October 02, 2015 – We caught an eye full of the white stuff on Kikkan Randall’s latest Instagram post. That’s right, Alaska experienced its first snowfall on Wednesday and Randall, along with her APU women’s teammates Sadie Bjornsen, Rosie Frankowski, and Becca Rorabaugh. Link to Randall’s Instagram here.

October 01, 2015 – We’re off and running. The 2015 Drive for 25 (D25) begins officially today and the next six weeks will raise tens of thousands of dollars for skiing development in the U.S.

Throughout the drive, we’re going to dive into where motivation for skiing comes from. We kick things off on the newly redesigned, mobile responsive NNF website with a piece from SMS/T2 skier, Annie Pokorny exploring training motivation and drive. Read it here.

Every year, the Drive for 25 gets bigger. Help us spread the word. Kick things off. As a member of #skiingnation, it’s up to you to help tomorrow’s nordic skiing stars find the support they need today. Click below to donate or become involved in this year’s D25.

Drive for 25 (XC)

Drive for 25 (NC)

Learn more about the Drive for 25 here.

Spread the Word!!!

The NNF

We provide support for the athlete development pipeline of US Cross Country and Nordic Combined skiing.

September 30, 2015 – The second ladies’ coaching seminar took place in Seefeld (AUT) from 25th-27th September 2015. Former top Italian Cross-Country skier Gabriella Paruzzi and other international speakers prepared an intensive programme for 18 participants from 12 countries.

The three-day agenda included topics ranging from specifics in ladies’ training, importance of the right strength body balance, impacts of high altitude on athletes, as well as an insight into the structure of Norwegian skiing model. The programme also featured a practical portion of roller skiing training.

“The second female coach seminar was great and inspiring. It was fun to see so many actively involved women from different parts of the world, “Gabriella Paruzzi, Chair of the FIS Sub-Committee for ladies’ Cross-Country said. “We had two interesting days with a lot of learning and sharing combined with outdoor activity. I am very happy to see the positive development in the engagement of women in our sport.”

Also the FIS Cross-Country Committee Chairman Vegard Ulvang was happy about the second edition of the seminar: “The ladies’ Sub-Committee has done a great job. The seminar is a great chance for the women coaches to meet and share their knowledge. I am glad to see that more and more women get engaged also on a higher level. Nevertheless, we still need more women as coaches, leaders, technical delegates and athletes.”

September 29, 2015 (Canmore, AB) – The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has announced the athletes and teams who have made the shortlist for November’s 2015 Paralympic Sport Awards, which are proudly partnered by Allianz and will recognise achievements from the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games.

On Saturday, November 14 in Mexico City, special awards will be presented in the following categories: Best Female, Best Male, Best Debut, Best Team and Best Official.

Between them, the nominees won 25 gold medals in Sochi.

Canada’s Brian McKeever, who won three golds at the 2014 Games, is up for the Best Male award.

The shortlists for the categories can be found here.

September 17, 2015 (Canmore, AB) – With the 2015-2016 snow sport season kicking off in just a few short weeks, the seven members of Snow Sports Canada happily took delivery of their first shipment of custom designed equipment bags from Official Supplier, High Sierra.

For the first time in the history of the seven-member organization, Team Canada’s national team athletes will now enjoy use of bags specifically designed and manufactured for the technical needs of their equipment. “We wanted to design a bag that fit the technical requirements of the athletes, and also represented Canadians as a whole.  I think we were able to achieve that goal with this amazing collection,” said High Sierra Canada General Manager Paul DeCorso.

The teams and athletes will travel through five continents across the globe this season with High Sierra’s gear displaying a balanced mix of style and functionality, “We worked closely with Snow Sports Canada to decide which design best-represented the teams, as well as what technical features they needed,” added DeCorso.

The result is a unique bag design that will stand out from the crowd and add some signature Canadian swagger to the team gear. Fans, keep your eyes open for them on World Cup hills across the globe this fall.

“High Sierra’s partnership with Snow Sports Canada brings an essential and  dependable luggage component to our team. This has been accomplished through attention to the grinding travel needs of sport – airline drubbing, jamming into vans and recurrent movement between training and race sites. This durability is combined with a distinguished look and functional features that boosts our athletes’ ability to embrace the mobility of our sport.” – Thomas Holland, High Performance Director, Cross Country Ski Canada.

To learn more about High Sierra’s range of unique bags and products, visit www.highsierra.ca. To learn more about the partnership between High Sierra and Snow Sports Canada visit our website here.

September 16, 2015 – As part of its role in providing guidance to anti-doping organisations, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) today published a global list of Athlete Support Personnel who are currently suspended from working with Athletes or other Persons under the 2015 World Anti-Doping Code’s new, ‘Prohibited Association’ (Article 2.10) rule.

The Prohibited Association List, which has been created based on case decisions and information provided by Anti-Doping Organisations (ADOs), illustrates that 114 Athlete Support Personnel worldwide are disqualified from working with Athletes or other Persons pursuant to Article 2.10 of the Code.

Under the Prohibited Association rule, Athletes and other Persons are prohibited from working with Athlete Support Personnel that are currently sanctioned, or have been sanctioned within the previous six years, for an anti-doping rule violation. For an Athlete or other Person to be found in violation of the Prohibited Association rule, they must have previously been advised in writing of the Person’s ‘disqualifying status’ by the applicable ADO or by WADA.

“WADA is increasingly of the belief that athletes do not dope alone, and that often there is a member of their entourage encouraging them to cheat” said WADA President, Sir Craig Reedie.

“This new ‘Prohibited Association’ rule sends a clear message to athletes: do not associate with individuals that have breached anti-doping rules as they could encourage you to cheat the system and to rob your fellow athletes of their right to clean sport,” added Reedie.

“By publishing this List, WADA is helping athletes know which individuals to evade if they are to avoid violating the rules themselves. This List will also assist ADOs as it is their responsibility to advise their athletes of the support personnel that have ‘disqualifying status’ and the consequences of such association.”

The list will be updated on WADA’s website on a quarterly basis, or more frequently as new information is provided by ADOs.

Full details on Prohibited Association can be found under Article 2.10 of the World Anti-Doping Code. Athletes can also read more about the rule in the Athlete’s Reference Guide to the Code (p.9).

September 15, 2015 (Oslo, Norway) – Norwegian XC superstar, Petter Northug will not likely be skiing for his national team during the next season according to a press release from Norges Skiforbund, the country’s xc ski federation.

The crux of the dispute seems to be a private sponsorship that Northug has cultivated with Coop Norge SA, a retail cooperative with 1.3 million members, while the Norwegian federation is sponsored by Coop’s rival, Spar.

“The Board of the Norwegian Ski Association was at the board meeting last weekend informed by cross committee chairman Thorbjorn Skogstad, that Petter Northug and Coop have not accepted the deal he was offered.”

“The agreement is the same as the one he had in successful 2014/15 season. [We] take note and regret that Petter Northug did not want to join the national team and the World Cup on the same terms as all other [national team members].”

“Norwegian Ski Federation is planning upcoming World Cup season with those athletes who have signed an agreement and will not take any further initiative towards Petter Northug or Coop.”

SkiTrax understands that this means Northug will also not be competing at the 2016 Tour de Ski.

Northug has skied professionally since 2005 and is in a class of his own with 13 world championship and 2 Olympic gold medals as part of 20 medals overall, along with 18 individual FIS World Cup wins.

Press release (Norwegian):
www.skiforbundet.no/langrenn/nyhetsarkiv/2015/9/orientering-om-norges-skiforbund-og-petter-northug/

September 13, 2015 (Germany) – A record number of 40 skiers took part in two parallel training camps of the Swedish national team in Toblach and Oberstdorf from August 25th – September 4th. The men’s team ran 19 training sessions in 10 days. Oberstdorf in Bavaria in southern Germany offers a seven-kilometer-long rollerskiing track and many trails for running.

“Several of our athletes have skied Tour de Ski stages in Oberstdorf. Two stages will be here also next winter. The group is energized about getting familiar with the winter resort in the summer,” Rikard Grip said.

The women’s team is training in Toblach in the region of Trento, another FIS Tour de Ski host venue. Training in Toblach in the summer will be a new experience for the team, having a a five-kilometer rollerskiing trail and three alpine peaks near the hotel.

The Swedish national team has split the ladies’ and men’s camps and brought in the development squads. “Skiers from the development team are thus able to beneif from knowledge and experience,” Rikard Grip explained and confirmed that joint camps are an important step in raising the level of national elite.

“Having Marcus Hellner, Calle Halfvarsson, Charlotte Kalla and Stina Nilsson behind the back is a guaranteed quality for those who are trying to challenge them. At the same time the first team has to be to be on their toes all the time,” Grip stated.

The camps in Toblach and Oberstdorf begun on Tuesday, only 1.5 weeks after the camp in Vålådalen ended. “We’re in an intensive and heavy training period,” ladies sprint coach Mattias Persson added.

September 11, 2015 (Seattle, WA) — Madshus, the world’s leading performance Nordic ski company, is pleased to announce that Olympians Brian and Caitlin Gregg (Team Gregg) have signed on to continue racing exclusively in Madshus skis, boots, and poles for another two seasons.

“Madshus has allowed Brian and I to make a huge step forward in our ski racing careers and we are excited about the next two years,” stated Caitlin. “It is the only ski, boot and pole company focused solely on cross country skiing and I believe we have the best research and development of any company.  I have complete confidence in my equipment which allows me to focus on my training, preparation and execution.”

Since joining Team Madshus back in 2013, Caitlin has been steadily racking up an impressive list of results, highlighted by a bronze medal at the recent 2015 World Championships. In addition, Caitlin’s racing highlights also include five-time US National Champion, three-time American Birkebeiner winner, and 2010 Olympian.

Brian Gregg has also built an impressive resume of accomplishments, having competed in Sochi as part of the US Olympic Team in 2014. His other racing highlights include a podium finisher at the American Birkebeiner and multiple-time Super Tour Distance Champion.

“Caitlin and I are excited to be complete Madshus athletes,” stated Brian. ” Madshus’ attention to quality and detail is shown in all of their products and I’m always amazed how each year my new skis are even better than the previous year.”

The Gregg’s continued partnership with Madshus is exemplary of the brand’s commitment to growth in the North American market. “We’re ecstatic to continue to work with Brian and Caitlin and have them represent the Madshus brand,” stated Chris McCullough, Madshus USA Brand Director. “Brian and Caitlin’s results speak for themselves; however, outside of competition, they are also outstanding ambassadors for the sport, whether through their non-profit work or willingness to motivate up-and-coming athletes to pursue excellence.”

The Greggs will join Madshus’ elite roster among other top athletes, including Biathlon World Cup legend Ole Einar Bjorndalen, Olympic gold medalist Emil Hegle Svendsen, and Olympic and three-time World Championships medalist Heidi Weng.

To learn more about Madshus and its team of athletes, please visit here.

September 09, 2015 (Norway) – Norwegian ski queen, Marit Bjoergen, is six months pregnant but still training intensively. According to Norway’s Dagbladet, the renowned superstar, who expects to give birth in late December, has revealed plans for a record-setting comeback that could see her race at the SkiTour Canada 2016 season finale in March next year.

