November 09, 2012 (Vernon, BC) – Despite recent warm temperatures, Silver Star Mountain Resort is tracking for its scheduled early season opening third week of November, 2012. Over 40 cm of snow have fallen in the two weeks setting up the trail conditions for an early season for the resort and the neighboring Sovereign Lake Nordic Club. The partnership between the two provides cross-country enthusiasts access to more than 105 km of some of North America’s best Nordic skiing.
“We’re excited about the upcoming season and our renewed partnership with Sovereign Lake,” says Guy Paulsen, Nordic Manager at Silver Star Mountain Resort. “For the first time in Silver Star’s history, we’ll be co-hosting Canada’s longest running early season camp. Skiers across Canada and the U.S. have come to trust our early snow and excellent coaching to start off their season.”
Registrations are flowing in for the 2012 Cross-Country Supercamps, which begin on November 19. Five-day camps run November 19 to 23 and November 26 to 30. Weekend camps will run the last two weekends of the month and all camps include a biathlon option and the opportunity to experience shooting on skis.
The camp agenda also includes a relaxing afternoon at the neighboring Sparkling Hill Resort, the only European spa of its kind in North America, where campers will have access to seven unique aromatherapy sauna and steam rooms and a hydrotherapy pool. The evening will finish with a five-star dining experience overlooking Lake Okanagan.
In addition to the dual area pass, full cross-country access is also a feature of the new My1Pass. In honour of its 10 millionth skier visit, Silver Star Mountain Resort introduced Canada’s first all-inclusive season pass and day ticket. With the My1Pass, alpine day ticket and season pass holders will have free unlimited access to 115 downhill trails, 55 kilometers of Nordic trails, 16 km of mapped and marked snowshoe trails, Tube Town Adventure Park, and outdoor skating on Brewer’s Pond.
Silver Star – Sovereign Lake are world renowned for its cross-country skiing facilities and is a training ground for some of the best racers in the world. The first of the international competitions is set for December 8 and 9. Sovereign Lake, near Vernon B.C., will host both the Teck BC Cup 1 and the second of the Haywood NorAm Race Series, with elite and developing skiers from Canada competing head-to-head with guests from the U.S. The Teck BC Cup Series is the premier race series in British Columbia.
For reservations and to register for the 2012 Cross-Country Supercamps, call 1-800-663-4431 or visit www.skisilverstar.com.
November 09, 2012 (Craftsbury, VT) – As of the beginning of this month, you can reserve your spot in the biggest ski race in the east: the 32nd annual TD Bank Craftsbury Marathon! Choose between 25 and 50k options – either way you’ll enjoy some of the most scenic skiing in New England as you traverse the picturesque working landscape from Greensboro to Craftsbury Common, Vermont. Register now HERE. In addition to assuring your spot, you’ll also be signed up for only $60 ($30 for students!). Save your money for fast waxes, new skis or an annual membership at Craftsbury!
BKLers Ski the Marathon for $5
For the second year, BKL skiers (grade 8 and younger) can ski the Marathon with a full paying adult for only $5! Make some great winter memories together at Craftsbury this February! More pricing information HERE.
Stay in the know about our snow
In addition to our snow report, live weather station (now with field and forest versions), we’ve branched out into social media. Follow us on Twitter or our new Facebook page. All are great ways to keep tabs on what’s happening at the Center!
Snowmaking has started
Our permit to blow snow begins November 1, and we’ve begun stockpiling in earnest in the past several days. Currently Mt. Craftsbury is starting to really stack up, with around 20 feet through this morning. We’re going to keep at it grabbing what opportunities we can, with the intention of opening for Thanksgiving week. Find out more HERE.
Craftsbury Opener, November 24
Come put that early season snow to good use with our 10/15k Craftsbury Opener. You can burn off the turkey dinner with courses for all ages from BKL to Masters, 2k to 15k. Details HERE.
Early Season Tuneup: NENSA Masters Clinic at Craftsbury, November 24
After your race, stick around and start the year off on the right foot with technical expertise from NENSA coaches. Only $30 for NENSA members, you’ll get your on-snow time underway the right way. Find out more on NENSA’s website HERE.
Annual Membership at Craftsbury
Q: What costs between $25 and $100, gets you a year’s worth of trail access, FREE member events, access to year round programming, and much more?
A: An annual membership to Craftsbury!
Even if one puts aside all the other value, just the skiing alone is a great bargain: 105k of groomed trails patrolled by two PistenBullys and some of the best, most consistent snow in the east. Come train on the trails that you’ll be racing on in January. Go HERE for the full scoop.
Marathon Sponsor Profile: TD Bank
Our title sponsor, TD Bank, is one of the 10 largest banks in the United States, and provides customers with a full range of financial products and services at more than 1,300 convenient locations from Maine to Florida. Just as important to the ski community is TD Bank’s long-time support of skiing at all levels: from the USSA and U.S. Biathlon to the development projects of NENSA. They’re huge contributors to our sport and deserve your consideration when you’re looking for a bank. Read more HERE.
November 09, 2012 (Toronto, ON) – The Toronto Bicycling Network (TBN) Cross Country Ski program is aimed at the recreational skier, so come on out and participate in this wonderfully invigorating winter activity. Some of the trips offer a snowshoe option as well.
You will travel in a warm and comfortable coach in which you can relax, forget about the driving, and meet other skiers. Whether you are a long-time TBN member, or a newcomer, come out and join us!
– Sun., Dec. 30, 2012 – Hardwood Hills
– Sat., Jan. 5, 2013 – Horseshoe Valley Resort
– Sun., Jan. 13 – Wasaga Nordic, Wasaga Beach Provincial Park
– Sun., Jan. 20 – Mansfield Outdoor Centre
– Sat., Jan. 26 – Highland Nordic
– Sat., Feb. 2 – Horseshoe Valley Resort
– Sun., Feb. 10 – Wasaga Nordic, Wasaga Provincial Park
– Sun., Feb. 24 – Mansfield Outdoor Center
– Sat., Mar. 2 – Horseshoe Valley Resort
– Sun., Mar. 10 – Hardwood Hills
– Sat., Mar. 18 – Highlands Nordic
Sat. Pickups: Victoria Park 8:00 AM; Yonge/York Mills 8:20 AM; Hwy 400/Major MacKenzie Carpool 8:40 AM.
Sun. Pickups: Victoria Park TTC lot on Victoria Park at Denton Ave. 8:00 AM; Yonge and Asquith Ave, Metro Library 8:20 AM; Yonge/Eglinton in front of Tim Hortons 8:30 AM; Yonge/York Mills TTC 8:40 AM, Hwy 400/Major Mac Carpool 9:00 AM.
Two special geteway weekend trips are also planned, with transportation arranged via car pool
– Feb. 8-10 – Wanakita Resort Ski Weekend
– Feb. 15-18 – Arrowhead Provincial Park Ski Weekend
November 08, 2012 (Saskatoon, SK) – The Canadian Olympic Foundation is proud to partner for another year of successful Gold Medal Plates fundraising events. The cross-country series of fundraisers continued tonight at Prairieland Park in Saskatoon.
“The money raised here tonight helps make athletes’ Olympic dreams a reality,” said Saskatoon native and 2008 Olympians Kelsie Hendry. “All the athletes here tonight are very proud to support such an important event. It is so good to see Saskatoon come out to support Canadian athletes.”
“Not only does Gold Medal Plates bring first-class events across the country, but it benefits our Olympic heroes,” said Canadian Olympic Foundation Chair and Canadian Olympic Committee President Marcel Aubut. “These events help us build the Canadian Olympic Foundation into Canada’s leading philanthropic organization, funding sport and high performance athletes.”
Canadian Olympians Adam van Koeverden (Canoe-Kayak), Kyle Shewfelt (Gymnastics), Kaylyn Kyle (Soccer), Kelsie Hendry (Athletics), Jacki Nichol (Sotball), Brian Gyetko (Tennis), Michelle Cameron Coulter (Synchronized Swimming), Al Coulter (Volleyball), Viola Yanik (Wrestling), Cyprian Enweani (Athletics), Mike Robertson (Snowboard), Jeff Christie (Luge), Ian Cockerline (Luge), Craig Mackay (Speed Skating), Chandra Crawford (Cross Country Skiing), Rosannagh Crawford (Biathlon), Brendan Green (Biathlon), Marie-Ève Marleau (Diving), Jason Parker (Speed Skating), Nicole Cargill (Synchronized Swimming), Herb Pinder (Ice Hockey), Marcia Gudereit (Curling), Janice Betker (Curling), Joan McCusker (Curling), Nathan Gafuik (Gymnastics), socialized with guests.
This year’s event featured chefs Robin Andreas (Sheraton Cavalier Hotel), Derek Cotton (Bliss Restaurant), Darren Craddock (Riverside Country Club), Kevin Dahlsjo (Two by Dahlsjo), Klarke Dergousoff (Amy’s on Second), Brent Lloyd (Simple Chef), Moe Mathieu (White Birch Catering), Trevor Robertson (Radisson Hotel) and Dan Walker (Weczeria Food & Wine), competing to represent Saskatoon at the Canadian Culinary Championships in Kelowna in February.
