NENSA News

We are very excited to announce that App Gap 2020 is happening! It will come as no surprise to anyone that the format will be quite different than in previous years to ensure safety during this global pandemic. App Gap 2020 will take place between Aug 22 and 30 with multiple small physically distance in-person invitational rollerski races up the Gap for local clubs and a virtual event that is open to our whole NENSA community. While we would love to host an in-person App Gap for everyone, we simply cannot safely do that in this environment and we want our summer/fall events to be safe and successful so we can provide more opportunities this winter. We appreciate your understanding and hope you are excited to compete in the Virtual App Gap Challenge. There will, of course, be sweet prizes and the nature of a virtual event means anyone can participate regardless of their location! There are three virtual rollerski participation categories and we will be rolling out a team competition within these categories as well so stay tuned!

Climb in Time (single effort): how much elevation can you gain in 30mins (15mins for BKL)?
Climb over Distance (single effort): how much elevation can you gain over 7.5k (2k for BKL)?
Climb the Whole Time (multiple efforts): how much total elevation can you climb between Aug 22 and 30? Can you climb Mt. Everest (29,029ft)?! 

Register for the Virtual App Gap here.

Current NENSA members get a discount on registration and this will be our first event that we utilize SkiReg’s data entry and leaderboard platform! We hope that wherever you are, you can get out on your rollerskis and start climbing! Please reach out to [email protected] with questions.

AWARDS: Stay tuned to @nensa_nordic and Facebook for updates on Awards.  Prizes for all ages from EnjoyWinter (Swenor, Bliz, and Anti-Freeze Face Tape), Swix, and more.

During the month of July NENSA was thrilled to feature and promote an outstanding virtual event to benefit the Maine Outdoor Wellness Center in honor of Roy Varney, an outstanding Maine athlete who tragically lost his life in a farming accident.

There were 111 participants by the month’s end. Participants ranged across Maine, from York to Camden, across categories, outside of Maine that reach spread out to Yukon a mere 3700 miles, or a 64 hr. drive. That team The Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Club  nearly passed our own staff here at NENSA. It would be remiss to also not mention Mt.Blue who had a great showing. Torin La Liberté from Clarkson University set a blazing 3:16/km pace for the Rockstar (71.19km) category. Leif Harvey from Cumberland, Me rolled through the 7.1km Rollerski a hair over 21 min, then also took the 1:11:19 distance TWICE at 0:03:02/km!

All of this wouldn’t have been possible without Gloria Varney who chose to make Art is tribute to Roy. You can read her full post HERE, and Thank You Willie for #butterfly

Finally Jenny and Sharon Wilbraham both had a neck and neck amazing times running through over 71k on a bike loop.

You can see results HERE which includes images and tracking data. Weekly prizes included a raffle for SKIDA face masks and special goodies from Untapped Natural Athletic Fuel. These raffle winners were:

Week 1 – Skida Face Mask – Peter Minde, Peru Nordic

UnTapped Maple care pack – Dustin Williamson, Leavitt High School

Week 2 – Skida Face Mask – Ellen Chandler, Jackson XC

UnTapped Maple care pack – Brian Sprague, Mansfield Nordic Club

Week 3 – Skida Face Mask – Emily Cartwright, Cumberland County Nordic Club

UnTapped Maple care pack – Fred Call, Bethel Outing Club

Week 4 – Skida Face Mask – Thomas Lewis

UnTapped Maple care pack – Clara Sandberg

 

There were six categories in this Virtual Event. Each included generous prizes supplied by our supporting sponsor SIDAS and here are the lucky winners:

Rockstar – Sidas Heated Vest – Jenny Wilbraham

Speedy Repeater – Sidas Heated Gloves – Sadie Skinner

BKL/Rec:  Sidas Hat & Buff Combo Pack – Saphrona Stetson

1:11:19:  Sidas Custom Insoles – Brian Sprague

Art for Roy:  Sidas Drop in Insoles and Gel Products – Gloria Varney

Run/Bike/Ski:  Sidas Drop in Insoles and Gel Products – Nico Giangrande

Additionally $888.00 was raised in entry fees to benefit the Center, last week Dustin Williamson accepted a check on behalf of the Maine Outdoor Wellness Center. We especially want to thank all the participants that put in the miles for Roy.

