February Greetings NENSA Community ~
Happy Groundhogs Day on this 2.2.22 date! The good news is Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow today, so we are in for 6 more weeks of winter, and wonderful skiing!
We are also in for our second weekend of big snowstorms here in New England, coinciding with our second weekend of Eastern Cup & Supertour racing, which also includes the UVM Carnival, in Craftsbury this Friday-Sunday. Registration for the Saturday/Sunday EC races is open on SkiReg.com until 8:30pm tomorrow, Thursday 2/3. The Friday Sprint deadline is 8:30pm tonight.
This weekend is also the opening of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing China. See box below to meet our New England XC ski team athletes both born and raised and/or who train and live here now. I have also included all the links and times to watch the opening ceremony on Friday and the Women's 15k Skiathlon on Saturday and the Men's 30k Skiathlon on Sunday ~ Enjoy!
NENSA is partnering with SWIX through the month of February to help spread the message of the importance of fluoro free waxing. Enter to win one of four chances of $1000 in SWIX waxes next season for any individual who watches their 8-minute video, the Responsible Waxing Project. Coaches will also have an additional opportunity to win one of four chances for $5000 in SWIX waxes for their team, if they complete a 45-minute on-line course on Responsible Waxing. This course will also provide 1 credit towards US Ski and Snowboard continuing education. See box below for full details and links. NENSA has committed to be flour-free at all our events and races (since November 2019) and we hope these great SWIX videos and coach courses will help give you the tools and tips to wax safely and responsibly, and maybe win some great new wax too!
Here is what we have for you in this edition of KickZone:
- SWIX Responsible Waxing project ~ including 4 chances to win $1k-$5k in SWIX wax ~ a drawing each week this month of February.
- What an incredible weekend of NENSA Eastern Cup and US Ski & Snowboard Supertour racing we just had over in Lake Placid at their new venue. Lots of great recaps below from our friends at FasterSkier.
- Important info from the Craftsbury Outdoor Center on this weekend's Eastern Cup/Supertour/UVM Carnival Race weekend 2/4-2/6
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Cross Country Skier (magazine) Tour de Trail Is On ~ Join them for free demos and fun throughout the Northeast over the next few weekends
- Registration is open for the 2022 BKL Festival
- A mid-winter BINGO update
- From our Partners & In the News:
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From U.S. Ski & Snowboard ~ Meet our New England XC ski team 2022 Olympians and all the dates and links you need to watch all the action!
- Article from the Star Tribune: "Jessie Diggins Bears the Weight of Olympic Gold Happily"
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From VTDigger, "Olympian Bill Koch is an American revolutionary. He’d rather not talk about it"
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From TOKO: podcast Interview with Olympic Roundtable Athletes ~ How are the Olympics different from a World Cup?
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And be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this newsletter for our jam-packed NENSA calendar of racing and events for February and March ~ there is something for everyone!
NENSA continues to do all we can to host safe outdoor races and events this winter. We are proud of and continue to count on all of you to do your part in helping us keep our ski community well this winter. Please follow our COVID guidelines and stay home if you are not feeling well.
Be safe and stay well -
Amie
Amie Witten 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!
Thank you to all our NENSA Sponsors ~ they are such a HUGE part of our NENSA programming continued success, and we so appreciate all their support. I want to be sure we all acknowledge the businesses who support us and cross country skiing!
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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SWIX Responsible Waxing Project
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Competitive skiing programs around the country are moving away from fluorinated waxes as we learn more about their negative impact on the environment. NENSA in 2019 was among the first to adopt a fluoro-free policy, which continues today, and as of Jan. 17, fluorocarbon waxes are banned at all FIS-sanctioned cross country races in the United States.
We encourage all our skiers to learn more about skiing fluoro-free. One new option is the Responsible Waxing Project at the Swix Education Center.
For a limited time, Swix is offering coaches a chance to win $5,000 of Swix fluoro-free wax and products for their team just by completing an online, 45-minute course on responsible waxing. Every coach who completes the course will earn one entry into the giveaway. And … there’s more: Coaches who complete the course also earn a continuing education credit from U.S. Ski & Snowboard.
For all skiers, you can earn a chance to win $1,000 in Swix fluoro-free products by watching a responsible waxing video at the Swix Education Center website. Swix will have multiple drawings so the sooner you sign up and watch the video, the more chances you’ll have to win.
