Greetings NENSA community,

We are still rolling!

We just concluded the fourth edition of The Maine Event cross country cross (XCX) agility-sprint event under sunny skies and with our largest audience yet (see the full recap below). Now, we look ahead to the conclusion of our 2022 Rollerski Series on Mt. Greylock on November 6. These two events offer formats as varied as could be, but with the common denominator of community. I hope you’ll take a moment to read the FasterSkier article, “NENSA is On a Roll”, and I thank John Teaford for capturing so beautifully the spirit and essence of NENSA's rollerski events and of our New England community.

In this week’s edition of KickZone

• The Maine Event Recap
• Junior Nationals 2023: Trip Update and Call for Coaches
• Mt. Greylock Hill Climb: Concluding Event of the 2022 NENSA Rollerski Series
• L100 Practicum and Clinic in Sudbury, MA
• NENSA membership
• U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross Country National Coaches' Symposium
• Fall scenes from the New England community
• Toko Podcast: Initial Wax Preparation of New Skis or Freshly Ground Skis
• Concept2 SkiErg World Sprints

In the news

• FasterSkier: NENSA is On a Roll

Whether you are a seasoned participant at our rollerski events or have been simply considering the possibility, we have something for everyone on Mt. Greylock and would love to see you...before the snow flies!

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 is pleased to report that planning for the 2023 Junior Nationals is well underway and that we anticipate on the ground costs to be in line with recent trips. The New England Team will stay and eat at the Wedgewood Resort, and utilize the Organizing Committees shuttle service for the majority of our transportation. As a reminder we also have a hold on tickets for athletes and staff from Boston to Fairbanks with one stop in Seattle for $1065 (auto qualifiers from Senior Nationals should contact justin@nensa.net directly to discuss intentions and travel arrangements).

Justin Beckwith will serve as this year’s Trip Leader and be joined by veteran JN Head Coach, Matt Boobar of the Stratton Mountain School. If you are interested in joining our staff for Fairbanks please fill out this form. All U.S. Ski & Snowboard L100 (or higher) coaches are welcome to apply. The staff consists of six age group coaches and a wax staff of five. The workload of the week is demanding, yet rewarding.

You can read further information about NE Junior National qualification and team composition HERE.

The 2022 Rollerski Series wraps up November 6th with the Mt. Greylock Hill Climb. This more traditional cross country ski event makes a beautiful undulating climb to the highest point of Massachusetts. As a culmination of the competitive rollerski season, we expect skiers of all ages and are offering both classic and freestyle options for masters skiers and long and short course options for all. 

Awards will honor the top Open, Junior and Masters (including prize money for the top masters on the day provided by Pastimes), crown the 2022 Allagash Masters Award winners and recognize the 2022 NENSA College Cup winner. We hope the temperate weather holds until November 7th when we can all shift our attention to gliding on snow once again!

November 12

10:00 AM - 3:00 PM

This one-day clinic is open to anyone looking to improve their ski technique, and learn ways to teach others effectively. We will cover both classic and skate techniques. This clinic is part of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard (USSS) L100 certification process but you do not have to seek certification to participate. The clinic will be led by Cate Brams, EMXC and 2022 NENSA Coach of the Year. Click HERE for all details including registration information and the day's schedule.

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. 

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 CONTRIBUTING SPONSORS:

THANK YOU TO OUR NENSA SUPPORTING SPONSORS:

Initial Wax Preparation of New Skis or Freshly Ground Skis

October 24, 2022 | by Ian Harvey

Describes the recommended steps when waxing new skis or freshly stoneground skis. Explains why these steps are important and what the goal is of each of the three steps. For both Alpine and Nordic.

Team Night Program

We are continuing with our popular team night program. The purpose of this program is to facilitate team orders from team members through Toko dealers. We offer this program using two order forms: one for gloves and bags and the other for waxes and tools. Please get together as a team and decide as a team that you will make a team order. The coach or a volunteer distributes the forms to the team members and assigns a deadline date by which all order forms have to be filled out and returned. That person then contacts a local ski shop (hopefully a Toko dealer) and sends them the orders. The shop would then place a special order to us (at a special price). We would send the product to the ski shop. Team members would then go to the local ski shop and pick up and pay for the items that they ordered. We have pretty much everything in stock now so the turnaround would be quick.

NENSA is On a Roll

October 21, 2022 | by John Teaford

There’s a chill in the air, but winter is still months away. With New England’s weather forecasts predicting a sunny autumn weekend with temperatures in the mid-60’s (high teens Celsius), the coast of Maine looks like the ideal event destination this weekend. The New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA) is ready to oblige with the staging of The Maine Event: XCX Sprints on Sunday, October 23. This is one of the many events hosted by NENSA that is designed for skiers of all ability levels from those just learning, to enthusiastic Masters participants, to seasoned racers. It’s part of the NENSA philosophy that is organized by NENSA’s Competitive Program Director, Justin Beckwith.

“In New England, we generally look on roller ski events as festive, as gatherings,” Beckwith said, “As a means for aspiring skiers to gain race experience rather than pursue race victories. We try to maintain a fun, festive environment, and NENSA’s philosophy is reflected there. It’s as much about gathering skiers together as it is about competing.”

NENSA’s seasonal calendar identifies a large number of roller ski opportunities, but to call them “races” is to misunderstand NENSA’s efforts. The events that NENSA stages are intended to be less of a “race,” and more of a controlled event. Matched roller skis are provided for event contenders, so no one needs to worry about a mechanical disadvantage. Ramps, bicycle bumps, NENSA wave boards (designed and built by Beckwith, himself), and other fun elements are incorporated in nearly every event. “We want skiers of all skill levels and competitive ambitions to have the opportunity to gather together,” says Beckwith. “Racing can be part of that, but any festival can offer more.”...click HERE to read more at FasterSkier

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.