Net proceeds from the event support high performance athletes through programs such as Own the Podium.
November 08, 2012 (Canmore, AB) – In response to recent comments on reducing the distances of the Open 50 and 30 km mass start events at the Ski Nationals the Events Committee would first like to acknowledge the importance of the National Championships as a celebration of our domestic racing program. We would also like to recognize the hundreds of hours of volunteer time invested in making the Ski Nationals and our other sanctioned events a success every season.
The concept of change was first raised at the April High Performance Meeting in Canmore citing among other things the opportunity of junior and senior skiers in the event racing against one another with our World Cup team on the start line. Our top athletes and coaches at the meeting thought that this was an interesting idea and that the shorter distance would appeal to more skiers given the rigors of just coming off of the World Cup circuit and the prospects of reduced training time for those in Canada because of spring snow conditions.
From the Events Committee perspective it was felt that the concept could further the re-introduction of a Canadian Long Distance Championships during February. The lull in national racing focus during this period has been recognized as a challenge for domestic skiers after the January NorAm period and the Ski Nationals.
Recent comments suggest the tradition of the distance event in offering a unique challenge to participating skiers would be lost. The committee appreciated that for some this is a very important race, but in the same vein, an opportunity of increasing the profile and prestige of our larger loppet events and developing closer ties with these events is also important in forming strong ties within community. In fact a singular mid season distance event could enhance the profile of the distance champion.
The 30 /20 km combined distances resonated well with the Ski Nationals Organizing Committee in June, as the change represented a shorter day for volunteers after what all Ski National organizers feel is a very grueling week. Ending the on snow portion of the final day earlier would lead nicely into a more controlled Awards banquet in the early evening.
Over the next couple of weeks the Events Committee will review the recent on line comments provided by athletes and others and have a second look at the schedule for March 30 in consideration of typical snow and temperature conditions for this period, plans by the Organizing Committee and developments within the sport.
Please do not hesitate to email your comments directly to the Committee c/o ddyer@cccski.com.
November 08, 2012 – The TD Bank Marathon Series is comprised of five cross country skiing events across New England with distances ranging from 21k to 50k. Skiers of all skill levels are invited to participate; these events are fun for the elite racer as well as the recreational touring skier. Come and enjoy some of the finest skiing in New England!
Join in the TD Bank NENSA Marathon Series and test your endurance! Those skiers who participate in the timed class of 4 out of 5 events will receive a special Marathon Challenger Award! It doesn’t matter what distance you ski, just that you get out to enjoy these events. Awards will be presented at the Sugarloaf Ski Marathon in March. Hope to see you out there!
To see information about the five events in the series, click HERE.
November 08, 2012 – There are only 16 days left until the start of the FIS Cross-Country World Cup in Gällivare, Sweden. Russia’s 24 athletes are going to take part in the opening ladies and men competitions.
The ladies’ part of the Russian Cross-Country team travelled to Europe already and has trained in Muonio, Finland. “All the athletes are healthy and we train as planned,” head coaches Gregor Menshenin and Dmitry Bugaev say. Russian skiers have been on snow already a month as they carried out a training camp in Ramsau.
Sprinters in Yakutia
Russian sprint specialists carried out the first winter training camp of the season in Aldan ,Yakutia region. The sprinters took part in a show competition that was organised at the opening of the new skiing centre in Aldan. The 85-long super sprint was won by Olympic Champion from 2010 Nikita Kriukov. “Unfortunately Alexey Petukhov and Anton Gafarov could not take part in the competition. Alexey has been recovering from illness and Anton has had small issues with his back. So we did not want to risk anything,” sprint coach Mikhail Deviatiarov said.
November 07, 2012 – Here is the latest news from FIS, including an update on the 2016 Youth Olympic Games, announcement of a mascot contest for the Falun 2015 World Championships, a skiing history exhibition in Val di Fiemme, decisions from the recent FIS Council Meeting in Oberhofen, Switzerland, and a progress update about ski jumping in Romania.
Lillehammer 2016 Youth Olympic Games off to a flying start
The first visit of the International Olympic Committee’s Coordination for the second Winter Youth Olympic Games wrapped up on 26th October 2012 in Lillehammer (NOR).
Chaired by IOC member Angela Ruggiero, the Commission was impressed with the early progress made by the Lillehammer Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee since the city won the bid in December 2011 and the strong government and National Olympic Committee support pledged from the outset.
The shared vision of the three parties aims to engage as many young people as possible locally and abroad in the Games. It will also act as a catalyst for change in the development of youth sport nationwide before, during and long after the Games conclude.
During the meeting, the Coordination Commission visited all the venues that will be used to host the seven sports that currently make up the YOG Programme.
The majority of these venues were built for the 1994 Olympic Winter Games, thereby extending the legacies of those Games. One of the few venues to be built from scratch for the 2016 YOG will be the Youth Olympic Village, which will house the athletes and be the site of all the Culture and Education Programme activities.
Commission chair Ruggerio concluded: “We have full belief in Lillehammer to not only deliver a successful Games, but also leave a legacy for youth sport development long after the Games have terminated.”
Falun 2015 has launched mascot competition
How should the official mascot of the 2015 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Falun look like? The Swedish Organisers have recently rolled out a mascot competition inviting people from all age groups to design the official Falun 2015 mascot.
“The purpose of the mascot competition, apart from creating a buzz about the Championships, is to gather ideas from the general public to be able to create a popular symbol for Falun and the World Championships. The mascot has to work in a wide variety of settings – from printed materials to films and the homepage as well as cheerleading the crowds in the stadium”, said Kent Lövgren, Marketing Director of the 2015 Nordic World Ski Championships in Falun.
Anybody who is interested can enter his/her very best ideas by uploading a photograph or scan including a mascot name to www.beyondskiing2015.com/maskot. The competition will remain open until 15th December 2012.
During the autumn, the general public will be able to vote for the best of the approved proposals shown on the homepage. After that, a jury will be taking on the job of selecting the final mascot. The new mascot will then be introduced during the summer and autumn of 2013 and in 2014, in conjunction with the World Cup competitions that will also serve as World Championship test events.
It’s all about Skiing – “Ski History” exhibition officially opened in Val di Fiemme
In conjunction with the Forum Nordicum held in Val di Fiemme (ITA) on 16th October 2012, a “Ski Past” exhibition has officially been inaugurated in the presence of 100 participants at Le Gallerie space in Trento.
During the opening ceremony FIS President Gian Franco Kasper underlined the significance of “keeping memories alive and strong”.
Mountain equipment, historical objects and various items related to sport and winter activities such as boots, skis, poles and clothing are telling the story that has characterized the region of Trento over the past century. High-tech video installations, pictures, medals and trophies as well as a detailed time-line from the first Winter Olympic Games in 1924 in Chamonix (FRA) until the 2013 Nordic World Ski Championships in Val di Fiemme (ITA) are fully covering the exhibition space.
Decisions from the FIS Council Meeting in Oberhofen
The FIS Council traditionally held its Autumn Meeting at the FIS Office in Oberhofen (SUI) on Saturday 3rd November and dealt with a full agenda, including reports from Organising Committees for future FIS World Championships, the appointment of technical officials as well as proposals from the FIS Technical Committees with calendar updates and a number of rules.
Click HERE to see the main decisions of the FIS Council.
Final inspections before the season – Romania reaches a milestone in Ski Jumping
Among numerous inspections carried out before the season in the different FIS Olympic disciplines, FIS Ski Jumping Race Director Walter Hofer recently met with representatives of the Romanian Ski Association. The visit focusing on the new jumping hills was held in conjunction with the Romanian International Championships on 27th-28th October 2012 in Rasnov.
“Staging an international Ski Jumping competition in Romania might sound rather unusual and it actually is. But already a view on the facility Trambulină Valea Cărbunării in Rasnov has shown, that something was built here that is not mysterious, but the result of years of professional planning”, reported Walter Hofer.
On 19th-20th January 2013, four FIS Cup competitions (2 ladies, 2 men’s) will be held on the new HS 100 hill. The facility originally consisted of three jumping hills for children and young athletes and was completed by two more hills K64 (HS 71) and K 90 (HS 100) in October 2012.
Upon his return, FIS Ski Jumping Race Director Walter Hofer concluded on the positive trends: “Six years ago we did some sort of an appraisal and saw a precarious situation. Just like in some other countries as well, the only possibility for a young Romanian athlete to train was to travel abroad. Since then an amazing development took place at an accelerated pace. In the open national championships (including Bulgaria and Hungary) at the end of October, the fruit of this labour could be seen and Romania is now on its way to establish itself on the international field. One athlete (Dana Haralambie) could even already achieve the personal qualification standard for the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.”
As a result of a cooperation between the Austrian industrial company OMV and the Romanian Ski Association started in 2007, the construction of the first Ski Jumping centre in Romania and South-Eastern Europe could be launched in 2009 in the city of Rasnov. With the sponsorship of OMV, project leader and Ski Jumping expert Paul Ganzenhuber and former ski jumper Christian Moser (both AUT) have been the driving forces in this development. The goal of the project “OMV Move & Jump” was to give Romanian ski jumpers the chance to score among the top ten of the world within the next ten years.
