Thanksgiving Greetings NENSA Community ~
Even in the midst of a global pandemic, we have so much to be thankful for ~ Our wonderful New England XC ski community, our NENSA clubs and all our members, our generous sponsors, and a sport that lets us enjoy the beauty of nature and the great outdoors!
We are also thankful for 25 years of being THE non-profit organization for cross country skiing here in New England. As many of you know, NENSA is 25 years old in 2020, and we were incorporated as a non-profit in late November 1995! Here's to our past and our future!
Our NENSA #25in2020 Fall into Winter on-line Auction is in its final week, and we are almost half way to our goal of raising $20k. We are thrilled to have over 120 amazing items for you to bid on, and more being added daily! Go to www.32Auctions.com/NENSA2020 to check out all the items and start your bidding! There has never been a better time to "shop local" on items from our NENSA sponsors and the New England community. Just think, you could get all your holiday shopping done and support NENSA too! It's a win-win!!
We kicked off our 2020 NENSA Awards last week, and we announce our Gallagher Cup Eastern Cup winners today. Stay tuned as we roll out more Awards each week through December!
Here's what we have in store for you in this week's KickZone in the boxes below ~
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The Auction! Go ahead - click on www.32auctions.com/NENSA2020 to bid on so many great items!!
- Our 2020 NENSA Gallagher Cup Eastern Cup winners!
- NENSA's virtual BKL Leader Forum to be held via Zoom on December 1st
- Bib & Chip purchase/rental OPEN (hold the guacamole and salsa) for our EC/VT Cup Races
- From our Partners: Craftsbury's Colligate Winter Term applications currently be accepted; and the World Cup kicks off in Ruka Sweeden this Friday!
Please remember to thank and support all of our NENSA Sponsors ~ they are all such a big part of our NENSA programing continued success!
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 ~ Happy Thanksgiving!
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
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NENSA News from the Field
Highlights and Notes from NENSA and the Nordic World
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NENSA's #25in2020 Fall into Winter Annual on-line Auction
is ON!!
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Go to www.32Auctions.com/NENSA2020 to check out all our amazing items! Thank you in advance for supporting NENSA and supporting our NENSA sponsors and shops all over New England. Shop early for the holidays and support NENSA too! Here are just a few of our favorite things...there are over 120 items in our NENSA Auction, and counting!
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A Case of your choice of Hosmer Wines
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VT Plank Wood Flooring for any room in your house! |
BAGS Galore! All your ski needs fulfilled! Check out all the great Rossignol and Fischer ski bags, boot bags/packs, duffels and pole tubes! |
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Authentic and original 1980 Lake Placid Olympic memorabilia from the collection of Jim Rodrigues ~ includes framed poster/print, suspenders (!) and an official flag |
Spencer Peterman 18” Live Edge Spalted Maple Bowl |
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Jessie Diggins AUTOGRAPHED Swenor Rollerskis |
From EnjoyWinter ~ TWO Anitfreeze puffy jackets ~ NENSA logo'd! One men's large and one women's large. |
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TWO ~ UnTapped Maple Sample Packs |
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Get this awesome and super comfortable NENSA logo'd face mask with a $30 Donation to NENSA!
~ Thanks to our partner Mountain Road Outfitters in Stowe VT and Maloja
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Concept2 ERG of your choice! |
Salomon SLAB Classic Skis with bindings!
Get your gear set up here ~ custom to your size & weigh! Skis & bindings at Salomon and they will ship the correct size directly to the winner!
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Three different L.L. Bean Boat n' Totes with NENSA logo in Green and/or Regatta Blue |
SKIDA gift pack ~ 3 gorgeous items! |
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Two, 2-night stays at the Trapp Family Lodge in our Auction ~ valid until 11/30/21 (all holiday and fall foliage excluded) |
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2018 Pyeongchang US TEAM photo just moments after the GOLD was won! From the collection of Jim Rodrigues, original framed photo by Steve Fuller |
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In 2014 NENSA began the tradition of honoring the top ranked male and female Eastern Cup skiers with the Gallagher Award. NENSA is pleased to announce that Abigail Streinz (Fort Kent Outdoor Center) and Will Koch (University of Colorado) are the 2020 Eastern Cup Champions – their inspired efforts are a perfect way to celebrate Mike Gallagher’s legacy as an athlete, coach, and community leader. The two skiers who win this award each year do so by being consistently dominant in New England’s premier race series (winners are determined by the lowest average points from seven of the nine EC events).
