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In our 30th year, we continue exploring the origins of NENSA and the special people whose talents and vision have shaped the organization into what it is today. At the heart of it all is the Bill Koch Youth Ski League (BKL). Named in honor of Olympic medalist and trailblazing skier Bill Koch, BKL has introduced thousands of young skiers to the sport through joy, camaraderie, and adventure. From its earliest days, Bill envisioned a league where fun and personal growth took precedence over results – a vision that many dedicated individuals helped establish and grow. Over the past two decades, Kate Koch has played an instrumental role in shaping and preserving this vision through her steadfast leadership as a board member and committee chair. In this special conversation, Bill and Kate reflect on the league’s origins, the values it continues to uphold, and how the simple act of skiing can become a lifelong source of joy and connection.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Heidi Lange (HL): I’m here with Bill and Kate Koch at their home in Peru, Vermont, and we’re going to discuss Bill’s legacy as an American cross-country skier and the establishment of the Bill Koch Youth Ski League. Bill and Kate, we’re fresh off of the annual New England Bill Koch Festival in Waterville, Maine, one of NENSA’s marquee events and truly a highlight of the year. Could you start by telling me what you saw this weekend and what the Festival means today?

Bill Koch (BK): Well, I saw a lot of positive energy and a lot of smiling faces, and that’s what makes me happy, is when I see kids happy. And it was so nice that the course wasn’t too hilly. I think that makes for more smiling faces.

Kate Koch (KK): It’s so fun, too. You see everyone dressed up and reveling in not just the ski races, but all the other activities that really bring that festival feel and make this an event that, once a family attends it, they want to be there every year because they realize it’s so special. 

HL: We heard so many comments of that nature, acknowledgements from participants and families that the Festival is the highlight of their year. Let’s go back a few years to your youth. Bill, when did you learn to ski?

BK: My dad first put me out on the lawn on a pair of skis, I’m told, when I was two years old. But really my skiing began with ski jumping. In Brattleboro, there was a strong jumping program and that is how I first saw cross-country, as part of Nordic combined. Cross-country just really clicked with me. I entered my first race on a pair of jumping skis that had the edges cut off to make them narrower, and they had no camber whatsoever. Dad said that if I won the race, I would get a real pair of skis. I won that race and stayed with Nordic combined for a number of years before specializing in cross-country.

HL: What was your experience like in those early years and what drew you to the sport?

BK: From the time I can remember, I always was attracted to getting outside and into the woods, and I spent summers climbing trees, building trails, and fishing in streams. I really enjoyed the solitude of the outdoor environment. Once I discovered cross-country, I skied to school on a daily basis. That’s how I developed my balance and coordination, skiing in my own tracks, no grooming!

KK: Last weekend, we met a family who shared that their children started skiing to school this year in Western Mass, and that it was exciting that they had enough snow to do that. It definitely brought back that story of Bill’s. Once he decided he wanted to go for it, he built his days around creating opportunities to move and gain fitness.

BK: After skiing to school for eight years of elementary school, I met Bob Gray from Putney, a multi-Olympian. He took me under his wing and showed me how to train. He was so enthusiastic! I really connected with his enthusiasm and love of the sport.

HL: During your time at the Putney School, you began to take your skiing to a more competitive level. How did that experience change as you began training in a more focused way?

BK: Years before I attended Putney School, I was invited to train with a group from the Putney Ski Club which included people that I looked up to and really enjoyed training with like Bob Gray, Martha Rockwell, Timmy Caldwell, and more. 

I remember doing carries, where we would do piggybacks while running intervals. Many of my memories come from cycling together. We rode our bikes annually from Canada to Massachusetts down Route 100. One year we had perfect conditions and were well supported by Neil Quinn of the West Hill Ski Shop. We completed the ride in nine hours and 20 minutes and were very proud of that time. Sometimes, we used a bungee cord to keep a group together on bike rides. The bungee cord was something I kept using for resistance training throughout my racing career.

KK: On one of our early dates, we skied up Stratton with the bungee cord.

