Justin Beckwith

Good Times Roll in Brunswick

Justin Beckwith · July 31, 2023 ·

Last Sunday 42 athletes gathered in Brunswick, Maine for the third running of Nonstop Nordic’s, Good Times Roll Rollerski Race. As the Lost Nation Roll was cancelled earlier in the month, this was the first event of the 2023 NENSA Rollerski Series. Nonstop has done an excellent job of motivating the Maine community and beyond — this years event boasted the largest participation to date.

Full Results

16 year old, New England Junior National skier, Henri McCourt of Mt. Blue set the pace for the 11.4km race with a time of 23:51.4.

17 year old, 2023 Junior National Champion, Rose Horning from Ski And Snowboard Club Vail was the fastest female with a time of 27:35.4 for the 11.4km.

Beyond providing a competitive environment for some to the nations top juniors, the Good Times Roll created an inclusive environment for all skiers including nine masters skiers. There was also a 5.7km option for skiers not opting for the full distance — the event was also truly “freestyle” with several athletes opting to classic ski. Prizes were provided by Boulder Nordic Sport East.

Putting on a rollerski race takes a lot of planning and some luck — NENSA is thrilled with the work that Nonstop Nordic is doing in Southern Maine and we look forward to seeing this event continue to grow. Rollerski events are much more than results as they are an awesome mechanism to bring folks together in the summer months and invigorate all that are involved.

Amy Dupuis of the Holderness Nordic Club skied the 11.4km in 35:45.7 and was the top female master woman.

Tyson Weems of 3Levels.Org has competed in all three Good Times Rolls and set the pace for the 30-49 mens category.

Tim Van Orden, from the Prospect Mountain Ski Club skied a fantastic time of 27:11.9 to top the mens 50+ age group, and perhaps traveled the furthest to compete!

Nonstop Nordic Ski Club and Racing Team was created by Emily Cartwright for skiers in Southern Maine, offering year-round training for competitive racers, a youth ski program, as well as hosting a winter race series. Members are not required to have a certain ability level or racing experience to join the club.

“The 2023 Good Times Roll was a fantastic event. Racers of all ages came from near and far and gave great efforts which made for an exciting competition. Thank you to all for attending!” Emily Cartwright

Mark Harvey and Emily Cartwright timing the 2023 Good Times Roll.

The NENSA Rollerski Series next travels to Warner, New Hampshire for the Rollins Roll — which climbs Mt. Kearsarge. Racers this year will be greeted by a freshly paved road inside the park gates on a closed road. Registration is capped at 50 participants so folks should sign up early to make sure they get a spot!

Development Camps in the East

Justin Beckwith · July 13, 2023 ·

The past weeks in Vermont have been stormy in many ways. Despite heavy rains, and smoky skies some excellent training collaborations happened in two Eastern Development camps. Fifty-nine athletes were selected to attend either the REG (USST Regional Elite Group) or RDG (NENSA Regional Development Group) camps which took place in Stratton and Craftsbury respectively. Coordination with elite athletes, local club skiers and a strong pool of coaches multiply the reach and inspiration of these yearly gatherings.

The forecast heading into REG camp, hosted by the Stratton Mountain School, was ominous to say the least, with thunderstorms looming in the five-day forecast. Camp began with a focus on fundamental movements on rollerskis, followed by some spirited agility and technique stations. Wet pavement and competitive energy combined to see an above average number of spills -- the athletes are getting so good on their rollers that they play like they are on snow now.

Regional Elite Group camps are hosted in the four major regions of the country: East, Central, West and Alaska. Beyond creating a pathway for further USST development opportunities, they are often moments of great inspiration to athletes due to exposure to peers they wouldn't normally see in the summer months and exposure to elite skiers and USST coaching staff. While testing is a part of the REG camp structure -- the East has been focussing on making these tests into exercises for the athletes to train for competition. By practicing warmups and cool downs as they might in the winter and having a chance to try new things while watching how other athletes prepare without the pressure of a true race.

Amelia Circosta of Craftsbury exhibits powerful form en route to setting the fastest time of day for the women in the Double Pole test.

Eli Shifrin led the charge for the men, following a technique cue to look up the hill during the effort.

The second day of camp featured a one mile Double Pole test on rolling terrain that allows athletes to change gears during the effort. Skiers used NENSA's matched fleet of Swenor rollerskis and donned bibs like they would in the winter. The afternoon featured a two mile mass start uphill run which gave the entire camp an opportunity for head to head competition. On the women's side Amelia Circosta flew up the hill to again set the pace and it was William Riley of Gunstock who outpaced two Mid-Atlantic skiers, Andrew Scanio (NYSEF) and Braden Bellizzi (Rochester Nordic Racing).

