August 26, 2013 (NZ) – Check out this great pic of Alaskan APU skier Lauren Fritz on the podium at the 23rd Annual Kangaroo Hoppet, 42km FR, with winner Marina Chernousov, who was 16th overall and Japan’s Chisa Obayashi in 3rd. Fritz is no stranger to the podium having won the 2013 Boulder Mountain Tour and she recently took the top step on the women’s Sprint podium at the FIS Australia/New Zealand Cup in Perisher Valley. The USA’s Jessica Yeaton, also from Alaska and currently skiing for Montana State University, was 5th… read more about Lauren Fritz here

Thanks to Kangaroo Hoppet race organizer Allan Marsland for sending us the podium photo.

August 26, 2013 – We asked the USST members to weigh in on Hobbits, training and what life is like on the Snow Farm – check out the latest from New Zealand. Meanwhile some of the country’s best juniors came together in Park City…check out some training highlights from a week long training camp for the most promising junior skiers in the country.

NZ Snow Farm update here.

August 26, 2013 – Check out the latest from Mark Arendz who shares his thoughts on time and training in New Zealand; Colette Bourgonje tells us what she’s been doing this summer while training at home near Prince Albert; and Brian McKeever gives us his take on the J-P Grand Prix in Whitehorse on the same weekend as the wedding of “…two of our own, Madeline Williams and Graham Nishikawa.” McKeever also reminds Brent McMurtry that he owes him a ski pole…

Mark Arendz
Time Flies
Time! Tick, tock. The only thing you can ever count on is that time never stops. It’s constant; never slows, never speeds up, but is always ticking by. It’s time! J.R.R. Tolkien, in his book The Hobbit, riddled; “This thing all things devours: Birds, beasts, trees, flowers; Gnaws iron, bites steel; Grinds hard stones to meal; Slays king, ruins town, And beats high mountain down.” In sport you are always fighting for time, for those few extra seconds faster, hundreds of seconds or fractions of seconds it makes no matter. Sport is about getting to the future sooner than everyone else. In the words of Dr. Seuss “How did it get so late so soon?” The end of August is only a few days away and with that the realization that the training season will soon be over.

Read more here.

Colette Bourgonje
Colette Bourgonje’s Athlete Update
Summer training at home near Prince Albert involves mountain boarding, weight training, arm ergometer, and kayking. Generally speaking I follow the training program sent out from the National Team Coach Robin McKeever, listen to my body and adjust when necessary. Fortunately I have great support from my partner George who rides his bike on some of the long training days or in areas where there are bears and other critters to be concerned about. All the best to everyone training for the winter the big season ahead. Hope you enjoy the video’s and the rest of the summer:)

Read more here.

Brian McKeever
The J-P Grand Prix
It’s been a very busy period for the Para-Nordic team lately. After a successful altitude camp in Arizona, we returned home and moved straight into an intensity-focused block of training.

Most recently, though, a bunch of the top skiers were up in Whitehorse for the wedding of two of our own, Madeline Williams and Graham Nishikawa. While you’d expect some great supplemental activities to a marriage of world class athletes, the most unique was the J-P Grand Prix.

The brainchild of recently retired Yukon Elite Squad racer, John Perry, it was a summer ski race on snow that was saved from last winter. John figured that if “Frozen Thunder” could be insulated with sawdust and stored for seven months, he could keep enough snow from last winter to host one glorious event in his backyard in late July!

Read more here.

August 24, 2013 (Falls Creek, Australia) – As the XXII Winter Olympic season gets underway the Russians have once again served notice that they mean business this season as Alexander Legkov lead a Russian sweep in the men’s 42km FR race at the 23rd Kangaroo Hoppet. Ilya Chernousov claimed second and his brother Alexey was third. The top North American was August Teague (USA) from Aspen, Colorado, a member of the Aspen Valley Ski Club (AVSC) and coach for the Far West Nordic Ski Education Association.

Marina Chernousov, 16th overall, took the women’s top step over American Lauren Fritz from Alaska, an APU Nordic Ski Center skier, with Japan’s Chisa Obayashi in 3rd. Fritz won the 2013 Boulder Mountain Tour and recently won the women’s Sprint at the FIS Australia/New Zealand Cup in Perisher Valley. The USA’s Jessica Yeaton, also from Alaska and currently skiing for Montana State University, was 5th.

Results here.

August 24, 2013 – Katerina Neumannova is the biggest name in Czech women’s cross-country skiing. She is the winner of 18 individual World Cups, double World Champion (Oberstdorf 2005, Sapporo 2007) and Olympic gold medallist (Turin 2006). An additional two Olympic silver and two World Championship bronze medals add to her remarkable career. After the 2006/07 season, Neumannova quit her professional racing career. FIS Newsflash had the opportunity to catch up with the Czech legend:

What does life after your sporting career look like?
KN: I am spending my time at work for army sport in my company and with my daughter Lucka. I am also collaborating with the Czech Olympic Committee. I like travelling and enjoy the cooperation with the Italian region of Trentino. I loved competing in Val di Fiemme and I am happy to still have the chance to visit the beautiful places there many times during the year.

Did you prepare for your life after sports during your career?
KN: It is very difficult and almost impossible. When you are a professional athlete you spend all your energy on training and competitions. When you finish your career, you usually start from scratch. That is the reason why I have been involved in the Czech Olympic Committee’s project “dual career”, which aims to help athletes with transition to life after sport.

How much time per month/year do you still spend on the race track?
KN: You will not see me in a race bib often as I still hate losing and it would happen quite often these days. From time to time I take part in a MTB race, I skied Marcialonga or compete in show events. I prefer running in the forest, alone and without an audience. I am enjoying sports in a different way. It’s a nice feeling that I “do not have to” and only “can”.

Who is your favourite athlete outside of your discipline with whom you would like to go for a drink and why?
KN: There are too many but to name just a few, having a drink with Roger Federer or Usain Bolt would be great. Unfortunately it is not likely to happen. When I am in Italy I like meeting Alberto Tomba. His charm is truly eternal (laughs).

Who was your best buddy on the tour when you were still competing?
KN: My best friends were always outside of the circle of my cross-country competitors. However, I loved meeting Manuela DiCenta, Vegard Ulvang and Vladimir Smirnov. They were older than me but represented a great source of inspiration.

Which athlete of your generation would you like to see compete in the Sochi Olympics and why?
KN: My favourite skiing generation was the one with Ulvang, Smirnov, Mogren and Daehlie. They were excellent skiers and at the same time great personalities.

August 18, 2013 – Here’s the latest from the US and Canadian teams from their training camp at the Snow Farm in New Zealand courtesy of Noah Hoffman; an update from the BKL and SMS junior summer camps via Jessie Diggins; and a touching commentary by Holly Brooks on the tragic loss of Bonni Curran… plus some Tweets to get things started.

