February Greetings NENSA Community ~

Watching Team USA in the freestyle Sprint races yesterday was amazing. To be able to cheer on an American skier in almost every heat was incredible. To witness Jessie getting the bronze medal, and Rosie so close behind in 4th, brought me to tears. To see Ben Ogden make it into the semi-finals as a lucky looser, and then ski with the entire cream of the crop pac- and cross the finish line just 1.24 seconds behind Klaebo, proves that Ben can ski with the world's best (but we knew that). Seeing Julia Kern ski a fantastic quarterfinal heat, someone who I watched grow up in our Boston ski community, was incredibly special. The fact that we had 3 American women and 4 American men in the Sprint finals is a testament to our US Ski Team - the athletes and the coaches and techs who support them day in and day out.

I can't wait for the women's 10k classic race tomorrow morning and the men's 15k classic distance race on Friday. And this weekend the women's 4x5k relay will be on Saturday and the men's 4x10k relay will be on Sunday. Highlights and recaps of the Olympic Skiathlon and Sprints, and a schedule of races to come with links to watch, are in the From our Partners box at the bottom of this newsletter (you many need to click on "view entire message" as this is a very full KickZone this week!

We have a jam packed weekend coming up of Popular/Citizen Races on our NENSA calendar, which includes 6 races ~ 3 in VT, 2 in Maine and one in NH. The Woodstock Sweetheart Race on Saturday 2/12 at the Woodstock Inn & Resort Nordic Center and the Mansfield Skiathlon on Sunday 2/13 at Sleepy Hollow. Be sure to check out the full NENSA calendar listing at the bottom of the newsletter for information on all these races, and all the great racing and events still to come for February and March!

NENSA continues to partner with SWIX through the month of February to help spread the message of the importance of fluoro free waxing. Enter to win one of four chances of $1000 in SWIX waxes next season for any individual who watches their 8-minute video, the Responsible Waxing Project. Coaches will also have an additional opportunity to win one of four chances for $5000 in SWIX waxes for their team if they complete a 45-minute on-line course on Responsible Waxing. See box below for full details and links. NENSA has committed to be flour-free at all our events and races (since November 2019) and we hope these great SWIX videos and coach courses will help give you the tools and tips to wax safely and responsibly, and maybe win some great new wax too!

Here is what we have for you in this edition of KickZone:
  • Diggins Wins Bronze on Historic Night for U.S. Cross Country
  • SWIX Responsible Waxing project ~ including 4 chances to win $1k-$5k in SWIX wax ~ a drawing each week this month of February.
  • Recap of an incredible weekend of NENSA Eastern Cup, US Ski & Snowboard Supertour and UVM Carnival racing in Craftsbury last weekend
  • Dublin XC is looking for volunteers for the final Eastern Cup in Dublin NH 2/19-2/20
  • Get ready...starting tomorrow you can purchase NENSA's brand new custom fabric SKIDA hats & neck warmers and support NENSA too!
  • Cross Country Skier (magazine) Tour de Trail ~ Join them in Lake Placid this weekend for free demos, fun and a raffle!
  • Responsible Fluoro Wax Disposal at the BKL Festival
  • From our Partners & In the News:
  • From U.S. Ski & Snowboard ~ A must see video of Julia Kern giving a tour of the US Wax Bus and life on the road. Plus, recaps of the Olympics XC Skiathlon and Sprint races.
  • From SIDAS: 5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT BODY TEMPERATURE REGULATION
  • Ode to the New England Ski Community from GRP/Salomon athlete Michaela Keller-Miller
  • And be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this newsletter for our NENSA calendar of racing and events for February and March ~ there is something for everyone!

NENSA continues to do all we can to host safe outdoor races and events this winter. We are proud of and continue to count on all of you to do your part in helping us keep our ski community well this winter. Please follow our COVID guidelines and stay home if you are not feeling well.

Be safe and stay well -
Amie

Amie Witten Smith
Executive Director
New England Nordic Ski Association
Amie@nensa.net

GIVING: DONATE to NENSA today, and thank you!

MEMBERSHIP: RENEW or JOIN today, and thank you!
Please take a few minutes to do that and support the organization that supports XC skiing here in New England, and beyond! NENSA is here for you, running programing for you, our ski community ~ we need your support this year, more than ever!