BK: Yeah, I was always begging people to let me tow them for resistance training. Very few people enjoyed doing that, but Kate did!

HL: You achieved not only incredible success but also fame after becoming the first American to win an Olympic medal in cross-country skiing in 1976. As with all elite athletes, your journey over the subsequent years included highs and lows. I’m especially interested in hearing about the period in between the 1980 Olympics, which I understand were challenging, and the 1982 season in which you were crowned overall World Cup Champion. What happened during those two years?

BK: Well, from when I was first realizing that I was Olympic material, I was focused on the 1980 Olympics as the time to reach my peak. But it happened four years earlier than that, in ‘76.

I came into Lake Placid under duress. We had no snow in the East that year, and during all of January, I was training on roller skis. I had some really bad crashes. I felt really out of touch with the international scene and with skiing itself. I hadn’t been on skis until I got to Lake Placid where they had snowed the courses. The pressure was incredibly high since I had won silver at the previous Olympics. One reporter even asked me if I felt confident that I could sweep all of the events with gold medals. I had a good attitude going in, but the first race was a total disaster. I pulled out of the 30k because I was doing so poorly, and I wanted to save my energy for the 15k two days later.

I never expected the poor publicity I got for pulling out of that race. I was branded a quitter and a poor example for the Bill Koch League. But I don’t regret doing it because it was the right decision at the time for my competitive goals.

After having a mediocre next few races in the Olympics, I was invited to Sweden to race in a competition between elite World Cup racers and World Loppet racers who were skating. It was widely assumed that you couldn’t skate on hilly World Cup courses, but that race was on a frozen river, perfectly flat. All of the World Loppet skiers marathon skated while all of the World Cup racers went with wax. Quickly, I was caught by a World Loppet skier who started 30 seconds behind me. I realized I had waxed in error but was able to follow by copying him, even with kick wax. I think I ended up second in that race at the end, but the light bulb really went off in my head that skating could be done on hilly courses too. I took the next year away from the World Cup to focus on the World Loppet circuit to hone those skills. When it came time to test skating at the first World Cup race in Reit Im Winkl, Germany, I was way off the pace. I was very shaken and I thought maybe I had made a big mistake, but I decided I would stay in the game for at least one more race. The next weekend, I proved the point and won the race, and then the next one after that. I found myself leading the World Cup.

Many of the racers copied me and ended up at the top of the results. It was a year where there was a significant shift as people followed suit and adopted the marathon skate. I owe winning the World Cup in ‘82 to skating.

1983 was my peak year, though. I didn’t win the overall World Cup, but I led the whole season until the last race, and I had no advantage from skating that year.

HL: I’m reminded of your quote: “Be your best, not better than the rest.” Your process of experimentation and self-discovery had a profound impact on the sport, and those ideals remain at the heart of the Bill Koch League. At the highest levels of sport, this spirit may manifest as innovation, but that ability is ultimately grounded in a foundation of skill, confidence, and joy on skis. In what year was the league named in your honor?

BK: The name change happened in 1977. I was approached by the Eastern Ski Association. I had to think about it for a while. I I knew that this would be a lifetime commitment for me, and I didn’t take it lightly. I wanted racing to be a smaller part of the league, less the overall focus. So I said yes, with those ideas in mind. I have come to recognize the league as the greatest honor of my career.

KK: What I love about that is Bill’s desire to shift the emphasis from racing to creating lifelong skiers across the whole spectrum. I think it really helped grow the base of cross-country skiing in a way that is so healthy for the sport.

HL: The league had existed for some time as the Torger Tokle League before it was renamed in your honor. How did the league emerge in your vision?

BK: I wanted to have the focus be on having fun and your best is good enough. I wanted to take the emphasis off of winning. I wanted to be sure that the league did not go in the direction Little League did with parents being all out of control around winning.

KK: It is great to have a community where everyone is cheering on all of the kids and supporting each other. It really helps build that lifelong love of skiing to have that culture built into the program.

