July 04, 2013 – Catch up with Holly Brooks, who is celebrating her Fourth of July differently this year. Plus, Liz Stephen looks back on the recent Western REG Camp, Noah Hoffman reveals his secret desire to be a track runner, and Devon Kershaw checks in from Canmore.

Holly Brooks
Hard Decisions, Obvious Decisions
This upcoming July 4th will be spent entirely different than my last couple. For the past four years I’ve raced Mt. Marathon in Seward, Alaska. Mount Marathon – they claim, is the Nation’s second oldest foot race behind the Boston Marathon and this year will be the 86th running.

It’s a tradition for Alaskans on Independence Day and the small town of Seward swells from 3,000 people to 30,000 thousand overnight. While only 500 or so people actually compete in the race, the rest crowd main street eating ice cream, socializing, and watching the race unfold. For those unfamiliar with the format, the race starts on main street, runs 3,022 feet directly up a mountain, rounds a rock at the top and descends 3,022 feet.

Read more here.

Liz Stephen
REG and ELITEAM
This week was full of excitement with the Regional Elite Group (REG) camp in town. This is a group that each region of the US has, and they get together for a training camp each summer. From these camps, USSA picks some athletes to come to the National Elite Group (NEG) Camp. It was really great to have these awesome athletes in town to train with and get to know some of the up and coming athletes that will represent our next generation of US skiers. Read more here.

Noah Hoffman
Track Workout
I secretly want to be a 5,000 and 10,000 meter runner. Every year my coach allows me to do one track workout to indulge my fantasies but also probably to remind me that I am not even close to fast enough to be a runner. Today was that workout. On Thursday morning I’m running a 5 kilometer road race here in Park City, so today was a little tune-up for that race. It may be my only running race of the year. My coach allowed me to plan today’s workout based on pace instead of heart rate, the same way a runner plans his workouts. Unfortunately I am full of myself and thought I could run faster than I can. Read more here.

Devon Kershaw
Kicking Back Here in Canmore, It’s Raining, I Can Be a Bit “Hippiesh”
It’s here – “monsoon-June” has rubbed its wet, stinky glove right in Canmore’s face and the rollerski boots and wet pavement are ubiquitous reminders that the Rockies “wet season” is upon us yet again. I thought perhaps Lenny’s calming influence would have had an effect – but apparently not.

As you can probably tell, I’m reaching a little for material this week. That’s a good thing. It’s been a lot of “normal Canmore living” here these last seven days. Aside from some wet training (and only “some” – for the most part it’s been fantastic weather-wise actually since I’ve been back from Bend/Tremblant/Toronto), life is ticking along in a standard way. Read more here.

June 24, 2013 (Park City, UT) – In a sure sign of the coming 2014 Olympic Winter Games season, members of the US National ski jumping team have arrived in Europe to begin their first international preparation period.

After leaving the US Sunday, the team comprised of Peter Frenette, Anders Johnson, Nick Alexander and Nick Fairall, will spend two weeks in Europe at the ski jumps of Stams, AUT and Kranj, SLO, they will be accompanied by USA Head Jumping Coach Clint Jones.

In an interview today Coach Jones told the USASJ News Bureau the camp was part of a very important season build up, noting…”We will be spending a lot of team with our new European-based coach Bine Norcic, which will be very exciting and we will be dealing with a host of issues like organizing rental vans for the season, training plans and locations, and gathering all the equipment from skis, to suits to bindings. We will be looking to test a lot of new equipment during the summer, and we will be looking to get some solid training with the many European teams who will also be in the area.”

Jones also stressed the importance of the US team to have close contact with the Europeans early in the summer, “so that they know exactly how high the level of competition is going into the summer training phase. This will help provide great motivation for our team, not only for the four athletes that are with us in Europe, but also those that they will be training with when they return.”

June 19, 2013 (Park City, UT) – For once, I’m going to let the pictures do the talking! Here’s what we’ve been up to in Park City the past few days full of hiking, biking, swimming, pasta… and whole lot more.

May 10, 2013 (Alaska) – This summer APU is hosting a masters on-snow ski camp at the Thomas Training Center on Eagle Glacier. Come experience glacier training like APU and US team athletes Kikkan Randall, Holly Brooks, Erik and Sadie Bjornsen, who use the method to extend their on-snow seasons.

“Skiers are made in the Summer”

The camp is coached by APU Elite coach Erik Flora, Dylan Watts, and Calisa Kastning. Flora has coached at Olympic and World Championship levels, including the 2011 and 2012 Overall World Sprint Champion. Watts is long time APU Master ski coach and overall winner of the Tour of Anchorage. Kastning is an APU Master ski coach and coach of the APU Women’s Master program. Snow camp will be from June 29 to July 3, including 5-6 ski sessions.

Camp includes classic and skate techniques. There is opportunity for participants to ski a lot, plus take part in technique discussion and video review. Cost $750. Includes skiing, coaching, housing, and food. Space is limited. Additional fee for helicopter transport.

Please contact Dylan Watts (dwatts@alaskapacific.edu) for registration and further information.

March 18, 2013 (Bend/Mt Bachelor, Oregon) – The annual Oregon Spring Camp event in Bend/Mt Bachelor, Oregon has finalized dates for the 2013 Camp with Mt Bachelor grooming staff. Two sessions are currently planned on two consecutive long weekends.

– Session #1: Thursday, May 23 – Sunday, May 26.
– Session #2: Thursday, May 30 – Sunday, June 2.

As in past years, the Oregon Spring Camp features on-snow sessions every morning on the groomed Mt Bachelor Nordic trails and an array of optional afternoon activities including dryland clinics, training lectures, and video review. Optional world-class physiology testing is also available on select weekdays. Campers are welcome to pick their own schedule with any combination of days possible from either session.

Designed specifically for adult skiers and racers from the high beginner to expert levels, the Oregon Spring Camp also welcomes skiers under age 18 with a parent/guardian attending the Camp serving as a chaperone.

Session #1 overlaps the period that in 2012 saw both the U.S. and Canadian National XC and Biathlon Teams training at Mt Bachelor as well as a large array of top club skiers from throughout North America. Session #2 requires a minimum attendance to be guaranteed with interested campers — but also represents a unique opportunity to ski into early June on one of the world’s longest groomed ski seasons.

Complete information about the 2013 Oregon Spring is now posted HERE.

We’ll see you this spring in Oregon!

December 28, 2012 (Radium, B.C.) – Happy Holidays from Nipika! We hope that you get to spend some time outside in true Nipika style: some cross country skiing, snowshoeing, toboganning, ice skating in crisp winter… followed by a hot tub or sauna and a delicious home-cooked meal.

If you can’t get out for an overnight or day visit to Nipika this holiday season, consider coming out in the New Year.

Nipika Cross Country Ski Camp – Jan. 20-25
Join Nipika director (and x-c ski guru) Lyle Wilson and Black Feather director Wendy Grater for 5 days of expert instruction and coaching. Relax at the end of the day in the wood fired sauna or hot tub. Accommodation each night is in the comfortable lodge and includes delicious, home-cooked meals and great camaraderie. Skiers of all levels will enjoy this cross country ski adventure week. More info HERE.

Nipika and Toby Creek Nordic Loppet Weekend – Feb.2-3
The Loppet Weekend is fast approaching. The Nipika Classic Loppet is on Saturday, February 2 and the Toby Creek Skate Loppet is on Sunday, February 3. Registration is already open and selling fast. The loppets are always a lot of fun – and the BBQ the follows is a huge highlight. If you’ve not tried a cross country ski event, this is probably the best one to cut your teeth. More info HERE.

We’re looking forward to seeing you in the new year! Have a safe and happy holiday!

December 20, 2012 (Mazama, WA) – The Methow Valley’s elite skiers, Sadie and Erik Bjornsen, are home for Christmas with huge wins in the Super Tour. Both brother and sister came away from the competitions in Canmore, Canada, last week, as the US Nordic Ski Team’s 2012 Super Tour Leaders. The Bjornsens are determined to represent the U.S. in the 2014 Olympics and will be competing internationally this ski season with the hope of continuing their winning streak.

The Bjornsen siblings are hosting the Cascade Challenge Ski Camp, a free Nordic ski clinic, for members of the Methow Valley Nordic Ski Team ages 6 thru 13. 50 kids have registered in advance for this fun-filled morning with our local Nordic champions.

The camp will run from noon to 3 PM on Sunday, Dec. 23, at the Mazama Community Center (at the junction of Lost River Road and Goat Creek Road). The center will be open by 11:30 a.m. for those who are registered.

