Greetings Everyone ~
I hope you can take a moment to read the great piece below (and in Breaking News on our website) from our Competitive Program Director, Justin Beckwith, on Celebrating Successes of our season, and how we as a cross country ski community ~ NENSA, our venues and the people in our communities came together to create and provide safe racing experiences for athletes of all ages this winter. And that planning all started last April...
Please also see the wonderfully extensive BKL Mini-Festival Resources our Youth & Introductory Program Director, Kait Miller has created for our BKL community. So even in this pandemic, everyone can have the opportunity for a fun filled mini-festival within their own clubs or in small gatherings by regions.
I am super proud of our NENSA staff, which also includes Preston Noon in our Maine office, and all they have done to keep skiing alive in a pandemic. We all look forward to hopefully a more normal season in 2021-22.
Good luck to our Maine U16 & Eastern High School athletes as they embark on their two days of Championship racing at Quarry Road this weekend!
Here's what we have in store for you in this week's KickZone ~
- Celebrating Successes: A (Mostly) Junior Racing Update, including the Dublin Eastern Cup, the Holderness Cheri Walsh Eastern Cup, the Bill Henchey Memorial VT Cup at Craftsbury ~ all held this past weekend. Results, Recaps, and Photos! And...the Post Season and Junior Ranking List, and Popular Racing and the Hall Mark of Excellence Award standings
- Women's Day recap and photos
- Wonderful BKL Mini-Festival planning material available for any club in any state!
- Maine launches it's Mini-Festival at Quarry Road on March 6th & 7th
-
From our Partners: from U.S. Ski & Snowboard, World Championship updates ~ the Sprints from 2/25; TOKO's Carl Swenson interview.
Thank you to all of our NENSA Sponsors ~ they are such a HUGE part of our NENSA programing continued success, and we appreciate their support, even in these very difficult times. I want to be sure we all acknowledge the businesses who support us and cross country skiing!
Be safe and be well!
Best,
Amie
Amie W. Smith
Executive Director
New England Nordic Ski Association
Amie@nensa.net
GIVING: DONATE to NENSA today, and thank you!
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!
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
|
|
Celebrating Successes:
A (Mostly) Junior Racing Update
|
Last April when the scope of the pandemic and it’s associated regulations became clearer, there was legitimate concern that we might not be able to hold many events in a typical fashion, if at all. NENSA quickly gathered regional leaders from clubs, industry and medical professionals to gain insight and plot a course that would provide opportunities for success. Perhaps one quote from those discussions sticks out, “you might just have a chance in New England.” However the tone in the Zoom room was one of caution — and a clear sense that the safety of our community and the ones we visited far outweighed the benefits, or entitlement, of hosting athletic competition.
NENSA — along with organizations large, small and some that were born from necessity — forged ahead with planning for competitions. This optimism, along with the boon of albeit late, but healthy snow, created the opportunity for cross country skiers to thrive in every corner of New England.
The winter is not over yet — but we are headed into the post season now — and that will look different too. The past weekend was in many ways a culmination (and celebration) of the hard work done by athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers, and venues. Craftsbury hosted a two-day Vermont Cup, while DublinXC and the Holderness School partnered to create a two day Eastern Cup race weekend — for what will be the only junior interstate racing opportunity for the 2021 ski season. For a moment (a full weekend) things seemed almost normal. While it’s easy to want more — and our community has clearly shown we could — it’s really important to focus on what we have achieved and how well we’ve done that. If you have a few minutes tune into Bill Harmeyer’s vlog — the insight and patience of this young professional skier highlights the process and joy of the cross country skiing lifestyle. We’ve weathered one of the worst storms of our lifetime and we all look forward to more normalcy soon.
...click HERE for SO much more...Dublin XC Freestyle EC, Holderness' Cheri Walsh EC, Craftsbury's Bill Henchey Memorial VT Cup, Post Season and Junior Ranking List, and Popular Racing and the Hall Mark of Excellence Award, with 71 different teams(!) vying for the top prizes, and event PHOTOS!!!
|
An active start at the 2021 NENSA Eastern Cup Series. Dublin, NH. 📸Swift Corwin |
|
IMPORTANT TIMING CHIP RETURN PSA:
If you are done racing this season, and you still have your rented timing chip in your possession - you must mail it back to Bullitt Timing ASAP, to avoid the $50 replacement cost fee.
