NENSA News

While winter may be dumping lots of snow on the East this week, the end of the season races are quickly approaching.  This year the Craftsbury Outdoor Center is hosting the last Popular races on the NENSA calendar, the NENSA Club Relay Championships (all legs will be freestyle) and a 40km Classic Marathon.  

“The NENSA Club Relay Championship attracts skiers of all ages and abilities and is the perfect way to involve all club members in a fun and exciting event.  It is a true test to see who has the premier ski club/team in New England” – former event host – Jim Fredericks. 

This year’s event will determine the final placings in the season long Club Cup standings.  There is tight competition between the top six teams, with NWVE coming on strong in the final events.  Will you be there to see if Mansfield, Ford Sayre, EMXC, GMVS, NWVE or the Craftsbury Ski Club come out on top?  Better yet, will you partake and enjoy the festivities while helping improve your club’s season standing?  There will be awards for teams with cumulative ages under 100, over 100 and over 200 years – choose your teammates wisely! The Relays will be followed by a community-wide BBQ and NENSA will present the end of season awards.  Make sure to bring your lawn chair, sunscreen, and best relay costumes as well as some friends to enjoy the event with!

Please note that SuperTour Finals will be taking place in the same location and days as these events.  The NENSA Club Relay Championships will take place prior to the National Championship Relay (9am start for New England Club Relay, 11am start for National Championship Relay).  This gives the Club relay competitors a chance to cheer on the pros!  The following day, the Popular marathon will start at the same time as the National Championship 40km and Junior 20km – everyone will be seeded according to NRL rank, or will be seeded in the back of the field if they have no USSS license.  Expect to see junior skiers finishing halfway through the race.  This is a long race, so no need to sweat where you get placed in the start, just ease your way into the race and have fun!

There’s a lot of information on the registration and event pages.  Here are NENSA’s tips for registering:

1. Go to Craftsbury’s event page
2. Click on the registration link (also view Race Guide via link for important details)
3. On registration page, scroll down to see Popular Events group
4. Select the events you want and follow prompts
5. If you’re doing the NENSA Club Relay Championship:
   1. Register at the same time as your three teammates (this could be a fun zoom meeting)
   2. One member of your team must fill out this google form to complete team registration (all team members must register on Skireg first)
6. Check out Craftsbury’s Club Relay Championship document for more information

***Note Registration prices increase after March 17th, relay registration closes March 22nd.

Long Haul Loppet Recap:

This year’s Long Haul Loppet was held on a beautiful sunny March day.  JacksonXC’s Ellis River trails were groomed to perfection for touring skiers and racers.  Nearly 150 skiers started over the course of the morning in the self-seeded rolling start.

This event has an old school feel to it, with winding trails that have just enough room for a skate lane and classic tracks.  The elevation change on this uphill/downhill course is noticeable not online fatigue, but the change in snow conditions, with the upper parts of the course having powdery snow.  Meanwhile the lower parts having faster transformed snow, more typical of March skiing.  For their efforts skiers were rewarded with another feature of old school skiing – a fun kilometers long downhill to the finish!
Long Haul Loppet photos

Results

See Damian Bolduc’s event recaps for more in-depth coverage of the Long Haul Loppet and the Hard’ack.

Hard’ack Recap by Tyler Magnan:

After three years we were thrilled to bring back the full three-day Eastern High School Championship event! We couldn’t have asked for a better weekend at the Rikert Outdoor Center with excellent snow conditions, clear skies, and a committed group of staff and volunteers.

Eastern High School Championships (EHSC) is the premier event for high school and prep school racers in New England and New York. Athletes qualify for the EHSC through state qualifying races in which up to 24 boys and 24 girls are selected from each state. Championship racing action kicked off at Rikert on Friday afternoon with an individual start 5k freestyle race. The boys raced first followed by the girls. The full 5k course was in mint condition thanks to the recent snowfall and exceptional grooming by the Rikert Outdoor Center staff.

5k Freestyle Boys:
1: Baxter Harrington, VT
2: Benjamin Condit, ME
3: Quinn McDermott, MA
4: Nico Hochanadel, VT
5: Sage Grossi, VT
6: Brady Morigeau, VT
7: Leo Circosta, VT
8: Taylor Carlson, VT
9: James Underwood, VT
10: Eli Shifrin, ME

5k Freestyle Girls:
1: Lea Perread, NH
2: Greta Kilburn, VT
3: Elli Englund, NH
4: Hannah Petersen, MA
5: Ava Rothe, NH
6: Anika Leahy, VT
7: Margaret Voisin, VT
8: Cora Hinsdill, NY
9: Carli Krebs, NH
10: Hannah Bennet, NH

Saturday morning kicked off with  a three lap 7.5k mass start classic race. After a three year hiatus due to COVID followed by low snow, it was thrilling to experience the total stillness in the stadium followed an airhorn and 110 athletes charging off the line.