November 05, 2012 (Auburn, NH) – Today, Fischer Skis announced it has hired Rick Halling as Nordic promotions and customer service specialist. In the newly created position, Halling will work directly with Peter Ashley, vice president of the Fischer Skis U.S. Nordic Division, to grow and support American sales of the world’s winningest cross country ski and boot manufacturer. Rick brings 30 years of Nordic ski experience to Fischer, having most recently spent 20 years as Nordic product category manager at Atomic.
“We are truly excited to welcome Rick. His passion for the sport, technical insight and rich history working in key markets are just what we need to spur sales growth and popularity of cross country skiing”, said Peter Ashley.
Halling begins at Fischer today and will be based out of the company’s U.S. headquarters in Auburn, N.H. His broad range of responsibilities includes providing support for Fischer’s Nordic sales representatives and dealers as well as Nordic marketing and promotions efforts.
“I look forward to working with Peter to show Americans the new face of cross country skiing. From the technology and innovation that powers world-class athletes to the exercise and overall enjoyment afforded by the sport, Fischer truly offers something for everyone” said Rick. “It’s great to be joining the industry leader and to have this unique opportunity to grow the sport.”
During his 20 years managing Atomic’s Nordic division, Halling managed sales, marketing and racing, and helped turn an obscure Austrian brand into a major Nordic supplier in the U.S. Prior to that Halling sold Nordic equipment at Hanover, N.H., ski retailers Omer & Bob’s Sportshop as well as Art Bennet’s. In addition, he previously managed the Nordic ski retail shop at Royal Gorge in Donner Summit, California, America’s largest cross country ski area. He has also worked at Scandinavian, a Nordic ski retailer in New York City, and worked in various functions at Telemark Resort in Cable, Wisc., home of the American Birkebeiner.
November 02, 2012 – This week on Talkin’ with the Gravy Train, we bring you Part 2 of the interview with the multi-talented and well-known former US star skier and coach, Jim Galanes. Talkin’ with the Gravy Train is a series of audio interviews hosted by famous sports commentator and journalist Peter Graves, that provides a forum for notable Nordic personalities to talk about the sport they love in their own words and express their point of view.
Jim Galanes – A Man For All Seasons Seasons
I have known Jim Galanes since we were both teenagers growing up in Southern Vermont. A truly gifted athlete, he excelled in the Nordic sports and later in cycling. Born in Brattleboro, Vermont, his brilliant ski racing career began with Nordic Combined as the local famed Harris Hill was calling. His prodigious talents and his drive helped him secure a USST berth at the tender age of 17. A member of three US Olympic teams in ’76, ’80 and 1984, Galanes dropped ski jumping to focus on cross-country skiing and turned in many outstanding international performances. A twelve-year member of the U.S. Ski Team he won three national Nordic Combined championships and two World Cups, in addition to ten xc ski national championships.
His interest in coaching led Galanes to head up the US Ski Team from 1986-1992, followed by a stint at Vermont’s SMS leading to his outstanding career at APU from 1995-2006. Considered among the elite of the coaching fraternity, he has worked and coached many of America’s top skiing talents. Recently he moved from Anchorage to Sun Valley where he currently operates Galanes Sports Lab Institute in Ketchum, Idaho, offering a variety of services from coaching, ski trail design, program development and ski products – read more HERE.
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.”
November 01, 2012 (Anchorage, AK) – Since getting back from Park City Camp, Anchorage has yet to get any snow. Of course, when every skier is looking for moisture, the sun finally decides to show in AK. With no snow, the temperatures haven’t hesitated to resemble the typical Alaskan weather at this time of year.
As temps dropped down into the single digits, rollerskiing gets less fun! Pounding freezing cold pavement isn’t exactly the nicest thing for your joints. But, with a little extra clothes, and a longer than usual warm up- we made it happen.
One day we were rollerskiing at a local park, where all the ducks have decided to reside around a half frozen pond. They also have chosen to poop all over the trail. So, aside from the trail being half frozen, our skis were also being stopped and tripped up by frozen pooo. It provided for some laughing, a little swearing, and fortunately only one fall that didn’t end up too bad.
Last weekend was also the annual APU ski swap, where all the elite athletes pass down our great equipment to the younger generation of skiers. This is one of the neatest qualities about this elite/junior/devo team. A great pair of skis never leaves the team as someone grows out of them, it just keeps living down the chain. The ski swap is also a time that Kikkan takes the opportunity to clear out her closet and raffle off all her stuff to the young kids.
This is one of the most exciting things I have ever watched. Kikkan manages to accumulate some pretty awesome gear, so the kids get called out by number, have 10 seconds to pick something on the table, and then the next person goes. It’s a pretty awesome thing Kikkan does- and I am sure that 90% of those kids mark the day on the calendar, it’s that exciting!!
On that same day we had one of the young devo team boys and Rob Whitney put on a fundraiser run for Mary Robicheaux, a young devo on our team that got hit by a car while she was biking. Mary has been in the hospitals for the past two months as she is learning to walk again. She suffered a fractured skull, many broken bones in both legs, a broken spine, and a tough road to recovery. She has been amazing though as she has continued to improve from day to day with a whole lot of heart.
Anyways, one of her friends, Luke Jager headed up a running race for the community. He set up a little 5k course that weaved over logs, through trees, around in circles… you name it. It was pretty fun. It was amazing to see the community come together, with around 300 participants, who managed to raise $14,000 for Mary’s recovery.
So, this leads to last weekend. On Wednesday last week, I headed up to Fairbanks for a little on-snow time. Since Fairbanks has about 3 inches of snow, our team was off to find it. This weekend is also the First Tracks Camp, where all the skiers of Alaska group together for the first “on-snow” camp of the season.
It is pretty awesome, they all get to chase all the elite skiers around during training, and then there are a bunch of talks set up from Nutritionists, Health Specialists, NCAA skiers and coaches, and the World Cup Team. With everyone in the same place, everyone gets to take advantage of the others around them. This is the first time I have attended one of these First Tracks Camp, but it is pretty amazing. Thanks Matt Hajdukavich and Challenge Life Alaska for an awesome time!
The final day, we celebrated Halloween and dressed up in costumes for our ski. I was doing intervals this day, so it meant throwing down pretty hard in a pink onesie suit with a white cotton t-shirt on top. It provided for some entertainment though for sure.
Kikkan and Holly also organized a “world-cup field” for the final day where they brought all their race suits from other countries they have accumulated, and then raffled off who got to wear them the final day. The kids also got to wear world cup bibs on top, so it was pretty hilarious to watch the “foreigners” skiing around.
So after four days of sweet skiing, we had to head home for some good “home time” before leaving for the winter. This is also the hardest part. Trying to get your life truly organized before being gone from your home for potentially five months!! Yikes. In the mean time, if you see me on the side of the road dancing… I am just doing the snow dance!! C’mon snow.
November 01, 2012 (Canmore, AB) – Check out this great compilation of video highlights from the weekend’s Frozen Thunder Classic in Canmore. The video features Canadian and U.S. national team members as they test themselves on “Frozen Thunder”, a course built from snow preserved from the previous winter at the Canmore Nordic Centre. Report and photos from the event HERE.
November 01, 2012 – There are only 24 days left until the 2012/13 FIS Cross-Country World Cup season gets under way and the defending Big Crystal Globe winner Marit Bjoergen looks optimistic towards the winter.
“I’ve done a very good job in the summer and autumn and I cannot wait until the season starts,” she wrote on her website www.maritbjoergen.no.
The multiple Olympic and World Championships medallist says she has trained more than ever. “Every year has made me stronger and my body’s ability to recover has been better,” she claimed.
The Cross-Country season kicks off for Norwegian athletes in Beitostoelen on November 16-18 with the traditional Cross-Country and Biathlon opening. This time, the three days of competitions will be featuring 10/15 km free ladies and men, classical sprint and 10/15 km km classic ladies and men.
“Beitostølen is my favourite place and I enjoy the atmosphere of the national opening,” she revealed.
Cross-Country Skiing fans can still recall unforgettable moments from the last season when Marit Bjoergen and Justyna Kowalczyk challenged each other for the FIS Tour de Ski victory and the Big Crystal Globe.
Also this winter Bjoergen and Kowalczyk are expected to fight for top positions both in the World Cup, FIS Tour de Ski and the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. FIS Cross-Country World Cup season kicks off in Gällivare on November 24-25.
“It will be exciting to meet other skiers at the World Cup opening. Rumours say that Justyna is in a good shape and I am looking forward to meeting her on the World Cup circuit,” said Marit Bjoergen and continued: “Charlotte Kalla visited me in Oslo in the summer and there’s no doubt she will be a strong contender for all the Norwegian girls,” Bjoergen claimed.
November 01, 2012 (Sun Peaks Resort, B.C.) – Cross Country Skiing is the fastest growing segment of business at Sun Peaks Resort, evidenced by an increase in season pass sales, a sold-out nordic camp, a new nordic centre, and a growing nordic club.