Thank you to all our NENSA Sponsors ~ they are such a HUGE part of our NENSA programming continued success, and we so appreciate all their support. I want to be sure we all acknowledge the businesses who support us and cross country skiing!

Be sure to follow us on fb, Twitter and on Instagram @nensa_nordic
NENSA News from the Field
Highlights and Notes from NENSA and the Nordic World
Diggins Wins Bronze On Historic Night For U.S. Cross Country
It was a historic night at the Kuyangshu Nordic Center, Zhangjiakou, China, as Jessie Diggins won the bronze medal in the freestyle sprint, and led seven Americans into the top 25, including Rosie Brennan in fourth. ...READ MORE
SWIX Responsible Waxing Project
Competitive skiing programs around the country are moving away from fluorinated waxes as we learn more about their negative impact on the environment. NENSA in 2019 was among the first to adopt a fluoro-free policy, which continues today, and as of Jan. 17, fluorocarbon waxes are banned at all FIS-sanctioned cross country races in the United States.

We encourage all our skiers to learn more about skiing fluoro-free. One new option is the Responsible Waxing Project at the Swix Education Center. 
For a limited time, Swix is offering coaches a chance to win $5,000 of Swix fluoro-free wax and products for their team just by completing an online, 45-minute course on responsible waxing. Every coach who completes the course will earn one entry into the giveaway. And … there’s more:  Coaches who complete the course also earn a continuing education credit from U.S. Ski & Snowboard.

For all skiers, you can earn a chance to win $1,000 in Swix fluoro-free products by watching a responsible waxing video at the Swix Education Center website. Swix will have multiple drawings so the sooner you sign up and watch the video, the more chances you’ll have to win.

To participate, start at the Swix Education Center. Under available courses, coaches should choose “Responsible Waxing Project.” You will be prompted to register for the course. Skiers should choose the video option listed as “Enter for a Chance to Win $1,000 of Swix Products.” You’ll be promoted to register. Once you complete the video, you’ll be entered in the drawing.

And if you have just been wondering how to use the new updated SWIX line ~ how their new fluoro-free waxes replace the old CH, LF and HF waxes we all had in our wax boxes ~ just check out this quick video below!
THANK YOU TO OUR ASSOCIATE SPONSORS
L.L.Bean and SWIX & Salomon!
The Henchy Memorial Eastern Cup/Supertour/UVM Carnival Recap
From NNF ~
by Michaela Keller-Miller

The US SuperTour continued at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center in Vermont with a jam-packed three-day weekend of racing. First up was a skate sprint on nearly a foot of fresh powder on Friday. The following day, skiers lined up for a 10-kilometer classic race, which was stage one of a two-day pursuit. Sunday marked the culmination of the pursuit and Craftsbury SuperTour with a 7.5-kilometer skate pursuit start for the women and a 10-kilometer skate pursuit for the men.

(Image courtesy of John Lazenby/Lazenbyphoto.com)
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.
Learn more about reporting and try the QR Code:

Thank you for your diligence in maintaining sport safety and protecting our athletes. 
The final Eastern Cup is just over a week away ~ and Dublin XC is looking for a few good volunteers!
Over the past few years Dublin XC has hosted a big Eastern Cup qualifier race. If you have been to any Eastern Cup races you know it's only possible to do with volunteers. This year Dublin is hosting a two day event, and they could use help. There is a huge sense of community at this event, and everyone leaves with smiles. 

If you're able to help a day (or both) please fill out their quick form online (see link below). They will gather up all the volunteers and be in-touch with you a week prior with assignments and tasks. If you rather call, here is Lindsay (their volunteer coordinator) cell - she claims she is terrible with texting but you can try 603-554-6757

It's very important to register as a volunteer so they can plan. THANK YOU!
Get Ready...
NENSA's custom fabric SKIDA Hats & Neck Warmers will be for sale on www.NENSA.net starting tomorrow!
This custom fabric was designed by Kait Miller, NENSA's Youth & Introductory Program Director. Each snowflake contains one of 5 Northeastern states that NENSA had our programing ~ Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine and New York! We are excited to offer these great new custom NENSA hats and neck warmer to our ski community!
Link to purchase these will be in next week's KickZone, BUT, if you go to www.NENSA.net and check out the Breaking News sometime tomorrow afternoon - you can be the first to purchase! Thanks for supporting NENSA this way ~ $40 for the fleece lined alpine hat and $30 for the fleece lined neck warmer ~ this includes shipping & handing.
Cross Country Skier Tour de Trail Is On!
Join us for free demos and fun throughout the Northeast


