January 3, 2005 – The Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, VT, will host one of the largest women-only cross-country ski clinics in the country, Sunday, January 22nd. The 5th Annual New England Women’s XC Ski Day, sponsored by TD Banknorth is a cross-country event “for women, by women”, inspired by similar events in Norway (the Inga Lama) and Alaska (the Anchorage Women’s Ski Day). Every woman interested in learning or improving their time on cross-country skis is welcome to participate.

Event organizers Trina Hosmer, of Stowe, VT, a member of the United States’ first women’s Olympic XC Ski Team in 1972, and Anne Donaghy, of Meriden, NH, who raced for Dartmouth College, started these clinics to share their love of the sport with other women, and particularly, as Hosmer states “To teach women the joy of gliding that lies just beyond the plodding walk usually taught to new skiers.”

The list of instructors, to mention only a few – Carol VanDyke of Stowe, VT, Zoe Erdman of Williston, VT, whose daughters ski for Middlebury College and the Holderness School, Mary Heller Osgood, of Putney, VT, Donaghy and Hosmer, and women who have enjoyed skiing for many years and want to share the fun and the benefits of the sport.

The instructors provide three clinic periods through the day, beginning at 10am. Clinics range from Never-Ever classic or skate technique, Beginner skate or classic, and Intermediate Uphill/Downhill classic or skate. Ski equipment and clothing vendors including Atomic, Madhus/Alpina (official boots, bindings and skis of Women’s Day), Rossignol, Toko wax, Ibex and Isis skiwear, and more, will be on hand with equipment to try and to buy. Equipment is also available for rent through the Trapp Family Lodge XC Ski Center.

A fantastic prize drawing will occur during lunch, from 12noon -1:30pm, which will be catered by the Trapp Family Lodge’s award–winning chef. For women interested in spending the weekend, both the Trapp Family Lodge (www.trappfamilylodge.com) and the VanDyke family’s Golden Eagle Resort (www.goldeneagleresort.com) offer Women’s Day packages, for $195/room and $135/room, respectively.

The day wraps up with an optional, fun, 2-women relay, with mother-daughter, friend-friend, young-at-heart (combined age >100), sister-sister, and relative-relative teams. Prizes are from the Monroe Saltworks pottery company in Maine.

New England Nordic Ski Association Media Director and Women’s Day Instructor, Dorcas Wonsavage, said before the event: “We need to show more women, mothers and professionals especially, who are strapped for time and energy as it is, that cross-country skiing is a beautiful, graceful outdoor sport, and a lifetime fitness activity they can share with their friends and their daughters.”

Every year New England Women’s Ski Day raises money for a local women’s charity and this year they are supporting the Clarina Howard Nichols Center, in Morrisville, VT. CHNS is a private, non-profit organization and United Way Agency, with the mission to end violence against women and their children. (www.clarina.org).

Registration is available online at www.nensa.net > Calendar > Women’s Day. $20 for NENSA members/$25 for non-members, if registered by 1/9/2006. $25/$30 respectively, after 1/9/2006. Registration includes trail pass, delicious lunch catered by Trapp Family Lodge, and all ski clinics. Event limited to 300 participants. Questions or for a brochure, contact Anne Donaghy, 603/448-4133, anne.t.donaghy@valley.net. On-site registration and clinic sign-up from 9-10am.

The 2006 New England Women’s XC Ski Day, sponsored by TD Banknorth, is grateful for the support of the following sponsors – LLBean, the Trapp Family Lodge, Designer Gold, Printers Square, and Alpina/Rottefella/Madshus.

February 5th – The 4th Annual New England Women’s XC Ski Day, sponsored by Banknorth, is coming to the Dartmouth XC Ski Touring Center at Occum Pond next Saturday. A cross-country event “for women, by women”, it was inspired by similar events in Norway (the Inga Lama) and Alaska (the Anchorage Women’s Ski Day).

Event organizers Trina Hosmer, a member of the United States’ first women’s Olympic XC Ski Team in 1972, and Anne Donaghy, of Meriden, NH, invite all women and girls, of all levels of skiing, to the XC Ski Day. “We have clinics for Never-Evers, Beginners and Intermediates” says Donaghy, herself a former Dartmouth skier. “And they’re coached by women who love the sport so much, they want to share the joy of gliding on snow, the beauty of winter, and encourage other women to participate in life-long fitness.” Instructors include collegiate skiers, former Olympians, and the mothers of Olympic skiers, like Sally Swenson, Carl Swenson’s (Dartmouth ’91, Olympic Team 2002) mom. May instructors feel just as Hosmer does: “All my life,” she has said from the start, “I’ve wanted women to discover the joy of gliding that lies just beyond the plodding walk usually taught to new skiers.”

Registration begins at 9am and clinics begin at 10am. Ski equipment expo of suppliers, including Rossignol, Alpina/Madshus, Atomic and Swix, Toko and Karhu/Excel will be on hand with demos and help choosing boots, poles, skis and waxing, as well as clothing suppliers Isis, Patagonia with items to try and to buy. L.L.Bean is providing coupons to all participants to use at their W.Lebanon, NH Outlet. The Dartmouth XC Ski Center will have rentals available. Lunch is catered by the Hanover Inn, and there will be a raffle during the break, hosted by gold medal Olympian, mom, cross-country skier and coach, Joan Benoit Samuelson. More clinics continue in the afternoon, culminating in a fun, optional, two-women relay with awards given for mother/daughter, sister/sister, relative/relative, friend/friend and oldies/oldies (combined age 100) teams.

An instructor for the past three years, past Olympian Dorcas Wonsavage (Etna, NH) looks forward to hosting and instructing at this year’s Women’s Ski Day in Hanover. “The Upper Valley community values health and fitness, and has many resources like the Dartmouth (Ski Center)’s trails. But we need to show more women, mothers and professionals especially, who are strapped for time and energy as it is, that they can make time for themselves, and that cross-country skiing is a lifetime fitness activity they can share with their friends and their daughters.”