NENSA News

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!

 

 

 

NENSA is proud to announce the Eastern Regional Championship Team.  This list of athletes demonstrated exceptional performances and would have been invited to a regional event that was designed to take the place of Junior Nationals due to the pandemic.  Before we roll out the teams, it’s important to note the most impressive performances of the year — it was the actions of clubs and states that allowed for athletes to train, compete and thrive — despite limitations in travel.  Not only is it apparent that athletes learned to ski faster in 2021, but also they rallied together and as teams learned valuable lessons of self reliance, while developing a thirst for competition that will only make us stronger when we’re on the other side.  The entire New England skiing community should take pride in how it conducted itself this winter — we prospered and now can look forward to a summer of training and adventure — temper your activity this spring because like you, we might be a little excited over-excited to see snow fly again!

We also need to acknowledge that there was adversity this season and racing opportunities weren’t equal across states, the nation, or the world.  Every level of competition was affected.  However, worldwide racing persisted at whatever level it could sustain — New England state guidelines were perhaps some of the most oppressive — yet we did our best and feel athlete recognition and continuity of programming is an important step to keep us in stride.  FIS and U.S. Ski & Snowboard points were frozen, meaning that you could not move backwards in your world and national standing.  You will also see downward point trends for eastern athletes if you search those lists.  Along with Bullitt Timing we created a Junior Ranking List through the ebbs and flows of a very unique season.  While there are nuances to any form of ranking in this climate we endeavored to give every athlete the best opportunity to illustrate their skill and fitness.

The following list of teams include a state based quota above typical Junior National qualification.  We are hopeful to host an Eastern Regional Elite Group camp in late June — please note the basis for these invitations is based on U.S. Ski & Snowboard rankings — but Eastern Regional Team placement will determine alternate opportunities.

Massachussets:
U16 Girls – Emily Appleby, Francisca Feist, Lily McDermott, Mirra Payson, Sarah Kirincich

U16 Boys – Alexander Scopinich-Burgel, Nathan Doughty, Quinn McDermott

U20 Women – Amelia Tucker, Clara Lake, Ella Nichol, Evelyn Walton, Francesca Kitch, Mary Elliot, Mica Bodkins, Sofia, Scirica

U20 Men – Benjamin Buchheit, Col McDermott, Linden Niedeck, Lucas Daly, Sam Gallaudet, Ted Yee

Maine:
U16 Girls – Elise Creagan, Kayley Bell, Sylvia Harvey

U16 Boys –Benjamin Condit, Ellis Slover, Luke Streinz

U20 Women – Abigail Streinz, Brynne Robbins, Emma Charles, Hannah Chipman, Lucy Glueck, Sierra Aponte Clarke

U20 Men – Caden Cote, Caleb Hunter, Joey Rouhana, Miguel Sanclemente, Nate Livingood, Zachary Ross

New Hampshire:
U16 Girls – Adah Chapman, Addison Englund, Anna Bentley, Ava Rothe, Molly Ellison, Sarah Glueck, Wyethe Murray

U16 Boys – Aiden Bondaz, Sawyer Weale, Simon Phipps, Tyler Watt

U20 Women – Agnes Macy, Ann Rightmire, Catherine Stow, Charlotte Whitcomb, Elsa Bolinger, Katie Watt, Lili Baer, Lillian Bates, Marlia Richer

U20 Men – Adam Carlisle, Clint Macy, Dirk Andrew, Keelan Durham, Mitchell Townsend, Samuel Murray, Spencer May, Theodore Mollano

Vermont:
U16 Girls – Julia Thurston, Miley Bletzer, Virginia Cobb

U16 Boys – Charlie Krebs, David Shycon, Fin Bailey, Leo Circosta, Luke Rizio, Micah Bruner, Tabor Greenberg, Wyatt Teaford

U20 Women – Anna Lehmann, Ava Thurston, Camille Bolduc, Charlotte Brown, Charlotte Ogden, Emma Crum, Emma Strack, Hattie Barker, Ingrid Miller, Isabelle Serrano, Nina Seemann, Quincy Massey-Bierman, Rebecca Cunningham, Rose Clayton

U20 Men – Aidan Burt, Aiden Casey, Brian Bushey, Carson Beard, Cormac Leahy, Elvis McIntosh, Finn Sweet, Jack Christner, Jack Lange, Jack Young, Jed Kurts, Joe Graziadei, Mathias Boudreau-Golfman, Neil Guy, Samuel Clark, Tzevi Schwartz, Zander Martin

Congratulations to all and we look forward to seeing you on the trail or rollerskis soon!

