Greetings NENSA community,

Without further ado, I would like to send a final reminder of the online late-registration deadline for the BKL Festival at 5:00pm today. We have been delighted to see the interest this year and look to welcoming nearly 700 skiers and their families to the Craftsbury Outdoor Center this weekend, participation that eclipses that of any festival in our records. Important updates are included below. I can think of no better way to celebrate a wonderful season than in the wintry landscape of the North Woods in Winter and look forward to seeing you there or at one of the many fun March events we share below.

In this week’s edition of KickZone

• New England BKL Festival Updates
• Long Haul Loppet
• New England Club Relay Championships and NENSA End-of-Season Celebration
• Stratton Terrain Challenge photos
• Congratulations and thank you to Kelly Kahler, Timber Creek
• Research Opportunities
• NENSA membership
• Scenes from the Community
• Cabot cheese on tour in Planica
• SMS Summer Camp Registration is OPEN
• Toko Newsletter

In the news

US Ski & Snowboard

• Diggins Wins Gold, Makes History at 2023 World Championships

FasterSkier

• Diggins is World Champion! Tears of Joy as U.S. Star Takes Gold in Women’s 10 Kilometer Individual Freestyle
• US Team Announces the Team for World Cup Period 4
• Kristin Størmer Steira joins to recap a history-making day for Jessie Diggins
• Bonus World Champs episode: Hear straight from Diggins, and her coach

Nordic Insights

• Gold for Diggins in World Champs 10km Skate

Have a wonderful week.

All my best,

Heidi

Heidi Lange

Executive Director

New England Nordic Ski Association

heidi@nensa.net

www.NENSA.net

Thank you!

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!

Please join me in thanking and supporting our wonderful NENSA Sponsors 

for their generous contributions and the ongoing impact that they have on NENSA programming and cross country skiing in New England!

As we head into our largest-ever BKL Festival, here are a few important updates:

Late registration closes at 5:00pm TODAY. Click HERE to register.

Onsite registration will be available.

Onsite parking is limited. Satellite parking and shuttle transportation information is covered fully in the packet below. Please allow plenty of time.

Photos: Phil Belena will be onsite photographing the BKL Festival. Craftsbury Outdoor Center is generously offering all digital downloads for free, however we would love for you to buy physical photos as 25% of the proceeds from those sales will go to NENSA to support our programming.

We have created several packages that include everything from high quality metal and canvas prints for your walls to albums. Lots of custom options if none of these work for you! Photos will be available at www.phillipbelena.com and be sure to hit up Phil if you want group photos taken.

All event details and updates can be found at the links below.

We look forward to welcoming you to a fantastic celebration

of the North Woods in Winter!

March has rolled around and with it some of the best snow conditions of the year! For many of us that coincides with our best ski fitness/endurance of the season. Happily enough this is also the time of year that the region’s big touring center host ski marathons and relays. Whether you are looking for a fun long distance adventure with family and/or friends, looking for something a little higher paced or some goofy fun with teammates, each event has something for you!

On March 11th JacksonXC hosts the Long Haul Loppet – final event in the NENSA Marathon and Zak series. This is another fabulous course that offer big loop skiing through beautiful mixed forests, while winding its way through the Ellis River trails at JacksonXC. This event offers a rolling start, meaning you can begin anytime between 9 and 10am. This gives you the chance to start at your own pace or choose which group of family and/or friends you want to ski with. This event offers 22.5 and 12.6km distance options in either technique. Come out and enjoy some great March skiing!

NENSA Club Cup event of the season is appropriately a team affair. The The New England Club Relay Championships take place on March 25th at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center. This is an excellent opportunity for sporting your favorite team attire – be it tutus and glitter, Superman costumes, old national team suits, or some outlandish outfit, there is room for all. Not to mention there will be a plethora of witty team names. Bring three of you friends (or more for multiple teams) and have a blast in the woods at Craftsbury. And if that wasn’t enough fun, the National Relay championships will be happening the same day, so you can cheer on your favorite elite skiers. Additionally NENSA will be handing out its end of season Zak and Club awards. So bring lawn chairs, snacks & cowbells to make a day of playing in the March snow and sun with the Eastern Ski Community!

