December 19, 2013  – NENSA Eastern Cup series opens this weekend and the folks at Craftsbury are once again pulling out all the stops to ensure that this weekend provides a great experience for racers, spectators and coaches. THERE IS NO DAY OF RACE ENTRY for this weekend!

For all details about the weekend click here.

Known as NENSA’s signature race series, the Eastern Cups also double as the Junior Nationals qualifying races.  You will be sure to see not only some of the fastest skiers in the country racing here, but our developing youth as well. Many athletes will be using this weekend to put the final touches on their preparation for U.S. Nationals and junior trip selection races taking place the first week in January in Utah.

However, the event doesn’t stop there- master skiers are encouraged to participate and there will be a Bill Koch League event on Sunday for the younger kids.

A few of the teams expected to compete this weekend on the trails of Craftsbury Outdoor Center include Cambridge Sports Union, GMVS, Burke, Stratton, Mansfield Nordic, NWVE, Stowe Nordic, Maine Winter Sports Center and Vermont Academy.  There will also be teams from Canada making the trip south.

College teams will be racing too- Harvard, Colby, Bowdoin, Bates, Williams, Dartmouth, UNH, Middlebury and St Michaels will all be represented.

On the Elite side,  Craftsbury Green Racing Project team members Jake Barton, Alex Schulz, Gordon Vermeer, Peter Hegman and Clare Egan will be on hand.

Kris Freeman, MWSC, just back from Europe may be stopping by and Skyler Davis and Jordan Fields of the SMS -T2 team will be racing here as well.

Junior standouts Julia Kern (CSU), Katharine Ogden (SMS), Heidi Halvorsen (GMVS), Eli Hoenig (Williams College), Hamish McEwen (SMS) all who have competed internationally, are just a few of New England’s junior athletes who will be seen racing around the trails. And you just never know who else you might catch a glimpse of if you come out to cheer the racers on!

If you are new to the Eastern Cup scene, stop by the NENSA tent (look for the NENSA banner). Here you will find some literature about NENSA as well as an amenities map for finding your way around Craftsbury Outdoor Center during the weekend.  There will also be a wax bench available if any wax touch ups are needed.

Hope to see you out there!