Everybody’s favorite part about ski racing is most definitely the acquisition and renewal of memberships, right? It’s always a joy to stay on top of which organization to register with, what options to select for racing, and the fees associated!
Hopefully this quick primer will make it easier for our Junior racers (new and returning) to get a handle on what to sign up for, and where to find it.
Note that these registrations apply primarily to those athletes competing in Eastern Cup races, particularly athletes looking to compete in multiple EC races/weekends throughout the season. Some memberships are mandatory to even register for these races, while other membership tiers are only needed if you would like to be seeded/ranked from race-to-race and in the final year-end lists (JN qualification).
NENSA
NENSA is the regional governing body of our sport. All Eastern Cup races are put on by NENSA. The Eastern High School Championships, U16 Festival, BKL Festival, and Junior Nationals are all NENSA series’ or trips.
To compete in an Eastern Cup, you must have a NENSA license. You can find the NENSA membership page here.
Mansfield Nordic Club should be listed under the clubs you can select from the dropdown list. Please select MNC for your club!
US Ski and Snowboard
There are often frequent changes to the US Ski and Snowboard website. The direct membership website is my.usskiandsnowboard.com and this is where racers will need to obtain/maintain an account.
To enter an Eastern Cup race, you will need at minimum a “General” US Ski and Snowboard license. However, to score points and have your results and ranking carry-over to subsequent races, you’ll need the more expensive “Competitor” license. If you are planning to race in multiple Eastern Cups, would like to be included on the JN ranking list, and are considering skiing beyond high school, you should be obtaining and renewing a Competitor license.
Your US Ski and Snowboard account is where your NRL (National Ranking List) points profile will live. All of the NENSA Eastern Cup races are scored to the NRL, but other higher-level races in our area and beyond will also have points that score to this points profile. These NRL points impact your seeding in any NRL-sanctioned race (Eastern Cup or otherwise).
While registering you should be able to select Mansfield Nordic Club as an organization. Please do so…thanks!
Special note if you are a 2nd-year U18 or older, you will be promoted to complete Safesport training in addition to just registering for your license. Please note that this can be a multi-hour process the first time you go through it, and is absolutely mandatory to receive your license. Do NOT leave this until the last minute, as leaving this incomplete could keep your membership in “pending” status and prevent you from competing.
FIS
FIS (Federation Internationale de Ski) is the world governing body of our sport. A FIS license is primarily only required for competitors racing internationally, such as qualifiers for the U18 Scando Cup or Junior World Championships. Some races in the East are FIS-sancitoned, but a FIS license is not required for competition.
Skiers who are Juniors or Seniors in high school may consider acquiring and maintaining a FIS license if they are pursuing a collegiate ski career, particularly on larger D1 schools that often recruit international skiers as this provides as direct a comparison point as you can get in a sport like this.
If you are curious if a FIS license is right for you, reach out to Coach Adam for more information. Most of our MNC skiers do not need to worry about this license.