“Sadie and I are super excited to be hosting our annual kids ski camp at the Mazama Community Center this Sunday,” said Erik. “As of this morning the camp is full with 50 young skiers signed up.” “This is our way of giving back to the Methow Valley Nordic community that has encouraged and supported us since we first began skiing,” said Sadie.

Sadie keeps an active blog about her ski activities at www.sadiebjornsen.blogspot.com, as does Erik at www.erikbjornsen.com.

The Methow Valley Nordic Ski Educational Foundation (MVNSEF), a 501(c)(3) organization, has created the Elite Opportunity Fund to provide financial support to eligible graduates of the Methow Valley Junior Nordic Team program who have been selected by a “national governing body” in one of the Nordic disciplines (USST, USBA) to compete in sanctioned international events or training camps. The MVNSEF recognizes the considerable financial difficulties faced by promising post-junior team skiers in their efforts to compete and succeed at the international level, and the very limited support provided by the USSA.

December 11, 2012 (Canmore, AB) – With the Alberta World Cup coming to Canmore this week, the Alberta World Cup Academy in conjunction with Ascent Physical Therapy is hosting the Canmore XC Ski Camps. This is an excellent opportunity for intermediate to advanced level cross country skiers to enhance their technique with the help of the World Cup Academy Coaches.

This Camp is for all levels and ages of skiers.  This is not a complete beginners camp, but caters to intermediate level non-racing skiers up to racing level.  Please call if you are not sure if your skills will fit the camp!

The Canmore XC Ski Camp is the perfect way to take advantage of world class instruction from some of Canada’s finest coaches from the Alberta World Cup Academy. The structure of the camp allows skiers to operate at their own pace and in a group environment that is catered to their ability level.

The on snow sessions concentrate on the technical aspects of both skate and classic, with real world modeling and feedback an essential part of the program. Ski waxing instruction along with advice on ski selection will ensure you come away from this camp well informed.

If you want to optimize your technique and learn from the best the Canmore XC Ski Camp is the place to be.

For beginner skiers, in skate or classic, the Canmore XC Ski Camp supports and encourages skiers to contact the excellent team at Trailsports. They can provide private and group lessons for those of varying ability and will be operating throughout winter and during camp time. This may be the perfect opportunity for those bringing a spouse, child or friend along for the week to enroll in one of their classes.

– 4 Days of Expert XC Skiing Instruction and Training – $599+gst – Register HERE

– NEW! 2-Day Skate only option Dec 22nd and 23rd – $375+gst – Register HERE

Like Canmore XC Ski Camp on Facebook!

For more information go to www.canmorexcskicamp.com

December 06, 2012 (West Yellowstone, MO) – Riding in Drew Barney’s ’02 white pickup, we led a convoy of 20+ SUV’s and Suby’s up to the plateau where primo grooming and organized parking chaos awaited. Just 1200′ above town, the snow comes earlier and lasts longer. There had been snow in town, and then r_ _ _, yes, the four-letter word for non-solid precip. But the camp and the races must go on. Now in its 25th year, the Fall Training Camp at the Yellowstone Ski Festival is happening like never before, even in a lean year like this one. I caught a ride with Drew on our way up to the plateau for the clinics one day, and had a chance to ask him about the camp’s and his storied past.

First, Drew, how did you get into cross country, and how did the camps start?
Drew Barney: I grew up in Ogden (Utah) and worked in a ski shop. It was owned by Bob Chambers, who’d been an NCAA champ. I came in one day, and he had two brand new pairs of race skis. Bob said to “mount ’em up.” “Who for?” I said. “You and me are going racing tomorrow!” [replied Bob.]

The Camp started 1979, when the US Ski Team came to West under the direction of Marty Hall. I was a participant in the ’80 camp. In 1987 when a USSA sponsored coaches’ clinic lost funding, Dick Hunt and I saw an opportunity, and put together a training camp for athletes and coaches.

I used to do pretty well in the races, but it’s hard to stay in a position to be in the top three. I may race again after I get my hip replaced.

Drew walks with a slight limp now, but thinks he’ll be back in the game after some new hardware.

What changes have you witnessed over the life of the camp?
DB: We are faster at getting people to ski well. We have a better understanding of the importance of the link between Skate and Classic, and how you ‘can’t cheat’ with the weight shift in classic. In classic teaching we’re better at showing statically exactly what is going on with technique.

What drove the changes?
DB: The pressure is on. Other camps have turned up the volume. We’re always evolving. Coaches share their secrets with each other and with the participants. I’ve got the utmost confidence in the staff. They all bring different perspectives that all lead to better technique.

What sets the West Yellowstone Camp apart?
DB: The campers ski with 6 or 10 coaches over 3 to 5 days. Today (last day of the 3 and the 5 day camp) is the biggest learning day. People are putting all their learning together, and having breakthroughs. Even if their best coaching session was a day or two ago, people are synthesizing, and will look back on today’s session as ‘the best.’ Post event surveys bear that out. People are synthesizing all they’ve learned. For a lot of people who’ve been coming here for years, Thanksgiving in West Yellowstone, has become a given. For many, this is where you ‘do’ Thanksgiving.

Can you tell us a little more about the trail system?
DB: We’ve put a lot of money into the trails, getting them mowed so that we can start up with 6″ of snow. From the initial layout, connecting logging roads, we built the closer loops, then added Windy Ridge. We’ve got no new k’s with restrictions from grizzly and other wildlife habitat impact imitations. But we’ve got great USFS relations. We wouldn’t be able to do this if it weren’t for the Forest Service.

What else have you done in West Yellowstone?
DB: After a couple of years on the Town Council I served as mayor in ’07 and ’08. I got done what I wanted to get done, and was kind of relieved to have someone else take the torch.

You’ve put up with some crazy weather… like what?
DB: Two years ago a big storm blew in and roads were closed into the valley and along many of the routes people take to get here. Last year it was very, very cold on the first day. Skating was super slow. The next day it was 25ƒ, and everybody felt like a hero. This year we had klister conditions on the first day. Waxing was hard, and skating was so much better.

Drew rounded the last corner on the long switchback that gains the steep northern edge of the Pitchstone plateau, with a precipitous drop through tight lodgepole amidst tumbled boulders. Another mile and then some we were moving cones for the reserved camp parking. On top, trails diverged, heading off on mid-winter corduroy. The trails were crowded, yes, but manageable. The buzz in the air, as college racers warmed up for their race, as coaches hauled jackets to the finish line for the point-to-point race dictated by the trail layout on the plateau, or as classes passed each other, meant a high five or hello at every turn.

Do you have any words of wisdom you would like to add?
DB: Winning is fun… for 15 minutes. The fun is in getting there.

October 26, 2012 – “It’s been 26 years running that we’ve had early season ski camps on the mountain,” said Guy Paulsen, Nordic Manager at Silver Star Mountain Resort.

For the first time in the history, Canada’s longest running early season cross country ski camp will be co-hosted by the two neighbouring Nordic operators, Silver Star Mountain Resort and Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre. “We believe by combining the camps, we are bringing the best of both to our skiing guests.” said Guy Paulsen.

As Silver Star Mountain Resort and Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre prepare to co-host the early season “XC Supercamp” running November 19th to December 2, they are looking back to their respective ski roots on the mountain.

Largest Early Season Trail System
“Skiing on the mountain started in the 1930’s when the pioneer skiers would catch the bus to the end of the road by the school house, which was near the bottom of the hill, then they would ski up the mountain. It was an all-day event,” said Don Wylie of Sovereign Lake. “Back then, you could ski the whole mountain because it was bare. Today we have first class groomed trails to follow and between the two areas we have the largest early season trail system in Western Canada.”

European Spa and 5-Star Dining
We’re really excited about the added features that  XC Supercamp can offer that are unique to our area. Campers may spend a relaxing afternoon at Sparkling Hill Resort, the only European spa of it’s kind in North America, where they will have access to seven unique aromatherapy sauna and steam rooms, indoor and outdoor pools, and hydrotherapy pool. The evening will finish with a five-star dinning experience overlooking Okanagan Lake.

Popular Biathlon Experience
XC Supercamp is pleased to offer biathlon as an option to the five-day and weekend camps. “It was such a hit at the Sovereign Lake camps last year that we decided to include it in this year’s program,” said Darren Derochie, senior coach at XC Supercamp. “For some it’s something they have never tried before. This allows them the opportunity to experience biathlon.  For others, they may have experience shooting, the new experience is doing it on skis.”

