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NENSA News

Important Information from U.S. Ski & Snowboard on Membership and Participating in any U.S. Ski & Snowboard Sanctioned Event

December 13, 2019 by Amie Smith

U.S. Ski & Snowboard is asking NENSA to help them pass on this information to your athletes, coaches, industry colleagues, and wax technicians here in New England:

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS TO ACQUIRE ON-COURSE CREDENTIALS:
U.S. Ski & Snowboard is requiring that our cross country community coaches, wax technicians, officials, and industry service personnel have a minimum of a U.S. Ski & Snowboard “Volunteer membership” to acquire credentials at any U.S. Ski & Snowboard sanctioned event. We have been lenient this fall since these requirements from US Congress and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) to all Olympic sports are new policies. However, these requirements will be fully implemented at U.S. National Championships in Houghton, MI this January 2020, and any U.S. Ski & Snowboard event or USA FIS event thereafter.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard has taken a strong stand on athlete safety. They are requiring any adult athlete, coach, official, wax technician, or ski industry service personnel taking part in a U.S. Ski & Snowboard sanctioned event to maintain an active U.S. Ski & Snowboard membership. An active U.S. Ski & Snowboard membership for individuals over 18 years of age requires passing a background screen and successfully completing SafeSport training.

A credentialed bib at sanctioned events provides coaches, technicians, and industry support with access on course. Coaches, officials, industry personnel, and wax technicians must be ACTIVE members. PENDING memberships will not be accepted.

Pending Memberships:
Any coach, official, industry service personnel, or team technician MUST have an ACTIVE membership. Athletes with PENDING background screens but have completed SafeSport Training must have initiated their background screen 21 days prior to competition. Please note that TODAY is 21 days prior to the first U.S. National Championship race. US citizens are passing backgrounds screens in 2-3 days as a point of reference.

Foreign Athletes:
Please find attached U.S. Ski & Snowboard foreign athlete registration. A U.S. Ski & Snowboard membership is not required in a USA FIS event if an athlete has a foreign FIS license. A U.S. Ski & Snowboard license IS required if the event is a U.S. Ski & Snowboard sanctioned event but NOT a FIS race. Also, a U.S. Ski & Snowboard membership license is necessary for foreign athletes without a FIS license.

Foreign Coaches:
Any foreign coach that is coaching one (1) or more U.S. Ski and Snowboard member athlete at a U.S. Ski & Snowboard event must have an active U.S. Ski & Snowboard membership. Again, the minimum requirement to support your athletes at a U.S. Ski & Snowboard sanctioned event is a “VOLUNTEERS” license for 2019-20 season, however an active “COACHES” license will be necessary in the upcoming years. I would encourage coaches to select the “COACHES” license and fulfill those requirements. A coaches license requires you to go through Coaching Fundamentals, which every coach in ALL seven sport will have to do in the next 1-2 calendar years. There is no grandfathering of this course and EVERY coach will be going through it including U.S. Ski Team coaches – no exception. Coaching Fundamental is the first half of the new XC Level 100, so fulfillment of Coaching Fundamentals means you have completed half of the new L100 already.

Athletes and Coaches from other National Governing Bodies (USA Paralympic and US Biathlon):
Athletes and Coaches from other US NGB’s must acquire a U.S. Ski & Snowboard membership and go through the same steps listed in the email from membership below. US Biathlon and USA Paralympics NGB’s have been notified of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard policy. Nordic Combined athletes are a part of U.S. Ski & Snowboard and are cleared to compete in U.S. Ski & Snowboard events as long as they have active memberships.

Please help US Ski & Snowboard share this information to your athletes and XC colleagues. Their main method of communication for all important Cross Country updates is their Cross Country U.S. Ski & Snowboard member mass email that Adam St. Pierre (U.S. Ski & Snowboard XC Coordinator) has been routinely sending out information. The information in this email will be sent out in that mass email list this week.

Alan Serrano (U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross Country Official’s Coordinator: [email protected]) or Bryan Fish (Cross Country Sport Development Manager: [email protected]) can answer questions pertaining to membership details. Or please reach out directly to Membership Services at:
Member Services
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 435.647.2666

FYI – The Volunteer Membership can be found here:
https://usskiandsnowboard.org/membership/cross-country-club-volunteer-membership
Background screen takes 5 minutes to input personal information to NCSI (National Center for Safety Initiatives).
SafeSport Training include 3 modules (Mandatory Reporting, Sexual Misconduct Awareness Education & Emotional and Physical Misconduct). Completion takes an average 2.5 hrs. SafeSport training fulfillment is updated to all USA summer and winter NGB’s daily.

