NENSA News

The value of well run localized events was perhaps one of the biggest takeaways from conducting races during the pandemic.  NENSA is committed to taking this learning forward and believes highlighting the Popular Race Series will help grow participation numbers and create a more accessible pathway for skier development.

NENSA is placing new emphasis on our Popular Race series this season – our initiative is to highlight these excellent regional opportunities as the core of our racing calendar and make accessible and celebrated race experiences for all levels and ages of skiers.  NENSA will offer two tiers of Popular Race calendaring this season, with increased NENSA support and media opportunities at Zak Cup events.  The goal is to grow participation numbers and development opportunities for venues and athletes alike, by highlighting the Popular Races Series including broad circulation of a NENSA Popular Race calendar posters at venue and retail locations throughout the region.

Popular Race Bid Sheet

Venues interested in having their event(s) named to NENSA’s Zak Cup, Club Cup, and/or New England Marathon Series should complete this form by July 2nd.

The Zak and Club Cup Series brings together NENSA’s New England’s finest citizen races. These events offer regional racing opportunities for developing skiers, and season-long head-to-head competition for senior and masters.  There are often Bill Koch age offerings held in conjunction with many of the events.  All events that are part of this Zak Cup Series are also scored for Club Cup points. One distance (per age group) on each day is scored for the Zak Cup to ensure appropriate competition within age groups.  All timed race distances will be scored to Club Cup scoring.

While Zak Cup events often draw 100+ participants we hope to grow field sizes in the coming years with increased promotion and NENSA staff involvement.  New this season, organizers can submit for Zak or Club distinction — with Club races serving a vital role for local communities, those seeking lower key events and clubs that incentivise skier participation based on Club Cup points.  On request, NENSA will provide Technical Delegates at these Series events for the same criteria as Eastern Cups.  Zak and Club Cup Series Organizers should contact the Eastern TD Coordinator to request a TD for your event. Race sites with strong volunteer bases and some experience in hosting races are encouraged to bid for a Zak and Club Cup Series events.  Click here for more information on NENSA’s Zak Cup and Club Cup Series.

In the last two years the Popular Race Series has grown from approximately 10 events to over 20 events.  As we review the schedule for 2021-2022 we hope to create a balanced schedule between Zak and Club events.  Races  will have varied techniques and distances throughout the season to make for an exciting calendar.  Many events are now offering untimed or touring classes – branded with fun names like, “What the Heck” and “Just Try It!”  We also look forward to and support the addition of terrain features, which is not so far removed from old school cross country skiing!  We are encouraged by the growth of participation prior to the pandemic and can’t wait for next winter and highlighting this awesome series.

Zak Cup and Club Cup Series events are selected by NENSA’s Masters Committee.

To Bid:

• Bidding is now open for the 2021-2022 Zak Cup & Club Cup Season.  Bids should be submitted by July 2nd.  Please direct questions to [email protected]

Popular Race Bid Sheet

• Full details of expectations are listed in the Bid Sheet and Event Organizer Handbook.
• Organizers must use SkiReg for registration.
• Entry fee is up to the host. NENSA will assess a $5 per participant for Zak and $2 for Club (BKL excluded) head-tax which is set up to automatically withdraw via SkiReg.

NEW ENGLAND MARATHON SERIES

The events of the New England Marathon Series offer a classic cross country ski experience with fully supported courses showcasing some of New England’s premier venues. There is something for everyone, welcoming skiers of all levels to test their endurance, or just make the most of a winter’s day on courses ranging from 25K to 50K. Elite racers and recreational touring skiers alike are invited to enjoy a traditional ski marathon experience and some of the finest skiing in New England! Visit our  NENSA New England Marathon Series page for more information.

To Bid:

• Bidding is now open for 2021-2022 New England Marathon Series and follows the same format as Zak and Club criteria.

Popular Race Bid Sheet

• Each season, 6-8 events will be named to the New England Marathon Series as selected by NENSA’s Masters Committee.  Marathons, whether designated Zak or Club will count towards the Marathon Series hats and recognition.

And just like that it’s June! But before we all get caught up in the summer hustle and bustle, we want to take a moment to reflect back on #25kinMay.

It was super inspiring to see folks of all ages and ability levels getting outside and being active. There were BKL skiers to masters skiers out there getting after it! By the numbers, 123 people covered 4,428k across 8 states and 2 countries. Most folks rollerskied, but we had a few bikers and runners mixing things up.

