New England Nordic Ski Association

Preston Noon

25 in 2020 #ThrowbackThursday

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Welcome to the second edition of Throwback Thursday. This week we jump into a Technique clinic article written by our own Peter Hendel titled “Kick Double Pole” published in the late fall of 1997 here is the article from NENN Vol.3 No.2 

KICK DOUBLE POLE – BY Peter Hendel, Holderness Ski Coach

A poorly understood and highly underused classic technique is the kick double pole, or stride double pole. One main reason for this is that most skiers do not weight shift properly and so never benefit from the power of a properly weighted kick. This may be true even if they do weight shift well in their normal diagonal stride.

Why the confusion? I think many skiers are confused in kick double pole because they have an image of the kick leg as sliding or moving backwards during the kick phase. In fact we as coaches may contribute to this misconception by having our skiers kick double pole on dryland or in front of a video by sliding their kicking foot back, which in turn forces them to weight their glide ski! On snow this translates into a premature weight shift and poor kick.

In recent years I’ve tried a sequence of drills to counter this. [see diagrams below] First I have my skiers do #7 and #8 of the Nikolai Anikin drills (falling forward with a step and a kick) and then a double poling with relaxed arms drill. Next I have them tie these three together into the kick double pole.They should pole, weight their right foot and kick off, falling forward onto their (left) glide ski. We repeat this several times to get a feel of the dynamic kick propelling us forward.

Now we move outside and try this on skis. The timing of the arms, kick and weight shift is confusing, so I provide my skiers with verbal cues by skiing behind them and yelling “pole/(weight the)left foot/ kick, pole/(weight the) right foot/ kick,” and so on.Our skiers say that the verbal cues help them get used to the rhythm of the technique and that they really begin to feel the power of a properly weighted kick.

This exercise (No.7)will help you feel the proper motion which should occur as you lean forward and transfer weight from L ski to R ski.Do not push off the opposite leg. Instead just concentrate on letting your weight naturally fall forward. Also, pay attention to your upper body position. In the step position, you should not have excess trunk compression. The rotation happens at the ankle, thus little change will occur to your trunk angle.

(No.8) Is the same exercise as No.7 only now add the kick or push phases which will cause forward rotation of your hips and a relaxed, but straiter upper leg. The kick is very, very important. Pay attention to the strait line of the body from the head to the kicking foot. The support or gliding leg must be relaxed and notice it is relatively straight. The hips must rotate up and over the gliding ski; this is obligatory.

Nikolai Anikin

Photo: Nikolai Anikin

NENSA’s 25 in 2020 Throwback Thursday

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In honor of the long history of our organization, and our beloved community of skiers across New England we are going to pause and reflect on how we got here. I myself have been reflecting quite often over the past few months because, for most everyone, the future is more undefined than it has been in living history.

A group of families, from the Berkshire Trails Nordic Ski Club (BTNSC), met on July 6th to hike a 13 mile segment of the M&M Trail. Beginning at the Notch in South Hadley, MA and ending at Mt.Tom in Holyoke, MA.  This section has been rated by Runner’s World Magazine as one of the top 10 hikes in the US.  The range is a series of small mountains close together, so after every decent, there is another climb just ahead – a lot like skiing! Uphill efforts are rewarded by beautiful views.

The lead group, doing the entire 13 miles, was not stopped even by the Connecticut River.  An obliging boat owner with the well known name of Thomas Jefferson ferried them across and they continued up Mt.Tom.

Group hiking is a lot of fun. With a little planning, a successful hike has a destination and terrain to match varying abilities.  A common starting point, with cars left at one or two intervals, allows everyone to start together, and finish where they want to.  The best part of a group hike is that everyone can hook up with someone who goes at about the same speed.  All hikers, big and small, should carry their own food and water supply. Have a favorite hiking spot? Send us the location, or plan a group hike and spread the word.

By Penny Molyneux NENN Vol.3 No.1 Early Fall 1997

Mansfield Quarantine Challenge

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Local Clubs Unite in First Virtual Challenge

Adam Terko and his Mansfield Nordic Club are leading the way with innovative programming as we head into a new training season.  Athletes were challenged to:

“Run your own uphill test, on foot, as fast as you can. The requirements for this test?
-Race must finish higher than it started: a net elevation gain. No minimum or maximum on the elevation gained…it can even finish just going up your driveway if that’s higher than the surrounding road!”  Full Details on Mansfield Site

All told 41 folks took part over three days and representing seven states or provinces, and seven clubs!