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Sugarloaf Eastern Cup Opener to Honor Roy Varney

December 11, 2019 by Justin Beckwith

Sugarloaf Outdoor Center set to host Roy Varney Memorial
Eastern Cup Opener

New England Nordic Ski Association race will benefit Roy Varney Memorial Fund

CARRABASSETT VALLEY, Maine – The Sugarloaf Outdoor Center will be the hub of New England Nordic ski racing when the New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA) hosts its Eastern Cup Opener, December 21-22, 2019.

The NENSA Eastern Cup is the premier Nordic racing circuit in New England, drawing elite skiers from the eastern United States and Canada, and is a qualifying event for the Junior National Championships. This year’s Eastern Cup Opener will be held in memory of Roy Varney, a State Champion Nordic skier from Turner, ME, who passed away in July 2019.

The race is expected to draw 300-400 racers from throughout New England and Eastern Canada, including a large contingent of Maine athletes. All registration fees for Maine racers will be matched with a donation from an anonymous donor to the Roy Varney Memorial Fund.

“This event is truly an exciting opportunity for us to showcase the amazing Sugarloaf Outdoor Center facility to the best Nordic skiers in New England, and pay tribute to Roy at the same time,” Race Director Brenna Herridge said.

This will be the first NENSA event hosted at the Sugarloaf Outdoor Center since 2006.

Varney was a two-time state champion Nordic skier at Leavitt High School who competed in the National Biathlon Championships, and was a beloved and respected member of the Maine Nordic skiing community. His passing at the age of 18 was felt profoundly in the Nordic community.

“(Roy) made everyone around him better. He made the Leavitt Nordic ski team better,” Leavitt Nordic coach Dustin Williamson said. “When he came to my classroom to talk about the sport and the upcoming competitions, the utter glee and downright joy that beamed off of him during our conversations was priceless.”

Varney’s dream was to create a Nordic skiing and wellness facility on his family’s farm, and his family is now working to make that dream a reality with the Maine Outdoor Wellness Center. To learn more about this project and to donate to it, visit www.maineoutdoorwellnesscenter.org.

Registration for the Roy Varney Memorial Eastern Cup Opener is now open, and racers can find more information and register at https://nensa.net/eastern-cup/.

For more information on the Sugarloaf Outdoor Center, please visit https://www.sugarloaf.com/the-outdoor-center.

About Sugarloaf – Located in Carrabassett Valley, ME, Sugarloaf is largest ski area in the East, and is home to the only lift-serviced above treeline skiing and riding in the East. and the number one golf course in Maine, according to Golf Digest. Sugarloaf is a member of the Boyne Resorts family of resorts and attractions. Follow: www.sugarloaf.com, www.facebook.com/sugarloaf, and http://twitter.com/sugarloafmaine.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

And we’re off!

December 9, 2019 by Justin Beckwith

Two awesome open races took place this weekend in Dublin, New Hampshire and Waterville, Maine.  Both events were designed to be a low key and cater to a wide range of abilities — however both inclusive events included lots of talented skiing.  As we head into our popular race season (Zak and Club Cup) we want to highlight the community vibe of these events.  Get to the races and you’ll have a good time!

On Sunday The Dublin School and Dublin XC hosted an exciting Kings Court format sprint – where skiers “stay in” the rounds – moving up or down the brackets based on placement in the previous heat.  You can follow the advancement brackets here.  Skiers described awesome conditions on natural snow.  Qualifier times.

Also on Sunday, a little to the east, the Central Maine Ski Club hosted Bowdoin and Colby College along with a solid turnout of club skiers.  The race took place on Quarry Road’s fortified 1.8km snowmaking loop — with fantastic conditions boosted by favorable weather to start the winter.  They soon hope to open a full 2.5km loop.  Results here.

The event got some nice press by the Morning Sentinel and comes on the heels of continued investment in Waterville, including hiring Justin Fereshetian as the Quarry Road Trails Program Director.

It’s exciting to see such a vibrant start to this winter’s events – as we look to Craftsbury this coming weekend for the kick off of the 2019-2020 Popular Race Series.  Read more about Saturday’s “Knock In” Sprint and traditional classic Opener on Sunday here.  Registration is off to a good start and open until Thursday at 8:30pm – there is no day of race for Saturday due to the format of the event.  Masters skiers will be scored on both days for Zak Cup – kicking of a season filled with age-based-friendly-rivalries.  Don’t forget we’re scoring a new class for skiers aged 23-29 and all skiers are scored for Club Cup standings.

