Late August Greetings NENSA Community ~
This summer has flow by! NENSA's fall and winter programing is just around the corner, so what better time than NOW to renew your NENSA membership! 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 full programing for you, our ski community ~ we need your support this year, more than ever!
Click here for MEMBERSHIP:
Our Virtual Vertical App Gap Challenge is ON right now and it is not too late to join in the fun and be eligible for some great prizes! The challenge runs through this Sunday August 30th.
Here's what we have in store for you in this week's KickZone in the boxes below ~
- The APP GAP is BACK!! Sign up for this Virtual Vertical Challenge running August 22-30th on SkiReg.com
- FIS guidelines for cleaning your skis, and all your equipment, to be ready for the fluoro free winter and future
- Learn to Rollerski: Technique Clinic and Rollerski Ramps ~ next Wednesday September 2, 4:30-6:30pm, Warren VT. Registration on SkiReg.com
- Save the Date: Wednesday 9/2 at 7pm via Zoom: Mythbusters Edition of Race and Sport, presented by Nichole Ritchie and Akeo Maifeld-Carruci. Zoom link to follow on our social media early next week.
- Did you know that as a NENSA member, you can get some GREAT discounts and special offers from some of our NENSA sponsors?? Check them all out HERE and in the box below. More partner discounts to be added this fall!
- Our NENSA COVID Considerations: Contingency Planning for our Events and Races this coming season
- US Ski & Snowboard cross country team updates: Meet the Rookies spotlight on Katherine Ogden!
- From Cabot Cheese - get the 411 on all your voting questions and needs!
- From FasterSkier: UAA cross country ski program faces being potential cut, again...
Be sure to check out the full calendar listings at the bottom of this newsletter.
I hope this finds everyone safe and well ~ and enjoying the end of summer in your part of New England!
Best,
Amie
Amie W. Smith
Executive Director
New England Nordic Ski Association
Amie@nensa.net
781-864-0545
GIVING: DONATE to NENSA today, and thank you!
MEMBERSHIP: RENEW or JOIN today, and thank you!
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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The APP GAP is ON!
Join the Virtual Vertical Challenge
August 22-30th
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We are very excited to announce that App Gap 2020 is happening NOW! It will come as no surprise to anyone that the format will be quite different than in previous years to ensure safety during this global pandemic. App Gap 2020 will take place between Aug 22 and 30 with multiple small physically distance in-person invitational rollerski races up the Gap for local clubs and a virtual event that is open to our whole NENSA community. While we would love to host an in-person App Gap for everyone, we simply cannot safely do that in this environment and we want our summer/fall events to be safe and successful so we can provide more opportunities this winter. We appreciate your understanding and hope you are excited to compete in the Virtual App Gap Challenge. There will, of course, be sweet prizes and the nature of a virtual event means anyone can participate regardless of their location! There are three virtual rollerski participation categories and we will be rolling out a team competition within these categories as well so stay tuned!
...Click HERE to find out much more...the three virtual vertical categories, how to register, etc.
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Learn to Rollerski: Technique Clinic and Rollerski Ramps
Next Wednesday September 2,
4:30-6:30pm
Warren Vermont
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NENSA is psyched to kick off our first technique session and coaches education clinic with ramps and @swenorrollerskis. The clinic will take place on September 2nd in Warren, Vermont from 4:30-6:30pm. Just $20 ~ and you will learn so much!
This is a great opportunity to “Learn to Rollerski,” experience the concept of pressuring-your-ski from the cutting edge bicycle ramp, or just brush up on some new technique cues. Participants can demo Swenor skate and classic rollerskis from our fleet.
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NENSA COVID-19 Considerations ~
Contingency Planning
for our Events and Races
this coming season
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The Covid-19 pandemic poses significant challenges to NENSA’s 2020-21 winter event schedule. We are committed to hosting races and will make every effort to safely put on events in whatever form they might take. Our first objective is to ensure the health of our community in New England. Our second objective is to host our major events: Eastern Cups, Popular Races, U16 and Eastern High School Championships, the Bill Koch Festival, and Women’s Day as scheduled. To further foster excitement and an inclusive and community-centric atmosphere around skiing, NENSA will also be organizing some new fun season long challenges and goal-oriented activities. Skiers are encouraged to limit their travel and attend events that are within their region and state.
State and regional guidelines will dictate how we conduct events. We understand that the course of this pandemic, and thus the guidelines put in place to keep us safe, might not progress linearly. While the nature of competition will remain the same, we must operate our events in a manner that ensures the safety of all athletes, volunteers, staff and the communities in which our events are held until the end of the Covid-19 pandemic. Below you will find detailed information outlining our event contingency plans - please note all of these outlines require that participants abide by the New England Cross Country Promise (NECCP) - failing to follow these guidelines may warrant removal from an event and jeopardizes our community and the entire event calendar. Our goal is to be transparent and keep our community informed and up-to-date on our evolving thoughts and plans. Please note participation may be limited by what state and/or county you are coming from and the duration of your stay (ie. day trips vs. lodging).
....click HERE for the current plans for Eastern Cups, Popular/Citizen Racing, U16 & EHS Camps, BKL Festival and Women's Day
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Will Your Skis Pass The Test?