“Our Nordic season pass sales are up by 32 per cent so far this winter,” says Phil Youwe, Sun Peaks Resort’s Nordic Coordinator. “And the newly created Sun Peaks Nordic Club is now over 100 members strong with plans for a new Jackrabbit program in January.”
One of four new, early season Nordic Camps (December 8 – 9) has sold out which reflects the growing interest in the sport at Sun Peaks. Guests can join a waitlist as more coaches may be added. Call 250-578-5505 or email nordic@sunpeaksresort.com. A second Sun Peaks Nordic Camp will run on January 19 – 20.
Glenn Bond, an internationally recognized Nordic skier is also hosting two Nordic camps at Sun Peaks Resort this winter (November 26 – 30 and December 1- 2). Go to www.GlennBond.com for more information and to register.
This winter, the new Sun Peaks Nordic Centre will become the focal point for all cross country skiing at Sun Peaks. Located between Parking Lot 5 and the Umbrella Cafe, the building will sell Nordic trail tickets, have a rental and retail space and act as a hub for skiers to warm up, socialize and find information about the trails. The new structure will be headquarters for the popular Nordic Host program and be utilized by the Sun Peaks Nordic Club.
The Centre will be open seven days a week from 8:30am to 4:30pm starting on November 17 with the rental and retail sections opening on December 15 for weekends and extended hours during holidays. The grand opening will take place on December 22.
“This new Nordic Centre was established in response to the surge in Nordic popularity we have seen at Sun Peaks in the last few years,” says Youwe. “We are excited to see it put to good use this winter, starting on November 17.”
Guests can also take part in a Full Moon Nordic Ski every month. Sun Peaks will be hosting The 4th Annual Sun Peaks Kookaburra Cup Nordic Loppet (January 6) as well as Cross Country BC’s newest race, The Annual Holy Cow Nordic Loppet (February 24).
Home to over 30kms of groomed and trackset trails, including one of the region’s only lift accessed Nordic trails, Sun Peaks has continued to evolve into a favourite Nordic skiing destination. The extensive trail network also features an additional 12kms of backcountry trails and the popular McGillivray Lake Outpost.
Nordic Events
– November 26 – 30 – Glenn Bond Monday to Friday Nordic Ski Camp
– December 1 & 2 – Glenn Bond Weekend Nordic Ski Camp
– December 8 & 9 – Sun Peaks Nordic Ski Camp
– December 28 – Full Moon Nordic Ski
– January 6 – 4th Annual Sun Peaks Kookaburra Cup Nordic Loppet
– January 19 & 20 – Sun Peaks Nordic Ski Camp
– January 26 – Full Moon Nordic Ski
– February 24 – Holy Cow Nordic Loppet
– February 25 – Full Moon Nordic Ski
– March 26 – Full Moon Nordic Ski
November 01, 2012 (Worcester, VT) – On Sunday October 28, 20+ members of the northern Vermont ski community met to support the National Nordic Foundation. The Kaeding family in Worcester, Vermont hosted the gathering. The evening was an excellent mix of story telling, cocktails, and food. However, without doubt the highlight was the slideshow put together by Middlebury sophomore Heather Mooney and SMS PG Paddy Caldwell. They shared their experiences at the 2012 Youth World Games for the crowd via slideshow. It was an eye opening experience for many of the crowd members (myself included) about a ski scene rarely scene within the US ski community.
The dinner capped off a successful evening and a momentous run at $10,000 raised by the youth ski community supported by the NNF. Congratulations on reaching the goal and good luck in the upcoming ski season!
Drive for 25 Cross Country HERE.
Drive for 25 Nordic Combined HERE.
October 29, 2012 (Canmore, AB) – Camp wrapped up today in Canmore with a classic sprint time trial and strength. My warmup for strength was somewhat more embarrassing than usual since I lost a bet in the race and had to wear my underwear over my tights. But that’s not all that crazy.
The crazy part of this time trial/pre-season race was that there were actually some of the very best sprinters in the world in attendance; an Olympic gold medalist, World Champs gold medalist, multiple World Cup race podiums scattered throughout the start list. It’s cool seeing so many North Americans kicking butt. And it’s cool training with them and learning from every session, time trial and race experience!
I’d almost forgotten some of the sensations that accompany sprinting: the lactic acid and nerves seemingly boring a hole in my stomach (maybe I’m slowly developing and ulcer and don’t know it?); trying to stay warm while not sweating too much so I don’t freeze once I finally do take my jacket off; trying to dial in kick and not knowing when to add more or go with better glide. It’s a circus, all right!
And today was the best practice ever, thanks to Cross-Country Canada for hosting! I know classic sprinting is my biggest weakness and therefore I’m super thankful for any good chance to work on it that I can get. I felt a little like I was spinning my wheels, going nowhere during the race, but I worked hard and even when I totally ran out of energy (and technique!) in the final, it was a sweet learning experience. Slowly but surely, it’ll get better!
The interesting thing about racing is that while there is one person who wins, there is also someone who pushes the hardest, someone who dials in their skis the best, someone who has the best technique, someone who hurts the most and someone who uses the smartest tactics.
Whenever I get nervous, I focus on trying to be everything but the person who wins and more on the things I can control. Then, sometimes, things pull together and result in a good race. And sometimes not…
Tomorrow I fly back to gool ‘ol Minnesota, and I’m super pumped to get in a WHOLE TWO WEEKS there! Yes, that’s right, you heard me. 2 weeks in one spot NOT for a training camp. It’s a rare, beautiful thing.
However, I will be sad to leave all my teammates, especially since I won’t see my SMS crew for a month and a half! It’s been an amazing summer and fall, and I know we’ll have even more good stories when we’re reunited in Quebec.
Several of these shots are those One Way’s Reese Hanneman took (Engine Room Media). We had a fun time taking some goofy shots (I can’t help myself) and some better ones, too. Check them all out HERE.
October 29, 2012 (Canmore, AB) – Since the first year when Competition Coaching-Introduction: Advanced (CCI-Advanced, T2T) workshops were offered in 2008-09, an increasing number of coaches have been trained for that context and will now complete their certification by undergoing the evaluation process. The next step in the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) progression is the Competition Coaching-Development context (CCD).
Cross Country Canada (CCC) is pleased to announce that we will host a first CCD dryland workshop in Canmore, May 8-12, 2013 (5 very full days!). The On Snow workshop (4 days) is planned for November 2013.
Given the large number of currently trained CCI-Advanced (T2T) coaches wanting to start their training in the CCD context, registrations for this first dryland workshop next spring will likely be offered to targeted 2015 Canada Winter Games(CWG) candidates in priority. It will be up to divisions to provide a list of prioritized coaches in that regard.
2015 CWG coaching eligibility requirements have been somewhat lowered for part of the support teams by the Canada Games Council earlier this month but still require old level 3 certification or CCD certified status in the new system for the head coach of each provincial/territorial teams and CCD trained status for all other coaches (excluding team manager and wax technician).
If the demand is such that several interested and eligible coaches cannot take part in this first CCD dryland workshop next spring, CCC will consider offering a second dryland workshop in the fall of 2013.
To be accepted for the CCD dryland workshop in May 2013, all candidates must be at least trained in the CCI-Advanced(T2T) context (both workshops completed) and be in the process of completing the CCI-Advanced(T2T) evaluation process (at least three out of five outcomes evaluated, including “supporting T2T athletes at a competition”); see CCI-Advanced (T2T) page for details HERE.
As well, interested candidates should take note that they can start their CCD training right away by completing training and evaluation in the multi-sport modules required for cross-country skiing (see CCD page HERE for details).
To view the whole CCD training and certification progression, see the flowchart HERE.
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 22, 2012 – As confirmed by the FIS Council in the spring, the FIS Cross-Country World Cup will implement several new rules this season, including format changes and a new kid’s program.
The competition format for the men’s relay in the World Cup will be shorter, each leg measuring 7,5km instead of 10km. The aim is to make the competition more attractive and exciting as well as secure its complete TV transmission.
The Sub-Committee for the World and Continental Cups also discussed future calendars with a particular emphasis on principles and basics for each World Cup period. “The aim is to set a clear framework for each of the World Cup periods. We wish that National Ski Associations will work together with their Organizing Committees and other partners on the long-term planning and strategies,” FIS Cross-Country Race Director Pierre Mignerey said.
The Sub-Committee also discussed new rules regarding waxing facilities as many nations are planning to use their waxing trucks in the World Cup and the World Ski Championships.
Sub-Committee for Youth and Children thoroughly discussed the introduction of a new competition – the so-called Cross-Country Cross, featuring technical skills and techniques. Thanks to the expertise from Norway, Sweden and Germany a booklet has been put together that will help the National Ski Associations and Organizers with such competitions. FIS will also continue to develop its Bring Children to the Snow campaign with the second edition of the FIS World Snow Day set for January 20TH and continuing FIS SnowKidz activities.
The complete World Cup rules, as well as the Tour de Ski and multi-stage competition rules, are available HERE.
