Greetings,

We are excited to open registration for EMBK’s 2017-2018 ski season. Please register as soon as possible to help us plan more effectively for the upcoming season. Also, please note that all kids who wish to roller-ski must register before the first practice (Roller skiing practices are for returning EMBK skiers, aged 11+ by 12/31, and will start in October).

If you have any questions about registration, please email us at EMBKskiclub@gmail.com.

Introducing a New Registration Process

This year, we have a slightly updated registration process. All of our club skiers, coaches and assistant coaches are members of NENSA (New England Nordic Ski Association). This allows the club to purchase its insurance coverage through NENSA and allows skiers to join in NENSA sponsored races — like the BKL festival, which EMBK is hosting at the Leo J Martin Ski Track in Weston on February 17-18!

This year, we will ask you to enter your kids’ NENSA numbers (a.k.a. NENSA License) during registration. Please take the following steps so that everyone has a NENSA membership before registering for EMBK:

1. First, access the NENSA website and register for or renew your child’s membership. If you are new to NENSA, please use the New Member Registration link. If you are renewing an existing membership, please use their Renewal link.
2. After you register with NENSA, you will receive a confirmation email. Take note of the member number (license) so that you can enter it during the EMBK registration process. The number will either be in the confirmation email, or available through the link in the email (depending on whether you are a new or renewing member).
3. After you have the NENSA member number, you must then register with EMBK. Please access our registration system at EMBK Registration.
4. Don’t forget that you will also need to purchase ski passes for the Leo J. Martin Ski Track (season passes available soon through the DCR website..or on site on the first day of club skiing).

The overall cost of registration (NENSA + EMBK) remains the same this year, but will require two payments. First, a $25 payment to NENSA (youth rate) and then a $50-$75 payment (depending on age) to EMBK. Previously, the total cost, all paid through EMBK was $75 – $100.

Please note that registration closes on December 13th at 5pm. Thanks in advance for bearing with us through this new process. It remedies data flow problems and ensures that EMBK, NENSA and our insurers all have critical information about our club skiers.

We look forward to the season ahead!

Registration — Opens September 27th

Registration will open on September 27th. Please register early if you’re able—early fall registration helps us to better plan for the season. Special note for fall roller skiing: All skiers who plan to roller ski with EMBK must be registered before they will be allowed to roller ski.

Help our club to grow…spread the word!

Spreading the word about EMBK’s program to new families is the primary way we continue to bring people to the sport and to our club. We have relied heavily on word-of-mouth to grow our numbers, and it has been effective. We have grown to be one of the biggest youth Nordic programs in the US. However, each year skiers graduate and move on. So start talking us up! There are so many kids and families who could enjoy the sport and club, but aren’t aware of our program. Please share your enthusiasm for the club and point folks to our website and our opening banquet!

Volunteer opportunities

We are an all-volunteer club. We rely on parents to volunteer each year to coach, organize specific activities and events, or help with club management and operations. Great opportunities exist this year to get involved with other skiing families. Currently we need help with:

• Coordinating the EMBK Sprints (January 2018)
• Coordinating club participation at the BKL Festival (helping organize the food table, and distribution of race bibs/packets) February 17-18, 2018
• Co-coordinator for Opening/Closing Dinner

Check out the volunteer page and contact Cécile Tucker if you can help!

Need New Coaches

We welcome and need new coaches. You don’t need to be an expert skier. We have a wide range of skier groups you can coach. Young skiers who have aged out of EMBK but not moved on to CSU are also encouraged to become assistant coaches with Team USA (7-8 year olds). We ask new coaches to attend the coaches’ clinic on Nov. 11 (see schedule). Anyone thinking about coaching is encouraged to attend! If you haven’t coached with us in the past, but would like to, please contact Jim Stock.

BKL Festival 2018

Mark your calendars now for February 17-18, 2018 for the BKL Festival! We are hosting! This season, the Bill Koch Ski Festival is being held at the Leo J. Martin Golf Course. Our theme is Snow Dance! Is your Snow Dance more Disco or Ballet? Is it Hip Hop or Country? Whatever your style, get on your dancing shoes and start your snow dance. We need lots of snow by February! Initial planning is already underway and we will be asking for lots of volunteer support. We need parents who love to plan fun stuff for skiers, who are good at organizing skiers, who like logistics around parking and facilities, and even someone to order up what we’ll eat throughout the weekend. You don’t even have to cook! If you would like to volunteer to help out on the festival team, please email Kris Scopinich.

Leo J. Martin Ski Track Update

Operations at LJM will be similar to last year. Charles River Recreation is responsible for grooming and snowmaking, and is handling rentals as usual. Skiers will be able to use the cafeteria for putting on boots, leaving bags, etc. just like last year.

We look forward to seeing you at practice and the opening dinner!

Important EMBK Fall Dates

Sep 27 Registration opens
Oct 22 Roller skiing practices start for returning EMBK skiers, age 11+ by 12/31
Nov 11 Annual NENSA/EMBK Fall Coaching Clinic*, (9 – 11:45am)
Nov 11 Bill Koch League Parent/Leader Workshop—Sudbury, MA (12:30 – 4pm)
Nov 19 Opening full club practice and fall banquet
Nov 26 Full club dryland practice (2:30pm)
Dec 2 Saturday practices commence (9am)

The first on-snow practice is the first Saturday that we have a big enough patch of snow for skiing.

Wednesday/Thursday practices are on-snow only and commence the first Wednesday after the first Saturday on-snow practice. Please note that if there is insufficient snow for an all-club practice, the first weekday practices might be for Scandinavia only.

* open to all parents with potential interest in coaching

Contact Us:

Phillip Walton, Club Director
Jim Stock, Head Coach
Pilar Doughty, Head of Communications
Dee Cogill, Head of Registration
Cecile Tucker, Head of Volunteers
Alex Appleby, Head of Equipment
Craig Keller, Head of Waxing
Sarah Lynch, Wax Team
Chris Woll, Wax Team
Ian Fitzpatrick, Webmaster

Watch your email on September 17th for the EMBK Ski Club Fall Newsletter, which will include information about club registration, volunteer opportunities and critical dates. If you have not registered with EMBK in past years, please send an email to EMBKskiclub@gmail.com, and we will add your email to our distribution list. More information soon!