Posted by EnjoyWinter.com, Swenor Rollerskis on Jun 16th 2023
New England Nordic Ski Association 2023 Rollerski events!
NENSA - Making skiing cool since 1995
The New England Nordic Ski Association deserves recognition for putting on some of the best rollerski events in the Nation including not only high level racing, but beginner friendly clinics, and accessible virtual events like the #25KinMay. We're a proud sponsor of NENSA, with Swenor being the official rollerski of the series. Here's a calendar of events, with information and links regarding each event. Even if you're not based in New England, you can participate in the virtual events from around the world!
Link to NENSA website for events
July 1st - Lost Nation Roll
NENSA’s 2023 Rollerski Race Series kicks off at Craftsbury with the Lost Nation Roll in conjunction with the Regional Development Camp. This will be the fourth year of the competition, which has historically brought together competitive fields including elite level skiers as well as masters.
July 1st-31st - Fifth Annual Roy-llerski
NENSA and The Maine Outdoor Wellness Center are thrilled to host the 5th annual Roy-llerski and Fundraiser this year during the month of July. The event, originally created by Jenny Wilbraham, was created in memory of Roy Varney to bring together the nordic community for support and to enjoy the sport they all shared.
July 23rd - Nonstop Nordic Good Times Roll Brunswick Maine
August 13th - Rollins Roll Mt. Kearsarge, NH
Classic hill climb up Mt.Kearsarge for all ages. New Pavement for the race this year!
- Open event designed to bring NENSA Rollerski Racing to the New Hampshire region and an awesome opportunity to do a scenic climb on a closed park road. Hosted in partnership with Kearsarge Nordic.
- 8-8:30am interval start – Awards 9:15am at the summit
"The Mt. Van Hoevenberg track provides a world class surface for rollerski sprint competition. Jessie Diggins leaves the gate in 2021". Photo Credit Reese Brown (link to Reece's instagram)
Keys to the Castle - September 23rd, Lake Placid, NY
NENSA is excited to return to Mt Van Hoevenberg and the Whiteface Toll Road to partner with the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) and New York Ski Education Foundation (NYSEF) for a full weekend of summer snow sport activities!
The Castle Conquest is a trifecta of competition and fun at the world-renowned Lake Placid Olympic Sites. Mt Van Hoevenberg’s Keys To The Castle race kicks off the weekend on Saturday, followed by a Biathlon Super Sprint. On Sunday, the NYSEF Climb to the Castle race ascends the 8% grade of the Whiteface Veterans Memorial Highway.
Come enjoy the competition for yourself OR the experience of cheering on and being inspired by some amazing athletes competing in one of the most beautiful backdrops of mountains and forest at the Lake Placid Legacy Sites.
Climb to the Castle - September 24th, Lake Placid, NY
Welcome to the 2022 Climb to the Castle, the historic Hill Climb 5-mile course up the Whiteface Mountain Toll Road. New for 2022 there will be a Short Course option! Join us for a full weekend of racing in Lake Placid paired with the Keys to the Castle.
Cranc the Franc - October 21st, Franconia NH
NENSA in collaboration with the New England Ski Museum are exploring a rollerski event on the Franconia Notch Recreation Path. The event will be a part of the 2023 NENSA Rollerski Series — and whether you want to race or tour at your own pace — you won’t want to miss this rare opportunity to ski this path, typically only open to hikers and bikers. The course will be a 10km point-to-point through an iconic section of the White Mountains.
The event will also afford the opportunity for folks to make a weekend of rollerskiing, with the Maine Event the following day or remain in the Whites and explore hiking trails.
The Maine Event - October 22, Rumford, ME
The fourth running of The Maine Event featured speed and skill development, and palpable excitement for cross country skiing in New England. For the second year in a row, sensational weather allowed for hearty spectating and highlighted the beauty of the Pineland Farms campus. Nearly seventy skiers toed the line for competition on Sunday, but perhaps more importantly the regional community came together to share the joy of playing on (roller)skis.
The concept of Cross Country Cross (XCX) was born from agility training, sprint racing and the desire to create an exciting atmosphere for both athletes and spectators. Each year, this somewhat complicated event to host, has developed into a smoothly run, staple event for Maine clubs including Bates, Bowdoin and Colby colleges. This continual improvement stems from a passionate organizing committee including NENSA staff, local TD and race official Justin Easter, Colin Rodgers the Program Director of the Green Mountain Valley School, Michael Collin of Portland Nordic and Bullitt Timing.
The competition format allows each competitor to run two qualification rounds on a 400 meter course filled with ramps and other agility components such as hairpin turns and under gates. Skiers advance into rounds based on their best time of the two runs. For 2022, 16 Open skiers and eight Juniors of each gender, advanced into head to head rounds, with corresponding “red” and “blue” courses. The first skier to return to their finish advances — a format the is very fun to witness indeed! Even better, the course and surrounding campus roads are available for skiing throughout the day. It is likely the event will increase the number of qualifiers for next years event due to increasing participation. The 2023 Maine Event will be hosted on October 22, 2023.
The 2022 Rollerski Series wraps up November 6th with the Mt. Greylock Hill Climb. This more traditional cross country ski event makes a beautiful undulating climb to the highest point of Massachusetts. As a culmination of the competitive rollerski season, we expect skiers of all ages and are offering both classic and freestyle options for masters skiers and long and short course options for all. Awards will honor the top Open, Junior and Masters (including prize money for the top masters on the day provided by Pastimes), crown the 2022 Allagash Masters Award winners and recognize the 2022 NENSA College Cup winner. We hope the temperate weather holds until the November 7th when we can all shift our attention to gliding on snow once again!
Mt. Greylock - Early November, Adams MA
The Final race in the NENSA Rollerski Race Series. More details to come!
Questions about the series? We can help. Hit the contact us button at the top of the page, and we'll get in touch.