How To Clean Fluorinated Substances To Pass USST and FIS Rules
Recommended cleaning of used equipment from fluorinated substances:
This document describes the proposed steps to "clean" used equipment from fluorinated substances and reduce contamination down to a level where no competitive advantage is present.
Cleaning of skis and snowboards
- Clean the running base with a non-fluorinated base cleaner by applying the liquid with a cloth. Then rub the base surface with a fluor-free cleaning brush (stiff nylon). Let dry for 15 min, continue to brush the ski / board with a clean steel or bronze brush.
- Perform "Hot Fluor-free wax cleaning" >10 times (iron hot wax - scrape while warm - brush) on each ski and board. Use waxes of different melt temperatures (warm - medium- cold). (Clean scrape and brush after every application)
Grinding the bases of skis/boards is an option that will also remove contamination fluorinated compounds from surface layers. Grinding is recommended for base material made with fluorinated additives since research shows that these additives migrate to the surface. After grinding step 1 and 2 should be repeated.
Equipment cleaning
* Iron
- Scrape off excessive wax. Warm the iron and clean liquid wax residuals with a cloth. Melt non-fluorinated wax and clean with a cloth.
* Scrapers
- Scrape off wax residuals. Clean with base cleaner, wash with water and soap, rinse thoroughly.
* Brushes
- Vacuum clean the wax dust from the brush. Use the brush extensively while cleaning skis with hot wax and vacuum clean between every application. Dip the bristles in a base cleaner and brush over an edge to further clean the brush. Let dry and vacuum clean. As a final cleaning step, one may consider washing the brushes in a dish washer in a high temperature programme.
Warning: As brushes may be the most difficult equipment to clean thoroughly one should consider replacing used brushes with new ones.
* Roto fleece
- Based on experience we recommend replacing roto fleece and similar equipment as they have shown to be almost impossible to clean thoroughly.
*Apron
- Wash in washing machine with high temperature cycle several times.
* Files and file guides
- Brush the equipment with a soft file brush. Vacuum clean. Dip into a base cleaner, wipe off and vacuum clean.
* Ski Bags
- Vacuum any dust, wipe clean with cloth and base cleaner, wash with water and soap, rinse thoroughly.
* To secure a healthy working environment the wax room should be thoroughly cleaned. It is important to remove as much dust particles as possible. A safe and healthy working environment is the responsibility of the user. The objective of these cleaning recommendations is to point towards both the cleaning as well as dilution effect the above waxing steps describes.
As of 14th August 2020
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Current NENSA Member Discounts from some of our awesome Sponsors!! |
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How Fantastic is this??!! |
From Concept2, Morrisville, VT:
NENSA members will receive $40 off the retail price of a Concept2 SkiErg. Just mention this NENSA member discount when placing your order by phone. 800.245.5676 Concept2.com/ski
From EnjoyWinter.com:
Bliz, Swenor, Anti-Freeze Face Tape and Start poles, as NENSA partners, are pleased to offer NENSA members a 20% discount at their website www.EnjoyWinter.com. Just type in NENSA20 at checkout. EnjoyWinter every day of the year!
From UnTapped Maple:
All NENSA members receive a 10% discount on all nutritional products, use code NENSA10 at checkout. Go to untapped.cc to place your order today and fuel yourself naturally with the organic simplicity of maple syrup.
From SIDAS, your Foot Company:
From BRIKO:
BRIKO offers a 20% Discount to all NENSA members on their website!! Just use BR20 at checkout! Take advantage of getting awesome bike helmet (for biking or rollers king!) as well as Nordic sunglasses, or any of the other products BRIKO carries! Go to: https://brikousa.com
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Meet the Rookies Spotlight:
Katharine Ogden
Following a couple years of competing on the NCAA circuit for Dartmouth College, Katherine returns to the Davis U.S. Cross Country Team faster than ever! She is the first American woman to win an individual medal at the Junior World Championships - a bronze in 2017 in the 10k skiathlon. She was also a member of the 2017 bronze-medal winning women's relay team. This past season she also posted two top-30 World Cup results.
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Get the 411 on all your voting questions and needs! From our partners at Cabot Cheese!
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August 19th: UAA Announces Plan to Cut Ski Team, Effective 2021/22:
ANCHORAGE — The University of Alaska Anchorage announced Wednesday a planned “reconfiguration” of the UAA Athletics Department, which will involve cutting both the men’s and women’s ski teams after the 2020/2021 school year. School leaders will seek approval of their plan, which would also cut men’s hockey and women’s gymnastics, at the upcoming Board of Regents meeting on September 10-11...read full story HERE
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August 24th: UAA Skiers, Past and Present, On What the Team Means to Them:
ANCHORAGE — It’s déjà vu all over again for alumni and supporters of the University of Alaska Anchorage ski team, following the recent announcement that, for the second time in four years, university administration wishes to cut the team for budgetary reasons. A common theme in their current responses is their concern that this time, the cut may stick...read full story HERE
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Upcoming Events
A Look Ahead at the NENSA Calendar
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Date TBD (later this fall): TD & Event Organizer Training (virtual)
Full NENSA.net Calendar Listing HERE
Link to our NENSA Virtual Resources Page HERE
Link to our NENSA BLM Resources Page HERE
Link to our NENSA Equality & Diversity Policy HERE
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New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA)
49 Pineland Drive, Suite 301A
New Gloucester, ME 04260
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