Summerlike weather has inspired lots of folks to join the fun of #25kinmay for the third year in a row.  This challenge was originally a way for our community to be together when they couldn’t due the pandemic.  Luckily the immediacy of a virtual challenge is not as pressing these days — yet the catchy nature of “K’s” in “May” might just be here to stay!  It’s also a way to get folks stoked for another year of rollerski races and Learn to Rollerski clinics — which will be rolled out at the end of this month.  If you take a look at our calendar you will see the summer is already full of opportunities to plug into in-person cross country skiing events.

Read on to learn more about few highlighted programs:

Eastern Regional Camp (REG)

Forty two athletes have confirmed their attendance at the Eastern Regional Camp to be held at Craftsbury July 2-7.  This U.S. Ski & Snowboard development project hosted in conjunction with NENSA and Mid Atlantic and will be supported by US Ski Team coaches Greta Anderson and Matt Whitcomb.  We are also excited to be hosting the Lost Nation Roll (an open rollerski race) as a part of this camp.

Confirmed Athletes:
Men: Ellis Slover, Micah Bruner, Tyler Watt, Benjamin Jenkin, Gordon Fagan, Anders Linseisen, Tabor Greenberg, Quinn McDermott, Sam Gallaudet, Jack Lange, Luke Rizio, Braden Bellizzi, Caden Cote, Fin Bailey, Janne Koch, Wyatt Teaford, Tzevi Schwartz, Andrew Scanio, Lucas Palcsik, Joe Graziadei, Elvis McIntosh
Women: Emma Page, Anika Leahy, Virginia Cobb, Amelia Circosta, Clara Lake, Emelia Jordan, Sofia Scirica, Cat Stow, Evelyn Walton, Hattie Barker, Emma Charles, Sophia Kelting, Aggie Macy, Julia Thurston, Ava Thurston, Quincy Massey-Bierman, Catherine Anzellotti, Isabelle Serrano, Francesca Kitch, Maggie McGee, Liza Bell

Regional Development Group (RDG) Camp:
RDG is a NENSA project that provides New England’s developing junior skiers with the opportunity to come together for several days of training, learning, and camaraderie. In addition to providing the obvious benefit of gathering motivated athletes in a shared setting, we strive to offer high-level coaching at excellent training venues as a means of introducing athletes to the next level of training and racing. RDG camp is meant to complement the longstanding Regional Elite Group (REG) camp and expand the number of athletes invited to attend summer regional development opportunities.

Athletes are selected to attend RDG based on the NENSA U18/U20 ranking list; NENSA U16 ranking list; New England Eastern High School Championship overall results, and New England U16 Championship overall results.

This camp will also take place at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center from July 29-31.  Initial invitations were sent on May 16th – and a second round of invitations will be sent on Friday, May 20th based on acceptances.

U16 National Camp:
This U.S. Ski & Snowboard development camp is being redesigned post pandemic.  There will now be two camps: one in the West and one in partnership with the Central and Eastern divisions.  The top eight U16’s on the Junior Ranking lists (8 male and 8 female) will be invited to this project when the final details are confirmed by the US Ski Team.  The hope is to host the camp at the end of July or beginning of August and it will be supported by Bryan Fish, USSS Cross Country Development Director.  The proposed location is Lake Placid, NY with a backup of Marquette, Michigan.  NENSA is hopeful the dates and location will be confirmed the week of May 23rd.

NENSA Rollerski Clinic at Gould Academy: June 11
Join NENSA and Gould Academy for the second annual Bethel-area rollerski clinic! All clinic participants will use NENSA’s Swenor Rollerskis, but remember to bring your own boots, poles, and helmet! We can accommodate SNS and Prolink/NNN bindings. Following the clinic, participants and their families are encouraged to explore the surrounding trails on foot or bike.

NENSA Learn to Rollerski Clinic at The Lost Nation Roll: July 3
Geared towards folks who have on-snow ski experience but little to no rollerski experience. Rollerskis provided. Bring your own helmet, boots, and ski poles!

U.S. Ski & Snowboard L100 Practicum and NENSA Technique Clinic: July 7
This is the first opportunity of the summer for coaches to gain USSS L100 certification.  We will also have a general registration for folks not seeking certification.

Saturday, June 11, 2022 | Gould Academy | Bethel, ME

Join NENSA and Gould Academy for the second annual Bethel-area rollerski clinic! All clinic participants will use NENSA’s Swenor Rollerskis, but remember to bring your own boots, poles, and helmet! We can accommodate SNS and Prolink/NNN bindings. Following the clinic, participants and their families are encouraged to explore the surrounding trails on foot or bike.