Other March events include the Rangeley Loppet & Burt Kettle Classic and the Hard'ack Challenge.

Click HERE for full details on March popular offerings and join us at one or several of these fun events!

THANK YOU TO OUR NENSA CONTRIBUTING SPONSORS:

Reporting Misconduct and New QR Code for Reporting

Whether you are a coach, parent, volunteer, or athlete, we all play a role in providing a safe environment for the sports that we love. U.S. Ski & Snowboard  Athlete Safety policies, the SafeSport Code, and the U.S. Ski & Snowboard MAAPP help us support that culture of safety.  

• If you witness or are aware of inappropriate behavior or misconduct - REPORT IT!
• Reports may be made anonymously!
• Child Abuse and Child Sexual Abuse – Report to law enforcement or child protective services in your jurisdiction immediately.
• Reports to the Center - SafeSport hotline at 833-5US-SAFE (587-7233) or CLICK HERE to complete an online reporting form.
• Reports to U.S. Ski & Snowboard - CLICK HERE

You may see QR codes posted at events this season. The QR codes open a page on www.usskiandsnowboard.org for quick links to reporting from your smartphone.

Thank you for your diligence in maintaining sport safety and protecting our athletes. 

Stay tuned...more coming soon!

We gladly share the following tribute to Kelly Kahler from his friends at Timber Creek and add our own gratitude for so many years of dedicated service to our community. Best wishes in your retirement, Kelly, and our sincere thanks for all that you have done for skiing in New England!

Kelly Kahler, Creator/owner of Timber Creek Nordic Center in West Dover, Vermont for the past 39 years, is retiring this year. A fixture in the Southern Vermont nordic community, Kelly has dedicated countless hours to creating some of the best kept trails in the Northeast. We in the nordic community may not always recognize not only the time, energy and commitment to running a ski center, but the financial stressors to keep a place open and vibrant and of consistently high quality. For almost four decades Kelly has paid detailed attention to building and maintaining trails that have been the training ground for skiers from future Olympians to out of staters just being introduced to the sport. It's impossible to put into words how much we in the ski world are grateful for Kelly's work, and all those who own, manage, and maintain our New England nordic centers that we all so enjoy. 

Kelly has a special place in our hearts. As Joy Powell, long time employee, observes, “I’ve always admired the enthusiasm and positive energy that Kelly has shown to novice skiers. He wants to get people hooked on the sport. And after 45 years in the business, Kelly’s attitude hasn’t changed. He’s remarkable!” 

Bill Gabriel, retired Director of Northfield Mountain Nordic Ski Center adds,

"I have known Kelly for over 45 years. His attention to detail and dedication to the cross country ski business is unwavering and unparalleled. Kelly is an incredibly thoughtful trail designer and trail groomer. When designing and laying out trails, Kelly has an eye for detail and the ability to find terrain features that create memorable skiing and snowshoeing experiences. Kelly is a true asset to the Nordic skiing community and his high standards and devotion to skiing will be missed when he retires."

And from John Lee, friend, skier and longtime Timber Creek employee,

"I have had the good fortune to work and ski with Kelly Kahler for some 30 years. I am always inspired by his attention to grooming, instruction and customer service. Kelly has been a big part of ski history in New England and Timber Creek has provided wonderful nordic skiing for so many happy skiers. Thanks so much Kelly!"

If you're interested in celebrating Kelly's retirement or sending your well wishes, you can reach out to timbercreekxc@gmail.com, 802-464-0999, timbercreekxc.com. 

Our deepest appreciation to Kelly for all he has contributed to the nordic community!

Hydration Status of Endurance Athletes

A local skier, Dr. Suzanne Young, is researching hydration practices of XC skiers in New England. Please click HERE to learn more and to participate in the study by completing a survey that will take less than 5 minutes of your time. Thank you!

Role of Media in Adaptive Sports Participation

My name is Tracy Willauer. I am a doctoral student at Northcentral University and am conducting a research study on how adaptive sports are portrayed in media. The name of this research study is "Adaptive Sports Athletes' and Adaptive Sports Event Organizer's Perceptions of the influence of Media on Adaptive Sports Participation."

Please read this document to learn more about this study and determine if you would like to participate. I am seeking your consent to participate in this study. Your participation is completely voluntary, and I am here to address your questions or concerns at any point during the study.

