Dear NENSA Members and Community ~
It’s April and NENSA is starting to plan for next season. We want to be able to continue our mission of implementing educational, recreational, and competitive programs at all levels to sustain a vital and active cross-country skiing community throughout New England, but also be nimble, willing and able to adjust, as needed in this coming year. April is also the time for our annual fund drive ~ this year we want to both celebrate our 25th year, as well as be conscious of all that is going on right now. We are asking each member to give $25 in celebration and in honor of our 25th year. #NENSA25IN20
NENSA is committed to making sure that cross country skiing here in New England continues to thrive and grow while encouraging our next generation to enjoy the outdoors and sport we all love so dearly. We are lucky to have had a great foundation of leadership and programming these past 25 years, and it is our goal to continue to bring that to our members in the next quarter century too!
This past season our NENSA programming has been thriving and growing! Our competitive pipeline is alive and well with New England skiers garnering podiums from Junior Nationals, World Juniors and on the World Cup. Our Youth, Introductory, Popular/Citizen Races & Club competitions and Rollerski programs have all expanded and grown this past year. Your financial support is critical to the continued success of all our NENSA programs!
Our end goal is to have a NENSA 25th Anniversary Celebration sometime this fall ~ we hope you will keep that idea in mind as we move through the next few months and plan ways (virtually for now) to celebrate our wonderful New England Ski Community!
For now, NENSA April Fund Drive success depends on every member giving what they can. This year NENSA is asking each member of our ski community to give $25 in honor of our 25 years. We hope you will join us in making this goal happen. THANK YOU!
Click HERE if you are a NENSA member to give to NENSA
Click HERE if you are a guest supporter to give to NENSA
Of course, you can always mail a donation check into our NENSA office at: 49 Pineland Drive, New Gloucester, ME 04260
** Commemorative gift hat with $250 donation or above **
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NENSA News
Popular Ski Racing Thrives in New England – Despite Shortened Season
Here’s some awesome news – popular cross country ski racing is showing steady growth!
Despite a shortened season, and with a couple of snow related hiccups early on, participation in popular races grew by 48% this winter (full 2019 – 2020 participation statistics here). Three major changes have occurred over the past two years to help fuel this growth: branding our citizen races as “Popular Races” versus “Zak Cup,” adding more races (including adding “Just Try It” or “Fun” races to existing events), and the inclusion of senior aged skiers (23-29) in our Zak Cup statistics. The goal is to create a more exciting and inclusive feel to races while honoring the traditions of the Zak and Club Cup. NENSA also introduced a free “Get Skiing” membership for any first time members this season and scored previous members to our Zak Cup standings beginning with the Craftsbury Marathon this winter. Competition draws competition and we are so happy our members are responding!
Speaking of competition – the beauty of citizen racing in New England is the robust talent present at any given race – skiers of all ages from youth in Bill Koch, to novice adult racers, junior athletes and their coaches, parents, and elite skiers past and present (including many of our ageless masters), former National Team skiers and Olympians. Popular cross country ski racing thrives because of this inclusive and diverse atmosphere.
Our masters men’s age group rankings included 229 individual skiers who collectively completed 628 races! At the end of the season, young gun, Chris Burnham (NWVE) became the first senior skier to become the Zak Overall Men’s Champion at the age of 27. Burnham and 2018 and 2019 Overall Champion, Eli Enman (NWVE/Rossignol) raced head to head 6 times this season each taking three victories in this duel – in the end Burnham prevailed, partly by completing more total races. Adam Terko of the Mansfield Nordic Club had a strong master’s career debut, and was able to secure third place overall while balancing his full time coaching responsibilities with MNC. Other notable finishes to mention: David Johnston an M8 from Mansfield, placed fourth overall, beating out 2017 Champion, Neal Graves (Stowe), and won his age group in all ten of his races! M6, Tom Thurston (NWVE), was also undefeated in age group competition winning eight of eight competitions. Also of note, the M5 and M6 categories included over 30 skiers making for deep competition.
The overall women’s field is also showing fantastic growth with 90 individual skiers who completed 220 races! These numbers are more than double those in recent history (2017 – 38 individuals, 2018 – 45 individuals, 2019 – 48 individuals). Sarah Graves of Stowe Nordic was able to regain her Zak Overall Women’s title for the first time since 2017 – completing nine races and scoring a perfect 175 points (7 best). M7, JoAnn Hanowski a perennial strength from Mansfield, was also able to sweep victories in all eight races she competed in – securing her the second step of the overall podium. Senior skier, Emily Stitt of Mansfield, reemerged on the scene this year taking multiple overall race victories and third place overall for the season.