7.5k Classic Mass Start Boys:
1: Quinn McDermott, MA
2: Oliver Wilson, NH
3: Eli Shifrin, ME
4: James Underwood, VT
5: Matthew Clarner, NH
6: Abrahm Giessinger, ME
7: Benjamin Condit, ME
8: Leo Circosta, VT
9: Jared Rife, MA
10: Nathan Doughty, MA

7.5k Classic Mass Start Girls:
1: Ruth White, ME
2: Lea Perread, NH
3: Elli Englund, NH
4: Cora Hinsdill, NY
5: Adah Chapman, NH
6: Greta Killburn, VT
7: Kayley Bell, ME
8: Annabelle Brooks, ME
9: Clara White, ME
10: Hannah Bennett, NH

After a lunch break, the sun started to peak out from behind the clouds and freestyle wave start sprinting action got underway. The course was fun and technical featuring a hefty climb and a barrel turn. The race format featured waves of five athletes with one athlete from each state (MA, ME, NH, NY & VT). After the sprint race, we honored the top 3 overall individual athletes whose ranking was determined using points from the first three individual races.

Skate Sprint Boys:
1: Sage Grossi, VT
2: Eli Shifrin, ME
3: Benjamin Condit, ME
4: Quinn McDermott, MA
5: James Underwood, VT
6: Joseph Graziadei, VT
7: Sawyer Weale, NH
8: Nico Hochanadel, VT
9: Brady Morigeau, VT
10: Oliver Wilson, NH

Skate Sprint Girls:
1: Greta Kilburn, VT
2: Lea Perread, NH
3: Ava Rothe, NH
4: Margaret Voisin, VT
5: Summer Bentley, NH
6: Adah Chapman, NH
7: Elli Englund, NH
8: Anika Leahy, VT
9: Cora Hinsdill, NY
10: Alexandria Taylor, MA

Individual Overall Boys:
1: Quinn McDermott, MA
2: Benjamin Condit, ME
3: Eli Shifrin, ME

Individual Overall Girls:
1: Lea Perread, NH
2: Greta Kilburn, VT
3: Elli Englund, NH

Fueled by an exceptionally tasty banquet held at the Breadloaf Inn Saturday evening, athletes toed the line Sunday morning for the final race of the championship event–the 4 x 2.5k mixed relay. The race was tight and exciting right down to the finishing stretch. Following the relay, team scores were tallied with Team Vermont winning the Graham Taylor Cup with the highest team score!

Mixed Relay:
1: NH (Oliver Wilson, Lea Perread, Matthew Clarner & Elli Englund)
2: VT (James Underwood, Greta Kilburn, Baxter Harrington & Anika Leahy)
3: NH (Will Putnam, Adah Chapman, Sawyer Weal & Ava Rothe)
4: VT (Peter McKenna, Ava Whitney, Sage Grossi & Ruth Krebs)
5: VT (Leo Circosta, Margaret Voisin, Nico Hochanadel & CarolineTarmy

RESULTS

PHOTOS

Before we wrap up, we want to take a moment to thank the Rikert Outdoor Center and Frost Mountain Nordic for everything they put into hosting a fantastic event. Three of the state teams and all the race officials stayed at the Breadloaf Inn right at Rikert which was a new and special opportunity made possible by Middlebury College. We also want to thank our NENSA sponsors for their ongoing support of our Championship events, Eastern Amateur Educational Foundation (EASEF) for supporting athletes all across the East in attending EHSC. Also our race officials and Bullitt Timing for timing and data management. And last but not least, thank you to all the athletes and coaches for bringing your energy, enthusiasm, and love of skiing to this event!

by Chisholm Ski Club announcer Craig Zurhorst

The Chisholm Ski Club’s Youth Development Program and the Mountain Valley Nordic Ski Teams needed a new place to wax skis and to serve as a meeting space.  One man envisioned, then spearheaded the transformation of the v-board storage shed into a beautiful and very functional waxing room to serve the needs of the next generation of Nordic skiers from the River Valley. . . that man was Chisholm Ski Club Youth Development Program coach, and Chisholm Ski Club Chief of Course, Dan Warner. . . we know him as “Mouse”.  To recognize his work and dedication to our young skiers and to the Chisholm Ski Club, it is our great honor and even greater pleasure to name this facility, “The Warner Wax Cabin!”  Thank you, Mouse for all your work and dedication!