Skiers across Canada and the U.S. have come to trust the early season snow and excellent coaching to start their season at Silver Star and Sovereign Lake. “With significant snow on the mountain already, we are on track for our forecasted opening November 9th and possibly sooner.”

October 17, 2012 (Park City, UT) – This is why I love going to Park City for October camp ever year – the weather is so awesome it makes for incredible training! While it’s starting to get rainy and gross outside in most of the U.S. once the leaves have changed and fallen, PC has been sunny and reasonably warm. Although I’m such a hot-blooded creature that it’s been much warmer for me than the rest of the team. 🙂

After allowing some time to acclimate to the high altitude, we’ve moved to putting in more speed and intensity sessions, including some harder L4 intervals.

So, this weird thing happens to me every fall. I start to worry that I’m not going fast enough in speeds, not long enough in intervals, and I lose confidence and worry that my season is going to be a disaster. But then the season goes just fine and I feel silly for stressing so much about it!

However, yesterday we did a 6×4 min L4 bounding session, and although I went as hard as I could, I was just out of it and ended up being pretty hard on myself. I figured sometimes you’re the bug, and sometimes you’re the windshield, and that day I was most definitely the bug. And it felt pretty bad.

But then my coaches and teammates reminded me…they’re not going to kick me off the team, or think any less of me, if I don’t perform 100% every single day. In fact, it’d be impossible to have a perfect training session or race every time! It’s normal to get nervous before the start of the race season…that that’s something that might never go away, just something I need to get better at dealing with.

So why am I going on about this? Because everybody has those days when, for whatever reason (bad session, injuries, sickness, bad day at work) they feel like the bug. Sometimes it just sucks! And it’s good to be able to admit when you’re feeling down and simply ask for a hug. I feel so lucky to know that I can get one anytime from such a great group of teammates and coaches. We’ve got each other’s backs!

But today was a rest day, and I think this cartoon (forwarded by Soph) pretty accurately sums up a skier’s day off: it’s never really as empty as we say it is.

Today’s day off consisted of chilling at the SMS team house and then finishing part 2 of a photo shoot for One Way Sport with Reese Hanneman (Engine Room Media – check out his site HERE! ). Reese took some good shots and was super fun to work with, and I can’t wait to post some of the photos in a couple days!

We took photos all over different parts of Park City, but my favorite spots included skiing up Main Street at night, climbing a rusty tower at an old mining site, and skiing over Guardsman Pass.

Doing the shoot on Main St was really cool because of all the lights and people but also a little sketchy; we’d wait for the street to clear and then I’d do a sprint up the middle of the street, and Reese would take some shots, then I’d scoot down the side of the street and do it again.

We got some great comments from the peanut gallery of pedestrians, too. “Ski like you MEAN IT!”…”Where can I get some of those wheels?”…”Whoa. That’s a lot of neon”…”so, uh, do those things mainly roll uphill or downhill?”. Luckily, it was dark, so although my face went red whenever people would stop and stare I don’t think anyone could tell!

October 05, 2012 – Exciting news, I am starting my own xc ski camps. The plan is (as always), incredible xc skiing, the best coaches, the best atmosphere, the most fun and of course YOU!

Online Registration click HERE.

The Coaching line up:
Dr. Mike Mandli, Munro Duncan AKA (Munny),Dr. Joe Bouscaren, Jennifer Tabbernor, Joanne, Pat Van Mullem and I will work to make your xc skiing more efficient and more fun.

Sun Peaks Resort
– November 26-30 – Monday to Friday Camp
– December 1 & 2 – Weekend Camp

Beautifully groomed Nordic trails are at the door step, cozy village with accommodation, restaurants, spa and so much more.

Online registration HERE.
Visit the Sun Peaks website HERE.

Delta Sun Peaks
The flag ship hotel at Sun Peaks Resort. Delta Sun Peaks Resort is a full service, luxury hotel where guests have exclusive use to a health club, featuring three outdoor hot tubs, an indoor entrance to a heated outdoor swimming pool, sauna, and a well equipped gym.

Click HERE to book your accommodation.

Whistler Olympic Park
– December 3-7 – Monday to Friday Camp
– December 8 & 9 – Weekend Camp

Whistler Olympic Park was built at a cost of $119.7 million to stage the Nordic ski disciplines of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Cross-country skiing, biathlon, ski jumping and nordic combined events and training were held exclusively at Whistler Olympic Park.

With 90 kms of expertly groomed trails for classic and skate skiing, Whistler Olympic Park has it all.

Online registration HERE.
Visit the Whistler Olympic Park website HERE.

Whistler Athletes Centre
The energy is amazing at the Whistler Athletes Centre, stay where the Olympians lived during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games!

I have blocked rooms in the athletes lodge under “Glenn Bond Cross Country Ski Camps”.

Rates:
– $55.00 for a single room – one bed
– $80.00 for a double room – two beds
– Participants will need to plan their own transportation to and from Whistler Olympic Park.

Click HERE to book your accommodation.

Happy Trails!

www.glennbond.com

October 04, 2012 (Fort Kent, ME) – Over the weekend of September 21-23 junior athletes from throughout the county came to the 10th Mountain Center in Fort Kent to participate in a 3-day shooting camp. During the camp athletes learned the skills needed to begin training in the sport of biathlon. They participated in a variety of shooting practices, running, strength and roller ski sessions over the long weekend in preparation for the 2012-13 winter season.

Focused sessions like this are great prior to the winter to help young athletes hone their skills while the weather is warm. This winter the Maine Winter Sports Center is excited to announce the 10th Mountain Center will be hosting the 2013 USBA National Championship over March 7th through 10th.. We hope to see many of these young athletes competing there. These athletes will also have an opportunity to participate in biathlon evens as part of the North American Cup races in Valcartier and La Patrie Quebec, and Jericho Vermont.

What is next? Junior athletes from throughout Maine are currently training outside Cody, Wyoming with MWSC Head Nordic Coach Will Sweetser. Here in Maine a group is enjoying fall training on Mount Desert Island, and we are preparing to start our regular weekly fall/winter sessions.

Parent information sessions will be held on October 2nd in Presque Isle at the Nordic Heritage center at 7:30pm as well as on October 4th in Fort Kent at the 10th Mountain Center at 7:30pm. Come and learn more about these programs. We look forward to seeing you all out this fall.

August 16, 2012 – Red Deer Nordic is hosting a province wide dry land cross country ski camp and we want you to come! WOW!!! Some of the best coaches and athletes in the province will be here to help you develop as a person and athlete. You won’t want to miss this opportunity!

Registration is now open at Zone4.ca. Click HERE to register. Please note that registration numbers are limited, so be sure to sign up a.s.a.p.! Please note that registration closes at 10pm on Tuesday September 4.

What: Red Deer Nordic Hosts- Cross Country Alberta Inter-Club Provincial Dry Land Training Camp

When: September 7, 8, 9

September 7 – Coaches and athletes with a long drive can come into town and settle in for the evening. Others may want to come in on saturday morning? We could have a coaches meeting at 8:00pm to firm up some of the details.

September 8 – Coaches meet at 8am, Athletes meet at 8:45, programming will start at 9:00 and we will run until 9:00pm (including snacks, lunches, dinner and presentations)

September 9 – Coaches meet at 8am, Athletes meet at 8:45, programming will start at 9:00 and we will plan on being done between 3:30 and 4:30.

Where: Red Deer, Alberta

Who: Athletes ages 10 and older, Track Attack Skiers, Alberta Cup Skiers, Members of the Alberta Development Team and Alberta Ski Team, Members of the Junior National Ski Team, any athletes from other sports ages 10 to college and university age who would like an introduction to training for cross country ski racing; plus coaches of all levels from beginner youth coaches to experienced club coaches; and parents of young athletes.

Why: The goal of this camp is to bring together all of the athletes and coaches from cross country ski clubs across Alberta to train together in a Provincial Camp. A great opportunity for athletes to gain valuable friendships, learn from each other, and develop together.

Coaches of all levels, this is an amazing chance for you to work with some very talented coaches that we have in Alberta, to develop your own skills, coaching style, detection and correction and work with different athletes too.

We will be using our amazing trail system through the river valley, have dinner and presentations at the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Museum, preview the High School Provincial Cross Country Running Race Course and enjoy being around so many great people in our sport. We have prizes from Fast Trax Run and Ski Shop, SkiGo, and Valhalla Pure Outfitters in Red Deer!

Detailed information, registration and costs will be available August 15th.

