic skiers will also be nominated).

Female Nominees:
Kate Carlson, Mansfield Nordic Club/EABC
Leigh Niedeck, EMXC
Ruth Krebs, Craftsbury Ski Club
Anika Leahy, Craftsbury Ski Club
Emma Charles, University of New Hampshire (REG Alt)
Maddie Hooker, Stratton Mountain School (REG Alt)
Clara Lake, EMXC (REG Alt)
Maggie McGee, Colby College (REG Alt)
Elizabeth Graziani, Green Mountain Valley School (REG Alt)
Reese Furneaux, Gould (REG Alt)
Ann Rightmire, Ford Sayre (REG Alt)
Grace Mattern, Bowdoin College (REG Alt)
Sage Freeman, Colby College (REG Alt)
Elli Englund, Holderness
Hannah Petersen , EMXC
Alexandria Taylor, EMXC
Lea Perread, Ford Sayre
Greta Kilburn , Burlington High School
Cora Hinsdill, Adirondack
Kai McKinnon, NYSEF
Alivia Hopsticker, NY

Male Nominees:
Matias Citarella, Green Mountain Valley School
Lorenzo Atocha, GMVS
Matthew McIntosh, Green Mountain Valley School
Sisu Lange, Craftsbury Ski Club
Rye Maccurtain, Mansfield Nordic Club (REG Alt)
Wyatt Teaford, Stratton Mountain School (REG Alt)
Elvis McIntosh, Green Mountain Valley School (REG Alt)
Lucas Streinz, Fort Kent Outdoor Center (REG Alt)
Caden Cote, Harvard University Ski Team (REG Alt)
Micah Bruner, Stratton Mountain School (REG Alt)
Jonah Gorman, Mansfield Nordic Club
Parker Nellis, Gould
Timothy Craddock, Stratton Mountain School
Quinn McDermott, Mount Greylock
Benjamin Condit, Quarry Road Ski Club
Eli Shifrin, Gould
Kogiantis Filippos, Stuyvesant High School

You can read more about RDG (and REG) qualification here.

The 2022-2023 competition season robust participation across Popular and Eastern Cup Competition.  Popular Racing saw significant growth with 2247 race finishes by adults, with 925 unique participants throughout the season.  Many events also hosted BKL events in conjunction which bolstered event numbers.  NENSA is committed to continuing to bolster support for these inclusive events.  The Eastern Cup saw nearly 2500 skiers, the second most attended on record, and with the likelihood of combining at least one SuperTour into the schedule 2023-2024 could rival the high mark of the 2022 season.

Popular Race Bids:

NENSA will once again offer two tiers of Popular Race calendaring for 2023-2024. Last season, with increased NENSA support and media we saw 13 of the 19 races on the calendar reach over 100 participants.  Over 160 clubs were listed throughout the winter.  NENSA staff is thankful for the many event organizers and clubs that make this Series such a success, even when winter wasn’t cooperating in the first half of the season.  Our goal for 2023-2024 will be to continue to incentivize participation through advanced calendaring, promotion, Club and Zak Cup rankings. We will again place the Popular Races Series as the core of the NENSA calendar.

Venues interested in having their event(s) named to NENSA’s Zak Cup, Club Cup, and/or New England Marathon Series should complete this form by May 1st. Early submissions are encouraged so we can help shape a calendar that minimizes event overlaps.

Link to detailed Popular Race information. (Zak/Club and Marathon)

Direct link to Popular Race Bid Sheet.

Detailed information for Event Organizers including anticipated dates for major events.

Eastern Cup Race Bids:

Please note Eastern Cup and SuperTour bidding is open and closes at the beginning of May.  Eastern Cup scheduling is determined by the Athletic Development Committee.  There is ongoing discussion of the National SuperTour calendar which will be stamped at USSS Congress the second week of May — after this point NENSA will release our Eastern Cup schedule for 2023-2024.

Direct link to Eastern Cup Bid Sheet

For those intending to host an Eastern Cup or Major Championship NENSA requires sending a representative to attend the TD / Event Organizer Clinic, typically held during September or the first weekend of December.  All other race organizers are encouraged and welcome to attend.  We will be make this date public in the coming weeks.

For Eastern Cup, Zak/Club and Marathon questions: [email protected]

Thanks for making your bids early and we look forward to planning next years events with you!

NENSA is proud to name our 2023 Elite and Development Teams, highlighting the continued success of Eastern athletes regionally, nationally and internationally.  Nomination to these teams is based on U.S. Ski & Snowboard List 10 Overall Points and highlights the interplay of junior, collegiate and national competition.  Athletes nominated will receive further communication and invitations to attend events and camps throughout the 2023 training year.  You can read more about criteria and Team Benefits here: Elite, Development.

Junior athletes named to these teams will receive the first invitations to the Eastern Regional Camp (REG) to be held June 24-28 at the Stratton Mountain School.  NENSA is also working on the potential of an RDG (Regional Development Camp) after a successful inaugural camp last summer.  U23 and Senior athletes will be formally invited to participate in camps and race experiences this year.  Any USSS certified coaches who have who have interest in supporting these development opportunities please fill out this form or reach out to [email protected].