 

It is with great pleasure to provide an update on our ongoing NENSA Club Challenge:

It’s been just over a year since the skiing world was shut down for the foreseeable future by the Covid pandemic — fortunately this season was a great success because of the nature of cross country skiing, our communities adherence to guidelines and the creativity of event organizers. Last season the New England Club Championships were not able to be held. A relay by nature brings people together — and there is no more fitting way to celebrate the end of this season — and hopefully the beginning of a new normal by bringing this event back, albeit in a virtual arena. Important and exciting details are that our skiers here in New England have circumnavigated the planet more than twice already, and we currently have 118 clubs on the Leaderboard.

As many clubs know there is money on the line — provided by the generosity of Kathy and Marty Hall (as well as prizes from Swix). While larger clubs have a distinct advantage at the top of this contest, A Hall Mark of Excellence allowed NENSA to create a new format for Club scoring this season. The system brings 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.

Craftsbury Nordic, now commands the leaderboard, with a lead of only 150 pts. We will see what happens when Mansfield Nordic provides the final virtual opportunity for clubs across New England (and beyond) to compete regardless of their location.  Registration is now open. There is even a discounted registration fee for interstate teams.  We hope we will have robust participation in this event — create your dream team and dream route and get out on the snow before it’s gone!

While there is no regional Eastern High School or U16 Championship event this year, it is still a special honor to qualify for your state team and today we want to acknowledge and celebrate the top athletes in Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire who trained hard, raced fast, and earned a spot on their state’s 2021 Easter High School or U16 team. A big thank you to all the state coaches and race organizers who made the state-based events happen during these challenging times.

To recap a little… Massachusetts kicked things off on February 13th with an under-the-lights 6k individual start skate race at the Leo J Martin Ski Track. Next up was Maine with a two day event taking place on February 27th and 28th. The Maine event featured boys on Saturday and girls on Sunday (split by region) and all skiers competed in a 5k individual start skate race followed by an XCX event. Vermont and New Hampshire wrapped things up this past weekend. Like Maine, New Hampshire’s event also offered two races with a classic individual start race shortly followed up by an XCX event. Vermont stuck to the single race format with boys on Saturday and girls on Sunday but they got creative and integrated some XCX features into their 5k individual start skate race.

View the links below for results and named teams. Please note that the qualification criteria was expanded this year (28 skiers per gender per team), teams are listed in alphabetical order, and all U16s are named to their state’s U16 Team even if they also qualified for their state’s Eastern High School Team. Congratulations to all! We wish those of you who are graduating high school the best of luck in your future endeavors and we hope to see you all ripping it up out there next winter.

2021 State Teams

Race Results:  MA | ME | NH | VT

Videos: NH XCX | VT Girls | VT Boys 

Photo Galleries: ME | VT Girls | VT Boys

 

Last Saturday New Hampshire hosted its Eastern State Champs event with a jam packed schedule featuring a total of 6 races! Each racer competed in two events: a 5k classic individual start distance race and a skate XCX race. A huge thank you to the Dublin School Nordic Center for hosting this fun day of racing. Also a big shoutout to all the volunteers and coaches that made this event possible. And last, but not least, congrats to all the racers! Below are links to results, video coverage, and the NH state teams.

Results:
U16 Women Classic  | U16 Women XCX | U16 Men Classic | U16 Men XCX
U18/20 Women Classic | U18/20 Women XCX | U18/20 Men Classic  | U18/20 Men XCX

Video Coverage:
U16 Women | U16 Men | U18/U20 Women | U18/U20 Men | XCX Races

State Teams:
U16 Women | U16 Men | EHS Women | EHS Men

 

This past weekend, Vermont hosted it’s NENSA Eastern State Champs event at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center. This 5k individual skate race, featuring some exciting XCX features, also doubled as Vermont’s Open Junior Championships. Congrats to all the racers and a big thank you to the staff, volunteers, and coaches that organized and supported this event. Below are the top-10 overall results and links to the official Vermont state teams.