Coaches and parent coaches if you are interested in being part of this camp please contact Graeme Moore at 403-314-9356 or email at gsmpaddleski@gmail.com. Please let me know if you would like to make a presentation to the coaches and athletes and what topic you would like to share.

Coaches, please take 2 minutes after you finish reading this message to email this out to all athletes ages 10 and older, coaches and parent coaches so they know about this camp!

August 14, 2012 – The US XC Men’s Ski Team recently spent three weeks training in Austria and Germany with some workouts on glaciers, in the gym, and skiing at the DKB Skisport Halle in Oberhof. When the camp wrapped up, the squad travelled together to Munich, where they sought out a gym for one last workout before their flight.

The next day, after enjoying a fabulous hotel breakfast, Noah Hoffman and Tad Elliott travelled back to Aspen, CO together, but not without some adventures along the way. Since his return home, Hoffman has enjoyed lots of family and friend time, as well as quality training. Read more about the US XC Men’s Ski Team and what the Hoff has been up to on his new website HERE.

July 24, 2012 (Sun Valley, ID) – The National Nordic Foundation will invest $6,000 in two forthcoming Cross-Country Pillar Projects in its summer round of XC 2012/2013 funding. The primary goal of these USST International Development camps in Austria, Germany, and Sweden is to get the athletes on snow midway through the preparation period, and most goals will be technique-based. The National Nordic Foundation’s investment will offset some athlete’s travel expenses thereby reducing the personal cost for many of the athletes. Primary funding for the camps will come from USST with a significant additional investment to the men’s camp from the Oregon Nordic Ski Foundation. These strategic investments are made to Support Tomorrow’s Stars Today.

Men’s Camp: July 28-Aug 3 Ramsau/Dachstein, Austria, Aug 3-9 Oberhof, Germany
The men’s National Team is looking forward to the upcoming camp in Ramsau am Dachstein, Austria and Oberhof, Germany. Ramsau and Oberhof are two of the best summer cross-country ski training venues in central Europe. Both venues provide excellent skiing, as well as world-class rollerskiing and dry-land training opportunities. It has been many years since the USST has been in Ramsau for a summer camp and we are looking forward to being back in a place that is already one of our winter homes. This will be our first summer camp in Oberhof, a venue that offers a rollerski track over 10 kilometers in length as well as the ski tunnel. The primary goal of our camp is to get the men back on snow midway through the preparation period, and most goals will be technique-based. We also gain a unique opportunity to test new equipment directly from the European factories. This camp would not be possible without the generosity of the Oregon Nordic Ski Foundation and the National Nordic Foundation. We are grateful for the support of both of these great Nordic organizations; they have made this camp a reality.

Women’s Camp: August 3-16 Torsby & Salen Sweden
The women’s National Team is preparing for its third of five preparation period camps – this time to Sweden. The team will spend its first three days training in Torsby to kick off the camp. During this time we will test equipment on snow in the tunnel with ski industry representatives. We’ll then pack up and meet the Swedish National Team women in Salen for five days of dry land. For the final five days of the camp we’ll head back to Torsby’s ski tunnel with the Swedes. An important national strategy for this group is international partnerships. We’ve made significant progress with Canada in two years and have felt positive benefits on a number of levels. These partnerships naturally inject change into our program without drastically changing our direction. The excitement of new faces and training methods is motivating. We have more fun this way, and we train harder and better. If you want to see a hardcore interval session like never before just put two national teams together and stand back. Our team depends on a deep network of support and NNF is at its center.

July 24, 2012 – Canada’s Alysson Marshall recently participated in a groundbreaking collaborative North American women’s cross-country ski training champ in Anchorage, AK, along with over dozen other athletes from Canada and the U.S., along with Finland’s Aino-Kaisa Saarinen. For the full report and photos from the camp that saw the athletes on rollerskis, in running shoes, skiing on the Eagle Glacier, and celebrating Canada Day in Anchorage, click HERE.

May 07, 2012 – Like everyone else, I had huge intentions of writing a huge blog post (almost a month ago now) reviewing my season, talking about the highs and lows in detail – and covering everything in between.

However, in reality, I needed time to rest – both my body and my mind and that included taking a short hiatus from blogging and telling the world about my exploits 🙂

Now that I’ve had that time to rest, here is how it went, in a nutshell:

– A delayed departure for Europe due to no snow…. got my first taste of tunnel skiing in Torsby
– An awesome streak of World Cup performances – better than I had ever imagined… scoring WC points in 6 of 9 individual start races. I almost made the distance red group after one period alone! This was certainly a break through for me mentally, physically & emotionally. It also gave me the green light to extend my season in Europe and join the Tour de Ski USA crew! This meant spending Christmas in Europe.
– Christmas night: fell on icy road and broke my wrist four days before Tour de Ski. (Nice timing, right?)
– Proceeded to race the Tour de Ski with my wrist – didn’t find out it was broken until half way through the Tour when I got x-rays and an MRI en route to Italy.

– Stubbornly finished the Tour with the help of pain killers and tape jobs (thanks Steph!) Was ecstatic to reach the top of the Alps Cermis, even if my performance took a huge tumble.
– Proceeded to take some much needed rest in Italy at the home of Bill and Kathy Estes – thanks Guys!
– Continued onto Ramsau, Austria, SOLO for a one-pole ski camp… often in a blizzard.
– Got back into World Cup racing in time to come down with the weird stomach bug that took almost everyone out at one point or another. Dropped out of a race in Czech (Heck, I didn’t even drop out of races when I had a broken wrist!) and then the next day summoned all my courage and energy to help the USA ladies to our best 4x5k relay result ever. Certainly a HIGHLIGHT of the season!

– Just the day before I had purchased a ticket home for a 2-week recovery trip. My wrist episode combined with the stomach bug took a bigger toll on me than I’d thought. I traveled back to the States, 30 pairs of skis and all; knowing that I wanted to come back but not knowing if I could come back.
– Raced the American Birkebeiner and WON! That one had been on my list for a while ever since loosing my an inch in 2009!

– Returned to Europe for the Lahti World Cups but skied poorly. Perhaps 20,000 + miles in an airplane, a 50k and jumping 4 time zones doesn’t work….
– Skied and WON OPA cup finals in Toblach, Italy! It wasn’t WC Finals but it certainly felt good to stand on TOP of a podium. I won countless pounds of cheese and meat for my efforts.
– From Italy I continued onto Craftsbury Vermont where I met my APU teammates. It was close to 80 degrees so we had to get tanks and shorts at thrift stores…. I continued to have what I felt were mediocre races at spring series.

In all, the season was a huge breakthrough for me. Going into it, I had no idea that I would be spending almost five straight months overseas. I didn’t anticipate a 13th place in Davos, just missing the distance red group at the end of December, or even starting the Tour de Ski. Injuring myself was a huge bummer, especially with the momentum that I had created….. but on the bright side, it wasn’t an Olympic year, right? I raced in 26 different World Cup races in countries and venues all over Europe. In all, I raced 51 times last year, summer events included. I learned a lot, as you’d hope I would in that period of time. But perhaps the most important lessons when it comes to International performances are that 1 – I can do it; we can do it. We have the tools to succeed, let alone WIN against the Europeans. 2 – Next season I will need a planned break to come home to AK 3 – Diversify racing venues and level of competition – I didn’t race my first non-World Cup race until the American Birkie in February! As hard as it is to miss World Cups, standing on a podium and being in the hunt for the win is important and not to be under estimated.

All in all, I’m excited to train really hard this summer and take another stab at it next winter. I’m crossing my fingers to stay injury free and be able to pick up where I left off!

WHEW….. That wasn’t supposed to be long winded but it was, sorry. Here are some pictures of my spring to make up for it:

Following the ski season I did what so happy skiers do after 5 months of traveling on the road, chasing snow; go to the beach! This trip was actually planned as a college reunion some 8 months prior to going. There was lots to celebrate and lots to catch up on including BIG birthdays…. (and some anxiety on my part for those that know me well!) Time with my college girlfriends was awesome. We cooked amazing meals and talked for HOURS about all kinds of non-ski related things. My friends are all amazingly accomplished and it was fun to hear about mobile butchers for Sarah’s meat CSA, Al’s trips on the Grand Canyon, Jayne’s PhD in geophysics & Laura’s teaching exploits from Oahu!

It was a tight turn around to get to Hawaii. I came into Alaska on a red eye and had less than 24 hours in AK to give my husband a hug, vote, pack, un-pack, lead a clinic & attend to all kinds of business and months of mail. Then, I departed on another red eye for the islands….. arriving 10 hours later; exhausted to say the least. (I’m NOT complaining though!)

