Greetings NENSA Community,

NENSA’s annual board meeting took place in Hanover, NH earlier this month and offered a moment for reflection…

In another year of remarkable growth at the BKL Festival, 730 participants, alongside their families, caretakers, and coaches, came together to honor John Ogden and his vision for a vibrant youth ski community. With a resounding moment of celebration, the echoes of their cheers may have reached Middlebury itself, a fitting punctuation mark to a truly outstanding season.

Also in 2023-24, NENSA membership grew by over 9%, we offered expanded programming that included a new Community Events series, developed a vision for a community-wide end of season festival, and hosted the inaugural Para Nordic Cross Country Junior Nationals in conjunction with Eastern High School Championships. Over 4,500 children in a Nordic Rocks program that more than doubled in scale experienced the joy of gliding on snow during the school day while the New England Junior National Team captured the Alaska Cup for the 16th time in 20 years.

Despite the warmest winter on record in the United States and ski conditions that were marginal or fleeting here in New England (see Charlie Cobb's great article, "Skiing is Worth Saving", below), all of this unfolded. The future is undoubtedly bright, buoyed by the resilience and spirit we witnessed throughout the season!

With the dawn of a new year, we begin rolling out some exciting news including the announcement you’ll find below welcoming Ben Theyerl as NENSA’s new Competitive Program Director. The summer calendar is coming together and the rollerski season will officially begin with the Lost Nation Roll in Craftsbury, July 7. Planning for REG and RDG camps is underway with fantastic programs and staffing in place for each of these development projects. Finally, the lengthy news section this week highlights much more news as we collectively commence the 2024-25 season!

In this week’s KickZone

Ben Theyerl to Join NENSA as Competitive Program Director
NENSA Strives To Stay ‘Ahead Of The Curve’ In Creating Opportunities For Para Nordic Skiers In New England
2023-24 XC Ski Bingo Recap
NENSA and USSS Membership Renewals
Club Liability Insurance 2024-25

From Our Partners

SMS, GMVS, Gould, DublinXC Summer Camps
Nordic Skater: Rollerski Rentals
BirdieBlue: Behind the Scenes
Bivo: Hydrating in the Heat

In The News

National Nordic Foundation

IMAGES: 2024 NTG On-Snow Camp in Bend, OR

Nordic Insights

World Cup Finals Coming to Lake Placid in March 2026
Exclusive: Who’s On the 2024/2025 U.S. Ski Team?

FasterSkier

Lake Placid’s Bid: What It Took to Get Another American World Cup
USSS Congress Highlights: Lake Placid to Host 2026 World Cup Final
Jack Young Kicks Like a (Colby) Mule
Cory Schwartz—An Icon Takes a Bow: Part II
Cory Schwartz—An Icon Takes a Bow: Part I
Skiing is Worth Saving

I wish you a wonderful holiday weekend!

All my best,

Heidi

Heidi Lange

Executive Director

New England Nordic Ski Association

heidi@nensa.net

www.nensa.net

NENSA News From the Field

Ben Theyerl to Join NENSA as Competitive Program Director

NENSA is thrilled to introduce incoming Competitive Program Director, Ben Theyerl.

Ben comes to NENSA with strong connections to New England, coaching and community leadership experience, and broad perspectives about sport and athlete development.

A Wisconsin native, Ben connected with the culture and tradition of skiing in the Central region while growing up. He attended Colby College where he studied English, Education, and Environmental Studies and was a member of the Nordic Ski Team. In the years since, Ben has been based in Colorado where he has grown and developed the program at Crested Butte Nordic, provided regional leadership on the board of Rocky Mountain Nordic, and supported U.S. Ski & Snowboard development projects. Along with this regional engagement, Ben has made significant contributions to the broader ski community as an Associate Editor at FasterSkier and Communications Associate with the National Nordic Foundation.

NENSA Strives To Stay ‘Ahead Of The Curve’ In Creating Opportunities For Para Nordic Skiers In New England

April 23, 2024 | by Alex Abrams

In March, three teenagers — one from Maine and the other two from the Midwest — competed at the New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA) Eastern High School Championships in Holderness, New Hampshire.