A few result highlights:

Most Elevation Silas Brown Mansfield Nordic 2803
Most feet-per-mile Theodore Mollano Dublin XC 2833.3
Longest run Andy Grab Mansfield Nordic 12.2
Shortest run Theodore Mollano Dublin XC 0.03

You can read more and see some fun photos on the MNC website here.  Bravo to all – we are adapting and thriving!

Don’t forget we are in the fourth day of the NENSA #25KinMAY Rollerski Challenge – there are currently over thirty competitors and participants signed up – our first goal – to ski 2,500 kilometers together!   Competitors have already completed challenges from North Carolina, Michigan, Ontario and throughout New England.

Anyone can join us – Great Prizes including rollerskis and poles from Swix, Swenor, Enjoy Winter and Salomon.

Chisholm Eastern Cup

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This past weekend at Black Mountain in Rumford Maine, and day two of the Bates Carnival [Day One Recap] skiers arrived for the Chisholm Eastern Cup. The rain had stopped thanks to a biting cold wind that dropped temperatures below zero.  As the parking lot filled, and the Racers, from as far away as Lake Placid, warmed up for a blue bird day of great racing, it was time to get skiing. Race headquarters was abustle the minute the doors opened, thanks to the tremendously helpful Chisholm volunteers, Bullitt Timing with the seed/start lists, and a smooth as silk bib delivery. As the course flags whipped, One hundred and sixty-six racers lined up for the start of the Womens 5k Freestyle.

The Middlebury Panthers had the podium at close to a full sweep, as Alexandra Lawson finished with a strong kick, well ahead of team mate Sophia Laukli, followed by as Margie Freed from the University of Vermont, who took third.  The U 18 girls were led in by Nina Seemann from the Stratton Mountain School, followed by an amazing tied race for Amelia Tucker and Shea Brams both from Cambridge Sports Union. For the U16 girls CSU took first and second with Sofia Scirica and Evelyn Walton, followed by Hattie Barker from Mansfield Nordic Club in third.[RESULTS HERE]

For the Men, racing a 10k, it was the Catamounts turn to reign, save Peter Wolter of Middlebury, who finished a tight second place behind Ben Ogden, with Karl Schulz in third. The U18 Men were led by Will Koch, from the Stratton Mountain School, Finn Sweet from Craftsbury in second, and Brian Bushey from Green Mountain Valley School. For the U16 Men at a distance of 5k, Jack Lange from The Putney School, Trey Jones from GMVS , and Fin Bailey from Stratton, rounded out the podium for the boys. [RESULTS HERE]

The next day the tide had turned, the wind had stopped and it seemed as though there were even fewer clouds, temperatures picked up and it was as close to a perfect day as possible for the Classic Sprints. It was a slightly more challenging course clocking in at 1.6k.

Will Koch - Stratton Mountain School

 

 

(photo by John Bernard)

Will Koch, from the Stratton Mountain School, made it look easy, with Jack Christopher, of Craftsbury, along with his team mate Finn Sweet taking the podium. [RESULTS HERE]

Callie Young of Dartmouth took a commanding finish, followed by her team mate Chelsea Moore, then Abigail Streinz of Craftsbury. Evelyn Walton, a U16 from CSU finished only a few seconds after these leaders in an amazing performance.

We couldn’t have asked for a better weekend of racing, we want to especially thank the entire staff at Black Mountain, and the outstanding volunteers from the Chisholm Ski club without whom none of this would have been possible. Extra WARM special thanks to NENSA Sponsor SIDAS for sharing their products with our community and donating heated socks to the winners and heated gloves to their coaches.

VISIT THE FULL GALLERY HERE

Adirondack Rollerski Mini Tour: Doubleday, and Climb To The Castle

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Andy Newell during the Agility portion of the Celebrity Duel at Lake Placid Olympic Jumps (photo Reese Brown)
Raleigh Goessling leading the 2018 pack up the Whiteface Toll Road (photo NENSA)

The New York Ski Educational Foundation (NYSEF), the New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA), the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) and High Peaks Cyclery (HPC) invite athletes, friends, family and fans to a Rollerski race weekend in Lake Placid, NY.  

This is the second event of the NENSA / HPC Rollerski Series, following the sensational App Gap Challenge at Mad River Glen on August 3rd. We are expecting a great turn-out of athletes from across the region, including the U.S. Biathlon Team for this mini tour.