The girls also put up with my need to exercise – at least a bit. I’ve always wanted to bike on the islands and this time I was finally able too. Here I am at the 9,000 ft. lookout for Mauna Kea.

The other super fun thing I did this spring was attend my good friend, Chrissy’s bachlorette party. Instead of a night on the town we took a water taxi across K-Bay in Homer to her family cabin. We brought skis, running shoes, and blow-up paddle boards – and used them all!

The spring is also a great time to participate in some awesome community programs. ARISE is a new program co-lead by Alaska Sports Hall of Fame and Healthy Futures. It stands for Anchorage Runners Inspired to Succeed and Excel. Basically, it brings local runners and health advocates into Title I schools in Anchorage to run with elementary school kids at recess. The goal is to show that being active can be fun! This spring Tyson Elementary in Mountain View is the pilot program.

The grades, K-5 are having a competition to see which class can run the most. Mid-week last week, the Tyson kids had run 584 miles total! Last Thursday we had a “speed gun” where kids did a full on sprint. The school is going to take our mileage and overlay it across the state of Alaska. The goal is run from Anchorage to the North Slope – at least!

In other news, training for 2012-2013 has started and we’re hitting it hard with APU. Lucky for us, we can still ski in Anchorage so we’re mixing some on-snow training in with running, lifting, etc. Should be fun (and sometimes sore) times!

More real soon…..

Cheers!

Holly 🙂

December 21, 2011 (Early Winters, WA) – This year, the Methow Valley Nordic Team has no less than four graduates who are skiing at an elite level in international competitions. Sadie Bjornsen and her younger brother Erik Bjornsen are members of the U.S. Ski Team, hoping to make the 2014 Olympic Games.

Brian Gregg, ranked among the 10 fastest skiers in the country, has been invited by the U.S. Ski Team to compete in Europa Cup races and has earned World Cup Start rights by leading the overall Super Tour.

Casey Smith, named Junior Biathlete of the Year by the U.S. Biathlon Team, and is near qualifying for the U.S. Biathlon European Championship Team

All four of these elite athletes will be giving back to the community and their home team, by giving a free ski clinic on Wednesday, Dec. 21, at the Mazama Community Center, for members of the Methow Valley Nordic Team. Over 30 kids have pre-registered!

Click HERE to view the announcement on Sadie Bjornsen’s blog.

November 09, 2011 (Muonio, Finland) – Its hard to imagine how different our experience in Muonio, Finland has been since we were here last year. Normally cold snowy weather has been replaced by warm temperatures and steady rain. Despite the unseasonable weather, the grooming staff at Oslo has done well to provide great skiing for the numerous national and club skiers frequenting the 3k loop. Today the track was closed to skiing as the workers frantically reallocated precious snowpack from one of the out-back sections to shore up the racecourse for the coming competitions on the weekend.

Although the weather seems to be conspiring against us, the skiing has remained solid.  Its seems we are past the worst of the rain and the mercury is finally dropping after 2 pretty nasty weeks. Big thanks to the workers at Olos for all of their hard work keeping the tracks open and several hundred people on snow. The races this weekend should certainly prove interesting with large competitive fields tearing around the shortened race loop.

November 08, 2011 (Canmore, AB) – Ascent Performance Lab and the Alberta World Cup Academy are pleased to announce their first Cross Country Ski Camp – December 27-30, 2011.  Building on the excitement of Frozen Thunder and recent first ever on-snow sprint races at the Nordic Centre, this ski camp is aimed at senior and masters skiers who want to benefit from the world-class Canmore Nordic Centre, the professional services of the new Performance Lab at Ascent, and the superior coaching skills of the Alberta World Cup Academy.  This camp will enhance Canmore’s reputation as the leading community for cross country skiing in Canada.

According to Mike Cavaliere, Program Director of the Academy: “This is an exciting opportunity to share with other senior and masters skiers the same coaching expertise we have been applying that’s resulted in Olympians and national team skiers like Gordon Jewett, Madeleine Williams, Drew Goldsack and Allyson Marshall,  We’re thrilled to partner with Shane Munro and the team at  Ascent to deliver a program that is unique in this country.  And, it will bring new visitors to Canmore over the holiday season!”

“We’re able to offer this program because of our world-class facility – the Canmore Nordic Centre and the high quality of the wellness industry in Canmore”, says Cavaliere.

For more information, contact:
Alicia Evans,
Endurance Coach and Camp Coordinator
Ascent Performance Lab
Ph 403 678 8855
email alicia@ascentperformance.com

November 01, 2011 (Fairbanks, AK) – As a young girl, Fairbanks’ Becca Rorabaugh had the opportunity to cross paths with Beckie Scott – the first Canadian and first North American woman to win an Olympic medal in cross-country skiing with gold at the Salt Lake City games and silver at the 2006 Games in the team sprint with Sara Renner.

“North American elite skiers once did early season training in Fairbanks, and when I was about 10 years old I was lucky enough to meet Becky Scott,” explained Rorabaugh. “Basically the only words we exchanged were “Hi! My name is Becca too!”, but the inspiration of meeting her steered me to aim for the Olympics,” recalled the enthusiastic athlete.

Twelve years later, Rorabaugh, who is now 22 and an aspiring Olympian in cross-country skiing, took it upon herself to host a Fast and Female event in the hope of recreating this same magic for the next generation of Fairbanks racers.

On the eve of Halloween, Rorabaugh fulfilled her vision. Teaming up with APU Nordic Ski Center teammates and Olympians Kikkan Randall and Holly Brooks, she hosted more than 50 young female skiers ages 9 to 19 for the first ever Fast and Female Fairbanks event.

On this special occasion, the Fairbanks Nordic Ski Club saw a sea of girls in pink take part in cross-country ski drills, yoga, motivational presentations and a poster signing session – all led by Rorabaugh, Randall, and Brooks.

“Many of the girls seemed to really enjoy and absorb some great technique pointers from our experienced Ambassadors,” specified Randall, lead Fast and Female ambassador in the US and double World Cup winner on the Cross-country circuit in 2011.

“Some of the highlights for me were watching the swirl of neon colors, and especially the pink, zing around the four ski stations and then watching everyone synchronized in the warrior II pose during the yoga session,” added Randall, a full-time World Cup athlete who has already hosted three Fast and Female events in her hometown of Anchorage over the past three years.

Rorabaugh knew she accomplished her goal as girls left the event with huge smiles on their faces and a renewed sense of commitment to their own Olympic dreams.

“Kaya, Zoe and I REALLY got a lot out of it,” confirmed mom and volunteer Kim Troxel in an email following the event. “We all feel energized to go for it with skiing and running! These types of opportunities make a huge difference in girls’ (and women’s) lives so THANK YOU,” she concluded.

This activity was made possible thanks to valuable local partners such as the presenting sponsor – SBS Retirement Consultants LLC, as well as the Fairbanks Nordic Ski Club, Bettisworth North, Lulu’s Bread & Bagels, Equinox Physical Therapy, Martha Hanlon Architects, Fairbanks Cancer Treatment Center, Beaver Sports, Challenge Life Racing and Goldstream Sports.

“I can only hope that today’s event might have a similar affect for the next generation of girls, and I am proud to have helped bring it to Fairbanks,” added Rorabaugh who will soon kick off a busy season of racing. “The community response was incredible and I am very thankful that so many businesses and volunteers were so generous. Fairbanks certainly embraced the Fast and Female mission with open arms,” she concluded.

Fast and Female’s national sponsors – including Best Buy, Buff Multifunctional Headwear, LUNA Bars, and LIT Glitter – also provided key resources to making this event possible.

The next Fast and Female youth event will be the December 3 Alpine day held in conjunction with Alberta Alpine’s Legends Club in Canmore and Lake Louise, Alberta. For more information about this event, visit: www.fastandfemale.com

October 27, 2011 (Italy) – A high altitude training camp of the Swedish cross country ski team is coming to an end and Swedish coaches are satisfied with it. Running, cycling, roller skiing and strength training at 1800 meters were on the training schedule of the first week in Livigno.

The camp continued with seven days at 2,000-3,000 meters altitude in Val Senales and glacier skiing every day. Thin air, hard work and stress – what it takes to become an even better national team.

“We have been constantly developing both as individuals and as a group. Autumn high altitude has given us a lot. We are looking towards the season with confidence. What we have seen and experienced by the active attitude and performance during the camp week in the Italian Alps makes us look forward to the season with confidence. It is a hungry bunch who bit down and have shown what they want,” head coaches Joakim Abrahamsson and Richard Grip said.

