We hate to rain on everybody’s parade, but things are looking downright soggy out here on the trails at Kincaid. Due to warm temperatures and rain, we regret to inform you that tomorrow’s Kincaid Classic & Wooden Ski Race has been canceled. This decision was made with consideration for both possible icy driving conditions as well as an effort to maintain trail integrity. Refunds for the race will be issued on Monday. Our Kincaid classic race sponsors, the Sons of Norway encourage folks to get out there and do their snow dance in an effort to appease Ullr & Skadi, the Norse god & goddess of snow and skiing. Thank you to all the volunteers who were willing to come out this weekend!!
Disappointed about missing the race? We are too! We look forward to offering a community event in March to bring folks together as the daylight increases to celebrate another great season of skiing, friends and family.
Don’t forget to mark your calendars for February 13th for the Kincaid Sprint Relay!! This Valentine’s Eve race is great for couples, friends, and families alike! You can find more info on the AMH Anchorage Cup website.
See you at the start line,
Tyler Henegan
NSAA Sport Development Coordinator
(907) 310-0926
/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/nordic-skiing-association-anchorage.jpg00Heather Liller/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/nordic-skiing-association-anchorage.jpgHeather Liller2022-01-22 21:34:002022-01-22 21:34:00AMH Cup Race #3 Kincaid Classic is Canceled
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.jpg00Heather Liller/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/nordic-skiing-association-anchorage.jpgHeather Liller2021-11-15 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.jpg00Heather Liller/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/nordic-skiing-association-anchorage.jpgHeather Liller2021-11-04 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.jpg00Heather Liller/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/nordic-skiing-association-anchorage.jpgHeather Liller2021-10-29 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.
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.
