February Greetings Everyone ~
Happy National Girls & Women in Sports Day! I want to give a shout out to the WSCA (Women Ski Coaches Association) for all they do for supporting women in coaching in our beloved sport across our nation!
Racing and events are happening successfully, state by state, in person and virtual, which is SO wonderful to see! I hope you will take advantage of a local race near you, be it in person or virtually, in the next few weeks!
Here's what we have in store for you in this week's KickZone ~
- RACING opportunities as of 2/3/21 for Popular/Citizen Racing and Eastern Cup/VT Cups
- The first athletes are named to the Davis U.S. Cross Country World Championships Team today!
- The Race for Snow is virtual this year, and starts this weekend ~ join the fun ~ it's all for a very good cause ~ climate change!
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From our Partners: from U.S. Ski & Snowboard, World Cup updates: from the Boston Globe an article on the popularity of high school skiing in this pandemic year; from TOKO, another wonderful Gus Schumacher interview as he heads to World Juniors, and more!
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
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NENSA News from the Field
Highlights and Notes from NENSA and the Nordic World
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Due to your resilience and compliance to Health Protocols we are building racing opportunities. There were races in all New England states last week!
This weekend NENSA has race offerings for juniors and masters in New Hampshire and Vermont. And Eastern Mass Nordic (CSU juniors) have pulled together a virtual Race for Snow - allowing anyone to compete.
We could not be pulling this off without amazing venue support and your compliance to Health Protocols. A big piece of hosting successful events in a pandemic is planning for who will be at the event.
Eastern Cup Racing:
The remainder of the schedule is currently moving forward as planned. We ask for your continued patience and understanding as we work to provide the highest quality races. There have been many questions about “Bibs & Chips” — these will continue to be sent to larger clubs, or picked up at venues in a sealed bag at the first event an athlete is able to attend. Please note there are no spectators at any of these events and coaches, volunteers and officials all must complete registrations, pre and day-of health screens. Registration pages will open much closer to the events than normal and all will close at 5pm on the Wednesday before the event.
Popular Racing:
Upcoming in person and virtual events include the winter long Virtual Craftsbury Marathon which is open to all. Gunstock has moved its Zak Cup event to this Sunday, February 7th – allowing an in-person race event for many New England athletes. The student led Race for Snow also provides a race experience for all and has a wonderful environmental mission also starts this weekend.
Enjoy the Snow – Stay Safe. We hope to see you out there!
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THANK YOU TO OUR ASSOCIATE SPONSORS
L.L.Bean and SWIX!
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First Athletes Named to Davis U.S. Cross Country World Championships Team
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FEBRUARY 3, 2021 (PARK CITY, UTAH – U.S. Ski & Snowboard has announced the first 14 athletes of the Davis U.S. Cross Country Ski Team that will compete at the 2021 FIS Cross Country World Championships in Oberstdorf, Germany, Feb. 22 - March 7.
“We will be nominating more athletes to this team,” said Davis U.S. Cross Country Program Director Chris Grover. “Many of our best domestic performances this season have come from some of our younger athletes, and because of this, we want to evaluate performances at the upcoming Junior and U23 World Championships (Feb. 8-14 in Vuokatti, Finland) and name additional athletes to this World Championships Team on Feb. 15.”
Additional athlete considerations will also be evaluated following this weekend’s FIS Cross Country World Cup in Ulricehamn, Sweden, as well as the FIS World Cup in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic, Feb. 20-21. Grover anticipates the total team size will be closer to 18 athletes.
World Cup leader Jessie Diggins leads a team stacked with veteran and up-and-coming talent, including 2020 Junior World Champion Gus Schumacher, who has scored World Cup points in his past 10-consecutive starts while competing in his first World Cup season. Based on this season’s success, the team is highlighting a number of events in Oberstdorf, including the classic sprint on Feb. 25; the team sprint on Feb. 27; the women’s 10k freestyle on March 2; the women’s 4x5k team relay on March 4; and the men’s 4x10k relay March 5.
NBC’s streaming platform, Peacock Premium, will live stream all the events of the 2020-21 FIS Cross Country tour this season. NBCSN, Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA will broadcast select World Championships events. Cross Country broadcast and streaming listings will be available throughout the season at USSkiandSnowboard.org.
2020-21 Davis U.S. Cross Country World Championships Team
Oberstdorf, Germany, Feb. 22 - March 7
(Hometown; Club; Birthdate)
Women
- Sadie Maubet Bjornsen (Winthrop, Wash.; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Center; 11/21/89)
- Rosie Brennan (Anchorage, Alaska; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Center; 12/21/88
- Sophie Caldwell Hamilton (Peru, Vt.; Stratton Mountain School Elite Team; 3/22/90)
- Jessie Diggins (Afton, Minn.; Stratton Mountain School Elite Team; 8/26/91)
- Julia Kern (Waltham, Mass.; Stratton Mountain School Elite Team; 9/12/97)
- Katharine Ogden (Landgrove, Vt.; Stratton Mountain School/Dartmouth College; 11/17/97)
- Hailey Swirbul (Aspen, Colo.; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Center; 7/10/98)
Men
- Kevin Bolger (Minocqua, Wisc.; Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation; 4/11/93)
- Simi Hamilton (Aspen, Colo.; Stratton Mountain School Elite Team; 5/14/87)
- Logan Hanneman (Anchorage, Alaska; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Center; 6/2/93)
- David Norris (Anchorage, Alaska; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Center; 12-12-1990)
- Scott Patterson (Anchorage, Alaska; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Center; 1/28/92)
- Gus Schumacher (Anchorage, Alaska; Alaska Winter Stars; 7/25/00)
- JC Schoonmaker (Tahoe City, Calif; Auburn Ski Club; 8/12/00)
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THANK YOU TO OUR NENSA CONTRIBUTING SPONSORS:
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Race for Snow
Information on this upcoming VIRTUAL RACE
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The purpose of the 2021 race is to raise funds for the nonprofit 350mass, a sub-organization of The Better Future Project, and last year we raised over $5000 for them. This organization is dedicated to fighting climate change through various actions including municipal action, statewide legislative advocacy, and narrative-changing efforts. In the ski community, climate change is particularly devastating with the rising temperatures, dwindling amounts of snow, and the increasing reliance on man made snow and trips up north to satisfy our training needs and recreational aspirations.