Roy Varney Fund

The following weekend all eyes will return to Maine for the Eastern Cup Opener being hosted in Sugarloaf, Maine.  Field sizes are expected to include 300-400 racers per day.  This year’s Eastern Cup Opener will be held in memory of Roy Varney, a State Champion Nordic skier from Turner, ME, who passed away in July 2019.  An anonymous donor will match registration fees for all Maine racers to the Roy Varney Memorial Fund.  Look forward to a press release from Sugarloaf with more details of the first major event of the season.  Registration is open.

 

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New England Bill Koch League Festival Registration

December 4, 2019 by Tom Weir

We’re excited to announce that registration is now open for the 2020 edition of the New England Bill Koch League Festival! The festival is the marquee event of the New England BKL season, featuring two days full of fun for skiers from all over the region.

Great Glen Trails Outdoor Center and the Great Glen BKL will be our hosts for the weekend and they are hard at work putting together an awesome weekend of skiing! The festival will feature a parade, mini marathon, obstacle course, bump jump presented by New England Ski Jumping Nordic Combined, radar speed runs, and biathlon opportunities from Jackson Biathlon. racers can take part in a Saturday morning freestyle relay and the Sunday morning individual classic races.

The festival theme is Super Ski Heroes! We can’t wait to see what costumes you all have in store for the weekend.

For more information and to register, follow the link below to SkiReg

Register on SkiReg

Great Glen has also put out the call for festival volunteers. There are plenty of ways to help out at the festival if you are a parent! To sign up as a volunteer, follow the link below and fill out the survey.

BKL Festival Volunteer Signup

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2020 Eastern Cup Primer

December 3, 2019 by Justin Beckwith

NENSA is proud to highlight the 2020 Eastern Cup Series after a snowy start to winter across New England!

photo @flyingpoint

In just three weeks the East’s premier race circuit kicks off at Sugarloaf, Maine for the first time since 2006.  Sugarloaf is opening for skiing this week and excited to put on an innovative event that will honor the life of Roy Varney.  The second Eastern Cup — The 2020 Lost Nation Cup — is combined with the U.S. Ski & Snowboard SuperTour Series in Craftsbury, Vermont January 25th & 26th.  This unique opportunity combines the highest level regional and national series with the University of Vermont Carnival.  On February 8th & 9th the Series visits Rumford, Maine for the Chisholm Eastern Cup and Bates Carnival.  Again the combination of an EISA event and the top regional field ensures inspired competition.  Eastern Cup Finals will be hosted in New Hampshire by the Dublin and Holderness School February 15th & 16th.  On Saturday the exciting Dublin Double will offer two fast paced freestyle events with a 3km and 1.5km aimed to boost New England athletes into post season racing.  The Series, including Junior National team selection concludes Sunday at the Cheri Walsh Memorial where skiers will experience the classic trails of the Holderness School.

Look forward to pre and post event press releases for these exciting events.  Complete details on the Eastern Cup Series can be found on the NENSA website.  Please read the updated Eastern Cup Primer below for important information regarding race details, seeding, scoring and Junior National Qualification.

Registration for all Eastern Cup races are open on SkiReg.com — before you register make sure your NENSA and U.S. Ski & Snowboard memberships are current and you update your team/club affiliations in your NENSA profile.
Also note that Sugarloaf early registration fee ends 12/5.

We look forward to an awesome winter and seeing you on the trails soon!!