Initial REG Invitees (New York nominations to come):

Women:
Ava Thurston, Beth McIntosh, Virginia Cobb, Mirra Payson, Evelyn Walton, Emma Crum, Hattie Barker, Amelia Circosta, Mary Harrington, Ava Schneider, Annelies Hanna, Claire Serrano, Frances Tucker, Julia Thurston, Gillian Fairfax, Addison Englund, Emily Appleby, Maria Anderson, Sofia Scirica, Quincy Massey-Bierman, Camille Bolduc, Mica Bodkins, Emma Page

Men:
Tabor Greenberg, Finegan Bailey, Luke Rizio, Jack Lange, Aidan Burt, Sam Gallaudet, David Northcott, Henri McCourt, James Crowley, Charlie Kehler, Lucas Barstow, Niko Cuneo, Aidan Jacobus, Simon Phipps, Chip Freeman, Ellis Slover, Tyler Watt, Mathias Boudreau-Golfman, William Riley, Nathan Maybach, Parke Chapin
Tzevi Schwartz

**alternates will be contacted and invited as camp acceptances come in**

Information regarding U16 National Camp.

NENSA looks forward to releasing our summer programming, including Rollerski competitions after our Spring Board meeting in early May.

On April 2nd over 250 skiers came together for an encore performance at Cochran’s Nordic Cross.  Skiers from age five to 71 took to the challenging-terrain-filled course at the Cochran’s Ski Area in Richmond, Vermont in front of a roaring and supportive crowd.  Some of the features were so large they could be easily seen from the the interstate as competitors arrived.  It had been four years since the event had been staged, due to the pandemic.  Costumes, families, and the smell of bacon, pancakes and maple syrup filling the air make for a truly celebratory vibe we rarely see during the winter months.

Past winner, and the current top U23 in the world, Ben Ogden was the talk of the town — with kids and adults alike waiting to see his speed, daring descending and aerial skills.  But the field was much more diverse than that — with members of the skiing community from every walk of the NENSA community and beyond.  The day started with BKL’ers shooting out of the Fox Start (halfway down the slope) in pods of five, an exciting format that is also used for the adults.  In the adult field we saw high school racers, club and collegiate ranks, many coaches, a Technical Delegate, alpine racers (some National Champions), Nordic Combiners, biathletes and one of our favorite announcers taking part!

Carter Clark Photos — Dave Priganc Photos
RESULTS

While the Cochran’s race was not a part of our Popular Race Series it clearly highlights an activated community of adult skiers — many who were stalwarts in Zak Cup and Club racing.  61 of the 211 finishers in the adult race where over the age of 30, another 71 where between the ages of 20 and 30 — the event clearly appeals to this demographic, which NENSA so dearly wants to keep engaged!  Our hats are off to Pennie Rand and the Cochran Ski Area for all they do to make skiing accessible and FUN!

Popular Racing Sees Encouraging Growth

NENSA has made a concerted effort over the past two years to support Popular Racing, by encouraging widespread participation and offering increased support to venues and race organizers.  As we wrap up the season we are pleased to report growth: over 20 events this winter we saw 2781 race starts compared to 2021/2022 with 17 races and 1877 total racers.

During 2023 Zak Cup events NENSA encouraged and supported age group recognition of Masters of all ages.

Last week we highlighted Craftsbury as they mounted a huge effort at New England Relay Championships to win the season long Club Championship.  One look at the Ranking Page shows impressive depth to Eastern club structure, with over fifty clubs attending ten or more events throughout the season!  NENSA and Bullitt Timing also highlighted clubs on individual weeks with Eastern Cup Team Standings (EC #1, EC #2, EC #3, EC #4) — these scores highlight different ages and genders for each weekend.

Club Cup Standings

Zak Cup competition was healthy this season with nearly 200 members scoring points in the Overall Rankings (Men, Women) over thirteen races.  In an effort to automate scoring and provide increased value to NENSA members, only current members were scored this season.  We highlighted the top-3 skiers in each age group  who partook in Zak Cup racing at the NE Club Relay Championships, with each skier receiving mugs for their accomplishments.  (For those who weren’t present at our season end celebration NENSA will make plans to get you your mug to you via a club representative or directly via mail in the coming weeks.)

Zak Cup Men – Overall
Zak Cup Men – Age Group
Marathon Challengers Men
Zak Cup Women – Overall
Zak Cup Women – Age Group
Marathon Challengers Women

We send a huge thank you to all of our venues, organizers, volunteer and you the skiers for making this winter so special.  NENSA is making plans for the summer, including rollerski races, camps and coaches education — stay tuned!

Marathon Racing and the Marathon Challenger Award perhaps saw the biggest growth with the return of a full schedule with seven events of multiple distances.  A record umber, 27 men and twelve women completed three or more marathons, with nearly 700 total participants throughout the winter.  Marathon Challengers will receive a LL Bean headband this season.

Event Planning and Bid Sheets for the 2023-2024 Season

Speaking of planning, every spring NENSA puts out for bids for the next year, which flow along with National schedules.  Next week we will formally introduce this bid process — however many organizers like to get their information in early.  Please click the links below for Popular and Eastern Cup bids.

