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New England Nordic Ski Association

New England Nordic Ski Association

The Home of Cross Country Skiing in New England

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Kait Miller

Caroline Mathes Receives 2025 Chummy Broomhall Award

Kait Miller · July 16, 2025 ·

Photo: Quarry Road Ski Club

The Chummy Broomhall Award is given out every year to a volunteer who embodies the ethos of Chummy who was the Chisholm Ski Club leader for 70 plus years, a 2 time Olympian, and builder of the Olympic race courses for Palisades Tahoe, Lake Placid, and Black Mountain. He embodied the spirit of being a volunteer generously giving his time and energy to generations of skiers. It is in this spirit that this award be in his honor for the unsung heroes of ski racing. We are excited to share that Caroline Mathes of the Quarry Road Ski Club is the winner of the 2025 Chummy Broomhall Award.

Coaching the Youth Ski League at Quarry Road since 2007, Caroline has been instrumental in building Waterville’s thriving ski community. She previously helped coach the junior ski program in Farmington, and is a three time chair of the New England Bill Koch Festival. 

Photo: Flying Point Road

Caroline is dedicated to introducing as many young people as possible to skiing. Every year the youth program she spearheads, along with a group of dedicated volunteers, introduces over 50 children to cross country skiing by leading skiers on a wide variety of adventures all focused on having fun on the snow. 

Jeff Tucker, Quarry Road’s Program Director, shared, “I’m impressed by Caroline’s ability to juggle meeting the needs of all skiers in the program; she’s equally attentive to the struggling beginner as the energetic skiers that are gliding away from their instructors.”

Jeff also shared the following memory, “One of my favorite days on skis this winter at Quarry Road Trails, I subbed in to help coach the intermediate ski group. I was amazed when I asked the group where they wanted to ski, that they all wanted to go on the most technical and hilliest trails we have! They were having a blast lapping Hero’s Hill, riding over snow rollers, and finding side jumps to hit. It was one of the easiest coaching sessions I’ve ever done at a practice, because they had grown their ski skills in a system where they were competent to push their own boundaries without me pushing them, and were having fun doing it. This positive introduction to the sport is not by accident. Caroline pays meticulous attention to where she is placing volunteer instructors and skiers so that the entire group is a good fit.”

In addition to coaching and managing the youth program, Caroline also oversees a ski lease fleet that can outfit every participant in the program with affordable and skill-appropriate equipment, significantly reducing one of the sport’s main barriers to entry.

Photo: Flying Point Road

Fellow Quarry Road Ski Coach and former NENSA Executive Director, Pat Cote, shared, “Caroline has sacrificed so many winter afternoons to chase down a pair of boots or a set of poles for a kid who might have forgotten them at home or might not have shown up for the ‘required’ ski lease handout times. She always prioritizes making the new kids and new families feel comfortable and welcome in a sport that can feel incredibly exclusive and challenging for outsiders.”

Caroline’s commitment to creating an accessible and welcoming program for young people to push their limits in a safe environment, grow their skills, and develop a deep love for skiing is fundamental to fostering skiers for life with a foundation to compete at the highest level of the sport.

“Caroline is incredibly deserving of this award, and has been for a long time. She embodies community, fun, and a lifelong love of the sport that has made our ski area and club into the thriving group it is today,” reflected Jeff. 

Pat shared similar sentiments saying, “Caroline’s enthusiasm for skiing has been a foundation of Quarry Road Ski Club from its very beginnings as co-founder of Central Maine Ski Club which practiced on the North Street soccer fields before Quarry Road even existed.  We can’t even begin to measure the impact Caroline has had on our community and would not even try to count the hours!”

Congratulations, Caroline, and thank you for your deep and longstanding commitment to the young skiers of Waterville and the greater New England ski community!

NENSA Community Day at Ford Sayre

Kait Miller · July 2, 2025 ·

Following the success of our first NENSA Community Day in partnership with Stratton, we’re excited to share our second Community Day to be hosted with Ford Sayre on July 18th! As the event name suggests, these events are all about community and have a shared goal of fostering existing connections while also creating news ones.

