Membership Guide for Eastern Cup Racing
All you need to know to race Eastern Cups
In order to race Eastern Cups, all New England-based Competitors are required to have a NENSA Membership AND A CURRENT US Ski and Snowboard Membership.
What is a NENSA Membership and What Type Do I Need?
Why NENSA Membership? NENSA provides the organization, scoring, and resources needed to put on not just the Eastern Cup, but an organized skiing community that allows skiers to develop along different pathways to be the best they can be in our sport.
We require NENSA Membership at our Eastern Cups because it ultimately is our community putting on races to build our community. It directly provides the resources for us to grow and expand this level of racing in New England.
NENSA Memberships are validated in SkiReg by First Name, Last Name, and Date of Birth (DOB). Registration fields must match exactly with our records. Please make sure those fields match the membership records by logging in to the NENSA Membership Portal here.
What is a US Ski and Snowboard Membership and What Type Do I Need?
What is it? US Ski and Snowboard (USSS) is our national governing body. USSS is
responsible for creating practices that lead to fair and objective national competitions, and allow for skier development through these competitions.
For purposes of the Eastern Cup, USSS provides the “sanctioning,” that is, the rulebook, system for scoring, and guidelines for Safe Sport – that allow us to use the Eastern Cup as a bridge from regional competition to the national skier development pathway.
What Kind of Membership Do I Need to Race?
View the full USSS Guide here.
If you are under 18 years of age for this whole year (defined as July 1st, 2025-June 30th, 2026) – Buy a License, and race!
USSS Competitor’s Membership ($125): You are a skier engaging in multiple Eastern Cups per season and wish to earn a points profile to be seeded at Eastern Cups and other USSS-sanctioned races (Junior Nationals, US Cross Country Ski National Championships etc…).
USSS General Membership ($35): You are a skier engaging in multiple Eastern Cups per season and do not care to be seeded at Eastern Cup races.
USSS Short-Term License ($15): You are a skier wishing to do a single Eastern Cup weekend of racing (1 or 2 event days) and you will not turn 18 before June 30th this year. USSS Short-Term Licenses are purchased directly from US Ski and Snowboard by emailing membership@usskiandsnowboard.org or calling +1 (435)-647-2666.
Over 18 years of Age Anytime During the Membership Year (I.e. You will turn 18 between July 1st, 2026 and June 30th, 2027) this year: Buy and License and Complete Requirements to be CURRENT.
SAFESPORT: By law, anyone who becomes a USSS Member and will be an adult (18+) during the current season must complete a SafeSport training prior to competition.
PENDING vs. CURRENT: The Pending vs. Current distinction in USSS membership is this SafeSport requirement. SafeSport is a 90min training meant to prevent youth athlete abuse and is required by law in order to compete. You must complete SafeSport before registering for a USSS race.
USSS Competitor’s Membership ($125): You are a skier engaging in multiple Eastern Cups per season and wish to earn a points profile to be seeded at Eastern Cups and other USSS-sanctioned races (Junior Nationals, US Cross Country Ski National Championships etc…). Must complete SafeSport to be current and able to compete.
USSS General Membership ($85): You are a skier engaging in multiple Eastern Cups per season and do not care to be seeded at Eastern Cup races. Must complete SafeSport to be current and able to compete.
USSS Short-Term License ($15): Are NOT available to athletes who are over 18 years of age, because of SafeSport requirements.
Why Do We Need to Have a USSS Membership to Race?
NENSA’s highest ideal for our competitive nordic ski community is that we can support any skier to be the best they can be in our sport. Our programming is designed to take a multifaceted approach to reaching this ideal. We offer programs that are focused on introducing skiers to the sport, such as the Bill Koch League. We offer programs that are focused on broad-based participation in the sport centered around team environments, such as supporting high school skiing, the Eastern High School Championships, and U16 Championships. The continuation of skier development is supported by the Eastern Cup, a program that allows skiers to strive to be inclusive of all skiers who have ambitions of reaching their dreams in the sport by providing a vibrant competitive regional community racing opportunities which can also bridge to national and international levels of competition.
Putting on this level of competition means interacting with the bodies, such as USSS and the International Ski Federation (FIS), that build systems for fair and safe competition. It also means being in compliance with their policies, and the laws (such as the SafeSport Act) that these governing bodies are subject to.
We need USSS to score and sanction our races. We need to complete SafeSport so that USSS can be in compliance with the US Olympic Committees’ requirement to implement the SafeSport Act. We need the SafeSport Act to create a first and foremost safe environment for our athletes to develop their love of our sport in. NENSA thanks everyone for putting in the time and energy to support these systems, and is always willing to act as a resource in helping skiers navigate them.