Cruising the Bow Riv after our track intervals.
4,000 feet of climbing with Sadie, Rosie, and Kikkan.
Cardrona Hotel Feed station.
Helmets anyone… ?
Devon “Kersh” Kershaw on training.

Noah Hoffman
Arrowtown
I’m rooming here in New Zealand with my teammate Andy Newell. Andy is a great singer and guitarist. He’s also getting into song writing now. It’s fun to be his roommate and hear him play. Both yesterday afternoon and this morning we had two hour skate sessions. We did a little bit of video and technique. Yesterday evening I played the board game Settlers of Catan with the Canadian men. We have been frustrated with the grooming here at the Snow Farm. The staff has chosen not to groom on multiple occasions. The decision not to groom has made training difficult and less productive. When they have groomed they have done a limited number of trails. This morning they did not groom because it was “too foggy to see”.

Read more here.

Jessie Diggins
SMS camp, Fast and Female, and “dirty dudes”
What a week! I came back to the east coast after bopping around from one cabin to another, and jumped right into the BKL and SMS junior summer camps being held at the school. Since I caught a cold, I wasn’t able to do quite as much training and helping out with the BKL camp as I would’ve liked, but at least I could be a counselor for the SMS camp! We also had two awesome Fast and Female PowerHours. Not to be outdone, the boys had “dirty dudes” for the BKL camp and “guys with goals” for the SMS camp, which was sweet. Thank goodness there were pictures from the events.

Read more here.

Holly Brooks
Life is so darn fragile….
I never met Bonni Curran personally but I did write her some post cards over the winter, from the road.  Bonni, along with her husband Peter are supporters of NNF, the National Nordic Foundation.  Last year as a member of the US Ski Team B team I was completely unfunded for the entire winter.  NNF stepped in to help me foot the hefty bill of traveling and racing 5 continuous months in Europe.  NNF was able to do this because of the generosity of people like Bonni and Peter. So, while I never met Bonni face to face I feel connected to her because she believed in what I am doing – and helped make it possible.   On August 6th Bonni’s life was tragically cut short when she was struck and killed on her bike.

Read more here.

August 15, 2013 (Wanaka, New Zealand) – A quality international field featuring Olympic medallists and world champions provided spectacular action today at the Audi Quattro Winter Games NZ FIS Australia New Zealand Continental Cup (ANC) Cross-Country Skiing Sprint at the Snow Farm, August 15-28, with top honours going to USA’s Andy Newell and Justyna Kowalczyk of Poland.

Newell, a prominent World Cup skier and Olympian, sent a strong message in the Sprint that he meant business when he clocked a time of 2.52.96 over the 1.6km sprint course. He headed off 2010 Olympic bronze medallist Alexey Petukhov of Russia who claimed second place in 2.56.54 followed by two-time Olympian Devon Kershaw of Canada in 3.00.10.

Newell, ranked ninth in the field, clearly won his heat and semi-final and stamped his name on the gold medal in the final after a tight finish, again beating 9th ranked Petukhov and Kershaw, ranked 70th, respectively.

Top seed Nikita Kriukov of Russia who is ranked second in the world finished 5th in the Sprint in 3.01.51 behind teammate Anton Gafarov 3.00.54 in fourth place. Kriukov won the men’s B final with Maciej Kreczmer of Poland second and Alexander Panzhinskiy of Russia third.

Newell was pleased with his ANC title win having just arrived in New Zealand from the US two days ago.

“It’s good to get on snow following summer training and the results let me know that my training is going well. It was great to race the others, particularly the Russians, and get in the zone and pass them where possible. There were Olympic medallists and world champions in the field and I haven’t been any of those yet so I am hoping maybe now my turn is coming on the podium,” he said.

Highly-rated Olympic champion and world champion Kowalczyk, currently ranked second in the world in sprint, displayed her prowess when she won the Women’s Sprint in 3.27.25 ahead of 2010 Olympic biathlon gold medallist Anastasiya Kuzmina of Slovakia in 3.32.24 and Olympian and World Cup skier Perianne Jones of Canada in 3.36.42.

Kowalczyk, who was first across the line in her semi-final, clearly won the final and the women’s ANC title ahead of World Cup and Olympian athlete Daria Gaiazova of Canada in second place and Kuzmina who took out third.

Kowalczyk was upbeat about her performance. “It was a good race on a very good track. I am very happy and racing here at Snow Farm and the Winter Games is very important for me for Sochi,” she said.

New Zealand’s sole entrant Sarah Murphy, who competed at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver as the first-ever Kiwi Olympic biathlete, tested her skills on the sprint course completing the prologue in seventh place in 3.50.5. Following the semi-final she competed in the B final where she placed third behind Japanese competitors Michiko Kashiwabara and Chisa Obayashi.

“I am more of an endurance racer but it was great to have the sprint experience and ski against some of the best in the world. You just had to put your head down and fight to stay with the others. I had trouble in the semi-final because of my start position but overall it was a good race.”

Chief of Race, John Burridge commended the standard of the Winter Games NZ event which saw an outstanding level of competition.

“It was a tremendous field featuring several Olympic standard skiers. The men’s race was like a potential semi-final at the Sochi Olympics.”

Winter Games NZ 2013 takes place over 11-days from August 15-25 at the international resorts of Coronet Peak, Cardrona Alpine Resort and Snow Farm, along with the Maniototo Curling International Rink. Set against the spectacular backdrop of New Zealand’s Southern Alps, the Games also include a full Downtown Sessions festival programme featuring films, live music and entertainment in Queenstown and Lake Wanaka – results below.

Results

Women’s Sprint Qualifacation here
Men’s Sprint Qualifacation here

Women’s Sprint Final here
Men’s Sprint Final here

August 14, 2013 – Check out the latest from the Hoff at the Snow Farm where the US and Canadian teams are training on snow and lovin’ it plus the famous desert; and Jessie Diggins ventures north to Thunder Bay and spends time at her Grandparents camp plus some Ninja time with her friend Danielle. Once again we’ve got some great Tweets etc. to start you off from Holly Brooks, Kikkan Randall, Dasha Gaiazova, Kirstin Stoermer-Stiera and Simi Hamilton…

Yo Holly Brooks Eagle Glacier Photo album here.
Kikkan Randall’s New York news
Dasha Gaiazova’s view…hello news
Kirstin Stoermer-Stiera shares her view too here.
Simi Hamilton’s day gets shattered… here.

Noah Hoffman
Snow Farm Day One
My teammate Andy Newell and I went for a two hour skate ski after arriving here at the Snow Farm in New Zealand yesterday afternoon. The tracks weren’t groomed yesterday so the snow was choppy and hard to stand on. The snow here is very different from what I experienced on the glacier in Alaska last week. The temperatures here are right around freezing. The snow is icy and glazed. Then it started to snow a little bit while we were skiing. This is my fourth year in a row at the Snow Farm. This is the best off-season training location I’ve ever been to because the living is so easy and the snow and conditions are very representative of what we see often in the winter. Plus the desserts here are outstanding.