The Eastern High School Championships is considered the premier event for high school cross-country skiers in the New England and New York area. Even though the event has a large field made up of teenagers from multiple states, there was something noteworthy about these three Nordic skiers.

They competed as standing skiers because of physical impairments to their limbs. A few years earlier, a teenager raced at the Eastern High School Championships on a sit ski.

THANK YOU TO OUR GOLD SPONSORS

2023-24 XC Ski Bingo Recap

This past winter, skiers all across the northeast participated in NENSA’s fourth annual virtual XC Ski Bingo game completing activities ranging from creating obstacle courses to gliding contests to trying another winter sport. Participants could get Bingo by completing a row or column of activities and this year we also offered a Bingo card for adults and juniors for the second year! This winter there were a total of 27 participants in 5 states (NH, VT, ME, MA, NY) at 33 different trail areas. Collectively, participants also attended 19 NENSA Events this season. The pictures and tales from participants was encouraging, despite a challenging winter weather-wise. Below are some stories and photo memories from the participants themselves:

“I love our Maine ski community! I’ve made so many friends all over the state, and it’s great to cheer everyone on at races- like we’re all on the same ski team:)”

“I went on a treasure hunt ski with my Maine West BKL friends. We found donuts and chocolate in the woods!”"

Photos and More HERE

NENSA and USSS Membership Renewals

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.

Your 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

Club/Team Membership

While you're at it, US Ski and Snowboard memberships renew on Juy 1 and are required for all nationally sanctioned events including REG Camp, Eastern Cup Races, US (Senior) Nationals, and Junior Nationals. PLEASE NOTE that if you did or will turn 18 between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025, you will need to complete Safesport training and a background check to maintain eligibility and points.

USSS Join/Renew

Club Liability Insurance 2024-25

General Liability coverage is back and available to all clubs under the NENSA Master policy.

A Master policy aggregates coverage for the community, offers better coverage than what clubs may find individually, and saves our clubs the costs of these separate policies. It is a member benefit that we are proud to offer and that supports our community through the local savings it offers to clubs.

Enrollment and More HERE

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.

Scenes from the NENSA Community

THANK YOU TO OUR BRONZE SPONSORS

Partnership Corner

July 7th - July 12th, 2024

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.

Learn More

July 30 - Aug 4, 2024

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. Camp will conclude with a race effort.

Learn More

BKL Camp: Aug 5-8, 2024

Junior Camp: Aug 8-11, 2024

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

Learn More

NH Nordic Devo Camp

August 14-17, 2024

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!

Learn More

Rollerski Rental

Try before you buy; be assured you're buying the right equipment the first time!

Look, we know there's a lot of choices. It can be daunting if you don't already know what your preferences are, or what you're looking for in the products. To solve this we've setup a rental program! It's easy to get started, and gives you the peace of mind that you're making the best investment the first time around.

We offer 2-week rental periods on all models we sell. This includes V2, Swenor, Swix, Rundle and SnowWing.

If you choose to buy the equipment you rent we will credit the full rental fee from the listed retail price!

Let us know what your goal is, and we'll help get you there.

Call us today at (603) 210-4916 to reserve your rental or get more information.

More HERE

BEHIND THE SCENES with BirdieBlue

May 17, 2024

"Hey Kate, how did you get the idea to turn old clothes into new bags?"

"What does BirdieBlue mean?"

"Where do you get all of the old ski and snow gear?"

Since our founding in 2022, we've been getting a lot of questions. Our process is a bit unusal so we get it. We LOVE it when you want to know and learn more about BirdieBlue. So we thought we would do a little "BEHIND THE SCENES" to answer all of your burning questions!

How to Hydrate in the Heat

May 23rd, 2024 | by Keaton Smith

The first thing I heard from Robby and Carina when we got to the office yesterday was "Damn it is hot out!" They had just returned from a run, and even though it wasn't quite 70 yet, it was humid and temps were rising.

By the afternoon, it hit 87. With plans to mountain bike after work, my mind was on the heat and how I would stay hydrated. For many of you, it's been hot for a while and it's only going to get hotter.

So, we thought that some tips on how to stay hydrated this summer, especially while exercising in the heat would be helpful! We consulted sports dietician Kristen Arnold, (who we've featured in the past here), so all the tips are from her! Thanks, Kristen!

More HERE

Quench'd: On Equal Distance Racing

April 26, 2024

For this week's Quench'd series, we'd like to welcome Molly Peters, a coach who is making waves in the nordic ski and cross country running scenes. Molly coaches the women’s and men’s cross country running team and the women’s and men’s nordic ski teams at St. Michael’s College. She has been actively fighting for men and women to race equal distances for the two sports she coaches for the past four years. Thanks for joining us, Molly!

In the News

IMAGES: 2024 NTG On-Snow Camp in Bend, OR

May 8, 2024 | by Ben Theyerl

The best way to start training for the 2024-25 ski season comes down a pretty simple prospect: ski!

That’s exactly what the National Training Group (NTG) has been up to this week in Bend, Oregon, beating out none other than their older counterparts on the US Ski Team for the first ski tracks of the training year in Bend. The magic of springtime out West has been in full swing for the talented group of junior skiers gathered from across the United States. Bike rides in the morning, skiing in the afternoon, and more bike rides at night, it’s been a dream made possible by a little elevation.

The following athletes make up the NTG group in Oregon, with the US Ski Team arriving later this week to kick off their own camp, and intentionally overlap one generation of US Skiing’s talent with another:

World Cup Finals Coming to Lake Placid in March 2026

May 14, 2024 | by Gavin Kentch

If you enjoyed Minneapolis in February 2024, get ready for Lake Placid in March 2026.

“Recently we were awarded the World Cup Finals for 2026,” began Rebecca Dayton’s presentation at USSS Spring Congress earlier Tuesday.

Dayton, who works for New York state agency Olympic Regional Development Authority, or ORDA, was joined by Kris Cheney-Seymour, also of ORDA, as they walked through some of the logistics and capabilities of Lake Placid as a host venue. Dayton is General Manager of Mt Van Hoevenberg and the Olympic Jumping Complex; Cheney-Seymour is the head of Sport Development at Mt Van Hoevenberg.

Exclusive: Who’s On the 2024/2025 U.S. Ski Team?

April 29, 2024 | by Nordic Insights

It’s late April, which means that national team nominations should officially be announced soon by U.S. Ski & Snowboard. But if you would like to know what that team announcement should say, I can tell you that now. Read on for more.

There are two avenues by which an athlete may make the U.S. Ski Team, objective selection and discretionary nomination. There was only one athlete named to the national team on a discretionary basis last season, and that athlete, Zak Ketterson, qualified for this year’s team on an objective basis. I do not, personally, foresee USSS naming any athletes to the team via discretion this year, but stay tuned. This article only addresses objective qualification.

Without further ado: Here are the athletes who have qualified for the 2024/2025 national cross-country ski team on the basis of objective criteria:

Lake Placid’s Bid: What It Took to Get Another American World Cup

May 21, 2024 | by Ken Roth

After the smash success of the Minneapolis World Cup, a question being asked by American cross-country fans was whether Minneapolis was a one trick pony, or would we see other World Cup events in the United States? That question was partially answered when it was announced that Lake Placid is on its way to being a host venue for a World Cup in 2026. While it’s not official yet, the groundwork has been laid; barring any last minute complications with FIS (International Ski Federation), we should see World Cup racing in Lake Placid, New York, toward the end of March 2026.

USSS Congress Highlights: Lake Placid to Host 2026 World Cup Final

May 16, 2024 | by Ben Theyerl

Skiing is an activity divided into seasons of the year: summer is when fast skiers are made; winter leaves us feeling like it went by all too fast; spring is for politics.

This week in Park City, the annual US Ski and Snowboard (USSS) Congress meets to discuss broad-based visions for the future of US Skiing, and to hammer out the necessary logistics that make the sport go ’round. New rules and initiatives are discussed, while some of the best minds in US Skiing mesh the International race calendar, US Skiing development pipeline, and the predicament of predicting where the snow will be in December to create the US Skiing calendar for the next season.