On Saturday, September 14th the 2nd annual Lake Placid Doubleday will consist of a 3 kilometer prologue with an interval start, followed by a 1.5 kilometer cross-country ski cross (XCX) preliminary sprint. The Doubleday will begin at 9:00AM with an Athlete Safety Meeting and the Course-Opening for Inspection. 

Nina Seemann running through the “Bicycle Ramp” at the 2019 REG Agility Course (photo Matt Whitcomb)

Results from the Doubleday, will determine the starting order for day two of the event which is the legendary Climb to the Castle (C2C). 

NEW this year – High Peaks Cyclery will be hosting the C2C pre-registration / bib pickup from 6:00PM-8:00PM on Saturday night at their store in Lake Placid. Come get your bib early and socialize! Join us for smores, beverages and make new friends!

On Sunday, September 15th, the Climb to the Castle freestyle race will begin at 8:00AM. The course will start at the Whiteface toll booth, climbing for approximately 5 miles with an average 8% grade up the Memorial Highway to the summit of Whiteface Mountain – New York’s 5th highest peak with an elevation of 4,867 feet.

Registration is OPEN on SkiReg.

 

2019 App Gap Challenge

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The Tenth Running of the Gap

The high point of the Appalachian Gap in Waitsfield, VT sits more than 1600’ vertical feet above the valley below. To get there, Vermont Route 17 snakes its way from the valley floor up past Mad River Glen Ski area before topping out at 2,375 feet above sea level. The road is steep, winding, and has the reputation of being one seriously impressive climb. On Saturday August 3, this uphill stretch of pavement was the proving ground for skiers from across North America who came to ski the App Gap Challenge.

The race is hosted by the New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA), and is the first race of six in the NENSA High Peaks Cyclery Rollerski Series presented by Skitrax Magazine.

The idea of the App Gap Challenge is simple enough; an uphill rollerski skiathlon with competitors doing a skate leg before transitioning to classic skis for the final push to the summit. But if you were to look at the faces of the competitors making their way up the gap,  you would know that completing this race is no simple feat. 

Competitors stage for their event shuttles to the start of the 2019 App Gap Challenge. (Noon photo)

By the start time at 9:30 the sun was beating down on the pavement and the day was beginning to feel hot. The touring division started the day off with a handful of skiers who took advantage of the lane closure and the rare opportunity to rollerksi the gap uninhibited by cars. They were followed by the open and junior men’s field who skied a 7.5k course, and then the open and junior women’s field who skied a 5k course. The final starters of the day were waves of elite men and women who started in waves of 10, all skiing a 7.5k course on sets of matched rollerskis provided by Swenor.

Caitlin Patterson (GRP/USST) leads Sophie Caldwell (SMST2/USST), Lina Sutro (UVM) and Katharine Ogden (Dartmouth/SMST2) in the freestyle portion of the race. (Reese Brown – xcski.org)

The competitor field has grown in size and strength every year. This year saw more than 180 skiers toe the line, with members of the US Ski Team, SMS T2, Craftsbury Green Racing Project, and junior and college skiers from across the United States.

The Elite B seed included senior and junior athletes including Elliot Ketchel (Bowdoin College) who might have the most total App Gap starts (front left) and right Josh Valentine (GMVS alum), Raleigh Goessling (GRP Biathlon), Adam Glueck (Dartmouth) and Trey Jones (GMVS). Hidden from picture 2020 Youth Olympic Games competitors Will Koch (SMS) and Brian Bushey (GMVS). (Reese Brown – xcski.org)

For the second year in a row, the women’s course record fell; which truly shows the strength of the field and the increased popularity of the race. The women’s podium was made up of Katherine Ogden of Dartmouth College/SMS T2 in first place, followed by Sophie Caldwell of SMS T2/USST in second place, and Caitlin Patterson of Craftsbury Green Racing Project/USST in third place.

Caitlin Patterson 3rd, Katharine Ogden 1st, Sophie Caldwell 2nd. (Reese Brown – xcski.org)

On the men’s side, the race was won by Simi Hamilton of SMS T2/USST. Ben Lustgarden of Craftsbury Green Racing Project took second place, followed by teammate Adam Martin also of Craftsbury Green Racing Project in third place.

Open Men’s podium. Adam Martin (GRP) 3rd, Simi Hamilton (SMST2/USST) 1st and Ben Lustgarten (GRP) 2nd. All elite seed skiers skied on #2 Swenor Skate Long and Alutech Classic skis provided by NENSA and EnjoyWinter. (Reese Brown – xcski.org)

Full results can be found at Bart Timing . Photos courtesy of Reese Brown of SIA.