As we dive into Championship season with many large races, we’d love to reflect on the Stratton Terrain Challenge held on February 26th.  This growing grassroots event is a partnership between the Stratton Nordic Center, the Stratton Mountain School and surrounding Southern Vermont Bill Koch clubs.

Skiers of all ages, along with their friends and families were greeted with the smell of multiple warming fires and fun music filling the air.  Sure there was a race, but the focus was on FUN — with a course that looks quite a bit different than a normal competition.  Course props included slalom gates, hand fashioned jumps, hay bale obstacles and multiple sections where folks were diverted off of groomed trails to run through the woods and in some cases duck under trees.  The features hearken back to the roots of the sport and naturally teach dynamic skiing.

The event was perfectly timed with the beginning of a nice late bloom of winter.  With cold temperatures and expert snowmobile grooming all skiers were treated to some fast and wintery gliding conditions.  Steve Bruner and his staff did a fantastic job from start to finish — with multiple races taking place throughout the day.  The conclusion of the day brought everyone together for awards and a raffle.

Photo Link from George Forbes (SMS)

Link to Results

What a weekend! Despite a winter storm, over 650 skiers made it to the 2023 Bill Koch League Festival resulting in the largest Festival ever by over 100 children, with skiers making the trek to the Craftsbury Outdoor Center from as far away as Moosehead, Maine and Rochester, New York.  The fresh snow not only made the skiing incredible, it also made the woods even more wintery which was perfect for an event themed “The Northwoods in Winter.”

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 2023 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 with radar speed runs, a terrain park featuring some epic jumps, a critter count orienteering adventure, a costumed parade of athletes, mega dodgeball games, a climate action interactive art mural, and laser biathlon with US Biathlon. There were also stations further afield that skiers could visit along the mini-marathon course. These activities centered on the theme of the Northwoods in Winter and included winter survival skills and animal ID with the Northwoods Stewardship Center; draft horse logging rides with Sterling College; and maple sugaring demos, education, and tasting with the University of VT Extension Center.

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.

On the racing front, Saturday featured the skate relay event which kicked off in a snow storm while Sunday saw the paired and individual start classic races.  Sunday also featured the 8th Grade Graduation where the 8th graders skied a lap together as a group to commemorate their time in the Bill Koch League.  They then lined the finish corral and handed out lollipops to the the newest and youngest event participants as they crossed the line.  The graduates were then congratulated by Bill Koch and received a graduation certificate.

RESULTS

Spirits were high the entire weekend and the cheering was loud and encouraging. Camaraderie, community, and joy were omnipresent at this celebratory youth ski event and photos speak louder than words to convey that.  We are so grateful to the Craftsbury Outdoor Center and the Craftsbury 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 Craftsbury community stepped up to make this event happen.

Before we wrap up this recap, we’d like to express our gratitude to our associate NENSA level sponsors – L.L.Bean, Swix, Salomon, and Fischer, and make special shoutout to the folks from Fischer, Skida, Salomon, and Swix who joined us on-site.  And last but not least, a huge thank you to all the participants, District Chairs, parents/caregivers/chaperones, and coaches who joined us in Craftsbury, Vermont. We hope to see you all again next year!

PHOTOS

Check out the Bill Koch League Festival on the local news HERE and watch our NENSA recap video below!

March has rolled around and with it some of the best snow conditions of the year!  For many of us that coincides with our best ski fitness/endurance of the season.  Happily enough this is also the time of year that the region’s big touring center host ski marathons and relays.  Whether you are looking for a fun long distance adventure with family and/or friends, looking for something a little higher paced or some goofy fun with teammates, each event has something for you!

On March 11th JacksonXC hosts the Long Haul Loppet – final event in the NENSA Marathon and Zak series.  This is another fabulous course that offer big loop skiing through beautiful mixed forests, while winding its way through the Ellis River trails at JacksonXC.  This event offers a rolling start, meaning you can begin anytime between 9 and 10am.  This gives you the chance to start at your own pace or choose which group of family and/or friends you want to ski with.  This event offers 22.5 and 12.6km distance options in either technique. Come out and enjoy some great March skiing!

