New England Nordic Ski Association

The Home of Cross Country Skiing in New England

Introductory

JacksonXC & JacksonXC BKL to host 2026 Bill Koch Festival

· ·

The New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA) is excited to announce that the 2026 New England Bill Koch League (BKL) Festival will be hosted by JacksonXC BKL and JacksonXC in Jackson, New Hampshire from February 28 to March 1, 2026. 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 across New England and New York come together for a weekend of skiing, community, and celebration. The Festival features races for all ability levels, from kindergarten through 8th grade, alongside a wide range of engaging Nordic adventure activities.

For 2026, NENSA is thrilled to partner with the enthusiastic team at JacksonXC BKL and JacksonXC, who bring a deep history of cross-country skiing tradition, welcoming trails, and a vibrant local ski culture to this cherished event. Participants can look forward to a full weekend that includes age-group relay and individual races, spirited celebrations, and an exciting theme (to be announced later in the summer!).

BKL Festival Saturday Credit: @flyingpoint March 1, 2025 ©2025 flyingpointroad.com

For the first time, NENSA has accepted host bids for both the 2026 and 2027 Bill Koch League Festivals. While more details will be shared in the future, we are excited to announce that the 2027 Festival has been awarded to the Southern Vermont (SOVT) District and Prospect Mountain. Stay tuned for dates and additional information, which will be announced next summer!

All Festival information will be posted on our website 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 mackenzie@nensa.net.

Kai Miller Returns to NENSA as Community Engagement Director

· ·

NENSA is thrilled to welcome Kai Miller back to our team as Community Engagement Director!

Kai brings a lifelong love of skiing, a deep commitment to equity in the outdoors, and extensive experience within the cross-country skiing community and beyond. A NENSA member since childhood, Kai began skiing with friends through Stowe Nordic’s Bill Koch League and attended their first Bill Koch Festival in 1999. As a Junior, they raced for the Craftsbury Nordic Ski Club before going on to ski and study at Bowdoin College, where they earned a degree in Biology and Visual Art. Kai later competed professionally with the Craftsbury Green Racing Project and represented the U.S. at the 2018 Winter Olympics. During their time with the GRP, they also coached youth ski and bike programs and organized a summer trail race series at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center, helping to build a vibrant, inclusive community.

From 2020 to 2023, Kai served as NENSA’s Youth & Introductory Program Director, working tirelessly to create welcoming and inclusive opportunities for all, expand access to skiing, and support youth across the Northeast US. NENSA programming developed by Kai is serving the next generation in their journeys on skis and through life. Kai was recognized by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Foundation, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, and Team USA Partner Comcast for their work at NENSA as a 2023 Team USA Community Champion.

Most recently, Kai expanded their communications and marketing skills at a mission-driven staffing agency, further deepening their expertise in storytelling and outreach. Simultaneously, Kai channeled their art and design talents into the creation of Star Pudding Design, a graphic design studio. All the while, Kai has remained involved with the ski community in New England as a member of the advisory board for the new Mansfield Pro Nordic Team,  a member of NENSA’s Transgender Committee, and a design consultant at NENSA.

Heidi Lange, Executive Director, is thrilled to welcome Kai back to the NENSA team. “Kai returns to NENSA with the creativity and vision for making skiing more accessible and inspiring for all. With years of experience as a skier, program director, artist, and communications specialist, they bring a deep commitment to an inclusive, active ski community and a collaborative and welcoming spirit to our team and the NENSA community. I couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome them back to NENSA!”

Kai shares, “After working as the Communications Manager for an equitable staffing agency and further developing my marketing and communication skills, I’m excited to return to NENSA as the Community Engagement Director. NENSA’s work and mission has been personally impactful and I’m looking forward to nurturing and sustaining an active ski community for all and giving back to an organization that has helped shape my life.”

NENSA Board Member and Past-Chair Carol Van Dyke was also Kai’s BKL coach. Considering their many years of connection, she shares, “So excited Kai is back joining the NENSA staff. They are a multi-talented intelligent person with a plethora of experience with all aspects of cross country skiing which I have joyfully witnessed since they were a Lollipopper. NENSA will benefit immensely with Kait’s organizational skills and energetic vision.”

“My favorite ski memory is a 12-hour solstice ski with my sister and our best friends who we met through the Bill Koch League,” Kai recalls. “We had a rule that we couldn’t take off our skis so we took breaks by sitting on a cabin porch with our skis dangling over the edge. And as all good adventures should be, our ski was largely fueled by cookies and hot cocoa.”

Kai reflects, “In collaboration with the staff, I’m looking forward to finding creative ways to better connect with our community members and amplify their stories and successes.”

NENSA Board Chair Ellen Chandler knows firsthand the contributions Kait brings: “Kai’s commitment to cross country skiing knows no bounds; they are always looking for new ways to engage and expand our community. I have enjoyed working with Kai on specific events and know that our organization will benefit from their professional expertise across the range of NENSA programs.”

Please join us in giving Kai a warm welcome back and stay tuned for stories and opportunities to come!

The Community Engagement Director at NENSA leads communications, storytelling, and outreach efforts that deepen community connections, strengthen the organization’s brand, and advance NENSA’s mission. This leadership role involves managing digital content, social media, partnerships, and member engagement while championing inclusion and amplifying visibility across NENSA’s diverse programs and events.

The position has been most recently held by Isabel Caldwell, who remains part of the NENSA team in a part-time role focused on skier development (including, of course, Tuesday Tracks!) while returning to the classroom as a middle school science teacher. We’re celebrating this new chapter with Isabel and are deeply grateful for the passion and creativity she continues to bring to our ski community and beyond.