Bjoergen, 35, is a six-time Olympic champion with 14 world championship victories and 90+ World Cup victories making her the record-holder for both women and men. This past season Bjoergen became the first athlete to capture all three World Cup crystal globes – overall, distance and sprint – twice in her career.

“The child will arrive around Christmas, so I’m betting that I can compete again in March,” reveals Bjoergen. “Had the World Cup finals been in Holmenkollen (Norway), or Falun (Sweden), it would have been a natural objective. The Tour in Canada will be difficult, but if all goes better than expected after Christmas it’s possible that I may make my comeback in Canada.”

Despite being six months pregnant, Bjoergen is apparently still running three-hour sessions with teammates at a Norwegian national team training camp.

She will also be part of an international study, looking into how exercise affects pregnancy, an area where there is insufficient research at present. The father is former Olympic champion in Nordic combined, Fred Børre Lundberg.

SkiTour Canada is the finale of the 2016 FIS Cross-Country World Cup. Events will take place from March 1-12 in three Quebec locations (Quebec City, Montreal, and Gatineau) as well as in Canmore, AB. As there are no Olympic Games or World Championships on the international calendar this season, Ski Tour Canada 2016 is sure to be one of the highlights.

August 30, 2015 (Wanaka, New Zealand) – A quality international field featuring Olympians and national champions provided spectacular action at the Audi quattro Winter Games NZ FIS Cross-Country Skiing Australia New Zealand Continental Cup (ANC) Sprint at Snow Farm NZ near Wanaka, with top honours going to Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt of Canada.

On Aug. 28 Bouffard-Nesbitt won gold in the cross-country sprint race on an 800m course with the men completing two laps and the women one lap. Recording the second fastest time in the qualifications just behind Olympian Barbara Jezersek (SLO), Bouffard-Nesbitt won her semi convincingly and struck gold over Jezersek and third-placed Katerina Paul of Australia.

Fellow Canuck William Poffenroth took home the bronze in the men’s 1.6km sprint as Korea went 1-2 with Kim Eun-Ho winning followed by Jun-Ho Hwang in second. Stuart Harden (Can) ended up 5th after matching Eun-Ho as the top qualifier.

“It was a good race on a very good track here at Snow Farm,” said Bouffard-Nesbitt. “I felt great heading in to the finals and the result is a good end to my month-long training camp here in New Zealand.”

On Sat. Aug. 29, in the women’s 10k classic mass start Bouffard-Nesbitt landed third on the podium with teammate Brandy Stewart in 4th a minute behind. Korea’s Chae-Won Lee had the winning time of 36:06 with World Cup veteran Jezersek claiming the bronze.

In the men’s 15km CL the victory went to Korea’s Jun-Ho Hwang as Harden led the Canadian men in 7th followed by Poffenroth in 9th, Donny Boake in 10th and Evan Girard in 12th.

On the final day in the women’s Individual Start 5km FR on Sunday, Aug 30, Bouffard-Nesbitt grabbed bronze again with Stewart 5th and Shelby Dickey 7th. Jezersek was the winner.

It was Korea again in the men’s 10km FR as Seong-Beom Park recorded the fastest time over New Zealand’s Andy Pohl with Korean skiers taking 3rd to 6th as Poffenroth was 7th, Harden finished 11th, Boake was 13th and Girard was 14th.

Sprint Classic (Aug 28) results here.
Mass Start Classic (Aug 29) results here.
Individual Start Freestyle (Aug 30) results here.

August 20, 2015 (Norway) – With the first ever U.S. contingent attending the International Camp in Norway, we’ve been posting news and videos (thanks in large part to camp participant Hailey Swirbul) that give insights into this amazing experience.

The International Camp is hosted by the Norwegian Ski Federation and brings together coaches, athletes and energy from throughout the ski community. The U.S. participation was spurred by a request from the National Nordic Foundation to our skiing governing body (the USST). The NNF supported this effort with $10,000 of funding, allowing the costs to be reasonable for each camper. ($600 per athlete exclusive of airfare.)

Why the International Camp? Because it fits ideally into the mission of the NNF. Giving developing skiers a chance to train with the best juniors in the world is the type of exposure that increases results.

“Many skiers were surprised by the number of hours this camp entailed. I skied 25 hours- among my biggest weeks of the summer.” – Zak Ketterson, camp participant.

Alayna Sonnesyn, a Wayzata, Minnesota native now competing at the University of Vermont, took the win in the camp’s uphill run. U.S. teammate, Katherine Ogden was fourth.

Camp participants:

Women:
– Katharine Ogden, SMS
– Julia Kern, CSU
– Hannah Halvorsen, Sugar Bowl Academy
– Hailey Swirbul, AVSC
– Alayna Sonnesyn, SISU / UVM

Men:
– Zak Ketterson, LNR
– Max Donaldson, Fairbanks
– Lars Hannah, Steamboat
– Karsten Hokanson, Wasatch Nordic Ski Academy

Read more at the NNF website here.

August 19, 2015 (Aure, Norway) – The U.S. Cross Country Ski Team will kickoff its 2015-16 season on wheels. Eight members of the team are training in Norway in anticipation of this weekend’s three-day Toppidrettsveka roller ski competition, which will feature a World Cup-caliber field. It’s the first year the Team has been invited to the prestigious summer stage race.

The annual Toppidrettsveka is a huge event in Norway featuring a weekend of activities including roller-ski stage races and an uphill running race with thousands of spectators expected.

“Toppidrettsveka is especially important for the athletes to practice multi-stage racing and recovery strategies in advance of the Tour de Ski and the Canadian World Cup Finals tour,” said Head Coach Chris Grover. “The head-to-head racing is ideal for the Team right now and provides needed feedback on technique progress and fitness halfway through the preparation season.”

The U.S. Cross Country Ski Team’s best are in Norway at a camp that started out wet last weekend but has turned into some beautiful days in Aure, just outside of Trondheim on the Norwegian west coast. Among the athletes in Norway are Olympians Kikkan Randall (Anchorage, AK), Jessie Diggins (Afton, MN), Caitlin Gregg (Minneapolis, MN), Liz Stephen (E. Montpelier, VT), Sophie Cadwell (Peru, VT), Andy Newell (Shaftsbury, VT), Simi Hamilton (Aspen, CO) and Noah Hoffman (Aspen, CO).

“The camp here in Norway is going great,” said Randall. “This has turned out to be a beautiful place to train—a really nice training environment with three prepared meals a day and restful accommodations. We’ve been doing a lot of training right out the door, up and down beautiful roads right along the fjords.”

The roller ski tour will feature four stages over three days, beginning on Thursday. Day one in Aure will feature an uphill run in the morning with a full classic sprint in the afternoon. Day two moves to Knyken for a 15k skiathlon. Saturday’s finale is in Trondheim for a 15k classic pursuit.

The first three stages will be scored World Cup style (100 points for a win, 80 for second, etc.). In the pursuit finale on Saturday, the field will be seeded based on rankings, with skiers getting a half-second lead for every point.

In its opening weekend, the Team had a chance to get out onto the course. “We’ve toured the hill climb course already and I think these races are going to be really fun,” said Randall. “It will be especially nice to get a check-in on where our fitness stands with other top World Cup athletes at this point in the summer.”

The team also had a chance to get out onto the water with a fishing charter set up by the event organizers. “It’s been awesome to have some fun in between training sessions,” said Jessie Diggins. “I’m loving the Norway camp so far! We have been lucky with some sunny days this week and the roller skiing along the fjords is both beautiful and exactly what we were hoping for in terms of rolling terrain. We did some fishing and bridge jumping! I need my adrenaline fix every now and then, so this got me pretty psyched on life.”

Andy Newell is loving the trip as well. “So far the camp has been beyond expectations. My goals for coming over to Norway in August are to work on high-speed, high-quality training and give us a chance to measure up to some of the other national teams,” commented Newell. “This is a new style of camp for the U.S. team and for a lot of us this will be our first try at any big rollerski competitions. It’s still a lot different than snow skiing so we are not focused too much on the results, but at the same time there will be so many fast skiers here from around Europe. It’s definitely a goal to perform well.”

Head Coach, Chris Grover, echoes the team’s enthusiasm. “Toppidrettsveka is especially important for the athletes to practice multi-stage racing and recovery strategies in advance of the Tour de Ski and the Canadian World Cup Finals tour. The head-to-head racing is ideal for the Team right now and provides needed feedback on technique progress and fitness halfway through the preparation season,” added Grover.

Results and information are available here.

Toppidrettsveka Schedule (Central European Time)
Thursday, August 20 – Aure, Norway
10:00 a.m. – Uphill race
2:30 p.m. – Classic sprint prologue
4:30 p.m. – Classic sprint quarterfinals
5:20 p.m. – Classic sprint semifinals
5:50 pm – Women’s classic sprint finals
6:00 p.m. – Men’s classic sprint finals

Friday, August 21 – Knyken Ski Center/Orkdal, Norway
3:15 p.m. – Women’s 15k skiathlon
4:00 p.m. – Men’s 15k skiathlon

Saturday, August 22 – Trondheim, Norway
4:00 p.m. – Women’s 15k classic pursuit
5:00 p.m. – Men’s 15k classic pursuit

HELP THE TEAM

The U.S. Ski Team relies solely on the support of the American public. Click here to support the team.

August 19, 2015 – Kent Eriksen Cycles is partnering with Central Cross Country Ski Association to support CXC’s Adaptive Program for children with physical disabilities and visual impairment by giving away a dream bike!

The 1st place winner will receive a custom designed, hand crafted, Eriksen titanium road frame built with Shimano Ultegra wheel-set (or similar equivalent) and Shimano Ultegra speed component group (or similar equivalent). Total manufacturer’s suggested retail price of the bike and included components is $8,500.00.

Second, third and fourth places will be able to choose between three packages in the order of the finish:

2nd Place
Rudy Project Sterling Helmet and 2016 Fat Bike Birkie Entry

3rd Place
2016 Birkie Tour and 2017 American Birkebeiner Entry

4th Place
Rudy Project Ekynox SX Glasses and 2017 Birkie Trail Run Entry

Donate to Win – here

How Do I Win?
Tickets go on sale starting August 3, 2015 until they are sold out. The winner will be selected at the drawing on October 3rd. Delivery of complete bike by April 1, 2016. Need NOT be present to win.

August 18, 2015 – Members from the Fédération internationale de Ski (FIS) were in Canada from August 13-18 to inspect the host Ski Tour Canada 2016 venues in Gatineau, Montréal, Québec City, and Canmore, March 1-12, 2016. “We had a very full schedule, but everything went well from start to finish. We are going to work closely with the organizers of the Ski Tour Canada 2016 in the next months and will follow the final preparations. We look forward to 2016,” said FIS race director Pierre Mignerey.

At the various inspections carried out over the past few days, FIS representatives, accompanied by Cross Country Canada members and local organizing committees, took a close look at the planned courses and facilities available in each of the host cities for athletes, teams, media, volunteers, technical teams and spectators. “We took the time to analyze everything in order to prioritize the work that remains to be done before the March start of the Tour,” explained Dave Dyer, event director at Cross Country Ski Canada. Over the next few weeks and months, the organizing committees will continue working on course plans, presenting partners, and the lineup of events for each stage of the Tour.