  1. All racers must have valid NENSA and U.S. Ski & Snowboard membership to race – please note a $10 daily NENSA membership is available.
  2. Purchase or renew your your NENSA membership here.
  3. Purchase or renew your U.S. Ski & Snowboard membership here.
  4. Foreign membership options updated (11/26/2019).
  5. Buy both your NENSA & U.S. Ski & Snowboard memberships early to ensure proper validation at registration.
  6. All EC racers will be listed in the overall race results, regardless of your U.S. Ski & Snowboard membership type ($20 general or $115 competitor).  If you want to be listed on the National Ranking List (NRL), and be ranked for New England Junior National team (best 4 races for both U16 and U18/U20)  you need to purchase a U.S. Ski & Snowboard competitors membership.
  7. You can upgrade to a U.S. Ski & Snowboard competitors license later in the season (points may not retroactively apply to previous races).
  8. Each Eastern Cup has a Virtual Team Captain’s Meeting (VTCM) an information page for updates: on venue, times changes, and important racer/coach information.
  9. Registration will close at 5pm on the Wednesday before each Eastern Cup weekend.
  10. Seed lists will be posted on Thursday (using points from the current NRL / FIS lists)
  11. Start lists will be posted on Friday by 6pm for Saturday and Sunday races.
  12. Final Eastern Cup race results can be found here.  Live results links will be made available on the EC event pages.
  13. All Eastern Cup races will be scored by U.S. Ski & Snowboard, and updated to the NRL.  Races marked as (FIS/NRL) are also scored by FIS.
  14. NRL and FIS listing dates can be found in the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Nordic Competition Guide. 
  15. SEEDING:  All racers will be seeded by their best of either, U.S. Ski & Snowboard or FIS points.  If you have a US Ski & Snowboard general membership, or have 990 points you will be seeded randomly at the end of the field.
  16. U18/U20 JN qualifying:  Best 4 EC and/or OOR races.
  17. U16 JN qualifying:  Best 4 EC races, and no OOR races using SuperTour Scoring (see page 26).
    Tie-breaking mechanisms:
    ~Best single finish in a selection race
    ~Second best single finish in a selection race
    ~Third best single finish in a selection race
    ~Fourth best single finish in a selection race
    Note: All U16 races at NENSA Eastern Cups are scored; for sprints, the final results for the top 12 come from the heats/finals, and from the qualifying for places 13 and higher.

Note: distances and techniques are listed here as scheduled.  If conditions mandate changes to distance/technique, the race that is held will be scored.

2019-2020 Races Scored to the NENSA JNQ Ranking Lists:   

NENSA Eastern Cup Series Races:

Sugarloaf Eastern Cup Opener – EC WEEKEND #1
Sugarloaf, Maine
Hosted by the Sugarloaf Outdoor Center  (NRL)

December 21-22, 2019

Saturday December 21 – Free Sprint (1.5km)

Sunday December 22 – Classic (5km U16 and women / 10km men and Citizen)

The Lost Nation Cup: Craftsbury Super Tour / UVM Carnival & Eastern Cup – EC WEEKEND #2
Craftsbury, Vermont
Hosted by the Craftsbury Outdoor Center – (FIS/NRL)

January 25-26, 2020 (ST Classic Sprint only 1/24)

Saturday January 25 – Free Interval (5km U16 & Women / 10km Men and Citizen)

Sunday January 26 – Classic Mass Start (5km U16 / 10km Women / 15km Men)

Chisholm Eastern Cup / Bates Carnival – EC WEEKEND #3
Black Mountain Ski Resort, Maine
Hosted by the Chisholm Ski Club (NRL)

February 8-9, 2020

Friday February 7 – Please note Bates Carnival races in AM – Official Training 1-4pm

Saturday February 8 – Free (5km U16 and Women / 10km Men)

Sunday February 9 – Classic Sprint (1.2km)

Dublin Double Eastern Cup – EC Finals
DAY ONE – Dublin, New Hampshire
Hosted by Dublin School (NRL)

Saturday February 15, 2020 – Skate Interval Start Prologue (3km all skiers) followed by a Skate Sprint Prologue (1.5km all skiers)

Cheri Walsh Memorial Eastern Cup – EC Finals
DAY TWO – Holderness, New Hampshire
Hosted by the Holderness School Nordic Club (NRL)

Sunday February 16, 2020 – Classic Interval Start (5km U16 / 10km Women and Men)

Out-of-Region Races for 2019-20 season:
US National Championships Michigan Tech Nordic Center – Houghton, Michigan (U18/U20’s only):

Thursday January 2: Freestyle Sprint 1.4km*
Friday January 3: Freestyle 10/15km
Sunday January 5: Classic Mass Start 7.5/10km

Please note the final Sprint on 1/7/20 of US Nationals is not scored to JNQ Ranking List.  

*US Nationals races will be scored to the NENSA JNQ Ranking Lists using U.S. Ski & Snowboard points for U18 & U20’s (sprint re-scored with distance points).  An athlete must be a U.S. Ski & Snowboard competitor member to compete at the US National Championships.

THERE ARE NO OOR RACES for U16’s

6.  Eastern Cup Scoring:

All Eastern Cup races are scored by U.S. Ski & Snowboard to the National Ranking List (NRL), usually by no later then the Thursday after the race weekend.  NENSA ranks JNQ lists as soon as possible.  Athletes with U.S. Ski & Snowboard General Memberships are not scored to the U.S. Ski & Snowboard NRL or JNQ lists.  All competitors are listed in results.

To determine the overall Eastern Cup Champions (the Gallagher Cup winners) at the end of the season (one male/one female) – the best of 7 out of 9 of the Eastern Cup races are scored to determine the overall winners.