1. Finn Sweet, Craftsbury Nordic Ski Club
2. Jack Young, Craftsbury Nordic Ski Club
3. Fin Bailey, SMS
4. Jack Lange, SMS
5. Mathias Boudreau-Golfman, SMS
6. Aidan Burt, GMVS
7. Tabor Greenberg, GMVS
8. Wyatt Teaford, SMS
9. David Shycon, SMS
10. Luke Rizio, Twin Valley Nordic

Boys’ Full Results | Boys’ Livestream | Boys U16 Team | Boys EHS Team

1. Ava Thurston, Mansfield Nordic Club
2. Rose Clayton, Mansfield Nordic Club
3. Camille Bolduc, Craftsbury Nordic Ski Club
4. Hattie Barker, Mansfield Nordic Club
5. Nina Seemann, Craftsbury Nordic Ski Club
6. Emma Strack, GMVS
7. Rebecca Cunningham, Mansfield Nordic Club
8. Charlotte Brown, GMVS
9. Emma Crum, Champlain Valley Union High School
10. Isabelle Serrano, Craftsbury Nordic Ski Club

Girls’ Full Results | Girls’ Livestream | Girls U16 Team | Girls EHS Team

73,755.75.  The number of kilometers New England skiers have logged in competition (whether virtual or in-person) this season is a clear sign that skiing DID in fact happen this winter!  Races have been smaller and organizers have been creative with formats and schedules allowing for skiers of all abilities to gather safely — but the skiers and their energy have remained constant.  As we start to see our first serious meltdown ski areas are open and the racing continues!

Many clubs are energized by A Hall Mark of Excellence – a season long competition that ranks the top overall 20 male and female finishers in every event that has been listed on our “Eastern Cup” and Popular Race schedules.  The intention of the award, which pays out $5000 – 1st, $3000 – 2nd, and $1000 – 3rd, was to encourage participation and performance across all of our adult competitions.  While the larger clubs do have a distinct advantage for the top spots, the generosity of Kathy and Marty Hall has created a club based ranking system that captures the majority of our competitive winter programming.  Tune into the Rankings Page to see how the last few races sugar out — currently Craftsbury has a nine point lead over Mansfield Nordic for the top honors.  Ford Sayre, Stratton Mountain School and Eastern Mass Nordic (CSU) are also in a tight race for third place.

NENSA will be scoring five more events to this awesome competition: the Rangeley Loppet & Burt Kettle Classic that happened last weekend in Maine, the Long Hall Loppet at Jackson, NH this weekend, the Craftsbury S’Ender on the 21st and to wrap it all up Mansfield Nordic will be providing a Virtual opportunity for all clubs to join in the New England Club Relay Championships.  There really is something for everyone – so get out there and have some fun!

The strength of the cross country ski community was exemplified through action last weekend with hundreds of young skiers participating in locally organized Mini-Fests whether with their club, a few clubs, their whole district, or their entire state! Many young skiers found the smaller event size and more relaxed atmosphere a comfortable environment in which to try racing for the first time. While not every Mini-Fest had a race opportunity, all the Mini-Fests had fun and engaging non-competitive activities. A big shoutout to the clubs and leaders that brought their enthusiasm and put in the work to make this all happen! Read on to learn a little about each unique event (in alphabetical order) and to view the BKL graduation slideshow.

Central VT Mini-Fest (Woodstock): Ford Sayre, Woodstock Nordic Runners, and Mt. Top BKL teams came together on Saturday, March 6th to celebrate the end of a very different nordic season. Even with predicted cold temps, the sun came out to warm the 64 participants as they raced, played games and went off jumps in the Terrain Park. The day concluded with an 8th grade graduation ceremony. The graduates skied through a vintage ski arch which symbolized their passage to the next level of their ski careers! We are grateful for the generosity of the Woodstock Inn Nordic Center, all the parents, coaches and volunteers for their help and of course for our youth skiers for keeping nordic skiing alive and thriving this season. Reporting from Gretchen Czaja.

 

Dublin BKL Mini-Fest (Dublin): The Dublin Fest featured a scavenger hunt and paintball biathlon, and wrapped up with hot cocoa and a raffle!

 

Eastern MA Mini-Fest (Leo J Martin Ski Track): The Eastern MA BKL club put together a really fun mini-festival for their kids this past weekend.  Sunny blue skies and perfect corduroy greeted the two mornings of fun & games, including chariot pulls, a scavenger hunt, bean-bag biathlon, a downhill slalom run and a dance party complete with DJ!  On Sunday, they did a really nice graduation for their graduating 7th and 8th graders – having them ski down the hill, flanked by the rest of the club, all their coaches, and greeted with giant lollipops by the athletes of CSU juniors, welcoming them into their club, and the next level of skiing. Reporting from Amie Smith.