Canmore Visit
Canmore was the final stop for the FIS representatives after visiting all four of the Quebec Tour sites. “We are so proud and excited to host the Ski Tour Canada 2016 in Canmore at one of the best cross-country skiing venues in the world,” said Norbert Meier, event chair and President of the Alberta World Cup Society. “We have incredible community and volunteer support here in Canmore, and we know that the FIS is as excited as we are for this event.”

The Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park is a world-class Nordic venue with more than 65km of groomed trails and the largest snowmaking system in North America. A legacy site of the 1988 Olympic Winter Games, the Canmore Nordic Centre has been the proud host of many international Nordic events, including four FIS cross country World Cups.

The Ski Tour Canada 2016 will see athletes will race in Canmore on March 8, 9, 11, and 12. As the season finale event for 2015-2016, and with no Olympic Games or World Championships on the international calendar for the year, Ski Tour Canada 2016 is sure to be one of the highlights of next season.

About FIS
FIS, founded in 1924, is the governing body for international skiing and snowboarding. Recognized by the International Olympic Committee, FIS manages the Olympic disciplines of Alpine Skiing, Cross Country Skiing, Ski Jumping, Nordic Combined, Freestyle Skiing, and Snowboarding, and sets the international competition rules. Through its 119 national federations, more than 7,000 FIS ski and snowboard competitions are staged annually. Specific initiatives are undertaken by FIS to promote winter sports, particularly for the young.

About Cross Country Ski Canada
Cross Country Canada is the governing body of cross country skiing in Canada, which is the nation’s optimal winter sport and recreational activity with more than one million Canadians participating annually. Its 58,000 members include athletes, coaches, officials, and skiers of all ages and abilities, including those on Canada’s National Ski Teams and Para-Nordic Ski Teams. With the support of its valued corporate partners—Haywood Securities Inc., AltaGas, and Mackenzie—along with the Government of Canada, Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Paralympic Committee, Own the Podium, and B2dix, Cross Country Canada develops Olympic, Paralympic, and world champions.

About the National Organizing Committee (NOC)
The NOC has been established by Cross Country Canada (CCC) to assist in managing and coordinating Ski Tour Canada 2016. By facilitating communication between CCC and the Local Organizing Committees (LOCs) including ÉVÈNEMENTS NORDIQUES GATINEAU (Gatineau), QUÉBEC WINTER EVENTS CORPORATION (Montréal and Québec City), and the ALBERTA WORLD CUP SOCIETY (Canmore & Lake Louise), the NOC plans to deliver a seamless Tour in both eastern and western Canada.

About the Alberta World Cup Society
The Alberta World Cup Society is a non-profit organization founded in 2004 with the mission of bringing international cross-country ski events to Alberta. The Society provides for athlete development and coaching development through the Alberta World Cup Academy, one of Canada’s top athlete development centres, and works with Cross Country Alberta in the development of race officials and volunteers. All members of the Society are volunteers, and the Society re-invests all proceeds from World Cup events in the sport of cross country skiing.

August 17, 2015 (Jericho, Vermont) – US Biathlon’s Susan Dunklee triumphed over the women’s field again on Day 2 at the North American Rollerski Cup and US Biathlon Rollerski Championships winning the Pursuit. Biathlon Canada’s Emma Lunder was second again at 1:34 behind Dunklee with American Annelies Cook in third at 2:16 back.

The men’s race saw Canada’s Nathan Smith in charge winning with 22.6-second margin over Jakob Ellingson (Mt. Itasca Biathlon) followed by USBA’s Sean Doherty in third. at 29.4 seconds behind.

Full results here.

August 16, 2015 (Wanaka, NZ) – The Merino Muster long distance cross-country FR ski race began in light snow at 10.00 a.m. and ended with the last skier coming in at 4.30 p.m. as the light was starting to fade..

Entries were more than double the year before and almost broke the 300 mark.  The largest field was in the 42km with large numbers of overseas skiers outnumbering New Zealanders by 2-1.  Many of the overseas skiers were Worldloppet masters who have achieved gold status after competing in more than 10 overseas races other than their home base.

The main race was won by Canadian Brian McKeever who is a Canadian National adaptive member and a former 2x winner of the Merino Muster. He just pipped fellow Canuck, Graham Nishikawa, at the line.  The winning time was 1:51:15.  A very fast time given the very good snow conditions and lack of wind. Andy Pohl, the NZ team member, was third in 1:53:11, which was very pleasing result given he had been General Managing the Snow Farm for most of the preceding week.

The women’s race was won by Chisa Obayashi from Japan (National Team member) in 2:01:30 with Brandy Stewart of the USA in second and Nicole David from Australia, currently living in NZ, finishing third.

In the shorter races the 21km men’s race was won by Donny Boake from Canada, 2nd place was Yoshihiro Nitta of Japan and Xavier McKeever of Canada was third (just old enough to compete in the race). In the women’s race Canada went 1-2 with India McIssac taking the win followed by Shelby Dickey in second. Snow Farm ski instructor Isobel Hendry of NZ finished third.

The 7km race for younger athletes and families was won by Campbell Wright from Wanaka in a very fast 19.39.00 followed by Taiki Kawayoke  of Japan who skis without poles (he is a paralympian) and Louis Jones of Wanaka third.  Both Campbell and Louis are biathletes but competed without their rifles for this race.  They are joining Andy Pohl as part of the NZ team heading off to Australia this week to compete in our sister Australian Worldloppet event “The Kangaroo Hoppet”.

In the female section the winner was Ella Maluschnig from Wanaka, with Fiona Murray second also from Wanaka and Meg Creagh from Alexandra third – a NZ trifecta from Wanaka.

The 42km had a large Japanese and Korean contingent, a Canadian Club known as the Rocky Mountain racers, who are Pohl’s overseas club and are now training with Tristan Mckenzie from Gore, who is hoping to compete at the IBU World Biathlon Championships early next year in Rumania. Mckenzie was pleased with his top-10 finish.

The Americans and Australians provided most of the specialist Worldloppet skiers who compete around the world and delivered fun uniforms and a really unique attitude to the racers.  They were all surprised at the course marking as earlier in the week they were nervous about getting lost.  The Americans were all taken by the views of the Alps from many parts of the course and a number have already booked for next year.

In the 21km race we had Japanese and Canadian paralympians including a sit-skier from Canada who has to rely on his arms only for propulsion and a large group Korean biathletes.

Our flags and poles funded by QLDC lifted the race presence another notch and will be available for the Winter Games X-Country events later in the month..

The Snow Farm is the premium venue for NZ X-Country events and the quality and support of our dedicated volunteers make the event very special for our overseas visitors.

Provisional results here.

August 06, 2015 (Park City, Utah) – The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) has named longtime Nordic business leader and enthusiast, Robert Lazzaroni, as its new nordic domestic program director. Lazzaroni will be responsible for administering domestic programs in partnership with USSA nordic clubs, including membership, club development, competition management, rankings, judges/officials education and other overall program tasks in cross country, ski jumping and Nordic combined.

Lazzaroni brings over 20 years of Nordic knowledge, on both the athletic and sport business side, to the USSA’s team. He spent 17 years as the Nordic division manager for Rossignol, helping to grow sales and market share to position Rossignol as one of the top Nordic suppliers in the U.S. Lazzaroni most recently managed the Nordic programs at the Utah Olympic Park where he doubled the number of participants and increased revenue by 40 percent in the first year.

“A key focus of this new position is to further grow and develop the USSA’s Nordic programs,” said USSA Executive Vice President, Athletics Luke Bodensteiner. “Robert’s experience in this area, complemented by his business and management background, will be of great value as we look to better serve our current members and provide more opportunities for kids to get involved, particularly with cross country.”

This past season, the USSA empowered special task forces in each sport to look at the best ways to grow membership. A product of these task forces is the new membership structure present in cross country. Lazzaroni will continue to work with the cross country task force and sport committee to further expand membership.

As a club leader, master skier and parent of a junior skier, Lazzaroni has interacted with a variety of the USSA’s programs in different capacities. He actively engaged in the USSA’s Club Development process this past season, earning the Park City Nordic Ski Club a gold certification as well as USSA’s Club of the Year award. His experience as a club leader, and one that has been through the USSA Club Certification process, will serve him, Nordic clubs and the USSA well in continuing to expand this program in the Nordic sports.

“I see a great way to improve our sport by spreading best practices across the nation,” said Lazzaroni. “My ultimate goal is to help develop better programs across the country with well‐educated coaches, a good understanding of long‐term athlete development, better competition resources and an increased number of participants. The USSA is the legitimate organization in the country to lead these efforts and I’m proud the lead the charge.”

August 06, 2015 (Hayward, Wisconsin) – Each February, more than 10,000 cross country skiers gather in Cable and Hayward, Wisconsin to take part in North America’s greatest ski race, the American Birkebeiner. For more than 40 years, the Birkie has helped shape the lives of tens of thousands of participants.On Wednesday, August 12, longtime Birkie public relations leader and skiing historian Tom Kelly will take you back to the origins of Birkie, regaling the crowd with some of the legendary stories of the race’s roots at a presentation in Hayward’s Park Center Theater. Kelly’s talk will commemorate the legacy of the race and showcase plans by the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation (ABSF) for the Museum of the American Birkebeiner, slated to open in 2016.

The American Birkebeiner ski race was the vision of Hayward native Tony Wise, who discovered skiing as a soldier serving in Germany in World War II. After the war, he brought the concept home to found the Telemark Ski Area near Cable, WI in 1947, and later evolved it into a cross country ski race through the northwoods of Wisconsin in 1973.Wise called the race the American Birkebeiner, patterned after the Birkebeiner Rennet ski race held each year between the villages of Rena and Lillehammer, Norway. Wise’s vision shaped a community, a sport and brought the world together with the founding of the Worldloppet in 1979, an international sports federation of cross-country skiing marathons. Since then, over 2.6 million skiers have started Worldloppet races.

“Tony Wise was a remarkable man who was steadfast in his vision and a true pioneer of skiing,” said Kelly. “It’s especially impressive today to look back 30 to 40 years and grasp how much impact he had on cross country skiing. His innovation has had a direct impact on the growth of the sport.”Kelly served as public relations director for the race and the Worldloppet ski series in their early years and wrote the 1984 book “Birkie Fever,” which documented the American Birkebeiner’s first decade. He served closely with Wise, whose ingenuity and vision created a ski race that has become a lifestyle for tens of thousands of participants and became a landmark event in northwestern Wisconsin and an iconic festival of cross-country skiing.

“The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation is always seeking to further our mission and inspire generations of skiers,” said Ben Popp, ABSF executive director. “Without Tony Wise’s vision, the Birkie wouldn’t be what it is today.”With twin goals of education and inspiration, the new Museum of the American Birkebeiner will enhance the ABSF’s mission of supporting healthy and active lifestyles among people of all ages and abilities. Throughout the planned museum, future visitors will find an emphasis on the stories and legacy of Wise, the Birkebeiner and the history of the legendary Cable-to-Hayward Birkie race.

The public is welcomed to this free presentation on Wednesday, August 12 at 7:00 p.m. at Hayward’s Park Center Theater, with a reception following in the future space of the Museum of the American Birkebeiner located at the Birkie offices at 10527 Main Street, Hayward, WI.

Kelly will be joined by members of the ABSF, the Wise family and race fans, where exciting news surrounding the launch of the planned Museum of the American Birkebeiner will be announced. For planning purposes, the Birkie has requested that those planning to attend RSVP on the Birkie website. Please call 715.634.5025 or email Birkie@Birkie.com for more details.

