NENSA News

Well the 2023 winter has been soft, our Popular Racers have been treated to a full slate of events this winter thanks to dedicated clubs, venues and volunteers.  The last few weeks have positioned the Craftsbury Outdoor Center to have amazing conditions for Super Tour Finals and the final Club Event of the season.  Tomorrow over 40, four-person teams will be toeing the line for the New England Club Relay Championships!

Zak Cup racing wrapped up last weekend with the Long Haul Loppet in Jackson, New Hampshire.  NENSA will acknowledge and award the top-three skiers in each age group tomorrow at the conclusion of the relays and event barbecue.  If you name is listed below don’t miss awards!  All skiers will receive their coveted NENSA mug and the top skier in each age group will receive a co-branded LL Bean / NENSA headband.

Read below for more information on the Overall Club competition.

Club Relay

In 2018 Jim Fredricks created the concept of a Club Relay Championships to pair with the Super Tour Finals National Championship relay.  After five years, the Craftsbury is bringing back this awesome event to celebrate not only the individual Popular racers listed above, but their broader Clubs as well.  There has been quite a race this year (and over the past few) as NENSA has scored all open competitive events including Eastern Cup to create a broader representation of the entire club.

Tomorrow’s relay will feature four person teams, each skiing five kilometers.  Six classes (listed below) will be scored with first place claiming 240 points (2nd – 236, 3rd – 232…).  No doubt it will be exciting to see who prevails — but the bigger win is that there are 176 individual clubs listed on the ranking list.  Skiing’s alive and well here in New England.  Don’t miss tomorrow — it’s gonna be a Hoot!

Classes & Categories

We will have 2 complete age groups, 3 different gender categories, and a special bonus prize. The classes are either combined team age above 100 years or combined team age below 100 years. 

Within each class we will be recognizing the top 3 all-male teams, the top 3 all-female teams, and the top 3 mixed gender teams (at least 50% female). Prizes will be awarded to the winning teams in each category.

We are also going to recognize the top team with a combined age over 200 years. No other rules there, just the fastest team over 200. 

Last week the top 14 and 15 year-old skiers in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont traveled to Fort Kent, Maine to compete in the three day Eastern U16 Championship event hosted at the Fort Kent Outdoor Center (FKOC). Eastern U16 Championships is the premier event for U16 cross country ski racers in New England and New York. The goal of the event is to provide the highest quality competition for U16 athletes to learn and develop as skiers and people. Eastern U16 Champs (U16s) began modestly in 1992 and has grown into one of the highlights of the season for junior athletes. This past week, skiers were warmly welcomed into the Fort Kent community where they found snowy race courses that were well maintained and prepared for them by the dedicated folks at the FKOC. 

Below we have featured the top-10 results for the individual races and the top-5 for the relay as well as the top-3 overall individual standings. While we are highlighting these finishes, we want to take a moment to acknowledge every athlete who stepped onto the start line this weekend and tried their hardest out there on the race course!

Championship racing action kicked off at on Friday afternoon with a wave start 5k freestyle race. The boys raced first followed by the girls.  Here is local news coverage of the Friday races courtesy of WAGM news.

Boys 5k Skate Top-10 Results:
1: Jonah Gorman, VT
2: Lorenzo Atocha, VT
3: Parker Nellis, ME
3: Matthew McIntosh, VT
5: Sisu Lange, VT
6: Matias Citarella, VT
7: Sullivan Sturtz, NH
8: Calvin Collins-Knapp, MA
9: Eric Fulton, NH
10: Timothy Craddock, VT

Girls 5k Skate Top-10 Results:
1: Anika Leahy, VT
2: Elli Englund, NH
3: Hannah Petersen, MA
4: Lea Perreard, NH
5: Ella Ronci, NH
6: Kate Carlson, VT
7: Alexandria Taylor, MA
8: Estella Laird, VT
9: Leigh Niedeck, MA
10: Ella McEntee, VT

Saturday morning kicked off with a 5k wave start classic race in exciting conditions due to dense, heavy snow that fell overnight. Thanks to the groomers for the long hours that went into getting the course race-ready Saturday morning!

Boys 5k Classic Top-10 Results:
1: Parker Nellis, ME
2: Lorenzo Atocha, VT
3: Beckett Cote, ME
4: Jonah Gorman, VT
5: Luke DeBitetto, VT
6: Sisu Lange, VT
7: Eric Fulton, NH
8: Sullivan Sturtz, NH
9: Tait Harvey, ME
9: Ivan Ivanov, VT

Girls 5k Classic Top-10 Results:
1: Lea Perreard, NH
2: Anika Leahy, VT
3: Elli Englund, NH
4: Ella Ronci, NH
5: Leigh Niedeck, MA
6: Kate Carlson, VT
7: Alexandria Taylor, MA
8: Sara McGill, VT
9: Estella Laird, VT
10: Hannah Petersen, MA

Saturday afternoon the much anticipated cross country cross (XCX) sprint event got underway. This event featured a 1.25k course with a drop jump, hairpin turns, a slalom hill, big rollers, and bicycle bumps.  Like all the previous races, athletes started in waves. Congrats to everyone for tackling this exciting and challenging course! In fact it looked so fun that the coaches gave the race a shot with impromptu wave starts following the final official girls wave.

Boys XCX Top-10 Results:
1: Jonah Gorman, VT
2: Lorenzo Atocha, VT
3: Timothy Craddock, VT
4: Sisu Lange, VT
5: Ivan Ivanov, VT
6: Parker Nellis, ME
7: Matthew McIntosh, VT
8: Matias Citarella, VT
9: Grayson Hoeft, ME
10: Calvin Collins-Knapp, MA

Girls XCX Top-10 Results:
1: Anika Leahy, VT
2: Elli Englund, NH
3: Ella Ronci, NH
4: Nora McCourt, ME
5: Leigh Niedeck, MA
6: Georgia Eckhardt, NH
7: Skyla Mace, NH
8: Hannah Petersen, MA
9: Isabel Linton, VT
10: Tillie Lange, VT

Sunday morning dawned sunny and bright for the final day of racing action featuring the mixed relay. After all the weekend races came to a close, Vermont had tallied the most number of points claiming the overall team win. Thank you to all the states for an action packed weekend of fun racing and camaraderie!

Mixed Relay Top-5 Results:
1: NH-1 Sullivan Sturtz, Lea Perreard, Eric Fulton & Elli Englund
2: VT-1 Lorenzo Atocha, Kate Carlson, Jonah Gorman & Anika Leahy
3: MA-1 Fritz Sanders, Leigh Niedeck, Calvin Collins-Knapp & Hannah Petersen
4: NH-2 Nicholas Ring, Ella Ronci, Isaac Novosad & Skyla Mace
5: ME-1 Beckett Cote, Rowan Tanguay, Parker Nellis & Nora McCourt

Boys Overall Individual 3 Event Standings (Top-3):
1: Jonah Gorman, VT
2: Lorenzo Atocha, VT
3: Parker Nellis, ME

Girls Overall Individual 3 Event Standings (Top-3):
1: Anika Leahy, VT
2: Elli Englund, NH
3: Ella Ronci, NH

RESULTS

Before we wrap up, we want to take a moment to thank the FKOC for everything they put into hosting this fantastic event. 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 a big thank you to our race officials, the in-house timing crew at the FKOC, and Bullitt Timing. 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!

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