November 06, 2012 – On November 1, men across the country shaved their faces in preparation for Movember, a moustache growing charity event held during November each year that raises funds and awareness for men’s health. Canadian XC skiers are participating in the event and Devon Kershaw, Alex Harvey, Gord Jewett, Kevin Sandau, and Ivan Babikov are among the nine-man Sno Mos squad. Check out their team page HERE.

November 06, 2012 (Ottawa, ON) – Biathlon Canada, the national governing body for the sport of biathlon in Canada, is seeking applicants to fill a part time position at the national office in Ottawa. The successful candidate will assist the Executive Director with a number of projects including* but not limited to:

– General administrative functions
– Filling materials and supplies orders
– Web postings and website review
– Assist with production of promotional materials
– Meeting planning and preparation
– Membership registration and club database processes
– Entry level bookkeeping duties as assigned
– Other tasks as assigned
*Please refer to the complete job description for further details

The successful candidate will have the following attributes:
– Post secondary education in Sport Administration, Physical and Health Education, Business or a combination of related education and experience
– The ability to work with a high degree of independence in a fast-paced environment and respond quickly and efficiently to inquiries
– Excellent organization skills and attention to detail
– Good communication skills including the ability to produce polished communication in written and oral form in English (essential) and French (highly desirable)
– Ability to use Microsoft Office software and to learn other systems quickly
– Ability to take direction on assigned projects
– Ability to work as a team player in a volunteer-based organization
– Bilingualism is considered a strong asset
– Knowledge of the sport of biathlon or cross country skiing is considered an asset
– Flexibility to work varying days and hours depending on the workload at the various times of the year

Position: Administrative Assistant

Job Description:
Position: Administrative Assistant (part time contract) Location: Ottawa, Ontario (Biathlon Canada Head Office) Hours: 16-24 hours per week depending on the season (week-day time between 8:30am and 5pm- flexibility required by applicant and flexibility given by employer) Contract Dates: 15 months (January 7, 2013 – March 31, 2014) + training days Rate of Pay: $15-$18/hour (to be determined based on qualifications and experience) Benefits: none

Application Deadline: 16 November, 2012
Starting Date: 2-3 training days between Dec 10-21, 2012
with a formal start date of January 7, 2013.

Applications with a résumé and 3 references will be accepted by email at the address below until Friday, November 16, 2012.

Joanne Thomson, Executive Director
Email: jthomson@biathloncanada.ca

Biathlon Canada is an equal opportunity employer.

Salary Range: $15-$18/hour

Type of Position: Part Time – Employee

View Attachment: Administrative Assistant Job Description HERE.

Contact Information:
Joanne Thomson
Biathlon Canada
Suite 111, 2197 Riverside Dr.
Ottawa , ON, Canada
K1H 7X3
E-mail: jthomson@biathloncanada.ca
Tel. 613-748-5608 x3
www.biathloncanada.ca

November 02, 2012 (Ottawa, ON) – Cross Country Canada has joined other leading national sport organizations in embracing the Club Excellence Program which is helping to build a network of healthy, strong and sustainable sport clubs across Canada.

As an Associate Member, Cross Country Canada now enjoys access to a range of customized tools and resources to improve ski club programs. Targeted workshops will help their clubs become Club Excellence certified, building capacity in a number of critical areas including coaching, people management, governance, recruitment, financial accountability, marketing, and revenue generation.

“After focusing on redesigning our Athlete Development Model, Competition Model and all corresponding programs, it was time to encourage clubs to also proceed with LTAD alignment at the club level and provide tools and incentives to help us achieve the highest possible rate of engagement,” said Stéphane Barrette, Director of Coaching and Athlete Development with Cross Country Canada. “Club Excellence met every requirement we were looking for and more! And it helped that Club Excellence was highly recommended by some of the Sport Canada LTAD expert group members.”

Through the Associate Membership, the Club Excellence program will be available to ski clubs of all levels, focusing on all the characteristics of strong, sound clubs, from management to governance and program delivery. It will also allow Cross Country Canada to provide discounts to their member clubs on Club Excellence services, and gives them a voice in the stewardship of this innovative, standards-based certification program.

Founding Members of the Club Excellence Cooperative (CEC) include Swimming Canada, Speedskating Canada, CanoeKayak Canada, Athletics Canada, Gymnastics Canada, and the True Sport Foundation.

