Greetings NENSA community,

There is a seasonal nexus about us. With the first frost of the season today, we are officially wrapping up our rollerski season this week with reports from a dreadfully cold and wet and very-fun-in-spite-of-that Maine Event and two final and very different offerings this upcoming weekend. If you are in the Boston area or have friends or family who would be interested, please come see us at the Snowbound Expo, rollerski with our friends at EMXC, and talk with NENSA staff about an exciting season ahead. On Sunday, our 2023 NENSA Rollerski Series officially concludes on the summit of Mt. Greylock. Check out the seasonal rankings below. We have had an impressive turnout of skiers at fewer events than we’d planned with the AQI cancellation of the Lost Nation event and the closure of the range in Jericho. We are already looking ahead to next year’s Rollerski schedule, thrilled to continue building fun and festive events for our community. Online registration is open until midnight on Friday and we are looking ahead to what will likely be our largest event this season. We hope to see you!

In this week’s KickZone

• The Maine Event Race and Clinic Recaps
• 2023 Rollerski Finale on Mt. Greylock and Updated Season Rankings
• Snowbound Expo, Nov. 3-5
• Super Senior: Trina Hosmer
• Join Team NENSA for Concept2 SkiErg World Sprints
• Tour de Greensboro
• Saba Ski Festival
• NENSA Gear Swap
• Scenes from the Community

From Our Partners

• SMST2: Send Off Dinner and Fall Fundraiser
• Nordic Skater Invitation for Team Nights
• CCSAA, EMXC, and NENSA teaming up at the Snowbound Expo in Boston
• Skida Custom Team Orders
• Cross Country Skier Magazine Subscription Offer for NENSA Members

In the News

• NNF: Trail to Gold Announcement
• FasterSkier: In Good Standing—Fundamental Elements of Ski Stance

Have a Happy Halloween full of tricks and lots of treats.

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!

The Maine Event is probably one of the most progressive rollerski competitions out there — and when you add in 30 mile an hour winds and rain-slick ramps — it really becomes a thing! The fifth running of the XCX (Cross Country Cross) was hosted by the Chisholm Ski Club at the Black Mountain of Maine on October 22nd. The local community rallied to put on an old fashioned show, creating the festival feel the event was originally designed to provide, including a homemade chowder lunch, live music and event t-shirts.

NENSA held a rollerski clinic in conjunction with The Maine Event rollerski race at Black Mountain of Maine and the Chisholm Ski Club. This clinic provided a great opportunity for participants to watch some high level skiers in head-to-head action prior to trying rollerskiing themselves. The Black Mountain parking lot proved to be a great surface to learn on, despite challenging weather conditions on the day. Participants even got to try their hand at some ramps! Thank you to the Chisholm Youth Ski Club for bringing their skiers to the clinic!

We have one final Rollerski event before the ❄️ flies! The Mt. Greylock Hill Climb is Sunday, 11/5.

For the last two years Greylock has brought an awesome crowd together to cap the roller season, test the fitness and celebrate the change of season.

188 skiers have competed in one of the first five events this year, including nine colleges and 25 masters.

The Laneborough course has something for everyone with its gentle uphill (and sometimes rolling). There are option for eight or three miles. The race is classic, but there are limited options for masters to skate the course.

Registration for the event is open until midnight Friday, 11/3 on SkiReg. We look forward to skiing many of you there!

Check out the recently updated Open, Masters and College rankings on NENSA:

From November 3rd-5th, NENSA and EMXC will be at the Cross Country Skiing exhibit in conjunction with the Cross Country Ski Areas Association (CCSAA). Been waiting to try rollerskiing? We will have our NENSA rollerskis available to try out on the floor! Additionally, our own Julia Kern will be speaking at this event on Friday November 3rd from 3:30-4:00pm on the Inspiration Stage. Fitting location, as Kern consistently inspires our community with her work in the sport! 

STOWE, Vt. (WCAX) - The colors of Stowe in October -- green grass, amber leaves, and above the clouds, there’s a sprinkle of the white stuff. Snow is what Trina Hosmer and her crew are training for.

“There’s a few more coming... we’re going to work on this hill to begin with,” Hosmer said.

It’s the Stowe Nordic Master’s Training Program - mostly women, mostly over 50. They’re training at the Trapp Family Lodge and the hills are alive with the sound of... Trina. “Now, let’s be a little more vigorous,” she encourages the group.

NENSA is sponsoring a team for the 2023 SkiErg World Sprints! Here is how it works:

1. Ski 1,000m on the Concept2 SkiErg between Nov. 9-12, 2023.
2. Submit your entry using the Team NENSA Data Entry Form linked below by 3:00pm on November 13.
3. Include your club or team name with your submission. Prize boxes from our friends at Concept2 will be awarded to the three NENSA clubs with the highest participation.

Categories: There are separate results for men and women as well as separate adaptive categories for both men and women.

Age Categories: 12 and under, 13-18, 19-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, 80+

Adaptive Categories: Seated, Standing, Visually Impaired

NENSA Memberships renew on May 1 each year and are great to get done at the same time to eliminate unneeded stress once the winter season has begun.