HL: In the later 1980s and 1990s, life took you to different places and your connection to the sport took different, creative forms that included – among others – course design, broadcasting, and beach skiing. What were you thinking about during those years?

BK: I retired in1985. I tried broadcasting for 3 different championships and it really wasn’t for me. I discovered windsurfing. That was my main activity and focus from 1986 through the ‘90s. I found that even though I wasn’t training formally during those years, windsurfing in heavy conditions off the Pacific Coast was actually very good training for cross-country skiing. My heart rate showed that I was in racing mode while windsurfing. I decided to make a comeback in 1991 and I wanted to peak at the Olympics in 1994 in Lillehammer. In 1992, I was on the Olympic team, but I was not ready to perform yet since I had only been training for a year. I saw it more as development and seeing where I was. I was feeling really good about my training ahead of the 1994 tryouts and I felt like I could have been back to my old self, but unfortunately I got sick just before and missed making the team. 

HL: That image of you windsurfing has me thinking about the famous sandskiing poster. Many see that as a reflection of your approach and ideals. Could you talk about that?

KK: Bill had always used skiing on the beach as a training modality for ultra-resistance, such as on the dunes in Oregon. Once, on a layover in Hawaii, someone pointed him to a local beach. When he got there, the experience was night and day different from skiing on other beaches. He was able to ski fast enough that he could no-pole skate on the sand. It was exceptional (even in on the Islands, as it turns out!).

BK: It was like skiing in spring corn snow. It was an accident, really. Had I gone to any other beach, I would not have discovered fast sand.

HL: What are some recollections you have from Festivals over the years? Are there some favorite memories? 

KK: I remember my first festival in Putney in 2003 and they had an Olympic theme and invited back Olympians from all over the United States, and it was so much fun to have all of those friends together. There were these giant lollipops that guided the littlest skiers, so you really saw this full spectrum. One feature was a group ski with the Olympians around the lollipop course. We hadn’t brought skis, so Bill hopped on Sophie Caldwell’s, and, wow, those were speedy! That was a hoot!

BK: I think Notchview was one of the more memorable Festivals for me. I was just so impressed with the fairy houses and witches and gnomes.

KK: They created a play on skis for the opening ceremonies, an ode to aurora borealis and other Norse legends. There was such attention to detail and magic that they instilled.

HL: You’re illustrating what it is that makes the Festival so magical and the unique flair of each event.

KK: Something that strikes me – last year for instance, warm and slushy, a limited course – and yet, everybody was happy and had the most amazing time. I didn’t see any tears, just joy and celebration. It just goes to show that the community rises beyond the conditions.

HL: How has the sport of cross-country skiing changed in the last 50 years and how has youth programming evolved during that time?

BK: The program is much more sophisticated now than when it started. There have been so many new activities and possibilities added to the Festival over the years, for example, the lollipoppers and the 8th grade graduation ceremony.

KK: I think it’s neat that as the sport grows, it evolves. Whether it’s obstacle courses and terrain parks or speed traps and uphill slalom, the idea of play can take so many forms. One thing that we definitely hope won’t get lost is that idea of getting into the woods and being in nature. With all of the high level grooming that happens now, that’s always a fear. That’s where things like the fairy house trails or Izzy’s Tuesday Tracks come into play, illustrating this idea of the adventures you can have in the woods or off-piste. It’s great for kids and their families to see and to recognize the magic that can happen anywhere there’s snow.

HL: What advice would you give families first joining the sport?

BK: Make sure it’s fun. Make sure that this is what your child really wants to be doing. It’s important to realize that, from a racing perspective, the results of these races are quite irrelevant. Everyone develops at different rates and winning these races is happening in such a small pool compared to the whole world of skiing

KK: That’s just not where to put your focus. This is something you want as a life pursuit and if competition is part of that journey, that’s fine, but it need not be the center of it. When families jump into cross-country skiing as a shared endeavor – learning, exploring, and supporting together – it creates a lifelong love for the sport that extends beyond race results.

BK: The biggest thing to take away from racing in the BKL is that you’re just there to do your best rather than to win the race. That’s what parents can really instill in their children.