Read more here.

Jessie Diggins
Thunder Bay camp time
Almost every summer of my life, I’ve spent some time up in Thunder Bay at the camp. My Grandparents on my Dad’s side have had the camp for a long time, and it’s one of my favorite places to be! I love pretty much everything about the camp – how up on Silver Beach, it’s called a camp instead of a cabin, how it’s right on Lake Superior, how once you’re there you can bike, walk or canoe to anywhere you need to go, how nice everyone is, how the camp is often heated by a fire, how a little creek runs between my Nana’s two camps.

August 13, 2013 – “What makes ski racing interesting is the fact that it is not always the fittest athlete who wins the gold medal; the winner is the athlete who can make the skis go the fastest.”

Here’s an idea: you’ve already trained 10,000 hours during the last 15 or 20 years, but so has your competition.  What can supplement that training and enable an advantage over your competitors?

Ask my friend Yves Bilodeau (World Cup Service Manager – Team Canada), “What is the single most important technical factor for fast skis?” Although they are important, it is not the glide wax …not the stone grind …and not the base material either!  “Ski selection en tabarnac!  You have to start with a good pair.”

If you are serious about ski racing and want to optimize your equipment situation to gain competitive edge, you need a MINIMUM 5 pairs of PROVEN FAST race skis.

WHAT??  5 Pairs??  That’s a lot of money!  …Or you can train another 5000 hours and hopefully shave a few more seconds off your race time through better fitness.

Assuming you want to take the “easy” route, your quiver should include:

Cold condition classic ski
– hard wax, softer camber, easy to ski, cold  stone grind

Wet condition classic ski
– klister, stiffer camber, softer tip pressure, warm stone grind

Cold condition skate ski
– long glide contact areas, lower camber, cold stone grind

Wet condition skate ski
– short glide contact areas, higher camber, softer tip, warm stone grind

No wax / Hairies / Rub ski
– Sanded grip zone, always ready to go for tricky new snow, zero degree conditions, mid range grind

‘Proven fast’ is a key concept.  Having 5 pairs of race skis in your bag does not mean that they are all working well for you and fast.  Race skis must fit you properly and must be tested and compared against other fast skis.   If they are repeatedly not fast compared to other skis, or they don’t fit, don’t keep them or at least don’t keep testing them for races.

A well-prepared and proven fast klister ski can easily save you minutes during a wet condition ski race over a ski that is too soft and becomes draggy when it is prepared with klister wax.

Improving the stone grind might help increase ski speed but you must realize it is generally a small percentage gain.  Other base prep work, such as saturating the base with glide wax (although a necessary part of the overall process) generally will not gain you big advantage over the competition.  Not all pairs of skis are created equal and the reality is that some skis are just slow, no matter what you do to them.

The fleet of race skis does not even really begin at 5 pairs in modern high level ski racing.  Athletes on Canada’s National team will have between 20 – 40 pairs of hand selected race skis that are well prepared with many different and condition-specific, stone grinds on the base.  These athletes have a technical support staff who will prepare these skis for testing and racing.

Be careful!  As the number of skis in your fleet increases, so does the amount of work required for preparation testing and maintenance.

A good ski can last a long time.  The new skis do get better with technology, but every once in a while, even on the world cup, athletes will race on 20+ year old skis.  Keep looking until you find fast ski.  If you do acquire a really good pair of race skis, keep good care of them!

August 12, 2013 – The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has just voted to re-introduce four-year bans for serious drug violations and will be pushing the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to do the same to strengthen the deterrent against cheaters reports AP.

IAAF, the international governing body for the sport of athletics, such as running, jumping and throwing, says it’s ready to press ahead on its own if other sports refuse to upgrade the sanction from two years. According to SkiTrax‘s Marty Hall, who has been pushing for 4 year bans for some time, “Finally an agency with GUTS – please get on board.”

Read more here.

August 12, 2013 (Ketchum, Idaho) – Bonni Curran passed away Tuesday August 6th as the result of a tragic bike accident in Ketchum, Idaho. Bonni and her husband Peter have been key supporters of the NNF since it was reorganized in 2009. They recognized the value of supporting Nordic athletes and the value of hard work and productive lifestyles. Bonni was very active with her husband Peter in setting up Primary Care Clinics in impoverished nations around the world.

Both physicians, it was their way of giving back and making a difference in helping others help themselves. Bonni was equally at home in New York City or Ketchum, Idaho. Her friends were a wide range of people from her professional side of life as a physician/consultant to a fun loving crowd that enjoyed the great outdoors.

NNF Executive Director, Dave Knoop laments the loss of Bonni Curran explaining, “The town of Ketchum has a bit of a subdued feeling, it may be peak tourist season but you can see a certain look on many local faces that something is amiss. As a frequent visitor to the area, I can surmise that many are saddened that this happened to anyone on their streets but it is particularly painful that it happened to someone that everyone knew and loved.”

The Currans have not only supported the NNF but also the Galena Lodge, Middlebury College Ski Team, and Sun Valley Nordic ski programs.The NNF remains a grass roots fundraising organization and as such our connection with the nordic ski community from coast to coast has a lot to do with making personal face to face connections. It’s how we try and feel connected as ONE ski community and rally together in purpose and cause. With this in mind, we are truly saddened to learn of Bonni’s untimely passing. We also want to express our heartfelt condolences to her husband Peter and their two daughters Jessie and Cody.

SkiTrax joins NNF and the Nordic ski community in sending condolences to Bonnie’s family and friends.

August 11, 2013 (Whitehorse, Yukon) – Check out this great behind-the-scenes CBC Only In Canada video of the 2013 JP Grand Prix held in Whitehorse, Yukon founded by John Parry. The second annual race took place on July 25th with ceremonial bagpipes to kick it off on the same weekend as the wedding of Graham Nishikawa and Madeline Williams. And you guessed it… Devon Kershaw, Brent McMurtry, Phil Widmer and “Nish” the groom, plus Norway’s Kristin Størmer Steira, Perianne Jones and the bride herself raced it.

August 09, 2013 – Topidrettesveka 2013 started with ladies’ and men’s 15 km mass start classic on Thursday, 8th August. Norwegian athletes Marit Bjoergen and Eldar Roenning were the fastest before the home crowd of Aure.

July 24, 2013 (Eagle Glacier, AK) – This year makes for the second year in a row that the NAWTA camp has invited a special guest to join us for our Alaska camp. This includes a week of dry land training in town and perhaps, more intimately, a week of on-snow training on Eagle Glacier. Last year we had Aino-Kaisa Saarinen of Finland and this year we are joined by Astrid Jacobsen of Norway. Needless to say, it’s been awesome having her around and we’re all excited to have a new, close friend on the World Cup next season!

