Greetings NENSA community,

I especially cherished the sunshine and heat of the past two days, conditions both more typical and more welcome than those we have faced recently. Speaking of which, you will find below air quality and training guidelines developed by US Ski Team coaches and doctors. We have been more fortunate in recent years than our friends in other parts of the country, but the recent conditions and the cancellation of the first NENSA 2023 rollerski event are a reminder to review and take into account this good information.

We have some wonderful news to share this week. First, we are delighted to announce that GMVS is NENSA’s 2023 Club of the Year! Please see the full story below and join us in recognizing and congratulating a club that is constantly finding new ways to promote the development of cross country skiing in New England in meaningful and fun ways.

We were also thrilled to learn this week that NENSA is a 2023-24 Killington World Cup Foundation grant recipient! Funding from KWCF this year will help us significantly expand opportunities to introduce children to the joy of skiing during the school day and beyond. We share the PR from KWCF below – and also our sincere gratitude for the wonderful work they do to grow our sport and our community!

In this week’s edition of KickZone

• Remembering John
• NENSA is a 2023-24 Killington World Cup Foundation Grant Recipient
• Congratulations to GMVS - NENSA 2023 Club of the Year!
• US Ski & Snowboard AQI guidelines
• 5th Annual Roy-llerski
• Good Times Roll: July 23
• NENSA Membership
• 2023-24 NENSA Recreational Events
• Scenes from the Community
• NNF Summer Auction Starts in One Week, July 10th-14th
• Best Cycling Great Escapes - Special offer for NENSA members
• Summer Camps

In the News

• Dartmouth: Ogden Makes a Difference in the Upper Valley Through WISE
• US Ski & Snowboard: US Ski and Snowboard Announces World Cup Team for Period 1
• Cross Country Skier Magazine: So You Want to Learn to Rollerski?

Happy 4th and I hope you enjoyed some fireworks and festivities this week!

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 thrilled to announce that we have been awarded a Killington World Cup Foundation grant in support of our Nordic Rocks program, a low-barrier program developed to introduce a new generation of children in grades K-6 to the excitement found in the sport of cross country skiing. Our KWCF grant helped fund an opportunity last year for 2,642 children in 28 schools across the Northeast to experience skiing during the school day with teachers and classmates and to learn the health and lifestyle benefits associated with exercise and outdoor fun. NENSA’s Nordic Rocks program serves youth in lower income communities, areas with greater demographic diversity, and communities where young people might not otherwise have the opportunity to try cross country skiing. Through collaboration with local ski centers and NENSA clubs, we are creating partnerships and fostering community involvement to provide ongoing and expanded recreational programming for Nordic Rocks skiers. As a result, we have been able to introduce thousands of children to skiing in a fun, safe, and supportive environment and provide connections to and resources from our network of NENSA clubs. These partnerships are key to promoting opportunities, friendships, and more diverse communities.

Funding from KWCF this year will help us significantly expand opportunities to introduce children to the joy of skiing during the school day and beyond. We share the PR from KWCF below – and also our sincere gratitude for the wonderful work they do to grow our sport and our community!

Wildfire smoke is affecting the air quality for a large part of the United States. Many of the areas currently affected are not areas typically affected by wildfire smoke, here is some guidance about when to and how to modify your training based on the air quality. These guidelines were created by U.S. Ski Team coaches and doctors, including respiratory expert, Dr. Tod Olin, and team physician, Dr. Heather Cichanowski.

Throughout the month we are excited to support the legacy of Roy Varney with the 5th annual Roy-llerski. There are many virtual Rollerski options based around time and distance — and this year a 5km trail run @themowc on July 15th.

To the East our friends @nonstopnordic are hosting their 3rd Good Times Roll, Rollerski Race on July 23rd in Brunswick, Maine. The gentle terrain (and proximity to the ocean) make this a fun option for all.

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.