CEC Chair, John Edwards, called today’s announcement an exciting development for the program;

“We are delighted with the addition of another NSO to the Club Excellence program,” he said. “Clubs are the foundation for so many Canadian sports. It’s great to see that Cross Country Canada shares our vision of bringing long-term benefits to sport by improving the quality of community club programs.”

For more information, please visit www.clubexcellence.com

October 31, 2012 – Amateur sports in Canada have seen significant cutbacks in corporate sponsorships since the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and officials are concerned about the future of sport in the country reports the Vancouver Sun. According to the Sun article, Canadian sports officials are working with much smaller budgets post-Vancouver 2010 and this will negatively affect athlete development once the 2014 Sochi Olympics are over. Read the article HERE.

September 27, 2012 (Canmore, AB) – It’s funny. The athletes came into this training season more excited than ever, when one would think that after such a successful last season it would have been just the opposite. The amount of work this team has done over the last two years has been exhausting and I thought maybe people would slow down a bit and need to be encouraged back into training mode. Well, that couldn’t be further from the case.

Champing at the bit, the athletes travelled to Bend, Oregon for an on-snow camp combined with the US ski team. We had amazing skiing and weather which helped make this our best spring camp ever. Everyone on the team came into this camp fit and pumped up to get things going-it was great!

A few weeks after the Bend camp, our newly formed women’s team, led by Coach Eric de Nys, went north to Alaska for a half dryland and half on-snow camp with the US women’s team. This camp was a major success, with one of the largest (and for sure best) women’s training groups ever assembled in North America. Although the weather on the glacier wasn’t exactly sunny the women laid down some serious K’s and hours and came away more fit than ever.

While the ladies were in AK, the guys and I were hammering up from sea level to 10,000 feet on rollerskis on the island of Maui. The men tallied up more than 60,000 feet of vertical over 12 days, while camping high up on the volcano. There are other places to do altitude camps but nowhere else where you can do this kind of full-on vertical training. By far this was the camp where I saw the biggest changes in the guys, and everyone knew they had just gone up two notches in fitness. Straight from Hawaii we finished off the altitude training at the Haig Glacier in Alberta with 3 days of skiing at 3000 meters.

Since we have camps almost every month with most lasting around two weeks, I thought this summer would be a good time to give our athletes a six week break to settle in, train, and visit friends and family. During this period, Joel Jaques from our technical team and Perianne Jones from the women’s team got married and it was a celebration shared by many in the Cross Country Canada family.

In late August the women’s team joined forces with the Alberta World Cup Academy (AWCA) in Whitefish, Montana for another large women’s camp. Once again energy was high and the women focused on a good mix of intensity and distance, with a couple hard time trials to start engaging the racing legs. Chris Jeffries, Head Coach of the AWCA, and Eric de Nys worked well together and the energy coming out of this camp would carry everyone for weeks.

During this same period, the men were in on-snow in New Zealand banging out big hours and focusing on skiing technique. Coach Louis Bouchard and I were extremely happy with the work done there and left excited for the real winter to come.

Both the men’s and women’s teams are now off to Park City, Utah. Although the teams have different schedules, we’ll be doing some workouts together and eating dinners as a group. It’s our last dryland camp of the year and it will be fun to get everyone back together.

We’re all back to Canmore after Park City for skiing on our “kept” snow for our famous Frozen Thunder event. The Canmore Nordic Centre scrapes off the sawdust used to insulate the snow during the summer and rolls it out Oct 15th. It’s such an advantage for us to know we can start getting the edge on our competition by skiing so early, and right at home!

The World Cup races start Nov 24th in Gellivare, Sweden, and then move on to Kuusamo, Finland for the first mini-tour of the season. From there it’s time to head back to Canada for the much anticipated Quebec City and Canmore World Cups.

Our team is in a better place than ever and it’s an exciting time for everyone involved in cross country skiing in Canada. Without the support of our CCC members, fans and partners we would not be where we are today. Thank you!

Justin

Lenny,-team-van,-Justin_cropped.jpg
From left: Lenny Valjas, Coaching Consultant Torbjorn Karlsen, Coach Wadsworth. Location:Canmore, AB

September 26, 2012 – Join Canadian Olympic XC Skier Perianne Jones and support her 2013 season as she continues her road to the Sochi 2014 Olympic Games. The event takes place on October 16 at the Britannia Yacht Club in Ottawa from 7-9p.m. The evening will include a waxing workshop and a silent auction. Tickets $30, available at Fresh Air Experience, 1291 Wellington St., Ottawa, 613-729-3002.