July 20, 2015 – The SnowSports Industries America (SIA) Board of Directors is pleased to announce Nick Sargent as SIA’s incoming President. Sargent, who most recently held the position of vice president of global business alliance at Burton Snowboards, will begin in a transitional role before succeeding David Ingemie as president following the 2016 SIA Snow Show in Denver and On-Snow Demo at Copper Mountain.

“Selecting the ideal leader to take SIA into the future has been a long and careful process for the board of directors. With significant experience in snow sports and a penchant for growing the industry, Nick will be a huge asset for the organization and our partners,” said Bob Gundram, chair of SIA’s Board of Directors, and president of C3.

In his new role as president, Sargent will leverage his sales and marketing expertise and utilize a unique ability to connect brands, people and ideas to create mutually beneficial partnerships that ultimately progress the winter industry.

“A great admiration for the association’s accomplishments in an industry I love has me very excited and honored to be joining SIA,” said Sargent. “I’m thrilled to come on board at such a pivotal moment in the industry, which is ripe with opportunity at all levels.”

During his tenure at Burton Snowboards, Sargent was responsible for cultivating the brand’s global partner portfolio. By tapping new markets, he successfully paired corporate brands like 3M, Fox Sports, Garmin, Mini, and Pepsi with snow event and product partnerships. Prior to his twelve years with the snowboard brand, Sargent managed adidas-Salomon’s global winter Olympic initiatives. A lifetime of snow sports fandom compliments his deep understanding of the business behind the snow, which is imperative to the continued progression of the representation and growth opportunities that SIA offers its members and partners.

“I’m so pleased to have Nick join SIA to guide the industry into this new chapter. His background in all aspects of the industry, focus on collaboration and love of snow sports made him the ideal candidate. This industry is driven by passion, and he certainly shares that spirit,” said Ingemie.

A transition plan and recruitment strategy became a top priority for SIA’s Board of Directors beginning in May 2014, when Ingemie advised the Board of his plan to step down.

Sargent will begin in a transitional role, at SIA’s Washington, DC headquarters, on August 24th and assume the role of president following the 2016 SIA Snow Show. Ingemie will remain at SIA in the role of immediate past president and lead an archival project preserving the organization’s 60+ year history.

July 08, 2015 – With summer in full swing, it is the perfect time to catch up with FIS President Gian Franco Kasper to talk about the summer activities and particularly the election of the Host City for the Olympic Winter Games in 2022.

President Kasper, summer is traditionally a time that the ski world can relax and recharge its batteries, but this summer is proving to be quite busy for you.
GFK: Yes, it is shaping up to be a very short off-season with a lot going on. Naturally, the upcoming IOC Session in Kuala Lumpur (MAS), where the host of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games will be elected, is a major highlight. The Calendar Conference in Varna with the Council meeting was also quite an intensive time, but I believe, together with our Committees, there were some good proposals put forward that are moving our sport in the right direction. As most people have also read in the media, there has also been quite a bit of work involving both the AIOWF (Association of International Olympic Winter Sport Federations) and the changes in SportAccord (Association of all International Sport Federations).

In addition to your role as FIS President, you are also the President of AIOWF, an IOC member and recently you were named the Interim Chairman of the Council of SportAccord, it is a lot of hats for one person to wear.
GFK: It has kept me on my toes this summer to be sure, but there is a lot of overlap between the various organisations, which is beneficial to my work with FIS. The SportAccord position is strictly temporary until the new long-term plan for the organsation can be implemented. The work with the AIOWF and the IOC is particularly important in the upcoming months as the IOC Session nears, but I must say I immensely appreciate collaborating with all the various groups.

It was also recently announced that two new FIS events will join the Olympic Programme in 2018. Can you tell us more about them?
GFK: I was very pleased with the IOC decision to include the Alpine Team Event and Snowboard Big Air into the 2018 Olympic Winter Games programme. In their respective disciplines, both events are favourites among the athletes and have massive appeal with the fans and media. I believe they will make excellent additions to the Olympics and that the IOC made two very good decisions with their inclusion. On the other hand, it was disappointing to have Snowboard PSL removed from the programme, but we knew there was a chance that would happen as it was an event added specifically at the request of the Sochi 2014 Organisers.

This IOC Session will be highlighted with the vote for the 2022 Olympic host, which is a key decision for Winter Sports every four years – how do you perceive the race?
GFK: It is natural that the main headline is the announcement of the 2022 Winter Olympic host and both Candidates, Almaty (KAZ) and Beijing (CHN) offer much promise for the development of the FIS disciplines as well as Winter Sports in general, albeit in different ways. What is true of both candidates is they see the Games in their country as part of a wider development of winter tourism and sporting activity. With the implementation of Olympic Agenda 2020 in December 2014 and important changes to the bidding procedure and the sustainable use of existing facilities, many potential applicants are already discussing potential bids for 2026.

There is also much more on the agenda in Kuala Lumpur. What do you expect at the Session in July?
GFK: Additionally we will also be deciding who will host the 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games, Lausanne (SUI) or Brasov (ROM). The YOG is also an important event on the winter event calendar. Of particular significance is that this is the first IOC Session after the implementation of Olympic Agenda 2020 which represents President Bach’s dedicated and highly appreciated work to renew the Olympic Movement, and many of the action points are now in full force. It is sure to be a busy week in Kuala Lumpur.

The upcoming 2015/2016 season is the ‘light’ season for FIS with no Olympic Games and instead of four weeks of FIS World Championships there is the four day Ski Flying World Championships on the calendar. Does this change the focus for the season?
GFK: It is far from being an idle season as it is generally this one in the cycle that becomes the most intense in terms of planning, testing and preparing for the next World Championships and Olympics, as well as the spectacular Ski Flying World Championships which is one of my personal favourite events. There’s a saying that ‘after the last World Championships, the next World Championships begin’ and I can’t agree more as this ‘idle’ season lays the ground work for the next three years of intense events.

July 06, 2015 – The CCC Women’s Committee hosted a panel for 14-19 year old girls as part of the Fast and Female event at the Ski Nationals this year. 40 girls participated in the panel. The topic of conversation was how to effectively balance university education with racing and training at a high level. The goal of the panel was to share information between high-school aged girls and women currently training at a high level while also attending university. Jen Tomlinson, from the CCC Board Education Committee, was present to observe and bring feedback back to that Committee.

The panel consisted of six top female racers who are balancing school and ski racing in various ways:

1) Heidi Widmer: Athabasca University (Part time, correspondence)
– AWCA member, Sochi Olympian

2) Kendra Murray: Carleton University (full time)
– Carleton ski team, Yukon Ski Team, Bronze at Canada Games 2015

3) Kajsa Heyes: Nippissing University (full time); formerly at Quest University
– Nippissing ski team, Former Callaghan Training Centre athlete

4) Alannah McLean: Lakehead University (full time)
– Thunder Bay NDC

5) Andrea Lee: Michigan Tech – Graduate studies (NCAA)
– Formerly Thunder Bay NDC
– Graduate of Lakehead University

6) Frederique Vezina: CEGEP/Laval University
– Centre National d’Entrainement Pierre Harvey

The discussion began with panelists explaining why it was important for them to go to school while still skiing at a high level. The answers varied in their details, but three common threads emerged. First, all six women described the importance of exercising the brain as well as the body. All the panelists also cited a need for an outlet outside of skiing to create balance in their lives. Frederique stated, “I would be bored without school and hyperactive without skiing!”

One of the participants then asked whether the panelists felt their grades suffered because of their training. The answer was “yes, a bit,” but that there is a lot to be gained from doing both, not the least of which is developing great discipline. The participants were advised that one has to let go a bit about grades (note, however, that all the panelists are still top students), especially around busy training and racing times. They were also advised that you have to let go of ski performance a bit around busy times at school. Again, the message was that the balance achieved is worth it.

Another participant asked how Andrea Lee found the difference between the Canadian university system and the NCAA. She advised that the NCAA offers very high quality racing, often higher quality than the NorAm circuit, and that there is money available to pay for both skiing and school. Her experience with the NCAA has been very positive.

The panelists were then asked what pressures they faced to quite skiing for school. Most cited the opposite pressure as the predominant problem – pressure not to go to school was very strong. Some experienced pressure from parents or other community members to go straight in to full time school. The common thread amongst all the panelists was that they had a strong desire to both ski and go to school, and a willingness to fight to do both. Most of the panelists were nearing the end of their university careers and were exceptionally positive about their experience balancing school and skiing.

At this point, a participant asked whether the panelists felt that they, as top students, had sacrificed the opportunity to attend a “top” school. The answer was a unanimous no. All the participants felt that the smaller schools they attend offer more flexibility to ski, and have more engaged professors who are willing to work with students on an individual level. Further, they all strongly feel that the “hype about schools” doesn’t mean anything about the quality of education.

Another participant asked whether the panelists felt they missed out on the “normal university stuff”. Again, the answer was a unanimous no. The panelists were universal in feeling that the “normal university stuff” is not that great. In addition, as skiers, our lifestyle is different from other students so some normal things, like living in residence, can be quite negative experiences. In the end, the skiers do “normal” stuff with their skiing friends.

The panel wrapped up at this point and we all headed out for a relaxed recovery jog. Many participants took this opportunity to ask more individual questions of the panelists. All in all, the feedback was fantastic. The participants were engaged and every panelist had positive and interesting information to give!

July 04, 2015 – This past February, three Central REG camp alumni represented the U.S. Ski Team in Falun, Sweden for the FIS Nordic World Championships (Jessie Diggins, Ben Saxton and Kyle Bratrud) and Jessie Diggins got a silver medal! So, that now begs the question for all of the 2015 Central REG camp: Who’s Got “Next”?

Another season of valuable opportunities for cross-country ski racers is ready to kick off with the annual Regional Elite Group (REG) Camps slated to begin at venues across the nation, aimed at junior development athletes, including one in our own backyard from July 5-11th in Cable, WI.

We talked with U.S. Cross Country Ski Team Development Coach Bryan Fish recently to garner his insight on the program.

“Each region (East, Central, West and Alaska) hosts a regional elite group camp. The REG camps are lead and staffed with club coaches from throughout their respective region and we support their efforts with USST coaching staff and presentations. Matt Whitcomb will be supporting the East. Jason Cork and I will together support the Western REG and I will be traveling to the Central and Alaska,” said Fish.

We asked Fish about the overall goals of the REG Camps.

“The goal of these camps are to bring together our best athletes and coaches from throughout the regions. These collaborative camps provide a motivating environment for the athletes to positively push and improve together. Camps like REG are where we have witnessed our greatest athletic gains. Success stems from and by this collaboration. Regional Elite Group camps are one stage of the overall Cross Country Development Program,” he noted.

Athletes at REG conduct time trials and testing to qualify for the National Elite Group camp, which will be held in September in Lake Placid, NY in conjunction with the U.S. Ski Team September dryland camp. These athletes will live and train alongside the national team at the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid. The National Training Group (NTG) is a more comprehensive program that allows athletes multiple opportunities to join US Ski Team camps. NTG qualifications are based on race results posted in the 2014-15 competition season.

Fish said that this year they’ll be adding another element to the program.