 

 

The Covid-19 pandemic poses significant challenges to NENSA’s 2020-21 winter event schedule. We are committed to hosting races and will make every effort to safely put on events in whatever form they might take. Our first objective is to ensure the health of our community in New England. Our second objective is to host our major events: Eastern Cups, Popular Races, U16 and Eastern High School Championships, the Bill Koch Festival, and Women’s Day as scheduled. To further foster excitement and an inclusive and community-centric atmosphere around skiing, NENSA will also be organizing some new fun season long challenges and goal-oriented activities. Skiers are encouraged to limit their travel and attend events that are within their region and state.

State and regional guidelines will dictate how we conduct events. We understand that the course of this pandemic, and thus the guidelines put in place to keep us safe, might not progress linearly. While the nature of competition will remain the same, we must operate our events in a manner that ensures the safety of all athletes, volunteers, staff and the communities in which our events are held until the end of the Covid-19 pandemic. Below you will find detailed information about different contingency plans – please note all of these outlines require that participants abide by the New England Cross Country Promise (NECCP) – failing to follow these guidelines may warrant removal from an event and jeopardizes our community and the entire event calendar. Our goal is to be transparent and keep our community informed and up-to-date on our evolving thoughts and plans. Please note participation may be limited by what state and/or county you are coming from and the duration of your stay (ie. day trips vs. lodging).

Eastern Cup Contingencies:

Plan 1 – Individual start distance races and spreading out start times by age group to minimize the number of persons physically at the venue at any point in time following Covid guidelines and NECCP. Competitors must complete an Event Health Screen form on Wednesday night including temperature check. Upon arrival at the venue competitors must pass a verbal health screen before unloading from their vehicle. Please note spectators will be limited (or restricted to their vehicles), there could be limited coach access to courses, there will be no indoor spaces provided by the venue, wax areas will be monitored for physical distance, and bathrooms will be assigned by state. Volunteer and event staff will be reduced in number. There will be no NENSA sanctioned mass start or sprint competitions this season. We respectively ask that all persons at the venue must wear a face covering and cover their mouth and nose at all times. Athletes/coaches must cover their nose and mouth in the start and finish area and if they are within 6 ft of another individual on course.

Beginning October 1st competitors will be able to purchase their 2021 race bib and an assigned timing chip to allow for a touchless registration and timing system. There will be no day of race registration. Registration refunds will be offered until 5pm on the Friday before the event. Results will only be published online and there will be no physical award ceremonies. Events will be recorded at several locations to help facilitate spectating and provide coaches with footage for reviewing performances.

Plan 2 – Alternate dates and/or venues – moving EC’s to February or early March when we could re-emerge from potential early/mid-winter quarantine and or venue closures.

Plan 3 – Regional races within states in New England – states determine “Championship” Teams. We recognize that the naming of the New England Junior National Team and regional ranking are major goals of many junior competitors. Regardless of the shape our event seasons take, NENSA will make every effort to celebrate athletes as we normally do to ensure continuity and incentive to all competitors. In this vein it is important for all athletes, parents and coaches to understand that NENSA’s number one goal is to offer competition to our members and we need to work together to make it through this time of uncertainty.

Plan 4 – Events will take place over a nine day period commencing on the original scheduled date for the event. Competitors will register as normal and sign up for a timeslot to visit the venue to complete their race. Racers will wear their bib and use their own timing chips for identification. Courses, including timing implements, will be maintained and marshalled by NENSA and timing staff throughout the period. Results will be posted online and competitors will have 24 hours to file protests/corrections via email. Competitors are strongly encouraged to wear fitness trackers to monitor their efforts and ensure all competitors have skied the correct course.

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Popular Racing:

NENSA feels it is important to promote local and regional racing and encourage competitors to minimize the distances they travel this winter. Many popular races traditionally have race fields less than 100 competitors and by nature allow for less skier density at a venue. With over 20 events typically on the Zak and Club Cup calendar there are “local” options for most of our skiers. Competitors should carefully evaluate inter-state travel and are encouraged to be self reliant (ie. traveling with food and limiting restaurant and convenience store visits and use of lodging outside of their state).

NENSA will work with Popular Race organizers individually to gauge safety concerns and current willingness to host events. Many of the same considerations used for Eastern Cup and our Championship events are applicable to Popular Races. Alternative formats such as the rolling start used by the Long Haul Loppet last winter should be encouraged as they reduce skier density and have proven popular with competitors for convenience and now safety!