NENSA is excited to share that in addition to our race support model, we are now also offering noncompetitive recreational event support for ski clinics and touring events. Whether you want to host a learn-to-ski day for people who’ve never skied before or you want to offer a recreational ski tour adventure with food stops along the way, NENSA is happy to help. Interest in cross country skiing is growing and there are many people who want to try our awesome sport and/or grow their skills. In addition to bolstering your own ski community, recreational events such as ski clinics and tours also bring in new people who will return to your venue for years to come. 

NENSA is looking for venues/clubs interested in growing recreational offerings in our region. Our goal for 2023-24 will be to incentivize participation through shared experiences and adventures all across our region. Venues interested in having their event supported by NENSA should complete the bid form HERE by July 15th. Early submissions are encouraged so we can help shape a calendar that minimizes event overlap.

THANK YOU TO OUR NENSA CONTRIBUTING 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 NENSA SUPPORTING SPONSORS

The National Nordic Foundation’s (NNF) annual summer auction begins on Monday, July 10th. Our summer auction is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for skiers and supporters across the country to contribute to US Skiing’s success while taking a piece of it home.

All proceeds from the NNF summer auction go directly towards funding our Pillar Projects next winter, including Junior World Championships, the U18 Nordic Nation’s Cup, and the Trail to Gold Fellowship. Last year’s summer auction raised over $20,000 towards a successful winter in 2022-23 that saw milestones for US skiers at all these Pillar Projects, and we are confident that the US ski community can come together again around lifting our developing athletes up to their full potential next winter!

Welcome to Best Cycling Great Escapes, a new quality travel guide launching soon for cycling lovers the world over who are eager for travel, adventure, romance, and to explore nature.

Featuring many top spots across North America, Cuba and Europe, this new travel resort guide offers a great selection of routes, trails, lodging, dining, events, attractions etc. for road, MTB and gravel, along with superb photos.

Take advantage of our 30% NENSA Member discount and SAVE - click link below.

Pay only $6.95 (reg. $9.95) and start planning your summer cycling vacation today.

A must for all passionate and committed cyclists across the USA, Canada and Europe. This one-of-a-kind guide is a great partner to help you find your perfect cycling vacation spot.

July 9-14, 2023

We’re not waiting for winter, and neither should you!

Skiers are built in the summer and Gould’s Nordic Camp is a fun way to kick off summer training right. Our experienced staff will take you on adventures while honing your endurance, strength, and skills. We’ll have a variety of activities from rollersking to running, biking to bounding, agility courses to multisport adventures, and a whole lot more.

We’ll also play lots of games and hit as many crystal-clear water holes as we can. You’ll get some nutrition tips and our coaches will provide you with a summer training plan if you don’t have one. But best of all, you’ll meet other skiers from around the state and country while enjoying the best that Western Maine has to offer.

July 25-30, 2023

Build training volume on foot and on rollerskis while exploring our local roads, mountains, trails, and rivers. Increase your strength in our world-class Racing Performance Center, and enjoy rejuvenating recovery sessions led by our experienced coaching staff. This year's camp will conclude with a race effort!

BKL Camp: Aug 7-10

Junior Camp: Aug 10-13

The SMS Nordic Program has combined sports science, a variety of proven training methods, a culture of athlete-driven excellence, and of course, FUN(!) to boast one of the most successful Nordic programs in the world. The program's unprecedented national and international success has produced 16 Olympians in the past seven Winter Olympics. Over 35 SMS Nordic athletes have made the U.S. World Junior Team, and 25 have made the U.S. National Team. Each Summer, SMS Nordic hosts two summer camps for young skiers filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

BKL Camp: Aug 9-11

High School Camp: Aug 9-12

Join us for a training camp that covers all aspects of dryland training for nordic skiing and will prepare you to be the best skier you can be next winter. Our camp has developed a reputation for its perfect balance of hard work and fun!