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.

April 24, 2012 – On this week’s edition of Talkin’ with the Gravy-Train, we pick up where we left off last week during Peter Graves’s interview with former US and Canadian XC Ski Team Head Coach, Marty Hall. Hall delves deeper into the North American success this year and looks at the next wave of talent and what it means for the future of the sport on this continent. Hall coached the US Team when Bill Koch won his Olympic silver medal at the Games in Innesbruck, Austria, and was also at the helm of the Canadian Team during Pierre Harvey’s heyday – check out his report cards in his column Hallmarks in the final issue issue of SkiTrax this season.

Marty Hall part 2 – for part 1 click here.

March 30, 2012 (Ottawa, ON) – Canada’s sporting heroes remain hungry to deliver a return on the Government of Canada’s continued investment in high-performance sport following Thursday’s budget announcement that ensured the Harper Government’s ongoing commitment to driving podium performances.

“The Government of Canada continues to lead the way in creating a new culture for winning, which Canada’s athletes and coaches fully support,” said Anne Merklinger, chief executive officer, Own the Podium. “This commitment reinforces the Canadian Government’s leadership in delivering the resources athletes need to climb onto the podium at Olympic, Paralympic and major international competitions.”

Own the Podium, which has been a driving force behind Canada’s continued evolution into a world-leading sport nation, is funded nearly exclusively by the Government of Canada. Originally launched in 2005 as a national initiative, Own the Podium is designed to provide medal-potential athletes with additional resources and high-performance programming to help them achieve podium success.

Canada’s 50 per cent increase in the Summer Olympic medal count from Athens to Beijing is in large part attributable to the Government of Canada’s leadership, according to one of Canada’s most decorated Olympians – two-time Olympic medallist in triathlon, Simon Whitfield.

“We simply could not have achieved what we did without the tremendous financial support from the Government of Canada’s investment in Own the Podium,” said Whitfield, who electrified the nation with his silver-medal triathlon triumph in Beijing. “From camp funding and staff support, to the heat chamber, and our satellite setup at the actual Games that included our own wonder chef Cosmo, OTP’s funding ensures we have the optimal conditions to excel.”

After five years of record investment, Own the Podium became a household name following the nation’s overwhelming success at the 2010 Games where Canadian athletes achieved their goals of finishing number one overall with an historic 14 Olympic gold medals, and in the top-three of the overall Paralympic medal count with 10 gold, including three by cross-country skier Brian McKeever.

“Before our program had access to Government funding through OTP, we were amateurs guessing our way through the results while competing in high performance sport,” said McKeever – a 10-time Paralympic medallist, who became the first winter-sport athlete to qualify for both the Olympics and Paralympics in 2010. “OTP is responsible for growing the program by developing young athletes, and also increasing the level of our team to where we now have every athlete hitting the start line with a focus on winning.”

Building on the success of 2010, Own the Podium’s $36 million annual investment in summer athletes has positioned Whitfield and his fellow Canadian Summer Olympians to accomplish the nation’s ambitious goal of finishing in the top 12 when the world meets in London for the 2012 Olympic Summer Games. Canada also has a goal of finishing in the top-eight in gold medal count at the 2012 Paralympics. Meanwhile, the $20 million of annual funding for winter sport programs has squarely placed Canada as the nation to beat at the 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Sochi, Russia; Canadian performances on the snow and ice this winter have elevated the nation’s ranking to number one with 35 medals – including 17 gold – in World Championship competition so far this season. Canada’s Paralympic athletes are also focused on finishing in the top-three in the gold-medal count at the 2014 Games.

“The Government of Canada has played a critical role towards ensuring Canadian athletes are amongst the world’s best through their support of the Own the Podium program,” said Merklinger. “Through Government support, Canada’s summer- and winter-sport athletes have come a long way in their pursuit of excellence. The support announced today sends a strong message that the Government of Canada believes in our athletes and coaches, and their performances on the world stage matter to Canadians. We are encouraged Mr. Harper has taken a lead in ensuring this success will continue well into the future, which in turn inspires a healthier and more active Canada.”

January 16, 2012 (Milan, Italy) – Canada’s Perianne Jones and Chandra Crawford won bronze in the women’s 6×1.4km team sprint FIS WCup in Milan on Sunday – their first-ever medal together and Jones’ first time on the WCup podium.