We were curious what other people, specifically Norwegians thought of Astrid’s decision to join us in Alaska for close to three weeks – particularly in an Olympic year where some folks aren’t into “taking chances” or trying something completely new. Her answer? She said that some people wondered why she would leave the best Women’s team in the world to come and train with US… however, she alluded to the fact that she was interested to see what we were doing, and how we train. She was impressed by the US Women’s quick improvement and wanted to experience it for herself. She acknowledged that Norway has been the best for a long, long time and it’s not as hard to *maintain a tradition* as it is to *create something notable* from a place where very little existed beforehand.

Skiing was Astrid has been a treat as I would consider her one of the best technicians in the world, particularly in Classic. On top of that, Astrid is a world-class person too. For example, she is on my chore-crew here at Eagle and this morning she made homemade scones for the entire group at 6am. Considering the fact that she is gluten free and cannot eat them herself makes it all the more impressive. Then, after the morning’s skate interval session she told me what I was doing well and what she thinks I can improve upon – AWESOME! Also, she proposed a round-table discussion later in the week to talk about what she thinks our team could improve upon and conversely, what kinds of things she’ll be taking home to her team.

Obviously everyone skiing at a high level has performance goals and many of them include clocking a better time than the competition and even one’s own teammates. However, what’s fun about having Astrid here is that it feels like we’re all trying to improve each other through exchanges of information be it ski technique, training philosophy, or baking bread. I’m psyched for the rest of the week and the upcoming season…… time to go and klister my skis for the afternoon classic session!

Thanks to NNF and the entire Nordic Community for supporting, following, and cheering us on!

– Holly 🙂

July 24, 2013 (Fairbanks, AK) – Fairbanks will be hosting the 2014 Arctic Winter Games March 15-22, during the school spring break. As we did last year for Jr. Nationals, NSCF will be recruiting volunteers to help at the ski events at Birch Hill. So, reserve some time that week if you’d like to help.

Meanwhile, there will be an AWG event held at Pioneer Park on Sunday, July 28th from 1-5 p.m. called WINTER GAMES IN THE SUMMER for the purpose of educating residents of Fairbanks about what to expect at the Games.

There will be athletes coming from 9 contingents to compete in 20 different sports. Each sport will be represented at their own “station” during the AWG event on 7/28. Some ideas for the x-c ski station include showing videos of exciting ski races, displaying ski posters, photos, ski equipment, having a roller board available for visitors to try, maybe a Ski ERG, too???

Visitors of this AWG event at Pioneer Park can win a prize (free ice cream, train ride,…) just for registering as an AWG volunteer while there. So this may be a good time to sign up!

We are in need of some volunteers to staff our x-c ski station this Sunday. So, if you would like to help any time from 12 to 6 p.m. (includes set-up and clean-up time) and/or you have exhibit ideas to show the community how fun and exciting x-c skiing is, please send an email to me, Sharon Baker: bobandsharonbaker@gmail.com and/or my daughter Davya Flaharty: davyaflaharty@gmail.com.

If volunteering your time on Sunday, please indicate WHEN you are able to serve. Bring a friend or family member along with you, if you’d like. I’d like to have at least 2 volunteers at our station the whole time.

Thank you for considering to volunteer your time to the 2014 AWG in Fairbanks, Alaska!

July 23, 2013 – Check out the latest news from your favourite skiers. Jessie Diggins just wrapped up part one of her Alaska training camp, Noah Hoffman has been training hard and picking blueberries, Ivan Babikov escaped the floods and headed to Bend for some quality training, Liz Stephen joined her friends in Alaska, and Perianne Jones gives us a short photo update.

Jessie Diggins
Bomber Glacier
Part one of AK camp is finished, with an awesome adventure run, a visit to the REG camp juniors, and a time trial a couple days ago. On Friday we did the Potter’s Creek time trial, which we do every year; a 6.5 km classic that starts out with a double pole out and back along a flat road, and then climbs the remaining 3.2km up a switchback road. Although not everyone had the same speed classic skis, the goal of a time trial isn’t simply to win; it’s a great opportunity to test your physical and mental limits, compare your personal time to the year before, and get in a good L4 workout. I had a great time trying to keep Astrid in sight as I led the chase group along the flats and up the hill, and was really happy to be able to improve on some technique things from last year’s TT. Read more here.

Noah Hoffman
Blueberries and Technique
My classic technique session here in Putney, Vermont this morning was a little overwhelming. It was the first time I’d been on skis (roller skis or snow skis) with my coach Zach Caldwell since March. We tried to start at the basics and progress to where my skiing has been since I was cleared to ski post surgery. We were working with all techniques: double pole, kick double pole and striding. For the most part it went OK, but there is a lot of work to be done in all facets of my skiing. We introduced some new cues. I ended the session feeling low on confidence and feeling that there is a ton of work to do. Read more here.

Ivan Babikov
Bend 2.0 or Independence Day
We left Canmore for our Bend ver 2.0 training camp, pretty much during “one in the century” Alberta floods. I’m sure, most of you have seen devastating pictures and videos of Cougar Creek pretty much being demolished. Lots of houses, roads and trails got damaged. Trans Canada Hwy got completely destroyed in couple of places between Canmore, Banff and Calgary. Watching all that happening in Canmore, was unreal. Not every day you end up in the middle of State of Emergency.  Now it’s all behind us and hopefully there will be no more rain this summer. Read more here.

Liz Stephen
AK Dryland Week
This morning we will get the call as to when the helicopter will get a weather window that will allow us to fly up to Eagle Glacier where we will spend the next week.  As a nordic skier, Eagle can be a little slice of heaven, with not much else to do but ski, sleep, eat, repeat.  There is no internet, just a bit of cell service,  an old TV with a VCR and DVD set up, and lots of Cosmo magazines that date back quite a few years.  However, for me, I really love being up there for 1 week a year.  It makes me rest between my training sessions, and although at times it can be boring, it is really important as a skier to learn how to rest.  I also love the fact that it is back to interacting completely with people for forms of entertainment.  We cook together, clean together, do puzzles together, talk together, and there are no distractions from one another.  No one is multitasking by texting and trying to have a conversation in the here and now, and no one is watching a movie by themselves in their room on their computer.  There are no computers, for the most part.  We have each other.  I am pumped for my one week a year up there, just skiing and living and it starts today.  As posting up there would be a major challenge with no internet, I am going to recap the week today, Sunday, and have another one ready when we come down from the glacier next Monday.  Cheers! Read more here.

Perianne Jones
Short Photo Update!
Just a few photos of the last few days in Bend, and what I’ve been up to since…
Photo’s are thanks to Beckie Scott- who by the way put on a pair of rollerskis in Bend to join me for a morning workout- first time on rollerskis in 7.5 years, she didn’t miss a beat, rollerskied like the champ she is (and wouldn’t let me take any photos of it!) and my incredible best friend and blog tyrant Mallory who thankfully takes photos with my blog in mind to make sure I actually post things once in a while! Read more here.