“We have added an uphill double pole time trail to the REG’s this year, for this is an area we have witnessed we can place more attention in for improve performance in the developmental ranks. Thanks to Finn Sisu for supplying us with 10 pair of matched Marwe classic rollerskis to allow for fair assessments. The goal in summer is to train consistently, efficiently and relatively aggressively. Not aggressive in terms of high intensity all the time, but aggressively in the sense of higher volumes and enhanced physical and technical efficiency. Their normal ski training should be demonstrated in these time trials and tests we conduct at REG’s. We test skate speed agility, uphill running, general strength and now uphill double pole. All these aspects together, directly improve the overall performance of an athlete when they are focused on being competent at all of them and they are using them as long term tools for winter peak performance.”

Speaking about the Central REG specifically, Fish had these comments to add;

“The Central REG camp has grown in size once again, however that is due to the region’s rise in performance. Under the leadership of clubs and collaboration with CXC, there are more junior athletes within the region that have made the commitment to train consistently year around, and therefore more have achieved the objective REG selection criteria.”

When asked about the location of Central REG Camp, Cable, WI, Bryan extolled the characteristics we have come to love about the Mid-West;

“The locations of these camps are evaluated to ensure high quality training for the athletes. There are wonderful options for rollerskiing in northern Wisconsin due to the excellent pavement and numerous quiet rolling roads. It is often pointed out the lack of vertical topography, however we have to recognize that few climbs are longer than 8-10 minutes even on World Cup. The rolling terrain in the upper Midwest is optimal for cross country ski training. There is nothing like jumping into the cool lake water after a training session.  The fact that there is a lake directly at the hotel makes for a great recovery between sessions and allows the training to remain high.”

This is a very special program that is at the vanguard of junior development and not to be missed.

• June 20-27              Western REG                           Park City, UT
• June 24-30              Eastern REG                             Waitsfield, VT

• July 5-11                   Central REG                              Cable, WI
• July 12-19                Alaska REG                                Fairbanks, AK

• July 24-31                National U16 Camp                Burlington, VT
• September 13-21   National Elite Group             Lake Placid, NY

June 24, 2015 (Hemsedal, Norway) – Norwegian xc ski star, Marit Bjoergen, announced that she is pregnant at a team press conference in Hemsedal on June 23. The baby is due in December and Bjoergen will not be competing this season and expects to return in 2017.

This past season Bjoergen, 35, became the first athlete to twice capture all three World Cup crystal globes – overall, distance and sprint. With 14 world championship victories and six Olympic gold medals, she has recored 90+ World Cup victories making her the record-holder for both women and men.

After Sochi 2014 Bjoergen apparently signaled she was thinking of starting a family with her partner, Nordic combined Olympic champ, Fred Borre Lundberg. According to Norwegian media she has not signed an agreement yet with the Norwegian Ski Federation.

“I am very much looking forward to our baby,” said Bjoergen who informed her teammates on the weekend. “I told them on Sunday, and they we’re very excited.”

Read more here.

May 29, 2015 (Wanaka, NZ) – In our NZ sports community there are a large number of athletes who have run marathons, coast to coasted, cycled more Km’s than most of us can count but very few have skied a marathon.

Worldloppet is the organization that coordinates twenty prestigious ski marathons around the world. Last year Merino Muster entered this Worldloppet Ski Federation circuit and there were more overseas athletes on the start line than New Zealanders. New Zealanders, who pride themselves on handling the tough stuff, were almost non-existent. Merino Muster and their host facility the Snow Farm want to change the line up by issuing a Wanaka Winter Challenge. It is time to add a X-Country ski marathon to your sporting CV!!!

Perfect Cross Training
“X-Country skiing is an ideal winter cross training for my multi –sport ambitions and is a great break from the normal training regimes but without any loss of performance,” Keith Murray advises. It demands almost every part of the body be exercised without stress, in scenery that is inspiring and using gear that is light and easy to master. Ski beside the Meg river, gurgling away under the snow, with just the swish of your skis for company and you will wonder why you left trying out X-Country skiing for so long. Snow hares and Paradise ducks can be possible new companions and seeing views of Mount Aspiring, with the sun setting or rising behind it as you finish one of the best workouts you will get, is magic.”

Skills last a lifetime
“X-Country skiing skills last forever” Mary Lee claims. 90 year olds still ski as it is gentle on the joints. The boots are a similar weight to your trainers and the skis as light as a bike wheel. Should you want more there are competitions and races all summer in the N. Hemisphere and if you head there for work you may well meet up with some of the overseas folk that you skied against in the Merino Muster.”

Andy Pohl (Snow Farm GM) who also heads the ski school is back from World Champs and has designed a package with Keith Murray that makes it easy to try it out without breaking the bank. Training can be timed to suit you, instruction will be on the hoof as you ski, no hanging around doing drills as Andy accepts you are fit and need a workout. His instructors include an ex member of the Swedish National Biathlon team who will be happy to help you test your fitness. Steve Gurney has looked at the programme Andy and Keith have put together and given it his thumbs up. Steve has been a long time winter visitor to the Snow Farm and will be back getting his fix this season. He has already given us his entry for this year’s race.

The Snow Farm Ski School will select executive rental gear for you that will fit like a glove and not slow you down on the downhill as the learner fish scale skis do.

The Snow Farm will be setting up a Facebook page later this month to help those who need car-pooling to make it to the Snow Farm.

Join the Challenge – Register your interest on the Merino Muster Website.

Keep up to date with snow conditions at the Snow Farm through the Merino Muster website and like us on Facebook. As soon as we have groomable snow the Snow Farm Ski School will operate your programme.

The Merino Muster needs more New Zealanders on the start line.

Take the Wanaka Winter Challenge and ski your first marathon.

May 26, 2015 (Falun, Sweden) – Following the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2015 in Falun it is now clear that the preliminary financial results show the event accrued 42 million SEK before allocations and taxes. “The result exceeds our budget and expectations by far and I am very happy to present it to our main owners the City of Falun and the Swedish Ski Association,” commented Sven von Holst, CEO of Falun2015.

A festive atmosphere, ticket success and the best results of the swedish cross-country team at a World Championships ever made Falun2015, in many ways, an event beyond expectations.

Ticket sales and hospitality were the prime contributions to the successful result.
“As we got closer to the World Championships, we realised that there was room for profit, which increased along with increasing ticket sales. On the day of the opening ceremony we had sold over 170,000 tickets and we then realised that there was potential for a very good financial result. The amount of sold tickets ended at 228,000, which lead to the fact that the income from tickets and hospitality improved with approximately 25 million SEK compared to budget,” explained von Holst.

The World Championships project has been going on for five years and during that time, the turnover has increased gradually from 175 million SEK to more than 300 million SEK. This includes the business network Beyond Skiing with 59 million SEK. From the start, the World Championships project has had a financial budget within balance. The aggregated income amounts to 307,7 million SEK and the costs amount to 265,7 million SEK.

“During the whole project time, we have had a strict cost control. In the end we had considerably lower costs compared to budget when it came to accommodation and transportation of participating teams, which affected the result in a positive way,” added von Holst.

Besides successful ticket sales and saved costs, the business industry has shown a big interest for the World Championships. Sponsor income was higher than budgeted and the business network Beyond Skiing was an important part.

“I want to take the opportunity to thank our partners for their important support and contributions both financially and by products, services and enrichment of the event through experience-based presence. In addition, I would like to thank the Swedish cross-country team, which attracted the spectators to Falun through their success. Last but not the least, I want to thank all our fantastic volunteers. Without them this would not have been possible,” concluded von Holst.

Comments from the owners of Falun2015:

”The Swedish Ski Association finds it very important to host international competitions in Sweden. That is not the least shown by the fact that we will host the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Åre in 2019. Falun2015 now shows that it is possible for large events to get a positive result. For the Swedish Ski Association the profit will be a welcome contribution to our further work with developing swedish ski sport,” said Mats Årjes, Chairman of the Swedish Ski Association.

“Of course we are very happy about the good financial result of the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Falun. Our ambition is to host a new World Ski Championships within the next 10-14 years. Hopefully this positive result will lead to that the inhabitants in Falun become even more positive to arranging big events like these,” commented Jonny Gahnshag, Chairman of Falun2015 and municipal commissioner of Falun.

Facts Falun2015

– 228,000 sold tickets
– 281,600 spectators at the competition venue
– Appr. 70,000 visitors at the Medal Plaza and other activities outside the competition venue.
– 1,600 volunteers
– 57 participating teams
– 714 competing athletes
– 1,250 media representatives

May 13, 2015 (Calgary, AB) – Canada may host the 2023 FIS Nordic World Championships in the Calgary-Canmore area according to veteran organizer, Bjorger Pettersen, who heads a committee that has been working on this project for some time behind the scenes. While many hurdles remain, this would be the second time that Canada would host the event as the championships were first held here in 1995 at Thunder Bay, ON.

This exciting news follows on the heels of recent announcements that the FIS WCup Ski Tour Canada 2016 will soon be here with stages in Gatineau, Montreal, Quebec City, Canmore and Lake Louise as host venues for the culminating events of the 2015-2016 FIS World Cup Cross Country season.

“The World Championships are the largest international cross-country event after the Olympic Games,” explains Pettersen, who is one of only only a few lifetime honorary members of the FIS (International Ski Federation) cross-country committee. He and his committee do not have an official role with Cross Country Canada (CCC), the governing sport association in Canada.

“As we envision things, this could incorporate indoor ski jumping,” says Pettersen. Yes, that’s indoor ski jumping, which has already been proposed in places such as Mt. Aavasaksa (Ylitornio), Finland. See video here.

The Aavasaksa project, proposed back in 2007, consists of three linked hills (a K185 ski flying hill for jumps up to 250m, a K120 large hill for jumps of about 140m, and a K90 normal hill) for a budget of 30 million euros (about CDN $40 million today). The “K” numbers indicate what distance in meters an athlete would normally jump, somewhat like the “par” of a golf course. SkiTrax understands that this hill has not yet opened; it is unclear if construction has even started.

Pettersen agrees that we need to be careful and avoid a tendency that he describes as creating “white elephant” ski facilities for international events around the world. He points to Sochi, Russia which hosted the 2014 Winter Games but looks like a ghost town today. Pettersen therefore suggests that it probably makes more sense to return to established winter sports centres for international events rather than create new ones.

“The 1988 Calgary Winter Games were a model for how the Olympics should be run; legacy infrastructure remains from that event,” Pettersen notes. But if something marred Calgary’s 1988 record, it was the wind and weather. One way to control such otherwise uncontrollable variables is by building an indoor jumping facility. “We could have a budget of up to $40-50 million to build the structure, but the design is still preliminary at this point.”

Calgary already has an outdoor ski jump at Canada Olympic Park (COP), formerly known as Paskapoo Ski Hill. Constructed for the 1988 Games, COP was the primary venue for ski jumping, bobsleigh, and luge. It was the most expensive facility built for the Games, costing $200 million at that time according to Wikipedia. Cross-country skiing, biathlon and Nordic combined events were hosted at the Canmore Nordic Centre, about one hour west of Calgary.

Pettersen compares the proposed 2023 Calgary-Canmore bid to the 1995 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Thunder Bay, ON, but suggests that Canadian organizers have learned and improved from hosting major events. “We will have dynamite marketing and will bring in a winter festival to run concurrently with the sporting events. This could involve world-renowned music groups and entertainment as part of the television production, a contract broadcaster, daily coverage on TV and more.”