To participate, start at the Swix Education Center. Under available courses, coaches should choose “Responsible Waxing Project.” You will be prompted to register for the course. Skiers should choose the video option listed as “Enter for a Chance to Win $1,000 of Swix Products.” You’ll be promoted to register. Once you complete the video, you’ll be entered in the drawing.
And if you have just been wondering how to use the new updated SWIX line ~ how their new fluoro-free waxes replace the old CH, LF and HF waxes we all had in our wax boxes ~ just check out this quick video below!
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THANK YOU TO OUR ASSOCIATE SPONSORS
L.L.Bean and SWIX & Salomon!
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Lake Placid Mt. Van Hoevenberg Eastern Cup & Supertour Recaps |
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What a treat to be able to host our second weekend of Eastern Cup racing along with the US Ski & Snowboard Supertour at Mt. Van Hoevenberg on their newly designed race courses and venue. It was bitter cold, but the conditions and energy were fantastic! A HUGE thank you to ORDA for hosting these high level races here in the Northeast!
Thanks to FasterSkier for these great RECAPS of the Saturday classic Sprint races and Sunday 10k mass start freestyle races.
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Katharine Ogden wins the women’s 1.5-kilometer classic sprint in Lake Placid, NY. (Photo: © 2022 Nancie Battaglia) |
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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.
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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.
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Reports to the Center - SafeSport hotline at 833-5US-SAFE (587-7233) or CLICK HERE to complete an online reporting form.
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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.
Learn more about reporting and try the QR Code:
Thank you for your diligence in maintaining sport safety and protecting our athletes.
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Updates from the Craftsbury Outdoor Center on this weekend's NENSA Eastern Cup, U.S. Ski & Snowboard Supertour and UVM Carnival |
The Craftsbury Outdoor Center is thrilled to host the Eastern Cup/UVM Carnival/Supertour this weekend – their biggest event since the pandemic started! In hopes of managing limited parking resources sustainably, on-site parking at Craftsbury will be by pass only for racers and event volunteers.
As acknowledgement of the inconvenience to the day-skier population, they're offering free day skiing from satellite trailheads Saturday and Sunday.
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Cross Country Skier Tour de Trail Is On!
Join us for free demos and fun throughout the Northeast
Cross Country Skier, The Journal of Nordic Skiing, is proud to bring the Tour de Trail cross country ski demo series to the quiet woods of the Northeast. The format is simple and Covid compliant: Our demo trailer visits the top cross country centers throughout northern New England and New York for three weekends in late January and early February. We've got the latest classic, skin and skate skis from Salomon and Kästle. While you're there, buy a raffle ticket to support the New England Nordic Ski Association's youth programming and get a FREE base layer from Odlo plus a subscription to Cross Country Skier. Tour de Trail is made possible thanks to Salomon, Swix, Odlo and Kästle. Join us!
Dates:
January 29–30, Craftsbury, Vermont
February 5–6, Jackson, New Hampshire
February 12–13 Lake Placid, New York
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THANK YOU TO OUR NENSA CONTRIBUTING SPONSORS: |
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2022 BKL Festival Registration is Open! |
The New England Bill Koch Youth Ski League (NEBKYSL) Festival is the marquee event of the
Bill Koch Youth Ski League. This fun annual festival features races as well as a wide variety of exciting non-competitive winter activities for skiers of all skill and ability levels from kindergarten up to 8th grade!
This year’s Festival will be held March 5-6, 2022 on the beautiful trails at Quarry Road in Waterville, Maine. The dedicated folks at Quarry Road are planning fun races and exciting activities with the theme Soar Over Snow!
...click HERE full information on the Festival and to Register
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Lots of skiing with friends and family for XC Ski Bingo! It’s so inspiring to see the adventures and activities young skiers are all tackling across the East. The goal of this virtual game is to encourage as many young people as possible to get outside and enjoy the variety of fun things they can do on skis with their friends and family. Below are some tales from the trails as told by the skiers themselves.
“Our backcountry ski was right out our front door and to some snowmobile/tree farm trails we have never explored before! It was so much fun and felt adventurous even though we were close to home.”
“We did a relay race and had music on!”
“The ski jump I built with my friend was a lot of fun to use.”