7.     U.S. Ski & Snowboard Nordic Competition Guide

Further information about Race Rules.

Further information about Junior National Qualifying.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

NENSA Rollerski Series

November 20, 2019 by Justin Beckwith

The 2019 rollerski season saw growth and increased involvement from clubs throughout the Northeast and beyond.  Although the conclusion of the Series was a disappointment — with the cancellation of two of the final three races — it is clear that NENSA’s developing programming is helping fuel excitement and out of season competition regionally and nationally.  We owe a huge shout out to our key sponsors — High Peaks Cyclery, the 2019 Series sponsor, and prize sponsor EnjoyWinter.com, including Swenor the official rollerski for the 2018 and 2019 season — their support makes these programs possible!

Please take a few minutes to fill out our rollerski survey.

The App Gap Challenge kicked off the Series with a festival-like atmosphere.  In just three years the event has tripled in size, this year there were 174 competitors who challenged the steep climb up the east side of Appalachian Gap.  The event drew skiers of all ages and abilities — from an untimed “touring” division to U.S. Ski Team athletes.  After the event there was a BBQ with live music and awards for the event and year-end NENSA awards.  It was a beautiful day with friendly competition, community gathering and fun!

2019 App Gap Challenge

The second event of the Series took skiers to Lake Placid, New York where competitors had the choice of competing in three separate events of the Adirondack Rollerski Mini Tour.  This full weekend of events again brought together skiers with diverse abilities from a wide geographic area — and due to the aforementioned cancellation of two events — ultimately determined our overall Series winners.

Many skiers chose to compete in all three events with a 3km prologue, a 1.5km Cross Country Cross (XCX) on Saturday and the famed Climb to the Castle on Sunday.  Start orders for Sunday were determined by placement in the Doubleday – making for some gamesmanship in the hill climb.  High Peaks Cyclery opened the doors to their guide house Saturday night allowing for early bib pick up and a fun social scene complete with beer and s’mores!

Adirondack Rollerski Mini Tour

In what ended up being the last race of the Series – skiers from Maine and several clubs from throughout New England – The Maine Event went swimmingly for the second year in a row with a wet but inspired crowd.  Competitors were greeted with two-times the features of the 2018 event and a course designed with a refined mindset – trying to create more flow and speed than previous versions that focused more on agility.

Before the rollerski competition, a running race and a Learn to Rollerski clinic were added to the festivities in an effort to make rollerski competitions more attractive to a broader audience.  LL Bean was on sight with SkiErg competitions and the famed, Bill Green’s Maine did a spot on the NBC News!  Bates, Bowdoin and Colby Colleges made up the majority of the field for the event and the Colby Mules were able to secure enough points to win the Marty Hall College Cup in it’s second year.  Complete results from that contest, which included skiers from twelve institutions, can be found here.

The Maine Event

The Future:

Overall numbers for the 2019 are not representative of the popularity this evolving program is garnering and despite the cancellation of two of the bigger events nearly 300 unique skiers participated in the Series (169 juniors, 74 open and 43 masters).  As we head into the future NENSA is looking for new partners to host events — and we are excited for the rollerski tracks being built at Mt. Van Hoevenberg and Craftsbury.  With the inception of XCX we are also able to perform fantastic events in non-traditional ski settings — if you live in a town or city that might be a potential venue please reach out directly to NENSA.  Rollerski events in New England have spurred other divisions to create events and we look forward to further collaboration with these organizations.

Series Champions:

Although rollerski competitions are primarily a training tool for many of our clubs they are after all competitions and there were standout performances by athletes in all age groups.  Our Series criteria was amended to rank skiers by their best placement in two of six performances due to the shortened schedule.  You can find full rankings here.  Our open competitors were vying for $2000 of prize money donated by Kathy and Marty Hall ($500-1st, $300-2nd, $200-3rd).

Open Women:
1 – Zoe Williams – ENRG/Nakkertok
2 – Nina Armstrong – NYSEF
3 – Lucy Hochschartner – St. Lawrence

Open Men:
1 – Luke Brown – USBA
2 – Kyle Bratrud – SMS T2
3 – Zane Fields – USBA

Junior Girls:
1 – Ava Thurston – Mansfield Nordic
2 – Shilo Rousseau – Barrie Cross Country
3 – Rose Clayton – Mansfield Nordic

Junior Boys:
1 – Jack Lange – Ford Sayre
2 – Erikson Moore – Fondeurs Laurentides
3 – Ben Milley – Nakkertok

Masters Women:
1 – Kathy Maddock – Dublin XC
2 – Emily Cartwright
3 – Sheila Kealey – Ottawa

Masters Men:
1 – Tyler Magnan – NWVE
2 – Michael Gaughan – Mansfield Nordic
3 – Joseph Iwan – Poland

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: EnjoyWinter, High Peaks Cyclery, Rollerski

Popular Racing in New England

November 13, 2019 by Justin Beckwith

Craftsbury Outdoor Center webcam 11/13/19 – one of the touring centers in NE that will open this weekend.