The men’s masters winner was Eli Enman, followed by Joel Bradley in second place and Reid Greenberg in third place.

Masters Men podium: Joel Bradley (Ford Sayre) 2nd, Eli Enman (NWVE/Rossignol) 1st and Reid Greenberg (Ethan Allen Biathlon/BagBalm) 3rd. (Smith photo)

The women’s masters podium was made up of Kathy Maddock in first place, followed by Alex Jospe in second place and Tristin Adie in third place. 

Women’s Masters podium. Alex Jospe (CSU/SMS) 2nd, Kathy Maddock (Dublin XC) 1st and Tristin Adie (Mansfield Nordic) 3rd. (Smith photo)
Open Women’s Short Course: Ursula Volz (Harvard) 2nd, Avery Ellis (Middlebury) 1st and Hillary McNamee (Ford Sayre) 3rd. (Smith photo)
NENSA staff at the transition. (Huseby photo)

 

Race and Competitive Program Program Director, Justin Beckwith, crowns Mr. Hamilton. (Smith photo)
The Nokian Tyres transition zone in the parking lot of Mad River Glen. (Smith photo)
2019 NENSA Award winners in attendance. Sverre Caldwell (SMS) – John Caldwell Award, Frost Mountain skiers – Club of the Year, Pennie Rand (Cochran’s) – Chummy Broomhall Award, Callie Young (Dartmouth) and Josh Valentine (GMVS) – Mike Gallagher Award. (Smith photo)
There is increased industry presence at NENSA events – here fun loving Wisconsinite, Jacob Huseby, from EnjoyWinter brands hams it up with NENSA staff. Special thanks to these local businesses for supporting the event: Mad River Glen, Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Bag Balm, The Swanson Inn, Green Mountain Valley School, Hyde Away Inn, Sage Restaurant, Deerfield Designs, Washington County Sheriff’s, Sabouyouma, High Peaks Cyclery, The Valley Reporter, Local Folks Smokehouse and Falcon Filming.

Continued story and pictures from our presenting media sponsor Skitrax Magazine.

 

 

2019 Club Challenge

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The 2019 NENSA Club Challenge

 
This year we had over 900 racers skiing for their clubs throughout the season. The top twenty teams had more than ten racers, with the top team having nearly two hundred. The 2019 NENSA Club Challenge is to see which club will come out on top. The goal is to help us continue our programs year round, and for you to win.
The Challenge is for each Club to donate $1 for each of your Members.  Any contribution will be greatly appreciated of course, but if you can give $1 for each one of your club members, to keep the NENSA programing we do for you and your club members running, that would be greatly appreciated!  Thank you!
 
 
 The winning club will receive an exclusive club/team feature, with club photo, in a May 2019 issue of our KickZone eNewsletter.
 
Who will be the Winning Club? 
 
 
*** We would love your FEEDBACK on our programs. 
Feel free to share this link with your club members***

Skier of the Week, and Community News

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Hello NENSA Members!

This summer, we have been working hard to help make this coming year a great one! We are proud to announce the unveiling of some new promotions that we hope will help highlight how great out community is. These range from highlighting some incredible work that our athletes are doing around the region to helping support our local clubs and teams.

NENSA has been a staple of the ski community in New England for decades, and we realize that a lot of people use our newsletters and social media posts to catch up on what is happening throughout the broader ski community. To help bring more light to the amazing things that clubs in our region are doing, as well as broader information from the national and international community, we are excited to unveil our News section of the website. It is our hope that through this we can bring light to the exceptional work that is being done. If your club has a blog that we weren’t able to find, send George an email at [email protected] with the information and he will make sure to incorporate it.

As part of highlighting the excellence of individuals in our community, Skier of the Week will highlight all sorts of amazing individuals who have done great things. These will be members of our Development and Elite Teams, as well some of the great skiers doing fantastic things for New England. Check out the website’s new News dropdown for more information from athletes and journalists to stay up to date with what is going on in the ski world. In addition to this new program, we are also going to be rolling out a whole new section for our website which will host regional and national news from the ski community. These areas will feature posts from our member club blogs, athlete blogs, and from professional news sites like FasterSkier, SkiTrax, among other ski news blogs.