Cross Country Skier, The Journal of Nordic Skiing, is proud to bring the Tour de Trail cross country ski demo series to the quiet woods of the Northeast. The format is simple and Covid compliant: Our demo trailer visits the top cross country centers throughout northern New England and New York for three weekends in late January and early February. We've got the latest classic, skin and skate skis from Salomon and Kästle. While you're there, buy a raffle ticket to support the New England Nordic Ski Association's youth programming and get a FREE base layer from Odlo plus a subscription to Cross Country Skier. Tour de Trail is made possible thanks to Salomon, Swix, Odlo and Kästle. Join us!

Dates: 
January 29­–30, Craftsbury, Vermont
February 5–6, Jackson, New Hampshire
February 12–13 Lake Placid, New York 
THANK YOU TO OUR NENSA CONTRIBUTING SPONSORS:
Fluorinated Wax Disposal
at the BKL Festival
NENSA is happy to share that the Kennebec Valley Council of Governments and Quarry Road Trails will offer free collection of fluorinated waxes at the 2022 Bill Koch League Festival at Quarry Road Trails March 5-6, 2022. These harmful materials, now disallowed by FIS & NENSA rules, are still taking up space in the wax boxes, garages, and basements of skiers across the East. We invite you to bring these waxes with you to the Bill Koch League Festival where they will be collected and disposed of in an environmentally sound manner.
Review NENSA’s BKL-specific wax policy HERE.
Still not registered for the Festival? Sign up HERE!
THANK YOU TO OUR NENSA SUPPORTING SPONSORS:
From our NENSA Partners:



IN THE NEWS:


Sport-specific broadcast and streaming schedule:
February 4:
US Olympic Ski Team's Bus & Apartment Tour With Julia Kern | Good Housekeeping
World champion and US Olympic cross-country skier, Julia Kern, gives Good Housekeeping the inside scoop of what it's like to live as an Olympic competitor. ...WATCH THE VIDEO

February 5:
Diggins Sixth In 15k Skiathlon At Olympic Winter Games
Jessie Diggins skied the fastest freestyle leg of Saturday’s 15k skiathlon to kick off the 2022 Olympic Winter Games and lead Team USA, finishing sixth. Rosie Brennan was 14th, followed by Hailey Swirbul in 40th, and Julia Kern in 53rd. “I’m really happy,” Diggins said. “I wish I would have had a better classic half, but the skate half was some of the best racing of my life.” ...READ MORE

February 6:
Patterson Posts Best-Ever U.S. Men’s Skiathlon Result
Scott Patterson clawed his way to the best-ever U.S. men’s Olympic Skiathlon result, finishing 11th in the 30k race Sunday at the Kuyangshu Nordic Center in Zhangjiakou, China.“It is a good sign for my fitness, and it adds a little bit of confidence and also gets a few of those nerves out of the way,” said Patterson, who is targeting the 15k Classic Thursday, and the 50k freestyle on Saturday, Feb. 19. “It’s nice to have a good one to start.” ...READ MORE

Also in the News...
Her Gold Was Four Years Ago, but She Never Stopped Leading
In 2018, Jessie Diggins and Kikkan Randall accomplished the seemingly impossible – the duo took gold in the women's team sprint. Together, they won the first American medal of any kind in cross country skiing since 1976. Never before had any women, or men, been close to competing with the Scandanavian teams that dominated the cross country track for four decades. Diggins and Randall proved that with a bit of support, the Americans could hang with "the big dogs." Not only was their victory a historic moment for the U.S. women's cross country team, but the entire American contingency of the sport. ...READ MORE
5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT BODY TEMPERATURE REGULATION

WHEN COLD DECIDES TO INVADE YOUR BODY, IT PUTS IT TO THE TEST!
Mankind is warm-blooded, which means that our body temperature should stay at 37° whatever the climate. Body temperature regulation relies upon a constant balance between heat influxes and losses. This is how the body is able to conserve its temperature.

