Summer Greetings NENSA Community ~
I hope you all had a nice long holiday weekend. NENSA was thrilled to officially kick off our summer rollerski season with the Lost Nation Roll and a learn-to-rollerski clinic in Craftsbury on Sunday. Many of our top junior as well as elite and US National team athletes raced. Everyone was then treated to some real on snow skiing fun thanks to part of the COC snow stockpile that was rolled out for the day!
I would also like to extend a very warm welcome to Heidi Lange, who will officially take over as our new Executive Director of NENSA when I leave at the end of this month. Heidi and I are working shoulder to shoulder (via Zoom!) to onboard her during July. Heidi is well known and well versed in our New England ski community, and I know she will make a fantastic next ED for NENSA.
This week we are revealing the second of our NENSA Award recipients for 2022 ~ our Coach of the Year Award. Read all about our wonderful winner this year, Cate Brams of EMXC in the article below and stay tuned each week this month of July as we unveil the rest of our 2022 NENSA Award winners!
Here is what we have for you in this week's KickZone:
- NENSA Coach of the Year Award
- Recap of the Lost Nation Roll & Clinic this past Sunday July 3rd
- Heidi Lange to be NENSA's new Executive Director
- 4th Annual virtual Roy-llerski is ongoing for the month of July
From our Partners:
From U.S. Ski & Snowboard:
- World University Games coming to Lake Placid January 2023
Be well and be sure to get outside and enjoy the outdoors!
Best,
Amie
Amie Witten Smith
Executive Director
New England Nordic Ski Association
Amie@nensa.net
GIVING: DONATE to NENSA 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!
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
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NENSA News from the Field
Highlights and Notes from NENSA and the Nordic World
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2022 Coach of the Year Award goes to Cate Brams of EMXC! |
In just two years Cate Brams has become a fixture of the New England coaching community. In 2020, after racing for Middlebury College and the Sun Valley Gold Team, she returned home to Boston to help lead the Eastern Mass Cross Country (EMXC) program. In May of 2021, she was hired as the clubs first full time Head Coach. Her youthful energy and extensive racing experience, along with the knowledge of growing up in the Eastern Mass Bill Koch and CSU Junior Program (now known as EMXC) made her a perfect fit for the job.
Not only is she a beloved coach for EMXC, but she has jumped headfirst into NENSA programming, including regional camps, coaching at Junior Nationals and leading Coaches Education clinics. We are indeed lucky to have such engaged coaches like Brams — made in part by increasingly sophisticated clubs — that provide awesome development opportunities for cross country skiing here in the East. Read on below for accolades from her athletes, peers and coworkers!...read full story HERE
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THANK YOU TO OUR ASSOCIATE SPONSORS
L.L.Bean, SWIX, Salomon and Fischer/OW!
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2022 Lost Nation Roll Race
& Clinic Recap
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It was a glorious of day for the first rollerski race of the 2022 NENSA Summer Series! A big thank you to the Craftsbury Outdoor Center staff and volunteers for all the hard work they put into hosting this event. It was extra exciting for this race to overlap with the Eastern Regional Elite Group (REG) Camp so we had top juniors in attendance from all across the East. In addition to competitive racing action, the day also featured a Learn-to Rollerski clinic for skiers of all ages looking to try rollerskiing for the first time and wrapped up with REAL skiing down in the Craftsbury village courtesy of saved snow from the Outdoor Center. So if you saw a Piston Bully driving down the road last Sunday, you were not hallucinating!...click here for full results & photos
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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.
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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.
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Reports to the Center - SafeSport hotline at 833-5US-SAFE (587-7233) or CLICK HERE to complete an online reporting form.
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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.