This race includes 3km, 5km, and 10km options, which are $10, $15, and $15 respectively. The 5km and 10km will count towards NENSA’s Zak and Club points, but can also be done recreationally. There will be a silent auction with items from many great sponsors, and a closing ceremony zoom will take place at the end of the virtual racing period. This will be a time for us to go over the raffle, auction, results, our team and mission, and most importantly, a time to host guest speaker Bill McKibben--activist, educator, author, and fellow cross country skier from Middlebury, VT.
So we are calling all skiers--recreational, competitive, young, and old--to step up and participate in an event for climate action that will help protect our winters!
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THANK YOU TO OUR NENSA SUPPORTING SPONSORS:
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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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World Cup Updates
Cross Country
Friday January 29:
Diggins Wins (!!!), Schumacher Ninth in Falun World Cup Freestyle Individual Start
Jessie Diggins went all in physically, and mentally, to win Friday’s FIS Cross Country World Cup 10k freestyle individual start in Falun, Sweden. And she did it against a stacked field of competitors! ...READ MORE / RESULTS / WATCH
Saturday January 30:
Diggins, Schumacher Lead U.S At Falun World Cup
In a fast and chaotic World Cup classic mass start in Falun, Sweden, Saturday, Jessie Diggins and Gus Schumacher led the way for the Davis U.S. Cross Country Team. Diggins was seventh in the women’s 10k, while Schumacher was 29th in the men’s 15k. ...READ MORE / RESULTS
Sunday January 31:
Diggins Eighth In Falun Sprint, Maintains World Cup Lead
Four Davis U.S. Cross Country Ski Team athletes qualified for Sunday’s FIS Cross Country World Cup classic sprint heats in Falun, Sweden, with Jessie Diggins leading the team finishing eighth and maintaining her World Cup overall lead. ...READ MORE / RESULTS
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Jessie Diggins sheds tears of joy after winning Friday's FIS Cross Country World Cup 10k freestyle individual start in Falun, Sweden. (Thibaut/NordicFocus)
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Boston Area High School Athletes find
a Little Refuge in Cross Country Skiing this Year
WESTON — They are gliding effortlessly away from the pandemic, across a long ribbon of snow that horseshoes across two holes of a golf course.
This is a 5-kilometer high school cross-country ski race at the Weston Ski Track, and everyone is happy to forget COVID-19 and slide away from their computers for a while.
“I wanted to be outdoors; I didn’t want to be cooped up at home,” says Lily Burnham, a sophomore at Wellesley High School making her cross-country skiing debut after suffering through a bad case of computeritis and school exams. “It’s tough. I got a monitor for Christmas so I can see on a big screen, but by the time I’m going to bed, my eyes definitely start hurting. This was a release. It was fun.” Burnham, who also plays soccer, says she is sold on cross-country skiing. “It was my first race, and I’m excited for more,” she says. “I’d definitely recommend it to people.” “I like cheering on people, and they were cheering me on,” she says.
Competing during a pandemic is completely different. Instead of a mass start, with racers at the starting line 10 deep, there’s a staggered start.
A pair of skiers placed 6 feet apart take off every 20 seconds. They are racing against the clock, not each other. Racers must complete five laps on the 1-kilometer course.
This year, because of the pandemic, each school has a record number of skiers on the roster, up by roughly a third from last year.
At the finish line, there’s no thrill of victory, no agony of defeat. It takes more than a day to determine that Sofia Scirica of Wellesley (12:27) and Evan Hoch of Newton North (11:52) are the winners in their respective classes...read full story HERE
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TOKO's excellent athlete interviews continue...
With Gus Schumacher, who is the defending World Junior Nordic Ski Champion and US National Skate Sprint Champion. This interview is to simply catch up and get his thoughts on the recently finished World Cup raced from Lahti, Finland and Falun, Sweden where he had some outstanding races and to see what he has planned for preparation before the U23 World Championships that will be held in Vuokatti, Finland in about a week. Gus spoke about how he tried to manage the mass starts in Lahti and Falun both of which were very tricky and congested. He also spoke about the mindset that he tries to have in the races.
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Castleton University is looking for a
Head Men's and Women's Nordic Ski Coach
This is a part-time position located in Castleton VT ~ click HERE for full information
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THANK YOU TO OUR NENSA OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS:
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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
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
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New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA)
49 Pineland Drive, Suite 301A
New Gloucester, ME 04260
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