October 18, 2012 – The FIS Final Inspection before the 2013 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Val di Fiemme was held on 15th October in Cavalese (ITA). Representatives from FIS, the Italian Winter Sports Association (FISI), the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and their host broadcaster RAI, as well as marketing partner Tridem Sportswere very optimistic when reviewing the preparation work that has been carried out by the local Organising Committee, which also includes representatives from each of the valley’s towns of the valley and region of Trentino.
At the conclusion of the presentations, FIS President Gian Franco Kasper summarised: “I am in particular very positively surprised about the amount of creative side events that are planned to promote the Championships and create a real Ski Festival for everyone who attends. Naturally, there is still some work to do, but preparations are well on track and less than 125 days ahead of the event, we can be confident that everything will be ready on time.”
Both venues in Lago di Tesero for the Cross-Country races and the Ski Jumping hills in Predazzo have been fully renewed in the past couple of years and they were already successfully tested at the beginning of 2012 with the Tour de Ski, Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined FIS World Cup competitions that confirmed the excellent work carried out from a technical, functional and structural perspective. The Tour de Ski 2013 event to be held in Val di Fiemme on 5th and 6th January 2013 will be the final test for the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships.
The official presentation on the current state of preparations by the Fiemme 2013 Organising Committee was followed by various on-site inspections and working group meetings in specific areas. Observers from Falun 2015 and Lahti 2015 also attended the final inspection as part of the FIS Transfer of Knowledge programme designed to exchange information and lessons between Organisers.
October 17, 2012 (Oro, ON) – The Hardwood Ski and Bike Annual Ski Swap is one of the largest cross country ski swaps around offering a great opportunity to find just the right equipment for you for the coming season. The swap includes new and used cross country equipment, snowshoes, poles and more.
This is a chance for people to sell their old equipment at the swap and make a few dollars to put toward upgrading equipment. This is a great place to find ski equipment for your kids for this winter.
The Retail Shop will be showing the newest cross country gear and clothing with an added bonus – Save the Tax on purchases in the retail shop this weekend.
The Open House is a chance to learn more about the various programs, clinics, events and races taking place at Hardwood this winter.
WHERE: Hardwood Ski and Bike, 402 W Old Barrie Rd, Oro Station, Ontario WHEN: October 20 and 21, 2012. Saturday from 9 to 5 and Sunday 9 to 1
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 17, 2012 – Sweden’s TV4 Group has bought the TV rights for all the platforms of the world´s leading long-distance skiing championship, Swix Ski Classics. The rights are for the two following seasons; 2012/2013 and 2013/2014. The TV4 Group has acquired the TV rights to five of the six long-distance races in Swix Ski Classics by IEC in Sports. For TV4 this means an expansion of the range of winter sports.
– The long-distance races in Swix Ski Classics has developed very positively in recent years with a high increase in the number of amateur skiers, especially from Sweden, participating side by side with the world’s elite. We want to reflect this growing Swedish and international change with a highly expanded television exposure, says Hans Pekkari, Sports Director in the TV4 Group.
– We are very pleased to start a collaboration with TV4. I am convinced that the cooperation raises interest for Swix Ski Classics even further in Sweden, says David Nilsson, CEO Ski Classics AB.
The long-distance skiing races will be broadcasted live together with a parallel broadcast on TV4 and TV4 Sport Xtra. The last hour of the race will be broadcasted on TV4 and TV4 Sport Xtra.
Swix New Title Sponsor of Ski Classics Series
Swix Ski Classics is the long distance ski championships, consisting of six of the most prestigious ski events in the world: Jizerská Padesatká in Czech Republic, Marcialonga in Italy, König Ludwig Lauf in Germany, Vasaloppet in Sweden, Birkebeinerrennet in Norway and the Swix Ski Classics Final in Sweden (venue to be announces shortly), all 50 km or more and open for professional as well as amateur skiers.
The interest in long distance skiing is growing continuously and many of the races in Europe are fully booked just a few days after the registration begins. Swix Ski Classics is broadcasted on TV in several countries and many professional skiers have transferred from World Cup skiing to long distance races.
– The Swix Ski Classics is an impressive initiative from the key players in cross country skiing to build an exciting new platform for long distance cross country racing. This will grow the cross country skiing industry and we want to be a part of this, states Ulf Bjerknes, CEO of Swix Sport Group.
Ski Classics is very pleased to start this new cooperation with Swix, a market leading company with over 60 years of experience in segments such as ski wax, ski poles and clothing.
– Swix is prestigious and traditional, but yet innovative and creative at the same time. This agreement will for sure develop Ski Classics and I can hardly wait to get started with this season’s first Swix Ski Classics race Jizerská Padesatká in the Czech Republic, says David Nilsson, CEO of Ski Classics AB.
Swix Ski Classics is an exciting cooperation, which will include professional teams as well as amateur skiers. It is definitely a big opportunity for the partners to reach the final consumers and to develop an interest and commitment to long distance skiing.
– We have worked hard in order to find the best suitable title sponsor, and with Swix we have succeeded. Swix Ski Classics has also several other solutions for sponsors, one of them is in the title, “Swix Ski Classics powered by [company name]”, David Nilsson says.
Swix Ski Classics 2013:
– Event 1: Jizerská Padesatká – Czech Republic – January 13th, 2013
– Event 2: Marcialonga – Italy – January, 27th, 2013
– Event 3: König Ludwig Lauf – Germany – February 3rd, 2013
– Event 4: Vasaloppet – Sweden – March 3rd, 2013
– Event 5: Birkebeinerrennet – Norway – March 16th, 2013
– Event 6: Swix Ski Classics Final – Sweden – March 23rd, 2013
October 16, 2012 – The countdown has truly begun…. in just a short 29 days I will be headed on another 30-hour travel to Europe to kick off the 2012-2013 ski season. With less than a month to go, nerves and excitement are starting to brew in my belly and the anticipation is high.
I find our sport to be qualitative to a fault. It’s usually this time of year when I start to wonder, am I fit? Have I prepared well enough? What page of the results will I be on for the first race of the season? Unlike running, biking, or baseball we have comparatively few ways to measure our progress or improvements. We don’t measure wattage, we don’t keep stats, and skiing isn’t as simple as running a repeatable track workout. We can repeat intervals on roller skis but weather and temperature change the speed of the pavement up to 20%. We can do a running test or a strength test but realistically, just because you can do more pull ups than 6 months ago doesn’t guarantee that you’re double pole is going to improve.
Physiological testing at the USSA headquarters in Park City, Utah is just one of the reasons why US Ski Team members make an annual trip here to train come October. The weather is generally beautiful, we can use the facilities at the Center of Excellence & we can “test” with the sports science department. On top of all this, we can take advantage of the opportunity to live & train at altitude.
In fact, as I type this, I am sitting at our condo in Deer Valley @ almost 9,000 feet! For those unfamiliar with altitude training it is basically a natural way of increasing your red blood cells & hemoglobin – both of which are responsible for carrying & delivering oxygen throughout your body. All said and done I will have been here for a full 18 days which should be enough time to spike my hemoglobin. I took a test upon landing and will take another one just before departure to track the change.
In addition to the hemoglobin tests I was scheduled to do a series of “max effort” tests on the ski treadmill to measure my Vo2max among other things. Unfortunately, I’m suffering from a bit of an intercostal muscle pull and at this point, have been unable to test or use my left arm to it’s full capacity. Some of you may remember seeing this from a post I wrote in May:
I was hoping to repeat this test (and see improvement!) but the priority is on fully healing my muscle so that I can do on-snow intervals in Alaska before departing for my first race in Munio, Finland! One of the advantages of being near the COE is that we have in-house trainers & physical therapists. I am seeing them daily and think that I should be 100% healed in no time!
Aside from using the COE and testing, my trip to Utah has given me a much-needed change of scenery, pace, and WEATHER. While the weather at home in Alaska had been quite “challenging” the weather in Utah has been gorgeous. It’s motivating to get out the door and in fact, sometimes you have to keep an eye on your watch because it’s tempting to stay outside all day!
Last week I got to do something I’ve been wanting to do for a while now and that is climb Timpanogos, an 11,700 foot peak just an hours drive from Park City. Lucky for me I got to climb it with a huge group of friends as it was part of my dear friend, Katie Ronsse’s pre-wedding activities!
Another thing I’ve been able to take advantage of here in Utah is the FOOD. I love ethnic food, particularly Mexican food. There is plenty to be had here – you can see by the site of this salsa bar…. last week I also went to a farmer’s market and just about died of happiness as there were fresh local fruits and veggies for REALLY affordable prices!
Another huge highlight of the past week and a half was attending Katie and Justin’s wedding. Rob was able to join me for the wedding and a small respite from the Alaskan rain. He was “happy as a clam” biking 8 hours a day on the extensive Park City mountain bike trails!
I have another four days here in Utah and its action packed with training sessions, physical therapy appointments, meetings with our new team sports psychologist & travel agent, getting outfitted with gear for the new season & an National Nordic Foundation fundraising meet & greet. (More on that and the Drive for 25 later!)