July 19, 2013 – For the past nine years, U.S. XC Ski star Kris Freeman has devoted part of his summer to visiting diabetes camps through the Lilly Camp Care Package program. Freeman remains the USA’s top distance skier winning the 50km CL championship race again this past April in Tahoe, CA claiming his 16th National title. At the camps Freeman shares his personal story with thousands of children facing their own challenges with type 1 diabetes. “The kids can definitely relate to my story, and they’re inspired by it, too,” Freeman told Diabetes Health as he plans for the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia – read the full story here.

July 19, 2013 (Rumford, Maine) – Black Mountain will now be owned by the non-profit volunteer board, which has run the mountain for the past 10 years. With the new ownership structure, strong community support and sustaining the current fundraising campaign will be even more important.

The Maine Winter Sports Center, with the support of the Libra Foundation, has announced its intention to make an historic gift of Black Mountain ski area in Rumford, Maine and all its assets to the community based non-profit corporation, which has operated the mountain since 2003. The completion of the gift remains subject to the parties reaching agreement on terms of the transfer document. The gift, when completed, combined with demonstrated strong fundraising potential, and the support of partners like Bangor Savings Bank, Franklin Savings Bank and Sunday River Resort, will allow the mountain to open this season.

“In just three weeks since plans to close the mountain were announced, Black Mountain of Maine has raised over $125,000, toward a goal of $200,000,” said Andy Shepard, President and CEO of the Maine Winter Sports Center. “Given the rapid progress toward the goal, we felt it important to make known our intentions to donate the mountain and let the community begin the important work of planning for the future.”

Black Mountain changed its business model radically last year, looking to make skiing more accessible and to reach profitability. It reduced day tickets to $15 and season passes to $150, added a new snowmaking system, website and retail shop and expanded the Last Run Lounge. It also added a new 1.5-mile intermediate trail, Allagash, which quickly became a major new attraction. The result was a dramatic increase in new skiers and revenue, which has put the mountain on a positive trajectory.

“When the Libra Foundation got involved in 2003, Black Mountain was 470 feet of vertical, had a T-bar, an aging lodge and was struggling to make a difference in the region,” said Craig Denekas, President and CEO of the Libra Foundation. “We believed we could make a difference for these communities and invested significant resources into the project because we believed in Rumford. The mountain is now Maine’s 4th tallest ski area, has a beautiful post-and-beam day lodge, four paved parking lots and, I believe, honors the proud skiing heritage in western Maine by making community skiing accessible to all. We are very pleased to complete our phase of involvement by making this gift to the western Maine communities supporting Black Mountain.”

Bangor Savings Bank, Franklin Savings Bank and Sunday River Resort have been instrumental in leading the fundraising effort. Sunday River, which has also been an invaluable partner to Black Mountain over the years, will continue to provide expertise to the new ownership.

To help the new Black Mountain reach its fundraising goal, please visit here. Donations will be matched on this site by Bangor Savings Bank until this online campaign reaches $50,000. You can also go to any Bangor Savings Bank branch with your donations.

July 17, 2013 (Seattle, Washington) – Madshus, the world’s leading performance Nordic ski company, announces the growth of its athlete team with the addition of 2014 US Olympic hopefuls Caitlin and Brian Gregg. The Greggs, each highly accomplished and influential ski racers, anticipate an exciting future with the Madshus team.

Caitlin Gregg, a 2010 Olympian, three-time World Championship competitor, American Birkebeiner winner, and three-time National Champion, looks forward to returning to her Madshus roots.

“I won my first Junior Nationals on Madshus skis and am really excited to partner with Madshus in this Olympic year,“ said Caitlin. “I tried some demo skis this spring and I was so happy with the new Redline skis that I decided to race on them in the Ski to Sea. I had a fantastic race and beat some of the top guys.”

Brian Gregg’s prolific career highlights include a 2012 American Birkebeiner podium finish as well as 2010 and 2011 Super Tour Distance Champion titles.

“I did a lot of testing this spring and am very impressed with the quality of each pair of Madshus skis I tried – their quality control is fantastic,” said Brian. “It’s a big move to build a new fleet of skis in an Olympic year, but the quality of the [Madshus] Redline skis makes that easy.”

Madshus’ high-level team additions signify the brand’s commitment to growth in the North American market.

“Having Caitlin and Brian skiing with the Madshus USA team is a dream come true. I can’t think of better athletes to represent our Redline skis and Super Nano boots, particularly in an Olympic year. Congratulations and welcome to the team,” said Madshus‘ Director of Sales, Van Brinkerhoff.

The Greggs join Madshus’ elite roster of athletes, including two-time world champion and Olympic medalist Axel Teichmann, Biathlon World Cup legend Ole Einar Bjorndalen, and World Cup skier and Olympic gold medalist Emil Hegle Svendsen. To learn more about Madshus and its team of athletes, please visit here.

July 12, 2013 (Williamington, MA) – Following the announcement of Swix Sport USA’s two-year commitment as title sponsor to the American Birkebeiner Ski events we caught up with Steve Poulin, President and CEO of Swix Sport USA, for a more in-depth look at how and why Swix made this important company decision – read the announcement here.

Poulin has been attending the Birkie for over 25 years, as a racer, a Swix employee, and since 2008 as CEO and refers to the Birkie as family. He stresses that their involvement is more than just product and business – it’s about a relationship to grow the sport and build within the local community as well. The timing with Ben Popp, named as the new Executive Director of the American Birkebeiner Foundation, is also opportune – read our recent interview with Popp here.

And the move fits with the global initiative by the parent company, Swix Sport AS, headquartered in Norway, which came on board as the title sponsor of the Ski Classics last year. Poulin shares his story and company’s story with readers…

Steve Poulin on Swix/Birkie Sponsorship

July 09, 2013 (Haverhill, MA) – Swix Sport USA is proud to announce a two-year commitment as title sponsor to the American Birkebeiner Ski Events beginning in the winter of 2014. “ The American Birkebeiner is this country’s premier Nordic event and it is a dream to partner for a title sponsorship,” explained Steven Poulin, President and CEO of Swix Sport USA.

This sponsorship includes the Birkie’s ski events in February, a limited collection of Swix / Birkie Technical Apparel, a full merchandizing program, jackets for event volunteer chiefs, and an exclusive Swix Concept Area within the Birkie Exposition.

“We are very excited about this partnership with Swix. It is an exceptional company and very forward thinking. We both see great potential for new ways to support our skiers and grow the reach of the sport,” said Ben Popp, Executive Director of the American Birkebeiner Foundation.

Started in 1973, the American Birkebeiner has grown over four decades to include more than 12,000 skiing participants, 20,000 spectators and complimentary, seasonal mountain biking and running events. “It’s more than a single event,” continued Poulin, “The Birkie is a culture in this country and we’re thrilled to marry that culture with the progressive ski focus that comes from Swix’s Norwegian origins.”

