December 16, 2015 – Double Poling – If you haven’t been in the loop, or been talking to any of your ski friends, or at a ski camp, or reading some ski experts column you may have missed the THE WORD that xc skiing is about to move in the direction that maybe it should have done back in the mid to late 80s when skating was breaking out. Yes skating is raising its ugly head again. Is classic skiing done?

Here is how that is going to happen!!!

I was at the USSA Coaches seminar this past fall and the Norwegian National Junior Team coach started his presentation with that exact question – Is Classic Skiing Done? The transformation to bring this about is that his Norwegian junior team training program will focus 70-80% on DOUBLE POLING. Soon you will hear of, see or experience classical races that are being double poled from start to finish. Of course this has been done quite successfully in sprinting, but now it is happening in distance races — and with success!

It is already happening on the World Cup circuit and in national races here in Canada and the US as we talk. It has been happening on the marathon circuit for a good 10 years now — yes they double pole the 90km+ Vasa Loppet. If you don’t DP you will not win – no chance.

So, head to the weight room, if you are on snow add a lot more DP to your training, get on the roller board, the skierg… and for those of you still on roller skis, DPing is the way – change that upper body in both components, strength and endurance. Good luck!!

What Goes UP — Must Come Down – In reference to what I just wrote above, here is how they – FIS plans to stop this transformation. Make the hills steeper and longer! It may work, but with the short course formats they use now, you will soon run out of the format of one third flat, one third uphill and one third downhill – so you’ll have one half up and one half down. Also, like I said in the title – you got to come down and in reading the race reports this last week a number of the women on the US Team have been bemoaning their fear of the downhills. Not a good thing, especially for the future, as the hills will just be that much more dicey if FIS goes in the direction of manipulating the course terrain as I suggest. The fun has just begun.

Heidi Widmer – At the Davos WC Sprint race this past weekend Heidi was 30th, scoring WC points for the first time in her skiing career. Last year she was a member of the Canadian national team and in the spring her membership to the team was culminated… Heidi was deemed not good enough. One of her parents is Swiss which let her have the choice to opt to become a member of the Swiss XC Ski Team. Six short months of her being in their program and she is now on the WC and scoring points – WOW – what’s up Cross Country Canada ?

Looking at another skier we have Len Valjas racing on the Canadian men’s team but seems to be only racing sprint events – he just missed qualifying for the rounds this past weekend in Davos. If he continues only racing the sprints I’m not confident he’ll make the rounds very often this winter. Just not enough kilometers of racing to get into race shape. All the good sprinters go into distance races for just that purpose – racing km.

Hard to understand as he looked like a star of the future in all distances about 2-3 yrs ago, but injuries caught up to him and brought about a set back. He looks like he is healthy again, but is lacking in fortitude to make the big effort. Hope he gets back on track.

Cera – in three years it will be gone at all the high levels of racing. Talking with a high-level coach just last week and he says the masks are great, but it is the dust from scrapping and brushing the skis that is all over your clothes that is the problem. Keep an eye on the big move in Europe to ban these chemicals!

Davos Sprint Course – where has the technical skiing gone? Two corners per lap, paved highway affect – way too easy in my opinion.

Question to US Coaches – How did you choose Rosie Brennan over Caitlin Gregg for the relay? Gregg beat Brennan the day before in both phases of the Skiathlon… did your choice possibly cost the team another place on the podium – silver over bronze? And more importantly when it comes to the skiers $1,000 SF… don’t you just hate leaving money on the table ?

Planting Seeds for the Future – after our discussions this fall about summer roller ski schedules I hope that US Team Head Coach Grover will think about having a Summer NATIONALS Roller Ski Championship in Lake Placid to coincide with there camp there in September.

Talk to you soon!