November Greetings NENSA Community ~
I would like to take this opportunity today, Veteran's Day, to acknowledge and honor the veterans of our country and thank them all ~ past and present ~ for their service.
We are fighting a different battle these day, a global pandemic. NENSA plans to continue the programing you have all come to know and love, but in the absolute safest way we can, and as we have already seen, with modifications. I am sure more will come. We thank you for your continued patience and support as we navigate COVID and offer you various different opportunities to connect and participate, even as guidelines change weekly and daily.
Please remember to thank and support all of our NENSA Sponsors ~ they are all such a big part of our NENSA programing continued success!
Here's what we have in store for you in this week's KickZone in the boxes below ~
- Lost Nation Rollerski Race Recap with an awesome VIDEO and tons of photos
- Eastern Cup Primer including the Eastern Cup/VT Cup race schedules
- 8 New England athletes have been named to the virtual National Elite Group with US Ski & Snowboard
- NENSA Eastern Cup/VT Cup/FIS - Bib Purchase and Timing Chip Rental available now on SkiReg.com until 12/1
- Registration is still open for our virtual (via Zoom) NENSA Technical Delegate (TD) and Event Organizer training this Saturday November 14th 10am-2pm
-
Updates from our NENSA Partners: including U.S. Ski & Snowboard names this years U.S. cross country ski team; Concept2 virtual World Sprints; Fischer Nordic Race Night with Kikkan & friends Thursday 11/12 at 8pm; Salomon athlete Tyler Kornfield on Fall training; TOKO athlete/coach interviews continue with Kikkan Randal and UVM head coach Patrick Weaver.
Our very popular NENSA on-line Auction is just one week away!! We are in the process of uploading so many great items into our 32Auction site ~ get ready to start your bidding next Wednesday November 18th! If you are a business or NENSA member who would like to donate an item to our Auction, please contact me!
Click here for MEMBERSHIP: RENEW or JOIN today, and thank you!
Please take a few minutes to do that and support the organization that supports XC skiing here in New England, and beyond! NENSA is here for you, running programing for you, our ski community ~ we need your support this year, more than ever!
I hope this finds everyone safe and well ~
Best,
Amie
Amie W. Smith
Executive Director
New England Nordic Ski Association
Amie@nensa.net
GIVING: DONATE to NENSA today, and thank you!
Be sure to follow us on fb, Twitter and on Instagram @nensa_nordic
|
|
NENSA News from the Field
Highlights and Notes from NENSA and the Nordic World
|
|
Congratulation to these 8 athletes!
Nina Seemann – Craftsbury
Ava Thurston – Mansfield Nordic
Quincy Massey-Bierman – Craftsbury
Sofia Scirica – CSU
Finn Sweet – Craftsbury GRP
Brian Bushey – GMVS
Adam Carlisle – Dublin XC
Sam Murray – Putney / Caldwell Sport
Click HERE to read more about the program from U.S. Ski & Snowboard
|
|
The Lost Nation Rollerski Race Recap |
|
Craftsbury, VT (October 25, 2020) – If there is anything 2020 has taught us – it’s that we need to focus on overall development and every competition we pull off will truly be a blessing. On Sunday 10/25 skiers from across the region competed in the second rollerski race of the summer – the Lost Nation Roll – on the Craftsbury Outdoor Center‘s new rollerski track. The anticipation of winter racing was palpable and this event was a great way to prepare, especially in light of many pandemic-related changes to our race season...Click HERE for full article, results, photo gallery, and our season long club-based challenge, the Hall Mark of Excellence current standings. And, check out this awesome video!
|
|
2020-21 Eastern Cup and
Vermont Cup Primer
|
Resilience, ingenuity and compliance will be the mantras for the winter of 2020-21. NENSA, alongside venues throughout the East are committed to making the Eastern Cup Series happen by providing safe competitions. State and institutional guidelines will continue to shift throughout the winter and the proposed Eastern Cup and Vermont Cup is designed to give us the best chance for success. Athletes will need to be resilient as challenges arise, and use ingenuity to stay focused on the overall goal of development through the season. Perhaps the keystone in the puzzle is compliance to Health Protocols – we ask that athletes, coaches and parents adhere to the high standards we have created to insure the health of not only participants, but the communities we visit throughout the season.
Vermont guidelines dictated the creation of a “Vermont Cup” within the traditional Eastern Cup framework. All 15 races listed on the proposed schedule will be run to the same high standards of a typical Eastern Cup and used to score points for the Junior Ranking List. We encourage athletes and clubs to be judicious in their planning and travel – giving priority to race starts in close proximity to their homes. Athletes will be ranked on their “Best 3” races this season to help support this guidance. As the final details and disciplines of our newly calendared races occur we will publish guidelines on qualification for Eastern Regional Championships, scheduled to happen at a similar time to Junior Nationals.
...Click HERE to read more on below to learn how the 2020-21 Eastern Cup season will be conducted.