With registration open and the summer trappings of Birkie Fever® beginning, plans are underway for skiing outreach, technical education, training tips and new products for the skiers that will line up on February 22, 2014, representing 48 states and 21 countries.

About Swix
The Swix Sport Group is the world’s leading supplier of ski wax under the brands Swix and Toko. Further, the company is also the market leader for ski poles under the brand name Swix. The company is a significant supplier within textiles for the sporting goods industry under the brand names Swix, Bavac, Ulvang and Lundhags. The mother company, Swix sport AS, is situated in Oslo and at Lillehammer. The pole production is located in Lithuania. The Norwegian daughter company Original AS is the leading supplier of team wear in Scandinavia through the brands Kalas and Swix. The products are distributed through daughter companies in Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, the US and Japan. Sales to other markets are handled through distributors. Swix Sport AS is 100 % owned by Ferd AS.

About the American Birkebeiner
The Birkie is a year-round lifestyle choice for thousands of outdoor fitness enthusiasts of all levels. From its signature ski race–the legendary American Birkebeiner–The Birkie has grown into an exciting array of fitness and recreational opportunities. The 88-kilometer Birkie Trail system attracts skiers, runners, bikers, trekkers, and hikers, from casual day-trippers to elite, international superstars. Located in Hayward and Cable, Wisconsin, the Birkie is now an outdoor sports mecca, a series of great races, a fitness destination, and a lifestyle.

July 09, 2013 – There is evidence of systemic doping coming out of the Russian Federation, possibly involving complicity by Russian anti-doping authorities reports the UK-based Daily Mail. Athletes are apparently ordered to dope by coaches; protection money assures doping athletes of “clean results” from doping tests; and athletes who do not pay protection money may fail doping tests when they are clean.

Some 44 Russian athletes are currently serving doping bans and this problem is not new. These new allegations are raising doubts about the upcoming World Athletics Championships (Aug. 10-18) and the Sochi Olympics (February 2014) both being hosted by Russia.

According to the Daily Mail at the centre of the controversy is Grigory Rodchenkov, 54, laboratory director of the WADA-approved Russian Federal State Unitary Enterprise Anti-Doping Centre and his sister, Marina Rodchenkova. Rodchenkov was apparently  arrested in a criminal investigation regarding the sale of doping products, but then was mysteriously released without charges laid or explanations given.

Meanwhile Rodchenkova’s sister went to prison in 2012 for buying and possessing banned drugs, admitting  that she had intended to supply to athletes says the report.

Rodchenkova’s Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) lab is expected to test some 2,500 samples during the Sochi Games but under the auspices of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

An unidentified IOC spokesperson remarked to The Mail that “anti-doping measures in Russia have improved significantly” in recent years with an effective, efficient and new [RUSADA] laboratory and equipment in Moscow.

Back in 2010, FIS President Gian Franco Kasper threatened to suspend Russian athletes from international competitions. Russian authorities responded by firing several cross-country skiing coaches and support staff who worked with those skiers caught using erythropoietin (EPO), a banned blood-booster.

Read the Daily Mail article here.

July 08, 2013 – Check out the latest blog update from Jessie Diggins who wrapped up the Eastern REG camp and struggled with the weather, while Noah Hoffman ate sushi and climbed Mount Timpanogas, Perianne Jones headed to Bend for a camp, and Andy Newell got sweaty on camera with his dryland training in Vermont.

Jessie Diggins
The big Hot, Humid and Muddy update
Alrighty! It’s officially been an internal temperature struggle-fest for me out here the past week, as it’s been really humid and pretty hot too. And we’ve had some massive downpours! But it’s been fun too, since I don’t mind getting wet, as long as I can start the workout with dry shoes.

The Eastern REG camp wrapped up a week of great training with some group skits. Most of them were funny because they either made fun of the coaches, or were just a little inappropriate, like the “broga – yoga for bros” skit. It was a good time. A couple people got the start of a haircut onstage as part of their skit…and Simi and I finished Saxton’s haircut later. Read more here.

Noah Hoffman
Mt. Timpanogos Climb
Friday evening we had a delicious sushi dinner at the Adams’ (the family I live with’s) house. My teammate Liz Stephen’s mom Susan is in town. It is great to see her and have her meet many of the people Liz and I hang out with on a daily basis. Plus sushi is always fantastic.

My friend Rachel Bachman was visiting me from Aspen for the weekend. Yesterday we climbed Mount Timpanogas (Timp), the second highest (but most prominent) mountain in the Wasatch Range at 11,752′. I have wanted to climb Timp since I moved to Park City. It was great to finally get around to it, and it was cooler than I thought it would be. The first mile or more of the trail was paved. It was very odd considering that the rest of the trail included rough terrain and some scrambling. Read more here.

Perianne Jones
One Amazing Last Minute Training Camp
About a month ago I was sitting not to far from where I am right now, in a state that I would describe as full on panic. Sometimes in my head I can blow things completely out of proportion, and things can go spiraling out of control. Which is pretty much what happened at our last Bend camp. My June training camp plan was crumbling, and I was scrambling, and panicking about what I was going to do.

July 08, 2013 (Halmstad, Sweden) – Charlotte Kalla (SWE) was superior in yesterday’s roller skiing nationals in Halmstad. Kalla dominated the women’s 16km Mass Start race in the time of 31:51.1. Silver medalist and runner-up Terese Anderson (SWE) lost +55.1 sec on the top Swedish skier. Elin Mohlin (SWE) fought hard with Andersson, but was edged out to third place, +56.0 sec behind the winner.

The men’s 21km Mass Start competition was tight until the end. Six skiers finished within two seconds as Marcus Johansson (SWE) was the quickest on the home stretch and stopped the clock in 35:29.7. Joakim Engström (SWE) took silver only +0.1 sec behind and Anton Lindblad (SWE) finished in third, +0.3 sec back.

Results

Women
1. Charlotte Kalla (SWE) 31:51.1
2. Terese Anderson (SWE) +55.1
3. Elin Mohlin (SWE) +56.0

Women’s 16km Mass Start HERE.

Men
1. Marcus Johansson (SWE) 35:29.7
2. Joakim Engström (SWE) +0.1
3. Anton Lindblad (SWE) +0.3

Men’s 21km Mass Start HERE.

July 05, 2013 (Hayward, Wisconsin) – Ben Popp is from Wisconsin’s Northwoods where the Cable-to-Hayward American Birkebeiner is run each February. Since June 1, he now finds himself as the new Executive Director (ED) of the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation (ABSF) which owns the Birkie and other events. SkiTrax caught up with Popp to learn more about him, his plans for North America’s largest Nordic ski event, and how he plans to address the various challenges he faces.