In addition to all of these great new features we are hoping you take advantage of, we have a request to make. One of the things that defines the New England Ski Community, are our local clubs and schools. These groups are what make this community cohesive across such a broad swath of the region, and act as the first steps to introduce people to skiing. These clubs rely on wonderful people who love skiing to foster a love for the sport all throughout New England. Unfortunately, coaches move on, and when that happens it falls on the community to make sure that these great programs keep going. This is a great way to get involved with your local community, so give our Club Job Postings page a look! We are happy to promote the health of all of our local clubs, so please do consider reaching out if you have the time to help bring more people into the skiing community.

 

Craftsbury Outdoor Center Extends Team Lodging Rates to Current NENSA Members

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coc_banner_logoTo celebrate winter’s arrival, we’re offering our team lodging rates to all current (Winter ‘16-17) NENSA members – the entire NENSA team! From Sunday, November 27, until December 16, you’re invited to come enjoy early-season snow and training opportunities at Craftsbury starting at $75/person/nt double occupancy, $81/person/nt single occupancy in our dorm-style accommodations.

These reduced rates still include three healthy, ample meals daily from our Dining Hall, plus skiing – as well as our other amenities, like our Activity Center, sauna, and wifi.

What if the weather changes? We’ll waive our standard cancellation policy until December 16th. We’re skiers too, and understand you’d rather not be locked in to lodging contracts if the weather goes south. If we can’t provide you with at least a kilometer of skiable snow in time for your stay, we’ll give you your money back.

Celebrate the new season with Craftsbury! Follow our conditions and current news via our snow report, Facebook and Twitter streams, then call us at 802-586-7767 and reserve your spot today.

NEW! Nordic Team Night at L.L. Bean Bike, Boat & Ski Store – Dec. 1

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Dear Nordic Coaches,

We would like to invite you and your athletes to our Nordic Team Night at L.L. Bean Bike, Boat and Ski Store on Thursday, December 1st. This is going to be a blast, so please RSVP by the end of day on Tuesday, November 29th. Coaches, this is the most current list we had, so please pass this invite along to other coaches in your district if they were not included.  Parents are welcome to join.

L.L. Bean Nordic Team Night

Here is what we have planned for you!

4pm-5:30pm– Dryland Training with Lilly Naimie. Please see her Bio below.

  • Snacks- veggies, energy bars and drinks will be provided after your workout

5:30pm- 6:30pm- Clinics

  • Strength and Conditioning with Coach Joel Hinshaw from Freeport High School & Employee Wellness at L.L. Bean
  • Waxing with Bruce Diehl from Swix, Toko & Salomon

6:30pm- 7:30pm- Get Sized Up- Factory Reps will help you select boots, skis, bindings and poles

  • Sales reps will be here from Salomon, Rossignol, Fischer, Craft & L.L. Bean
  • Special pricing will be available for the racers from our ski vendors on this night only! Orders will be placed immediately with the reps after you have been sized.
  • Special deals will also be offered by Craft on select base layers.
  • Coaches this is the time to get your wax order in for the season! Special team night pricing will be available from Swix & Toko.

We will hand out the 20% off L.L. Bean Nordic Ski Team Cards to all attendees so you can get your free hot box and take advantage of the discount all season long.

There will be several door prizes and raffles. You could even win signed gear from the US Ski Team!!

 ———————

Lilly Naimie- NCAA Colby Ski Racer

Lilly is a native of New Hampshire, who considers the Jackson XC Ski Touring Center to be her home trail network, Lilly Naimie learned to ski at an early age.  She spent her Bill Koch League (BKL) days with the Blackwater Nordic Club in Hopkinton, NH and her high school years skiing for Bow High School, one of the largest public high school teams in New Hampshire.  While at Bow, she led her team to three state championships.  In the individual standings she finished on the podium in 7 of 8 state championship races over her career, including being crowned state champion in her senior year.  She skied at the Eastern High School Championships all four of her high school years, improving her overall place each season.  She was the top female recruit from NH in the graduating class of 2015.  Last year, as a freshman at Colby College, Lilly represented the Mules in all but two EISA Carnivals, including the NCAA Eastern Regionals.  Over the past summer, Lilly was a BKL coach at the 4 day NH Development Camp in Dublin, NH.  Her goals for the upcoming season are to be one of the top four skiers on the Colby women’s team and to qualify for Junior Nationals.

Thanks and we look forward to seeing you!

Jennifer Elgaaen
Store Manager
L.L. Bean Bike, Boat and Ski
57 Main St
Freeport, Maine 04069