...Click HERE for the Eastern Cup/Vermont Cup Schedule
|
|
Hey NENSA members ~ click on this banner ad below from Trapp Family Lodge to purchase your season's pass membership ~ and get ready for a great season of cross country skiing and exploring the trails at Trapps! |
|
NENSA Eastern Cup / FIS - Bib Purchase and Timing Chip Rental
"Bib & Chips" (hold the salsa and guacamole)
|
|
NENSA and our venues are working tirelessly to produce a schedule of high level races that will keep competitors, officials and volunteers safe during the COVID pandemic. As per our Eastern Cup COVID-19 Contingencies we identified a system that will allow for touchless registration and timing systems by purchasing a race bib and assigned timing chip for each competitor to use throughout the season. Each competitor's bib and chip number will follow them throughout the season as a NENSA, USSS and/or FIS number does. This effectively eliminates the need for typical registration / bib pick-up - eliminating a touch point and gathering point at events. This purchase will also help subsidize the cost of vetting participants: athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers - including health screenings and adherence to state and county travel guidelines.
These bibs and chips will be used exclusively for the FIS competitions hosted at Craftsbury and all Eastern Cups. In order to compete in these events, you need to purchase your bib (you will keep it at end of the season) and rent your Zone4 chip. Eastern Cup fields (Eastern Regional Qualifiers) will have unlimited field size. FIS races at Craftsbury will be limited to racers with current FIS licenses and the field size is currently capped at 120 participants. If you intend to race in any of these races you need to purchase your NENSA bib and rent a chip.
|
|
Hey NENSA members ~ check this new offer out ~ subscribe to Cross Country Skier Magazine for just $12!! Click on the ad below for the offer, and to enjoy a years worth of gorgeous photos and wonderful articles! |
|
|
|
NENSA's Technical Delegate & Event Organizers Training
(virtual via Zoom)
THIS Saturday November 14
10am-2pm
|
Calling all TD's, Chief of Comps and Event Organizers! Save the date ~ Saturday November 14 from 10am-2pm ~ registration and agenda is now open on SkiReg.com. All the info and updates you need for this coming season!
|
|
THANK YOU to rk Miles for the lumber donation to help NENSA build some new ramps and supporting our rollerski programing here in New England! Check out this video NENSA made on how to build your own set of ramps (and be sure to stop by r.k. Miles for all your lumber needs on this fun project!)
|
|
|
NENSA COVID-19 Considerations ~
Contingency Planning
for our Events and Races
this coming season
|
The Covid-19 pandemic poses significant challenges to NENSA’s 2020-21 winter event schedule. We are committed to hosting races and will make every effort to safely put on events in whatever form they might take. Our first objective is to ensure the health of our community in New England. Our second objective is to host our major events: Eastern Cups, Popular Races, U16 and Eastern High School Championships, the Bill Koch Festival, and Women’s Day as scheduled. To further foster excitement and an inclusive and community-centric atmosphere around skiing, NENSA will also be organizing some new fun season long challenges and goal-oriented activities. Skiers are encouraged to limit their travel and attend events that are within their region and state.
....click HERE for the current NENSA plans for Eastern Cups, Popular/Citizen Racing, U16 & EHS Camps, BKL Festival and Women's Day
Venues, event hosts and event organizers check out:
|
|
2020-21 DAVIS U.S. CROSS COUNTRY SKI TEAM ANNOUNCED:
U.S. Ski & Snowboard has announced the 23 athletes of the Davis U.S. Cross Country Ski Team for the 2020-21 season who will kick off competition with the traditional World Cup season opener in Ruka, Finland, Nov. 27-29.
Athletes named to the A Team for the 20-2021 season include 2018 Olympic Gold medalist Jessie Diggins and 2018 Olympians Simi Hamilton, Sophie Caldwell Hamilton, Sadie Maubet Bjornsen, and Rosie Brennan. Also joining the A Team this season are Julia Kern, who earned her first World Cup podium last season, and Hailey Swirbul, who scored World Cup points in classic and freestyle sprint and distance races last season.
In addition to a host of veteran athletes with World Cup, World Championship, and Olympic experience, the 2020-21 team includes the largest Development Team the United States has fielded in many years with 10 athletes, including all four members of the silver-medal-winning 2020 FIS Junior World Ski Championships women’s relay team: Kendall Kramer, Sydney Palmer-Leger, Novie McCabe and Sophia Laukli. Also returning to the D Team are three members of the men’s two-time gold-medal-winning Junior World Championships relay team, Luke Jager, Ben Ogden, and Johnny Hagenbuch. Also bringing her smile and positive energy back to the D Team is Hannah Halvorsen, who is back on snow after missing the entire season last year after she was hit by a car in Anchorage and suffered head, back, and knee injuries.
The fourth member of the men’s gold medal relay team, Gus Schumacher, joins the B Team for the 20-2021 season, thanks in large part to becoming the first American male to win an individual gold medal at the Junior World Championships. Katharine Ogden rejoins the B Team this season after racing for Dartmouth the past couple of seasons. Katharine posted two top-30 World Cup results in last season’s Tour de Ski.
