Greetings NENSA Community,

The factors underlying such a milestone as a World Cup podium result cannot be overstated. In Ben Ogden’s case, the exuberance and the podium backflip we all witnessed evoked memories of a young W. River skier sporting tricks in a wool hat with friends after BKL races; this joy arguably the most essential element of such a journey. Huge congratulations to Ben on an impressive and highly deserved milestone performance!

Not long thereafter, we were incredibly moved by Ben’s selfless gesture to donate his prize money to the endowment memorializing his father’s legacy. Momentarily afterward, Flying Point Road matched that contribution and offered a challenge gift to the first four others to do the same. If you haven’t yet donated, this is a wonderful opportunity to maximize your gift before the conclusion of the Tour de Ski on Sunday. Please see below for details.

We are deeply thankful for the generosity and support of so many individuals. The John Ogden Youth Programming Endowment significantly strengthens our ability to develop programming that will share the joy of skiing, the power of sport, and John’s spirit with generations of children to come. On behalf of our NENSA trustees and the Ogden family, thank you.

In this week’s KickZone

• On Deck: Moonlit Guided Tour, Bogburn Classic & Gunstock Freestyle
• Nordic Team Solutions Virtual Session for NENSA Coaches, Jan. 11
• John Ogden Youth and Introductory Program Endowment Update, Match Opportunity
• U.S. Cross Country Ski National Championships
• WinterKids: Welcome to Winter Event Recap
• New Year’s Eve at the Jackson Jaunt
• XC Ski & Snacks Tour | January 15, 2024
• Tour de Stowe | January 20, 2023
• NENSA Women's Day 2024
• New England BKL Festival | March 2-3, 2024
• NENSA Membership
• NENSA Winter Events
• Scenes from the Community

From Our Partners

• Nordic Skater: Youth Ski Packages for NENSA members
• Garnet Hill Lodge: Lodging Offer for NENSA members

In The News

• FasterSkier: Ogden’s First Podium—Third in Tour de Ski Sprint
• FaterSkier: Revelations at Tour de Ski: Ogden and Hyvarinen!
• SMST2: Ben and JC discuss Östersund sprint
• Nordic Insights: An Extremely Timely Preview of the 2023/2024 World Cup Season, with Matt Whitcomb (Part I)
• Nordic Insights: Ben Ogden Crushes Toblach Skate Sprint for First Career Podium; Diggins 9th, Kern 11th
• US Ski & Snowboard: Ogden Secures First Career Podium in Stage One of Tour de Ski
• US Ski & Snowboard: Diggins Wins 20k Pursuit in Third Stage of Tour de Ski

My wishes for a very happy New Year accompanied by a favorable (fingers crossed!) turn in the forecast!

All my best,

Heidi

Heidi Lange

Executive Director

New England Nordic Ski Association

heidi@nensa.net

www.nensa.net

Memberships directly support all of our year-round programming,

backing us in our mission to nurture and sustain an active cross country ski

community for all ages and levels throughout the East. 

Thank you for taking a minute to join or renew your NENSA membership,

and for the important support that it provides!

Steve Fuller at Flying Point Road has captured John so beautifully including in the above photo.

In addition, he announced earlier this week, "If you haven’t seen the post, @ben.0gden decided to donate today’s @fiscrosscountry TdS prize money to @nensa_nordic’s “John Ogden Youth and Introductory Program Endowment.” After a hot nano-second of discussion, @flyingpointroad and I will match that donation. Moreover, we’ll add $500 for each of the next four people who also match Ben’s donation by the end of the TdS."

Match opportunities remain before Sunday - simply include a note with your donation to be eligible!

Sincere thanks to Ben and to Steve and Flying Point Road.

The East is represented by over 100 skiers and has posted very strong results on the first two days of competition at the 2024 U.S. Cross Country Ski National Championships. You can follow along at the links here:

THANK YOU TO OUR SILVER SPONSORS

NENSA memberships expire on April 30 and must be renewed annually. Now is a perfect time to check your membership status and take care of your renewal as various announcements of a fun and full winter season are being rolled out!

Membership directly supports our year-round programming, backing us in our mission to nurture and sustain an active cross country ski community for all ages and levels throughout the East. Thank you for taking a minute to tend to your renewal, and for the important support your membership provides!

NENSA membership provides...

• Access to Eastern Cup, Bill Koch Festival, and U16 and Eastern High School Championship events
• Education at Eastern Coaches Conferences and TD/Event Organizer Seminars
• Eligibility for the NENSA Development and Elite Teams and the New England Junior National Team
• Discounted entry to NENSA events
• Scoring and ranking in our Eastern Cup, Popular, and Rollerski series
• NENSA Kickzone and Trail Tales youth newsletter subscriptions
• Exclusive discounts and special offers from NENSA sponsors, continually updated on the Member Benefits page
• Access to the NENSA Gear Swap

U.S. Ski & Snowboard works to provide a safe environment in which athletes can train and compete, free from abuse and inappropriate behavior. Please review U.S. Ski & Snowboard's Athlete Safety policies, the SafeSport Code, and the Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies and join us in sustaining a culture of safety.

If you are an athlete who has experienced inappropriate behavior or know of an athlete who has experienced inappropriate behavior, report a concern:

The U.S. Center for SafeSport

Hotline:  833-587-7233

Report:  CLICK HERE

U.S. Ski & Snowboard

Report: CLICK HERE

We all are part of promoting a culture of safety through education, listening, and speaking up.