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Women’s Day, U16 Champs, EHSC, and BKL Festival: We have a detailed draft of contingency plans for each of these events that we are still fine-tuning. These plans will be published later this summer after we work out a few more details and integrate feedback from host venues.

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New Community Events: These events are in the beginning phases of planning and are subject to change but we wanted to give a glimpse of what we are cooking up. Stay tuned for updates!

State Passport – Get a Cross Country Center passport for your state and see how many you can check off during the whole season! Additional challenges might include skiing a certain number of kilometers at each Center or skiing all their open trails.

Ski for Ks – See how many kilometers you can log this winter individually, as a club, and as a region. Similar challenge with elevation gained. Can NENSA members collectively ski one million kilometers this winter?

NENSA Community Time Trials – Race 5k every week throughout the winter. Anyone can participate. Self-timed, or timed as part of your own club’s citizen race series, and reported to NENSA. Course must be a loop or an out-and-back. Participation leaderboards maintained by NENSA.

From Team USA: By Peggy Shinn | July 19, 2020

Forty years ago, Judy and Carlie Geer should have been walking into the Opening Ceremony at the Olympic Games Moscow 1980—the first sisters to ever row together in a double scull for Team USA.

It would have been the second Olympiad for Judy, the first for Carlie, who had never even seen crew until she had begged for time off from her camp counselor job so she could watch Judy compete in the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. In those Games, Judy had rowed in the coxed four, finishing sixth, and Carlie—wanting to keep up with her big sister—said to their dad, “I’m going to row in the next Olympics with Judy.”

Instead, they stayed home. They did not know at the time that they would stick with competitive rowing through the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, where Carlie would win a silver medal in the single sculls.

“I probably could not have told you right away that I was definitely going to keep training and racing for another four years,” said Carlie by Zoom from a cabin at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center in northern Vermont. “All I knew was I didn’t want to stop because I was loving what I was doing.”

Judy echoed Carlie’s thoughts. She has loved rowing ever since setting foot in a practice barge at Smith College in the early 1970s.

This realization—that they were rowing because they enjoyed it, not because they coveted Olympic or world championship medals—made the devastation of the 1980 Olympic boycott easier to digest. And the lessons learned have helped Judy guide her children in their athletic pursuits. Hannah and Emily Dreissigacker competed in the 2014 and 2018 Olympic Winter Games in biathlon, respectively, and brother Ethan also competed internationally in biathlon…read full article HERE

 

We are thrilled to announce that the New England Nordic Ski Association ( NENSA Nordic ) and The Maine Outdoor Wellness Center will be co-hosting the second annual “Roy-llerski” fitness competition and fundraiser for the month of July.

Jenny Wilbraham, who skied for Morse High School and was a great friend of Roy created the meet-up event last year to honor Roy Varney. Several members of the Maine Nordic ski community came together to rollerski for Roy and to honor him last July.  The goal was simply to bring together the nordic community for solidarity, remembrance, and be there to support one another.  Roy who skied for Leavitt Area High School, was a multiple Class A state champion, a KVAC Champion, and one of the top high school Nordic skiers in Maine.  He passed away in a farm accident in July of 2019.

This year, with the COVID-19 pandemic, things will be a little different.  Instead of coming together in person, NENSA and the MOWC are pleased to hold this event virtually.

Using the date of Roy’s passing (7/1/19), the challenge is to ski, run, rollerski or bike ride 71.19km OR for 71:19 (1h:11m:19s), spread over a couple of days if need be.  The event is open to the public regardless of experience and age.

In the 2nd annual (virtual) Roy-llerski, there are five different competitions to enter and prizes will be rewarded! The small entry fee will go towards The Maine Outdoor Wellness’s 2020 fundraising initiative, which will be  used in the development of trails for running, biking, and skiing.  The MOWC is being created in Turner and will have Nordic, bike, and running trails as well as a biathlon training facility.  It was Roy’s dream to have such a center in his area.

The goal is to have fun, stay safe, and take the spirit of the journey with you!!  Sharing photos or GPS tracks is highly encouraged.  Registration is currently open via SkiReg (https://www.skireg.com/roy-llerski) and participants will input their photos and their data via a Google form.