Following a unique summer of training, members of the Davis U.S. Cross Country Ski Team are ready to go and open the season, which will also feature the 2021 FIS Nordic World Championships Feb. 24-March 7 in Oberstdorf, Germany.
|
|
Get Ready for the
12th Annual
SkiErg Sprints
November 12th-15th
This year’s edition of the SkiErg World Sprints takes place November 12–15, 2020. Get ready to throw down your best 1k SkiErg time to see where you stand up against others around the world!
The 1000 meter race distance offers a good challenge that is a reasonable training goal for almost everyone. It will most likely take you somewhere between three and six minutes to complete. A little training will go a long way towards improving your performance and making the race more enjoyable. Training will also help you to dial in your optimal pace: fast enough to get you a personal best, but not so fast that you start too hard and “fly and die.” ...read full story HERE
|
|
From our partners at Salomon:
Fall. Time to Get Down to Business
by Tyler Kornfield
The spring is easy: goal setting, long ski trips, letting the mind relax for the first time in 11 months. The summer is a breeze: hard work comes easy, the motivation is high, the path to success is clear, and the breakthroughs are abundant.
The Fall is when everything comes to a screeching halt. Training gets hard, the weather can be miserable, the excuses come quick and fast, and the doubt starts to sink in. Did I do everything I could this year? Are these time trial results really indicators of the season to come or are they just flukes?
Every year, with no exception, these mental hurdles show themselves. I have come up with a few solutions for when they come that lets my mind refocus on what is important.
Gratitude: This Spring, I had the chance to speak with Deena Kastor, American marathon record holder, who gave me her keys to success. Every day, I find three different things I am grateful for and write them down. Slowly, this habit has worked its way into how I process everyday situations. When the weather turns or the snow isn’t falling, there is always something I try to find to appreciate.
Playing games: People don’t often associate skiing as a game, but I try to find as many opportunities as I can to play. Whether that is taking a downhill more aggressively than my teammates, seeing if I can “Klaebo-run” up the steepest hill I can find, or avoiding every falling leaf while I roller ski, I am always trying to bring my inner child out.
Process goal reminders: Covid-19 was not the easiest for goal setting. Sometimes, my only goal was to find a time of day that I could run on the trails and hope to not see anyone else. Eventually, I was able to ground myself enough to think further into the future and remind myself of the changes I want to make in my skiing and training. Fall is when I remind myself of those goals and update my plan to reach them.
Team: If you want to achieve your best performance, find (or make) a team made of people who are, genuine, optimistic, hardworking, and passionate. All of those qualities are not innate, they take work, and your team may not have them all, but they are all contagious and achievable.
Silver linings: This season will be full of silver linings. With plans changing daily, the goals may need to be rearranged or shelved for the time being. I know mine have. But it has allowed me to train in different ways, explore places I would never have gone to before. It will allow me to ski more this winter and potentially focus more on local racing. Overall, it has given me an appreciation for my sport and my community that will carry me beyond this year and will lead to my success in the future.
Meditation or mindfulness: I use the app “Headspace”, and even though I am not consistent, it is one of the most eye- opening experiences and a huge tool I use when I am struggling. I suggest everyone to try it.
Are you hangry? Part of becoming an athlete is learning how to eat like an athlete. I recommend “Run Fast, Eat Slow” by Shalane Flanagan which includes my favorite post-workout snack “Superhero Muffins”.
This is not an exhaustive list of every trick to turn Fall into the best time of the year. If you have some ideas that you think would help me, let me know. Write me on my website at www.tylerkornfield.com/connect
Tyler Kornfield, a 2018 Olympian, trains full-time with the APU ski team in Anchorage, AK. He placed 12th in the 2020 Birkie Skate Race and will be representing the US in the opening world cup races this season.
|
|
Please enjoy these wonderful Athlete & Coach interviews with Kikkan Randall and UVM Head Coach Pat Weaver,
conducted by Ian Harvey from TOKO!
|
|
Fischer Nordic Race Night
Thursday November 12th at 8pm EDT
Hosted By Kikkan Randall
Featuring: Sadie Maubet Bjornsen, Kevin Bolger, Julia Kern, Logan Hannemann
Athletes will be talking about the upcoming season, their favorite Fischer Products, and answering questions live on air.
|
|
|
Upcoming Events
A Look Ahead at the NENSA Calendar
|
|
Eastern Cup/VT Cup Race Series Calendar HERE
Zak Cup Popluar Race Series Tentative Schedule HERE
Full NENSA.net Calendar Listing HERE
Link to our NENSA Virtual Resources Page HERE
Link to our NENSA BLM Resources Page HERE
Link to our NENSA Equality & Diversity Policy HERE
|
|
New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA)
49 Pineland Drive, Suite 301A
New Gloucester, ME 04260
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
