Greetings NENSA community,

With the solstice approaching, we are excited to announce the NENSA 2023 Rollerski Series and 2023/24 Eastern Cup Series! There is so much more in this week’s newsletter and our calendar is growing daily. Please keep an eye on that for updates as our member clubs share opportunities with us.  

You’ll notice many rollerski opportunities on friendly and accessible terrain in a variety of fun formats, inviting and inclusive gathering points for our community. Mark your calendars and make plans to join us - we look forward to seeing you.

In this week’s edition of KickZone

• NENSA Unveils 2023 Rollerski Calendar
• NENSA Membership
• Free MNC Learn to Rollerski Clinic
• NENSA Announces 2023-24 Eastern Cup Schedule
• 2023-24 NENSA Recreational Event Support
• Research Opportunity for Cross Country Skiers
• NENSA Wallpaper download
• Scenes from the Community
• Best Cycling Great Escapes - Special offer for NENSA members
• Summer Camps

In the News

• NNF: NNF Summer Series Returns with Full Schedule of Camps, Trips, and Training
• Nordic Insights: NNF Summer Training Schedule Released (plus: full list of athletes attending NTG Camp)
• West River Sports: West River Sports Celebrates 50th Anniversary with Epic Summer Snow and Music Fundraiser at Magic Mountain
• Cross Country Skier Magazine: 15 Top Rollerskis Put to the Test

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!

In 2018 NENSA dove headfirst into innovative rollerski programming by unveiling rollerski-specific-ramps, and furthering collaboration between club, development and professional skiers in the summer. Five years, and a pandemic-hiccup later, NENSA is excited to unveil a working framework for the summer and fall of 2023. There are eight competitive events on the 2023 schedule, which will complement camps, clinics and robust club activities across the East.

Starting at the end of June NENSA hosts two camps: REG in conjunction with the U.S. Ski Team and RDG with standout regional coaches. These invitational camps will host over sixty athletes at Stratton (June 24-28) and Craftsbury (June 30-July 2), each providing a Coaches Education opportunity, and on the 1st of July our first rollerski competition, the Lost Nation Roll...

Click below for much more about the series, invitational camps, and summer coaches ed opportunities:

NENSA membership is about so much more than licensing and individual benefits. As a NENSA member, you are part of a broader community helping to grow and support cross country skiing in the Northeast, ensuring that the sport we love continues to grow and thrive.

Our membership year began May 1 and now is an excellent time for sign ups and renewals. Membership revenue sustains our organization and directly supports our year-round offerings and subsidizes low and no-cost programs that make our New England ski community vibrant and inclusive.

In addition to scoring, newsletter subscription, sponsor discounts, event listings, club visits and consultation, we are excited to announce some new member benefits:

• Club liability insurance under the NENSA master policy
• Discounted entry at all NENSA events, year-round

Don't delay - sign up or renew today!

NENSA is excited to share that in addition to our race support model, we are now also offering noncompetitive recreational event support for ski clinics and touring events. Whether you want to host a learn-to-ski day for people who’ve never skied before or you want to offer a recreational ski tour adventure with food stops along the way, NENSA is happy to help. Interest in cross country skiing is growing and there are many people who want to try our awesome sport and/or grow their skills. In addition to bolstering your own ski community, recreational events such as ski clinics and tours also bring in new people who will return to your venue for years to come. 

 NENSA is looking for venues/clubs interested in growing recreational offerings in our region. Our goal for 2023-24 will be to incentivize participation through shared experiences and adventures all across our region. Venues interested in having their event supported by NENSA should complete the bid form HERE by July 15th. Early submissions are encouraged so we can help shape a calendar that minimizes event overlap.

Available for phone, tablet, and laptop

THANK YOU TO OUR NENSA CONTRIBUTING SPONSORS

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 NENSA SUPPORTING SPONSORS

Welcome to Best Cycling Great Escapes, a new quality travel guide launching soon for cycling lovers the world over who are eager for travel, adventure, romance, and to explore nature.

Featuring many top spots across North America, Cuba and Europe, this new travel resort guide offers a great selection of routes, trails, lodging, dining, events, attractions etc. for road, MTB and gravel, along with superb photos.

Take advantage of our 30% NENSA Member discount and SAVE - click link below.

Pay only $6.95 (reg. $9.95) and start planning your summer cycling vacation today.

A must for all passionate and committed cyclists across the USA, Canada and Europe. This one-of-a-kind guide is a great partner to help you find your perfect cycling vacation spot.

July 9-14, 2023

We’re not waiting for winter, and neither should you!

Skiers are built in the summer and Gould’s Nordic Camp is a fun way to kick off summer training right. Our experienced staff will take you on adventures while honing your endurance, strength, and skills. We’ll have a variety of activities from rollersking to running, biking to bounding, agility courses to multisport adventures, and a whole lot more.

We’ll also play lots of games and hit as many crystal-clear water holes as we can. You’ll get some nutrition tips and our coaches will provide you with a summer training plan if you don’t have one. But best of all, you’ll meet other skiers from around the state and country while enjoying the best that Western Maine has to offer.