November snow has touring centers giddy with excitement for the 2019-2020 season.  Indeed many cross country skiers are already sliding on their skinny skis throughout New England and ski areas have snowmaking operations underway.  In response to last winters amazing season there are twenty-two races on the Zak Cup calendar, eight marathons and the increasingly popular New England Club Relay Championship.  NENSA’s mission is to implement educational, recreational, and competitive programs at all levels to sustain a vital and active cross-country skiing community in New England — these popular races are the lifeblood of that community!

Junior skiers lining up for the 2018 Bogburn hosted at the Woodstock Nordic Center.

In the past NENSA has promoted these competitions with a focus on masters racers and Zak Cup competition — this year we aim to broaden our appeal to all ages and abilities of racers.  Friendly competition between our masters population is alive and well — but there is so much more that is attractive about these events — from BKL age groups to recreational (or untimed) skis, to local sponsor support including tasty food and gear demos.  There is no better time to visit a touring center than when they are hosting their local event, a time when weeks or months of effort have been spent to make the skier experience the best it can be!

NENSA’s programming revolves around supporting club structure — and getting together local groups to attend events that bring together the greater skiing community.  All of our Zak Cup events are also scored to Club Cup rankings, giving all participants added incentive to join in the fun.  Whether you are new to skiing or a lifetime competitor you help support your club and the events that celebrate our sport!  This season will be the first time senior skiers (ages 23-29) will be included in Zak Cup rankings — with the aim of bringing more friendly competition to this age group.

Many of our events already have live registration pages and you can find those by clicking on the event names on the popular calendar — review the listings early and sign up for events you know you want to attend — your participation will draw in more participants and make these events thrive!  Print out an event poster for your refrigerator or office wall.  There are events in all states within New England (and New York) so you don’t need to travel far to find excitement — but you are encouraged to pick out new events and visit different venues.  The races themselves vary in discipline and distance — including sprint, skiathlon, marathon, hill climb and downhill and everything in between.  If you’ve never experienced the excitement of a mass start maybe you want to seek out one of those events — or join in a recreation category (many events offer untimed or shortened distances).

Racing action kicks off in Craftsbury in one month with a sprint on Saturday December 14th and the traditional Opener on Sunday the 15th.  Jackson XC is hosting the Jackson Jaunt on December 29th giving you three opportunities before the new year.  Racing continues in earnest in January with eight races listed in Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts – including the One Day Club Championships in Jackson, NH now know as the Freeman Frost White Mountain Half Marathon.  February brags seven events including the Craftsbury Marathon and AXCS Masters National Championships and Stowe Derby.  March has five popular races and wraps up with Zak and Season Awards at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center on March 22nd.

We look forward to seeing you out there this winter — please don’t hesitate reaching out to NENSA or the hosting venues — Let it Snow!

 

 

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The Maine Event

November 6, 2019 by Tom Weir

Sunday morning, October 27th, dawned chilly and wet in New Gloucester, Maine as NENSA staffers set up an agility sprint course in the parking lot loop of Pineland Farms. The day marked the second annual running of the Maine Event, a cross-country cross (XCX) sprint on rollerskis preceded by a 5k trail run. The course of the XCX race was designed to use NENSA’s innovative rollerski ramps to test skiers’ rhythm, balance and coordination.

 

The day began with a learn to ski clinic, where skiers took advantage of expert instruction from NENSA’s Justin Beckwith and Colin Rodgers of GMVS. After the clinic, the 5k trail run went off at 11:00am, with 24 runners braving the rain for a fast and scenic cruise on the beautiful Campus Loop ski trail at Pineland Farms. Competitors ran through field and forest before looping their way back to the finish line. Rain was coming down hard at this point, and several runners came back with the signs of mishaps in the mud on their once white bibs. 

Despite the weather there were smiles all around, and the runners dashed back to vans and tents for dry clothes and some down time before the XCX race began at 12:30pm.  Bill Green’s Maine will feature this event on November 9th – stay tuned for more details.

The rollerski competition format was to include an individual qualifier round, followed by elimination rounds culminating in a final at the end of the day. But as the rain continued to beat down the decision was made to run a second round of qualification to determine final placement – allowing all competitors to compete again.