The moment was made even more special by the fact that Jones and Crawford had the honour of sharing the limelight with their American friends, Jessie Diggins and Kikkan Randall, who grabbed the silver medal – a North American first.

But their medal was not a given however, as a crash in the semis by Jones put their spot in the finals in jeopardy. Ten teams of two skiers made it to the final, including the Canuck duo, who worked efficiently together in their exchanges and skied excellently to earn their podium spot.

“This feels great. Today our whole goal was to relax, stay on our feet and kick when it counts,” said 28-year-old Crawford. “It is dynamite to be on the podium with Peri. We are a real team out here and want each other to succeed and it is awesome to share this with her.”

Last season in Dusseldorf Crawford landed on the podium in the team sprint with teammate Daria Gaiazova taking home the bronze. In Saturday’s individual sprint Crawford was 7th and her bronze in Milan on Sunday was her second WCup medal this season, after she won silver in the individual freestyle sprint in Rogla, Slovenia in December.

Jones was 12th in the individual sprint matching her career-best finish on the World Cup earned in Stockholm, Sweden last season. Her first visit to a WCup podium is a dream come true for the Almonte, Ont. skier and SkiTrax caught up with Jones after the team sprint event:

You lead off today – how was the start?
Perianne Jones: The first lap was totally crazy, I crashed in our semi-final, so I was just trying to stay out of trouble and read the rest of the people around me to make sure that didn’t happen again. There were lots of broken poles, and crashing everywhere, but we stayed out of trouble.

Is this is your first Team Sprint with Chandra – what kind of prep did you do?
PJ: Chandra and I have teamed up a few times in Dusseldorf, so this wasn’t our first time racing together, but we just practiced our tags a few times, and chatted briefly, but we have total confidence in each other after training so many hours side by side, so we didn’t talk much just went out and did our thing.

How were your skis today and conditions on the track?
PJ: Skis were amazing today, our techs are the best. The track held up really well too, so it was super fast.

Talk about the congestion on the Milan course and your exchanges.
PJ: We totally nailed the exchanges today, in the semifinal we figured out what worked, and we stayed with it through the final, and were always making up places in the exchanges.

You’ve been making steady solid gains with your skiing – what are you doing differently?
PJ: Nothing drastically different, just building on the fitness I have and being able to handle more training.

This is your first-ever WCup podium – how special is it for you?
PJ: It feels pretty great to hit the podium, it’s been a goal for a long time, and it’s also great to share it with Chandra. We have been teammates for a long time, since we were juniors…and being up there with Kikkan and Jessie was a real bonus.

All the best Peri – we are really proud of you guys.
PJ: Thanks!

December 07, 2011 – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) has released its Annual Report 2010-2011. “As we look in the rear-view mirror, we see that the past year was both a challenging and exciting one for the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport. While we faced a significant doping scandal in university football last year, we also completed a corporate reorganization and set out a new strategic plan in pursuit of fair, safe and open sport for all Canadians.”

The report is available from the CCES website at www.cces.ca or click HERE. You can order a hard copy from info@cces.ca. We encourage you to read our Annual Report to learn more about the exciting initiatives that we worked on this year. As always, we welcome any comments or questions you may have.

November 24, 2011 (Canmore, AB) – Check out this breathtaking, heart pumping video that gives fans and racers alike a glimpse of the upcoming cross country skiing Alberta World Cup scheduled for December 2012.

September 27, 2011 (Toronto, ON) – Join the Coaching Association of Canada in Toronto from November 10-12 for an electric gathering of the most innovative minds in sport at the 2011 Petro-Canada Sport Leadership sportif conference.

Here are the top five reasons to attend the event:
1) NETWORK with Canada’s best in the fields of coaching, sport science, coach education, research and business, including: marketing, sponsorship, and planning;
2) BE INSPIRED by Don Shula, Jay Triano, Marcel Aubut, Frank Dick and many others;
3) CHEER for our top coaches and sport administrators as they are recognized for their achievements at a heart thumping, colourful ceremony sponsored by Petro-Canada;
4) INDULGE in food prepared by the renowned chefs at Toronto’s finest hotel the Fairmont Royal York;
5) You will leave ENERGIZED and MOTIVATED.
REMINDER: Hotel bookings are due October 7 – we are 75% sold out so be sure to reserve ASAP to take advantage of our 35% discount.