The third day of camp featured a distance classic ski around quiet roads outside of Manchester and perhaps the most exciting moment of camp, when a young fawn sprinted in front of a group of skiers. Athletes were reminded the evening before of the importance of keeping Level 1 training easy. Clear skies allowed for some nice scenery of Mt. Equinox and the surrounding valley. In the afternoon there was strength instruction.

Throughout the week athletes participated in recovery exercises, group activities and informative meetings. Two highlights for the meetings were an opportunity to meet with the SMS T2 team (and visiting athletes) and a motivational presentation by USST Head Coach, Matt Whitcomb prior to a sprint competition. Whitcomb's talk prioritized self belief and teamwork as keys to success in the long run and no doubt lit a fire in the athletes.

Chip Freeman left it all out there in the men's sprint final, edging SMS teammates Micah Bruner, Wyatt Teaford and Braden Bellizzi of RNR.

There were a lot of smiles after the event and even some autographs and selfies with heroes and new friends!

The sprint competition on Tuesday gave athletes an opportunity to play with tactics on an exciting course set up at Ball Mountain Dam. The day featured a qualifier and four person court format heats, followed by a final for both men and women. With skiers like Julia Kern, Jessie Diggins and Ben Ogden in the field the skiers not only were able to put in hard efforts, but also witness some of the best in the world. Skiers who were not so long ago athletes at REG Camps themselves!

Results

REG concluded with an over distance workout that circumnavigated Stratton Mountain. Athletes rollerskied to the southern side of the mountain before switching to running shoes and returning to school.

SMS put together an excellent recap video of camp that captures the spirit of camp!

A huge thanks to Greta Anderson (USST), Matt Boobar (SMS), Alex Jospe (SMS), Steve Bruner (SMS), Ben Kamilewicz (Gould), Jacob Volz (Gould), Chris Stock (EMXC), Torin La Liberte (Clarkson), Evan Kendall (Dublin School), Matt Whitcomb (USST) Maria Stuber (SMS T2) Perry Thomas (SMS T2) and the staff of the Stratton Mountain School for helping support this project.

For the second year NENSA hosted the Regional Development Group (RDG) camp at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center. This camp captures athletes who had outstanding results at U16 and Eastern High School Championships as well as high rankings on the NENSA Junior Ranking List. Every Eastern state was represented, and again an underlying goal and benefit of the experience was to bring skiers together to meet their peers from other clubs. This camp was led by coaches Adam Terko (Mansfield Nordic), Cate Brams (EMXC), Kevin Lee (Kearsarge Nordic), with the support of Anna Schulz and Audrey Mangan (Craftsbury).

Training for cross country skiing allows for some of the most diverse activities of any sport -- having a passion for an outdoor lifestyle is key to longterm participation in the sport. One of our first sessions got all of the athletes out on Great Hosmer Pond in assorted watercraft. This allowed for natural introductions and teamwork, especially as most of the vessels seemed to become swamped at one point in the journey.

One of the intentions of the RDG camp was to offer a competition for the athletes by scheduling the Lost Nation Roll, the first event on the NENSA Rollerski Series, in the middle of camp. For many this would have been their first rollerski competition and the camp schedule was designed around creating familiarity with the Craftsbury track and developing strategies of how to approach a race. On Friday afternoon skiers were split into groups for some focused technique work in classic with stations of "wet leaves," bounding on skis and focus on building balance on one leg. The evening meeting focussed on preparation for Saturday's event, with athletes splitting into groups to develop race strategies.

Unfortunately, as Saturday morning dawned the air quality from Canadian wildfires had worsened and the AQI index did not allow an environment for a safe competition. This forced lessons of resiliency and adaptability for the athletes and coaches alike -- as the athletes were already in the beginning of their preparation for the event on a morning jog when they received the news of cancellation. Despite the obvious letdown of the news the athletes responded well and were able to refocus on a distance session that focussed on double poling, V2 and dynamic skating body positions. In the afternoon the group was split for video review and a strength session.

After that session the RDG camp also had the opportunity to meet with the SMS T2 squad who was in town for the rollerski race and a training block overlap with the Green Racing Project. Athletes and coaches asked some very thoughtful questions on varied topics including: when they knew they wanted to pursue professional skiing, to overcoming injures, social media pressures and intentions -- one group even organized a TicToc video! We are so fortunate in the East to have not only professional athletes training nearby, but also so willing to give back, helping build and inspire a skiing culture. A huge thank you to SMS T2 (and friends) for being a part of both of these camps.

