Greetings NENSA community,

We were touched by the support and generosity of our community on GivingTuesday. Funds raised by NENSA back us every day in our mission to share the joy of gliding on snow by creating opportunities for all…young and young-at-heart, novice and world class. We could not do what we do without your support and we thank you, sincerely, for championing our cause!

It’s a packed edition of Kickzone today on the cusp of our winter season. The Community Scenes section reflects the rapid transformation from rollerskiing to snow guns blowing to Thanksgiving camps and season openers over just a couple of weeks. Please read on for all sorts of information:

In this week’s edition of KickZone

• Annual NENSA Auction is LIVE
• 2022-23 NENSA Eastern Cup Primer
• NENSA Event Organizer and TD Training Seminar this weekend
• 2022-23 XC Bingo kicks off tomorrow
• Final Call for 2023 Junior Nationals coaches
• NENSA at the Boston, MA Snowbound Expo
• NENSA Ski Station at WinterKids "Welcome to Winter" event, Dec. 29
• NENSA membership
• Scenes from the Community
• Craftsbury Outdoor Center: Special early-season rates for NENSA members
• Nordic Team Solutions: Monthly video and NENSA Auction memberships

In the news

• U.S. Ski & Snowboard: New Englanders named to U.S. Ski & Snowboard Junior/U23 World Championship Staff
• NNF: Thank You for Drive for 25’s Success

I hope you enjoyed a Thanksgiving holiday that was both restorative and adventurous.

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!

NENSA’s annual Winter Auction is LIVE and features over 170 items. Check out all of the wonderful offerings…art and handcrafted items, vacation rentals, special experiences, delicious treats, ski gear, clothing, and accessories…and watch for new arrivals. There is something special for everyone!

We would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere thanks to all of our sponsors and supporters for their generous contributions. All proceeds directly support our year-round programming and keep membership and entry fees low.

The auction runs for one more week and new items are being added. Please keep an eye on the site and thank you for supporting NENSA!

NENSA is proud to present the 2022-2023 Eastern Cup Series, a set of eight U.S. Ski & Snowboard sanctioned competitions. Each year, venues bid and are elected to host these prestigious events, balancing regional locations and collaboration with collegiate and SuperTour competitions. We are extremely fortunate in the East to have many robust venues with incredible physical and human infrastructure. Eastern Cups are open to all U.S. Ski & Snowboard and NENSA members (NENSA 1-Day memberships are available on all registrations. Athletes under 20 years of age are scored to the Junior Ranking List (JRL), which is the basis for qualification for the New England Junior National Team.

Each year NENSA committees review our competition guidelines — athletes, coaches and parents should be familiar with the Race Rules document.

This year features some major changes, the most notable that all events feature equal distance for male and female competitors. All NENSA races remain fluoro-free, and testing could occur at any event.

NENSA is also introducing two new TEAM Oriented Competitions this year for all to be involved in!...read much more about the Eastern Cup calendar and season HERE

NENSA is pleased to announce that we are collaborating with the Quarry Road Ski Club to host the annual Event Organizer’s and Technical Delegate and Training Seminar at Quarry Road Trails in Waterville, Maine. The event will occur December 3rd & 4th, starting at 11:00am on the 3rd to accommodate longer driving times. Please note that the seminar will begin at the Chace Community Forum in the Alfond Commons (driving directions, parking map, & birds eye view map shows the entrance to the Chace Forum). Quarry Road has been working their snowmaking magic to ensure we have skiable snow for the event as well!

Highlights of this year’s seminar will include training for Race Secretary, Chief of Timing, start crew, as well as presentations on modern chip timing needs and Quarry Road’s first decade of snowmaking operations. For the Sunday session, we have the unique opportunity to have live practice as race organizers at the Quarry Road Opener race. This is a low key event that will allow us to observe and practice what we learned/discussed the previous day. We have lots of talks/conversations and hands-on activities to help us all become better event organizers and officials!

NENSA is thrilled to be offering TWO versions of XC Ski Bingo for the 2022-23 season! This will be the third year of Youth XC Ski Bingo for anyone UNDER 14 years of age, and new this year is Junior & Adult Bingo for people 14 and OLDER! The goal of this virtual game is to help inspire people of all ages and skill levels to get outside, enjoy the winter world on skis, engage with others who also like to ski, and explore new places.

Every player who completes Bingo gets a rainbow NENSA sticker and each Bingo line completed gets players a raffle entry. At the end of every month we will raffle off some fun items from our sponsors...read on for more info and to get playing HERE

Last call for 2023 Junior National staff! We are excited to travel to The Last Frontier this March to defend the Alaska Cup in Fairbanks. All U.S. Ski & Snowboard L100 coaches are encouraged to apply.

Our staff includes 6 age group coaches and 5 wax staff. The work is demanding and rewarding. Click HERE to submit your name for consideration.

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. 

NENSA was thrilled to be part of the Snowbound Expo in Boston, MA, the home for winter and outdoor sports bringing together people, businesses, and organizations from across the industry all under one roof. It was inspiring to see so much enthusiasm and excitement behind snowsports and we were grateful to connect with many of our partners, sponsors, and collaborators including EMXC Skiing, Share Winter Foundation, Fischer Nordic, Youth Enrichment Services, and Cross Country Ski Areas Association who are all dedicated to sharing the joy of cross-country skiing. An extra special shoutout goes to the EMXC volunteers who ran the rollerski station! 

