August 20, 2013 -“Beach britches, tan, sweat.” These are the three words US Ski Team and SMS T2 member Andy Newell conjured to describe the summer. A well-known Vermont native, Newell has settled into a productive rhythm in his time at home. His favorite part of a Vermont summer? Training terrain, swimming holes, hometown friends and, wait for it, the humidity.

© courtesy of NNF

Known for laid back style, Newell appreciates the New England climate because it allows him to only wear a shirt about three times in an entire training period. Despite the downside of smelly ski boots (“It can get pretty swampy”), he sees thick air in a positive light, “It feels like you’re doing something when you’re out there training.”  Doing something isn’t an issue for Newell, who celebrates putting an American spin on nordic training, “It’s my all time goal to show the world that US skiers can be the absolute best in the world and that we can train harder than anyone…and that we can do it with no shirts and just a pair of boardies on.”

Newell’s surf style isn’t skin deep. He has dreams of one day surfing from Northern Oregon to Baja, playing music at bars and festivals to support his habit, but that will all have to wait until Andy’s business with winter is finished. His idea of an endless summer is put on hold for two reason: 1. He would ski slowly come winter  and 2. living out of a van “would make it hard to find a girlfriend”.  As for his inclinations in sport not related to surfing, Newell claims to be neither a runner nor a cyclist. Asked which activity he’d do for the rest of his life, Newell chose classic skiing, fitting since Newell’s strongest international results have been classic sprints, though recent seasons have seen him even in sprinting in both disciplines and improving as a distance skier.

For the coming season, Newell is targeting podiums and he’s careful not to forget the communities that help support those goals, have helped foster his success. Whether from spending time at home, or watching the outreach for support, Andy has confidence in the future of American skiing, “We’re on the verge of doing some amazing things in skiing here in the US. When we do, people are going to get fired up and show more and more support for the NNF.”