The opening Eastern Cup has been relocated to Mt Van Hoevenberg in Lake Placid, NY.
Registration remains open and we thank the Rikert Outdoor Center and Frost Mountain Nordic for continued partnership to make this event happen despite one of the toughest starts to winter in a few years.
@skivanhoevenberg has been able to consistently blow snow and is currently expanding available terrain. All race formats will remain as planned and any schedule changes will be updated to both NENSA website and the SkiReg page.
Registration closes Wednesday at 5pm. Please direct any questions to [email protected]
We realize a venue change presents logistical challenges for many skiers — NENSA along with the venues and organizing committee made this decision as soon as possible. Thank you for your understanding.
With the limited amount of skiing available across the East Coast it is no small miracle we are able to host a sanctioned competition.
#miracleonsnow
NENSA News
Quarry Road Opener 2022
Skiers flocked to this year’s Quarry Road Opener to kick off the winter racing season. Despite no natural snow, the organizers at Quarry Road put together a ribbon of artificial snow for the ski community to enjoy. Rain on Saturday made way for blue sky and sunshine during the Opener. This year’s course was very similar to 2021, but was run in the opposite direction. Racers set out in 15 second intervals in groups of 20 to minimize congestion on the short loop. It was a dizzying affair of laps, with athletes needing to keep a careful count to ensure they skied the correct distance.
This year’s field of racers surpassed 150! It spanned all ages and abilities. There was a large group of collegiate skiers with Harvard and UNH making the longer drive to compete against Bates, Bowdoin and Colby athletes. It was great to see a growing number of local high school programs including Edward Little, York and Spruce Mountain mixing it up with the likes of Gould Academy and the Quarry Road Ski Club. New this year was the addition of Para Nordic racers. Two ParaNordic racers made the trip to Quarry Road to wet their appetite for fast gliding on snow. The timing of their starts allowed them opportunities to race alongside the able-bodied athletes.
Late in the day the middle school racers had their turn to have their fun in the sun. The final race of the day saw bunch of particularly speedy lollipoppers cruising around the Quarry Road meadow, with big smiles!
Up next racing action moves from Maine to Craftsbury, Vermont for the Silver Fox Trot, hosted by the Ford Sayre Ski Club on Saturday December 1oth. Here’s the LINK to register.
Event Organizer and TD Training Seminar
This year’s Event Organizer and TD Training Seminar was held over the weekend in Waterville, ME. We kicked off the seminar with presentations at the Chace Community Forum (housed in Colby’s new downtown dormitory on Main Street). The content of this year’s presentations was markedly different from years past, with heavy focus on how we work together to be even better event hosts. Highlights from the presentations include Mary Anne Levins speaking to her experience as a Race Secretary and Ed Despard of Bullittiming on all the new updates in the world of timing. The key takeaways from these presentations:
“The Race Secretary and Chief of Timing are the problem solvers that keep Timer and Race Jury appraised of the all the event’s behind the scene’s communications.”
“Keep your timers happy, they are under a lot of pressure to produce quality results and they are the first to be blamed when something goes wrong”
“Things always don’t go according to plan at a race – the better prepared your race staff is, the less the public will notice the mistakes.”
We discussed how we include ParaNordic athletes in our events. The easiest thing we can do is add a category for them at registration. The next step is to reach out to the athletes that register for that category and have a conversation with them about their goals for the race and invite them to preview the course with you. As we move toward greater inclusion, think of ways that they can be safely incorporated into the start order so that they have the opportunity to ski with able bodied skiers.
On Sunday our focused shifted to hands on experience at the Quarry Road Opener. Participants were asked to move around to different tasks and learn at each one. These included shadowing the Race Secretary, Timer, the start crew, event setup, and observing how athletes navigated the course. The format of the day allowed for lots of dialogue and the chance to make observations without feeling the pressure of hosting the event. There were 27 event participants this year, including four timers and several virtual attendants. Those that attended in person really enjoyed the face-to-face interactions!
2023 Concord Area Learn-to-Ski Clinic
Sunday February 5th, 2023 | Concord Community Nordic Trails at Beaver Meadow Golf Course
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Never been on cross-country skis before but curious to try? We’d love to see you at Beaver Meadow Golf Course on February 5th for a free Learn-to-Ski clinic! Equipment loans are included. Cross-country skiing is a fun way to get outside and enjoy winter right in your own backyard or at your local community ski center. These Learn-to-Ski clinics are geared towards people 6 years of age and older of all backgrounds and identities who have never been on cross-country skis before. We aim to create a welcoming, inclusive, and safe environment for people to try a new sport and discover the joy of gliding on snow. We ask that anyone under 14 years of age has a parent/caregiver with them participating or supervising.
Registration: For equipment-fitting purposes it is helpful if you register ahead of time online HERE although day-of drop-ins are more than welcome and we will do our best to accommodate everyone with equipment.
Clinic Details: Clinics will be led by teachers and coaches who are experienced in working with people new to skiing. We ask that folx only attend one clinic so we can accommodate as many people as possible unless there is enough equipment to meet everyone’s needs. Clinics will cover classic cross-country skiing basics including skiing on flat terrain, getting up from a fall, climbing, and navigating downhills.
Additional Offerings: Visit the Ski Expo where equipment suppliers and outfitters from the ski industry will be on hand with goods to try. We will also be raffling off some fun items after each ski clinic from our NENSA sponsors. Lastly, visit The 19th Hole Bar at Beaver Meadow in the clubhouse for food offerings.
Be Prepared: Read about what to wear to stay warm and comfortable HERE. Indoor bathrooms are available in the Beaver Meadow Clubhouse.
Schedule:
10:30am-2:45pm: Ski Expo: Equipment suppliers and outfitters from the ski industry will be on hand with goods to try.
10:30am-12:00pm: Morning Learn-to-Ski Clinic
1:00-2:30pm: Afternoon Learn-to-Ski Clinic
Please direct any questions to [email protected].
Event Organizer and TD Training Seminar this Weekend