Whether you’re a BKL skier, a curious newcomer, a parent, or a Masters athlete, this event is your chance to come together with the ski community for an afternoon of movement, learning, and fun. From rollerski games and biathlon to ski jumping, trail running, and a delicious BBQ dinner, there’s something for everyone. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to connect with friends old and new, try something new, and get inspired for the season ahead!

Full details and registration here.

Is your club interested in hosting a NENSA Community Day? Reach out to mackenzie@nensa.net to get the ball rolling.

Rikert Outdoor Center & Frost Mountain Nordic Ski Club to host 2024 BKL Festival

Kait Miller · August 10, 2023 ·

The New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA) is excited to announce that the 2024 New England Bill Koch League (BKL) Festival will be hosted at the Rikert Outdoor Center in Ripton, VT with the Frost Mountain Nordic Ski Club on March 2-3. The BKL Festival is the marquee event of the Bill Koch Youth Ski League whose mission is to introduce young people to the lifelong sport of cross-country skiing, and the many associated health, fitness, and social benefits, in a fun, inclusive, and safe environment.

Once a year children, families, coaches, and caregivers from ski clubs from all over New England and New York come together at the annual Festival for a weekend of fun on cross country skis featuring racing as well as a wide range of non-competitive winter activities for skiers of all ability levels from kindergarten up to 8th grade. The site rotates through the states of Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts. For 2024, NENSA is thrilled to be working with the Rikert Outdoor Center and the Frost Mountain Nordic Ski Club on this fun and inclusive event featuring relay and individual races by age group, as well as an engaging, fun, and educational mix of non-racing activities that all can enjoy. The Frost Mountain Nordic Ski Club is “dedicated to creating a healthier, more active, outdoor lifestyle for all ages and abilities in the mountains once home to Robert Frost in central Vermont.” They have made their mission a reality within their local community and have reached even further through hosting fun BKL events including the 2019 BKL Festival.  We look forward to returning to Rikert for the Festival and can’t wait to see the exciting activities they cook up to make their “Myths in the Mountains” theme come to life for all Festival-goers.

All Festival information will be posted on our website HERE and lodging information can be found HERE. You can also sign up for our Trail Tales newsletter HERE to get updates delivered directly to your inbox. Registration will open in mid-December. General questions about the Festival can be directed to staff@nensa.net. Questions specifically about lodging can be directed to erik.remsen@gmail.com and robertd@gmail.com.

Audrey Mangan is the 2023 NENSA Coach of the Year

Kait Miller · June 29, 2023 ·

Photo: Craftsbury Outdoor Center

The NENSA Coach of the Year award is given annually to honor a NENSA coach for their achievements and contributions in working with athletes in support of NENSA’s mission to sustain a vibrant and active cross country skiing community in New England. We are thrilled to share that Audrey Mangan of the Craftsbury Ski Club is the 2023 NENSA Coach of the Year!

Audrey coaches at all levels of the Craftsbury Ski Club from skiers trying the sport for the first time in the Bill Koch League to junior athletes competing for podiums at Junior Nationals. Audrey can do it all and she does it all well including supporting Craftsbury’s professional ski team (the Craftsbury Green Racing Project) in coaching and wax tech capacities. NENSA reached out to Audrey’s colleagues at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center and they had the following to share.

“Audrey is a gem of a human and an exceptional coach. In any given week, Audrey might teach toddlers how to ski, manage a pile of computer systems to organize a couple hundred people, execute an interval session for nationally competitive juniors, test and wax skis for a SuperTour, rally several dozen BKLers for a treasure hunt or round of dodgeball, meet with an athlete to tackle race day anxiety, and solicit sponsorships for a huge regional event. Somehow she does all these things quietly and modestly, never needing to be in the spotlight. Audrey’s positivity, competence, care for her athletes, and love of skiing all combine to make her a wonderful asset for our whole ski community.” – Anna Schulz

“A great teacher once told me that being a teacher is 80% about who you are as a person. As ski coaches, we not only strive to make outstanding athletes but also well-rounded young adults. Audrey’s compassion, knowledge, experience and dedication go far beyond just being a good ski coach. She is a constant example of the type of person we want all our kids to be. Any athlete who has had the privilege to work with Audrey either in our club, at JNs, U16s or EHSC has come out the other side a better person.” – Jake Barton