The training load has been calibrated so that athletes do not go over the limit. “It must not be too much. The athletes have different training backgrounds and differing abilities to handle heavy loads at high altitude over time. Therefore we have chosen to send home some of younger skiers. Calle Halfvarsson, Hanna Falk, Hanna Brodin and Jesper Modin had cut short the camp three days before the others who traveled home on Wednesday,” coaches revealed.

“We want our skiers to be fresh and active at the next camp, which begins the first week in November. The quartet went home and had done a good job. They will have a little more time to recharge their batteries,” the coaches say.

Anna Haag also left Val Senales, slightly sick. “It is the coach’s responsibility not to let the athlete “run down” or walk around with cold,” the coaches explained.

Weather was on the side of the cross country squad and the team could carry out the training program as planned. “Although we are now done here in the Alps and the athletes are tired, their minds are positive,” Joakim Abrahamsson comments while waiting for Marcus Hellner and Anders Sodergren to come back from a demanding long ride.

In the meantime, recovery of Emil Jönsson and Johan Olsson has gone well in Sweden. Emil Joensson pulled his thigh muscle in Livigno and Johan Olsson developed a problem with a shoulder before the trip to Italy. “Both of them are in training, but do not run up,” Joakim Abrahamsson says.

October 25, 2011 (Barrie, ON) – A little over a year ago a group of like-minded coaches, parents and club officials in southern Ontario saw a need to provide greater high performance coaching and training support to young athletes who were committed to excellence in cross country ski racing. After months of discussion, planning, and fundraising the Southern Ontario Training Centre (SOTC) was born.

An initiative of the Hardwood Hills Nordic Development Centre (aka Team Hardwood) and other Founding Clubs (Kawartha Nordic Ski Club, Arrowhead Nordic, and the Waterloo Region Nordic Sports Club), SOTCʼs mission is to further the development of cross country skiing in Ontario by providing a high performance training centre for athletes who have graduated from high school and are committed to exploring their potential in the sport.

The vision is of a year-round training facility where, under the guidance of a full-time  coach, athletes train with a group of competitive peers while engaging in post-secondary studies if they chose. A key feature of SOTC is that athletes compete as members of the SOTC team while also representing and accumulating points for their home clubs in Ontario Cup Series races and at the Canadian Championships.

One year later, the dream has become a very exciting reality. SOTC was formally launched in June, 2011, with the hiring of our Head Coach, Petr Jakl. Petr is a highly qualified nordic ski coach who has held coaching positions in western Canada, Quebec, and his native Czech Republic. Petr hit the ground running in June and began immediately to work with SOTC’s athletes and to set up the office and training facilities. All athletes are following a custom-designed annual training program and Petr oversees the execution of training sessions with the athletes on a daily basis.

There are currently 4 athletes enrolled in the SOTC program, representing 3 different Ontario ski clubs. Cam Raynor hails from Huntsville, ON, where he has raced for the Arrowhead Nordic Ski Club and Huntsville High School. Cam had a break-out season last year, finishing 4th in the Sr Boy’s individual race and anchoring the Huntsville team to a gold medal in the relay event. Scott Hill and Adam Birosh are from North Bay, where they compete for the North Bay Nordic Ski Club. Scott has been a member of the Ontario Junior Development Team and posted some solid race results last year as a first year Jr Male, despite struggling with injuries.

Adam is a member of the Ontario Ski Team and is the reigning Jr Boys overall champion in the Ontario Cup Series. Evan Odell is from Mississauga and races for Team Hardwood. Evan has made regular podium appearances on the university racing circuit the last two years (racing for Laurentian U) and was the overall Ontario Cup champion in the Jr Male category in 2011-12. All 4 athletes are exceptionally talented athletes who are completely committed to the program and to achieving their potential in the sport. Most are also enrolled in university-level studies on at least a part-time basis, at either Lakehead University (Orillia campus) or Laurentian University (through Georgian College in Barrie), both of which are within a 15 minute drive of SOTC.

SOTC is hosted by Team Hardwood, utilizing the world class trails and other training amenities at Hardwood Ski and Bike and the surrounding area. Hardwood offers 30kms of meticulously groomed trails in winter and 80kms of double and single-track trails for mountain-biking in summer, along with an on-site rental and pro shop, as well as a cafe. SOTC maintains an office, strength and conditioning room, and equipment storage space on site. Surrounding Hardwood are miles of quiet, undulating, newly-paved country roads that are perfect for rollerskiing and cycling. The greater Barrie and Orillia area, meanwhile, is a mecca for outdoor sports and boasts over a dozen cross country and downhill ski areas within a short drive.

Since arriving last June, Petr and the SOTC athletes have become fixtures on the trails and roads around Hardwood Ski and Bike, where they have been logging the miles running, mountain-biking and rollerskiing. In addition, the team has already participated in several training camps. Petr has planned and executed two team training camps so far, one at Horseshoe Valley in July, and a fall camp at the Craftsbury Outdoor Centre in Vermont in early October, held in conjunction with a Team Hardwood junior camp.

After 5 days of hard training, the camp at Horseshoe climaxed with some thrills on the high ropes course at Horseshoe Valley Resort. While the Craftsbury camp was plagued by cold wet weather, the team still managed to get in some quality training that included ski-striding to the gondola station at the top of Mt Mansfield in Stowe, and strength sessions in the sweet fitness room used by the Craftsbury Green Racing Project team. The SOTC squad also participated in the SOD high performance camp hosted by Team Hardwood in August, where, along with over 100 other aspiring elite athletes, they had the opportunity to train with emerging World Cup star Lenny Valjas and other top Canadian skiers such as Mike Somppi, Erin Tribe and Andy Shields.

While the fruits of all their training won’t be evident until the snow flies, their success in a number of recent races testifies both to their fitness and to the effectiveness of Petr’s coaching and training program. All four athletes, for example, have won medals in the popular and very competitive 5 Peaks Trail Running series. Finally, Petr and the athletes have also participated in a number of outreach activities, including a visit to Arrowhead Nordic and the joint training camp with Team Hardwood in Vermont. Additional outreach activities are planned for the winter.

Looking ahead, the SOTC coach and athletes will be traveling to training and racing venues across North America over the next few months. After an early season snow camp in late November at Foret Montmorency in Quebec, they will compete at the 2012 World Jr/U23 Trials in Callaghan Valley, BC, in early January, and then move on to a NorAm competition in Canmore the following weekend. Following this western swing they will return home, where they will prepare for the Eastern Canadian Championships at Nakkertok and the Mt Orford NorAm in February. In March the focus will be on the Haywood Ski Nationals in Mont Ste Anne. Watch for them this winter in their blue and orange custom-designed racing suits courtesy of Mt Borah!

Follow the team’s travels and race results this winter on the newly launched SOTC web site! The site already contains lots of information about the Centre, including program information, coach and athlete profiles, photo galleries, training updates and camp reports. Please visit the SOTC web site HERE, and check for updates regularly.

Finally, SOTC is still accepting athletes for the 2011-12 season. Athlete inquiries should be directed to Petr Jakl at 1-800-387-3775 or sotc@hardwoodskiandbike.ca. Athletes interested in applying to SOTC should send a letter of interest outlining their background in the sport, performance highlights, and future goals in the sport to: Petr Jakl, Coach, Southern Ontario Training Centre, c/o Hardwood Ski and Bike, 402 Old Barrie Rd, Oro, ON, L0L 2E0.

SOTC acknowledges the generous support of its sponsors, including: KRG Children’s Charities; Monette May & Associates; Dalton Pharma Services; and Gulfcom.

October 20, 2011 (Dachstein, Austria) – The complete Czech Cross-Country team with fourteen skiers and four coaches have been finishing their last glacier altitude training block on Dachstein, at about 2,800 m above sea level. It takes five minutes to climb up from the colorful fall to freezing winter. And when sunbeams glitter on the white snow plain, mountain tips touch blue skies… the workout on the 10km packed course flies by faster.

“I’m satisfied but not really cool,” the Czech Cross-Country team leader Lukas Bauer says to www.czech-ski.com. “Every year it’s the same. You cannot breathe up here properly, you get tired faster and on top of that my knee has hurt now and then. On the other hand, I can see that despite some setbacks I did not lose too much from what I had trained before.,” Bauer adds while stretching his legs on a bench in front of the guest house.