“My friends and I where skiing down a really big hill and one after another we fell and the 3 of us fell on top of each other!!” We just held our January prize raffle and a few lucky winners will be getting LL Bean flannel shirts and Toko neckwarmers! And everyone who entered so far should keep their eyes on their mailbox for a big NENSA sticker. There’s still two whole months to play Bingo so if you’re under 14 and like skiing, download and print your own 2021-22 Bingo Card and join in the fun! Be sure to fill out the BINGO ENTRY FORM when you finish. Activity descriptions and rules of the game are included in the Bingo card download.
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THANK YOU TO OUR NENSA SUPPORTING SPONSORS: |
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IN THE NEWS:
Friday, Feb. 4, 2022
Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022
2:00 p.m. Daytime Broadcast Coverage – Cross-Country Skiing Women's Skiathlon, Ski Jumping Women's Normal Hill Final & More, delayed broadcast, NBC
3:45 p.m. Cross Country Skiing – Women’s 15k Skiathlon, Kuyangshu Nordic Center, Zhangjiakou, CHN, Same-day delay, USA Network
Sunday, Feb. 6, 2022
3:00 p.m. Cross Country – Men’s 30k Skiathlon, Kuyangshu Nordic Center, Zhangjiakou, CHN, Same-day delay, USA Network
7:00 p.m. Cross Country – Men’s 30k Skiathlon (re-air), Kuyangshu Nordic Center, Zhangjiakou, CHN, Same-day delay, USA Network
Sport-specific broadcast and streaming schedules are available below:
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With the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games just two days away ~ let's be sure to cheer on the entire US cross country ski team, but give a special shout out to our five New England born and raised and/or who live and train here 2022 Olympic athletes! |
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Jessie Diggins ~ Afton MN and Stratton VT |
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Caitlin Patterson ~ Craftsbury VT |
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Sophia Laukli ~ Yarmouth ME |
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February 2:
Jessie Diggins Bears The Weight Of Olympic Gold Happily
The gold medals awarded at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics were the heaviest ever, weighing in at 20.6 ounces. Jessie Diggins didn't notice it at first, when she stood on a podium in the South Korean mountains with her newly won prize around her neck. She actually felt a bit lighter that February night, when she and U.S. teammate Kikkan Randall won their country's first Olympic gold in cross-country skiing. But after the medal was stashed away, Diggins began to understand its symbolic weight. Being an Olympic champion brought greater expectations and higher visibility, a load that would only get heavier as the Beijing Winter Games approached. Or not. ...Read the Full Article at StarTribune.com
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From VTDigger:
Olympian Bill Koch is an American revolutionary.
He’d rather not talk about it.
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When the Vermont-trained skier Jessie Diggins won the freestyle sprint at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, American television announcers stopped screaming long enough to report she had captured not only the United States’ first cross-country gold but also its second Nordic medal ever.
Back home in the Green Mountains, Bill Koch — the man who snagged that initial silver in 1976 — took in all the bells and whistles with bemusement. He remembered how, four decades before, the U.S. didn’t have a single camera, commentator or cheering crowd at his race.
Koch, however, was anything but envious.
“I was overjoyed,” the 66-year-old recalls of Diggins’ win alongside teammate Kikkan Randall. “I was laughing and crying at the same time. It was like a huge weight came off. I’m so ready to pass the torch.”
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From TOKO:
How are the Olympics different from a World Cup? Generally speaking the waxing and racing is the same but some other aspects of the Olympic Games are very different from that of a World Cup event. Here is a discussion with Olympic athletes Caitlin Gregg, Andy Newell, Ida Sargent, and John Bauer to explore this topic hosted by Olympian Ian Harvey. Some of the topics discussed include the Olympic clothing issue from the USOC, eating in the cafeteria with all of the athletes from other countries and disciplines, Olympic village security, the opening and closing ceremonies, increased media interest, supporting the team, and if the Olympics are more or less competitive than a World Cup.
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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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Full NENSA.net Calendar Listing HERE
Link to our COVID Protocols HERE
Link to our NENSA Equality & Diversity Policy HERE
Link to our Health & Nutrition Resources Page HERE
Link to our NENSA Inclusivity Resource List HERE
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If you already shop Amazon ~ please link to Amazon Smile
with NENSA as your beneficiary!
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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!!
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New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA)
49 Pineland Drive, Suite 301A
New Gloucester, ME 04260
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