Three skiers in the “Keeping up with Beckwith” category covered over 250k with Erin Mahone-Moore topping the charts at 303k for women and Phil Lawson for men covering 586k with multiple modes. Joey Rouhana of Nonstop Nordic skied the fastest male 25k and Caitlin Patterson led the women in the Rockstar category. Rosalie Wilson of Ford Sayre and Patrick Coughlin of the Brunswick HS Ski Team skied the most kilometers in the Speedy Repeater Category clocking in 51.6k and 90.2k respectively. Congrats to everyone who participated!! You can check out the full 25k in May data sheet HERE.

We’ll be rolling out our category and raffle winners on social media in the coming days. They will be receiving snazzy new NENSA branded hats or LL Bean Gift Cards.

As NENSA looks forward we are seeking more ways to better support and engage skiers of all skill and experience levels. Stay tuned for our upcoming Rollerski Race Series release coming mid-June and be sure to check out our Learn to Rollerski page which we will be updating with opportunities as we finalize the summer schedule.

If you’re looking for more motivation to keep skiing in June join the our Associate Sponsor, Swix, for their Strava Challenge.  You can also look forward to the Roy-llerski, a memorial rollerski event for Roy Varney of Maine in July.

Event Facebook album  |  Video from Mohawk Trail High School Nordic

NENSA is optimistically planning for a 2021-22 Eastern Cup season without travel limitations. We owe a debt of gratitude to our venues for the work they did this past winter whether they eventually hosted their events or not — a ride we all hope we never have to take again.

Eastern Cup Bid Sheet

We also reaffirmed the value of localized racing and hope to integrate this into our Popular Races moving forward — building field sizes and creating another level of development opportunities.  We are hopeful that more NENSA involvement with designated Popular events will become an attractive option for venues in years they might not host an Eastern Cup. Bids for Popular races and Marathons will open next week.

The East currently has two proposed SuperTour bids that would be held in combination with Eastern Cup weekends two and three.  This schedule will be finalized next week at U.S. Ski & Snowboard Congress.  Venues that might be interested in hosting a Super Tour in 2022-2023 should be prepared to submit a Request For Proposal before the end of the winter.

Eastern Cup bids will be reviewed throughout the month and presented to the Athletic Development Committee (ADC) on May 23rd with a final schedule to be announced by the end of May.

We look forward to receiving your bids, and working with you throughout the year to make your event and New England’s premier races the best they can be.

Bids are due by May 22nd. Please direct questions to [email protected]

NENSA is proud to celebrate the athletic accomplishments of this winter by introducing the 2021 Elite and Development Team nominations and give you some updates looking towards summer.  When we named our teams last year there was so much uncertainty — while we’re not totally our of the woods — it’s safe to say this summer and next winter will be closer to normal.  The basis for Elite and Development Team naming is the U.S. Ski & Snowboard National Ranking List – due to the pandemic, races that are scored go back 24 months instead of the traditional twelve.

The criteria set forth to name the NENSA Elite and Development Team represent a pathway to regional, national and international success.  The number of athletes named to these teams each year demonstrates the depth of the Eastern region in cross country skiing.  Athletes named to these teams are invited to regional training camps and rollerski races, and part of a broader team that continues to excel at all levels.  Further Elite Team / Development Team qualification information.

Plans are well underway for the Eastern Regional Camp (REG) that will take place the last week of June at the Green Mountain Valley School, Vermont and the new world class venue at Mt. Van Hoevenberg, NY.  This year the camp will accommodate U18 and U20 skiers and be supported by coaches from throughout the East.  The first nominations will come from the above lists — with additional spots created to support skiers from all five states throughout the Eastern region.  Initial invitations will be sent this week.  We also aim to host our first Coaches Education experience at the conclusion of this camp with U.S. Ski Team representation.

As many skiers begin their 2022 training season this week we are excited and hopeful that skiers of all abilities will join us to share their first rollerski experiences during the #25KinMay.  While there will certainly be some friendly competition – whether that be in distance skied or by a measure of speed – NENSA really intends for this to be a way for folks to engage with others in our community and get out there, have FUN, and share their stories, pictures and videos.