Register HERE

Schedule:

8:45am: Gather and hand out equipment
9:00am-11:00am: Youth/BKL Rollerski Clinic * and High School Clinic **

Lunch time TBD.

* Youth/BKL Rollerski Clinic
This two hour learn-to-rollerski clinic is open to skiers 8-13 years of age and their parents/caretakers/coaches. We will go over some basic skills in both classic and skate technique before focusing on agility, including the ramp bumps, and games.

** High School Clinic
This two hour learn-to-rollerski clinic is open to skiers 14-19 years of age. Previous rollerski experience not required. We will review some basic technique before focusing on agility, including the ramp bumps.

Please direct any questions to [email protected] or [email protected].

NENSA is pleased to announce that the 2023 Women’s XC Ski Day will be hosted by JacksonXC in Jackson, NH on Sunday, January 22nd. This event was last held in Jackson in 2016 and we are excited to return to this fun venue. 

New England Women’s XC Ski Day was started in 2002 by former Olympian Trina Hosmer of Stowe, VT. Trina was inspired by her “Sisters in Skiing” in Anchorage, Alaska, who started the Alaska Ski for Women in 1997. Like the Alaskans’ original event, Women’s XC Ski Day chooses a non-profit women’s organization to benefit, and gathers as many participants as it can for a day of cross country skiing which includes lunch and a raffle. The highlight of the day is learn-to-ski clinics with women instructors; the emphasis being on relaxed, fun learning in a supportive and encouraging environment. All ability, skill, and experience levels are welcome. 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. NENSA hopes that Women’s Day helps bring more folx together to enjoy this wonderful sport.

Full event details and registration to follow this fall. Stay tuned to our event webpage HERE for updates.

NENSA is excited to share that the Bill Koch Ski League is a finalist for the 2022 FIS SnowKidz Award. This international award is presented every second year and “aims to recognize and promote the best examples of bringing children to the snow, in varying national circumstances.” This honor is truly a testament to the vision and dedication of Bill Koch himself, the tireless work of our member clubs and past NENSA staff members, and the support of our partners in Eastern ski community who have made the program what it is today. 

The top-3 award winners will be announced live at the FIS Congress on May 26th so stay tuned!

NENSA’s first Virtual Rollerski Event is back for the 3rd year!

SUBMIT YOUR ENTRIES HERE

Back by popular demand, this is the event that gets people thinking about rolling every spring.  We want to shift the paradigm of rollerski from being just a training mechanism — reach out to friends or connect with new ones to plan an adventure.  Ever see a road that was just calling for a ski?  Or maybe there is a bike path that you had always wanted to check out.  We want you to challenge yourself and utilize rollerskis as a fun tool and build the social energy of our summertime programs.  We love the stories we’ve shared for the past two years!

#25KinMay is free  – simply get out there and report your ski (or ski walking or biking) data to us here.  The event is for everyone and based primarily on participation.  There will be raffle prizes and awards for fast times, exceptional routes and reporting.  The number one rule remains: BE SAFE out there.  Skiers must select terrain suitable for their skill level.

//Rollerski Safety Rules//

NENSA’s mission is to provide excitement to our broader cross country skiing community and continue the momentum of NENSA’s Rollerski Programming.   We look forward to unveiling our 2022 Rollerski Race Series this month and visiting clubs throughout the East this summer!

Recruit friends to join you – use #25KinMay for motivation to get rolling!

As part of the Challenge we encourage you to develop your network on the Pastimes app (https://www.pastimes.io/). Download the app, join the NENSA Group, or create your own.

Entries can be submitted at any point between May 1st and May 31st.  NENSA will display and showcase activities throughout the challenge — videos and pictures are encouraged with each event submission as well as tagging @nensa_nordic and #25KinMay on your own socials.  Skiers can enter multiple times.

Again there is no cost for #25KinMay
but we are encouraging membership by continuing the promotion we started last year
ALL NENSA MEMBERSHIP
in May is $25 ! ! ! 

As an added bonus each entry will receive one raffle ticket (two tickets if you have renewed your 2022 NENSA membership) towards a growing prize pool. Membership renewal HERE.

Our 2022 categories will be:

Rockstar: For folks who want to ski the full 25km in one go.  Participants will be listed by pace per K.

Speedy Repeater: For someone who wants to break up 25km into more manageable pieces. We’ll track your K’s through the month.

