Due to the extremely cold temperatures today, the NSAA board has decided to postpone the in-person members only event at Kincaid.
Please note that this was a tough decision, but was made with the safety of our volunteers and vendors in mind. We will reschedule till a later date (TBD) and hopefully the temperature will be a little more agreeable. We look forward to celebrating the season and the snow with you all and wish you a pleasant Sunday afternoon.
/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/nordic-skiing-association-anchorage.jpg00Kalysta Schmidt/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/nordic-skiing-association-anchorage.jpgKalysta Schmidt2021-11-15 16:19:262021-11-15 16:19:26Ms Uff Da Book is Back!
The snow is coming down and we can officially say that Winter Is Here! Please swap your running shoes and hiking boots for those ski boots and skis, save the biking for the Multi-Use and Single Track trails and please refrain from bringing your best four legged furry friends to any of the ski trails (except for Multi-Use). We work hard to maintain the trails for skiing only and really appreciate everyone’s cooperation.
With this first snow our goal is to create a good solid base. Some may think the groomers should get on the trails as soon as possible, however the opposite is the reality. The best way to establish a nice foundation is for YOU to get out there and ski it down first. This particular snow happens to be “poufy” and if the groomers get on it too soon, the skags on the snow machines may drag up dirt. So, a light touch (you, the skier) is the best form of action at this early stage. We encourage you to head out to the trails and enjoy this winter’s first “real” snowfall and experience the peace and tranquility first hand, while it lasts. Probably should use the rock skis though.
Also, our awesome snowmaking crew fired up the system this week and will continue to make snow on the Snow Making Loop (SML) as long as the conditions are favorable. So please ski with caution in that area (or just avoid it completely) and be aware of hoses, cords and grooming equipment on those trails. Happy Winter!!
/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/nordic-skiing-association-anchorage.jpg00Kikkan Randall/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/nordic-skiing-association-anchorage.jpgKikkan Randall2021-11-11 08:44:482021-11-11 08:44:48First Real Snow!
I hope everybody is doing well and is as excited about the coming ski season as all of us Junior Nordic coaches. NSAA’s groomed trails are a highlight of Alaskan winter, it’s hard to imagine anything more joyful sharing the love of these trails with the next generation of Alaskan skiers. This year, the Junior Nordic program has some good news to share with all of you, and we also need to ask for your help. But first the good news:
We have over 885 kids signed up at the moment, and every single Junior Nordic site and time slot is at capacity. On top of this, we have over 312 kids on the waiting list, and this all happened within days of opening registration. This all translates into an unprecedented interest in Junior Nordic. There are a couple of important takeaways from these numbers. First, they demonstrate that we’re running a truly fantastic program with growing interest from Anchorage families. They also point to a strong, heathy future for cross country skiing in Anchorage.
Your support of NSAA is a big part of what makes this program possible, and special thanks goes out to all of our coaches, who are the beating heart of Junior Nordic.
And now to the “asking for help” part of this message:
This year’s crazy signup numbers surprised all of us. Now we really need more coaches. At the moment, we don’t have enough coaches lined up to achieve the instructor-to-skier ratio that we need to maintain the quality of our program. We’re nowhere close to the numbers we need to start pulling kids off the waiting list.
So, we’re asking NSAA members to consider joining the Junior Nordic coaching staff this year. Here are three great reasons to consider joining us:
You get paid to ski! How cool is that?
Coaching for Junior Nordic is fun. You get to hang out with all the other wonderful coaches, and you get to experience the joy of teaching kids to ski.
You can be a part of making sure that our wonderful traditions of cross country skiing continues into the future.
We’re looking for three categories of coaches:
Full Time” Regular Coaches. A regular Junior Nordic coach attends three practices/week at Hillside, Kincaid, or Russian Jack. (Note that some full-time coaches instruct at more than one session concurrently.)
Substitute Coaches. Substitute coaches step in when our regular coaches can’t make practice for any reason. If you sign up as a sub, you’ll be added to the list of people who can help with a practice when a regular coach can’t attend.
“High School Buddy” Coaches. We have many wonderful high school skiers who aren’t able to coach for Junior Nordic because Saturday practices conflict with their racing schedule. “High School Buddies” are paired with a high school coach to cover race-day practices and create a “complete” coaching team. If you sign up as a “High School Buddy”, you’ll also be expected to ski with “your” skier and their group for three weekday practices before covering Saturdays, so that you have a chance to develop a rapport with the group.
All you need to coach for Junior Nordic is a pair of skies, a fun-loving attitude, and the ability to wrangle a group of kids. We teach kids ages 6 to 14, and skill levels range from kids who are on skis for the first time, to middle school kids that are beginning to race at a more competitive level. We’ll work with you to help develop your coaching skills, through day-to-day mentoring and through formal certifications with organizations such as PSIA.