July 25-30, 2023

Build training volume on foot and on rollerskis while exploring our local roads, mountains, trails, and rivers. Increase your strength in our world-class Racing Performance Center, and enjoy rejuvenating recovery sessions led by our experienced coaching staff. This year's camp will conclude with a race effort!

BKL Camp: Aug 7-10

Junior Camp: Aug 10-13

The SMS Nordic Program has combined sports science, a variety of proven training methods, a culture of athlete-driven excellence, and of course, FUN(!) to boast one of the most successful Nordic programs in the world. The program's unprecedented national and international success has produced 16 Olympians in the past seven Winter Olympics. Over 35 SMS Nordic athletes have made the U.S. World Junior Team, and 25 have made the U.S. National Team. Each Summer, SMS Nordic hosts two summer camps for young skiers filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

BKL Camp: Aug 9-11

High School Camp: Aug 9-12

Join us for a training camp that covers all aspects of dryland training for nordic skiing and will prepare you to be the best skier you can be next winter. Our camp has developed a reputation for its perfect balance of hard work and fun!

Dublin is the optimal setting for our nordic ski camp. Our quiet, paved roads provide great opportunities for rollerskiing, the Nordic Center has miles of single track for running and mountain biking, and the pristine Dublin Lake offers a great way to cool off after every workout. We’ll reside on the Dublin School campus where we will take advantage of the dining hall’s tasty meals, a fully equipped weight room, and an alpine ski slope that’s for the camp’s famous hill bounding workouts. Mount Monadnock is a quick jog from campus and provides an optimal venue for our distance hike at the conclusion of camp.

NNF Summer Series Returns with Full Schedule of Camps, Trips, and Training

June 7, 2023 | by Ben Theyerl

The National Nordic Foundation (NNF) is excited to again support a full suite of camps, trips, and training opportunities for promising American cross-country skiers at all levels of development. Our Summer Series, funded in partnership with the US Ski and Snowboard (USSS) Sport Development Program, will see talented skiers from across the US ski community join together throughout the summer and throughout the country, towards creating a bright future for the whole of US Skiing.

The Regional Elite Group Camp (REG) schedule is full again, with top U18 and U20 skiers from each USSS Region joining up at some of America’s premier ski venues to work with top regional coaching talent, and US Ski Team Coaches Bryan Fish and Greta Anderson. At the U16 level, a National Elite Camp will see the best skiers in the country train together at once for the first time ever, as they head to Lake Placid, New York in July, home of next year’s Junior National Championships. An International U18 Camp in Lillehammer is slated to continue the USA’s athlete exchange program with Norway, and round out the summer, in August.

NNF Summer Training Schedule Released (plus: full list of athletes attending NTG Camp)

June 7, 2023 | by Nordic Insights

The following press release was received from the National Nordic Foundation earlier this week. Additional original reporting added at bottom re: list of athletes attending this year’s NTG camps.

Athletes accepting nominations to NTG camp:

Anders Weiss

Max Kluck

Jack Lange

Jack Conde

Luka Riley

Lucas Wilmont

Fin Bailey

Murphy Kimball

Tommy Simmonds

Davis Isom

Owen Young

Trey Jones

Luke Rizio

Matt Seline

Derek “Buster” Richardson

Jasper Johnston

Tabor Greenberg

Ben Barbier

Landon Wyatt

Anabel Needham

Sammy Smith

Nina Schamberger

Ava Thurston

Hattie Barker

Rose Horning

Neve Gerard

Maeve Ingelfinger

Katey Houser

Lauren McCollor

Evelyn (Evie) Walton

Lena Poduska

Emma Crum

West River Sports Celebrates 50th Anniversary with Epic Summer Snow and Music Fundraiser at Magic Mountain

June 8, 2023

West River Sports marked its 50th anniversary by hosting their second annual Snow and Music Fundraiser at Magic Mountain, located in the heart of southern Vermont, where skiing still has its soul.

Southern VT holds a significant place in the snow sports world, with notable milestones such as Bill Koch refining skate skiing XC technique in nearby Putney during the late 1970s. The 80s and 90s saw the emergence of snowboarding and half pipe competitions, further solidifying the region’s influence. In the late 90s, Southern VT played a pivotal role in the development of the modern-day XC sprint race with the Lexus XC Sprint Series held at the base of local alpine resorts. This cherished history and unwavering passion for sliding on snow were showcased brilliantly on Saturday, giving birth to the exhilarating West River Nordic duals.

15 Top Rollerskis Put to the Test

June 5, 2023 | by Liam McGee

Next to being on snow, rollerskiing is the best type of training for cross country skiing. There are even summer-long rollerski race series like this one in the Midwest or these in New England. How to choose a model that suits your ability level and training needs? We rounded up a group of Vermont-based Nords to put a selection of rollerskis through their paces. While cruising the asphalt at Craftsbury Outdoor Center’s rollerski loops and on paved country roads, testers evaluated the skis for stability, tracking, dampness (were they chattery or smooth?), swing weight (were the skis nimble and quick or did they take longer to manuever?) and ski feel (compared to a Nordic snow ski). Here’s what they found, to guide you in finding the best rollerski for you.

THANK YOU TO OUR NENSA OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS

New England Nordic Ski Association

P.O. Box 97

Lyme, NH 03768

Phone: 207-688-6503