NENSA sponsors SIDAS, UnTapped Maple and Skida have all graciously donated prizes for this July event!  More info on SkiReg.com event notes

For more information, contact [email protected] or [email protected]org .

Welcome to the second edition of Throwback Thursday. This week we jump into a Technique clinic article written by our own Peter Hendel titled “Kick Double Pole” published in the late fall of 1997 here is the article from NENN Vol.3 No.2 

KICK DOUBLE POLE – BY Peter Hendel, Holderness Ski Coach

A poorly understood and highly underused classic technique is the kick double pole, or stride double pole. One main reason for this is that most skiers do not weight shift properly and so never benefit from the power of a properly weighted kick. This may be true even if they do weight shift well in their normal diagonal stride.

Why the confusion? I think many skiers are confused in kick double pole because they have an image of the kick leg as sliding or moving backwards during the kick phase. In fact we as coaches may contribute to this misconception by having our skiers kick double pole on dryland or in front of a video by sliding their kicking foot back, which in turn forces them to weight their glide ski! On snow this translates into a premature weight shift and poor kick.

In recent years I’ve tried a sequence of drills to counter this. [see diagrams below] First I have my skiers do #7 and #8 of the Nikolai Anikin drills (falling forward with a step and a kick) and then a double poling with relaxed arms drill. Next I have them tie these three together into the kick double pole.They should pole, weight their right foot and kick off, falling forward onto their (left) glide ski. We repeat this several times to get a feel of the dynamic kick propelling us forward.

Now we move outside and try this on skis. The timing of the arms, kick and weight shift is confusing, so I provide my skiers with verbal cues by skiing behind them and yelling “pole/(weight the)left foot/ kick, pole/(weight the) right foot/ kick,” and so on.Our skiers say that the verbal cues help them get used to the rhythm of the technique and that they really begin to feel the power of a properly weighted kick.

This exercise (No.7)will help you feel the proper motion which should occur as you lean forward and transfer weight from L ski to R ski.Do not push off the opposite leg. Instead just concentrate on letting your weight naturally fall forward. Also, pay attention to your upper body position. In the step position, you should not have excess trunk compression. The rotation happens at the ankle, thus little change will occur to your trunk angle.

(No.8) Is the same exercise as No.7 only now add the kick or push phases which will cause forward rotation of your hips and a relaxed, but straiter upper leg. The kick is very, very important. Pay attention to the strait line of the body from the head to the kicking foot. The support or gliding leg must be relaxed and notice it is relatively straight. The hips must rotate up and over the gliding ski; this is obligatory.

Photo: Nikolai Anikin

In honor of the long history of our organization, and our beloved community of skiers across New England we are going to pause and reflect on how we got here. I myself have been reflecting quite often over the past few months because, for most everyone, the future is more undefined than it has been in living history.

A group of families, from the Berkshire Trails Nordic Ski Club (BTNSC), met on July 6th to hike a 13 mile segment of the M&M Trail. Beginning at the Notch in South Hadley, MA and ending at Mt.Tom in Holyoke, MA.  This section has been rated by Runner’s World Magazine as one of the top 10 hikes in the US.  The range is a series of small mountains close together, so after every decent, there is another climb just ahead – a lot like skiing! Uphill efforts are rewarded by beautiful views.

The lead group, doing the entire 13 miles, was not stopped even by the Connecticut River.  An obliging boat owner with the well known name of Thomas Jefferson ferried them across and they continued up Mt.Tom.

Group hiking is a lot of fun. With a little planning, a successful hike has a destination and terrain to match varying abilities.  A common starting point, with cars left at one or two intervals, allows everyone to start together, and finish where they want to.  The best part of a group hike is that everyone can hook up with someone who goes at about the same speed.  All hikers, big and small, should carry their own food and water supply. Have a favorite hiking spot? Send us the location, or plan a group hike and spread the word.

By Penny Molyneux NENN Vol.3 No.1 Early Fall 1997

On Monday evening June 22nd NENSA and U.S. Ski & Snowboard will partner to host the first virtual Regional Elite Group (REG) camp for 34 athletes from the Eastern region.  The concept of a virtual camp experience was born from necessity as our current health crisis does not allow for groups to safely gather.  Although we would all rather be able to host an in person camp – the reality of a virtual camp allows the broader New England (and beyond) community to see what a REG camp entails, both through shared training plans and standardized testing.  Many clubs will participate alongside their nominated athletes and anyone can gain access to the training plan and testing by signing up for NENSA’s #JuneTerm event.

