September 20, 2010 (Salt Lake City, Utah) – In its continuing effort to aid the development of American cross-country ski racers, the National Cross-Country Ski Education Foundation (NCCSEF) will help support a racing and training trip to Finnish Lapland this coming November. The trip will offer select racers and coaches an opportunity to experience European racing intensity at the very outset of the 2010-11 competitive season.

Will Sweetser, Director of Cross-Country Skiing at the Maine Winter Sports Center, has led groups to Finland several times in the past, and will serve as trip leader on this swing through Muonio and Rovaniemi. In addition to gaining European racing experience, these races are due to be scored to the USSA National Ranking List (NRL), which will provide racers the opportunity to lower their USSA points profile

Sweetser states, “The chance for racers to hit five FIS races with this level of competition is fantastic. We’ll go to two sprints, two classic distance races and one skate distance race. In past years, the competition at Muonio has been very close to the World Cup level. It has been a real eye-opener and a chance for athletes from our group to fairly assess where they stand before our season opens in North America.”

The trip, slated to run from November 3-22, has up to 4 additional spots for USSA racers. If interested, please contact Will Sweetser at will@mainewsc.org.

NCCSEF’s $5,000 investment will go to ward trip and coaching expenses. By reducing trip costs on racing and training travel to Europe, the organization hopes to increase the opportunities for top tier of U.S. juniors, U23 and senior racers to gain international race experience.

The NCCSEF promotes the development of U. S. cross-country ski racing through its support of activities that challenge and enable athletes to achieve higher competitive goals and of efforts that will lead to success in international competitions. The non-profit NCCSEF is funded through charitable contributions made by cross county skiing enthusiasts.

For more information on NCCSEF and to make your charitable contribution visit www.NCCSEF.org