HL: In my own experience as parent and coach, when those ideals are embraced, everything else takes care of itself. Results might naturally follow, but they don’t need to lead. 

KK: That is beautiful. Yes.

HL: What are the ideals you most wish to preserve into the future?

BK: Ideally, cross-country skiing will become a lifestyle rather than just a sport. It can nourish your whole life.

KK: I love the way the term JOY has taken center stage, whether that’s an acronym or a word, as an underlying goal of the Bill Koch League and the sport of cross-country skiing.

HL: The acronym you’re referring to is the John Ogden Youth Endowment. We’ve affectionately started referring to that at NENSA as the JOY endowment. John truly embodied the lifestyle and joy in this sport. The named endowment honors John and ensures these ideals will be preserved. Kate, your perspective on this is especially meaningful. With many years of service on the NENSA Board and as Chair of the Bill Koch Committee, you’ve played an instrumental role in shaping this programming. How do you see the significance of youth skiing within the broader context of NENSA?

KK: I see it as the building blocks or the base of all the programming. The more kids that we get involved and excited about cross-country skiing, the healthier NENSA will be at all levels. There’s just no question. It comes from the bottom up.

HL: Bill, just last week, you joined NENSA staffer Isabel Caldwell to film an adventure ski as part of NENSA’s Tuesday Tracks educational video series. We caught a glimpse and I’d like to conclude by asking what skiing means to you today? What brings you the most joy?

BK: Skiing for me is a way of life. I experience it on every level from physical to spiritual. Nowadays, I just want to be as close to the way cross-country originated as possible… that means in the woods, making my own tracks, and soaking up the winter environment. I can always find peace while cross-country skiing.

Last week, 50 skiers from across New England travelled to Soldier Hollow, Utah to represent the New England ski community at the 2025 US Junior National Cross Country Ski Championships. Over the course of four race days, 22 skiers from across Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts earned All-American honors. This included National Championships and Overall Wins from Beth McIntosh and Maddie Hooker, and National runner-up finishes from Annie Hanna and Mary Harrington.

Overall, it was another successful Junior National Championships in performance and in learning about what is out there in our sport. To capture it all, was our U16 Boys Age Group Coach and photographer George Forbes, @the_xcskiman. A full recap is forthcoming next week.

Photos from George Forbes: FULL ALBUM HERE

More Photos: Relay Teams, Podiums, and More from Ben Theyerl

I arrived at Black Mountain of Maine on Thursday morning with some anxiety brewing in my belly. I’d been staring at the weekend’s forecast for a few days and wondering how we were going to pull off a full weekend of racing with the melt that was set to take place. After a whirlwind of a weekend and many hours of shoveling, the sense of accomplishment we all felt after Sunday’s relay was a testament to the amazing skiing community in New England – we had done it!

On to the races… teams showed up late on Friday morning in buses and coaches came towing wax trailers. They set up camp in a trailside dirt parking lot, which soon turned into a mud pit, but no complaints were heard, just comments such as, “well, that’s spring skiing.” The first race of the weekend was an individual start – one lap around a brutal 5km course featuring high school hill and soft, slow snow.

Saturday brought a full day of racing to Black Mountain of Maine with a 7.5 km classic mass start in the morning and a freestyle sprint in the afternoon. The Chisholm crew salted the stadium in the morning to ensure that it would last through the day and volunteers spent a couple of hours shoveling some rough patches on the course. The 7.5 km course was three laps of a 2.5 km loop, offering plenty of spectating for parents and fans. After a historically cold winter, athletes suffered through the heat of the mid-March sun and gave fans a spectacular show.

By Saturday afternoon, the snow was baking under the sun and rapidly turning to water. The stadium was holding up well thanks to the morning’s salting and volunteers spent the afternoon shoveling snow onto the course between sprint heats, desperately trying to keep up with the melt. For me, the highlight of the weekend was the attitude of athletes, parents and coaches. I did not hear a single complaint about the course, only gratitude for the work being done by volunteers. Countless parents and coaches stepped in on Saturday afternoon to help keep the sprint course alive and boys came out after the completion of their race to help shovel snow onto the course for the girls. Athletes seemed to relish in the opportunity to race through melt ponds and over the quickly diminishing snow supply, it was spring skiing at its finest!