“If multitasking while laughing and smiling was an Olympic sport, Audrey would have won a gold medal! Anyone who has worked with Audrey knows that her laughter can fill a room and make everyone feel good but even more than that she is endlessly patient, creative and thoughtful. She is deeply respected by the athletes, parents and fellow coaches and brings so much Craftsbury Outdoor Center programs. Audrey is truly deserving of this award!” – Rick Costanza 

Photo: Craftsbury Outdoor Center

 Audrey’s boss, Judy Gear, shared that “Audrey’s calm, quiet demeanor may sometimes hide the fact that she is an incredibly energetic, capable, creative and fun-loving coach who always goes the extra mile for her kids and their families. Whether it’s supporting NE racers at JNs, or leading Craftsbury’s Bill Koch Fest planning, she puts her heart into it, to the benefit of so many NE skiers.”

Audrey leads by example remaining calm under pressure instilling confidence in her athletes all while interjecting humor and kindness into everything she does. This was clearly reflected in the sentiments shared by some of the Craftsbury Ski Club athletes and their parents.

“Audrey has been a fantastic coach/role model/mentor/friend to our crew. She has the innate ability to read the needs of the young athletes that she coaches (and their parents, as well.)”  – Scott Lange (parent)

“Audrey is an awesome coach who is always there when I need a little boost of joy and confidence before a big race. She is constantly smiling and having a good time which rubs off on the whole team and makes us race harder. She’s super serious about racing and us doing well but you would never know because it’s always fun and she never puts pressure on you to win, only to race hard and have a good time. If there was one word I’d use to describe Audrey it would be joyful.” – Sisu Lange (athlete)

“Audrey is a really wonderful coach. One of my favorite qualities of hers is how consistent and patient she is. Audrey is almost always at practice and puts forth so much effort to be calm with the kids. I also love how positive and encouraging she is.” – Dan Demaine (parent)

“Audrey earns her young skiers’ trust by seeing them as multidimensional human beings. That kind of trust encourages kids to take positive risks out on their skis and in their lives.” – Kate Linton (parent), approved by Emily and Isabel Linton (athletes)

“One thing that makes Audrey special to me is her consistent positivity. She brings a unique joyfulness to the coaching team. Even amidst the ups and downs of all the stressors, Audrey is calm and cool — and still smiling. Another is her ability to make those around her — kids and adults — feel seen.” – Alyssa Krebs (parent)

Photo: Craftsbury Outdoor Center

“​​Audrey is so deserving of this honor. She consistently embodies what we think makes a great coach. She is beyond dedicated to the youth in our program, and it shows in how she tirelessly guides athletes in a positive way and helps them reach their potential. The kids she coaches aren’t just learning to ski or race, but are also growing their love of the sport because of her joy, support, and enthusiasm, even on the tough days. We couldn’t be more grateful to have her as a coach, and we are just thrilled that NENSA is recognizing her dedication.” – Victoria von Hessert (parent)

In addition to her commitment to her Craftsbury athletes, Audrey also contributes to coaching within the greater New England community at Regional Elite Group camps and Junior Nationals. Longtime head coach of the New England Junior National Team, Matt Boobar, shared, “I have been very impressed with Audrey’s coaching and nordic sport involvement for years now. I really respect her professionalism while also blending a nice dose of reality and humor. I also have had the pleasure of helping lead the New England Junior National Team for many years now. When I see Audrey on the coaching roster I know that part of the trip will be totally dialed. This award is certainly going to a great person, coach and leader in our sport.” NENSA’s Competitive Program Director, Justin Beckwith, had similar sentiments to share saying, “Audrey has been a key player in many NENSA development programs including REG Camps and four Junior National trips. She has an impressive and varied coaching background with over a decade of experience working with athletes of all ages. Audrey has an awesome sense of humor that balances well with her firm handle on just about any situation.”

Congratulations Audrey!

Photo: Craftsbury Outdoor Center

Festival Lodging Information

Kait Miller · June 1, 2023 ·

Lodging details can be found here for the 2025 BKYSL Festival.

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New England Nordic Ski Association

New England Nordic Ski Association
P.O. Box 97
Lyme, New Hampshire 03768