Please send your chip to:
Despard Design
1027 Winhall Hollow Road
South Londonderry, VT 05155
If you have any questions regarding the return of your rented chip, please reach out to Ed Despard directly at: edwarddes@gmail.com
|
|
THANK YOU TO OUR ASSOCIATE SPONSORS
L.L.Bean and SWIX!
|
|
|
|
NENSA's Annual Woman's Day
was a HUGE and resounding success
at 5 venues across 4 states
|
NENSA's annual Women’s XC Ski Day could not have been held on a more perfect bluebird sky February day, all across New England! From the Weston Ski Track just outside of Boston, to Woodstock VT, Waterville and Jackson NH, to the Bethel Inn in Maine, it was a fun filled day of skiing and camaraderie for over 150 women and instructors.
The day started with 25-40 women (depending on the State) arriving for their morning clinics - either classic or skate technique, taught by 25 talented and experienced NENSA Women's Day instructors. The women had a 90 minute clinic that focused on skills to improve their skate and/or classic skiing.
A sunny mid-day break was the perfect time for the delicious bag lunches as each venue went out of their way to provide amazing custom deli sandwiches and treats for all! Our traditional Women's Day lunch time raffle was divided up between the venues, and there were wonderful prizes from SIDAS and TOKO given out, and reports of one woman doing a jig when she won the SIDAS heated vest!!
The goodie bags filled with SWAG were also handed out to all the participants, and a huge thanks go out to L.L. Bean for the wonderful logo flannel shirts, our sponsor Allagash Brewing sent us some gorgeous stainless pint glasses, UnTapped for their Maple Chai waffles, and Cabot for their cheddar cheese snacks. Yeah to SWAG and thank you to our sponsors!!!!
The afternoon clinics provided another opportunity for the women to hone their skills in either a classic or skate technique, while some venues also offered a ski tour out to a longer ski as a group. There were reports of old friends coming together, as well as first timers just learning to ski. Most importantly, this NENSA Women's Day provides an opportunity for women of all ski levels and abilities to come together to have fun, learn new skills, and be taught and nurtured by the amazing women coaches in our community.
Although we could not gather as one big Women's Day at one venue this year, the 4 different states and 5 venues mini-Woman's Day model proved to be very successful ~ a huge thanks to NENSA staffer Kait Miller, and Trina Hosmer, the chair of our Woman's Day committee, for pulling off another (despite the pandemic) success!
Our awesome SKIDA Women's Day fleece lined and logo'd hats are still available for purchase - contact Amie@nensa.net if you want to purchase one, while supplies last! Cost is $36 + $5 S&H = $41 total
|
|
|
|
Women's Day in Woodstock! |
|
|
|
|
Women's Day at Jackson XC |
|
|
Physically distanced but very social lunch time at the Weston Ski Track |
|
Women's Day at the
Weston Ski Track
|
|
Tackling the hills in Boston! |
|
THANK YOU TO OUR NENSA CONTRIBUTING SPONSORS: |
|
NENSA BKL Mini-Fest Offerings
for any Club in all States!
|
Since we cannot all gather in one place for our annual Festival in 2021, NENSA is working with clubs to support family, club, district, and state-based BKL Mini-Fests. Visit our Mini-Fest Homepage on the NENSA website where you’ll find support materials, information, and ideas for organizing a Mini-Fest as well as information about upcoming Mini-Fest events. Be sure to check out the BKL Mini-Fest Guide (which has links to state-themed Scavenger Hunt images) for ideas and info to help you create a fun celebratory event in as safe a manner as possible whether you are celebrating skiing with your family, with your home club, or with multiple local clubs. All BKL skiers can participate and fill out the BKL Mini-Fest Activity Entry form to be eligible for raffle and contest prizes from NENSA’s wonderful sponsors. You can also use this form to let us know you’re a 2021 BKL Graduate so we can ensure you receive your BKL Graduation Certificate! And don’t forget to download and print the Activity Booklet if you like trivia, word searches, and coloring. Clubs can also special order special Mini-Fest themed Fishy Fish Skida Tours (buffs). We will add information to the homepage as Mini-Fests get added to our Youth Calendar. If you are a Mainer, be sure to check out the NENSA Maine Mini-Fest at Quarry Road on March 6-7!