These progressive speakers will challenge how you think, and inspire you for the year ahead!
– Headliner Don Shula – the winningest coach in NFL history, and co-author of the highly acclaimed book: “Everyone’s A Coach”;
– Frank Dick, OBE, presents “Leading under Pressure – bringing your ‘A game’ in a high-pressure Olympic/Paralympic environment”;
– Lieutenant-Colonel Angelo Caravaggio, PhD will give you the tools to lead with purpose, power and success.

PLUS! An evening of celebration and inspiration recognizing the accomplishments of Canada’s top coaches – the Sport Leadership Awards Gala.

Spend two days with us and change the way your brain works. Then take those ideas and go out and continue to make a difference in your sport.

Registration now open. You will be educated, motivated and inspired. www.sportleadershipsportif.ca

May 12, 2011 – The start of May also signifies the start into the new season – summer preparations have now begun for most Cross-Country World Cup teams. For the coming season, some changes in the coaching structures have taken place. Below a summary of some that have come to the attention of the FIS so far:

In France, Christophe Deloche will be responsible for the men’s team in addition to being the head coach. As his assistant, Patrice Paquier will join the team and work as a conditioning coach. The newly introduced sprint team will be led by Matthieu Fort. Anael Huard will take over the role of the ladies’ coach while former world champion, newly-retired World Cup racer Vincent Vittoz will be responsible for the U-23 team.

In Norway, Åge Skinstad has been appointed Head of Cross-Country Skiing and will be responsible for the national team, recreational Cross-Country and marketing. Vidar Løfshus will move to Skinstad’s former position as head coach. After the retirement of Morten Aa Djupvik this spring, the position of the men’s coach is still open. Meanwhile Roar Hjelmeset (33) will become new coach for the female sprinters succeeding Jon Arne Schejtne who stepped down after last season. Roar is the younger brother of Odd-Bjoern Hjelmeset who retired in 2005.

In Germany, the coaching structure for the national team stays the same with Jochen Behle in the lead. Bernd Raupach will be returning to Germany after a spell in Austria to lead the training base in Ruhpolding. Norwegian Guri Hetland has extended her contract as the Swiss head coach and World Cup distance team coach whilst her husband Tor Arne Hetland stepped down as the sprint coach for the Swiss team. Christian Flury, who was coach of the ladies’ team last season, has become new head of the National Cross-Country Performance Center in Davos and will coordinate the training base there.

In Canada, head coach Justin Wadsworth continues in his role as does Finnish head coach Magnar Dalen. The Swedish coaching trio, Joakim Abrahamsson, Rickard Grip and Arild Monsen, will work at least another year together. The Czech team remains in the hands of Miroslav Petrasek.

In several countries, negotiations are still underway and new appointments will be announced shortly. For the latest updates, visit www.fiscrosscountry.com

March 11, 2011 (Canmore, AB) – The members of the Canmore Nordic Ski Club welcome skiers to the 2011 Haywood Ski Nationals from March 11-19. This will the 84th running of the Canadian National Ski Championships and a dedicated team of volunteers and sponsors have worked hard to make it the best nationals ever!

Canmore has a long history of hosting national and international ski competitions and they’re pulling out all the stops to make this a truly memorable week for athletes, coaches, officials, parents and ski aficionados from around the continent.

The Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park is home to world class ski trails and the best training and racing facilities in the country. When you’re done skiing, you’ll have time to explore the vibrant town and experience Canmore’s legendary hospitality.

We also hope that you will join us for the Canmore Ski Nationals Community Celebrations 2011 presented by the Canmore Destination Marketing Fund and Canmore Downtown Business Association in cooperation with Canmore Nordic Centre. The celebration will include a snow track down main street (with free ski rentals from Trial Sports), the Haywood Ski Nationals Welcome Ceremony, a block party, fun races, dog sledding and more!

To finish off a great week of racing, the Ski Nationals banquet promises a night to remember at the world famous Banff Springs Hotel- Ski Gala 2011!

See you at the 2011 Haywood Ski Nationals in Canmore, Alberta!

