March 29, 2006 – Here is the latest from Team Rossi:

Camenisch Clinches Second Straight Super Series Titles

Team Rossignol skier Karin Camenisch won her second straight Super Series Titles in both the overall and sprint competitions this past week in Maine. The race series, which began last November was comprised of several sprint and regular distance races held over the winter at a variety of race venues across the United States. Camenisch’s results this past week at the International Spring Series races in Maine secured her position at the top for the second straight year. Going into the week, Camenisch had already won the sprint title, but four women still had a chance for the overall title. Camenisch performances in the 10km mass start classic race (6th) and a fourth place in the 5km skate event was more than enough to put her on top in the standings.

While Camenisch was wrapping up her Super Series Titles, Rossignol skier Dasha Gaiazova of Canada was securing her spot as the top female racer at the International Spring Series. Gaiazova was dominant in races over the course of a week. In the first event, a 10km mass-start classic held at the Maine Winter Sports Center, Gaiazova broke away from a talented lead pack of women to win by 35 seconds. Gaiazova next teamed up with Christine Bisson to win the women’s classic team sprint by a wide margin and in the individual sprint skate, she finished second. But that was not enough for this talented Canadian. In the 5km freestyle held in warm, corn snow conditions, she finished over 30 seconds in front of Olympian Kikkan Randall of the United States. In this event, due to warming conditions, race organizers upped the starting time for women. This allowed the gals to ski on some firmer snow and they faster lap times than most of the men who started later in the day and had to navigate through deep corn snow for their 10km event.

Champions Two: Gaiazova and Camenisch
The final race of Spring Series, moved to Fort Kent were the 50km and 30km US national classic races. In the women’s race, a small group of racers including Gaiazova skied together for the majority of the distance on a wet-soaked track. At the end it was Olympian Wendy Wagner out-lasting Gaiazova for the national title.
Hanley ends season as Twin Ports Champ
A talented field of racers were at Snowflake Ski Center in Duluth, MN to contend for the title of Twin Ports Champion. Team Rossignol skier Owen Hanley bested the field in the modified iditarod pursuit format to win the overall title. Skiers started the day with a 6km classic race followed by a 10 minute mandatory “lay-over” before attacking the same course in a skate technique. Hanley finished 2 seconds behind Ben Byrne in the classic leg, but out-skated the young biathlete by over 20 seconds to secure the overall title.

Team Rossignol skier Adam Swank of Duluth, MN drove out to Colorado with a few friends fthe weekend. After competing in (and winnseveral marathons this past year, you would think that the young Doctor would take some time off to pleasure ski. Not! Swank went oto the rarified air in Steamboat Springs to race in the Big Shooter Bonk. And this is not just your ordinary ski marathon. At 80km and with a racecourse at over 9000 feet, it is an ultra endurance event. However, none of this fazed Swank as hebeat the field by over 15 minutes to capture the overall title.