We all descended upon Rumford’s Mountain Valley High School on Saturday evening for a delicious banquet dinner followed by a bib draw raffle and awards for Friday’s and Saturday’s races. Skiers went home with full bellies and tired bodies, ready to rest up and bring their best efforts to the relay on Sunday. After two days of racing there were two battles going on in team scores: Vermont was just ahead of New Hampshire for first and Maine was just ahead of Massachusetts for third.

On Friday afternoon we made the decision to move the stadium for Sunday’s relay down to the forest and it was possibly the best decision of the weekend. Each skier completed two laps of a 1.6 km course, enabling them to lap through the tag zone once before tagging off to their teammates. There was a deafening roar through the tag zone and start/finish area every time a skier lapped through and athletes beautifully navigated the chaos of the tag zone. The EHSC relay celebrates every skier, with two boys and two girls on each team, combining for two classic legs and two skate legs.

The Championships wrapped up with an awards ceremony that celebrated the top 10 men and women from the combined three individual races and the top five relay teams. Before awarding the Graham Taylor Cup to the strongest state team, announcer Craig Zurhorst had the weekend’s Technical Delegate Assistant, Ted Hall, speak to the crowd about the legacy of Graham Taylor and his love of high school skiing. Athletes cheered as Craig announced each team: 5th place New York, 4th place Maine, 3rd place Massachusetts (they made a spectacular comeback on relay day to sneak past Maine!), 2nd place New Hampshire, and 1st place Vermont.

This weekend was made possible through the amazing work of many individuals. The Chisholm Ski Club volunteers know how to show up for a race weekend! Special thanks to:

• Dustin Williamson and Ted Hall – TD and TDA for the weekend
• Roger Arsenault – Chief of Competition
• Bob Arsenault (fun fact: unrelated to Roger!) – Chief of Timing
• Dan Warner – Chief of Course
• Terry Richard – Race Secretary
• Fred Griffin – Chief of Stadium
• John Bernard – mapmaker and photographer (rvgphotos.com)
• Craig Zurhorst – announcer
• Ed Desspard (Bullitt Timing) – scoring
• Many more volunteers who spent the weekend smiling and shoveling!

Helpful links:

• rvgphotos.com – click HERE for the EHSC galleries – photos available for purchase!
• Chisholm Ski Club EHSC website – click HERE for results, scoring, and race recaps
• NENSA photos and video clips – click HERE

This past weekend Prospect Mountain hosted the U16 Championships in the beautiful Woodford, Vermont. In addition to our four New England States (MA, ME, NH and VT), teams also came from New York, Ontario and the Midwest. Congratulations to all of the athletes who qualified for and competed at the U16 Championships! And thank you to all of the amazing volunteers (led by Amie Smith and Dave Newell) who came out to help Prospect put on an amazing event.

Teams arrived around noon on Friday and got straight to it with a 5km skate race in the afternoon. Adding to the fun of U16s, the first three races all begin with a wave start, one athlete from each state or province. This format allows races to go off quickly and it also gives athletes a feel for head-to-head competition. Team rosters are 24 boys and 24 girls, with the top 20 athletes from each team scoring points for their state. This format means that every skier matters and it makes it exciting for athletes in each wave to try to out ski the athletes from rival states.

Saturday morning teams arrived back at the venue for a 5km classic race in the morning and then turned it right around to do a freestyle sprint in the afternoon. These events offer athletes a chance to meet people from other states and countries; it was heart warming to see the respect athletes had for each other at the finish line.

Saturday evening we all descended upon Mount Anthony Union High School for a taco dinner followed by a bib draw raffle and awards for the first three events. In addition to awarding the top ten skiers from each event, the top three boys and girls from the cumulative three individual races were also awarded. After two days of competition, New Hampshire was in the lead for team scores and Vermont and Massachusetts were nearly tied for second place. The scene was set for an exciting relay day on Sunday!