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NENSA welcomes Heidi Lange as our new Executive Director |
To the New England Nordic Ski Association Community,
NENSA is pleased to announce that Heidi Lange will be NENSA’s new Executive Director starting this month. Heidi lives in Lyme, NH and brings a wealth of experience in community work and non-profit fundraising to her new role at NENSA. She has been connected to NENSA for many years as Co-Head Coach of the Bill Koch League and as a member of the Nordic Committee at Ford Sayre Ski Club. Heidi also served as Vice President and Programming Director of the Upper Valley Rowing Foundation as well as working on multiple New Hampshire school boards and committees. Heidi has led Hanover High School’s Novice Crew team where she created an incredibly successful youth fundraising campaign that raised funds for The Prouty, the largest fundraising event in northern New England. More recently, she coached at Stratton Nordic Center and West River Sports in Vermont.
Heidi’s professional experience, proven leadership skills, successful fundraising efforts, and enthusiasm for the cross country skiing community will make her an effective Executive Director for NENSA and a passionate advocate for cross country skiing and skiers. The NENSA staff and Board is excited to work closely with Heidi to continue to advance NENSA’s mission and provide diverse, engaging programming to the New England ski community.
“I am looking forward to working with Heidi to bring cross country skiing to new communities and new heights,” said NENSA president Ellen Chandler. “Heidi understands NENSA’s operations and organization from the inside and out, as a coach, racer parent and participant; and her professional and civic experience align with NENSA’s needs seamlessly.”
“The value of NENSA’s mission has felt especially apparent to me during the covid pandemic when the skilled and dedicated Director and staff have worked creatively and resolutely to serve the New England ski community,” said incoming NENSA Executive Director Heidi Lange. “I have such belief in NENSA’s work and the powerful experiences and lessons possible for its participants at all levels. I am thrilled to be joining this team, building upon the many successes achieved under Amie’s leadership, and continuing to help NENSA grow and thrive.”
Heidi will succeed current Executive Director, Amie Smith at the end of this month. Amie has been NENSA’s Executive Director since 2016, and on staff since 2015, where she positioned NENSA as a leader in North American cross country skiing. Amie recruited and supported a strong and talented staff and developed donor relationships that leave NENSA in good financial standing. Amie will continue her involvement with NENSA and U.S. Ski & Snowboard as a Technical Delegate and will also help coach her local BKL club at Prospect Mountain in Woodford, VT, where she has also joined their Board of Directors.
“I was thrilled to hear that Heidi Lange was chosen as my successor. She will be a phenomenal next Executive Director for NENSA. Heidi cares deeply about our cross country ski community and that will shine through in all she does for NENSA moving forward.” said current Executive Director Amie Smith.
We thank Amie for her many years of excellent leadership and we are excited to welcome Heidi as NENSA’s new Executive Director.
With Regards,
The New England Nordic Ski Association Board of Directors
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THANK YOU TO OUR NENSA CONTRIBUTING SPONSORS: |
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4th Annual Roy-llerski is in full swing for the month of July ~ join the fun! |
NENSA and The Maine Outdoor Wellness Center are thrilled to host the 4th annual Roy-llerski and fundraiser this year during the month of July 2022. The event, originally created by Jenny Wilbraham, was created in memory of Roy Varney to bring together the nordic community for support and to enjoy the sport they all shared.
This year, the event will have both virtual and in-person options, we encourage anyone that can participate with a group and make the most of it! Using the date of Roy’s passing (7/1/19), the challenge is to ski, run, or ride 71.19km OR for 71:19 (1h:11m:19s), spread over a couple of days, weeks, or the entire month if need be. If you are in the Turner (ME) area, you can reach out to Dustin Williamson (dustin.williamson@msad52.org), Tash Varney (nvarney207@gmail.com), and Jenny Wilbraham (jenwilb.ski@gmail.com) about in-person offerings. Folks can also reach out via the Maine Outdoor Wellness Center instagram HERE.
Have fun, stay safe, and take the spirit of the journey with you! Sharing photos or GPS tracks over social media is highly encouraged (tag the Maine Outdoor Wellness Center and NENSA and use #forRoy).