The first FIS Nordic World Ski Championships date back to 1925 in the former Czechoslovakia. Initially held every year the Championships changed to being staged every four years and since 1985 they are held in odd-numbered years. Thunder Bay in 1995 was only the second time that the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships were held outside of Europe. The 1950 Worlds were held in the USA (Lake Placid, NY and Rumford ME) while the 2007 Worlds were held in Sapporo, Japan; all other Nordic World Championships have been held in Europe.

“We are still working on plans which will be followed by fund raising. After that, we’ll look at issuing press releases, etc.” added Pettersen, who pioneered the growth of sport in Canada during the 1960s with the TEST program, as national team coach, designing and managing the facilities for the 1988 Calgary Games and more. The proposed 2023 bid will, of course, also have to be officially endorsed by CCC before it can be considered by FIS. “The Alberta government has already given us provisional approval, but this all up in air now with the new (NDP) government.”

“And yes, there could be additional use for the facilities,” adds Pettersen. “After all, Calgary is hoping to host another Olympic Games in near future perhaps in 2026,” he concluded.

SkiTrax profile of Bjorger Pettersen here.

May 13, 2015 – Each year, the top athletes in America are nominated to compete as a part of the U.S. Ski Team. Nominations include those active athletes who qualified based on published selection criteria in the prior season. The U.S. Ski Team announces official team rosters in the fall, naming those athletes who accept the responsibilities of being a part of the team and are planning to compete in the 2015-16 season.

U.S. Cross Country Team Nomination Criteria HERE.

Every athlete named to the U.S. Ski Team will receive a high level of world class program support, with access to athletic benefits including an elite coaching, sport science, sports medicine and high performance staff, access to the USSA Center of Excellence, and education opportunities.

Cross Country

A Team
Men
Andrew Newell (Shaftsbury, VT; SMS T2; 11/30/83)
Simi Hamilton (Aspen, CO; SMS T2; 5/14/87)

Women
Sadie Bjornsen (Winthrop, WA; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Center; 11/21/89)
Sophie Caldwell (Peru, VT; SMS T2; 3/22/90)
Jessie Diggins (Afton, MN; SMS T2; 8/26/91)
Kikkan Randall (Anchorage, AK; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Center; 12/31/82)
Ida Sargent (Orleans, VT; Craftsbury Green Racing Project; 1/25/88)
Liz Stephen (East Montpelier, VT; Burke Mountain Academy; 1/12/87)

B Team
Men
Erik Bjornsen (Winthrop, WA; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Center; 7/14/91)
Noah Hoffman (Aspen, CO; Ski and Snowboard Club Vail; 8/1/89)

Women
Rosie Brennan (Anchorage, AK; Alaska Pacific University Nordic Center; 12/2/88)
Caitlin Gregg (Minneapolis, MN; Loppet Nordic Racing; 11/7/80)

D Team
Women
Julia Kern (Waltham, MA; Cambridge Sports Union; 9/12/97)
Katharine Ogden (Landgrove, VT; Stratton Mountain School; 11/17/97)

Men
Patrick Caldwell (Lyme, NH; SMS T2; 2/18/94)
Ben Saxton (Lakeville, MN; SMS T2; 6/3/93)

May 11, 2015 (Canmore, AB) – We have received confirmation that Cross-Country Canada CEO, Davin MacIntosh, will be parting company with the organization according to Jamie Coatsworth, President, Board of Directors – see our initial report here.

“The Board of Directors of Cross-Country Ski de Fond Canada advises that its CEO, Davin MacIntosh, will be leaving CCC in October 2015.  The search for a new CEO will start shortly. The Board would like to thank Davin for his years of service and will be working with Davin to manage the operations and affairs of CCC through the transition period.

“Davin joined CCC as CEO in September 2009 and has managed the organization through a period of unprecedented podium success, major improvements in coach and athlete development programs, substantial growth in sponsorship and the establishment of strong governance within CCC,” wrote Coatsworth.

May 08, 2015 (Quebec City, QC) – Early bird registration for Conversation 2015: Women and Sport to be held in Quebec City, June 9-15 at the University of Laval, has been extended until May 15. Conversation 2015 is the initiative of three women who are passionate about and dedicated to the cause of women, sport and physical activity. Penny Werthner, Marion Lay and Guylaine Demers are three experts in the field and women of influence who have been actively involved for many years in addressing the challenges faced by girls and women in sport and physical activity.

Olympic gold medalist in Cross-country skiing, Chandra Crawford has been named keynote speaker. Read more about the conference’s speakers here.

The name of the conference speaks to its objective: to foster exchange and solutions-finding toward bettering the experiences of girls and women in the Canadian sport system. The desire to work collaboratively by involving conference participants in seeking solutions led to the birth of Conversation 2015, a national Women and Sport conference to be held in Quebec city in June 2015, in collaboration with the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS) and Égale Action (the Quebec association for the advancement of women and sport and physical activity).

The organizing committee is proud to be hosting this event in 2015, proclaimed to be the Year of Sport in Canada by the Governor General.

For Whom is Conversation 2015?

• You are passionate about the place of girls and women in sport
• You are interested in working toward a sport system and physical activity in general that is fair and equal for both girls and women
• You wish to foster greater participation of girls and women in sport and physical activity
• You are concerned with ethical issues such as homophobia and sexual discrimination
• Women and men are invited to take part in Conversation 2015. More than 400 participants from diverse professions are awaited:
  • Coaches
  • Administrators
  • Program managers
  • Athletes
  • Researchers
  • Journalists
  • Officials
  • Students
  • Public and private provincial and national organisations
  • Physical educators

Find the program here.

www.conversation2015.ulaval.ca

May 07, 2015 (Canmore, AB) – Cross Country Canada (CCC) has released its 2015-16 roster for the National Ski Team and National Development Teams. Alex Harvey headlines the squad, joined by Ivan Babikov, Devon Kershaw, and Len Valjas on the World Cup “A” team roster. These nominations include athletes who qualified for nomination based on the published criteria and the CCC High Performance Committee selection process April 24-26 2015. Click here to view the full roster.

April 25, 2015 (Anchorage, Alaska) – The first ever Throwback Thursday Cross Country Ski Celebration and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony brought together hundreds of skiers from across Alaska and across generations for a special gathering at Kincaid Park, one of the key hubs for the sport in the USA.

Inductees and their families traveled from as far away as Colorado to receive their awards and Junior skiers got to see the evolution of Nordic fashion with a runway walk-off featuring vintage items from every decade back to the sixties.

Event organizer Lauri Bassett said she knew from the start that they would have to make the event fun for all ages, not just the long time ski crowd. With a turnout of 225 attendees Bassett seemed satisfied with the evening. “We are always looking for fun ways to give information to clubs, coaches and officials and to get them in the same room together,” she said.

Awards were presented to Jim Mahaffey, Bill Spencer, John Estle, Lin Hinderman, Judy Rabinowitz, and Jim Burkholder, and were posthumously awarded to Jim Whisenhant, Sven Johansson and Tom Besh, whose awards were accepted by family and friends. Kikkan Randall, Lynn Spencer and Audun Endestad were not able to attend, but were nonetheless honored. Randall’s father Ronn accepted her award on her behalf.

Many of the inductees’ names are familiar to Alaskan skiers, though we might not realize why. Fairbanks pioneer Jim Whisenhant’s namesake trails have hosted Nationals and World Cup events at Birch Hill Recreation center as well as daily Junior Nordic and club practices, but few remain that knew him as a coach.

Introducing his award was “Bad” Bob Baker, known in his own right for founding the popular Sonot Kkaazoot ski marathon in Fairbanks, who recollected Whisenhant’s knack for inspiring young athletes such as himself. “I absolutely believed he saw promise in me – I don’t think he did, but he made me feel that way,” joked Baker about his days as a Lathrop High skier.

Whisenhant created a Nordic ski culture in Fairbanks out of nothing by innovating. He is known to have trimmed the wide army-issued skis with wood saws to make them lighter, and to tie mattresses to trees to reduce risks on the narrow trails off of Ballaine Road, according to Baker and Whisenhant’s son, Greg.

Like Whisenhant in Fairbanks, Jim Mahaffey was integral in creating ski trails around Anchorage, though his biggest contribution may be the creation of what was then the Alaska Methodist University ski team. Today it is known as APUNSC, and has produced world champion Kikkan Randall, among many other stars. In his acceptance speech, Mahaffey emphasized the egalitarian principles that Alaskan cross-country skiing had from the very start in Alaska. According to Mahaffey, Alaska Methodist University was the first university to have a female varsity team, well before it was mandated by Title IX.

Jim Burkholder, another Anchorage fixture, also emphasized the egalitarianism of the sport, and refused to accept the award without his wife, Sally. “The committee nominated me, but me is us,” he said. Like many inductees Burkholder credited others for his success as regional coach and trail-builder. “They say it takes a community to raise a child – it also takes a community to raise a program like skiing has become in Alaska,” he said.

Bill Spencer, visiting to accept the award from Colorado, also accepted the award for his sister, Olympian Lynn Spencer. Bill Spencer credited chasing his older sister with making him an Olympian in 1988 and becoming one of the most successful mountain runners in Alaska. He held the Mt. Marathon record for several decades until it was surpassed two years ago by Eric Strabel. He also credited his 97-year old mother, who was in attendance. “When you give a standing ovation, do it for my mother,” he said.

The inductees’ contributions to Nordic skiing were diverse but always forward-looking. Jon Estle, the mastermind of many of the Birch Hill trails, was recognized for his vision of a trail system that allowed the spectators to see racers multiple times. Kent Karnes, who introduced him, said that Estle was inspired to begin undertaking this after watching World Cups held in Fairbanks in the early 1980s. Estle was also recognized for his pioneering use of computers to record and monitor training and racing.

Some inductees were recognized for their personalities as much as their accomplishments. Audun Endestad, Olympian for both Norway and the US, was introduced as a larger than life personality by MC Adam Verrier. “He used to tell us, ‘The true measure of a man is how much he can eat with a full stomach.’” Endestad was also known for picking up a fallen spruce tree from the side of the Dalton Highway as a rollerski brake on a six-mile descent down Cleary Summit, and for skiing 120 miles from Fairbanks to Nenana and back, on a whim.

Along with the Fashion and Induction Ceremony there was a live auction intended to offset the costs of holding the event, with auction items like training sessions with local clubs, artwork, USST gear, and free entries into the Besh Cup ski race series.

Bassett said that while she thinks Cross Country Alaska more than paid for the event, the purpose is not to make money but to connect the young skiers with the older ones. In the words of Jon Estle, “We have to make sure we don’t wake up on third base and think we hit a triple.”

Bassett, the mother of two ski racers, hoped it would make a difference to them.  “They are starting to realize it is real people who put on events and contribute to the ski community. They are starting to understand that we are the people who are making things happen now.” Events like the Throwback Thursday Celebration and Hall of Fame Inductions might just be one of those things.

Read more about the inductees here.

