Greetings NENSA community,

We could not offer the programming we do without the support of our sponsors. These partnerships are so much more than financial in nature; ours are synergistic and rooted in the alignment of missions and values. Please watch for sponsorship announcements and renewals in the coming weeks and join me in thanking and supporting the individuals and businesses that are expanding programming and building community in New England!

Today, I would like to thank Trapp Family Lodge for their long-standing commitment to NENSA. Their beautiful trail system is a favorite of our community and we are so grateful for their donations of lodging, tickets, and conference space for NENSA board meetings. This year, Trapp is offering an increased lodging discount (20%) to all NENSA members. Please see our Member Benefits page for those details and for regular updates on offers that simultaneously add value to your NENSA membership and support our wonderful partners.

There are just a few days remaining to register for the Rollins Roll, our first hill climb of the season. Our rollerski hill climbs attract and support a wide range of participants. Whether you are a newer or seasoned rollerskier, looking for an opportunity to challenge your speed or fitness, we would love to see you! 

In this week’s edition of KickZone

• Rollins Roll: August 13
• Good Times Roll Recap
• NENSA 2024 Championship Event Sites Announced
• Eastern Cup Schedule 2023/24
• NENSA Rollerski Hats
• NENSA Membership
• Summer Scenes from the Community
• Paradis Sport: USA Biathlon Alum Hallie Grossman joins Paradis Pros!

In the News

• NNF: Video: US Ski Team Development Group Checks in from the Torsby Ski Tunnel in Sweden
• FasterSkier: Ben Ogden In His Element, Part II

Have a wonderful week.

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!

Online Registration for the Rollins Roll closes at 5pm on Friday.

There are only 50 spots available for this years event — which will feature brand new pavement up Mount Kearsarge!

Come join us in the Granite State.

This community building event draws together the greater New Hampshire community and beyond. It’s not just a race — it’s a fun way to get together with skiing friends on a spectacular closed mountain road.

Did we mention this year will feature brand new pavement! It will also be combined with the Mt. Kearsarge Hill Climb Bike Race (they will start after the skiers are up the mountain) — so there will be some more excitement this year!

Last Sunday 42 athletes gathered in Brunswick, Maine for the third running of Nonstop Nordic’s, Good Times Roll Rollerski Race. As the Lost Nation Roll was cancelled earlier in the month, this was the first event of the 2023 NENSA Rollerski Series. Nonstop has done an excellent job of motivating the Maine community and beyond — this years event boasted the largest participation to date.

Beyond providing a competitive environment for some to the nations top juniors, the Good Times Roll created an inclusive environment for all skiers including nine masters skiers. There was also a 5.7km option for skiers not opting for the full distance — the event was also truly “freestyle” with several athletes opting to classic ski. Prizes were provided by Boulder Nordic Sport East.

Putting on a rollerski race takes a lot of planning and some luck — NENSA is thrilled with the work that Nonstop Nordic is doing in Southern Maine and we look forward to seeing this event continue to grow. Rollerski events are much more than results as they are an awesome mechanism to bring folks together in the summer months and invigorate all that are involved.

NENSA is excited to announce the host sites for the 2024 U16 Eastern Championships and Eastern High School Championships!

With all of the recent excitement over tickets for the Minneapolis World Cup we want to update and remind folks the 2023-2024 Eastern Cup calendar is shifted slightly to allow WC spectating!

Roy Varney Memorial Eastern Cup Opener

December 16-17, 2023, Waterville, ME

Saturday – Classic Sprint

Sunday – Freestyle Distance

Lake Placid SuperTour / Eastern Cup

January 20-21, 2024, Lake Placid, NY

Saturday – Classic Sprint

Sunday – Classic Distance

Rodrigues Eastern Cup and Harvard Carnival

February 3-4, 2024, Craftsbury, VT

Saturday – 7.5km Individual Freestyle

Sunday – Freestyle Distance

Cheri Walsh Eastern Cup Finals

February 24-25, 2024, Holderness, NH

Saturday – Freestyle Sprint

Sunday – Classic Individual

NENSA membership is about so much more than licensing and individual benefits. As a NENSA member, you are part of a broader community helping to grow and support cross country skiing in the Northeast, ensuring that the sport we love continues to grow and thrive.

Our membership year began May 1 and now is an excellent time for sign ups and renewals. Membership revenue sustains our organization and directly supports our year-round offerings and subsidizes low and no-cost programs that make our New England ski community vibrant and inclusive.

THANK YOU TO OUR SILVER SPONSORS

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.

THANK YOU TO OUR BRONZE SPONSORS

USA Biathlon Alum Hallie Grossman joins Paradis Pros!

July 5, 2023

We are so excited to announce biathlete and elementary school teacher Hallie Grossman joining the Paradis Pro team! A lifelong Vermonter who knows and lives near Craftsbury, VT, she says she loves Vermont and being at home. Yet her sport of biathlon took her across Europe, competing in International Biathlon Union (IBU) cups. She says that in Europe, biathlon holds a level of importance similar to that of American Football in the US. Grossman also traveled to Beijing for the 2022 Winter Olympics as the first alternate for the U.S. Biathlon team.

Video: US Ski Team Development Group Checks in from the Torsby Ski Tunnel in Sweden

July 31, 2023 | by Ben Theyerl

Taking to the Tunnel: US Skiers Find Snow in August in Torsby, Sweden

Torsby, Sweden is tucked into the Swedish woods, but in ski terms, it’s just down the road from some of the sport’s more iconic venues. Head north a little ways and you’re in Mora, home of the Vasaloppet. Head east, and you’re in Falun, the historic site of World Cups, World Championships, and dreams at the sport’s highest level. In August though, if you head to either of those venues, you’ll find them waiting for winter. Torsby , on the other hand, is still covered in snow.

So as some of the best juniors from across the country looked for a place to chase their dreams on snow this summer, they headed to Torsby. That’s where they’ve spent the last week as part of a US Ski Team Development group camp supported by NNF. Here with a check-in from a busy week, Zach Jayne (College of St. Scholastica) and Jack Lange (Dartmouth College) who answer some FAQ about tunnel skiing, take on some intervals, and head up into the Swedish woods!

Ben Ogden, In His Element: Part II

August 1, 2023 | by John Teaford

Out with the Old . . .

When asked whether or not he considered his recent 2022-2023 World Cup campaign to have been a breakthrough season, Ben Ogden expressed a certain amount of satisfaction, but in a thoughtful and circumspect manner:

“I had good seasons in college, and before college,” Ogden said. “But when that level is done and you move up to the next, you realize, ‘Man, I really need to just work on everything.’ That’s when I began to realize that the old way of doing things—seasons for school, seasons for work and play, seasons for summer training—really had run its course. It was time to become a skier, full time.”

Ogden identified elements of his technique, his individual strengths, and his potential that can seem like limitations (especially his ability as a sprinter, and the temptation to specialize in that discipline). Conversely, he also identified challenges that could be beaten or overcome.

THANK YOU TO OUR OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS

New England Nordic Ski Association

P.O. Box 97

Lyme, NH 03768

Phone: 802-331-0762