Sunday did not disappoint, the winds that had been blowing all weekend at Prospect died down and we were greeted with a gorgeous day. The mixed relay is the prime event of the weekend – gold goes to the team that can put together four strong legs (Boys Classic, Girls Classic, Boys Skate, Girls Skate). The U16s relay has the perfect combination of tag zone mayhem and fast, exciting racing! At the end of the day, Team Ontario took the top step of the relay podium and Team New Hampshire got to hold the trophy for the top overall team on the weekend.

Click here to see the NENSA Relay Day Reel by Mackenzie Rizio

This Championships truly shows off the depth of athletes in New England. While twelve U16s are in Utah competing at Junior Nationals, another 233 U16s got to descend upon Prospect for a full weekend of racing and merriment. Thanks to everyone involved!

Click here for results – Thank you Bullitt Timing!

Click here for incredible photographs (available for sale and download until March 21st) – Thank you Josh Hummel!

Click here for the NENSA photos and video clips from the weekend

This past weekend, the snowy trails of Waterville, Maine, came alive as 550 young skiers gathered for the 2025 L.L.Bean BKL Festival. Hosted by Quarry Road Ski Club and Quarry Road Trails, the festival was a joyful celebration of youth cross-country skiing in New England—bringing together kids, families, and ski enthusiasts for two unforgettable days of “Wicked Winter Weather”.

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 2025 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, offering a variety of exciting activities for all ages. Thrill-seekers could test their speed at the Radar Run, navigate the Terrain Park with fun rollers and snow obstacles, or experience the challenge of Laser Biathlon on Saturday, hosted by the USBA & the National Guard. Creativity flourished with Snow Painting, where participants added color to our Wicked Winter Weatherland, and the Glitter Table, where visitors could sparkle like Jessie Diggins inside the Event Tent.

Families and young adventurers enjoyed the Story Ski, following Mr. Magee and his dog Dee on a delightful ski journey by Maine author Chris Van Dusen. The Sit Ski Scramble provided an opportunity to try a Para Nordic sit ski. The Mini-Marathon & Memory Course took skiers on a scenic route through the trails, with special characters to spot along the way and a prize waiting at the Welcome Center.

Saturday also featured special attractions, including the L.C. Bates Museum, where visitors learned about winter animal adaptations and track identification. Sunsquatch made a special appearance, spreading a hopeful message for a cleaner future. The LL Bean Boot Truck brought the iconic oversized Bean Boot to life, and young artists competed in the JAKROO Hat Design Contest, with the winning design selected by Bill Koch.

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.

The racing action kicked off on Saturday with the skate relay event, followed by the paired and individual start classic races on Sunday. A special highlight of the weekend was the 8th Grade Graduation, where graduating skiers took a celebratory lap together to mark their time in the Bill Koch League. Afterward, they gathered at the finish corral to welcome the youngest participants, handing out lollipops as they crossed the line. To honor their achievement, the graduates were recognized by Bill Koch and presented with a graduation certificate.

No matter the size of their home club, each skier was part of something bigger—a regional team, a shared experience, a weekend of camaraderie and celebration. The festival wasn’t just about competition; it was about challenging oneself, cheering on new friends, and embracing the joy of skiing together.

We are so grateful to the Quarry Road Trails and the Quarry Road 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 Quarry Road community stepped up to make this event happen.

A huge thank you to our Gold Sponsors—LLBean, Jakroo, Fischer, and Podiumwear—for their generous support and commitment to youth skiing. We are also grateful to the sponsors who joined us on-site—Hootie Hoo, Bivo, Sidas, Jakroo, and Birdie Blue—bringing energy, enthusiasm, and fantastic products to share with our ski community. Your support helps make this festival a truly special experience for young skiers, and we couldn’t do it without you.

Photos:

Flying Point Road – proceeds from the purchase of photos to benefit Quarry Road Ski Club.

Sam Gessinger photos