NENSA News

NENSA is pleased to announce that the 2023 Women’s XC Ski Day will be hosted by JacksonXC in Jackson, NH on Sunday, January 22nd. This event was last held in Jackson in 2016 and we are excited to return to this fun venue. 

New England Women’s XC Ski Day was started in 2002 by former Olympian Trina Hosmer of Stowe, VT. Trina was inspired by her “Sisters in Skiing” in Anchorage, Alaska, who started the Alaska Ski for Women in 1997. Like the Alaskans’ original event, Women’s XC Ski Day chooses a non-profit women’s organization to benefit, and gathers as many participants as it can for a day of cross country skiing which includes lunch and a raffle. The highlight of the day is learn-to-ski clinics with women instructors; the emphasis being on relaxed, fun learning in a supportive and encouraging environment. All ability, skill, and experience levels are welcome. In addition to this event being open to all women, we also encourage and support the participation of nonbinary people who are comfortable in a space that centers the experience of women. NENSA hopes that Women’s Day helps bring more folx together to enjoy this wonderful sport.

Full event details and registration to follow this fall. Stay tuned to our event webpage HERE for updates.

NENSA is excited to share that the Bill Koch Ski League is a finalist for the 2022 FIS SnowKidz Award. This international award is presented every second year and “aims to recognize and promote the best examples of bringing children to the snow, in varying national circumstances.” This honor is truly a testament to the vision and dedication of Bill Koch himself, the tireless work of our member clubs and past NENSA staff members, and the support of our partners in Eastern ski community who have made the program what it is today. 

The top-3 award winners will be announced live at the FIS Congress on May 26th so stay tuned!

NENSA’s first Virtual Rollerski Event is back for the 3rd year!

SUBMIT YOUR ENTRIES HERE

Back by popular demand, this is the event that gets people thinking about rolling every spring.  We want to shift the paradigm of rollerski from being just a training mechanism — reach out to friends or connect with new ones to plan an adventure.  Ever see a road that was just calling for a ski?  Or maybe there is a bike path that you had always wanted to check out.  We want you to challenge yourself and utilize rollerskis as a fun tool and build the social energy of our summertime programs.  We love the stories we’ve shared for the past two years!

#25KinMay is free  – simply get out there and report your ski (or ski walking or biking) 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 2022 Rollerski Race Series this month and visiting clubs throughout the East this summer!

Recruit friends to join you – use #25KinMay for motivation to get rolling!

As part of the Challenge we encourage you to develop your network on the Pastimes app (https://www.pastimes.io/). Download the app, join the NENSA Group, or create your own.

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.

Again there is no cost for #25KinMay
but we are encouraging membership by continuing the promotion we started last year
ALL NENSA MEMBERSHIP
in May is $25 ! ! ! 

As an added bonus each entry will receive one raffle ticket (two tickets if you have renewed your 2022 NENSA membership) towards a growing prize pool. Membership renewal HERE.

Our 2022 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

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Questions: [email protected]

Every spring NENSA nominates an Elite and Development Team to honor the achievements of New England athletes.  The winter of 2021-2022 featured the return of open sanctioned U.S. Ski & Snowboard racing in the East.  Races were highly competitive and well attended, with 2885 racer starts in eight Eastern Cup and Super Tour events.  NENSA is proud to celebrate the athletic accomplishments of this winter by introducing the 2022 Elite and Development Team nominations and give you some updates looking towards summer.  The basis for Elite and Development Team naming is the U.S. Ski & Snowboard National Ranking List – which includes all sanctioned races held throughout the last twelve months.

2022 Elite Team
2022 Development Team

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 information.

The Eastern Regional Camp (REG) will take place at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center July 2-7th, which will include an open rollerski race on July 3rd.  The camp will accommodate 40, U16 through U20 skiers and be supported by coaches from throughout the East.  The first nominations come from the above lists and the first round of invitations has been sent to athletes and coaches.  On July 7th we will host our first Level 100 Cross Country Coach Certification Program with U.S. Ski Team representation.

As many skiers begin their 2022 training season next week we are excited and hopeful that skiers of all abilities will join us to share their first rollerski experiences in the third edition of #25KinMay.  While there is always friendly competition – whether that be in distance skied or by a measure of speed – the intention is for skiers of all abilities to engage with others in the broader skiing community and get out there, have FUN, and share their stories, pictures and videos.

NENSA is again scheduling a Rollerski Race Series that will provide opportunities in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont starting with the Lost Nation Roll in Craftsbury July 3rd and ending with the Mt. Greylock Hill Climb on November 6th.  The full calendar will be released in May.  Races will utilize NENSA’s fleet of Swenor Rollerski made possible by Enjoy Winter.  This fleet will be used not only for races but also for coaches education and club visits.  There are many 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 rollerski programming to your club.