April 24, 2015 (Mont-Sainte-Anne, QC) – SkiTrax caught up with Patrice Drouin of Quebec-based event organizing company Gestev at the annual two-day CCSAA Conference held recently at Mont-Sainte-Anne, QC, to find out more about the 2016 FIS Canada Ski Tour that will see Canada host an incredible eight FIS World Cup events over 10 days from March 1-12, 2016, including the prestigious series finale. All of the world’s top XC skiers will be here says Drouin and complete race details are coming in May…

April 24, 2015 – Norway’s Kristin Stoermer Steira has decided to end her long and storied cross-country skiing career. “I experienced unforgettable moments as a skier. I love cross-country skiing but the time has come to find a new way,” Stoermer Steira said in a statement.

Steira debuted on the World Cup in 2001. Since then she has collected 22 World Cup podiums and finished on the top of the podium six times. The biggest moment of her career took place at the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi where he won a bronze medal in 30km Mass Start FR race. In addition she too home Olympic Relay gold from 2010 Vancouver Games. At the FIS Nordic World Championships Steira has won eight medals including three golds in the relay.

Steira struggled with injuries a lot during her career and missed last season completely including the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Falun due to an injury.

Steira is engaged to Canadian National Ski Team powerhouse Devon Kershaw. The two were engaged a year ago while trekking in Nepal (read about it here). The two plan to tie the knot this summer in Norway in July. Everyone at SkiTrax wishes Steira and Kershaw all the best on their new journey.

April 21, 2015 (Mont-Sainte-Anne, QC) – SkiTrax was on site at the annual two-day CCSAA Conference held recently at Mont-Sainte-Anne, QC. While the conference is a great way for US and Canadian delegates to network with their colleagues at planned sessions, on-snow clinics and social gatherings, this year participants also got the unique opportunity to meet Canadian XC skiing greats, Alex Harvey and his legendary father, Pierre, who are local and national heroes.

Alex had one of his most successful seasons ever with two historic medals at the Falun 2015 Nordic World Championships along with two earlier podiums, and also told us about his two recent leg surgeries, due to limited blood flow to the Iliac arteries. His first operation for this issue was back in 2008  but it was still affecting his performance, forcing him to compensate with his upper body. The impact wasn’t as big in the classic discipline, but in skating, especially on climbs, he’s had issues. The problem also made running and ski bounding intensity in the summer impossible. His rehab and recovery are going well and Alex plans to be back training by May 1. He also talks about the exciting 8-race Ski Tour Canada coming in 2016.

Pierre spoke with us about how it feels to be the father of such a talented and successful athlete and his pride definitely shines through as well as the pleasure he receives from being able to share a common love of Nordic skiing with his family.

April 16, 2015 – On June 13, Highlands Nordic will host a celebration of Larry Sinclair’s life. Sinclair was a founding member of the Highlands Trailblazers Ski Club, Collingwood Sports Hall of Fame inductee, and a game changer in the Ontario and national XC skiing community. He passed away earlier this year. Read more about Sinclair here.

Celebrate Larry – Everyone Welcome!
Date: June 13th, 2015
Time: 1PM to 4PM
Location: Highlands Nordic, 1182 10th CON South

Snacks and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided. Share some food and your stories.

RSVP to larryslifecelebration@gmail.com by June 8th, 2015

April 15, 2015 – In this edition of Talking With the Gravy Train, host Peter Graves speaks with special guests, Brian and Caitlin Gregg, the speedy American XC skiing husband-and-wife team of Team Gregg/Madshus from Minneapolis, MN.

Caitlin Gregg has been on fire this season since winning a bronze medal at the Nordic Worlds in Falun, Sweden, in the 10km FR event, making history with Jessie Diggins who won silver in the same event. She followed up this stellar result with a third-place podium again at the 42km Engadin Skimarathon in Switzerland, and capped her storybook season taking her first women’s 30km FR title with a resounding victory at the 2015 US Long Distance National Championships in Sun Valley, Idaho.

Brian Gregg’s prolific career highlights include a 2012 American Birkebeiner podium finish as well as 2010 and 2011 Super Tour Distance Champion titles. He earned a personal best 35th as the top American in the men’s 50km FR at the Holmenkollen at the 2015 Nordic World Championships in Falun, Sweden.

The duo work with various teams and clubs as well and are very supportive of one another’s goals…both have a passion for the sport, which is evident in their interview.

Interview with Brian and Caitlin Gregg

April 15, 2015 – Canadian XC skiing legend and CEO of the hugely successful Fast and Female empowerment program for girls aged eight to 18, Chandra Crawford, marks the 10th anniversary this year of the founding of her initiative to get more girls active. Last weekend, Fast and Female held a celebratory event at the Richmond Olympic Oval. Crawford told the Vancouver Sun that her efforts, along with those of the hundreds of Fast and Female ambassadors, which include many of Canada’s and the USA’s top female athletes, is more important than ever, because by the age of 14, physical activity drops significantly. Just one in 10 are getting enough exercise, and girls are more likely to quit organized sports at a rate two to six times greater than boys. Read the full article, including an interview with Crawford here.

April 10, 2015 (Khanty-Mansiysk, Siberia) – The USA’s Holly Brooks is on the verge of making history in a BIG way in Khanty-Mansiysk, Siberia, as she’s the women’s race series leader coming into the final round of the 2015 FIS Marathon Cup, the Ugra Ski Marathon. No North American has ever finished on the final series podium and according to Brooks she’s “guaranteed at least 3rd place but I’m aiming for first.” – see FIS Marathon Cup Hall of Fame winners chart here.

This is Brooks’ first year on the Marathon circuit and she’s stormed on to the scene with wins at the American Birkie (USA) and Dolomitenlauf (AUT), a second place at La Sgambeda (ITA) and at La Transjurassienne (FRA), a 4th place at Bieg Piastow (POL) and 5th at the Engadin Skimarathon (SUI).

On the women’s side, it’s super tight: Brooks (USA) is currently leading with 455 points ahead of Tatjana Mannima (EST, 451 points) and Aurelie Dabudyk (FRA, 404 points). On the men’s side, Petr Novak (CZE) is currently leading with 406 points with Benoit Chauvet (FRA, 347 points) in second and Sergio Bonaldi (ITA; 229 points) in third. The full current standings can be found here. We caught with Brooks for a pre-race interview and to wish her luck this weekend.

Great to see you leading the women’s series at the FIS Marathon Cup – how are conditions in Khanty-Mansiysk, Siberia (Russia)?
Holly Brooks: In theory you might think that Siberia would be cold but it’s just the opposite – it’s above zero and we’ll have true spring conditions for Saturday’s race. It’s two laps of 25k so the second lap in particular could be deep mush!

Is this your first time at Khanty-Mansiisk one of the top Biathlon World Cup race sites – tell us about the venue?
HB: This is my fourth trip to Russia but my first trip to Khanty Mansysik.  We are actually a different venue than the biathlon competitions.  The race track is literally 300 meters from the hotel so that’s nice. The course, however is extremely flat – think the “Siberian Plateau!” This late in the season the course profile is actually appealing…. but that doesn’t mean it will be easy. While there is a lack of climbing, there is also no rest. You’ll have to work the entire 50k!

This is your first year competing on the FIS Marathon Cup circuit – are you surprised to be leading at the final round?
HB: In the planning phase I honestly had no idea where the competition would stack up.  Last year Riitta-Liisa Roponen (FIN) won the cup and on a good day I think she’s one of the better female skaters in the world. Initially my goal was to finish on the podium but after wearing the red leader’s bib for much of the season my goal has changed to win the overall series.  There has never been a North American, male or female to finish in the top three in the overall so I’d be psyched to bring the FIS Marathon cup home to North America!

What’s your strategy this weekend?
HB: I My strategy for this weekend is simply to “empty the tank” with everything I’ve got. This late in the season anything can happen – the level of fatigue is high for everyone. Personally I’ve been on the road for the last four months and have raced 9 marathons. There is nothing to “save” for and the crystal globe is on the line! The current 2nd and 3rd place girls are well within striking distance of me and tomorrow promises to be an exciting race! I’m hoping for fast skis, no broken poles and a body that wants to cooperate with my mind!

All the best – we’re rooting for you.
HB: Thanks

Read more about Holly Brooks here or on Twitter.

April 10, 2015 (New Gloucester, Maine) – U.S. Biathlon’s International Competition Committee has presented the following nominations for both men and women for the 2015-16 National Team to the U.S. Biathlon Board of Directors.

Women
A Team:
– Annelies Cook (Saranac Lake, N.Y.)
– Hannah Dreissigacker (Morrisville, Vt.)
– Susan Dunklee (Barton, Vt.)
– Clare Egan (Cape Elizabeth, Maine)

X Team:
– Maddie Phaneuf (Old Forge, N.Y.)

National Development Group:
– Siena Ellingson (Minnetonka, Minn.)
– Chloe Levins (Rutland, Vt.)

Men
A Team:
– Lowell Bailey (Lake Placid, N.Y.)
– Tim Burke (Paul Smiths, N.Y.)
– Sean Doherty (Center Conway, N.H.)
– Leif Nordgren (Marine, Minn.)

X Team:
– Max Durtschi (Sun Valley, Idaho)
– Patrick Johnson (Truckee, Calif.)

National Development Group:
– Paul Everett (Tacoma, Wash.)

The ICC is holding off on B Team nominations until after the Rollerski National Championships, Aug. 15-16.

“We have greater depth than ever before — five athletes with top-16 World Cup finishes, a junior with a medal and a rookie with a World Cup point,” said U.S. Biathlon Chief of Sport Bernd Eisenbichler. “We have two very strong groups of four athletes per gender on the A Team, who will benefit from training next to each other and together on a daily basis in Lake Placid. With an efficient training set-up and use of the two biathlon venues in Lake Placid starting in May, we will provide our athletes competitive group training mixed with very specific individualized plans.”

About the plans for the summer Eisenbichler said: “The first training camp gets underway May 6 in Lake Placid with athletes in residence there through June and July. There will be a big focus on very structured and efficient work in Lake Placid during this time and for most of the athletes the big focus will be to work on shooting improvements. With the venue set-up we have in Lake Placid right now, we find everything we need for training during that time. We will mix things up a little by going to Jericho, Vermont, for a few workouts in between. In July, we will head to Sweden for our annual European camp, ending with skiing in the Torsby ski tunnel for a week for ski tests and ski technique work. A few athletes have been invited to the Blink Festival in Norway just before that and will participate there. After coming back from Europe, the whole team will compete at the Rollerski National Championships in Jericho, Vermont, August 15-16.”

April 09, 2015 (Canmore, AB) – The nation’s best cross-country ski athletes will be sporting new duds on the trails to 2018 thanks to a new partnership established with Swix and Cross Country Ski de Fond Canada (CCC).

Swix, the brand synonymous with Nordic skiing, has inked a five-year deal to supply all training and racing apparel for the Canadian National Ski Team.

“Cross-country skiers spend countless hours outside so we are excited to partner with Swix to provide access to some of the most critical resources our athletes require for optimal training and medal-winning performances,” said CCC Chief Executive Officer Davin MacIntosh. “Swix is a proven performer and we look forward to having them with us on our team’s quest for the international podium.”

“Swix Sport AS and Lanctot Ltd, (the Canadian distributor of Swix) are thrilled to be partnering with Cross Country Canada as the official apparel supplier. Swix’s mission is to design high performance and recreational apparel, waxes and accessories for all levels of Nordic skiers. We look forward to working closely with CCC to promote the sport of cross-country skiing and to support participants from Jackrabbits right up to the National Ski Team. We are also very excited that Swix retailers across the country will have the opportunity to sell Cross Country Canada-branded Swix apparel to skiers.” said Diane Lanctôt, President, Lanctot Ltd.

