Kait Miller

This past winter, skiers all across the northeast participated in NENSA’s third annual virtual XC Ski Bingo game completing activities ranging from creating obstacle courses to gliding contests to trying another winter sport.  Participants could get Bingo by completing a row or column of activities and this year we also offered a Bingo card for adults and juniors! This winter there were a total of 55 unique participants skiing in 6 states (MA, ME, NH, NY, VT, and CA) in 2 countries (US and Canada) at 37 different ski areas! Participants also collectively partook in 10 different NENSA events (which earned them a checked box on their card this year). The smiles and stories shared by participants are fun and heartwarming, and we were thrilled to see how many people got outside to play on their skis this winter in spite of challenging snow conditions for much of the year. Below are some comments, stories, and photos from the participants themselves.

“My favorite was skiing in the dark. We even skied without our headlights on under a full moon.”

“I built my best obstacle course ever.”

“I had an awesome wipeout on the ski jump!”

“We saw a porcupine during our BKL weekly ski, just munching away on a fern. I practiced spinning on my skis with my dad – almost got a 270! We had fun skiing in Maine at Quarry Road for the first time. Despite there being no natural snow, the conditions were great on the snowmaking loop!”

“I learned how to play Quiddich with my new ski friends at Gould! So fun!”

“Dugway Trace was finally open and we skied all the way to the top! The best part is the rollercoaster back down and I didn’t snow plow!”

“First time on skate skis this year, completed 180 for the first time and will try for 360 soon!”

“I had fun teaching my friends how to play Fire in the Forest on skis!”

“We are once again doing the Bingo sheet as a middle school team. Our most fun activity was not a square. We linked arms in groups of 4 and skied down a hill with a sizable turn. We laughed A LOT!! A few screams too. We also had a blast building and going off the jump. Our first NENSA race will be this Saturday, one more box!”

Click below for more Bingo photos and see what participants have been up to all winter. And last, but not least, a big thank you to our NENSA sponsors and partners for the awesome monthly raffle prizes! Happy spring!

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Last week the top 14 and 15 year-old skiers in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont traveled to Fort Kent, Maine to compete in the three day Eastern U16 Championship event hosted at the Fort Kent Outdoor Center (FKOC). Eastern U16 Championships is the premier event for U16 cross country ski racers in New England and New York. The goal of the event is to provide the highest quality competition for U16 athletes to learn and develop as skiers and people. Eastern U16 Champs (U16s) began modestly in 1992 and has grown into one of the highlights of the season for junior athletes. This past week, skiers were warmly welcomed into the Fort Kent community where they found snowy race courses that were well maintained and prepared for them by the dedicated folks at the FKOC. 

Below we have featured the top-10 results for the individual races and the top-5 for the relay as well as the top-3 overall individual standings. While we are highlighting these finishes, we want to take a moment to acknowledge every athlete who stepped onto the start line this weekend and tried their hardest out there on the race course!

Championship racing action kicked off at on Friday afternoon with a wave start 5k freestyle race. The boys raced first followed by the girls.  Here is local news coverage of the Friday races courtesy of WAGM news.

Boys 5k Skate Top-10 Results:
1: Jonah Gorman, VT
2: Lorenzo Atocha, VT
3: Parker Nellis, ME
3: Matthew McIntosh, VT
5: Sisu Lange, VT
6: Matias Citarella, VT
7: Sullivan Sturtz, NH
8: Calvin Collins-Knapp, MA
9: Eric Fulton, NH
10: Timothy Craddock, VT

Girls 5k Skate Top-10 Results:
1: Anika Leahy, VT
2: Elli Englund, NH
3: Hannah Petersen, MA
4: Lea Perreard, NH
5: Ella Ronci, NH
6: Kate Carlson, VT
7: Alexandria Taylor, MA
8: Estella Laird, VT
9: Leigh Niedeck, MA
10: Ella McEntee, VT

Saturday morning kicked off with a 5k wave start classic race in exciting conditions due to dense, heavy snow that fell overnight. Thanks to the groomers for the long hours that went into getting the course race-ready Saturday morning!

Boys 5k Classic Top-10 Results:
1: Parker Nellis, ME
2: Lorenzo Atocha, VT
3: Beckett Cote, ME
4: Jonah Gorman, VT
5: Luke DeBitetto, VT
6: Sisu Lange, VT
7: Eric Fulton, NH
8: Sullivan Sturtz, NH
9: Tait Harvey, ME
9: Ivan Ivanov, VT

Girls 5k Classic Top-10 Results:
1: Lea Perreard, NH
2: Anika Leahy, VT
3: Elli Englund, NH
4: Ella Ronci, NH
5: Leigh Niedeck, MA
6: Kate Carlson, VT
7: Alexandria Taylor, MA
8: Sara McGill, VT
9: Estella Laird, VT
10: Hannah Petersen, MA

Saturday afternoon the much anticipated cross country cross (XCX) sprint event got underway. This event featured a 1.25k course with a drop jump, hairpin turns, a slalom hill, big rollers, and bicycle bumps.  Like all the previous races, athletes started in waves. Congrats to everyone for tackling this exciting and challenging course! In fact it looked so fun that the coaches gave the race a shot with impromptu wave starts following the final official girls wave.