The final NENSA Club Cup event of the season is appropriately a team affair.  The New England Club Relay Championships take place on March 25th at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center.  This is an excellent opportunity for sporting your favorite team attire – be it tutus and glitter, Superman costumes, old national team suits, or some outlandish outfit, there is room for all.  Not to mention there will be a plethora of witty team names.  Bring three of you friends (or more for multiple teams) and have a blast in the woods at Craftsbury.  And if that wasn’t enough fun, the National Relay championships will be happening the same day, so you can cheer on your favorite elite skiers.  Additionally NENSA will be handing out its end of season Zak and Club awards.  So bring lawn chairs, snacks & cowbells to make a day of playing in the March snow and sun with the Eastern Ski Community!

For more details on this month’s cross country ski event choices, check out the links below:   Rangeley Loppet and Burt Kettle Classic, Hard’ack, Long Haul Loppet, The New England Club Relay Championships

U18 / U20 Women:
Addison Englund – Holderness Nordic – U18
Ann Rightmire – Ford Sayre – U20
Beth McIntosh – Green Mountain Valley School – U18
Cat Stow – MTU / Gunstock – U20
Clara Lake – EMXC – U20
Elizabeth Graziani – Green Mountain Valley School – U20
Emily Appleby – EMXC – U18
Emma Crum – Bowdoin College/ Mansfield Nordic Club – U20
Emma Page – Mansfield Nordic Club – U20
Evelyn Walton – EMXC – U20
Gillian Fairfax – Mansfield Nordic Club – U18
Grace Mattern – Bowdoin College – U20
Julia Thurston – Mansfield Nordic Club – U18
Maddie Hooker – Stratton Mountain School – U18
Maria Anderson – Ford Sayre – U18
Mirra Payson – EMXC – U18
Reese Furneaux – Gould Academy – U18
Sage Freeman – Colby College – U20
Sofia Scirica – EMXC – U20

U18 / U20 Men:
Aidan Jacobus – Green Mountain Valley School – U18
Caleb Zuckerman – USA Nordic – U20
Chip Freeman – Stratton Mountain School – U18
Ellis Slover – Gould Academy – U18
Elvis McIntosh – Green Mountain Valley School – U20
Finegan Bailey – Stratton Mountain School – U18
Isak Nightingale – Colby College – U20
Lucas Streinz – Fort Kent Outdoor Center – U18
Luke Rizio – Prospect Mountain Ski Club – U18
Micah Bruner – Stratton Mountain School – U18
Parke Chapin – Green Mountain Valley School – U20
Rye Maccurtain – Mansfield Nordic Club – U18
Sam Gallaudet – EMXC – U20
Simon Phipps – Ford Sayre – U18
Tabor Greenberg – Green Mountain Valley School – U18
Tyler Watt – Gunstock Nordic Ski Association – U18
William Riley – Gunstock Nordic Ski Association – U20
Wyatt Teaford – Stratton Mountain School – U18

U16 Girls:
Amelia Circosta – Craftsbury Ski Club
Annelies Hanna – Ford Sayre
Ava Schneider – Green Mountain Valley School
Claire Serrano – Craftsbury Ski Club
Frances Tucker – EMXC
Mary Harrington – Green Mountain Valley School

U16 Boys:
Charlie Kehler – Craftsbury Ski Club
David Northcott – Caldwell Sport
Henri McCourt – Mt. Blue High School
James Crowley – Gould Academy
Lucas Barstow – Gould Academy
Niko Cuneo – Mansfield Nordic Club

This coming Sunday is full of exciting cross country ski racing!  Last year’s Stratton Terrain Challenge was quite a thrill with all sorts of fun obstacles and a good mix of single track and groomed trails.  In a sense it was a throw back to the days of skiing over rough natural terrain, where skiers had to be flow with the bumps and turns.  This idea combined with some artificial features, like slalom gates and hay bales to traverse makes for a wicked thrill.  Get out and try it at the second running of the Stratton Terrain Challenge!

If downhill thrills or long distance skiing are more up your alley, the Stowe Derby and the Lake Placid Loppet should be on your list of must-do ski events.  The next stop on the NENSA Marathon Series is the Lake Placid Loppet. Based out of the newly renovated competition center at Mt. Van Hoevenberg, this event is a beautiful show case of the 1980 Olympic Legacy trails.  And if those aren’t hard enough for you, you can always climb the Mt. Washington Auto Road in the Ski, Shoe & Fatbike to the Clouds.  Make the most of what is sure to be a memorable Sunday of skiing, by bringing along some friends and sharing in the adventure and stories!  For more details on this weekend’s cross country ski event choices, check out the links below:   Stratton Terrain Challenge Stowe Derby Lake Placid Loppet Ski, Shoe & Fatbike to the Clouds    

The final Eastern Cup weekend is the last chance for juniors skiers in New England to qualify for the region’s Junior National team.  These races show case some of the best racing of the season and a stacked junior field, with over 250 skiers toeing the start line each day. The weekend got off to a quick start with freestyle sprints on some very fast snow.  With so many juniors racing and making the Open rounds, nearly half the field had to opportunity to race in the heats and gain valuable experience!