In another measure of strength – our Marathon Challengers came out in record numbers this season – with 24 skiers completing four or more marathons. Marathon hats will be delayed because of our current situation – but have no fear you will receive them!
As we continue to weather our current health crisis we want to celebrate these incredible athletes. All of the podium position skiers listed below will be presented with a NENSA mug and our overall champions will receive Swix klister as prizes in the coming weeks. We will also be opening bids for the 2020 – 2021 season soon – giving us all something to look forward to!!
In the meantime, be well, stay safe and enjoy working out in your backyards.
If you have specific feedback please reach out to [email protected] with “Popular Racing” in the subject line.
Women
Senior (23-29 years old)
1 | 115 | Sara Falconer | Mansfield Nordic |
2 | 105 | Melissa Manning | NWVE |
3 | 100 | Emily Stitt | Mansfield Nordic |
M1 (30-34)
1 | 65 | Jessica Marion | Dirigo |
2 | 50 | Ida Sargent | Craftsbury GRP |
3 | 25 | Robyn Anderson |
M2 (35-39)
1 | 175 | Sara Graves | Stowe Nordic |
2 | 120 | Elissa Bradley | Ford Sayre |
3 | 50 | Jessica Snyder | CSU |
M3 (40-44)
1 | 165 | Jessica Bolduc | NWVE |
2 | 120 | Cipperly Good | NWVE |
3 | 95 | Michele Smith | CSU |
M4 (45-49)
1 | 95 | Tristin Adie | Mansfield Nordic |
2 | 70 | Rosalie Wilson | Ford Sayre |
3 | 50 | Holly Macy | Dublin XC |
M5 (50-54)
1 | 127 | Katie Hill | Mansfield Nordic |
2 | 124 | Karen Alence | MNC |
3 | 105 | Sarah Pribram | NWVE |
M6 (55-59)
1 | 175 | Amy Gunn | Black Water Nordic Ski Club |
2 | 150 | Ellie Bouffard | MNC |
3 | 52 | Renate Adamonwicz | Mansfield Nordic |
M7 (60-64)
1 | 175 | JoAnn Hanowski | MNC |
2 | 105 | Ann Burnham | CSU |
3 | 75 | Kimberly Moody | Schussverein |
M8 (65-69)
1 | 125 | Carrrie Nourjian | Stowe Nordic |
2 | 110 | Jody Newton | CSU |
3 | 50 | Carol Fisher | HURT |
M9 (70-74)
1 | 75 | Trina Hosmer | Stowe Nordic |
2 | 25 | Rose Buckingham | |
3 | 25 | Viera Proulx | CSU |
M11 (80-84)
1 | 100 | Sara Mae Berman | CSU |
Men
Senior (23-29 years old)
1 | 175 | Chris Burnham | NWVE |
2 | 137 | Dennis Page | Nansen Ski Club |
3 | 85 | Nathan Moreau | CSU |
M1 (30-34)
1 | 170 | Michael Millar | Mansfield Nordic |
2 | 125 | Adam Terko | Mansfield Nordic |
3 | 110 | Tristan Williams |
M2 (35-39)
1 | 150 | Neal Graves | Stowe Nordic |
2 | 137 | Tyler Magnan | NWVE |
3 | 127 | Nate Laber | MNC |
M3 (40-44)
1 | 175 | Eli Enman | NWVE – Rossignol |
2 | 135 | Eric Tremble | NWVE |
3 | 135 | Eli Gallaudet | CSU |
M4 (45-49)
1 | 160 | Eric Darling | NWVE |
2 | 120 | John Sakalowsky | CSU |
3 | 77 | Steve Crafts | Mansfield Nordic |
M5 (50-54)
1 | 125 | Pat Giersch | CSU |
2 | 125 | Ed Hamilton | NWVE |
3 | 76 | Emanuel Betz | NWVE |
M6 (55-59)
1 | 175 | Tom Thurston | NWVE |
2 | 104 | Christopher Naimie | Bow Nordic |
3 | 85 | Chris Bean | Stowe Nordic |
M7 (60-64)
1 | 165 | Robert Bradlee | Wide Meadow Ski Club |
2 | 111 | Robert Faltus | CSU |
3 | 101 | Richard Costanza | Mansfield Nordic |
M8 (65-69)
1 | 175 | David Johnston | Mansfield Nordic |
2 | 160 | Charlie Gunn | Black Water Nordic Ski Club |
3 | 100 | Peter Harris | Craftsbury |
M9 (70-74)
1 | 145 | Donavon Freeman | Mt. Washington Nordic |
2 | 127 | Perry Bland | NWVE |
3 | 115 | John Lazenby | Onion River Nordic |
M10 (75-79)
1 | 70 | John Brodhead | Craftsbury |
2 | 55 | David Hosmer | Stowe Nordic |
3 | 25 | Jonathan Chaffee | Ford Sayre |
M11 (80-84)
1 | 125 | Bob Gray | Putney Ski Club |
2 | 45 | George Hall | Craftsbury Nordic |
M12 (85-89)
1 | 100 | Larry Berman | Cambridge Sports Union |
Bidding Open for 2021 New England BKL Festival
We’re excited to be thinking about the 2021 New England BKL Festival! Though things seem uncertain in this time of social distancing, we are planning for the future and are hoping for a great ski season next year. The NEBKL Festival is the marquee event of the Bill Koch League, and as anyone who has attended in the past knows: it’s two days packed with fun!