Registrant Categories:
Rockstar: For those aiming to ski 71.19 in one shot – for time or challenge.
Speedy Repeater: Combine multiple skis to reach 71.19km.
Bill Koch/Recreational/Time Trial: Ski 7.119km non-stop or use the event as a time trial.
Art for Roy: Design the coolest fitness tracker art file to honor Roy! #forRoy
1:11:19: Ski as far as you can in 71 minutes and 19 seconds.
Prizes:
The first 10 registrants, 8 raffled registrants, and 2 randomly selected social promoters will win an event bag with swag from The MOWC and LL Bean.
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THANK YOU TO OUR NENSA SUPPORTING SPONSORS: |
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NENSA Summer Rollerski Trucker Hats for Sale!
(click on photo below to purchase)
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The FISU World University Games is an international championship event held biannually since 1960 bringing together the top 18-25 year old Student-Athletes from around the world. For 2023, all competitors must have been born between 1998 and 2005 and be full-time college or university students, or have graduated in the last calendar year. Proof of Student status must be provided for each competitor.
The 2023 edition of the World University Games will be held in Lake Placid, New York January 12-22, 2023. Over those 11 days, 2500 competitors representing 50 countries and 600 Universities will compete in 12 sports, including Cross Country Skiing, Biathlon, and Nordic Combined.
The Championship Event Program for 2023 includes a Freestyle Sprint, an Individual Start Classic Race and a Freestyle Pursuit, a Freestyle Mass Start, a mixed technique relay, and a mixed gender team sprint. Recent World University games have seen World Cup and Olympic caliber athletes from Japan, Russia, Czech Republic, and Kazakhstan; and strong contingents from other nations like Finland, Italy, Norway, France, Germany, and Switzerland.
U.S. Ski & Snowboard is overseeing team selection and staffing of the 2023 event. Here is the Selection Criteria. Up to 8 men and up to 8 women can compete for Team USA. We will also need 4-5 Coaches to staff the event which is largely funded by USOPC. This USOPC funding as well as being on home snow will allow for athletes to compete in an international championship event more affordably than comparable championship events held on other continents.
To select the team, we've added sprint and distance FIS points from the last 12 months for all USA athletes. You can find this list HERE. The list includes all athletes, even those too young or old for WUG. We've attempted to highlight in green athletes in the appropriate age group who are known to be full time college students, but we ask you to check your status- if you are a full-time college or university student (including graduate school, medical school, etc.) and born between 1998 and 2005, you are eligible to compete. Please contact me if your status in incorrect and I will fix it on the spreadsheet.
Athletes must commit to the event in early December 2022. It is chronologically possible for an athlete to compete at both the World University Games in Lake Placid and the World Junior/U23 Championships in Whistler later in January, but this may not be an ideal scenario athletically (a lot of racing in January... not much time for training!).
July 1
It's U.S. Ski & Snowboard Club Membership renewal time for the 2022-23 season:
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THANK YOU TO OUR NENSA OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS: |
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Upcoming Events
A Look Ahead at the NENSA Calendar
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Full NENSA.net Calendar Listing HERE
December 17-18: Eastern Cup #1: Rikert Eastern Cup Opener Ripton, Vermont
Looking Ahead to 2023:
January 14-15: Eastern Cup #2: Chisholm Ski Club Eastern Cup and Bates Carnival Rumford, Maine
February 4-5: Eastern Cup #3: Roy Varney Memorial Quarry Road Eastern Cup, Waterville Maine
February 18-19: Eastern Cup #4: Dublin Double Eastern Cup Dublin, New Hampshire
March 22-26: Supertour Finals - Craftsbury VT
Link to our COVID Protocols HERE
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If you already shop Amazon ~ please link to Amazon Smile
with NENSA as your beneficiary!
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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!!
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New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA)
49 Pineland Drive, Suite 301A
New Gloucester, ME 04260
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