Czech skiers as well as Czech biathletes have been staying only a few meters lower, beneath the low gondola station. Czech Nordic combined team and ladies’ Cross-Country squad have been staying down in Ramsau. Service staff has been driving for meetings with SRS companies to finalize the selection of material for upcoming winter. There is much more on the training schedule than Cross-Country skiing; running with ski poles, or jogging to relief the body from high training load.

“I’m happy guys could swallow what we had prepared for them. However, we will not find out if we are sucessful until first races,” the Czech Cross-Country team head coach Miroslav Petrasek says. He’s been focused more on five distance specialists. Vaclav Korunka has been responsible for four Czech sprinters.

At first, skiers patiently do some photo shooting change their training and competition gears and line up for a team photo. “The old down!” sprint specialist Dusan Kozisek commands.

Main highlight of the season is definitely the FIS Tour de Ski. “There’s no other option. It would be absolutely beautiful to win it for the third time,” Lukas Bauer dreams and is happy about having the Tour longer by one stage. “Then I want to focus on World Cups. Only if Tour doesn’t go well and there is no chance for the Overall World Cup I would try Vasaloppet,” Bauer reflects on forthcoming season.

“It won’t be a relaxing season whatsoever. All skiers are professionals and they want to win. They can only adjust their program,” Miroslav Petrasek adds. Czech skiers would like to perform well on their home turf in Nove Mesto. The head coach is hoping for a good result of youngster Jiri Horcicka at the Junior World Championships in Erzurum, Turkey.

How does the new cooperation model between Petrasek and Bauer look like? “Lukas has fulfilled what has been required at joint training camps. I can see what his shape is. If he needs me, he can come,” the coach explains. Bauer though does not consult with him the overall training plan. “It’s on me. I need to adapt my training schedule so that it fits with German training blocks and I do not go tired from one training period to another. I know what I need. The main thing is not to make any mistakes in winter when I feel some overload,” Bauer explains.

Also ladies have been training in an unlikely big group. Experienced A team duo Nyvltova and Janeckova were joined by trio Chrástková, Schützová and sprint specialist Grohová. “We are happy to come to the first World Cup with a relay team,” the ladies’ coach Jiri Simunek quotes. “We will see how it goes and decide about future program,” his assistant Tomas Kaspar adds.

Preparation of the two best Czech ladies was slowed down by health problems. Ivana Janeckova was two weeks on antibiotics, Eva Nyvltova has been coping with torn tendon in her sole. She got injured during a running competition. “It happened somewhere around 6th kilometer,” she describes. She was in the lead and in pain finished sixth. Since then she has had taped foot and has gone to laser treatment. Skiing has been limited only to skating. “It should be OK now,” she says.

The Czech Cross-Country team is returning from Dachstein on Sunday. On Monday, October 31 they are leaving again for the final training block in Norway. FIS Cross-Country World Cup kicks off only one week after Norwegian opening in Beitostoelen.

October 19, 2011 (Livigno, Italy) – Top Swedish sprinter Emil Joenssen was forced to leave team camp in Livigno, Italy early when he sustained a thigh injury during training. “I was on the camp in the Italian Livigno and had a great time with the rest of the team and the training was perfect! Then, on Friday afternoon we were doing a special training in order to get in more “into it”. That is, you start with an easy pace and then you increase the speed up to maximum speed. And during my second round the back of my thigh cramps and I fall to the ground and simply felt something was not right,” Emil Joensson explained on his website.

Emil Joensson returned quickly to Sweden and underwent in Oestersund several medical check ups including a MRI that revealed the cause of an injury. “As it turned out, the injury was smaller than what we had thought and it is a small simple burst within the back of the thigh up towards the bum. An incredible small little bugger which isn’t at all as serious but you don’t want to go on and burden it too fast due to the risk to turn it into a more severe injury,” Joensson reveals.

Expected recovery time remains unknown. “It will take weeks before I am fully back in action,” Joensson confirms. With the season kick off round the corner the Small Crystal Globe winner is not laying down his arms. “I have to adjust my training not to put on myself inappropriate load. So it is looking like a fun break in training having the chance to try out some new training variations,” Joensson claims.

September 21, 2011 – Are you coaching a local BKL Club this winter? Interested in learning more about how to manage your group more effectively? Looking to pick up some new games to jazz up your practice? Please join us for one of two BKL Coaching Clinics being offered this Fall. There will be presentations from some of the leading coaches and youth skiing gurus in New England.

Join Mary Anne Levins, Sverre Caldwell, John Ogden, Lauren Jacobs, Rob Bradlee, Jim Stock, Kate Koch, Cam MacKugler, and Eileen Carey in learning more about Youth Skiing in New England. Topics will include: game play, organizing practices with multi-level and age skiers, transitioning from BKL to Junior Racing, involving parents in a community program, how to welcome Adaptive skiers into your club, and how to put on BKL specific events.

These clinics are a great place to connect with other coaches and leaders in New England. Chat with some of your neighbors and help to strengthen our BKL community!

Both clinics have similar agendas, but since the presenters are different, the material is likely to vary. Come to both if you’ve got the time. Full schedule of events (including presenters) can be found HERE.

Saturday October 15th in Hanover, NH. Hosted by Ford Sayre.

Saturday November 19th at Rikert Touring Center in Ripton, VT. Hosted by Frost Mountain Nordic.

These clinics cost $10 and registration is online through the calendar listings. Hope to see you there!

September 20, 2011 – Norwegian Cross-Country athletes have had smooth summer and good training season so far, but there are still two months to go till the FIS Cross-Country World Cup kicks off in Beitostolen… and there are over three months to go till the winter highlight, this year’s FIS Tour de Ski.

“We’ve had only few injuries and illness in the national teams this training season. In general, everything runs very well. We are certainly on good track,” says head coach Vidar Løfshus.

Løfshus has been relatively new in the top position being responsible for various national teams in the World Cup season. He knows the season is approaching, but does not deny that he is looking forward to it.

“It is very fun to get started with the season, and I think we have many that will show their teeth,” Løfshus thinks.

Løfshus has praised both of the new national team coaches for having done very good progress. Junior team coach Sjur Ole Svarstad and men’s distance team coach Trond Nystad’s were hired before the training season.

“Both of them have made very good impression so far. They also have established good dialogue with athletes, service and generally with the whole team,” says Løfshus.

Twenty-two days in the height
In August, before the FIS Rollerski World Championships and Toppidrettsveka in Aure/Kristiansund, Trond Nystad took the men’s distance team to the training camp in Oberhof for the first time. Ladies’ team spent the August training camp in the idyllic surroundings of Hummelfjell in Os. Norwegian Junior teams were also there at the training camps.

In late August the teams left for the traditional high altitude training stay at Seiser Alm and Livigno, while the men’s sprint team went to Ramsau. Tord Asle Gjerdalen, Sjur Røthe, Martin Johnsrud Sundby and Petter Northug stayed longer in Livigno and could enjoy perfect training conditions during the last training week there. The quartet extended the high altitude stay by a week and experienced almost ideal conditions. Northug and Co. carried out twenty-two days in a row at the training camp.

Training Camps in Norway
After the high altitude stay in middle Europe, three Norwegian national teams will meet in three different places next week. Men’s distance team will kick off their gathering in Drammen on Tuesday, ladies’ squad left for Kvitfjell and sprinters will meet in Gjøvik. October will feature, traditional training camps in Livigno (sprint team) and at Val Senales (distance teams). Last week the sprint specialists started on Mallorca their final dry land training phase before the winter World Cup season.

Before the Norwegian national Cross-Country season opening in Beitostølen Norwegian national teams plan to meet at Gala.

September 12, 2011 (Sugarloaf, ME) – Attention Maine EHSC, J2 Fest, or JO Team members – MWSC coaches Sarah Kamilewicz and David Chamberlain will be hosting a training weekend on Oct. 1 and 2 at Sugarloaf Resort for Maine Team members.

We have one condo available for Saturday night to be filled first come-first served. Any others interested will have to find lodging OYO. Meals will be provided including lunch and dinner on Saturday and breakfast and lunch on Sunday. Meeting place will be the Sugarloaf Inn at 8:30AM on Saturday.

Maine Team Fall Training Weekend:
When: Oct. 1 – 2
Where: Sugarloaf Resort
Bring: skate rollerskis, classic bounding poles, running shoes, sleeping bag, towel, and pillow.
Cost: $40. For those who are interested please reserve a spot with Sarah Kamilewicz at sarah@mainewsc.org

September 12, 2011 (Barrie, ON) – Here are some video highlights from the 2011 Southern Ontario High Performance Training Camp, hosted by Team Hardwood and at Hardwood Ski and Bike, Aug 27-31. This five-day camp featured over 100 athletes and 30 coaches from Ontario, Quebec and Newfoundland, including the National Team Development Centre in Thunder Bay. Guest athletes from the National Ski Team included Len Valjas and Mike Somppi.