Your 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

Take advantage of being in ski season shape to discover Saba’s three uphill (really uphill!) roller ski courses and its network of technical mountain trails.

Cross training (or just celebrating the change in seasons) doesn’t get any better than this.

What's even better:

Organizers of this first Dutch Caribbean Ski Festival are extending a special offer to NENSA members: the first three to register for the Inaugural Saba Ski Festival will receive free accommodations!

THANK YOU TO OUR SILVER SPONSORS

NENSA members are invited to join the new NENSA Gear Swap group!

Current NENSA membership number (or your child's) must be provided. Please contact us if we can help locate that: staff@nensa.net

Whether you are trying to find some new-to-you gear for the upcoming winter, or you are looking to free up a little extra space in the ski closet, this page is for you!

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

Join the SMS T2 Team for a big celebratory evening on November 4th that includes Happy Hour, an athlete presentation, dinner, and a live Auction! This is an incredible opportunity to meet Olympic Gold Medalist and World Champion- Jessie Diggins, U23 World Cup Leader- Ben Ogden, World Championship Bronze Medalist- Julia Kern, and the rest of our star-studded team. This community is a huge part of our success and we are grateful for our Stratton Mountain School friends! 

Where: Stratton Mountain School

When: Saturday, November 4th

5:00pm Happy Hour, PK Building

5:45pm Athlete Introductions, PK Auditorium

6:30pm Dinner and Auction, Dining Room

Cost: $100 per ticket (includes happy hour and dinner)

Supporters nationwide and internationally who are unable to attend are invited to participate in a virtual campaign with prizes, matching grants and incentives running Monday - Sunday.

All the proceeds of this fundraiser will go directly to The SMS T2 Team-- a professional ski team that aims to compete at the highest international level and enrich the community by building healthy lifestyles through youth outreach. In our program's 11 year history, we have brought home 10 Olympic and World Championship Medals, achieved 54 Olympic and World Championship top 10 finishes, 77 regular season World Cup podiums and 1136 World Cup starts by 22 different skiers.    

NENSA Clubs and Teams are invited to contact our friends at Nordic Skater to book a team night for the 2023-24 season. Coaches may contact AJ Parks, Owner, to schedule a time for their teams to come in together, meet brand reps, snack and mingle, and access discounted pricing (15% off in stock items and other discounts offered on special order items from brand reps). Times are flexible and they look forward to hosting you!

4 NH Route 103A in Newbury, NH

(603) 239-2602

Info@nordicskater.com

NENSA Member 2-Year Subscription for Just $25 (standard rate $39.95) to Cross Country Skier Magazine. CROSS COUNTRY SKIER magazine brings together stories from every corner of the Nordic skiing world: From the Olympics to Loppet races, gear reviews to shop profiles, as well as the best Nordic centers—next door and on the other side of the world.

Trail To Gold ANNOUNCEMENT: Eight Coaches Selected to Work with US Ski Team on World Cup this Season

October 27, 2023 | by Ben Theyerl

The National Nordic Foundation (NNF), in conjunction with the Women Ski Coaches Association (WSCA), and Olympic Women’s Cross-Country Book Project are excited to announce the selection of eight women coaches spanning the US ski community to receive this year’s Trail to Gold Coaching Grant. The selection committee determined that the following coaches represent an extensive and diverse set of experiences in US Skiing, and each coach will have the opportunity to join the US Ski Team staff for up to a two week portion of the upcoming 2023-24 World Cup season: 

2023-24 Trail to Gold Coaches:

Bernie Nelson – Auburn Ski Club.

Annika Martell – Williams College.

Liz Stephen – Park City Ski and Snowboard.

Erin Moening – Minneapolis Ski Club.

Julia Hayes – Bridger Ski Foundation.

Ruth Oppliger – Northern Michigan University.

Eliza Rorabaugh – Alaska Pacific University.

Callie Young – Dartmouth College.

In Good Standing—Fundamental Elements of Ski Stance 

October 20, 2023 | by Ned Dowling

“Big motor, lousy suspension.” That’s how I often describe the endurance athletes I see in physical therapy. They have the physiology to go fast but are lacking the stability and/or coordination for efficient movement. Decreased efficiency equals increased load. And excessive load has led to injury and a visit to their friendly, neighborhood PT. 

I used the same description while Greta Anderson, the US Cross Country Development Coach, and I stood trackside last August watching rollerskiers during the 15k Classic race in Trollhatten, Sweden. At that high level of racing, everyone was fast, but not everyone looked to have good stability, movement coordination, and efficiency. Our peanut gallery coaches’ box banter turned into a lengthy conversation on the fundamentals of Nordic skiing. Next thing I knew, Greta had me leading a training session for the National Training Group (NTG) and National Elite Group (NEG) combined camp in Park City, UT. We called it Stability From the Ground Up with the goal of reinforcing the Ski Stance while balancing on one leg and doing tricks. The following is an excerpt of that training session. 

THANK YOU TO OUR OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS

New England Nordic Ski Association

P.O. Box 97

Lyme, NH 03768

Phone: 802-331-0762