It is time to renew NENSA memberships. NENSA membership is required for attendance at the BKL Festival, Eastern Cup, U16 and EHS Championship events, as well as for Junior National, Zak, and Club Cup rankings. NENSA members receive discounted entry fees to many of our events as well as exclusive offers from our sponsors that are constantly added and updated HERE. 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!



THANK YOU TO OUR NENSA SUPPORTING SPONSORS:

Experience a taste of Vermont at FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Planica HERE!

Registration for #SMSNordicCamps2k23 is officially OPEN!!!! Click HERE to secure your athlete’s spot now!!!

Diggins Wins Gold, Makes History at 2023 World Championships

February 28, 2023 | by Leann Bentley

Jessie Diggins made history at World Championships with a gold medal in the women's 10km skate - the first individual World Championships gold medal in history for the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team. "This was one of the best races of my life," Diggins said. "I didn't want to believe it until the race was finished, but I when i finally got up off the snow I realized this was the best race of my life - it was really special."

Diggins is now the first U.S. woman with an individual World Championships gold medal. "I hope that this inspires the next generation to know that you can do it and work hard with a great team," she said. "I hope it inspires some little kids with glitter back home!"...click HERE to read the full story.

Diggins is World Champion! Tears of Joy as U.S. Star Takes Gold in Women’s 10 Kilometer Individual Freestyle

February 28, 2023 | by Ken Roth

Numerous questions have been simmering regarding these World Championships: today’s Women’s 10 Kilometer Freestyle Individual Start brought those questions to a full boil. Could anyone knock the Swedish women from the top of the podium? Could Rosie Brennan bounce back from the gut-wrenching events of her Skiathlon performance? Could Jessie Diggins claim an individual medal in these World Championships, and her first individual World Championship gold?

Diggins was the one who offered the emphatic answers: once the day’s racing ended, it was Diggins taking the gold for her long-sought individual World Championship. She had distanced herself from all of the Swedes with Frida Karlsson (SWE) finishing second and Ebba Andersson (SWE) finishing third...click HERE to read more.

US Team Announces the Team for World Cup Period 4

February 28, 2023 | by Chris Grover

Dear Cross Country Community,

We are pleased to announce the USA Cross Country Team for World Cup Period 4 of the 2022-23 season. Click HERE to see the rosters.

Kristin Størmer Steira joins to recap a history-making day for Jessie Diggins

February 28, 2023 | by Nathaniel Herz

Two words: Jessie Diggins. The American superstar smashed her competition Tuesday, winning America’s first-ever World Championships gold medal in an individual race.

Kristin Størmer Steira and some guy that’s married to her, Devon Kershaw, join Nat for a recap. 

Bonus World Champs episode: Hear straight from Diggins, and her coach

March 1, 2023 | by Nathaniel Herz

We wanted to let you hear straight from the medalist’s mouth. So we’re posting these short interviews Nat did yesterday with World Championships gold medalist Jessie Diggins and her coach Jason Cork:

Gold for Diggins in World Champs 10km Skate

February 28, 2023 | by Nordic Insights

Diggins did it. Racing as the presumptive pre-race favorite, on a course that everyone in the field knew was tailor-made for her strengths, Jessie Diggins stood up to the pre-race expectations and delivered, destroying a bevy of world-class athletes to take her, and America’s, first ever individual world champs gold in the women’s 10-kilometer interval-start skate race earlier Tuesday in Planica.

By any measure, Diggins’s career was already complete before today’s race, and she would probably be the first to tell you that she is proudest of the platform that her results have provided her to talk about causes that she cares about, such as climate change advocacy and eating disorder awareness. But if you want to focus only on the results sheet for a moment, today marked an emphatic exclamation point on an already glittering career.

Jessie Diggins was the favorite for this race. Stop and think about that for a moment as an American ski fan. This analyst’s “power ranking” from earlier this week just calculates the mean finish from three prior 10km skate interval-start races earlier this World Cup season (but it’s more work than I did, so certainly no snark there) — but it underscores that Diggins was the only athlete in the entire field who made the podium in all three races....click HERE to read the full story.

THANK YOU TO OUR NENSA OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS:

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