Cross-country cross is truly an exciting discipline, and it was amazing to watch our competitors expertly navigate turns and roll smoothly over bumps and rollers. The field included skiers from Bates, Bowdoin, and Colby colleges as well junior skiers from Gould Academy, several Maine high schools, and club programs in Vermont and New Hampshire.

The competition was exciting, and we are proud to have hosted such an energetic and intrepid group of competitors. NENSA continues to be an innovator in US rollerski programming, and we are excited to support New England programs with events like the Maine Event, and continue to push the envelope with cross-country cross.

Look for a full recap of the High Peaks Rollerski Series soon – unfortunately extreme weather forced a cancellation of the Trapp Invitational.  Unbeknown to the Colby Mules who had a fantastic showing at The Maine Event this would be the final race of the High Peaks Rollerski Series – and their effort on this day cemented them a the victors of the Marty Hall College Cup!  Coaches Tracey Cote and Jackson Bloch had this to say about the day, “We had such a great time at the Maine Event!  Being able to participate in both the run and the agility race made for such a productive and fun day of training.  We are super thankful to NENSA for continuing to bring this event to Maine. This format of agility racing has become an important test of our fall progress and one of our favorite events we do all season.”

Full results can be found at Bart Timing.

Final Series Ranking can be found here.

All photos courtesy of Flying Point Road – click here to see the entire album.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

NENSA Waxing Policy 2019-2020 Ski Season

November 5, 2019 by Justin Beckwith

Mission Statement:  NENSA is committed to making safe and supportive competitive events for all cross country skiers.  Concerns about fluorinated waxes have emerged from three schools of thought: the health implications of exposure, the environmental effects involved with the raw materials in many of the wax products, and the competitive advantage certain clubs may gain due to the perceived complexities of available products.  NENSA would like to address these issues and help reduce the dependence on fluorinated waxes through education and waxing guidelines.

It is important to note that the wax industry will shift as the international market responds to mounting regulation of ingredients in Europe.  We hope our stance will promote a healthy environment for athletes, technicians, spectators and New England venues. These policies are based on trust and NENSA cannot enforce compliance.

Championship Rules:

  • Bill Koch Festival – Fluoro-Free glide products only.
  • U16 & Eastern High School Championships
    • Use of non fluoro, low fluoro, or high fluoro paraffin glide wax will be allowed.
    • Base structure will be allowed.
    • Use of any fluorinated topcoat treatment in the glide zones will not be allowed. This includes the following:
      • Powders
      • Liquids
      • Blocks

NENSA Policy at Open Events (Eastern Cup*, Popular Races):

  • All participants at NENSA events are expected to respect public spaces, and abide by any restrictions provided by the venue.
  • No Ironing of Perfluorinated finishing waxes (“pure fluoro” – powders, liquids, or blocks).

*Ironed “pure fluoro” products pose a possible health risk. To protect athletes, spectators, and the general public from potential exposure it is our policy to disallow the ironed application of these products.

  • Applying perfluorinated waxes by hand using rotocork, rotofleece, or hand cork methods is acceptable under these new regulations.
  • Ironing kick wax products is also permitted, though NENSA recommends use of a respirator during that process.

*The Craftsbury SuperTour, held January 24-26, 2020, is a SuperTour and thus supersedes NENSA’s wax regulations. Ironing of perfluorinated wax products will be permitted at this event.

NENSA Recommendations:

  • Simplify your wax boxes – learn a brand(s) and trust your process.  Add complexity as you see fit and that your staff can handle without limiting coaching interaction.
  • Use fluorinated waxes sparingly: select appropriate events and limit the volume and time you spend testing products.  Please note many commonly used kick waxes and klister contains fluorinated material and should be used and disposed of in a similar manner to glide waxes.
  • Wear a respirator or at least a dust mask whenever you are glide waxing: If you are working with any type of glide wax, there are likely fumes and particulates in the air that you do not want in your lungs. Even when scraping and brushing, wear a dust mask to protect your airways.
  • Collect your wax shavings and contain your dust: Wax waste must be collected in waste containers and disposed of in waste containers properly. All waste material should be disposed of in waste containers on site.  Do not brush your wax scrapings on the ground.