Athletes were invited to the camp based on NENSA Elite and Development Team criteria, Junior National ranking and nomination by the Mid-Atlantic division.  Throughout six days of training these athletes will be coached by US Ski Team staff, Ski Team athlete alums as well as regional club leaders.  Training and testing will be introduced via prerecorded video and interactive conference calls.

Male Participants: Aidan Burt, Brian Bushey, Caden Cote, Clint Macy, Fin Bailey, Finn Sweet, Isaac Freitas-Eagan, Jack Christner, Jack Lange, Jack Young, Linden Niedeck, Luke Streinz, Quinn Wilson, Sam Murray, Trey Jones

Female Participants: Amelia Tucker, Ava Thurston, Callie Young, Camille Bolduc, Elsa Bolinger, Emma Strack, Emma Charles, Evelyn Walton, Maggie McGee, Mica Bodkins, Nina Seemann, Phoebe Sweet, Quincy Massey-Bierman, Sammie Nolan, Shea Brams, Sofia Scirica, Hattie Barker, Rose Clayton and Sophia Kelting.

Success in this distanced environment requires self reliance and creativity – both themes that will be conveyed to the athletes – and that were essential to create the framework in which regional leaders came together to create national standardized testing.  Athletes will be challenged with a 3000 meter running test (ideally on a track), a 1000 meter SkiErg test and the Canadian Strength Test protocol.  These metrics along with individual placement on the National Ranking List will allow for comparison among athletes throughout the United States.  It also creates the potential for advancement to further U.S. Ski Team camps – namely the National Elite Group (NEG) which typically attends a camp in the fall alongside the National Training Group (NTG) and members of the U.S. Ski Team.

Stay tuned for updates about REG and the final week or #JuneTerm.  NENSA is proud of our athletes achievements and is dedicated to furthering their potential.  Despite the challenges we all face we are determined to meet this challenge and come back to the new normal stronger than ever!

#joinusforREG

 

Dear NENSA Community ~

The senseless killing of George Floyd, and so many others, has brought into sharp focus the injustice of inequality and race in our country and around the globe. These are long-standing problems and it is hard to know where to start to think about how we can be a part of the solution. As an athlete, coach, member, parent, or supporter of cross country skiing here in New England, the important thing now is that we actually do start. I challenge everyone, including myself and my family, to make one change towards good, towards a solution. After you have done that, then make another. Make it a pattern for positivity in this world.

Here are three simple things we can all do individually to start with:
1. Register to VOTE (if you are soon to be eligible or not yet registered) and then EVERYBODY go out and VOTE! Local and National elections, primaries and the big ones this fall.
2. Donate some of your time or resources to a cause that can help make a difference.  There are many out there doing a lot of important work ~ find one that speaks to you and get involved.
3. Educate ourselves. Education is a lifelong process. Right now, is the time for learning more from different voices than our own – about racism, diversity, biases, equality and inclusion – see BLM Resource List below for some ideas.

Here are three things NENSA is going to do:
1. We will write a Diversity & Inclusivity policy. We do have a Transgender Policy, and we are going to build on that to be sure it is stated that our NENSA mission is to be inclusive of all – no matter your race, religion or sexual orientation. Sometimes it takes a time like this to show what is missing.
2. NENSA is looking at long-term ways to make the New England ski community a more welcoming environment for people of color, and we will be looking at how our organization can support black businesses and institutions.
3. We will work to create more opportunities for BIPOC programing and partnerships within NENSA and our New England ski community.

Thank you all for joining us in this effort. As a community of endurance athletes who know the importance of getting the details right and working every day to achieve difficult long-term goals, I know we can make big difference.

Best,
Amie W. Smith
Executive Director | NENSA
[email protected]

BLM Resource List Tab on www.NENSA.net homepage:
This list has many great ideas of things to read, watch or listen to, and organizations to donate to. This is by no means a comprehensive list of all resources, but I invite you to start here, and if this is helpful, share these ideas with others. Thanks to all those who have helped pull this list together.