You can use the same form to apply for regular, substitute, and “High School Buddy” positions. Once we have your application, site directors will reach out to talk to you about coaching for Junior Nordic. And if you’re unable to coach this season, we would still deeply appreciate any help with spreading the work about our need for coaches. Thanks to everybody for the support, and we’re excited to see you guys on the trails this winter! — Geoff Wright, Junior Nordic Head Coach
/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/nordic-skiing-association-anchorage.jpg00Kalysta Schmidt/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/nordic-skiing-association-anchorage.jpgKalysta Schmidt2021-11-04 13:28:142021-11-04 13:28:14Junior Nordic Update to NSAA Members
Looking for outdoor winter gear but don’t want to buy brand new? Stop on by the NSAA Ski Swap this coming Saturday, October 30th from 1-3pm at the Lake Otis Elementary covered ice rink. If you have gear that you’d like to sell, please register your gear in our online consignment store before 10pm on Friday, October 29th. Check out the NSAA Ski Swap page for more details.
/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/nordic-skiing-association-anchorage.jpg00Kalysta Schmidt/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/nordic-skiing-association-anchorage.jpgKalysta Schmidt2021-10-29 11:16:362021-10-29 11:16:36NSAA Ski Swap, Saturday October 30th!
NSAA is seeking an Event Manager to lead and support its range of engaging and important community events! NSAA is known around Southcentral Alaska, the state and the country for its signature events like the Tour of Anchorage, Alaska Ski for Women, Solstice Tree Tour, Ski 4 Kids, Ski Train, the organization’s annual meeting and Ski Swap, and much more. The Event Manager will be responsible for overseeing and managing the day-to-day operations of the NSAA’s events and supporting NSAA’s Program Manager, ensuring their smooth and efficient operation in a manner that supports the mission and values of NSAA.
NSAA’s longtime Board President and lifelong skier named Al Merrill Nordic Award winner,
recognizing exceptional commitment to Nordic skiing
Earlier this summer, U.S. Ski & Snowboard named Joey Caterinichio its 2020-2021 Al Merrill Nordic Award winner, which annually and nationally recognizes an individual or group involved with any aspect of Nordic skiing who demonstrates an exceptional level of commitment, leadership, and devotion to excellence.
Caterinichio is a lifelong Alaskan and decorated Nordic skier, as well as a passionate contributor to Alaska’s Nordic skiing community and longtime Board President of the Nordic Skiing Association of Anchorage (NSAA). The 2020-2021 Nordic ski season was one of the most successful, and significant, in Alaska’s recent history. In the Southcentral region, behind the guidance of Caterinichio and others, NSAA provided safe programs and events, as well as miles of groomed world-class trails, for thousands of skiers of all ages and skill levels, in addition to special community-wide events during the COVID pandemic.
“I’m humbled to be recognized with this honor, and especially thrilled to know that the award also reflects the importance of the work that the NSAA, its staff and volunteers do year-round to provide healthy lifestyles and special trails for so many people,” said Caterinichio. “In such a challenging time, the NSAA was able to remain an essential business and inspired people to get outdoors, recreate alone or socially distanced with others, which were positive boosts to their physical and mental health. I am certainly proud to play a role in this work and look forward to contributing more in the seasons ahead.”
Caterinichio also serves on the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross-Country Sport Committee, the Cross Country Alaska Competition Committee, and recently completed a three-year term as President of the National Nordic Foundation (NNF), and remains on the NNF board. She is also a high school coach in Anchorage and owns Alaska Nordic Racing, a cross-country skiing training club, with her husband.
In her Al Merrill Nordic Award nomination of Caterinichio, Lisa Maurer, an Anchorage skier, parent and volunteer wrote, “As the Board President of (NSAA), Joey has been integral in building a community which has cross country skiing at its core. … As our communities grappled with the impact of a global pandemic, her commitment to healthy living has never been more appreciated. During these long months, Joey’s hometown of Anchorage has seen unprecedented trail usage, an expansion of grooming efforts, and a growing appreciation of the value of outdoor activity. Joey’s leadership during this time has been recognized across the community and has been reflected in historic membership levels and financial support for the organization.”
Kikkan Randall, recently named the new NSAA Executive Director, said of Caterinichio, “This award is well-deserved for Joey. She’s a tireless volunteer and advocate for our sport and our community. She’s an especially amazing asset to NSAA, which is coming off of one of its best seasons in its 50-plus-year history, as well as to Alaska’s tight-knit Nordic ski community and beyond to the national level, where she is known as a leader. I’m thrilled to see what we can do together for skiing in our community this season and in many years ahead.”