Firstly, a slightly belated congrats on becoming the new ED of the ABSF. Rumor has it you are the youngest ED ever there…so how old are you?
Ben Popp: I just celebrated my 39th birthday yesterday. Thanks for the congrats; my twin boys Luke and Grant, 7, are very excited about moving to northern Wisconsin. I grew up in northern Wisconsin and enjoy challenges and the active lifestyle that can be found there.

And tell us more about yourself…
BP: I served five years as Executive Director of the SISU Nordic Ski Foundation, near Minneapolis-Saint Paul (Twin Cities), a similar ski group promoting an active outdoor lifestyle. SISU offers a wide range programs, hosting some 14 races annually, including eight ski races. Much of this is built around the Nordic Centre at Battle Creek, MN. As for the Birkie, I started doing it when I was 18 years old. I’ve done it maybe 17 times to date. My mom and dad ski it – the Birkie is part of our winter traditions. I enjoy mountain biking, road biking… I once pedalled the 3,000 mile Race across America from San Diego to Maryland nonstop. Currently I’m building my own house so I guess you could call me a “hands-on” kind of guy.

There are some obvious challenges ahead as Telemark Lodge, over whose land the the Birkie crosses, has closed again. In previous years, the resort has played a key role in providing other facilities and infrastructure for the Birkie. What are your plans regarding the Telemark Lodge can the event still do well without it?
BP: Marty Hall wrote a good article about this on SkiTrax.com – but no, we will not be looking to purchase Telemark Lodge! For sure, it is a huge part of the Birkie’s legacy and history, and it will be an integral part of its future. Birkie founder, Tony Wise, started a cool plan – skiing from Cable to Hayward. Unfortunately, it is likely Telemark will be closed this winter so we are negotiating easements to use the property. And if the iconic lodge is closed, the Birkie will use more tents.

We’ve talked to private partners who are supportive of private events and during the transition, they’re in. In a best case scenario Telemark Lodge could be open as soon as September, but even if it is not, we can operate things although conditions would not be ideal for our staff. We do have contingency plans…

Mortgage owners, banks, and previous owners all know the importance of Telemark Lodge to the Birkie. The same trails are used in other seasons and the Chequamegon Fat Tire (Mountain Bike) Festival sees 2,500 racers. The Birkie Trail Run Trail (including a marathon and half marathon) also takes place in September; we are hoping for 1,500 runners. We own the Birkie Trail Run, however, Chequamegon is a separate event that takes place on our trails.

We understand that during Birkie weekend, all resorts and motels are booked a year in advance in the communities within 30-50 miles of the Cable/Hayward area. Telemark’s closing will reduce an already tight supply of beds…could the Birkie attract more skiers if there were more local hotel rooms available?
BP: Yes, accommodation is a limiting factor. But trail width is even more of a limiting factor. We’re planning to put people onto gym floors and find places where they can crash for night. We are reaching out to other nearby communities in Wisconsin. From, there is the possibility to charter buses from larger population centres like the Twin Cities. Creative things like this are needed.

The Birkie sees some 10,000 Nordic participants each year, do you hope to expand the event?
BP: Yes, we intend to grow Birkie brand. The Birkie is a gateway to get more people skiing, hiking, biking… trail widening is important, as is security in light of Boston. We need to secure trail heads. To grow the race, we don’t want to sacrifice quality. Just to maintain things we need 2,000 volunteers which is approximately the total population of the nearby town of Hayward. We need strategies to maintain and grow the number of volunteers.

We don’t have an exact number of estimated participants down the road yet. But we want to see a classic trail all way to Hayward. This could easily add up to 3,000 skiers.

We offer other activities such as snowshoe events and sprints. The Birkie recently hosted a “retro knickerbiner” event with a few hundred participants. We have skijoring and family tours and a “fat tire” snow bike event. We had to cap the fat tire race at 300 participants.

Much of our website traffic is from beyond a three-hour driving distance. I guess that one-third of that traffic is from Illinois. And the Birkie already draws in skiers from 19 countries and 38 states. But our distance from the nearest major airport (Twin Cities) is a limiting factor…

How do manage wacky winter weather conditions and unpredictable snow cover?
BP: “Good trails are made in the summer” according to our trail manager. Trails have to be in good shape going into winter. We already spend $250,000 a year on trail maintenance and will be spending more. We’re looking at snow making; it’s not practical on the entire length of 90km of trails, but perhaps could be used in certain areas. Some people are surprised that the Birkie trails are open 365 days a year.

Thanks for your time. Good luck with your new job, the move, and building your new house.
BP: Thanks

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

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

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

Read more here.

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

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

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

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

July 03, 2013 (Park City, Utah) — U.S. Women’s Ski Jumping Team members aim to raise $100,000 at an annual gala benefit on July 18 in Park City, which will serve as the kick-off to their most significant competition season ever – read more here.

Over the next seven months, team members will be preparing for their much-anticipated debut in the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in February in Sochi, Russia — the first time ever women ski jumpers will compete on the sport’s biggest stage.

“The team needs to attend every winter World Cup (and some summer competitions) to ensure they get the necessary points to meet Olympic criteria,” said Deedee Corradini, Women’s Ski Jumping USA president. “Traveling back and forth to Russia and Asia gets incredibly expensive. But we have to be there.”

The U.S. could send up to four women ski jumpers to the Sochi Games, but each would need to be ranked in the top 30 in World Cup points to qualify. Their track record proves they have the mettle to make that happen. In 2012 and 2013, the U.S. Women’s Ski Jumping Team won the prized Nations Cup. Three jumpers were ranked overall in the top 10 this year, led by 2013 World Champion Sarah Hendrickson.

Power of the Crowd
The team is working to raise $25,000 of the $100,000 goal through the online sports crowdfunding site RallyMe.com, where people can purchase July 18 benefit tickets and/or make a contribution (from $25 to $3,500) and get great Swag. Go to: https://www.rallyme.com/rallies/94 or http://www.wsjusa.com

Utah’s Olympic Legacy: Meet the Athletes
World Cup team members Lindsey Van, Jessica Jerome, Alissa Johnson, Abby Hughes and Sarah Hendrickson all grew up and trained to be elite ski jumpers in Park City, Utah. Each one was inspired by the 2002 Salt Lake Games. Veterans Jerome and Van even participated in 2002 as fore-jumpers for the men’s Olympic ski jumping competition. For them, 2014 will be like coming full circle as they carry on that trailblazing spirit.

“We’re proud to represent the legacy of the 2002 Salt Lake Games,” Van said. “We hope to make our state, country, family, friends and supporters very proud.”

Members of the Women’s Ski Jumping USA Development Team — future Olympic hopefuls — also will be at the gala benefit. They hail from all across the United States.

EVENT DETAILS
WHAT: Benefit for U.S. Women’s Ski Jumping Team
WHEN: 6-9 PM, THURSDAY, JULY 18
WHERE: Montage Deer Valley
WHO: Meet 2013 World Champion Sarah Hendrickson, 2009 World Champion Lindsey Van, 10-time National Champion Jessica Jerome, and elite jumpers Alissa Johnson and Abby Hughes.