This year’s festival at Great Glen Trails in Gorham, NH brought in 586 skiers and their families with the theme of SUPER SKI Heroes. You can check out photos from this year’s festival here.
Interested venues should fill out the bid sheet linked bel0w, and can email [email protected] with any questions, ideas, or concerns.More information on hosting the festival can be found in our BKL Festival Hosting Manual.
2021 NEBKL Festival Bid Sheet
2021 Eastern Cup Bidding Opens April 1st
We hope planning for the 2021 ski season will give folks something to look forward to in this time of uncertainty. While we cannot predict what the future will look like we can do our best to plan for an awesome upcoming season! Working along side and witnessing the incredible amount of effort and passion that go into hosting these national caliber races is an absolute pleasure! We applaud our venues for the work they did in 2020 and thank you in advance for submitting a bid for 2021 – going through bid submission process makes all of our events better – please don’t hesitate to write with questions. Also now more than ever consider how you might work with another venue (even if it is a backup site) – we are truly a family and it helps to work together!
Thank you for taking the time to complete this form to submit a bid for an Eastern Cup race and/or SuperTour for the 2020-21 season. Please note extensive national discussion of SuperTour events is ongoing and will be finalized at U.S. Ski & Snowboard Congress in May (virtually), if you are interested in hosting a Super Tour please contact Justin Beckwith and Bryan Fish ([email protected]).
Bids are reviewed throughout the month and typically the Athletic Development Committee (ADC) makes a decision on the final schedule at the NENSA Board Meeting the first weekend of May (2-3). This year the meeting will be virtual and while we aim to stick to our typical schedule the current global pandemic and its unknown impact on our programs will require us to be fluid with decision making and the final product of our 2021 season.
LINK TO 2020-2021 BID SHEETS
**Popular Race Bids will follow in the coming weeks.
Northwest Vermont Endurance is pleased to present the Spike Clayton Memorial Scholarship.
NWVE is accepting applications from Vermont high school Seniors who have a passion for Nordic skiing.
Spike was a fixture in the Nordic community and beyond. He may be most recognizable as the bashful co-owner of Skirack, in Burlington, who would light up when the subject turned to anything athletic. He had a way of making everyone feel valued and encouraged them to harness their potential to enjoy being active. It did not matter if you were a World Cup athlete or someone who just signed up for the team having never skied before. Spike would give the time and attention required to get you on the right track, not only for tomorrow but for years to come. His guidance was about more than a sale; it was a resource and connection to his seemingly limitless knowledge and expertise.
It was the ability to recognize potential that led Spike to suggest NWVE be created, and he stood by and supported the club as it grew. Spike joined the club, participating in some relays, and was delighted with his experience. He could not get over how basic, simple, yet refined our approach is, providing the essential ingredients to a lifelong enjoyment of the sport. “All you did was set up a table with a few waxes, and all these people showed up to have fun! This is great!!”
NWVE is honored to preserve Spike’s memory and vision through this scholarship. We hope to carry on his passion for enriching others by supporting experiences like those that had a profound impact on his life. It is through this extension of oneself onto others that one can truly appreciate the rewards of success.
To apply, complete, and return the application at https://www.nwve.org/blank-page by May 11, 2020.