September 02, 2011 (Park City, UT / Canmore, AB) – A dynamic and inspiring group of 25 world-class female athletes is preparing to host a once-in-a-lifetime Fast and Female event in Park City on October 8, 2011 at the USSA’s Center of Excellence.

Held in partnership with the U. S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) and open to girls ages 9 to 19 practicing all sports, the event will feature an afternoon of fun and non-competitive dryland training followed by a motivational presentation. The activity will conclude with a yoga segment and an autograph signing session.

The highlight of the Fast and Female Park City event will be the presence of the following 25 world-class female athletes representing the sports of Alpine Skiing, Biathlon, Cross-Country Skiing, Freestyle Skiing, Snowboard, and Speed Skating:

– Shannon Bahrke (Moguls)
– Erin Bartlett (Short Track Skating)
– Sadie Bjornsen (XC Skiing)
– Brittany Bowe (Long Track Skating)
– Holly Brooks (XC Skiing)
– Sarah Chen (Short Track Skating)
– Callan Chythlook-Sifsof (Snowboardcross)
– Annelies Cook (USA Biathlete)
– Emily Cook (Aerials)
– Alexa Devereaux (Aerials)
– Jessie Diggins (XC Skiing)
– Alyson Dudek (Short Track Skating)
– Kaitlyn Farrington (Halfpipe)
– Faye Gulini (Snowboardcross)
– Morgan Izykowski (Short Track Skating)
– Zina Kocher (Canadian Biathlete)
– Jana Lindsey (Aerials)
– Chelsea Marshall (Alpine)
– Andrea Mayo (Biathlete)
– Netanya Mintz (Long Track Skating)
– Kikkan Randall (XC Skiing)
– Melanie Shultz (Canadian Biathlete)
– Jessica Smith (Short Track Skating)
– Kathryn Stone (Biathlete)
– Liz Stephen (XC Skiing)

On this special occasion, more than 150 aspiring female athletes will get first-hand experience from this select group of athletes – all of which are active World Cup/Europa Cup competitors and the majority of which are Olympians.

“Sports have taught me so many important life lessons and have made me the person I am today,” said Shannon Bahrke silver medalist in moguls at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, bronze medalist at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, and 2003 was the World Cup Champion.

“Setting lofty goals, working hard to achieve them, and never giving up when things get hard are just a few of those lessons that I want to instill in young female athletes. I know they can do anything because girl athletes are awesome and we rule,” concluded Bahrke who became the first US women’s freestyle skier to win multiple Olympic medals with her bronze medal in 2010.

The key objective for the afternoon will be to motivate girls to stick to sports by exposing them to inspiring and positive female role models. It is said that girls are six times more likely to drop out of sports than boys.

“I chose to be a part of ‘Fast and Female’ because I know the difference it has made for me to live a fun and active lifestyle,” said Emily Cook, a two-time Olympian with five career World Cup podiums. “I am really excited to help pass on the lessons that I have learned through sport like teamwork, leadership, being confident and having fun to young women in our community and to have some time to play and sweat with these amazing ladies,” she added.

As a non-profit and North-America-wide program started in 2005 by Chandra Crawford – Canada’s 2006 Olympic gold medalist in cross country – Fast and Female is intensely focused on delivering effective programming to keep girls in sports. So far in 2011, Fast and Female has hosted a total of 10 events, reaching 1,030 girls. The Park City event marks the fourth event held on U.S. soil this year and also the first U.S. event ever held with ambassadors from sports other than cross country skiing. Past Fast and Female events held in the U.S. in 2011 took place in Maine, Alaska, and Sun Valley – all on snow.

“It’s been a fun journey bringing Fast and Female to the US in cross-country,” said Kikkan Randall, lead Fast and Female ambassador in the US and double World Cup winner on the Cross-country circuit in 2011. “I’m really excited for the opportunity to expand into more disciplines with this Park City event,” added the full-time athlete who has held three Fast and Female events in her hometown of Anchorage since 2009.

To complement the youth programming, parents and coaches are invited to join the “Amazing Tips Seminar”. While the girls will be taking part in the dryland stations, adults will have the opportunity to attend three insightful presentations on Sport Psychology/Mental Toughness with Dr. Lauren Loberg, NCC, CC-AASP (Director of Athlete Career and Education), on Nutrition/Fueling the Fast Female with Adam Korzun (High Performance Dietician) and on Injury Prevention and Body Maintenance with Jess Tidswell, PT. DPT, ATC (Medical Resident Physical Therapist/Athletic Trainer). All three guest speakers are experts in their respective fields and employees of USSA.

The registration fee for the youth segment is $20 per participant and includes a Fast and Female t-shirt, a Buff, a snack, an autograph poster. Parents and coaches can also secure a seat by purchasing a ticket for $20 which includes access to the seminar and a Fast and Female t-shirt valued at $20.

All registrations are compiled online HERE. Please note that financial assistance is available for participants in need. Please contact info@fastandfemale.com to inquire.

The deadline to register online is October 6, 2011. On-site registrations will be at a rate of $25 per participant.

This activity is made possible thanks to valuable local partners such as USSA, US Bank, Einstein’s Bagels, and Knead a Massage. Fast and Female’s national sponsors – including Best Buy, Buff Multifunctional Headwear, Cold-FX, LUNA Bars, and LIT Glitter – are also providing key resources to make this event possible. For a complete list of Fast and Female national program supporters and sponsors, please click HERE.

June 17, 2011 – The Canadian XC Ski Team is in Hawaii for its second off-season training camp. “We are going to be on Maui ten days doing altitude training on Haleakala volcano,” said Canada’s head coach Justin Wadsworth.

Devon Kershaw, Alex Harvey, Ivan Babikov, Lenny Valjas, Chandra Crawford and Perianne Jones will carry out volume and intensity training. “We will particularly focus on long uphill climbing rollerskiing and good technique,” revealed Wadsworth.

The Canadian team gathered this month for its second off-season training camp. Kershaw, Harvey and Co. carried out the first one together with the U.S ski team at Mount Bachelor, Oregon. Both national teams praised good snow conditions and excellent joint training sessions.

Canada’s head coach Justin Wadsworth decided to go Hawaii because of June weather conditions in Canmore. “It’s a perfect time to get out of Canmore as June is the rainy season there. The locals call it “monsoon June,” he explained.

Cross-Country Canada team gathers every month for a team training camp that usually lasts two weeks. “The next one is going to be on-snow at the Beckie Scott Training center on the Haig Glacier just outside of Canmore. There we will have both our World Cup Team, as well as our Senior Development team focusing on distance training on skis,” revealed Wadsworth plans for upcoming weeks.

June 15, 2011 (Middlebury, VT) – Check out details about an upcoming rollerski clinic in Middlebury, VT led by Garrott Kuzzy, Cam Mackugler, Andrew Gardner, and Abby Weissman on July 6.

Join Garrott Kuzzy (CXC), Andrew Gardner (Middlebury), Cam Mackugler (Frost Mountain), and Abby Weissman (NENSA) for this intro level clinic. There will be a Juniors clinic from 4-5 and a Masters clinic from 5:30-7:30. Learn some new techniques or brush up on your form with some of the area’s best coaches.

The clinic will be split into groups based on experience. Lessons will be focused on technique, safety, and fun. NENSA has a limited number of rollerskis so email Abby Weissman (abby@nensa.net) if you need a pair. Please don’t forget to bring a helmet, poles (with road ferrules), boots, and a reflective vest or shirt.

Clinic size will be limited to 20 skiers, so sign up early!

Full event info (including registration link) HERE!

May 13, 2011 – Applications are now being accepted for four coaching intern positions for the 2nd annual USSA National J2 Talent ID Camp. All travel and on site expenses will be covered for these positions. Coaching interns will help head coaches supervise daily scheduling for the skiers, help manage workouts and gain valuable experience towards a post-college coaching career. Applicants should have strong skiing backgrounds, good communication skills, blend enthusiasm with maturity and be willing to work as a part of team of a staff.

Coaching interns will need to be USSA licensed coaches. Camp runs from Aug 1-8th and staff should plan on arriving on the 31st.

Application HERE. (PDF)

Please submit cover letter and application to Janice Sibilia at janice@nensa.net or fax to (845)-896-0148 no later than May 30th.