In the meantime, for all you folks up in Alaska – we’re having a fun(d) run for Mary this upcoming Sunday! I hope to see some of you there! Please help spread the word:
That’s it for now from Utah! Smiles & thanks for reading,
October 12, 2012 (Canmore, AB) – Frozen Thunder is on track for opening Oct. 13th. The 2k ski loop, using snow preserved from the previous winter, is being set up and groomed for early season skiing at the Canmore Nordic Centre.
The trail will be used for training by the National Ski Team and local racers, with the second annual classic, sprint race involving top US and Canadian competitors scheduled for Oct 26th.
October 11, 2012 – USA’s Kikkan Randall became the best sprinter on the ladies’ side last season. The skier from Alaska talked to FIS Cross-Country News about her summer preparation, goals for the winter and her four-year term on the FIS Athletes’ Commission.
You are coming to the end of your four-year term as the female representative for Cross-Country on the FIS Athletes’ Commission. How has the experience been and would you like to continue for another four years?
Kikkan Randall: Yes, I have really enjoyed my time on the FIS Athletes’ Commission representing Cross-Country. It has taken these four years to learn the ropes and get to know the people, and I have established some good paths of communication with the top levels of the cross-country committee. So I feel that can I continue to be effective and would enjoy doing this for another four years.
After having such a successful season last year taking the World Cup Overall Sprint title, what are your goals moving forward towards the 2012-13 World Cup season?
KR: Yeah, last year was certainly a lot of fun and I would like to continue to improve at both my sprint and distance results.
You have struggled with a foot injury this summer. Has that affected your off-season training?
KR: Unfortunately, I’ve had to slow down a little bit this summer after good training through mid-August, as it became clear that I had a stress fracture in my right foot. I’ve had to take the last month a little bit easier too give the foot some rest and avoid activities that aggravate it.
What are the activities that bothered the foot?
KR: Primarily, it was skate skiing. But for the past six weeks I have also not run, and only double-poled roller skiing.
Has that changed your approach to the start of the racing season?
KR: Normally I would have been looking forward to really coming in in good form with the opening races in Gallivare, and the mini-tour in Kuusamo, as well as the two sprints in Quebec. But I haven’t been able to skate for six weeks now and it’s still another couple of weeks before that becomes a possibility. Hopefully, I will be ready to participate in those races, but don’t see my form coming around until the Tour de Ski.
October 11, 2012 – Italy will be hosting two major events next season, the final stages of the seventh edition of the FIS Tour de Ski and the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Val di Fiemme. The Squadra Azzura has been working hard to meet the challenges of competing on the home ground. FIS Cross-Country News talked to Italy’s head coach Silvio Fauner.
Silvio, how was the off-season for your team and your athletes?
Silvio Fauner: We had a very good summer. The team was healthy except for David Hofer who was coping with muscle injury in July, however, it was a minor injury and he did not have to stop training. The team has been working very hard. The men’s team is now training in Passo Stelvio together with the B team. Ladies team is in Ramsau.
Have there been any changes in your coaching staff?
SF: We have made only one change; Paolo Riva has become the main coach of the men’s team. He was the B-Team coach and also coached the Italian Biathlon World Cup team. Saracco remains the sprint coach and Stauder coaches ladies.
For Italy, Roland Clara had a very strong start into the last season. Do you expect him to be again strong, or somebody else?
SF: I hope Roland will again be in good shape. On the other hand, I would wish that other young skiers will do well. David Hofer has been working hard on the free technique and Thomas Moriggl has been looking good, too. There are other good young skiers with a potential in the B-team. I would like to take one or two of them to the first World Cups of the season.
Italian ladies’ team has been through a generation change. Do you see light at the end of the tunnel?
SF: I think we have really good young ladies, but this year will probably be too early for them. I feel they are still too young to break through on the World Cup level. Deborah Agreiter is the silver medalist from the U23 World Ski Championships in Erzurum last year. She is 22 years old and even the big names such as Paruzzi, Longa and Follis had their first big successful competitions and results when they were 27 or 28. I see young women with a potential but not yet for this season.
What is your preview to the next winter?
SF: The season will be long and most likely we all our athletes will not compete in all World Cups. Also not all the athletes will finish the Tour de Ski, maybe two or three. The rest will continue preparation for the World Championships. For sure our biggest goal for the season is to perform well at the home Championships in Val di Fiemme. The dream would be to claim a medal every day, but that’s not so easy. I see our biggest chance in the sprint, 15 km free technique and team sprint, maybe in the relay.
How is the upgraded Val di Fiemme venue?
SF: It is a new venue with upgraded Cross-Country courses. The stadium has been changed and the tracks are very, very hard, especially the ladies’ sprint. On the other hand they are very nice and fair.
You are representing Italy at Cross-Country Committees here in Zurich. Will you return home satisfied?
SF: Yes, I am leaving Zurich satisfied. Perhaps we will speak with other nations to suggest some small changes.
October 10, 2012 (Steamboat Springs, CO) – Start cleaning out your garages and storage now! Mark November 9-10 on your calendar to sell your gear you no longer use or fit into and get yourself and your family some new gear! Tags will be available in just a few weeks, so get your stuff together now. We also will be looking for volunteers in a few weeks, so watch for that too.
October 10, 2012 (Val Müstair, Switzerland) – On January 1, 2013, the FIS Tour de Ski will make its first stop ever in Switzerland. Val Müstair, the home valley of the triple FIS Cross-Country World Cup and FIS Tour de Ski winner Dario Cologna, will host the third stage of the Tour, a free technique sprint. Val Müstair lies close to the Italian border, approximately two hours by car from Innsbruck. It is situated between two passes, the Ofenpass from the Swiss side and the Reschenpass from Italy.
Picturesque Val Müstair
The Müstair valley is one of the most beautiful mountain valleys in Switzerland. It is acclaimed for two things. The world-famous Convent of St. John, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the Swiss National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. A cultural highlight and chief attraction, the Benedictine Convent of St. John is an idyllic alpine monastery which was founded by Charlemagne to whom it owes its distinction. Built in the 8th Century the convent church houses the world’s richest and best preserved series of figurative Romanesque murals, with impressive Carolingian frescos. The new “Planta Tower” museum gives insights into the cloister life.
Sporty Val Müstair
In the summer, Val Müstair offers a wide range of holiday experiences. Hikers can explore the valley, the Swiss National Park and the nearby Ortler mountain region. Trails are well marked, and for both beginners and experienced cyclists there is an extensive network of paths and mountain bike trails.
Skiing, snowboarding, cross-country – for those who want a classic winter sports holiday, Val Müstair is the perfect place. The Minschuns ski area is family friendly and the cross-country trails are everything you could wish for. There is also the opportunity for ski touring and snowshoeing.
FIS Tour de Ski in Val Müstair
Cross-Country Skiing has a long tradition and histors in the valley. Most importantly, Dario Cologna was born in St. Maria, which lies only 8 km from Tschierv, the competition venue. Dario Cologna’a successes and growing repuation has increased the popularity of Cross-Country Skiing in the region. “Firstly we want to take advantage of the growing popularity of Cross-Country Skiing and the personal appeal of Dario Cologna to create something magnificent. Secondly, we want to promote our position as a tourist destination in connection with Cross-Country Skiing,” Claudio Daguati, Secretary of the Organizing Committee, says.
October 09, 2012 – Happy Canadian Thanksgiving everyone! Ok, now the blog post can begin. The Fast and Female event in Park City was officially AWESOME. As per my usual, I got to lead the dancing/endurance station, where we keep moving the entire time and each girl gets to add a dance move of her own to the group dance. The dance gets longer and longer and by the last group of the day I’m always working so hard to try and remember which move comes next! But it’s so much fun. Anne Hart was my dance station partner and we had a blast although by the end we both had jelly legs and were wiped out.
For me the coolest thing is seeing each girls face light up as the entire group does the dance move SHE got to add. It’s fun to make each girl be the star for 10 seconds!
And now… the National Nordic Foundation’s Drive for 25.
I realize that there are a ton of fundraisers going on this fall. And my personal fundraiser, the Chilkoot Cafe dinner in Stillwater, is going on this fall as well, on November 10th. But, I’m putting this up because the National Nordic Foundation directly helps me as well as many other junior, senior and U23 athletes looking to take the next step in international racing. NNF lowers trip costs for World Juniors/U23′s, and help pay for World Cup expenses. NNF also helped the US Women’s team travel to Sweden to train with some of the best in the world and improve.
So!
If you cannot come to Stillwater, MN on November 10th but are a friend of mine and/or Nordic Skiing and want to help out, this fundraiser is the best way to do it. I’ve linked my fundraising page below, and my goal is to get 20 people to donate $25. All the fundraiser information is on the link – even if you do not want to donate, please check out the NNF and their mission – the stories, pictures and race blogs are well worth looking at. Thanks for your time!
October 06, 2012 – The 2012 BKL Coaching Clinic Series has been announced! Gather with other leaders from the region to get practical tips from some of the most experienced BKL coaches in New England. There will be presentations on all aspects of running a club, from logistics to game play! Click HERE to see full clinic information. Hope that you’ll join us!
Please join us for the 2012 BKL Coaching Clinic Series! These clinics are a great way to pick up some new tools for the winter ahead and connect with other coaches and leaders from across New England. These clinics will run from 9am-4pm and will include presentations from some of New England’s most experienced BKL Coaches!