Boys XCX Top-10 Results:
1: Jonah Gorman, VT
2: Lorenzo Atocha, VT
3: Timothy Craddock, VT
4: Sisu Lange, VT
5: Ivan Ivanov, VT
6: Parker Nellis, ME
7: Matthew McIntosh, VT
8: Matias Citarella, VT
9: Grayson Hoeft, ME
10: Calvin Collins-Knapp, MA

Girls XCX Top-10 Results:
1: Anika Leahy, VT
2: Elli Englund, NH
3: Ella Ronci, NH
4: Nora McCourt, ME
5: Leigh Niedeck, MA
6: Georgia Eckhardt, NH
7: Skyla Mace, NH
8: Hannah Petersen, MA
9: Isabel Linton, VT
10: Tillie Lange, VT

Sunday morning dawned sunny and bright for the final day of racing action featuring the mixed relay. After all the weekend races came to a close, Vermont had tallied the most number of points claiming the overall team win. Thank you to all the states for an action packed weekend of fun racing and camaraderie!

      

Mixed Relay Top-5 Results:
1: NH-1 Sullivan Sturtz, Lea Perreard, Eric Fulton & Elli Englund
2: VT-1 Lorenzo Atocha, Kate Carlson, Jonah Gorman & Anika Leahy
3: MA-1 Fritz Sanders, Leigh Niedeck, Calvin Collins-Knapp & Hannah Petersen
4: NH-2 Nicholas Ring, Ella Ronci, Isaac Novosad & Skyla Mace
5: ME-1 Beckett Cote, Rowan Tanguay, Parker Nellis & Nora McCourt

Boys Overall Individual 3 Event Standings (Top-3):
1: Jonah Gorman, VT
2: Lorenzo Atocha, VT
3: Parker Nellis, ME

Girls Overall Individual 3 Event Standings (Top-3):
1: Anika Leahy, VT
2: Elli Englund, NH
3: Ella Ronci, NH

[maxbutton id=”4″ url=”https://bullitttiming.com/events/U16s-2023″ text=”RESULTS” ]

Before we wrap up, we want to take a moment to thank the FKOC for everything they put into hosting this fantastic event. We also want to thank our NENSA sponsors for their ongoing support of our Championship events, Eastern Amateur Educational Foundation (EASEF) for supporting athletes all across the East in attending EHSC. Also a big thank you to our race officials, the in-house timing crew at the FKOC, and Bullitt Timing. And last but not least, thank you to all the athletes and coaches for bringing your energy, enthusiasm, and love of skiing to this event!

After three years we were thrilled to bring back the full three-day Eastern High School Championship event! We couldn’t have asked for a better weekend at the Rikert Outdoor Center with excellent snow conditions, clear skies, and a committed group of staff and volunteers.

Eastern High School Championships (EHSC) is the premier event for high school and prep school racers in New England and New York. Athletes qualify for the EHSC through state qualifying races in which up to 24 boys and 24 girls are selected from each state. Championship racing action kicked off at Rikert on Friday afternoon with an individual start 5k freestyle race. The boys raced first followed by the girls. The full 5k course was in mint condition thanks to the recent snowfall and exceptional grooming by the Rikert Outdoor Center staff.

5k Freestyle Boys:
1: Baxter Harrington, VT
2: Benjamin Condit, ME
3: Quinn McDermott, MA
4: Nico Hochanadel, VT
5: Sage Grossi, VT
6: Brady Morigeau, VT
7: Leo Circosta, VT
8: Taylor Carlson, VT
9: James Underwood, VT
10: Eli Shifrin, ME

5k Freestyle Girls:
1: Lea Perread, NH
2: Greta Kilburn, VT
3: Elli Englund, NH
4: Hannah Petersen, MA
5: Ava Rothe, NH
6: Anika Leahy, VT
7: Margaret Voisin, VT
8: Cora Hinsdill, NY
9: Carli Krebs, NH
10: Hannah Bennet, NH

Saturday morning kicked off with  a three lap 7.5k mass start classic race. After a three year hiatus due to COVID followed by low snow, it was thrilling to experience the total stillness in the stadium followed an airhorn and 110 athletes charging off the line.