My Own Pace or “Let’s Walk”: This is the touring class or for folks who might not be comfortable on rollerskis and want to ski walk (or bike).

BKL: rollerski (ski walk or bike) 10k in May whether in one go or split up into multiple segments

Keep Up With Beckwith: This category is geared towards masters skiers to keep pace with our Competitive Program Director as he challenges himself to 250km of skiing throughout the month

SUBMIT YOUR ENTRIES HERE

Be creative and share your story.  The training season has begun – Let’s Have Fun!!

#25KinMay

Instagram | Facebook

Questions: [email protected]

Every spring NENSA nominates an Elite and Development Team to honor the achievements of New England athletes.  The winter of 2021-2022 featured the return of open sanctioned U.S. Ski & Snowboard racing in the East.  Races were highly competitive and well attended, with 2885 racer starts in eight Eastern Cup and Super Tour events.  NENSA is proud to celebrate the athletic accomplishments of this winter by introducing the 2022 Elite and Development Team nominations and give you some updates looking towards summer.  The basis for Elite and Development Team naming is the U.S. Ski & Snowboard National Ranking List – which includes all sanctioned races held throughout the last twelve months.

2022 Elite Team
2022 Development Team

The criteria set forth to name the NENSA Elite and Development Team represent a pathway to regional, national and international success.  The number of athletes named to these teams each year demonstrates the depth of the Eastern region in cross country skiing.  Athletes named to these teams are invited to regional training camps and rollerski races, and part of a broader team that continues to excel at all levels.  Further Elite Team / Development Team information.

The Eastern Regional Camp (REG) will take place at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center July 2-7th, which will include an open rollerski race on July 3rd.  The camp will accommodate 40, U16 through U20 skiers and be supported by coaches from throughout the East.  The first nominations come from the above lists and the first round of invitations has been sent to athletes and coaches.  On July 7th we will host our first Level 100 Cross Country Coach Certification Program with U.S. Ski Team representation.

As many skiers begin their 2022 training season next week we are excited and hopeful that skiers of all abilities will join us to share their first rollerski experiences in the third edition of #25KinMay.  While there is always friendly competition – whether that be in distance skied or by a measure of speed – the intention is for skiers of all abilities to engage with others in the broader skiing community and get out there, have FUN, and share their stories, pictures and videos.

NENSA is again scheduling a Rollerski Race Series that will provide opportunities in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont starting with the Lost Nation Roll in Craftsbury July 3rd and ending with the Mt. Greylock Hill Climb on November 6th.  The full calendar will be released in May.  Races will utilize NENSA’s fleet of Swenor Rollerski made possible by Enjoy Winter.  This fleet will be used not only for races but also for coaches education and club visits.  There are many summer camps on our calendar already — please reach out to the Competitive Program Director if you have camp opportunities or have interest in NENSA bringing rollerski programming to your club.

It’s always an exciting time of year after a break from competition and now preparation for the upcoming training year begins.  Congratulations to athletes named to the Elite and Development teams and we look forward to seeing you at the many camps and events happening throughout the East this summer.

Our first ever NENSA Virtual Rollerski Event is just around the corner!

Stay tuned for updates on the third edition of #25KinMay.  Originally designed to bring our community together during the isolation of the pandemic, this ongoing program has grown to connect folks across the East and the world.  Rollerskiing is a fun way to challenge yourself and access beautiful places in a new way!  #25KinMay is the perfect way to build towards the positive social energy of our summertime programs.  In 2020, many folks returned to rollerskiing or tried it for the first time due to the excitement around #25KinMay.  2021 drew solid participation numbers as well and together we have skied nearly 20,000 kilometers together!

NENSA will once again offer two tiers of Popular Race calendaring for 2022-2023.  Last season, with increased NENSA support and media we saw the highest number of individual participants since our data began in 2011-2012.  The ongoing pandemic and a low snow year did seem to reduce the number of races each person attended.  Our goal for 2022-2023 will be to incentivize participation in more races. We will again place the Popular Races Series as the core of the NENSA calendar.

Venues interested in having their event(s) named to NENSA’s Zak Cup, Club Cup, and/or New England Marathon Series should complete this form by July 1st. Early submissions are encouraged so we can help shape a calendar that minimizes event overlaps.

Link to detailed Popular Race information. (Zak/Club and Marathon)

Direct link to Popular Race Bid Sheet.

Detailed information for Event Organizers including anticipated dates for major events.

Please note Eastern Cup and SuperTour bidding is open and closes on May 2nd.  Eastern Cup events will be determined during the NENSA Board Meeting by the Athletic Development Committee the weekend of May 15th.