It’s always an exciting time of year after a break from competition and now preparation for the upcoming training year begins.  Congratulations to athletes named to the Elite and Development teams and we look forward to seeing you at the many camps and events happening throughout the East this summer.

 

Our first ever NENSA Virtual Rollerski Event is just around the corner!

Stay tuned for updates on the third edition of #25KinMay.  Originally designed to bring our community together during the isolation of the pandemic, this ongoing program has grown to connect folks across the East and the world.  Rollerskiing is a fun way to challenge yourself and access beautiful places in a new way!  #25KinMay is the perfect way to build towards 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.  2021 drew solid participation numbers as well and together we have skied nearly 20,000 kilometers together!

NENSA will once again offer two tiers of Popular Race calendaring for 2022-2023.  Last season, with increased NENSA support and media we saw the highest number of individual participants since our data began in 2011-2012.  The ongoing pandemic and a low snow year did seem to reduce the number of races each person attended.  Our goal for 2022-2023 will be to incentivize participation in more races. We will again place the Popular Races Series as the core of the NENSA calendar.

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 1st. Early submissions are encouraged so we can help shape a calendar that minimizes event overlaps.

Link to detailed Popular Race information. (Zak/Club and Marathon)

Direct link to Popular Race Bid Sheet.

Detailed information for Event Organizers including anticipated dates for major events.

 

Please note Eastern Cup and SuperTour bidding is open and closes on May 2nd.  Eastern Cup events will be determined during the NENSA Board Meeting by the Athletic Development Committee the weekend of May 15th.

Direct link to Eastern Cup Bid Sheet

For those intending to host an Eastern Cup or Major Championship NENSA requires sending a representative to attend the TD / Event Organizer Clinic, typically held during September or the first weekend of December.  All other race organizers are encouraged and welcome to attend.  We will be make this date public in the coming weeks.

For Eastern Cup, Zak/Club and Marathon questions: [email protected]

Thanks for making your bids early and we look forward to planning next years events with you!

The New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA) is looking for its next Executive Director to lead this vibrant and thriving XC Ski Non-Profit Organization.  Founded in 1995, NENSA is a member-supported service organization that promotes the culture of cross-country skiing by creating opportunities for youth, athletes, coaches, officials and skiers of all levels. NENSA also provides the support structure necessary to bring cross-country skiers to their highest potential at regional, national and international events.

Executive Director | Job Posting

The New England Nordic Ski Association is seeking its next Executive Director.  This role requires strong, inspired leadership with a collaborative spirit to galvanize and to work with our ski community as well as our staff and Board of Directors.  This position is key in supporting, overseeing and advancing NENSA’s four non-profit pillars of income: Sponsors & Grants, Donations, Membership and Programming. This person will work closely with the staff – the Competitive Program Director, Youth & Introductory Program Director, Operations Manager, and Event Support/TD Coordinator, as well as community stakeholders including members, sponsors, donors, clubs, venues, U.S. Ski & Snowboard and various NENSA and US Ski & Snowboard committees. Great people skills are a must.  The Executive Director is an empowered leadership position, requiring energy, vision, attention to detail, and the ability to multitask, in advancing all of NENSA’s programming and mission.

To deliver the mission of NENSA as the regional governing body for cross country skiing in the U.S., the Executive Director will:

• Promote cross country skiing as a healthy and inclusive recreational sport.
• Provide development opportunities for skiers of all abilities and levels, including volunteer and professional development to support the sport. 
• Produce high quality competitive events for elite and recreational skiers.
• Ensure compliance of NENSA with US Ski & Snowboard and be NENSA’s Representative to US Ski & Snowboard Congress.

Essential Functions – Including, but not limited to, management of the following areas:

Staff:

• Overall support and management of the staff and contracted/associated professionals (timers, technical delegates, etc).

Sponsorships & Grants:

• Responsible for maintaining and expanding all current sponsors as well as finding and securing new sponsorship opportunities.

Annual Fundraising:

• NENSA’s Annual Fund (ongoing) – maintaining donor relationships and cultivating new ones
• Auction or other fundraising events

Finance and Administration:

• Oversight and accountability of the FY budget throughout the year in concert with the Treasurer, Finance Committee and contracted bookkeeper. 
• Annual financial review with independent auditor and Treasurer.
• Oversight and renewal of insurance policies.

Promotion & Membership:

• Oversee all marketing and communications including but not limited to website, NENSA eNewsletter, and social media.

Board Management:

• Work with a volunteer Board of Directors who oversee and support the operation and fulfill the obligations of 501(c)(3) status.

Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelors/Associates Degree or commensurate educational background.
• Passion and familiarity with the sport of cross country skiing and the ideals of the NENSA mission
• Excellent written and verbal communication and human relations skills
• Proficiency and comfort working in both office and field settings with appropriate technology: Google App suite (or comparable), cloud based competition and data applications.
• Demonstrated ability to work remotely in fast paced multidisciplinary team environment
• Must be eligible to work in the USA, hold a valid driver’s license, and qualify to hold a US Ski & Snowboard coaching/volunteer license (with background check). 

Conditions:

• Regular work from home office with occasional travel to headquarters in Maine 
• Regional travel in and around New England for our programming & with staff
• Occasional national travel
• Some work will be done outdoors in varying and winter weather conditions
• Able to thoughtfully handle potentially politically sensitive issues (such as COVID masking and vaccinations, climate change initiatives and trans-gender racing). 

The Executive Director is a full time, year round position. This position reports to the President of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee.

• Salary based on experience
• Simple 401k match
• Phone & internet stipend for home office
• A modest health care stipend
• Executive Committee approved travel expenses reimbursed

NENSA is an equal opportunity employer. All staff and coaches undergo background checks. Start date is negotiable, but we seek to fill this role as soon as possible.  Applications should be submitted by May 15, 2022.  Interested candidates should send a letter of interest, resume, and three references to Ellen Chandler & the Search Committee via email at: [email protected]

April 7, 2022

To the New England Nordic Ski Association Community,

Amie W. Smith, Executive Director of the New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA), has shared with the Board her decision to leave her position to explore other creative pursuits. Amie has been Executive Director since 2016 and through her efforts NENSA has become a leader in North American skiing for its engaging and diverse youth programming, competitive success at all levels, and strong industry partnerships. She leaves NENSA with a strong and talented staff in place, and in good financial stability.

Amie has been connected to NENSA for decades, starting as a “racer parent” and youth coach as her girls grew up in the Eastern Massachusetts Bill Koch League and Cambridge Sports Union and through their years of collegiate racing. She was volunteer Trip Leader for the New England team to Junior Nationals in 2014 and 2015 before officially joining NENSA as the Director of Competitive Programs in June of that year. Her professional leadership and ebullient personality have successfully guided NENSA through challenging times, not the least of which has been two years of the pandemic. NENSA Board Chair Carol Van Dyke says Amie will be greatly missed and “Her attention to detail, dedication to NENSA’s mission, mentorship especially to women, her passion for the sport, and her positive approach to all issues uplifted everyone to do their best and she leaves the organization in a far stronger position than what it was at the start of her tenure.”

We are grateful that Amie will stay on to help with the transition over the next four months.  She will continue to be involved with NENSA as a Technical Delegate and coaching with her local BKL Club at Prospect Mountain. The sport and industry of cross-country skiing are grateful for her years of service.

The Board of Directors of NENSA will open a national search that invites qualified individuals to apply for this position later in April.

With Regards,

The New England Nordic Ski Association Board of Directors

   

NENSA along with U.S. Ski Team staff will be hosting the 2022 Eastern Regional Camp (REG) at Craftsbury from July 2 through July 7.  Athlete invitations will be sent out after the posting of U.S. Ski & Snowboard List 10 (listed as valid April 7th).

Coaches who are interested in being a part of this development opportunity should email [email protected]

2022-2023 Eastern Cup Bid Sheet

The winter of 2021-2022 was a “Great Restart” and our venues created a spectacular Eastern Cup Series despite an ongoing pandemic and a low snow year. The venues preparation, knowledgable staffs along with robust volunteers, and snowmaking systems made for a memorable season that boasted one of our largest annual participation numbers with nearly 3000 competitors. There was a beautiful blend of junior, collegiate and international skiers in our fields — which provided awesome experiences — whether athletes enjoyed their first nationally sanctioned race, or went on to represent the New England at Junior Nationals (where NE was the strongest division), or the US Ski Team in World Cup competition — and everything else in between. Eastern venues continue to raise the bar and are HUGE component to the strength of our region.

Last season two Eastern Cups were hosted in conjunction with SuperTours and one with an EISA carnival. Those balanced overlaps are always welcome, boost field size and the level of competition.

We are also 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 are also open.

The East does not currently have any proposed SuperTour bids during the Eastern Cup season, although Craftsbury has a bid for SuperTour Finals at the end of March. The SuperTour schedule will be finalized at U.S. Ski & Snowboard Congress in early May. Venues that might be interested in hosting a Super Tour in 2022-2023 should submit a Request for Proposal immediately.

Eastern Cup bids will be reviewed throughout the month and presented to the Athletic Development Committee (ADC) prior to NENSA’s Board Meeting the weekend of May 14th.

Please find U.S. Ski & Snowboard Congress sanctioning fees and head tax info included on the bid sheet, and additional event fee responsibilities.

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 2nd. Please direct questions to [email protected]

2022-2023 Eastern Cup Bid Sheet