This year’s Mini-Fest theme is State By State, United We Ski. While we cannot all gather at one festival, we can still celebrate skiing at home in our own state. We can focus on what makes our own state unique while celebrating our shared love of skiing that knows no border.
If your club would like to organize a multi-club or district-wide event with additional NENSA support including registration and health screening, you can review this 2021 BKL Mini-Fest Manual and reach out to Kait (kait@nensa.net) for more information.
|
|
THANK YOU TO OUR NENSA SUPPORTING SPONSORS: |
|
Maine’s NENSA Mini-Fest at Quarry Road: March 6-7 |
We look forward to welcoming and hosting friends from Maine on the beautiful trails at Quarry Road! The theme for the weekend is State by State United We Ski! While we cannot all gather at one festival, we can still celebrate skiing at home in our own state. We can focus on what makes Maine unique while celebrating a shared love of skiing that knows no border.
...Click HERE for full story, guidelines and schedule for this weekend
|
|
NENSA COVID-19 Considerations ~
Contingency Planning for our
Events and Races this 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, BKL Club Leaders check out:
|
|
World Championship Updates ~
February 25:
Diggins, Ogden Lead the U.S. in World Championships Sprint
The classic sprint kicked off the 2021 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Oberstdorf, Germany on Thursday, with Ben Ogden leading the way for the Davis U.S. Cross Country Ski Team men in 17th place and Jessie Diggins for the women in 24th place. JC Schoonmaker finished 26th and Sophie Caldwell Hamilton was 29th. ...READ MORE / RESULTS
|
|
Ben Ogden posted the 11th-fastest qualifying time in Thursday's classic sprint at the
2021 FIS Nordic Ski World Championships. (U.S. Ski & Snowboard - Tom Horrocks)
|
|
TOKO's Carl Swenson Interview
Carl Swenson has represented the US 72 times in World Cup, World Championship, and Olympic competitions. His best international result was 5th place in the 2003 World Championship 50k skate in Val di Fiemme, Italy. Carl, a 3 time Olympian, also anchored the US relay team to a historic 5th place at the Salt Lake City Games in 2002. Carl won 11 US National Nordic Ski Championships and had numerous top international races to go along with dominating the US marathon series circuit for years. Additionally, Carl was a professional Mountain Bike racer representing the US 5 times at World Championships, winning a silver medal in the Pan Am games in 1999, and winning the US National short track championship in 2000. Carl retired from international ski racing in the spring of 2006. He then attended the University of Utah law school graduating in 2009. Carl also served on the USADA and USSS board of directors in 2007 as well as was a FIS athlete’s representative 2004-2006. Today Carl lives in Portsmouth, NH with his wife Katie and daughter Quinn who is 5. Carl has worked as the public defender in Strafford County since 2009.
|
|
THANK YOU TO OUR NENSA OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS: |
|
Upcoming Events
A Look Ahead at the NENSA Calendar
|
|
Eastern Cup/VT Cup Race Series Calendar HERE
Popular/Citizen Racing: Zak Cup Race Series 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
|
|
If you already shop Amazon ~ please link to Amazon Smile
with NENSA as your beneficiary!
|
Did you know that NENSA could benefit from the Amazon purchases you are already making??! Please link your Amazon account to Amazon SMILE (with /smile) and choose NENSA as your non-profit beneficiary! All the purchases everyone is already making, all add up, and we would love to be able to benefit from that! Thank you!! |
|
New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA)
49 Pineland Drive, Suite 301A
New Gloucester, ME 04260
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