Sunday morning brought in some rain, which made for much better air quality. It also set the stage for an awesome over distance workout to finish up camp with a combination classic ski followed by a hike/run to the summit of Jay Peak.

On Saturday night Adam Terko delivered an exciting presentation on the similarities between cross country skiing and Formula 1 racing. While entertaining, the comparisons drew focus to these two exciting sports and enthused the athletes.

New friends and new mountains.Teamwork.At the end of the weekend Adam Terko led a technique clinic for club coaches and those seeking U.S. Ski & Snowboard L100 certifications.

Green Mountain Valley School – 2023 NENSA Club of the Year

Justin Beckwith · July 8, 2023 ·

The Green Mountain Valley School, widely recognized simply as GMVS, has developed into a robust club program that supports everything from local development to international racing. The school’s website sums up the GMVS experience with the headline, “Powerful Results Grounded in Adventure.” Whether the team is based in the Mad River Valley, the Sud Tirol, British Columbia or anywhere else in the world you can bet there will be some sort of activity to take advantage of the local landscape and culture. In the past few years the GMVS program has found a sweet spot, balancing elite level training with providing awesome experiences for all levels of skier.

GMVS staff, post graduates and families have become a fixture of local BKL practices.

Colin Rodgers and Kat Howe joined the GMVS staff in 2016 and 2015 respectively and have since developed their program into an attractive and supportive community for current students, alumni and visiting athletes. In the past two years GMVS has formed a partnership with Frost Mountain Nordic, providing racing and training support to more athletes and allowing for collaboration among coaches. During the 2023 season, GMVS boasted four coaches on staff, including Mikaela Paluszek and 2018 alum, Elliot Ketchel.

Elvis McIntosh proudly displays his tenth place medal, achieving his goal of an All-American performance at Junior Nationals.

GMVS skiers are active in both Popular Racing and the Eastern Cup Series, despite only a few masters skiers (typically coaches participating in select races), the GMVS Gumby squad placed fourth in the yearlong Club Cup Standings. At Eastern Cups the Gumby’s were a dominant force, often winning Team Scores for individual age groups in both genders and they were rarely outside the top-3 in any one category. GMVS had nine athletes qualify for Junior Nationals in Fairbanks, Alaska — who together gathered ten All-American performances — these results strong enough to be ranked seventh of all clubs in the nation.

GMVS reach in the New England community goes beyond their own students, with very popular open summer camps, participation in regional coaching staffs including U16, EHS and Junior National Championships. GMVS has played host to NENSA and U.S. Ski & Snowboard projects including the U16 National and Eastern Regional Elite Group (REG) Camp. GMVS skiers take advantage of rollerski competitions and staff have helped host and support several events, including the Maine Event and also provide invaluable storage of rollerski ramps in the off season. GMVS skiers also have access to biathlon training and competition throughout the year.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard Accolades:

Coach Colin Rodgers accepting his two awards at the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Chairman’s Award Dinner in Park City this May.

This spring Rodgers was selected as the 2023 U.S. Ski & Snowboard Coach of the Year and 2023 Cross Country International Coach of the Year a feat that coincided with his leadership and U18, Tabor Greenberg’s historic races in Finland.

The Sport Committee’s nomination, “Colin has now been the Nordic Director and Head Coach at the Green Mountain Valley School for many years. Under Colin’s leadership, the program has blossomed to one of the best cross-country development academies in the U.S. Colin’s extensive knowledge of the sport, his passion for developing ski racers, and his enthusiasm has been magnetic in building the GMVS roster and program. This season, Colin led the U18 Scandinavian Championships trip for the USA to Finland. The U18 Scandinavian Championships is an elite-level competition featuring the best U18s from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, and the USA. As a nation, we’ve been participating in this Championships for nearly 25 years. This season, one of the GMVS athletes under Colin’s tutelage, Tabor Greenberg, won the individual distance race. This is the first time in history that a USA athlete has won the competition. The following day, the USA men’s relay team also grabbed gold – another historic first. These types of results are indicative of the extremely good work that Colin is doing each day at GMVS.”

Green Mountain Valley School was also selected to receive the 2023 Development Club of the Year Award. This honor acknowledged institutions for providing outstanding youth development programs. “Green Mountain Valley School provides exceptional programming for athletes ages 6 – 13, focused on skill development as well as age and developmentally appropriate gate training – all in the spirit of building strong skiers who have a lot of fun. To reduce barriers and encourage participation, they have a robust financial aid program and supplement equipment as needed. In addition to the outstanding alpine program, the GMVS Ski Club is deeply engaged with the local Bill Koch Youth Ski League, introducing young people to the lifelong sport of cross-country skiing with its recreational, social, fitness, and competitive opportunities.” Not of small note is how GMVS values cross country skiing as a complementary to its robust alpine program.

