Greetings NENSA Community,

In the shadow of N. American World Cup races in Canmore and Minneapolis (the first World Cup races in the United States in over 20 years), Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon, S. Korea, and Nordic Junior/U23 World Ski Championships in Planica, Slovenia, there are EIGHT events on the NENSA calendar this weekend. The range of opportunities offered by our network of clubs is at the root of a vibrant ski community here in New England and across the US. We are #skiingbettertogether and I hope you will find one reason or another to join us!

In this week’s KickZone

John Ogden Youth Programming Endowment Update
Super Day at the Caribou Bog Race
Silver Fox Trot 2024 Recap
Tour de Greensboro | February 10
Mansfield Nordic Skiathlon | February 10
Carter's Moonlight Ski & Snowshoe | February 10
Dublin Winterfest 10K + BKL Race | February 11
Flying Moose Classic | February 11
Gunstock Paintball Biathlon | February 11
The Red Bench Speaker Series presents, Part II: One-on-One with the Father of Cross-Country Skiing, John Caldwell
2024 Beaver Meadow Community Race and Learn to Ski Day
NENSA Membership
Scenes from the NENSA Community

From Our Partners

Women Supporting Women in Business and Sport
Nordic Skater: Youth Ski Packages and Alpina discount for NENSA members

In The News

FasterSkier: Homecoming
Nordic Insights: American World Cup Starters Officially Announced for Canmore and Minneapolis
Planica 2024: Nordic Junior World Ski Championships

Have a wonderful week!

All my best,

Heidi

Heidi Lange

Executive Director

New England Nordic Ski Association

heidi@nensa.net

www.nensa.net

NENSA News From the Field

John Ogden Youth Programming Endowment

Sincere thanks to the Stratton Nordic Center and the surrounding communities for a generous donation of Stratton Terrain Challenge raffle proceeds to the John Ogden Youth Program Endowment.

This event epitomizes John's vision for youth programming. Thank you to all of the community leaders carrying on this legacy through fun, creative, and inclusive events!

Donate HERE

Super Day at the Caribou Bog Race

It was a fantastic day for skiing at the Caribou Bog Race in Orono, Maine, hosted by the Penobscot Valley Ski Club. Blue sky, lots of sun, and firm classic tracks made for a great experience. There were lots of smiles coming from the participants. This race was the 5th event in the NENSA Marathon Series. Racers had the option of skiing 10, 21, or 33km. With 70 entrants, this made the largest edition of the Caribou Bog Race in its modern form, with a healthy boost from outside the Bangor area.

Results, Rankings, and More HERE

Silver Fox Trot 2024 Recap

Your copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for (audience)? Why should they care (benefit)? What do I want them to do (call-to-action)?

Create a great offer by adding words like "free," "personalized," "complimentary," or "customized." A sense of urgency often helps readers take action, so consider inserting phrases like "for a limited time only" or "only 7 remaining!"

Photos, results, and more HERE

THANK YOU TO OUR GOLD SPONSORS

Tour de Greensboro | February 10

Registration has reopened until Thursday at 5pm with about 10 spots available –

secure your today, they will go fast!

More HERE

Mansfield Nordic Skiathlon | February 10

More HERE

Carter's Moonlight Ski & Snowshoe | February 10

More HERE

Dublin Winterfest 10K + BKL Race | February 11

More HERE

Flying Moose Classic | February 11

More HERE

Gunstock Paintball Biathlon | February 11

More HERE

Woodstock BKL Sweetheart Race | February 11

More HERE

THANK YOU TO OUR SILVER SPONSORS

The Red Bench Speaker Series presents, Part II: One-on-One with the Father of Cross-Country Skiing, John Caldwell on Thursday, February 15th at 7 PM via Zoom.

John Caldwell competed in the 1952 Winter Olympics and later became a cross-country ski coach. He ultimately became the authority on cross-country skiing and wrote a series of books that helped develop a better understanding of the sport in North America. Caldwell is often referred to as the “Father of Cross-Country Skiing” and was inducted into both the US and Vermont Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame.

During our continued conversation with John, we’ll talk about his own Olympic era, the 1952 Winter Olympic Games in Oslo, his years at Dartmouth College, his years coaching at Vermont’s Putney School, the progress the sport as made over the years, and the extraordinary growth the sport has witnessed.

