January 10, 2012 (Rumford, Maine) – This year’s snowless winter isn’t getting the best of the cross country ski season – it’s in full force and Rudy Project athletes continue finishing ahead of the competition.  At the 2012 USSA Cross Country Skiing Championships this past Tuesday in Rumford, Maine, U.S. Olympic skier and Rudy Project sponsored athlete, Torin Koos, found himself at the top of the podium, winning the men’s freestyle 1.6km sprint. Winning the women’s 1.4km sprint was another Rudy Project athlete, Jessie Diggins.

The event at Black Mountain, originally scheduled for last Monday, was cancelled early that morning as a result of temperatures being too warm for snow making on the barren course.  However, as Mother Nature often does, within 24 hours, she chilled the 40-degree temperature to a frigid 15 degrees, cold enough to make snow for Tuesday’s competition.

In the men’s 1.6km sprint, Torin Koos was victorious, ahead of Blackhorse-von Jess in second, and Tyler Kornfield of the University of Alaska in third.  Koos crossed the finish line wearing his Rudy Project Ekynox SGV Mask, an older model that Koos has been swearing by for years.  “Most days, I’m usually rocking the Rudy Project Prestige Sunglasses. But on race days, I pull out the old school Ekynok SGV Mask with the double-layered racing red lens,” said Koos. “They are kind of like my lucky charm on race day,” he added.

While crossing the finish line in her Rudy Project pink fluo Noyz sunglasses, Jessie Diggins took the gold in the women’s 1.4km sprint.  Finishing second was Caitlin Gregg and Jennie Bender in third, all sporting their Rudy Project shades. “As an official supplier for USSA, Rudy Project is honored to see so many Rudys out there on the championship course,” remarked Paul Craig, President and Co-Founder of Rudy Project North America.  “We are especially thrilled to see so many top athletes crossing the finish line in Rudy’s fluo colors,” added Craig.

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