U.S. Ski & Snowboard notes that the Al Merrill Nordic Award is presented to the individual or group involved with any aspect of nordic skiing (cross country, nordic combined or ski jumping), who or which demonstrates an exceptional level of commitment, leadership, and devotion to excellence. Each of the nordic sport committees submits a nominee with the final selection being made by the sport committee chairpersons. Merrill coached the 1956, 1964 and 1968 US Nordic Olympic teams and for over two decades was the American representative to the cross-country committee of the International Ski Federation, the world governing body of ski racing. Merrill was the Director of Outdoor Affairs for Dartmouth College and its head ski coach from 1957 to 1972. He impacted positively on the sport and the people who came into contact with him.
Alaska’s Nordic skiing legend and Olympic gold medalist returns to lead the organization that sparked her cross-country skiing passion
ANCHORAGE – The Nordic Skiing Association of Anchorage’s (NSAA) board of directors is excited to announce the hiring of Kikkan Randall, one of America’s most successful Nordic skiers, as its new Executive Director. Randall is an Alaska sports legend who grew up in Anchorage and whose love for Nordic skiing was ignited as a child in NSAA’s popular Junior Nordics program.
Her first day at NSAA is Monday, August 2.
“We are thrilled to have Kikkan return home to Alaska and serve as the NSAA’s Executive Director,” said Joey Caterinichio, NSAA’s board president. “Kikkan is a product of Alaska skiing who has participated in NSAA’s Junior Nordic program and brought home an Olympic gold medal. We couldn’t ask for a better role model for our community or leader for NSAA.”
Randall comes to NSAA with a foundation of leadership, business administration, nonprofit management, and community and volunteer engagement experience. She also brings her signature enthusiasm and energy to the new position. Randall has a unique personal connection to NSAA, its programs and events, and Anchorage’s world-class trail system, which NSAA helps maintain year-round.
“I’m really excited to be coming home to Anchorage to join NSAA,” said Randall. “I’m enthusiastic about this opportunity and I can’t think of a better position in which I can contribute my experiences from skiing and racing all over the world. Cross-country skiing is at the core of who I am. I can’t wait to reconnect with the community and increase the joy of and access to Nordic skiing and our trail system for generations to come.”
Randall’s hiring continues the positive momentum for NSAA, which has led two critical ski seasons in which it provided safe and healthy outdoor recreation, racing, events and programs for Southcentral residents, all Alaskans, and visitors, even at the height of the COVID pandemic. The organization expects Randall to elevate its events and programs offerings, strengthen relationships with community partners, sponsors and advocates, and continue the club’s already outstanding outreach with NSAA’s members and passionate volunteers.
“This past year, cross-country skiing participation and outdoor recreation increased by 30 percent in Anchorage and NSAA’s program participation increased in record numbers,” added Caterinichio. “This is the perfect time to add Kikkan’s enthusiasm and energy, and her real-world experience at every level of this sport, to our organization.”
Randall etched a storied international cross-country skiing career that peaked with her gold medal winning performance with teammate Jessie Diggins in the team sprint at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, Korea. The win made the duo America’s first cross-country skiing gold medalists.
For more than 50 years, NSAA has promoted healthy lifestyles and all forms of Nordic skiing, as well as introduced Alaskans to cross-country skiing through learn-to-ski programs, ski races and local, statewide, national, and international skiing events. NSAA also grooms and maintains more than 150 kilometers of trails in the Anchorage area. Learn more about NSAA, give a gift or register for a membership at www.anchoragenordicski.com.
00Kalysta Schmidt/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/nordic-skiing-association-anchorage.jpgKalysta Schmidt2021-07-28 15:34:242021-07-28 15:34:24Kikkan Randall joins NSAA as new Executive Director
Wanna buy more cool stuff from NSAA next season? Help us help you shop. Take our merchandise poll to let us know what you’d like to see in the store. If you don’t see something you’d like, be sure to add a suggested merchandise item to your poll. Thanks to all our members for making this past season such a huge success!
00Kalysta Schmidt/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/nordic-skiing-association-anchorage.jpgKalysta Schmidt2021-06-02 09:28:332021-06-02 09:28:33Take the NSAA Merch Poll Today!
00Kalysta Schmidt/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/nordic-skiing-association-anchorage.jpgKalysta Schmidt2021-05-26 17:14:242021-05-26 17:14:24Buy your Raffle Ticket Today for the Midnight Sun Ski Jump-a-thon!
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now is coming down and we can officially say that Winter Is Here! Please swap your running shoes and hiking boots for those ski boots and skis, save the biking for the Multi-Use and Single Track trails and please refrain from bringing your best four legged furry friends to any of the ski trails (except for Multi-Use). We work hard to maintain the trails for skiing only and really appreciate everyone’s cooperation.