The governing body for cross-country skiing in the country has also announced that Canadians from coast-to-coast-to-coast will have an opportunity to design the first Swix National Ski Team race suit through a unique contest being launched on April 13th, 2015.

The contest will enable the community to design Team Canada’s 2015-16 National Ski Team race suit through the unique Swix Creator portal (<http://swixcreator.com/>http://swixcreator.com/). “This fantastic contest will engage our community, and make our athletes feel ‘closer’ to home while competing abroad,” noted MacIntosh.

“The partnership with Swix will contribute greatly to the evolution and promotion of our sport, and the 2015-16 National Ski Team Race suit Design Contest is a perfect way to kick things off right. The Swix partnership also provides our team with critical technical support which will benefit us during each race.” said Alex Harvey.

The Swix name, born in Norway from a line of only five waxes, has grown to become the premiere nordic brand that spans from simple universal waxes to complex chemistry’s that champions swear by. In addition to wax, Swix develops and designs waxing accessories, the world’s leading cross-country ski poles and high performance and recreational apparel. Lanctot Ltd is the Canadian distributor of Swix apparel and hard goods in Canada. <http://www.swixsport.ca>www.swixsport.ca

April 06, 2015 (Vernon, BC) – Many of you have been waiting to hear if we will be opening again this season for a spring camp and I am happy to inform you that we will once again be opening from May 15-18th. The format of the spring camp has been changed to make it more cost-effective for our club as we have traditionally lost money in the past.

While the format has changed the quality and scope of the event has grown. We will be partnering with Silver Start Ski Resort by making the Altitude Training Centre available to camp participants. We will be hosting a Guest Speaker evening with a Q & A session, a coaches social, Movie Night, Climbing Wall and Training Gym access to all participants. We will even put on a fun sprint race… cyclocross style.

SLNC club members will pay $40 for the 4 day event while visitors will pay $70 for the full camp weekend. Please review the notice for more details. Camp is basically $17.50 per day for everyone. Good value for sure. SLNC participants are required to present their seasons pass and provide their seasons pass #.

More info here.

March 29, 2015 (Norway) – Another week has passed in my “marathon of marathons.”  The Norwegian Birkie, called “Birken” is the 9th long distance ski race I’ve competed in this winter.  As an ambassador and huge fan of the American Birkie I was extremely curious to see what the Norwegian Birken was like and how it compared.  It’s safe to say that they are two completely different races for a host of reasons and both are completely awesome.

Fun to be on a team with girls from 3 different countries!  Kerttu Niskanen, Me & Laila Kveli pre- Birken modeling our perfectly weighed 3.5k backpacks!

A huge thank you to the Stange family for hosting me in Lillehammer for the week.  (And thanks to Ben Popp, ED of the American Birkie for connecting us!)  Erik is a former high-level ski racer and we have lots of mutual friends. I had a blast with him and his family.

They fed me, gave me rides, loaned trail maps, and were awesome company. They had great Internet, a queen sized bed (!) laundry, and a wax bench so I was in heaven.

Read more here.

March 28, 2015 (Sun Valley, ID) – When the dust settled following the SuperTour Finals and 2015 US Long Distance National Championships in Sun Valley, Idaho Rosie Brennan (APU) took home the SuperTour Overall women’s title and the Grand Champion award capping a superb season. Brennan also earned three titles at the US XC Ski Championships in January and delivered solid results on the World Cup as well – final standings here. We caught up with the rising American star for a brief chat as the season ended.

Great way to celebrate so many positive steps for you this year.
RB: Thanks! I am ecstatic to have held onto the SuperTour overall. I knew I had to race well at Supertour Finals to keep my lead. I got sick the day of the first race so suddenly I had to rethink everything. I tried to warm up for the race thinking I could tough it out, but racing with a fever just isn’t smart.

How did things unfold for the 30K ?
RB: I tried again the next day and I did race, but it felt absolutely horrible. I sat out the Team Relay and tried again in the 30K. I knew I had to have a very good race to get it so I just kept trying to convince myself I wasn’t sick. It was a brutal day to race with ridiculously slow snow and very high temperatures. But I toughed it out with everything I had and did well enough to snag the overall. It was a truly great way to end the season.

What’s on tap for you now that the season is over ?
RB: It’s been a rollercoaster of a year for me and I am happy with what I was able to accomplish. I’m looking forward to taking time to pull myself back together before moving back into training.

March 27, 2015 (Sun Valley, ID) – Following yesterday’s final 30/50km FR events of the 2015 US Long Distance National Championships in Sun Valley, Idaho we caught up with veteran Kris Freeman (Freebird), who took home the SuperTour Overall men’s title, and Caitlin Gregg (Team Gregg/Madshus), who won her first women’s 30km FR national title for the their take on their victories and their seasons – final standings here.

Kris Freeman SuperTour Overall Men’s Winner

You’ve had many victories this season – which one stands out the most?
KF: I dug the deepest to win the 30k classic at US Nationals.  I was literally staggering the last 200 meters.  I wasn’t feeling very good that day but I got everything I had out of my body so it stands out.

Are you happy with your season overall?
KF: I had three goals this season.  Win the SuperTour and get back on the world cup, qualify for World Championships, and place in the top 20 at the World Championships.  I accomplished the first two goals but I was sick for the entire world championships.  I was way off form in europe and international results are what I value most.  Still I won three Nor/Ams and five SuperTours this year which made or a fun season of racing.

What’s on tap for you now following the last race?
KF: I am going to go on vacation with my girlfriend.  I’ll start training in May and continue working with Eli Lilly as a diabetes spokesman and advocate this summer.

Caitlin Gregg Women’s 30km FR Winner

Would love to hear about your race today – the course – conditions.
CG: Great day to be a part of Team Gregg! Both Brian and I are psyched with our Double US Nationals Podium (Brian 3rd American). We are also very grateful for our awesome Madshus skis and the wax support from the University of New Mexico and Toko Wax! Our races wouldn’t have been as successful without all of these factors!

I actually woke up this morning and didn’t think I was going to race. I have been struggling with daily headaches after I got hit pretty hard during a feed in the Holmenkollen and have had to skip every race out here until today. I felt OK but not great this morning but wanted to get out and cheer for everyone (especially Brian). I hung out with the UNM women’s Team for a few hours before our noon start and their great attitudes lifted my spirit so I decided to try and see how I would feel during the warmup.

The course broke down quite a bit from the 9 AM Men’s start. I went out to help feed and cheer for Brian at the Men’s start time and conditions looked perfect for the skis I had waxed the night before. When I came back out to cheer the men on for the final few laps I noticed the the snow was beginning to change and change fast. I quickly tested another pair of skis and decided to race on them. After a quick wax touch up I headed to the start not sure if I had warmed up enough or whether the hot weather would make my headache return. During the first lap of the race I soon realized I had made the right decision on skis and to go ahead a race.

Is this your first 30K US title – how does it feel ?
CG: This is my first 30K title! I won the 20K last year but this was even better!

How does this victory compare to your other big performances this season ?
CG: The victory today was very special. I had my husband, aunt and uncle out on course for support and it feels great t cap off such a great season with a good result. I heard rumor of some skeptics about my result in Falun only being due to the weather but I hope this helps show that I also had to be in great shape and pick the right skis to capitalize on what the weather was doing.

What’s up for you now that the season is over?
CG: Now that the season is over Team Gregg keeps going. We actually go home and start work on Tuesday morning! We work at the Boys and Girls Club in North Minneapolis where we live. We organize a run club for the at-risk inner-city youth. We are psyched to kick off the spring season with a running race next weekend with the Timberwolves (our NBA Team!) and then go watch a game the following week! I love what we do as athletes and I am very proud of all we have accomplished…but my ultimate passion lies with helping giveback to those who can benefit from our energy and time the most. it’s been almost 6 months since I have seen the kids and I am beyond ecstatic to share my medal and the stories of our winter with them!

March 26, 2015 (Sun Valley, ID) – Caitlin Gregg (Team Gregg/Madshus) capped her storybook season with a resounding victory by 2:40 for her first women’s 30km FR title, the final event of the 2015 US Long Distance National Championships in Sun Valley, Idaho. Gregg has been on fire since winning a bronze medal at the Nordic Worlds in Falun, Sweden, which she followed up claiming 3rd again at the 42km Engadin Skimarathon in Switzerland.

Former winner, Liz Stephen, finished second as she also had a superb season claiming her first World Cup podium finishing second in the women’s 10km FR at Rybinsk,Russia while finishing a record 5th overall at the Tour de Ski.

Defending champ, Sadie Bjornsen, landed third on the podium for her fourth consecutive podium finish at the SuperTour finals and Championships. Rosie Brennan took fourth claiming the overall women’s SuperTour title and Grand Champion award for a stellar season as well.

Results

1. Caitlin Gregg (USA) 1:42:46.9
2. Liz Stephen (USA) 2:40.8
3. Sadie Bjornsen (USA) 3:54.0
4. Rosie Brennan (USA) 4:01.8
5. Chelsea Holmes (USA) 4:05.7

Full results HERE.

March 26, 2015 (Sun Valley, ID) – Canada’s Ivan Babikov took home the biggest victory of his season with a strong performance to win the men’s 50km FR by just under a minute at the 2o15 US National Long Distance Championships in Sun, Valley, ID, as another season wraps up.

The real battle was for the silver as Rune Oedegaard (Nor) edged out Noah Hoffman, the defending champ, at the line – Hoffman retains the title as the top American. Erik Bjornsen (USA) was fifth and rising Canadian star, Graeme Killick, was fifth.

“US Nationals 50km podium! Great way to finish a season…awesome to be back racing in US!” tweeted Babikov. Kris Freeman (Freebird) in 18th took home the 2015 SuperTour Overall title and the Grand Champion award as well.

Men
1. Ivan Babikov (Can) 1:57:06.2
2. Rune Oedegaard (Nor) 01:57:58.1
3. Noah Hoffman (USA) 01:57:58.6
4. Erik Bjornsen (USA) 01:57:59.0
5. Graeme Killick (Can) 01:58:00.7
6. Aku Nikander (Fin) 01:58:20.5
7. Mads Stroem (Nor) 01:59:00.3
8. Brian Gregg (USA) 01:59:00.5
9. Fabian Stocek (Cze) 01:59:19.6
10. Rogan Savage Brown (USA) 01:59:36.4

Full results HERE.

March 22, 2015 (Canmore, AB) – SkiTrax caught up with Chris Lindsay High Performance Director at Biathlon Canada yesterday for his take on Nathan Smith’s World Cup gold and incredible season. In fact the team has had a great season overall with personal bests for Smith, Brendan Green, Rosanna Crawford, Megan Heinicke and Scott Gow. Jean-Philippe Le Guellec is the only other Canadian male to reach the World Cup podium and Smith eclipsed Le Guellec becoming the first Canadian male to win a silver medal at the Biathlon worlds. Two-time Olympic champion, Myriam Bedard, is the only other Canadian to medal at both the Biathlon World Championships and the World Cup. According to Lindsay, “We have a team that is pushing all our athletes to ever increasing success. Nathan is the first one to have made the big break but we will see success from even more athletes in the following seasons. That’s by design.”

Interview with Chris Lindsay