NENSA is creating a robust Rollerski Race Series that will provide opportunities in all states from July through late fall.  Stay tuned for the roll out of this awesome program after a years hiatus due to the pandemic.  In a few short weeks NENSA will take delivery of our second fleet of Swenor Rollerski made possible by Enjoy Winter.  This fleet of 40 matched skis (20 skate and 20 classic), along with several other models to best represent the brand, will be used not only for races but also for coaches education and club visits.  There are quite a few summer camps on our calendar already — please reach out to the Competitive Program Director if you have camp opportunities or have interest in NENSA bringing this programming to your club.

We hope you’ve all had a nice spring of recovery and are already thinking about how to prepare for next season.  Congratulations to the above athletes we look forward to seeing you soon.

Our first ever NENSA Virtual Rollerski Event is back!!

While you might not be as isolated as you were a year ago — this month we again focus on returning to rollerskis!  We want you to challenge yourself and utilize rollerskis as a fun tool to access beautiful places!  More so we want to build the positive social energy of our summertime programs.  In 2020, many folks returned to rollerskiing or tried it for the first time due to the excitement around #25KinMay.  Over 200 people participated and we so loved sharing the stories from New England and beyond!

This year #25KinMay is free  – simply get out there and report your ski (or ski walk or bike) data to us here.  The event is for everyone and based primarily on participation.  There will be raffle prizes and awards for fast times, exceptional routes, and reporting.  The number one rule remains: BE SAFE out there.  Skiers must select terrain suitable for their skill level.

//Rollerski Safety Rules//

NENSA’s mission is to provide excitement to our broader cross country skiing community and continue the momentum of NENSA’s Rollerski Programming.   We look forward to unveiling our new fleet of Swenor skis in mid – May and a 2021 Rollerski Race Series in June! 

Recruit friends to join you – use #25KinMay for motivation to get rolling!  Let’s see if we can top the 13,126 kilometers we skied together in 2020!!

Entries can be submitted at any point between May 1st and May 31st.  NENSA will display and showcase activities throughout the challenge — videos and pictures are encouraged with each event submission as well as tagging @nensa_nordic and #25KinMay on your own socials.  Skiers can enter multiple times – and we’ll have an Ironman and Ironwoman award for those special endurance types!

Again there is no cost for #25KinMay
but we are encouraging membership by continuing the promotion we started last year
ALL NENSA MEMBERSHIPS (BKL, junior, adult & coach) 
in May are $25 ! ! ! 

As an added bonus each entry will receive one raffle ticket (two tickets if you have renewed your 2021-22 NENSA membership) towards a growing prize pool. Membership renewal HERE.

Our 2021 categories will be:

• Rockstar: For folks who want to ski the full 25km in one go.  Participants will be listed by pace per K.
• Speedy Repeater: For someone who wants to break up 25km into more manageable pieces. We’ll track your K’s through the month.
• My Own Pace or “Let’s Walk”: This is the touring class or for folks who might not be comfortable on rollerskis and want to ski walk (or bike).
• BKL: rollerski (ski walk or bike) 10k in May whether in one go or split up into multiple segments
• Keep Up With Beckwith: This category is geared towards masters skiers to keep pace with our Competitive Program Director as he challenges himself to 250km of skiing throughout the month

SUBMIT YOUR ENTRIES HERE
Be creative and share your story – the training season has begun – Let’s Have Fun!!

#25KinMay

Instagram | Facebook

Questions: [email protected]

As we entered into a season of uncertainty Kathy and Marty Hall reached out to support NENSA, athletes and clubs.  “It is with great pride that we give these dollars to join the fray and journey to international success.”  Originally, $5000 was earmarked for the top club throughout designated rollerski, Eastern Cup and Popular races, with  another $5000 designated for FIS prize money.  As the season continued to evolve it wasn’t clear how many FIS races would happen and the money shifted with $9000 ($5000 – 1st, $3000 – 2nd, $1000 – 3rd) to support the club competition.  The Kendall Cup FIS race at Craftsbury paid out $1300 for the top-3 men and women in the field.