7.5k Classic Mass Start Boys:
1: Quinn McDermott, MA
2: Oliver Wilson, NH
3: Eli Shifrin, ME
4: James Underwood, VT
5: Matthew Clarner, NH
6: Abrahm Giessinger, ME
7: Benjamin Condit, ME
8: Leo Circosta, VT
9: Jared Rife, MA
10: Nathan Doughty, MA

7.5k Classic Mass Start Girls:
1: Ruth White, ME
2: Lea Perread, NH
3: Elli Englund, NH
4: Cora Hinsdill, NY
5: Adah Chapman, NH
6: Greta Killburn, VT
7: Kayley Bell, ME
8: Annabelle Brooks, ME
9: Clara White, ME
10: Hannah Bennett, NH

After a lunch break, the sun started to peak out from behind the clouds and freestyle wave start sprinting action got underway. The course was fun and technical featuring a hefty climb and a barrel turn. The race format featured waves of five athletes with one athlete from each state (MA, ME, NH, NY & VT). After the sprint race, we honored the top 3 overall individual athletes whose ranking was determined using points from the first three individual races.

Skate Sprint Boys:
1: Sage Grossi, VT
2: Eli Shifrin, ME
3: Benjamin Condit, ME
4: Quinn McDermott, MA
5: James Underwood, VT
6: Joseph Graziadei, VT
7: Sawyer Weale, NH
8: Nico Hochanadel, VT
9: Brady Morigeau, VT
10: Oliver Wilson, NH

Skate Sprint Girls:
1: Greta Kilburn, VT
2: Lea Perread, NH
3: Ava Rothe, NH
4: Margaret Voisin, VT
5: Summer Bentley, NH
6: Adah Chapman, NH
7: Elli Englund, NH
8: Anika Leahy, VT
9: Cora Hinsdill, NY
10: Alexandria Taylor, MA

Individual Overall Boys:
1: Quinn McDermott, MA
2: Benjamin Condit, ME
3: Eli Shifrin, ME

Individual Overall Girls:
1: Lea Perread, NH
2: Greta Kilburn, VT
3: Elli Englund, NH

Fueled by an exceptionally tasty banquet held at the Breadloaf Inn Saturday evening, athletes toed the line Sunday morning for the final race of the championship event–the 4 x 2.5k mixed relay. The race was tight and exciting right down to the finishing stretch. Following the relay, team scores were tallied with Team Vermont winning the Graham Taylor Cup with the highest team score!

Mixed Relay:
1: NH (Oliver Wilson, Lea Perread, Matthew Clarner & Elli Englund)
2: VT (James Underwood, Greta Kilburn, Baxter Harrington & Anika Leahy)
3: NH (Will Putnam, Adah Chapman, Sawyer Weal & Ava Rothe)
4: VT (Peter McKenna, Ava Whitney, Sage Grossi & Ruth Krebs)
5: VT (Leo Circosta, Margaret Voisin, Nico Hochanadel & CarolineTarmy

[maxbutton id=”4″ url=”https://bullitttiming.com/events/EHS-2023″ text=”RESULTS” ]

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Before we wrap up, we want to take a moment to thank the Rikert Outdoor Center and Frost Mountain Nordic for everything they put into hosting a fantastic event. Three of the state teams and all the race officials stayed at the Breadloaf Inn right at Rikert which was a new and special opportunity made possible by Middlebury College. We also want to thank our NENSA sponsors for their ongoing support of our Championship events, Eastern Amateur Educational Foundation (EASEF) for supporting athletes all across the East in attending EHSC. Also our race officials and Bullitt Timing for timing and data management. And last but not least, thank you to all the athletes and coaches for bringing your energy, enthusiasm, and love of skiing to this event!

 

What a weekend! Despite a winter storm, over 650 skiers made it to the 2023 Bill Koch League Festival resulting in the largest Festival ever by over 100 children, with skiers making the trek to the Craftsbury Outdoor Center from as far away as Moosehead, Maine and Rochester, New York.  The fresh snow not only made the skiing incredible, it also made the woods even more wintery which was perfect for an event themed The Northwoods in Winter.

This youth cross country ski festival is the marquee event of the New England Nordic Ski Association’s 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.  The 2023 Festival featured racing, as well as a wide range of non-competitive winter activities, for skiers of all ability levels from kindergarten up to 8th grade.

This weekend long event had something for everyone with radar speed runs, a terrain park featuring some epic jumps, a critter count orienteering adventure, a costumed parade of athletes, mega dodgeball games, a climate action interactive art mural, and laser biathlon with US Biathlon. There were also stations further afield that skiers could visit along the mini-marathon course. These activities centered on the theme of the Northwoods in Winter and included winter survival skills and animal ID with the Northwoods Stewardship Center; draft horse logging rides with Sterling College; and maple sugaring demos, education, and tasting with the University of VT Extension Center.