Schedule of Races & Events
—————————————————–
March 12 – 10:00 am – Team Sprint Freestyle (Open, Challenge, CCUNC)

March 13 – 10:00 am – Interval Start, Free Technique, Middle Distance Race (Able-bodied categories)
March 13 – 1:00 pm – Para-Nordic categories

March 15 – 10:00 am – Interval Start, Classic Technique, Middle Distance Race (Able-bodied categories)
March 15 – 1:00 pm – Para-Nordic categories
March 16 – 9:30 am – Sprint Qualification- Classic (Junior & Senior, Men & Women)
March 16 – 12:30 pm – Sprint Heats

March 17 – 9:30 am – Sprint Qualification- Classic (Junior & Juvenile, Boys & Girls, Para-Nordic)
March 17 – 12:30 pm – Sprint Heats

March 19 – 10:00 am – Mass Start, Free Technique, Long Distance Race (Able-bodied categories)
March 19 – 1:00 pm – Para-Nordic categories

March 04, 2011 (Oslo, Norway) – Last night we decided that we would take in the WC action and Oslo from a different perspective if the weather was foggy again. Well, it was foggy. We spent the morning with my cousin (Ahvo’s niece) looking at the Oslo Opera House (some fantastic architecture), Akershus Fortress, Vigeland Sculpture Park and a local ski shop (that sells about 5,000 pairs of skis per year!!) before watching the team sprint on the Jumbotron downtown. View more photos HERE.

The Oslo Opera House is relatively new building – construction completed in 2007 – and is an architectural masterpiece. The building is situated on the shore of the fjord and is home to the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet. Click HERE for more info.

Akershus Fortress is also situated by the fjord and can be seen from the Oslo harbor. The fortress is one of the oldest structures in Norway (dating back to 1299) and includes a church, as castle and a number of museums. The fortress is still a site for official government events and military guards still patrol the area. More info HERE.

Vigeland Park (also known as Frogner Park) is Northwest-ish of downtown and is made up of both bronze and granite sculptures designed by Gustav Vigeland. The sculptures depict men, women, and children at different stages of life and is definitely a must-see if you are a tourist in Oslo. Click HERE for more info.

We could see more from the Jumbotron than if we had been in the stadium today and it was one heck of a final (actually two)! As you have probably already read, Krista Lähteenmäki overpowered the Norwegian ladies to take silver behind a solid Swedish team and Alex Harvey axed the Norwegian men in the final stretch of the race.

Needless to say, downtown got pretty quiet. The Norwegians were clearly disappointed that they missed out on gold in back-to-back home-stretch sprints. The areas around the Jumbotron emptied quickly and quietly. A single shout of “Go Canada” was all that could be heard above Ahvo and myself shouting “Yes!!!” (which were admittedly preceded by “oh nohs” when the Finnish team slipped out of the medals… but these were drowned out by Norwegian fans having cardiac problems).

We found the source of the “Go Canada” when the park emptied before the flower ceremony (which we stayed to watch). It was from three Alaskans standing in the empty plaza who happened to be watching the race close by. We are a bit bummed that we were not near the finish line up at Holmenkollen for this one, but we think it is fate. Had we been up at the stadium, things could have been different and this was meant to be. Way to go Devon Kershaw and Alex Harvey!

We did make it to the medals ceremony – got stuck in the back row, but were in the main area of the square – and got some comments from Canadians we met in the street.

Vigeland Park

Oslo Opera House I

Oslo Opera House II

Oslo Ski Shop

Canadian fan and Ahvo post-medals ceremony

Another Canadian fan (from Montreal) and Ahvo

March 03, 2011 (Oslo, Norway) – What a day for Finland (or two days). Ahvo and I cheer for everyone, but there is an innate tendency for us to cheer for Finnish skiers and American skiers just a little bit louder – and now Canadians as well, since we’re writing for a publication based in Toronto. Ahvo was born in Finland and made his career in the US whereas Ritva was born in the US, but currently makes her home in Finland.

Norwegians are great sport fans as they cheer for everyone out on the trail or coming into the finish, but an eerie silence can fall over the crowd for a spell if the Norwegians are not in the number one spot. After Matti Heikkinen’s win he thanked the crowd for their support throughout the race. The hometown crowd certainly cheered for Heikkinen, but naturally they cheer louder for their countrymen.

Throughout the World Championships we have observed excellent sportsmanship on the part of the competitors and the fans. Every day you can see fans congratulating fans from other countries – this is truly a celebration of the sport and not just championship races.

View more photos HERE.

Today we caught up with Oddvar Bra, reps from Salomon and Fischer and some members of the Finnish team:

Oddvar Bra

Salmon (Alexander Haas) Part I

Salmon (Alexander Haas) Part II

Fischer (Thomas)

One of the Finnish Team Leaders

Toni Roponen (Matti Heikkinen’s personal coach)