2023-2024 Popular Race Bid Sheet

2023-2024 Eastern Cup Bid Sheet

The Craftsbury Outdoor Center put a beautiful event together to cap NENSA’s Popular races at The Henchey Memorial New England Club Relay Championships.  44 teams came out for the event, which was held in conjunction with the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Super Tour Finals.  The race consisted of a 4×5km relay with a course that utilized easier some easier terrain, which kept the speed and oxygen uptake high!  You can get a nice feel for the fast and festive atmosphere in our “Magic Movie” — most skiers have a spot!

There was a creative matrix of team compositions with seven different categories taking top honors — wax prizes from Swix and some vintage items from Mike Gallagher’s personal collection.  At the conclusion of the relay events, we honored some of our year-end-adult Age Group winners with NENSA mugs and LL Bean headbands for category winners.  We will have a complete recap of Zak, Club and Marathon winners next week!

<100 years Men – SSWSC (Steamboat)
Benjamin Barbier, Henry Magill, David Norris, Trey Jones

>100 years Men – NWVE
Chris Burnham, Eli Enman, Thomas Clayton, Jake Hollenbach

<100 years Mixed – Mansfield Nordic Club
Rye Maccurtain, Emma Page, Anders Linseisen, Virginia Cobb

>100 years Mixed – GMVS
Colin Rodgers, Mikaela Paluszek, Elliot Ketchel, Jessie Donavan

>200 years Mixed – NWVE
Sara Graves, Sarah Pribram, Eric Darling, Tom Thurston

<100 years Women – GMVS
Elizabeth Graziani, Mary Harrington, Beth McIntosh, Brooke Greenberg

>100 years Women – NWVE
Acadia Enman, Jessica Bolduc, Liz Hollenbach, Cipperly Good

We also had a proud squad of Zak Cup Age group winners on hand!

Stay tuned for more details of the amazing Popular skiers we had during this 2023 season.

If your looking for one last race sign up today and join in the fun April 2nd at @cochrans_nordic_cross

The National U16 Camp will be held at Paul Smith’s College just outside of Lake Placid, New York from July 31 to Aug 6, 2023.  It is exciting to have a full National Camp back together after a few years — for many athletes this is the first time they are exposed to their National peer group for outstanding training and competition.  Paul Smith of NYSEF will work with Greta Anderson of the US Ski Team to plan and coordinate this project.

New England is proud to have nine nominees for the camp:

Niko Cuneo – Mansfield Nordic Club
David Northcott – Caldwell Sport
Lucas Barstow – Gould Academy
Henri McCourt – Mt. Blue High School

Annelies Hanna – Ford Sayre
Mary Harrington – Green Mountain Valley School
Amelia Circosta – Craftsbury Ski Club
Ava Schneider – Green Mountain Valley School
Frances Tucker – Eastern Mass XC

We are lucky to have the U16 Camp in the East this summer and this means we have the opportunity to send a few extra coaches — any USSS coaches who have interest in joining this camp please reach out to Justin Beckwith ([email protected]).

Well the 2023 winter has been soft, our Popular Racers have been treated to a full slate of events this winter thanks to dedicated clubs, venues and volunteers.  The last few weeks have positioned the Craftsbury Outdoor Center to have amazing conditions for Super Tour Finals and the final Club Event of the season.  Tomorrow over 40, four-person teams will be toeing the line for the New England Club Relay Championships!

Zak Cup racing wrapped up last weekend with the Long Haul Loppet in Jackson, New Hampshire.  NENSA will acknowledge and award the top-three skiers in each age group tomorrow at the conclusion of the relays and event barbecue.  If you name is listed below don’t miss awards!  All skiers will receive their coveted NENSA mug and the top skier in each age group will receive a co-branded LL Bean / NENSA headband.

Read below for more information on the Overall Club competition.

Club Relay

In 2018 Jim Fredricks created the concept of a Club Relay Championships to pair with the Super Tour Finals National Championship relay.  After five years, the Craftsbury is bringing back this awesome event to celebrate not only the individual Popular racers listed above, but their broader Clubs as well.  There has been quite a race this year (and over the past few) as NENSA has scored all open competitive events including Eastern Cup to create a broader representation of the entire club.

Tomorrow’s relay will feature four person teams, each skiing five kilometers.  Six classes (listed below) will be scored with first place claiming 240 points (2nd – 236, 3rd – 232…).  No doubt it will be exciting to see who prevails — but the bigger win is that there are 176 individual clubs listed on the ranking list.  Skiing’s alive and well here in New England.  Don’t miss tomorrow — it’s gonna be a Hoot!

Classes & Categories

We will have 2 complete age groups, 3 different gender categories, and a special bonus prize. The classes are either combined team age above 100 years or combined team age below 100 years. 

Within each class we will be recognizing the top 3 all-male teams, the top 3 all-female teams, and the top 3 mixed gender teams (at least 50% female). Prizes will be awarded to the winning teams in each category.

We are also going to recognize the top team with a combined age over 200 years. No other rules there, just the fastest team over 200.