 

Ford Sayre Mini-Fest: Friday night was the torch light ski, which is always a hit! Saturday we woke up to beautiful blue skies and a groomed out course!! Racers strapped on their skate skis and donned their sparkle for a couple of fast KMs.  Afterwards groups participated in the NH scavenger hunt with NENSA NH native images, it was a HUGE hit!! Then there was noodle tag and an obstacle course!! Reporting from Kate Newick.

 

Great Glen BKL Mini-Fest: This fun club event featured a lollipop race, mixed medley relay, obstacle course, and ski to the Cabin for hot chocolate!

 

Holderness and Concord BKL Mini-Fest (Waterville Valley): This Mini-Fest had 88 skiers registered which was also a festival record. They used “Bob’s Lookout” on the Osceola Campground for their stadium and Waterville Valley was awesome in grooming around all of the picnic tables so that families could spread out during the day. They also hauled up a ton of firewood for S’mores and lunch use. There were the four individual start races with a fun double figure 8 agility run around all of the picnic tables at the beginning.

 

Maine Mini-Fest (Quarry Road Trails): The Maine BK Festival had the most participants from Maine at a Festival ever with 122 kids enjoying the outdoors, 71 on Day 1 and 51 on Day 2. The weather was fantastic, full sun, no wind and in the mid thirties.  The races went smoothly and the Nordic Adventures were FUN.  We look forward to all the states coming to Quarry Road Trails in 2022! Reporting from Caroline Mathes.

 

Northeast VT Mini-Fest (Craftsbury): Eighty kids participated from Stowe, Onion River, and Craftsbury BKL which is a record for a festival! This event featured a race, jump, scavenger hunt, and costume contest. Costumes ranged from Ruth Bader Ginsburg to Baby Yoda. The kids’ music selections throughout the day included Black Sabbath, three versions of the Stars Wars theme song, and Justin Timberlake.

 

Northwest VT Mini-Fest (Sleepy Hollow): Sleepy Hollow Nordic Center hosted an awesome Mini-Fest with 115 participants from Frost Mountain Nordic, Mansfield Nordic, Mad River BKL, and Sleepy Hollow BKL. The socially distanced event spread out the fun through the entire morning with new faces and skiers continually showing up.  In good Vermont fashion, the race courses were challenging with a big hill that led into rollers, a jump, and a sharp corner into the finishing stretch where volunteers were waiting to hand out handmade wooden medals (woodals) to all.  Besides the races there was also a Mini-Marathon, that included UnTapped waffles at the high point, and an “unnatural” trail where skiers could search for anything from stuffed animals to bright colored leaves to pints of Ben and Jerry’s.  And it wouldn’t be a festival without costumes and flair so there were butterfly wings, tutus, capes, and more making appearances throughout the day.  A big thank you to Sleepy Hollow and all the wonderful volunteers for making this event such a success! Reporting from Ida Sargent who is currently interning with NENSA and helping with the Mini-Fests. Thank you Ida!

 

NYSEF Mini-Fest (Mt. Van Hoevenberg): This event was open to all New York BKLers and welcomed 78 participants. Event activities included a race and orienteering, and all lollipoppers received a chocolate bear.

 

Maine was the second state to hold their Eastern State Champs event. Mainers raced at Quarry Road Trails over the weekend of February 27th and 28th with boys competing Saturday and girls on Sunday. To ensure the event met state gathering size limits, the field was split each day by region.

The Maine event consisted of a 5k individual start skate race followed by some XCX racing action!  We’ve highlighted the top three finishers in each category of the 5k race below with full results (including the XCX event) available here. A big congratulations to all the racers and to the coaches supporting them! Once each state has competed, we will announce and celebrate all those who made their respective state U16 and Eastern High School teams.

U16 Boys Region 1
1. Aksel Yeo, Yarmouth
2. Daniel Niles, Portland
3. Owen Redfield, Yarmouth

U16 Boys Region 2
1. Luke Streinz, Quarry Road Ski Club
2. Ellis Slover, Quarry Road Ski Club
3. Benjamin Condit, Quarry Road Ski Club

U16 Girls Region 1
1. Elise Creagan, Maine School of Mathematics and Science
2. Annie Bergeron, Yarmouth
3. Katherine Garcia, Edward Little

U16 Girls Region 2
1. Kayley Bell, Caribou
2. Ruth White, Orono
3. Nyla Scott, Telstar