NENSA is thrilled to be collaborating with WinterKids on their Welcome to Winter event on December 29th at Lost Valley Ski Area in Auburn, ME! WinterKids helps children develop healthy lifelong habits through education and fun, outdoor winter activity by creating opportunities for children to be active, vibrant and healthy in the outdoors. Their Welcome to Winter event is an annual celebration of fun ways to stay active in winter. Originally created to welcome new Mainers to winter, the event has expanded to allow all members of the community to come and try out healthy ways to remain active outdoors during the winter months. This free event offers a chance to try snowshoeing, cross country and downhill skiing, snowboarding, tubing, snow sculpting, and more while enjoying hot chocolate and s’mores. 

NENSA will be heading up the cross-country ski station so be sure to stop by, say hi, and giving skiing a try! Learn more HERE.

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:

SPECIAL EARLY SEASON LODGING OFFER

FOR NENSA MEMBERS!!

Effective today thru December 11, 2022

$81 for a single and $75 per person/per night for a double room in Cedar.

NENSA member pricing also available for other lodging types - call to inquire.

Please call COC and provide the front office with ’23 NENSA membership number at time of reservation.

Nordic Team Solutions shares a video with NENSA this month that is perfect for the early season, featuring classic transition drills. This is part of a comprehensive, searchable drill catalog and resource library available to Nordic Team Solutions subscribers. If you are intrigued and find these resources valuable, check out the Nordic Team Solutions annual memberships in the NENSA auction! We are so grateful to Nordic Team Solutions for their support of NENSA and for the resources they offer the nordic community.



Best Nordic Ski Great Escapes 2023 - NENSA 30% Off

Welcome to Best Nordic Ski Great Escapes, a new quality travel resort guide launching soon for cross-country ski lovers the world over who are eager for travel, adventure, romance, and to explore nature.

Featuring many top spots across North America, this new travel resort guide offers a great selection of venues with coverage of trails, lodging, dining, events, attractions etc. 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 winter vacation today.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard Junior/U23 World Championship Staff Named

U.S. Ski & Snowboard has nominated their staff for the World Junior/U23 Championships on a trip led by U.S. Ski Team Development Coach Greta Anderson to Whistler, Canada, January 25 - February 4, 2023. Qualifying athletes will be announced following the conclusion of National Championships in Houghton, Michigan on January 7th.

Staff:

• Greta Anderson (US SKI AND SNOWBOARD)
• Bryan Fish (US SKI AND SNOWBOARD)
• Julia Hayes (Bridger Ski Foundation)
• Olof Hedberg (Summit Nordic Ski Club)
• Jeremy Hecker (Pioneer Midwest)
• Leo Hipp (Team Birkie)
• Alex Jospe (Stratton Mountain School)
• Jack Novak (Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center)
• Adam Terko (Mansfield Nordic Club)
• Lenka Sterling (Ski & Snowboard Club Vail)
• Will Sweetser (Sugarbowl Academy)
• Cami Thompson-Graves (Dartmouth Ski Team)
• **One staff position is currently TBA **
• *Trip Supported by Medical Staff: Dr. Kate Eichten & Dr. Elizabeth Smith*
• *Steve Fuller of FLYINGPOINT ROAD will provide Media & Photography Support for the event*

Thank You for Drive for 25’s Success

November 29, 2022

Dear US nordic skiing community,

The National Nordic Foundation (NNF) would like to extend a sincere thank you for the astounding display of generosity and belief in supporting a world-class skiing development system during last week’s Drive for 25. We are humbled, and incredibly grateful, to be part of a grassroots movement propelling our sport forward in this country. This year’s Drive for 25 further demonstrated that our American ski community is a rare one where all of its members are working for good of this sport that we all love, and not for ourselves.

Between mail, online, and general donations, the US nordic community raised $110,609 from 1211 during last week’s Drive for 25. Crossing the threshold of raising $100,000, and the threshold of 1,000 donations, unlocked a pair of matching grants worth $100,000 apiece, or $200,000 total. With those goals achieved, the total raised from our Drive for 25 totaled $310,609, making it the largest Drive for 25 in our organization’s 20+ year history.

To have our biggest fundraiser ever in a non-Olympic year is impressive. To do it in a single week is a dizzying accomplishment. That is what the US nordic community stepped up to do last week; demonstrating an ongoing commitment to building a nordic skiing program that can compete with any in the world. With this funding, the National Nordic Foundation has a strong base from which to bolster its financial health, support our pillar projects this season, and fund innovative and forward-thinking approaches to sport development for some of the most promising skiers in the world. We want to thank everyone who donated, our ambassadors who fundraised, and the entire ski community from coast-to-coast for making this year’s Drive for 25 a special moment in our sport that will have a lasting legacy stretching out from here into the future.

Sincerely,

The National Nordic Foundation

Yuriy Gusev (Board Chairman), Matt Whitcomb, Joey Caterinichio, Sophie Caldwell Hamilton, Laura McCabe, Kikkan Randall, Erika Flowers, Reese Brown, Ben Theyerl

THANK YOU TO OUR NENSA OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS:

Designed by NENSA's very own Youth & Introductory Program Director. Cost is $25 per hat (includes shipping and handling). All proceeds go to supporting NENSA's community-based programming and events.