Presentations [A more detailed agenda with presenter names will be coming in the next week. Stay tuned!] Both clinics will include ALL of the listed topics. There will be different presenters at each clinic so it’s worthwhile to attend both.
– Logistics of Running a BKL Program (What Goes on Behind the Scenes)
– Incorporating Biathlon into your BKL Practice
– Key Components of Fun Club Events
– Transitioning 7th & 8th Graders into More Formal Race & Training Education
– Ski Jumping
– How to Use Game Play Effectively
– Goal Setting and Program Planning
– Equipment and Waxing for the BKL Club
October 05, 2012 (Gatineau, QC) – Summer is not over and the first flakes have not yet fallen but the Gatineau Loppet’s organizing committee is ready to celebrate the 35th edition of Canada’s biggest cross country ski event which will be held from February 15 to 17, 2013. Cross-country skiers are excited by the completely new course that will go through the municipalities of La Pêche, Chelsea and Gatineau.
Two new linear 38 km and 55 km classic style courses will link Lake Philippe to Mont-Bleu High School in Gatineau. The president of the Gatineau Loppet, Mr. Yan Michaud, is “extremely pleased to offer this 35th anniversary gift for ski lovers in the region and abroad.” These new courses were tested last winter by Mr. Richard Weber, Canadian Explorer and cross-country ski master. He was thrilled with the quality of the courses and strongly encourages skiers to try them in 2013. Please note that, in addition to these new courses, races of 2, 5, 20 km classic style and 10, 31 and 51 km freestyle will still be scheduled from Mont-Bleu High School.
The organizing committee would also like to announce the official launch of registration starting today. A discount of up to 40% on all races will be offered to participants that register before September 28, 2012. Also, through a partnership with les Services récréatifs DEMSIS, participants of the Gatineau Loppet will get a 15% discount on the price of the winter pass of Gatineau Park if they register between October 15 and December 1, 2012.
The organizing committee wishes to mention the partnerships with Ville de Gatineau, National Capital Commission (NCC), Winterlude, les Services récréatifs DEMSIS, Chelsea Pub, Sport Échange Outaouais, Conférence régionale des élus de l’Outaouais (CRE- O), the Centre local de développement de Gatineau (CLD), the Ministry of Education, Leisure and Sports (MELS), École secondaire Mont-Bleu, La Relance Outaouais, Holiday Inn, Ramada Plaza Manoir Casino and Buff Canada.
For more information, visit the website of the Gatineau Loppet at www.gatineauloppet.com.
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!
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.
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.
October 04, 2012 (Oro, ON) – On October 20 and 21 we are holding our annual Ski Swap and Open House. This is the largest cross country ski equipment swap in Ontario with a wide selection of equipment. Buy or sell skis, boots, poles, bindings, roller skis at great prices.
You can also choose from new and used equipment available in the swap and in the retail store. You can also Save the Tax in our retail store on new 2012 equipment.
If you are looking to sell your equipment you can bring it in after October 13th for tagging.
Swap Hours
– Saturday October 20st – 9 am to 5 pm
– Sunday October 21st – 9 am to 1 pm
The retail store will be open both days from 9 am to 5 pm.
October 03, 2012 (Vantaa, Finland) – The Finnish Nordic Sports brand ONE WAY will launch during the upcoming winter season a new high-end ski wax range with a wide program in Premio Fluor powders, high-Fluor and low-Fluor gliders. In addition OW will present a professional tool range for ski service with Roto brushes, hand brushes, wax iron, structure tools and other important tools.
The ski wax range is a perfect match with the ONE WAY cross country ski range combining a lot of experience and tests developing the fastest and best products for a Nordic athlete.
The testing phase for the new products with several National teams continues during this fall and the racing service team is aiming for the first medals during the World Championships taken with the support of OW SKI WAX.
October 02, 2012 – We’re now at 8,900 total skiers registered for the Birkie, Kortelopet, and Prince Haakon races combined, to be held February 23, 2013. Our total, combined cap for these three races is 10,000 skiers, so if you plan on being part of our 40th annual celebration, now is the time to register! Last year registration closed on November 21, and we expect an even earlier closing this year.
Celebrating its 40th year, the American Birkebeiner, February 21-23, 2013, is the largest and most prestigious cross country ski marathon in North America. Spanning more than 50 kilometers from Cable to Hayward, the Birkie is part of the Worldloppet series of 15 international races, and part of the lives of citizen skiers from around the world.
Wave Closings & Updates
Skate:
– Wave 2 is closed
– Wave 3 is closed
– Waves 4 and 9 are 95% full
October 02, 2012 (Boulder, CO) – German ski wax manufacturer Holmenkol AG has announced the completed sale of the company to Sporto-med GmbH, a family-owned German business specializing in physiotherapy, sports medicine and health. A new company, Holmenkol GmbH, has been formed as a subsidiary of Sporto-med and will continue the operations of Holmenkol AG. Business at Holmenkol continues as normal and the season’s first shipment of wax and tools has already arrived at Holmenkol’s US distributor. The sale was completed in early September and marked the company’s exit from insolvency proceedings.
Skiers in the United States will notice no difference in the lineup or quality of Holmenkol waxes and tools for the 2012-2013 season and should expect to see improvements and new products in years to come. “In the future too, Holmenkol will retain focus on the World Racing Team in Nordic Skiing and Alpine Skiing,” says Dr. Oliver Temme, chemist and director of Sporto-med GmbH’s research and development department since 2004. “Continuing development of waxes for racing skis has a high priority for us.”
Holmenkol’s production facility in Heimerdingen, Germany and team of employees remain unchanged during the transition and will continue to produce highly-innovative chemical surface systems for skis and snowboards as well as textiles.
October 01, 2012 – FIS Cross-Country World Cup season 2012/13 kicks off in 57 days in the Swedish Gällivare. With only a few weeks left until the opener, the organising committee reports record interest.
Almost 200 people came to the official kick off meeting for the partners that was held by the organising committee. “We are absolutely surprised by the interest of sponsors, partners and volunteers. So many showed up for this event,” Secretary General of the LOC Tommy Niva says.
The FIS Cross-Country World Cup opener is the biggest sport event in Norrbotten and preparations have been already in full swing. About 250 volunteers are needed to cope with all organisation aspects of the World Cup ranging from competition course to transport and catering.
“The World Cups activates the entire community. Everybody is very proud of the event and interest only increases every time we organise the first World Cup of the season. As early as in the sumer people would show up and asked about the chance to participate and help with the competitions,” Tommy Niva says.
“FIS has given us the trust to organise the season opener for the fifth time since 2004. I can say we are preparing a great skiing festival. Our goal is to secure all arrangements at the top level and the great interest gives us plenty of inspiration in this work,” Niva concludes.
FIS Cross-Country Word Cup kicks off in on November 24th. One week before the World Cup junior and FIS competitions will take place in Gällivare as test events.
October 01, 2012 (Park City, UT) – The USST’s Noah Hoffman has had a busy fall after returning from a training camp in New Zealand with a quick stopover in Putney, VT. Back home in Park City, Hoffman has been enjoying the fall weather, quality time with family and friends, and hard training sessions in preparation for the upcoming competitive season.
September 27, 2012 (Acton, MN) – A reporter and cameraman from Sweden’s national TV network visited Acton, Minnesota this week in order to film and interview U.S. cross country skiing sensation Jessie Diggins. At 21, Diggins has shot to the top of the world’s elite female skiers, winning World Cup silver in a freestyle team sprint event last season with Kikkan Randall and picked up an individual top five in a 10km race along with other notable performances. While Diggins is popular in Nordic ski circles at home, she’s less well-known as an athlete in the USA at large, but Sweden has taken notice of the young blonde phenom on xc skis.
Read the full article about Diggins’s international media visit on TwinCities.com 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.
September 26, 2012 (Helsinki, Finland) – A new documentary to be released on October 5 in Finland focuses on former decorated cross-country skier Juha Mieto and suggests for the first time that the 1980 Olympic silver medalist used performance enhancing substances, reports the Helsingin Sanomat at HS.fi.
In the film, titled “Blue and White Lies”, former Finnish weightlifing gold medalist Kaarlo Kangasniemi claims that Mieto asked his advice about the use of anabolic steroids in a conversation in a sauna in 1975. The documentary contains other interviews that claim “hormone research” and blood transfusions were used among Finnish skiers in the ’70s.
August 19, 2012 (Aspen, CO) – Recently, Noah Hoffman of the US Men’s XC Ski Team, was a featured guest on TheLocal’s Show, an Aspen, Colorado local TV talk show hosted by Erik Skarvan. Watch yesterday’s program online and learn more about this rising cross country ski star HERE.
August 17, 2012 (Canmore, AB) – 2013 CCC race license applications are now available online or by mail. You must have a current race license or a Supporting Member Day license to compete in CCC sanctioned events. To apply for your 2013 CCC race license online, click HERE or by mail, click HERE.
Note: You must be a member of a registered CCC club before your license application will be processed.