High School Boys (U18 and U20) Region 1
1. Joey Rouhana, Falmouth
2. Leif Harvey, Greely
3. Ryan Gray, Falmouth

High School Boys (U18 and U20) Region 2
1. Caden Cote, Quarry Road Ski Club
2. Miguel Sanclemente, Fort Kent
3. Nate Livingood, Gould

High School Girls (U18 and U20) Region 1
1. Eva Celment, Falmouth
2. Avalaine Dreis, Falmouth
3. Leska Whitmarsh, Cheverus

High School Girls (U18 and U20) Region 2
1. Emma Charles, Mt. Blue
2. Eliza Skillings, Gould
3. Kamryn Joyce, Mt. Blue

Last but note least… a huge shoutout to the staff and volunteers who made this event a success! A lot more work goes into hosting an event during a pandemic to keep everyone involved as safe as possible and everyone at Quarry Road was more than up for the task.

Photos from Steve Fuller of Flying Point Road.

It was January 1992, Biwabik, MN, site of the U.S. Cross-Country Skiing Olympic Trials.  I was ranked in the top two in the country coming into the trials, and poised to qualify for my third Olympic games.  As the trials began, I was fighting a virus that I had picked up at a racing series in Canada.  I was hoping that I could find the energy at the trials to qualify for my third Olympic Team, get healthy, and then ski the best I could in Albertville, France, site of the XVI Winter Olympic Games.  Unfortunately, things do not always go as you plan, and I did not qualify for the team that year.

Recently I was asked this question, “How has racing shaped you as a person?”  I had been ski racing since high school, and been a part of the US Ski Team for fourteen years.  With three Olympic Games (‘84, ‘88, ‘94) and five World Championships to my credit, the question asked of me made me think…  How has all this racing influenced me as a person?

In giving talks to audiences of all ages during my career as a ski racer, I had touched on qualities I thought were important to become the best athlete you could be.  These same qualities can easily be applied to life in general, and ones I think helped me become the person I am today.

Dream Big    So many Olympians say when they are little, “I want to be in the Olympics!”  It is so important to dream big.  With these dreams, it is important to set goals along the way that lead up to this big dream.  Whether or not your dream is to become an Olympian, it is important to be able to dream big and create steps needed to reach your goal.  I still find myself dreaming of things I want to do while at the same time figuring out the steps I need to take to achieve that goal.

Never Give Up    After the disappointment of not making the ’92 Albertville Olympics, it would have been easy to give up.  I had been on the US Team for eleven years and it would have been easy to hang up the skis and move on, but I still had a desire to keep racing so I did not give up.  I kept training, traveled to Hayward, WI, and became the second American to win the 50km American Birkebeiner, the largest race in the U.S.  There is a quote I like to share with people that can be applied to not only athletics, but to life in general.  It is from a famous Irish runner named Eamonn Coghlan.  He says, “Even though you might be facing defeat, never give up, instead fight back for an even more glorious victory!”  Victory does not need to mean winning the race, but instead achieving the goals you set for yourself in life.  There will be setbacks as you go through life, but remember, Never Give Up!

Work Hard     Cross-country skiing is hard work.  The training that is required to become a good cross-country skier is difficult.  It takes determination, persistence, and a will to overcome obstacles.  The spring following the ’92 Olympic Trials, I underwent heart surgery for an arrhythmia I had been struggling with for the previous couple of years.  I was faced with the decision of surgery or retiring from competition.  The Birkebeiner win re-ignited the spark I needed to make the decision to continue racing.  It was hard overcoming that obstacle, but life is hard.  There will be setbacks, obstacles to overcome, and it will take determination and persistence to reach the goals you set for yourself.

Take Chances    Do not be afraid of taking chances.  Whether it be the training you do, your race strategy, the wax you choose, or the job you go after, take chances and do not be afraid of failure.  All athletes at some point in their careers have failed in some aspect of training or racing, but it is through these failures where character is built.

I have moved on from my international competitive years and am now teaching physical education in Alaska.  I enjoy teaching my students the importance of living a healthy and active lifestyle. While racing, I received so much support from family, coaches, and companies that I could not have done what I had done without them. Though I still train and race when I can, I enjoy sharing my experiences and knowledge with kids up to the high school level while coaching skiing and running in Alaska.

The qualities I learned while ski racing helped me become the person I am today.  All of these qualities can be applied to all situations outside of skiing as well.  Whether you are a ski racer, student, or working a job, these qualities can have a positive influence on your life.