On day two of racing, skiers made their way around the course in classic technique, with the Open racers doing doing 10km and the U16s completing 6km.  Klister was the wax flavor of the day, with changing conditions as the course was skied in and the temperatures rose.  Despite the day’s challenges, the racers thrived, showing how to make the skis and wax work in tricky snow!

It was an exciting final weekend in the Eastern Cup Club standings.  With the top three athletes per team in each age group earning points, scores are combined from both days of racing.  In the U18/U20 Men’s field GMVS (238pts) set the pace with a 22 point lead over Ford Sayre (216pts) in second, separated by 1 point over Prospect Mountain Ski Club (215pts) in third. It was closer in the U18/U20 Women’s races with EMXC (148pts) taking the top spot by 8 points over Mansfield Nordic (140pts), with the Colby College Nordic Ski Team (123pts) securing third position.  In the U16 Boys races GMVS (114pts) was again the winner with a slim lead over Gould Academy (112pts). Mansfield Nordic Club took the third spot (100pts).  The U16 Girls category saw Craftsbury Ski Club (108pts) rising to the top, with EMXC (97pts) and GMVS (96pts) in a tight battle for second and third.

Results & Eastern Cup Club Rankings

Photos by Samuel Geissinger

Photos by Daryl Slover

NENSA Photos

Sprint Races:

Open Women:
1) Evelyn Walton – EMXC
2) Sophia Scirica – EMXC
3) Sophia Kelting – NYSEF

Open Men:
1) Sam Gallaudet – EMXC
2) Isak Nightingale – Colby
3) Elvis McIntosh – GMVS

U16 Girls:
1) Amelia Circosta – Craftsbury
2) Annelies Hanna – Ford Sayre
3) Mary Harrington – GMVS

U16 Boys:
1) Lucas Barstow – Gould
2) Henri McCourt – Mt. Blue High School
3) James Crowley – Gould

U18 Girls:
1) Mirra Payson – EMXC
2) Virginia Cobb – Mansfield
3) Beth McIntosh – GMVS

U18 Boys:
1) Eli Shifrin – Gould
2) Luke Rizio – Prospect
3) Tyler Watt – Gunstock

U20 Women:
1) Clara Lake – EMXC
2) Emma Page – Mansfield
3) Morgan St. Martin – Orford (missing)

U20 Men:
1) Parke Chapin – GMVS
2) Joe Grazidei – GMVS
3) Lucas Palcsik – GMVS

Classic Races:

Open Women:
1) Emma Crum – Bowdoin
2) Evelyn Walton – EMXC
3) Virginia Cobb – Mansfield

Open Men:
1) William Riley – Gunstock
2) Aiden Jacobus – GMVS
3) Sam Gallaudet – EMXC

U16 Girls:
1) Claire Serrano – Craftsbury
2) Francis Tucker – EMXC
3) Ava Schneider – GMVS

U16 Boys:
1) David Northcott – Caldwell Sport
2) Henri McCourt – Mt. Blue High School
3) Charlie Kehler – Craftsbury

U18 Girls:
1) Beth McIntosh – GMVS
2) Julia Thurston – Mansfield
3) Addison Englund – Holderness

U18 Boys:
1) Chip Freeman – SMS (missing)
2) Benjamin Condit – Quarry Road
3) Tyler Watt – Gunstock

U20 Women:
1) Emma Page – Mansfield
2) Clara Lake – EMXC
3) Elizabeth Graziani – GMVS

U20 Men:
1) Parke Chapin – GMVS
2) Isak Nightingale – Colby (missing)
3) Geo Debrosse – Mansfield (missing)

While unseasonable warm weather last week ate up much of New England’s snow pack, the trails at the Dublin School Nordic Center were well prepared for such an event, having up to one meter of artificial snow on the ground. Kudos to the snowmaking and grooming staff for providing our community with great conditions on the sprint course and 2km race loop for the weekend! Thank you to the crew at DublinXC and the Dublin School for hosting a great weekend of racing!