THANK YOU TO OUR BRONZE SPONSORS

Youth Ski Packages!

Introductory Junior Classic Package

Classic Fishscale Skis, Bindings, Poles, Classic Boots - $250

Junior Race Classic

Classic Skin Skis, Bindings, Poles, Combi Boots - $450

Junior Race Skate

Skate Skis, Bindings, Poles, Combi Boots - $450

Contact AJ Parks and provide your NENSA membership number: (603) 763-2727

Lodging Offer for NENSA Members

NENSA members receive free 20% discount off standard published rates from Jan 2 through Jan 18 and during all of March.

Contact Garnet Hill Lodge, provide your 2023-24 NENSA membership number to make a reservation, and present your valid NENSA member card (you receive this on your confirmation email after renewing or joining NENSA) when checking in.

Ogden’s First Podium—Third in Tour de Ski Sprint

by Ken Roth | December 30, 2023

It looks like it must be pretty fun to be part of Team USA right now. Two American women (Jessie Diggins and Rosie Brennan) sit in the top three of the World Cup standings, Diggins forges a path toward the lead in the Tour de Ski, and American men advance through sprint qualifying, make finals, and race onto the podium (as JC Schoonmaker did three weeks ago in Oestersund, Sweden). Today, in Toblach Italy, it was Ben Ogden’s time to step into the spotlight. One who exudes the energy and joy epitomizing this season’s US Ski Team, Ogden smiles broadly and celebrates genuinely. American ski fans—and those of many other nationalities, as well—smile and celebrate with him.

Revelations at Tour de Ski: Ogden and Hyvarinen!

by Ken Roth | December 31, 2023

Ben Ogden (USA) had a lot to celebrate today. He finished ninth in today’s 10 k Classic, kept his third overall position in the TDS, and took the lead in the points race. He literally did a backflip off the podium.

Check out Ben’s latest YouTube video in which you will hear some really thoughtful insight from Ben and JC Schoonmaker on their Historic 3rd and 4th place sprint day in Östersund, Sweden.

An Extremely Timely Preview of the 2023/2024 World Cup Season, with Matt Whitcomb (Part I)

by Nordic Insights | December 27, 2023

Matt Whitcomb, head coach of the U.S. Ski Team, graciously spoke with me for an hour in late November about what was at the time the upcoming World Cup season. I moved fast to get his thoughts on the NNF Drive for 25 up as a standalone piece that same day, but, well, *gestures in the general direction of the nine American podiums (on the World Cup) and 100,000 words of content (on this website) that then occurred over the following month.*

Accordingly, without further ado, here are Whitcomb’s preseason thoughts as of November 21, three days before the classic sprint in Ruka kicked off the whirlwind that is Period 1. Thankfully (?), I tend to ask boring wonky questions, which Whitcomb kindly answered, so this reads far more as “big picture thoughts about training philosophy and what makes a team” than “specific season preview that is now hopelessly out of date.” 

Seriously though, and bear with me as I editorialize through this and the following paragraph, I actually find this to be a really thoughtful look at some of the principles that go into making the U.S. Ski Team what it is today. 

Ben Ogden Crushes Toblach Skate Sprint for First Career Podium; Diggins 9th, Kern 11th

by Maximo Steverlynck | December 30, 2023

The 18th edition of the Tour de Ski kicked off Saturday with a punchy skate sprint in Toblach, Italy, under clear skies and mild temperatures. The racing was exciting by anyone’s count and a day to remember for the U.S. squad, with Ben Ogden scoring his first career World Cup podium in third, and semifinal appearances for the American women spearheaded by Jessie Diggins (9th on the day) and Julia Kern (11th).

Overall podiums were made up of Linn Svahn (SWE), Jonna Sundling (SWE) and Kristine Stavås Skistad (NOR) for the women, and Lucas Chanavat (FRA), Jules Chappaz (FRA), and Ben Ogden (USA) for the men. It was the first men’s World Cup podium with no Norwegians on it since the classic sprint in Beitostølen in December 2022.

Ogden Secures First Career Podium in Stage One of Tour de Ski

by Leann Bentley | December 30, 2023

On the first stage of the 2023-24 Tour de Ski, under the sunset over the Dolomites mountain range, Ben Ogden went on to secure his first career podium in the Toblach skate sprint.

Alongside Ogden, Jessie Diggins finished in the top 10 in ninth place.

The Tour de Ski has officially started, with hundreds of athletes lining up at the start line to kick off the first stage with a skate sprint in the city of Toblach, Italy. As the Tour de Ski rules state, an athlete is eliminated from the Tour if they do not start a race, and in today's sprint, the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team showed up strong, with six Americans advancing to the sprint heats, a feat not easily done. 

Today was Ogden's day. 

Diggins Wins 20k Pursuit in Third Stage of Tour de Ski

by Leann Bentley | January 1, 2024

On the third stage of the 2023-24 Tour de Ski, Jessie Diggins clinched her 17th career World Cup victory in the 20k pursuit, maintaining her firm grip on the overall Tour de Ski standings. Meanwhile, Gus Schumacher secured his first top 10 result of the season to solidify his 10th place position in the overall Tour de Ski standings. Each of the first three Tour stages in Toblach, Italy featured a Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team athlete on the podium, as the Tour moves on to Davos, Switzerland.

THANK YOU TO OUR OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS

New England Nordic Ski Association

P.O. Box 97

Lyme, NH 03768

Phone: 802-331-0762