FIS Race License – It is time to renew or apply for your 2013 FIS Race License
To apply for a FIS race license, please complete the CCC FIS Race License Application and the FIS Athlete Declaration Form available HERE, and forward it by mail or fax, together with your cheque, VISA or MasterCard number to the Cross Country Canada National Office. Don’t forget to included the expiry date and 3 digit card verification number (on back of the card).
By mail or in person: Cross Country Canada, 100 – 1995 Olympic Way, Canmore, AB T1W 2T6
By Fax: (403) 678-3885
The cost is $45.00 (non-refundable) and the deadline to submit the FIS License application form is January 1st, 2013.
This deadline is very important. Any FIS license applications received after January 1st, 2013 will be processed at a cost of $100.00. If you require points to be added retroactively, this will cost you another $100.00.
Note: Any Junior skier who may make the criteria for a national team or international tours is encouraged to purchase a FIS licence prior to the ski season as it will be needed for FIS point calculations.
Your FIS license will not be processed until your CCC license is renewed or bought for the 2013 season.
You must include your CCC and FIS license numbers when registering for events to have your results eligible for points. A fee is required to retroactively add license numbers to “Official” result lists.
International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Race License
IPC race licenses are necessary for Para-Nordic athletes and guides who wish to compete internationally in IPC sanctioned events (IPC World Cup, IPC World Championships or Paralympics).
To apply for an IPC license you must first have a CCC race license (see application requirements and process above).
The cost of an IPC race license is 60Euro (approx $85) and the application deadline is October 1st, 2012.
An IPC license can be purchased after the deadline but the price doubles to $120Euro (approx $170).
To begin the application process please complete the IPC Eligibility Code form HERE and then contact us at nsmith@cccski.com to complete the process.
August 17, 2012 – Skiers from around the world are converging on Falls Creek for the Kangaroo Hoppet, the opening event of the 2012/2013 Worldloppet season, which will be held on August 25. Good snowfalls last weekend topped up the snow base, and with 50km of trails available for training, early arrivals are enjoying excellent conditions.
With skiers in the seeded group from Russia, Canada, Sweden, Estonia, Switzerland and USA joining our best Australian skiers, we are expecting some exciting competition. Favourites in the men’s event are Russians Alexander Legkov and Ilya Chernousov who are making a four week training camp at Falls Creek, with Maria Graefnings (SWE), Marina Chernousova (RUS), and Brooke Darlington (CAN) the leading internationals in the women’s field. Top seeded Australians are Callum Watson, Alex Almoukov, Esther Bottomley and Aimee Watson.
As in all Worldloppet races, the event is not just for the elite. Most important are the citizen skiers, many of whom are taking on the challenge of becoming a Worldloppet Master. Skiers from twenty five other lands will join Australians at the start, including Norwegian sit skier and Worldloppet Master Ole Herman Ronnevig making his first trip to Australia.
August 16, 2012 (Davos, Switzerland) – The defending FIS Tour de Ski Champion and FIS Cross-Country World Cup winner is getting ready for the coming season at home, in Switzerland. After a few days at his home place Davos, Cologna started a high altitude training block in Engadin and Flüelapass. “I spent a great week with Curdin in Engadin. We trained together very well and he showed me some great tours in his home area,” Dario Cologna wrote on his website.
After the week in Engadin Cologna returned back to Davos “I am sleeping at Flüelapass in 2382 m but mainly do the training down in the valley in Davos. Together with Toni Livers we will carry out running tours at the Flüellapass,” Cologna adds.
Cologna’s training program is full packed for the rest of the month. “On Friday we are having an Odlo bike tour. On Sunday I am taking part in the roller skiing competition in San Bernardino. At the end of the month we are travelling to Oberhof where we will be training again on snow,” Dario Cologna revealed plans for August.
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 – Short and Quick – Who wins? Have believed in this ever since the beginning of my coaching career (early ’70s) – way more times then not the stronger skier wins. Essentially the top skiers are all doing the same training, but if there is an area where there will be a difference, it is in being in the weight room and doing the proper lifting programs. The musculature between these three ladies is quite dramatic to my eye and whether I knew the names or not I would have picked the heavier muscled skier to be the more successful one.
Back then it was important to be strong, but in today’s skiing it is even more so, with skating and even in classic because of the huge reduction in hill lengths because of the short loop format that is used. There is way more double poling happening and it will continue to grow in proportion to the use of the diagonal stride. Cross country skiers have shown the propensity to train anything they want to when they set their minds to it.
When skating started it was said no one could skate a whole course, and then it was off-set was the technique, which quickly became V1, which is now the most used technique. It is now being thought that the diagonal stride will be dead soon, as everyone will double pole everything and it will be faster.
Here is some reading if you don’t believe it – click HERE.
It is not too late for you to get on board – remember specific strength gains beat general endurance work – everyone does big weights and small reps now – make it a part of your future success.
![Kikkan Holly and I feeling the spirit [P] Sadie Bjornsen](https://skitrax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Kikkan-Holly-and-I-feeling-the-spirit-P-Sadie-Bjornsen.jpg)
![Kikkan surrounded [P] Sadie Bjornsen](https://skitrax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Kikkan-surrounded-P-Sadie-Bjornsen.jpg)
![Some of the APU skiers at the race. [P] Sadie Bjornsen](https://skitrax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Some-of-the-APU-skiers-at-the-race.-P-Sadie-Bjornsen.jpg)
![Thanks Dave for letting us crash at your house [P] Sadie Bjornsen](https://skitrax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Thanks-Dave-for-letting-us-crash-at-your-house-P-Sadie-Bjornsen.jpg)
![The First Tracks Crew with the bright colored instructors in front. [P] Holly Brooks](https://skitrax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/The-First-Tracks-Crew-with-the-bright-colored-instructors-in-front.-P-Holly-Brooks.jpg)
![The Skhoop Goddess, and some of my greatest supporters. Osa and John Lapkass [P] Sadie Bjornsen](https://skitrax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/The-Skhoop-Goddess-and-some-of-my-greatest-supporters.-Osa-and-John-Lapkass-P-Sadie-Bjornsen.jpg)
![We also managed to squeeze in a Fast and Female event the final day. [P] Sadie Bjornsen](https://skitrax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/We-also-managed-to-squeeze-in-a-Fast-and-Female-event-the-final-day.-P-Sadie-Bjornsen.jpg)
![Ducks [P] Sadie Bjornsen](https://skitrax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Ducks-P-Sadie-Bjornsen.jpg)
![Fast and Female AK [P] Sadie Bjornsen](https://skitrax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Fast-and-Female-AK-P-Sadie-Bjornsen.jpg)
![Happy Halloween cake [P] Sadie Bjornsen](https://skitrax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Happy-Halloween-cake-P-Sadie-Bjornsen.jpg)
![Biking with my hubby [P] Holly Brooks](https://skitrax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Biking-with-my-hubby-P-Holly-Brooks.jpg)
![Fun run for Mary [P] courtesy of Holly Brooks](https://skitrax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Fun-run-for-Mary-P-courtesy-of-Holly-Brooks.jpg)
![Gorgeous Utah fall colors [P] Holly Brooks](https://skitrax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Gorgeous-Utah-fall-colors-P-Holly-Brooks.jpg)
![Katie with her father Dennis – also the wedding officiant [P] Holly Brooks](https://skitrax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Katie-with-her-father-Dennis-also-the-wedding-officiant-P-Holly-Brooks.jpg)
![Mexican food is great in Utah [P] Holly Brooks](https://skitrax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Mexican-food-is-great-in-Utah-P-Holly-Brooks.jpg)
![My coaches – Erik with APU and Matt with USST [P] Holly Brooks](https://skitrax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/My-coaches-Erik-with-APU-and-Matt-with-USST-P-Holly-Brooks.jpg)
![Our entire crew – all with either AK or skiing connections [P] Holly Brooks](https://skitrax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Our-entire-crew-all-with-either-AK-or-skiing-connections-P-Holly-Brooks.jpg)
![Post-training tamales [P] Holly Brooks](https://skitrax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Post-training-tamales-P-Holly-Brooks-e1350401018299.jpg)
![Skiing from Salt Lake City up Emigration. We gained a couple thousand feet [P] Holly Brooks](https://skitrax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Skiing-from-Salt-Lake-City-up-Emigration.-We-gained-a-couple-thousand-feet-P-Holly-Brooks.jpg)
![The boys train headed up the pass [P] Holly Brooks](https://skitrax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/The-boys-train-headed-up-the-pass-P-Holly-Brooks.jpg)
![The bride on the way to the summit [P] Holly Brooks](https://skitrax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/The-bride-on-the-way-to-the-summit-P-Holly-Brooks.jpg)
![The day after the wedding we were able to do one of the nicest road rides in Utah [P] Holly Brooks](https://skitrax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/The-day-after-the-wedding-we-were-able-to-do-one-of-the-nicest-road-rides-in-Utah-P-Holly-Brooks.jpg)
![With my old training partner, Katie, at the summit [P] Holly Brooks](https://skitrax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/With-my-old-training-partner-Katie-at-the-summit-P-Holly-Brooks.jpg)