We were also thrilled to have Bill Koch himself at the event cheering on athletes, shaking hands, signing autographs, and sharing his love of the sport with all the young skiers.  We are so grateful that he is still so involved with youth skiing and actively working to ensure that having fun remains at the core of skiing for racers and recreational skiers alike.

On the racing front, Saturday featured the skate relay event which kicked off in a snow storm while Sunday saw the paired and individual start classic races.  Sunday also featured the 8th Grade Graduation where the 8th graders skied a lap together as a group to commemorate their time in the Bill Koch League.  They then lined the finish corral and handed out lollipops to the the newest and youngest event participants as they crossed the line.  The graduates were then congratulated by Bill Koch and received a graduation certificate.

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Spirits were high the entire weekend and the cheering was loud and encouraging. Camaraderie, community, and joy were omnipresent at this celebratory youth ski event and photos speak louder than words to convey that.  We are so grateful to the Craftsbury Outdoor Center and the Craftsbury Ski Club for being incredible hosts and organizers.  The BKL Organizing Committee dedicated considerable time, energy, and expertise to the planning and implementation of this event and the number of dedicated volunteers who helped with the event was unprecedented.  Truly the whole Craftsbury community stepped up to make this event happen.

Before we wrap up this recap, we’d like to express our gratitude to our associate NENSA level sponsors – L.L.Bean, Swix, Salomon, and Fischer, and make special shoutout to the folks from Fischer, Skida, Salomon, and Swix who joined us on-site.  And last but not least, a huge thank you to all the participants, District Chairs, parents/caregivers/chaperones, and coaches who joined us in Craftsbury, Vermont. We hope to see you all again next year!

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Check out the Bill Koch League Festival on the local news HERE and watch our NENSA recap video below!

 

 

The following write-up is from former NENSA Executive Director Amie W. Smith who, among many other roles, is now on the Prospect Mountain Association Board and working to bring local elementary school students to Prospect Mountain to ski. Photos courtesy of Shaftesbury Elementary School principle, Jeff Johnson. We’re grateful to Amie and our other coordinators who are working to bridge the gap between the school-based Nordic Rocks programs and additional local programming offered at ski centers!

Over the past 7 years, The New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA) Nordic Rocks program, a school based introductory learn to ski program, has brought the joy of cross country skiing to several thousand kids all over the Northeast.  

NENSA’s Nordic Rocks program is generously funded by the Share Winter Foundation and the Killington World Cup Foundation and was developed to introduce children in grades K-6 to the excitement of cross country skiing. Nordic Rocks provides elementary school students with an opportunity to experience cross country skiing during the school day with their teachers and classmates, and to learn the health and lifestyle benefits associated with exercise and outdoor fun. The overarching goal of this program is to provide all children with an opportunity to ski.

This winter, the Prospect Mountain Association (PMA), the volunteer lead nonprofit that runs Prospect Mountain Nordic Center in Woodford Vermont, has taken this opportunity one step further.  PMA has reached out to elementary schools in the Southwestern Vermont Supervisory Union (SVSU) who have Nordic Rocks program in place, to offer them the opportunity to ski at Prospect Mountain on their 8 half-day Wednesdays during January, February, and March.  This winter, students from Shaftsbury Elementary, Monument Elementary, and Pownal Elementary are taking advantage of this free program.  PMA has offered these schools free rental equipment, free trail passes, and free instruction for 2 hours on these Wednesday half days.  The kids have just loved this program and the opportunity to ski on full sets of equipment at a real cross country ski venue and have lessons from the wonderful group of PMA coach volunteers.  

The goal of Nordic Rocks has always been to be an introductory ski program, with the goal of kids having the opportunity to “graduate” to other ski programs in their area when appropriate.  The Prospect Mountain Wednesday half day program fulfills this Nordic Rocks goal and is right in line with Prospects mission to provide opportunities for kids to learn to ski and embrace and enjoy our Vermont winters.  Amie W. Smith, PMA Board member, has been spearheading this new half day Wednesday winter program at the Prospect Mountain Nordic Center.  She, and the PMA Board, feel strongly about having the local school kids learn to ski, and experience our wonderful local resource that is Prospect Mountain!  The PMA Board’s goal is to one day have every elementary school in the SVSU be a part of this program and offer XC skiing to every child who wants to learn.

Another local option for youth to learn to ski is the Bill Koch League (BKL) Youth Program which is also offered at Prospect Mountain on Tuesday and Thursday after school.  Both progression and opportunity are important in learning to ski.  Progression is the age and skill level movement to more advanced opportunities. Opportunities are now available for our local Southern Vermont community youth in the Nordic Rocks programs found in some of our elementary schools, in the Prospect Mountain Association half day Wednesday learn to ski program, and in the BKL program offered at Prospect Mountain.