To top things off, alum Brian Bushey ‘21 was named to the 2023-24 Stifel U.S. Cross Country D-Team — the first cross country athlete to be named to the National Team. Bushey trained with GMVS for five years before matriculating to the University of Utah.

A group of Gumbies descend from the highest point of Norway on cross country skis during a training camp in June 2023.

NENSA is fortunate to have such a strong partner in GMVS and we congratulate them on past successes and look forward to celebrating many more in the future.

NENSA Unveils 2023 Rollerski Event Calendar

Justin Beckwith · June 9, 2023 ·

In 2018 NENSA dove headfirst into innovative rollerski programming by unveiling rollerski-specific-ramps, and furthering collaboration between club, development and professional skiers in the summer. Five years, and a pandemic-hiccup later, NENSA is excited to unveil a working framework for the summer and fall of 2023. There are eight competitive events on the 2023 schedule, which will complement camps, clinics and robust club activities across the East.

Starting at the end of June NENSA hosts two camps: REG in conjunction with the U.S. Ski Team and RDG with standout regional coaches. These invitational camps will host over sixty athletes at Stratton (June 24-28) and Craftsbury (June 30-July 2), each providing a Coaches Education opportunity, and on the 1st of July our first rollerski competition, the Lost Nation Roll.

Technique Clinic and USSS L100 Practicum – June 24
Lost Nation Roll – Freestyle 5/10km – July 1
Technique Clinic and USSS L100 Practicum – July 2

Throughout July we are excited to partner with the Maine Outdoor Wellness Center and NonStop Nordic for two awesome events. The 5th annual Roy-llerski will happen throughout the month virtually, with an in-person 5km Trail Run and celebration July 15th. NonStop Nordic will host the third, Good Times Roll, in Brunswick, Maine on July 23rd. Registration for that event is limited to 80 participants with prizes from Boulder Nordic Sport.

In August we travel to New Hampshire for the third running of the Rollins Roll, an uphill climb up Mt. Kearsarge. This festive regional event will be highlighted by brand new pavement for the 2023 race! Registration will be capped at 75 competitors.

September is highlighted by a long weekend in Lake Placid, in partnership with the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) and New York Ski Education Foundation (NYSEF). The Keys and Climb to the Castle fell under the new moniker of the Castle Conquest for 2022. Mt Van Hoevenberg the and the Whiteface Toll Road provide two inspiring venues for competitors and spectators alike, with the backdrop of the Adirondack High Peaks. More details on the full weekend coming soon.

October brings another exciting weekend brings a new venue for the Maine Event. NENSA in collaboration with the New England Ski Museum is exploring a rollerski event on the Franconia Notch Recreation Path. The event will be a part of the 2023 NENSA Rollerski Series — and whether you want to race or tour at your own pace — you won’t want to miss this rare opportunity to ski this path, typically only open to hikers and bikers. After many four years at Pineland Farm, the Maine Event will move to Black Mountain in Rumford, Maine. Stay tuned for exciting details.

In November the Mt. Greylock Hill Climb will mark the culmination of the 2023 NENSA Rollerski Series for the second year in a row. Climbing from Lanesborough, Massachusetts to the highest point in Massachusetts, Greylock is the perfect venue to make the transition from roll to snow seasons.

2023-2024 Eastern Cup Schedule

Justin Beckwith · June 9, 2023 ·

Eastern Cup #1 – Roy Varney Memorial Eastern Cup – Eastern Cup Opener Waterville, Maine (U.S. Ski & Snowboard sanctioned)
Hosted by Quarry Road Ski Club at Quarry Road Trails

December 16-17, 2023
Saturday – Classic Sprint
Sunday – Freestyle Distance

Eastern Cup #2 – Lake Placid SuperTour / Eastern Cup
Lake Placid, New York (FIS and U.S. Ski & Snowboard sanctioned)
Hosted by the Olympic Regional Development Authority at Mt Van Hoevenberg

January 20-21, 2024
Saturday – Classic Sprint
Sunday – Classic Distance

Eastern Cup #3: Rodrigues Eastern Cup and Harvard Carnival
Craftsbury, Vermont (U.S. Ski & Snowboard sanctioned)
Hosted by the Craftsbury Outdoor Center

February 3-4, 2024
Saturday – 7.5km Freestyle
Sunday – Freestyle Distance

Eastern Cup #4: Holderness Eastern Cup Finals
Holderness, New Hampshire (U.S. Ski & Snowboard sanctioned) Hosted by the Holderness School

February 24-25, 2024
Saturday – Freestyle Sprint
Sunday – Classic Individual Start