1 - BODY HEAT: PERFECT TEMPERATURE
Whether it’s hot, cold, humid or mild, the human body reacts like a thermometre with formidable precision. Ideally our body stays at 37°C, this is the temperature at which the body’s core works properly. However the further we move away from the body’s core the lower our temperature becomes. When we reach the extremities (hands, fingers, feet) that’s where we find the coldest temperature, around 30°. Under the action of cold, body temperature regulation takes place and different areas of the body will react to warn and protect you.

2 - COLD HANDS: CRITICAL AREAS OF THE BODY
According to the body’s thermoregulation design, the extremities such as hands and fingers are called “critical areas”. In these critical areas the speed of blood circulation reduces drastically, causing substantial heat loss, so when you are cold, you get cold hands and swollen fingers. When the air temperature is below 0° we call this phenomena hypothermia.

3 - BLUE FINGERS: COMPOSITION OF THE EPIDERMIS
The skin is a complex organ made up of 3 layers (epidermis, dermis and hypodermis) each layer has functions which act as a protective barrier against the external environment: protection, absorbers, new cell generation, fat storing and above all thermal insulation. Under the action of cold the skin reacts and causes a variety of sensations, cold hands, freezing feet, blue fingers etc. Women tend to have more sensitive skin, particlarly on their hands and feet. These areas are even more sensitive to cold and to temperarure variations as they have little fat or muscle.

4 - COLD FEET: BLOOD CIRCULATION
...read full article/post HERE
Ode to the New England Ski Community
By GRP Athlete Michaela Keller-Miller

Growing up in Minnesota, I’ve always been lucky to be a part of a robust skiing community. From learning to ski with the Minnesota Youth Ski League, akin to the East’s Bill Koch League, to falling in love with the sport on my high school’s team, the ski community’s infection energy is what sparked my passion for skiing. This lively atmosphere travelled with me to Anchorage, Alaska while I competed for the University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves. From Anchorage, I landed in Craftsbury, Vermont in May 2020, in the middle of a pandemic. A drastic difference from both Anchorage and Minneapolis, I found the New England ski community to be a comforting constant. 

This past weekend, the Craftsbury Outdoor Center hosted its largest ski races since the onset of the pandemic. The excitement was tangible, as college, junior, SuperTour, and master skiers convened in Craftsbury for a three-day race series. Irrespective of race results, it was refreshing to see skiers reconnecting, celebrating one another’s victories, and uplifting friends after less-than-desirable results. Not only this, but countless visiting parents and skiers spoke enthusiastically about exploring the endless kilometers of quaint and distinctly Vermont trails. 

The behind the scenes of the Craftsbury SuperTour races was further evidence that the Eastern ski community is alive and well. Groomers, volunteers, coaches, and race organizers spent innumerable hours preparing and ensuring the weekend would run smoothly, allowing the focus to settle on ski racing itself. When I picked up race awards at Jasper Hill, a local farm and cheese artisan who graciously donated prizes, they expressed gratitude for the Craftsbury Outdoor Center for being a great community resource. These kind words go to show the impact ski communities can have on our communities at large. On a personal level, I’m grateful that skiing has brought me to Craftsbury to experience firsthand the power of the New England ski scene. 
THANK YOU TO OUR NENSA OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS:
Upcoming Events
A Look Ahead at the NENSA Calendar
Upcoming NENSA Events:
Full NENSA.net Calendar Listing HERE

February 5-March 20: Canadian Ski Marathon (Virtual)
February 13: Mansfield Skiathlon
February 13: Stowe Derby
February 13: It Takes Two
February 19: Hard’ack Challenge

March 5-6: NENSA BKL Festival
March 13: Long Haul Loppett

Link to our COVID Protocols HERE
Link to our NENSA Equality & Diversity Policy HERE
Link to our Health & Nutrition Resources Page HERE
Link to our NENSA Inclusivity Resource List HERE
If you already shop Amazon ~ please link to Amazon Smile
with NENSA as your beneficiary!
Did you know that NENSA could benefit from the Amazon purchases you are already making??! Please link your Amazon account to Amazon SMILE (with /smile) and choose NENSA as your non-profit beneficiary! All the purchases everyone is already making, all add up, and we would love to be able to benefit from that! Thank you!!