Looking forward:  We hope that our stance on limiting the use of fluorinated wax will further invigorate the industry to develop new products that can provide similar performance without relying on materials that are known to pose potential health and environmental risk.  NENSA’s policies will continue to develop as we learn more about the effects of wax and new waxes are made available.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Trapp Invitational UPDATE

November 1, 2019 by Justin Beckwith

PLEASE NOTE MANY AREAS OF NORTHERN VERMONT INCLUDING STOWE SUSTAINED SERIOUS DAMAGE FROM WIND AND RAIN LAST NIGHT – MANY ROADS ARE CURRENTLY CLOSED – INCLUDING SECTIONS OF OUR COURSE.  WE WILL KEEP YOU POSTED THROUGHOUT THE DAY AS TO MODIFICATIONS TO THE COURSE AND OR CANCELLATION. WE ARE AS BUMMED AS YOU – STAY POSITIVE AND WE WILL BE IN TOUCH.

Athletes will be seeded using USSA (or FIS) points. START LISTS WILL BE POSTED TO BULLITT TODAY.  Classic 10km Individual Start at :30 second intervals.  The sixteen lowest point male and female skiers in the race with use the NENSA Swenor Alutech matched ski set – racers will receive the skis at bib pickup before the start.  These skiers will start in two waves of 8.  All other skiers will use their own “training/medium/#2” speed roller skis. Helmets are required.

Notes and reminders:

Course:  We have again received graciously received permission from the Town of Stowe to race on their roads. In an effort to safely increase our field size, the Barrows Road section of the course will be closed to traffic and marshaled by Stowe Police at the Moscow and Luce Hill turns (Nebraska Valley and Luce/Trapp Hill will remain open and skiers must abide by the rules of the road).  Although we will be marshaling the entire course skiers must treat the roads with caution.  We request that all warm up takes place on Nebraska Valley Road and parking takes place at the parking lot just off Cotton Brook Road.  Please preview the remainder of the course on your way to registration by car.  Course begins with gradual downhill and flat before rolling upwards along Barrows Road and making a final climb up Luce and Trapp Hill.  The course measures 6.2 miles / 10 kilometers.

Start:  The start is at the end of Nebraska Valley Road just before it turns to dirt @4km from Cotton Brook Road.  We will have a clock and a NENSA tent set up at the line.  Look for instructions from starters there – the first racer will depart at 10:00am.  A support vehicle will be posted at the start – you can leave anything you wish shuttled to the finish in the back before your start.

Course marking:  The course will be marked and the three turns will be marshaled by Stowe Police and bibbed officials.  We will make an effort to have kilometer markings on the right hand side of the road.

Race/Overtaking Etiquette: During the race skiers should stay to the right hand side of the road as bicycle traffic. Marshals will instruct you at intersections but skiers are ultimately responsible for their safety. Use tracking etiquette when overtaking skiers and avoid skiing double for extended periods of time.

Any skier seen in violation of safety protocols during warm up or in competition will be pulled from the event.

Course Map – Please note start, finish, and warm up parking area.

Bib Pickup / Registration:  Takes place in the yurt behind the Outdoor Center. 8:00-9:30am.  All competitors need to sign a day of race liability waiver (minors please make arrangements for an adult to sign ahead of time).  At registration you will be asked if you have read and understand this document.  Skiers on the Elite and Development Team will receive their Team headband at this time. You will then receive your bib, which you will return at the finish.

Post race food:  Light snacks and fluids will be available at the finish and entry fee includes appetizers and beverages at Trapps.  Thank you to Sunrise Orchards for their donations.  This year will feature ice cream!

Parking:  As noted on the map general event parking will take place at the Outdoor Center parking lot.  Coaches are encouraged to shuttle their athletes to the Cotton Brook dirt lot several hundred feet down the road by proceeding over Trapp Hill as noted by a red line on the course map.

Water and Restrooms:  Water and restrooms will be available for athletes and coaches in the basement of the Outdoor Center – please consider supporting Outdoor Center retail space upstairs.

Trash and Recycling:  Please maintain leave no trace status and dispose of all waste properly. Thanks!

Results: The event will have live timing and final results will be posted at the Outdoor Center, the Bierhall and the NENSA website.

Awards:  Will take place in the Mozart Room at Trapps at 12:00pm.  We encourage all athletes to attend and celebrate our top-3 Overall / Junior / Masters male and female athletes on the day with podium prizes by EnjoyWinter and Rossignol.  Overall male and female winners will vie for $200 cash prize provided by Rossignol. We will also be honoring the top-3 Overall Winners (Junior/Open/Masters) from the NENSA High Peaks Rollerski Race Series including the open purse ($500-1st, $300-2nd and $200-3rd), and the Marty Hall College Cup.  Awards will include products from Swenor, Bliz and local vendors.

Please don’t hesitate to email [email protected] or call 802-345-6720 with questions.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

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