Peter Graves will moderate this conversation. Peter, a Vermont native and Nordic skier has dedicated his career to the sport. Over his 40-year career, he has served as a coach with the US Ski team and head coach at Harvard for six seasons. He is perhaps best known for his long career as a television and stadium announcer having covered 13 Olympic Games. Peter was named to the US Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame in 2021.

This virtual discussion begins at 7:00 PM. Please consider making a suggested donation of $10 to support the museum's mission to "Collect, Preserve, and Celebrate Vermont's rich skiing and snowboarding history.”

2024 Beaver Meadow Community Race and Learn to Ski Day

The SkiTheBeav community came together this weekend at the highly anticipated 5k community race and Learn to Ski Day. Despite thin snow coverage, the event came off without a hitch, with participants showcasing both skill and community spirit.

The 5k ski race brought together skiers of all levels, navigating our local trails with determination and smiles. Despite the uncooperative winter, we had just enough snow that a dedicated team of shovelers were able to cover the trails and make the conditions remarkably good. The city's SnowRabbit groomer did fine work of renovating the hard pack, and making the trails safe and enjoyable.

NENSA Membership

Membership revenue sustains our organization, directly supports our year-round offerings, and subsidizes low and no-cost programs that make our New England ski community vibrant and inclusive.

Check NENSA Membership Status

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

NENSA Member Benefits

NENSA Membership Signup/Renewal

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.

Scenes from the NENSA Community

THANK YOU TO OUR BRONZE SPONSORS

Partnership Corner

Women Supporting Women in Business and Sport

February 5, 2024: Gathering together with other women in the sports community can be powerful. Last weekend, we had the opportunity to be part of NENSA (New England Nordic Ski Association) Women’s Day, alongside three other New England brands and over 200 women to celebrate the sport of Nordic skiing. As female owned businesses, we all support NENSA as an organization and were able to observe the magic that happens when an active community comes together. Here are a few of the inspiring takeaways from Laura King of Paradis Sport , Carina Hamel of Bivo and Kate Harvey of BirdieBlue.

“Be Noisy” and Advocate for What you Want: Carina Hamel, Co Founder, Bivo

Power of Women Teaching Women: Laura King Marketing + Brand Strategy, Paradis Sport

Power of Networking around Women Led Brands: Kate Harvey, Founder, Birdie Blue Creations

Youth Ski Packages!

Introductory Junior Classic Package

Classic Fishscale Skis, Bindings, Poles, Classic Boots - $250

Junior Race Classic

Classic Skin Skis, Bindings, Poles, Combi Boots - $450

Junior Race Skate

Skate Skis, Bindings, Poles, Combi Boots - $450

If you’re interested in upgrading your current boots or experiencing what Alpina has to offer, then we invite you to contact our fantastic friends at Nordic Skater and mention your NENSA membership number for a super cool 35% off MSRP. This offer allows for access to the entire range of Alpina & Rottefella products. Subject to availability. Contact NS for full details

Visit Nordic Skater

NENSA Member Benefits

In the News

Homecoming

by John Teaford | February 4, 2024

At the edge of the parking lot at the Wild Wings Ski Touring Center stands a strategically placed, much used, and much loved snow pile. Getting up speed by dropping down the short slope in front of the main building, young skiers catch air off the top of the pile, daring each other to ever-bigger, ever-trickier leaps. They’ve been doing it for years. Ben Ogden, Sophie Caldwell, Simi Hamilton, Katharine Ogden, Bill Koch, Fin Bailey. . . a disproportionate number of America’s recent ski-stars have tested their young courage—and honed their young skills—on this particular snow pile. This neighborhood produces skiers, and the view out windows along the North Road, the Hapgood Pond Road, and through Peru and Landgrove Villages frames the passing of Olympians, World Cup winners, NCAA champions as they run, stride, and roller ski past. This little Southern Vermont valley is home to many American skiers whose names are familiar to ski-fans around the country. And for those globe-trotting skiers, winter homecomings are particularly sweet.

American World Cup Starters Officially Announced for Canmore and Minneapolis

by Nordic Insights | February 2, 2024

U.S. Ski & Snowboard officially announced starters for upcoming World Cup races in Canmore and Minneapolis earlier Friday, following a positive snow control for the races at a distressingly warm Wirth Park.

The announced starters are below. This information was first reported by Nordic Insights last Sunday. I stand by my analysis there that the final spots in Minneapolis are potentially subject to change following top-six performances in Planica by athletes not previously named to the team, given the unambiguous language of section five of this season’s official criteria document from USSS.

The announced starters are as follows: