NENSA is proud to name our 2024 Elite and Development Teams, highlighting the continued success of Eastern athletes regionally, nationally and internationally. Nomination to these teams is based on U.S. Ski & Snowboard List 10 Overall Points and highlights the interplay of junior, collegiate and national competition. Athletes nominated will receive further communication and invitations to attend events and camps throughout the 2024 training year. You can read more about criteria and Team Benefits here: Elite, Development.
NENSA News
2023-24 Zak Cup and Club Cup Season Wrap Up
The Zak Cup series is named after Vlastimil Zak and commemorates his enthusiasm and dedication to our sport. The Zak Cup is a season-long series to determine the best skiers in each five-year age group over 30 and Seniors (20-29). All events that are part of this series are scored for Club points, with all participants earning at least one point for their club. 17 of the 20 scheduled Zak Cups were held during the 2023-24 season, showcasing New England’s varied terrain and snow conditions and resilience in low snow conditions! Many thanks to the host clubs, volunteers, venues and skiers who make these events well-run, fun and social ski events. Here are a few photo and video highlights from this season:
December:
January:
February:
March:
There were tons of great events and camaraderie this winter. The energy of the season is really summed up in this video:
Silver Fox Trot Start Video – Mackenzie Rizio clip
The Zak Cup winners in each age group are NENSA members that completed at least three races, with the best six races counting for SR-M6 and best three for M7+. Note there were several ties this year! The age group winners for this year are as follows:
SR women – 1st: Annika Landis (Enjoy Winter Factory Team)
SR men – 1st: Will Meehan (St Michaels College), 2nd: Gaelan Boyle-Wight (NWVE), 3rd: Thomas Clayton (NWVE)
M1 men – 1st: Chris Burnham (NWVE), 2nd: Dennis Page (Nansen Ski Club), 3rd: Nathaniel Duquette (Ford Sayre)
M2 men – 1st (tie): Sam Quintal (Putney Ski Club) and Nick Laurence (Holderness Nordic Club), 3rd (tie): Sam Evans-Brown (Concord Nordic) and Tristan Williams
M3 women – 1st: Kasie Enman (NWVE)
M3 men – 1st place: Tyler Magnan (NWVE), 2nd: Jake Hollenbach (NWVE), 3rd: Dennis Claire (Gunstock Nordic Ski Association)
M4 women – 1st: Jessica Bolduc (NWVE), 2nd: Cipperly Good (NWVE), 3rd: Michele Smith (Cambridge Sports Union)
M4 men – 1st: Damian Bolduc (NWVE), 2nd: Eli Enman (NWVE), 3rd: Tyson Weems
M5 women – 1st: Rosalie Wilson (Ford Sayre)
M5 men – 1st: Rob Riley (Gunstock Nordic Ski Association), 2nd: Carl Ring (Holderness Nordic Club), 3rd: Eric Darling (NWVE)
M6 women – 1st: Elizabeth Ransom (Gunstock Nordic Ski Association), Karen Alence (Mansfield Nordic Club), Kathy Maddock (Dublin XC)
M6 men – 1st: Jeff Palleiko (Gunstock Nordic Ski Association), 2nd: Stuart Kremzner, 3rd: Frank Feist (Ford Sayre)
M7 women – 1st: Amy Patenaude Gunn (Black Water Nordic Ski Club), 2nd: Ellie Bouffard (Mansfield Nordic Club)
M7 men – 1st (3 way tie): Kirk Siegel (Bethel Outing Club), Ed Momm (Gunstock Nordic Ski Association), and Stephen Wright (NWVE)
M8 women – 1st: Lisa Doucett (Cambridge Sports Union)
M8 men – 1st (tie): Charlie Gunn (Black Water Nordic Ski Club) and Mark Lena (Maine Nordic), 3rd: Robert Burnham (Eastern Mass Nordic, inc (EMXC))
M9 men – 1st (3 way tie): Rich Barker (Freedom Trail Nordic), Bruce Katz, and Dhyan Nirmegh (NWVE)
M10 men – 1st: Jud Hartmann (NWVE)
Congratulations to Jessica Bolduc (NWVE) and Will Meehan (St Michaels College) for being the overall winners this year of the Zak Cup series! For the women, Rosalie Wilson (Ford Sayre) is 2nd overall , and Annika Landis (Enjoy Winter Factory Team) is 3rd. In the mens category, Gaelan Boyle-Wight (NWVE) is 2nd overall, and Sam Evans-Brown (Concord Nordic) is 3rd place.
The Club Cup rewards participation by lots of club members across many races and various age groups (up to three deep per gender). The strongest clubs generally are scoring in several age groups at many of the races. For overall Club scores, the Masters heavy NWVE came in 3rd place, with the multigenerational teams of Ford Sayre in 2nd and Mansfield Nordic Club coming in first this year! Click HERE to find rankings for age categories, overall, and club points.
Congratulations to all those who participated in the Zak Cup and Club Cup series, and thank you to the Clubs and host venues for continuing to put on great races in New England. Bids are now open for the 2024-25 season. Click here for more info on how to bid!
NENSA Seeks Competitive Program Director
As the regional governing body for cross country skiing in the U.S., New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA) provides the support structure necessary to bring cross country skiers to their highest potential at regional, national and international events. NENSA seeks a dynamic Competitive Program Director to oversee our year round competitive programming. This role requires strong, inspired leadership and a collaborative spirit to galvanize and to work with our nordic community. This position will work closely with community stakeholders including relevant committees, venues, event organizers, clubs, sponsors, Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association (EISA), U.S. Ski & Snowboard, and the NENSA staff team. The Competitive Program Director will further NENSA’s athlete and coach development pipeline and philosophy by creating resources and implementing development projects. This position oversees NENSA’s race data including the seeding, scoring, and ranking of all competitive events and series. The Competitive Program Director is an empowered position requiring energy, vision, attention to detail, and the ability to multitask in advancing NENSA’s competitive programs.
Duties include, but are not limited to:
- Establish NENSA as a central resource for our community and a national leader in coach, athlete, and club development
- Develop and promote NENSA’s Athlete and Coaches Development pipeline, philosophy, and programs through resources and collaborative programming
- Provide leadership, education, instruction and guidance to coaches, event organizers, parents, athletes, and others
- Manage all aspects of NENSA’s competitive programs and events including the Eastern Cup Race Series (including coordinating with other organizing bodies such as EISA or U.S. Ski & Snowboard for combined Carnivals or SuperTours), Rollerski Series, and Zak/Marathon series. In collaboration with NENSA’s Youth & Introductory Program Director, provide oversight of U16 and Eastern High School Championships.
- Produce and manage a bid process for regional competitive events and series
- Work with relevant committees and organizations to develop seasonal calendars
- Work closely with local organizing committees to plan, promote, and support events
- Run or assist with registration pages and ensure good data collection and license validations
- Track and manage all competitive program and event data and race data (seeding, scoring, and ranking) and ensure compliance with USSS and FIS rules & policy
- Organize and lead the New England Junior National Team including athlete selection, selection and oversight of staff, and trip logistics, communication, and leadership.
- Organize and oversee coaches education and development:
- Develop a program for regional coach mentorship, development, and certification
- Organize annual NENSA Coaches Symposium, periodic webinars, L100/200 clinic opportunities, and other coach education opportunities
- Manage NENSA’s Elite and Development Team naming and communications
- Organize and manage NENSA’s Eastern REG and RDG Camps and serve as liaison for other national summer camps or training opportunities
- Manage all competitive program community communications via email, social media, and regular newsletters and maintain the competitive program section of the NENSA website
Additional key priorities include, but are not limited to:
- Work closely and collaboratively with NENSA staff and Board of Directors
- Serve as liaison to EISA
- Serve as NENSA liaison with local Organizing Committees and Technical Delegates at Eastern Cup events
- Engage professionally with potential and existing NENSA sponsors and contributors
- Maintain a clear understanding of NENSA’s competitive rules as well as USSS/FIS rules
- Work closely with NENSA Athlete Development, Coaches Education, and Masters Committees
- Serve on relevant U.S. Ski & Snowboard committees or other ad-hoc committees as necessary
- Maintain U.S. Ski & Snowboard L100 Coach Certification (which includes SafeSport certification and background checks) or higher
- Represent NENSA at relevant regional and national events
- Track and share relevant news, updates, and resources via the website. social media, and newsletters
- Other duties as assigned as part of the NENSA staff team
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s Degree or commensurate educational background
- Excellent written and verbal communication and strong interpersonal skills
- Familiarity with the New England cross country skiing community
- Competitive skiing background as athlete or coach
- Rollerski experience
- Superior organizational skills and attention to detail
- Ability to lift and carry 50 lbs
- Comfort working in both office and field settings
- Proficiency with office applications (Google/Microsoft)
- Ability to use platforms for web design, email marketing, and database management
- Savvy social media user with demonstrated ability to effectively use Facebook and Instagram. Videography skills preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to work in fast paced, multidisciplinary team environment
- Must be eligible to work in the USA
- Valid driver’s license
- Passion for the sport of cross country skiing and a commitment to the ideals of the NENSA mission
Conditions: This is a remote position that requires the ability to work and communicate regularly and effectively from a home office. Frequent and extensive regional travel around the northeast is required. Some work takes place outdoors in varying and winter weather conditions. Must be able to work weekends and evenings aligning with NENSA and community needs.
The Competitive Program Director is a full time salaried position. Benefits include paid vacation, a health care stipend, a matching IRA contribution, professional development funding, and travel expenses. This position reports to the Executive Director. Start date is negotiable, but we seek to fill this role as soon as possible. Interested candidates should send a letter of interest, resume, and three references no later than April 22, 2024 to Heidi Lange, Executive Director via email at [email protected]
NENSA Event Bidding Open for 2024-25
The 2023-2024 competition season robust participation across Popular and Eastern Cup Competition. Popular Racing had the same number of skier starts through the first weekend of March compared to last year’s record breaking participation. Many events also hosted BKL events in conjunction which boosted event numbers. NENSA is committed to continuing to bolster support for these inclusive events. The Eastern Cup saw nearly 2600 skiers, the third most attended on record, and with the likelihood of combining at least one Carnival into the schedule 2024-2025 could rival the high mark of the 2022 season.
Popular Race & Community Events Bids
NENSA will once again offer two tiers of Popular Race calendaring for 2024-2025. Last season, with increased NENSA support and media we saw 11 of the 20 races on the calendar reach over 100 participants. NENSA staff is thankful for the many event organizers and clubs that make this Series such a success, even when winter wasn’t cooperating for much of the season. Our goal for 2024-2025 will be to continue to incentivize participation through advanced calendaring, promotion, Club and Zak Cup rankings. We will again place the Popular Races Series as the core of the NENSA calendar.
New in 2023-24, NENSA partnered with clubs to host a Community Events series. These range from clinics to tours to night skis. The events are family friendly and a perfect fit those looking for non-competitive fun in the snow. These events celebrate the social side of our sport by offering group experiences that you cannot have on a typical day at any touring center.
Clubs and Organizations interested in having their event(s) named to NENSA’s Zak Cup, Community Events, and/or New England Marathon Series should complete this form by April 22nd. Early submissions are encouraged so we can help shape a calendar that minimizes event overlaps.
Link to detailed Popular Race information. (Zak, Marathon and Community Events)
Direct link to Popular Race Bid Sheet
Eastern Cup Race Bids
Please note Eastern Cup is open and closes April 20th, with SuperTour bidding wrapped up in early May. Eastern Cup scheduling is determined by the Athlete Development Committee. There is ongoing discussion of the National SuperTour calendar which will be stamped at USSS Congress the second week of May — after this point NENSA will release our Eastern Cup schedule for 2024-2025.
Direct link to Eastern Cup Bid Sheet
U16 & Eastern High School Championships Bids
Please note U16 and Eastern High School Championship bidding is open and closes April 17th. These championships take place each March, with U16s slated to be in Vermont while EHSC is to take place in Maine in 2025. The 2025 EHSC will also host a Para Junior National Invite for a second year running.
Direct link to the U16/EHSC Bid Sheet
For those intending to host an Eastern Cup or Major Championship NENSA requires sending two representatives to attend the Event Organizer & TD Seminar typically held during in the Fall. All other race organizers are encouraged and welcome to attend. We will be make this date public in the coming weeks.
For Eastern Cup, Community Event, Zak, Marathon, U16 or EHSC questions please reach out to: [email protected]
Thanks for making your bids early and we look forward to planning next years events with you!
Welcoming Nominations for NENSA’s Annual Awards
The NENSA staff is accepting nominations for folks in our New England ski community who fulfill the ideals of our Annual Awards. These awards honor the achievements and contributions of our members who work to support NENSA’s mission of sustaining a vibrant and active Nordic skiing community in New England. Click HERE to submit a nomination in any of these Award categories:
John Caldwell Award: One of NENSA’s finest traditions is presenting the John Caldwell Award. This award annually recognizes a single individual, or entity, which embodies the spirit, dedication, innovation, and pride of John Caldwell.
Coach of the Year: This award is given annually to honor a NENSA coach for their achievements and contributions in working with athletes, in support of NENSA’s mission to sustain a vibrant and active Nordic skiing community in New England.
Club of the Year: This award is given annually to honor a NENSA club that is making great strides in supporting the NENSA mission to sustain a vital and active nordic skiing community in New England.
Chummy Broomhall Award: This award is named after Chummy, who was the Chisholm Ski Club leader for 70 plus years, 2 time Olympian, and builder of the Olympic race courses for Squaw Valley, Lake Placid and Black Mountain. He embodied the spirit of being a volunteer as he was a man who gave his time to generations. It is in this spirit that this award be in his honor for the unsung heroes of ski racing.
Bill Koch League Youth Leadership Award: The Bill Koch League Leadership Award is for those community members who embody fun, community, and a lifelong love of the sport.
See past receipts HERE. Thank you!