Direct link to Eastern Cup Bid Sheet

For those intending to host an Eastern Cup or Major Championship NENSA requires sending a representative to attend the TD / Event Organizer Clinic, typically held during September or the first weekend of December.  All other race organizers are encouraged and welcome to attend.  We will be make this date public in the coming weeks.

For Eastern Cup, Zak/Club and Marathon questions: [email protected]

Thanks for making your bids early and we look forward to planning next years events with you!

The New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA) is looking for its next Executive Director to lead this vibrant and thriving XC Ski Non-Profit Organization.  Founded in 1995, NENSA is a member-supported service organization that promotes the culture of cross-country skiing by creating opportunities for youth, athletes, coaches, officials and skiers of all levels. NENSA also provides the support structure necessary to bring cross-country skiers to their highest potential at regional, national and international events.

Executive Director | Job Posting

The New England Nordic Ski Association is seeking its next Executive Director.  This role requires strong, inspired leadership with a collaborative spirit to galvanize and to work with our ski community as well as our staff and Board of Directors.  This position is key in supporting, overseeing and advancing NENSA’s four non-profit pillars of income: Sponsors & Grants, Donations, Membership and Programming. This person will work closely with the staff – the Competitive Program Director, Youth & Introductory Program Director, Operations Manager, and Event Support/TD Coordinator, as well as community stakeholders including members, sponsors, donors, clubs, venues, U.S. Ski & Snowboard and various NENSA and US Ski & Snowboard committees. Great people skills are a must.  The Executive Director is an empowered leadership position, requiring energy, vision, attention to detail, and the ability to multitask, in advancing all of NENSA’s programming and mission.

To deliver the mission of NENSA as the regional governing body for cross country skiing in the U.S., the Executive Director will:

• Promote cross country skiing as a healthy and inclusive recreational sport.
• Provide development opportunities for skiers of all abilities and levels, including volunteer and professional development to support the sport. 
• Produce high quality competitive events for elite and recreational skiers.
• Ensure compliance of NENSA with US Ski & Snowboard and be NENSA’s Representative to US Ski & Snowboard Congress.

Essential Functions – Including, but not limited to, management of the following areas:

Staff:

• Overall support and management of the staff and contracted/associated professionals (timers, technical delegates, etc).

Sponsorships & Grants:

• Responsible for maintaining and expanding all current sponsors as well as finding and securing new sponsorship opportunities.

Annual Fundraising:

• NENSA’s Annual Fund (ongoing) – maintaining donor relationships and cultivating new ones
• Auction or other fundraising events

Finance and Administration:

• Oversight and accountability of the FY budget throughout the year in concert with the Treasurer, Finance Committee and contracted bookkeeper. 
• Annual financial review with independent auditor and Treasurer.
• Oversight and renewal of insurance policies.

Promotion & Membership:

• Oversee all marketing and communications including but not limited to website, NENSA eNewsletter, and social media.

Board Management:

• Work with a volunteer Board of Directors who oversee and support the operation and fulfill the obligations of 501(c)(3) status.

Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelors/Associates Degree or commensurate educational background.
• Passion and familiarity with the sport of cross country skiing and the ideals of the NENSA mission
• Excellent written and verbal communication and human relations skills
• Proficiency and comfort working in both office and field settings with appropriate technology: Google App suite (or comparable), cloud based competition and data applications.
• Demonstrated ability to work remotely in fast paced multidisciplinary team environment
• Must be eligible to work in the USA, hold a valid driver’s license, and qualify to hold a US Ski & Snowboard coaching/volunteer license (with background check). 

Conditions:

• Regular work from home office with occasional travel to headquarters in Maine 
• Regional travel in and around New England for our programming & with staff
• Occasional national travel
• Some work will be done outdoors in varying and winter weather conditions
• Able to thoughtfully handle potentially politically sensitive issues (such as COVID masking and vaccinations, climate change initiatives and trans-gender racing). 

The Executive Director is a full time, year round position. This position reports to the President of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee.

• Salary based on experience
• Simple 401k match
• Phone & internet stipend for home office
• A modest health care stipend
• Executive Committee approved travel expenses reimbursed

NENSA is an equal opportunity employer. All staff and coaches undergo background checks. Start date is negotiable, but we seek to fill this role as soon as possible.  Applications should be submitted by May 15, 2022.  Interested candidates should send a letter of interest, resume, and three references to Ellen Chandler & the Search Committee via email at: [email protected]