So back to the A Hall Mark of Excellence – this new award changed the way we scored typical Club Cup.  The new system brought together competitions across the spectrum of our racing programs — allowing clubs with junior athletes, colleges and those with robust masters programs to stack up against each other.  The intention of the competition is to reward participation as well as excellence.  Despite the change in scoring — four powerhouse teams, Eastern Mass Nordic (CSU), Craftsbury, Ford Sayre and Mansfield Nordic have been consistently in the top 5 clubs for the past three years — this is a testament to not just their size, but also the breadth of their programming.  While travel restrictions affected what races athletes could attend it was really cool to see GMVS, SMS and the Quarry Road Ski Club crack the top ten for the first time because junior racing was included.  Dublin XC and Gunstock Nordic also had their highest placing to date.  We did score college teams although their participation as teams was perhaps the heaviest hit by pandemic restrictions – we certainly look forward to colleges showing their depth next season.

In the fight for the top spots Eastern Mass Nordic (CSU), Craftsbury, Ford Sayre and Mansfield Nordic jockeyed throughout the season.  Each club had their strengths, but it was likely the depth of the Craftsbury junior skiers that sealed the deal for our amazing partners in Northern Vermont.  Mansfield Nordic, who has developed a robust system to capture Club points in popular races, along with a talented junior squad, pulled together for a solid second place finish.  Ford Sayre finished in third after a valiant fight with club members divided east and west of the Connecticut River.  The renewed CSU, now known as Eastern Mass Nordic – and also a Club standings stalwart – capitalized on the events they were able to attend as well as hosting the Virtual Race for Snow.  The Race for Snow should be noted as one of the largest participation events of the season – pretty cool for a student created and organized competition!

You investigate the final rankings here.

Scoring criteria is available here.

As we reflect on a most unusual season we are so grateful for the generosity and commitment the Hall’s have for the sport of cross-country skiing!  The Hall’s vision to reward participation and excellence across all levels of programming as that ultimately creates the opportunities and inspiration for international success.  They also hope that their philanthropy will inspire others to step up and help the next generation of our beloved sport.

NENSA staff and committees have begun reflecting on this season and planning for the next.  While Club scoring might receive a few tweaks, or perhaps have new categories created – we are thrilled by this system that better captures the full scope of NENSA competitions.  As some of our diehard skiers are still sneaking in a few strides or turns we are busy working on a return of a rollerski series.  We’ll see you soon for #25KinMay!

This past winter, young skiers all across the east from Buffalo, NY to Waterville, ME participated in NENSA’s XC Ski Bingo game completing activities ranging from night skiing to backcountry skiing to obstacle course skiing. Each state had a unique card and forty-seven skiers completed at least one full row of their state’s Bingo card collectively skiing at 43 different ski areas! In this especially challenging year, the smiles and stories shared by participants were inspiring and heartwarming, and we are so impressed with how many young people got outside to play on their skis! The creativity and enthusiasm you all brought to this game was contagious.

I’ll let some of the comments and stories we received from players and their families speak for themselves:

“Best ski of the year so far was skiing to the high point with BKL friends. It was fun and crazy skiing down!”

“I liked skiing up all the hills so I could go fast down the hills at Great Glen.”

“I like going down the big hill at Great Brook Farm!”

“We loved skiing as a family.”

“I skied the longest race I’ve ever done by far a 22+k. There was so much climbing in the Long Haul Loppet up at Jackson. I skied to the high point at Jackson twice.” 

“I convinced my whole family to get season passes so we could all ski as much as possible this winter! I’m going to learn how to skate ski!”

“Bingo’s very fun! It makes skiing more fun and it’s already fun.”

“I got to ski across the road to the other side of the Rusty Nail Trail! I used my duck walk like I do uphill.”

“The backcountry ski in Grafton was a lot of fun and the slalom ski activity at the base of Mt. Abram during break was awesome.”

Night skiing was an unexpected hit:

“We did not expect to enjoy night skiing but did it just for bingo and had a great time! It also started snowing during our night ski visit which made it extra pretty!”

“My favorite thing is night skiing!” 

“Night skiing was fun. Very icy, but super bright full moon. Made up ice cream and put it in the ice cream maker while we were out. Perfect pineapple ice cream when we got home!”

“Bingo encouraged Matt to try new things (like night skiing – a fun family activity!)”

We are grateful to the families and ski centers that supported participants in their many activities. And last, but not least, a big thank you to our partner LL Bean for the fantastic Bingo raffle prizes!

Click HERE for an album with more Bingo photos to see what the players have been up to all winter and happy spring!