February 9, 2006 – March 3 – 5, 2006
at The Bethel Inn’s Nordic Center and Gould Academy
Bethel, Maine

Sponsor event/venue hours:

Friday, March 3, 2004 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Saturday, March 4, 2004 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sunday, March 5, 2004 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Participate in the largest youth cross-country ski event in the United States-the 28th annual TD Banknorth New England Bill Koch Youth Ski League Festival. Join over 1,000 outdoor enthusiasts for a full weekend of XC ski racing and adventure, featuring hundreds of New England’s top youth skiers, their parents, siblings, friends, and coaches!

Event overview The New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA) is the Olympic development arm for XC skiing, as well as the umbrella for most organized Nordic skiing events in New England. In 2005, NENSA hosted or sanctioned nearly 100 educational, recreational and competitive events and more than 20 clinics for skiers and coaches at venues across the Northeast. NENSA sponsors and directs races, workshops, athlete camps, rollerski races, recreational events, coaches clinics, hikes and trips abroad throughout all 12 months of the year. NENSA has well over 3,600 individual members of all ages-among them past and present Olympians, future hopefuls, and recreational skiers.

NENSA’s Bill Koch Youth Ski League (BKYSL) offers cross-country ski programs for boys and girls 13-years-old and younger and holds the distinction of being the largest cross-country youth ski program in the United States. The BKYSL provides a supportive environment for parents and children to enjoy the outdoors, build lasting friendships, and introduce them to the world of cross-country ski racing. BKYSL events include both competitive and non-competitive events, with the emphasis on having fun on skis.

The BKYSL is named for Olympic Silver medalist, Bill Koch. A native of Vermont, Bill began skiing in the early 70’s in a local ski club and was an active Nordic skier before turning his efforts toward XC ski racing. In 1976, he shocked the ski world with a silver medal in the 30-kilometer event at the Winter Olympic Games in Innsbruck, Austria. A few years later, he won the World Cup series. Bill is often credited with starting the “skating revolution” that so dramatically changed XC skiing in the 1980’s. More than most other sports, XC skiing offers an enjoyable way for whole families of all ages to get outdoors in the wintertime, enjoy nature, exercise, and spend valuable time together.

The mission of the BKYSL is to introduce young people to the lifelong sport of skiing with its recreational, social, fitness and competitive opportunities. The BKYSL philosophy also encompasses “competition, skill development and social interaction key elements of any club offering.”

For the past 27 years, this BKYSL Festival has drawn the best of New England’s youth XC skiers and has been the birthplace of many current and former Olympians.