Here’s a couple of highlights from Days 1 and 2 of the USSS Congress:

Jack Young Kicks Like a (Colby) Mule

May 13, 2024 | by Ben Theyerl

The story of how Colby College became the Mules traces back to years of listless play from their football team, before a season in which the team suddenly became one of the best in New England. That led the Sports Editor at the student newspaper, The Colby Echo, to remark that instead of “black horse” to win their conference, Colby was suddenly a “white mule.” A couple of creative undergrads took the cue, sourced the rural environs around Waterville, Maine, and the next weekend, a real live mule patrolled the Colby sideline.

A century later, the story seems allegorical for the story of Colby nordic skier Jack Young. The Jay, Vermont native and Colby Junior spent his winter chasing down World Cup starts as one of the country’s best sprint prospects. Then, in his first World Cup start, Young quickly put together a memorable performance in Canmore where he qualified for the skate sprint heats in 11th place. In retrospect, it pointed to the potential of American skiers to leverage the relative home-field advantage of a rare North American World Cup tour into expectation-defying results. A week later, Gus Schumacher won in Minneapolis. Black horse to white mule-type stuff.

Cory Schwartz—An Icon Takes a Bow: Part II

May 10, 2024 | by Ken Roth

Our discussions with Schwartz focused on the development of the UNH team culture, and how it evolved from his own experiences in trying to keep the ski program alive. “As I progressed through my early years of coaching, we were on the cutting block at least four times during my career,” Schwartz observed. “And that led us down the road of forming the team (concept) because we had to solve the problem together as a team. We just kept building on that; I could sense the experience made the team more positive and happier. That made them be better skiers because they wanted to perform together. It just went down that road, that this makes sense. That translated to even the practice part… that we’re better being whole and supportive instead of in these different disciplines of Alpine versus Nordic or men versus women.” That experience laid the foundation for the future. “I could sense that experience made the team more positive, happier, which made them better students and better skiers.”

Cory Schwartz—An Icon Takes a Bow: Part I

May 8, 2024 | by Ken Roth

Let’s jump into our FasterSkier time machine and go back to 1982. Ronald Reagan was President, the internet hadn’t been invented, and social media wasn’t even a concept. The Berlin wall would still be standing for another seven years, and therefore East Berlin and the Soviet Union were still a thing. Americans were looking back fondly at the 1980 winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, where the miracle on ice—the U.S. hockey team winning the gold medal—was still a fresh memory, Bill Koch had represented the U.S. in cross-country skiing and would go on to become the first American to win a medal in a world championship when he took home the bronze in the 30-kilometer race in 1982. No designation for Freestyle or Classic had yet been developed! Enough of the historical perspective, just accept it was a long time ago.

It was during this bygone era that a recent graduate from the University of New Hampshire (U.N.H.) accepted an assistant coaching position at his alma mater, becoming the head coach of the cross-country ski team soon thereafter. A mere 42 years later, that man, Cory Schwartz, has decided the time has come to retire after spending his entire career at U.N.H.

Skiing is Worth Saving

May 3, 2024 | by Charlie Cobb

In the past, I’ve felt guilty that one of the major reasons I care about climate change is to save my favorite sport. When so many have, and will continue to lose homes and loved ones to the climate crisis, my potential loss of cross country skiing seems so trivial; however, I now see that for myself and all those who have participated in the Birkie, or watched the Minneapolis World Cup, or been to the New England Bill Koch Festival, skiing is so much more than a sport. It’s an expression of true joy. It’s something we do with our friends and family. It’s part of our culture and identity. It’s something we look forward to every year because nothing quite compares to the feeling of skate skiing on a fast, icy day, or classic striding in firm tracks with extra blue kick wax. It’s the best feeling in the world; is that not worth preserving? Is preserving the things that make us happy, the things that make life worth living, not as important as preserving the basic necessities?

In many ways, I feel like the climate crisis is a lot like a ski marathon. A marathon where you fall and break a pole at the start, or miss the start completely, or come into it with a cold. Your best possible result is out of reach from the moment you really get going, but the race is long; if you don’t give up—if you put your best foot forward—then you might just achieve a decent result. But you’d better get going . . .