Dublin is the optimal setting for our nordic ski camp. Our quiet, paved roads provide great opportunities for rollerskiing, the Nordic Center has miles of single track for running and mountain biking, and the pristine Dublin Lake offers a great way to cool off after every workout. We’ll reside on the Dublin School campus where we will take advantage of the dining hall’s tasty meals, a fully equipped weight room, and an alpine ski slope that’s for the camp’s famous hill bounding workouts. Mount Monadnock is a quick jog from campus and provides an optimal venue for our distance hike at the conclusion of camp.

Ogden Makes a Difference in the Upper Valley Through WISE

June 29, 2023 | by Justin Lafleur

Katharine Ogden '21 made her presence felt as an All-American skier at Dartmouth.

Today, she is making a difference right down the road in Lebanon, New Hampshire with WISE.

"WISE, as an organization, has a pretty broad mission statement in that the organization's goal is to eradicate gender-based violence in the Upper Valley," said Ogden. "My role involves working directly with survivors who are currently experiencing gender-based violence, usually helping them through the logistics of fleeing from an abusive relationship, or with processing what they had been through."

Ogden is enrolled in a remote Master of Social Work program through Columbia University. Half of the degree is online classes and the other is field work. Living in nearby White River Junction in Vermont, she was matched with WISE by her field work coordinator at Columbia.

"WISE was really interesting to me when I talked about it with my field work coordinator," said Ogden. "I started there in September working three days a week as an intern, which was a part of my education. It was an unpaid position where I was learning and benefiting from working with the advocacy team with WISE.

US Ski and Snowboard Announces World Cup Team for Period 1

July 4, 2023 | by Chris Grover

Dear Cross Country Community,

We are pleased to announce the XC Team for Period 1 of the 2023-24 World Cup season:

Ruka, FIN Sprint C & Östersund, SWE Sprint C

Men

Zanden McMullen           Objective     22-23 Overall SuperTour Leader

Ben Ogden                Objective     10th World Cup Sprint 22-23

JC Schoonmaker            Objective     30th World Cup Sprint 22-23

Kevin Bolger               Objective     40th World Cup Sprint 22-23

Zak Ketterson              Discretion     17th Val di Fiemme Sprint C 22-23

Luke Jager                Discretion     55.51 FIS Sprint Points

Logan Diekmann            Discretion     61.32 FIS Sprint Points

Will Koch                 Alternate     76.66 FIS Sprint Points

Michael Earnhart           Alternate     81.47 FIS Sprint Points

Women

Hailey Swirbul              Objective     22-23 Overall SuperTour Leader

Julia Kern                 Objective     7th World Cup Sprint 22-23

Jessie Diggins              Objective     11th World Cup Sprint 22-23

Rosie Brennan             Objective     16th World Cup Sprint 22-23

Alayna Sonnesyn            Discretion     74.35 FIS Sprint Points

Lauren Jortberg            Discretion     85.8 FIS Sprint Points

Sammy Smith              Discretion     97.22 FIS Sprint Points

Novie McCabe             Alternate     108.46 FIS Sprint Points

Sarah Goble               Alternate     110.7 FIS Sprint Points

Ruka, FIN 10 km C & Trondheim, NOR 10 km C

Men...

So You Want to Learn to Rollerski?

July 5, 2023 | by Cindy Hirschfeld

You’ve seen rollerskiers confidently gliding by on the bike path. It looks fun … and maybe tricky. But once you get the hang of it, rollerskiing can be a great way to keep your Nordic skills fresh throughout the year. “It’s the closest you can get [to cross country skiing] in terms of technique, mechanics, strength and aerobic demands,” says Adam Terko, executive director and head coach for juniors at Mansfield Nordic in Vermont, as well as Cross Country Skier’s technical editor. 

To help you get started, we interviewed Terko about the basics of rollerskiing. Here is his advice, in his own words.

What do I need to rollerski?

Skis, of course. (See our recent rollerski review.) Like Nordic skis, rollerskis come in skate and classic versions, but they’re much shorter than their on-snow counterparts....

THANK YOU TO OUR NENSA OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS

New England Nordic Ski Association

P.O. Box 97

Lyme, NH 03768

Phone: 207-688-6503