2026 Women’s Day to take place January 25th at Holderness School Nordic Center

· ·

NENSA is excited to share that the 25th edition of Women’s Day will take place where it all began in 2002, at the Holderness School Nordic Center in Holderness, NH on Sunday, January 25th. We could not be more thrilled to return to the original venue for this special event.

2026 marks the 25th anniversary of the New England Women’s XC Ski Day – a cherished tradition that brings together women of all levels for a day of inspiration, camaraderie, and winter adventure.

Founded in 2002 by Olympian Trina Hosmer of Stowe, Vermont, this event was inspired by the energy of Alaska’s Ski for Women event. Trina’s vision was simple but powerful: create a space where women can connect, learn, and thrive on skis – all while supporting women-centered causes. Each year, we choose a local nonprofit organization that supports women, with event proceeds going directly to that cause.

At the heart of Women’s XC Ski Day are fun, welcoming learn-to-ski clinics led by all-women instructor teams. Whether you’re brand new to the sport or looking to refine your technique, the emphasis is on joy, community, and encouragement.

The day also includes:

  • A delicious lunch to refuel and connect
  • A spirited raffle with great prizes from our fantastic sponsors
  • A vibrant gathering of kindred spirits who love winter and adventure
  • A sponsor expo from many of our women-owned small business partners and ski demos opportunities

In addition to this event being open to all women, we also encourage and support the participation of nonbinary people who are comfortable in a space that centers the experience of women. This event is about more than skiing, it’s about celebrating who we are and enjoying the outdoors together.

Join us in honoring 25 years of Women’s Day, and be part of the next chapter in this empowering legacy!

Full event details to follow this fall. Registration will open November 15th. Stay tuned to our event webpage HERE and sign up for our newsletter HERE for updates.

2025 Concord Area Learn-to-Ski Recap

· ·

On February 9th, SkiTheBeav once again partnered with Concord Parks and Recreation, JacksonXC, S&W Sports, Delta Dental and NENSA to host the annual Learn-to-Ski day and 5k Community Ski Race at the Beaver Meadow Municipal Golf Course. Snow fell the night before the event, which guaranteed near-perfect midwinter conditions, and ideal snow for the skiers who were trying the sport for the first time. Nearly 30 racers and dozens of BKL skiers participated in the morning races, and nearly 80 new skiers clipped into bindings for the first time.

Originally scheduled for February 2nd, we once again had to postpone due to insufficient snow cover. Fortunately, winter finally arrived in the interceding week, allowing us to move forward with the event on our “rain date”. The event kicked off with a spirited community race in the morning, drawing skiers of all ages and abilities to the trails for a fun and friendly competition. Participants, including local ski enthusiasts and newcomers, tackled a well-groomed (but perhaps not particularly well-marked!) course in a race designed to celebrate the joy of Nordic skiing rather than intense competition. The results can be found here. Alongside the community race, Bill Koch League (BKL) events provided young skiers with an exciting opportunity to build their skills and confidence on snow through a playful challenge. The energy on the trails was infectious, with families and friends cheering on participants as they crossed the finish line, setting the stage for a day filled with learning and adventure.

Morning and afternoon ski clinics were offered for individuals six years and older who had never been on cross-country skis before. Our goal remained the same: to create an inclusive and welcoming environment where participants could try out a new sport and enjoy gliding on snow. JacksonXC provided ski equipment, and Concord-area coaches and instructors led the clinics, teaching classic cross-country skiing fundamentals, including skiing on flat terrain, getting up from a fall, climbing, and navigating downhills. 

Thanks to the Parks & Recreation department’s ongoing efforts, the trails were beautifully groomed for the day, and S&W sports brought in vendors showcasing the latest in skis, boots, poles and binding technology. The onsite restaurant, the Broken Tee offered hot food and drink for those who were interested in filling up after their morning of activity. A large number of volunteers from throughout the capital region were essential to the event’s success.

The energy and excitement for cross-country skiing in Concord continues to grow, and it was truly inspiring to see nearly eighty participants take to the trails for the first time.

SkiTheBeav, a nonprofit dedicated to improving publicly available skiing at Beaver Meadow Municipal Golf Course, organized the event. In addition to their ongoing efforts to enhance trail access and grooming, SkiTheBeav is actively working with the city to invest in snowmaking. This investment would make events like this easier to accomplish in the future and would ensure more reliable access to low-cost outdoor recreation all winter long in the capital area.

We are deeply grateful to the coaches and instructors who volunteered their time and expertise to make this event a success. A huge thank you to JacksonXC and SkiTheBeav for providing equipment and to Concord Parks & Recreation for maintaining the trails for the event. We also extend our appreciation to our sponsors—S&W Sports, Delta Dental and the Jackson Ski Touring Foundation—as well as special thanks to the representatives from Salomon, Rossignol, and Fischer who joined us on-site to support the event.

Finally, a heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated! We can’t wait to see you out on the trails again soon!

Thanks to Susan Woods and Sam Evans-Brown for the recap and photos!

Jackson XC Celebrates the formation of its new BKL Club with the Jackson Yeti & Youth Activity Day!

· ·

We are excited to announce the formation of a new BKL Club in Northern New Hampshire: Jackson XC Ski Club. The new club celebrated its development by hosting the Jackson Yeti and Youth Activity Day!

There were 21 kids (ages 5-11) in attendance and 12 adults. Kids enjoyed games, a relay race and the choice of short, medium or long tour. The tours included a yeti scavenger hunt / memory game. After their time on snow, everyone enjoyed hot chocolate and snacks together at JacksonXC.

Thank you to our valued NENSA Partners