This year’s winners are both soft spoken leaders among their peers — and exhibit the grit and creativity needed to be successful in the sport of cross country skiing. Whether they are “taking full advantage of the weather and landscapes available .. in the boonies of northern Maine” or developing “50km over distance workouts on a unicycle or “inventing” a three hour strength in the gym,” Streinz and Koch march to their own beat...Read full story HERE
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Abigail Streinz rounding a corner at Quarry Road Trails |
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Will Koch in a sprint heat at Quarry Road Trails
(photo George Forbes)
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Sean, Mike and Jesse Gallagher after a Carnival race at the Trapp Family Lodge |
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Virtual BKL Leader COVID Forum on December 1 |
We know many folks are facing challenges with how to run their BKL programs this year during the pandemic. Some clubs are already running practice, some are just starting up, and some have been recently shut down. If you haven’t seen it already, you can check out our BKL COVID-19 Best Practices Guide. To build on the information in this guide, NENSA is hosting a virtual BKL Leader Forum on Tuesday December 1st at 5:30pm so leaders can ask questions, share ideas, and learn from each other. We don’t have to tackle these challenges alone! This forum can also serve as a platform for leaders to connect with one another to plan future events whether in person or virtually. This year will require some creativity and out-of-the-box thinking and we believe our BKL community’s got what it takes.
If you are a BKL leader/coach and want to attend the forum, please email kait@nensa.net for the Zoom link.
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Popular/Citizen Race Teaser... |
While we are living in such a dynamic time – especially with the current regulations in Vermont – NENSA is here to bring us together and #getskiing
Our @tokous Marathon Challenger hats arrived with NENSA “25 in 20” branded labels yesterday – last year we had a record of 24 folks who completed the challenge. They will look sharp heading into 2021!!
Look forward to an update about Popular Racing next week – and the announcement this Friday of a December Challenge designed to give clubs and teams the opportunity to “ski together” even if they aren’t physically together.
These beautiful #wasatchhats are shipping today – see you out there.
~ The NENSA Staff
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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! |
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NENSA Eastern Cup / FIS - Bib Purchase and Timing Chip Rental
"Bib & Chips" (hold the salsa and guacamole)
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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.
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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! |
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NENSA COVID-19 Considerations ~
Contingency Planning
for our Events and Races
this coming season
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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, BKL Club Leaders check out:
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The Craftsbury Outdoor Center is excited to offer a Collegiate Winter Term training program in 2021. Designed for college ski racers affected by the pandemic, our Winter Term is a residential program that will provide structured training and racing opportunities within the bounds of COVID regulations. Candidates include students who are either learning remotely or taking time off from school and can therefore commit to living full-time in Craftsbury. These athletes will live and train as a collective “pod” for approximately 2 months. Craftsbury coaches will work with the athletes and their college coaches to structure and execute training plans. Training sessions will be scheduled around the academic schedule of the group whenever possible.
Application deadline: December 1, 2020
Acceptance notifications sent: December 10, 2020
Program dates: January 10, 2021 - March 10, 2021
Program cost: $3600 (includes room, board, coaching)
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Period I Starts for the U.S. Ski Team: Kicking things off in Ruka, Finland this coming weekend!
From FasterSkier, November 24th
A brave new world awaits World Cup skiers for Period I on the cross-country World Cup. The scheduling is the easy part, three race weekends reduced from four for Period I. The racing in Lillehammer, Norway, has been postponed due to Covid-19 precautions.
Period I on the Cross-Country World Cup and U.S. athletes slated to begin each race are noted below. Athletes who declined start rights are not listed and athletes unconfirmed as alternates are not included.
Stop # 1: Ruka, Finland
- Classic sprint
- 10k/15k Classic
- 10k/15k Freestyle Pursuit
U.S. Women Starting: Rosie Brennan, Katharine Ogden, Hailey Swirbul, Caitlin Patterson, Sophie Caldwell, Jessie Diggins, and Julia Kern.
U.S. Men Starting: Gus Schumacher, Simi Hamilton, Logan Hanneman, Kevin Bolger, JC Schoonmaker, Scott Paterson (alternate), Adam Martin (alternate).
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Upcoming Events
A Look Ahead at the NENSA Calendar
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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
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New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA)
49 Pineland Drive, Suite 301A
New Gloucester, ME 04260
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