TICKETS/DONATE: www.rallyme.com/rallies/94
Single ticket $175, with d
Discount on multiple ticket orders and special room rate at the Montage.

MORE INFO: www.wsjusa.com

Hosted by: Women’s Ski Jumping USA

Proudly Supported by: Montage Deer Valley and Johndrow Vineyards

July 02, 2013 (Toronto, ON) – We’re pleased to announce the winners of the annual SkiTrax Annual North American (NA) Nordic Ski Awards that recognize elite, U23 and junior skiers, along with Conti Cup, collegiate, biathlon, Nordic combined, jumping competitors and Paranordic skiers.

The big winner once again was American Kikkan Randall winning two categories – Best Overall Skier Female and Best Sprint Skier Female. Randall had another historic season defending her Sprint Cup globe, landing on the overall World Cup podium in 3rd (a US first), and claiming the USA’s first FIS Nordic Worlds gold in the Team Sprint w/Jessie Diggins.

Canadian star, Alex Harvey took home the Best Overall Skier Male award, also having a historic season winning bronze in the men’s 1.5km CL sprint for Canada’s first individual men’s FIS Nordic Worlds medal.

We caught with Randall, Harvey and a number of other award winners for their comments and congratulate all winners and nominees as it’s clear that it takes a great team, on and off snow, to produce winners. We’d also like to thank everyone who took the time to vote plus our great sponsors including Salomon, Swix,  F1, Exer-Genie and Auclair… prize winners to be announced shortly.

Kikkan Randall: It’s a great honor to win these two North American Awards by the readers of SkiTrax.  There were so many strong performances this season by the women from North America and I really consider myself fortunate to keep finding new levels of performance year after year.

Alex Harvey: I thank all of the voters and readers of SkiTrax.com. It’s been a season full of ups and downs. The downs were real low but the ups were real high so I feel like I’ve learned a lot so that when February 2014 comes around, I’ll be ready to make Canada proud along with my teammates!

Liz Stephen: Very cool! Thanks so much. This means a lot coming from such a great cross-country ski news source. It is always a special thing to be recognized by the ski community in any way, and coming off a great season last year, both individually and as a team, I am really honored to have received this award. A huge thank you is due to the whole ski community for all of your support of skiing across North America. Thanks for all of the cheers from afar!

Andy Newell: It’s an honor to be voted for by the readers and I hope that people enjoy watching the world cup sprint races as much as I enjoy racing them. I think the excitement of world cup sprinting is incredible and being able to battle it out each weekend and to have such a consistent year last season kept me pretty stoked all year long. I love the feel of the huge crowds at the sprint races and all the noise in the stadium so to know that everybody back home in the US and Canada is following along too is sweet.

Ivan Babikov: Thanks for the good news, I’m thankful to all who voted for me. I had one of my best seasons last year and I’m training hard to try and have as good as season, or better, this coming year.

Jessie Diggins: Wow, what an honor! Thank you very much. It was such an incredible experience, racing at World Championships this past winter and getting to be leg one of the relay that won the first ever gold for US cross-country skiing at the World Champs! The race itself is hard to remember since it was a blur of emotion, tactics, and excitement, but I do remember the hit of adrenaline when my pole was pulled out of my hand and I had to skate without one for a hundred meters up the hill. And of course tagging off to Kikkan, who has been my role model for a long time, and watching her cross the finish line way ahead of the other teams was incredible. The coaches and our wax techs did such an incredible job of making that day run smoothly and our teammates there cheering made the day perfect. Hopefully our experiences at the Olympics will feel the same!

Erik Bjornsen: It’s an honor to win overall u23 male skier of the year, especially with such a strong group of young guys right now. I was super happy with my results last year. It seemed like every few races I was setting a new personal record. Last year I raced at my first World Cups and was a member of the World Championships team. I hope I can take another step in my career. There are lots of exciting races next year and I’m shooting for a medal in the Under 23 World Championships. I’m training hard to be prepared to give the 2013-2104 season the best I’ve got!

Sophie Caldwell: I was really happy with how the year went and I’m looking forward to getting some more international experience this coming year. We had a great group of Juniors and U23s in Liberec (Cze) and while I’m sad to no longer be a U23 skier, I’m excited to compete in some more World Cups next year!

Graham Nishikawa: Thanks!  I had a great season with many highlights. The biggest was definitely my 15th place at the Canmore World Cups.  I’m looking forward to building on this momentum going into next season.

Sadie Bjornsen: It is an honor to be considered the woman’s continental cup skier of the year. Last season was filled with a slew up highs and a few lows; but I was excited to come away from the season with many break-through races and experiences in Europe. Aside from the many exciting team events that I got to participate in with my teammates, my favorite moment was joining my teammates with my first top 10 on the World Cup. It is pretty exciting to be able to say that all six woman on the National Team at that time had raced individually in the top ten. Now with one more teammate, and a new year coming, we are going to keep that tradition flowing.

Tim Burke: Last season was definitely my most successful season on the World Cup.  This gives me a lot of confidence heading into the Olympic year.  I am looking forward to working hard and doing everything within my ability to be at my best next year in Sochi.

Stay tuned for our announcement of the prize winners coming this week.

 SkiTrax 2012-2013 North American (NA) Nordic Ski Award Winners
———————————————————————————————-

Best Overall Elite Male Skier
Alex Harvey

Best Overall Elite Female Skier
Kikkan Randall

Best Sprinter Male
Andy Newell

Best Sprinter Female
Kikkan Randall

Best Distance Skier Male
Ivan Babikov

Best Distance Skier Female
Liz Stephen

Best Overall Conti Cup Male Skier
Graham Nishikawa

Best Overall Conti Cup Female Skier
Sadie Bjornsen

Best Overall U23 Male Skier
Erik Bjornsen

Best Overall U23 Female Skier
Sophie Caldwell

Best Overall Junior Male Skier
Raphaël Couturier

Best Overall Junior Female Skier
Cendrine Brown

Best Overall Collegiate Male
Harry Seaton

Best Overall Collegiate Female
Joanne Reid

Paul Robbins Best Breakthrough or Exceptional Nordic Performance(s) (Male or Female)
Jessica Diggins/Kikkan Randall

Best Overall Biathlete Male
Tim Burke

Best Overall Biathlete Female
Zina Kocher

Best Overall Nordic Combined Male
Bill Demong

Best Overall Ski Jumping Male
Yukon De Leeuw

Best Overall Ski Jumping Female
Sarah Hendrickson

Best Overall Para-Nordic Male
Brian McKeever and guide Erik Carleton (visually impaired)

Best Overall Para-Nordic Female
Colette Bourgonje (sit ski)

July 02, 2013 (Rumford, Maine) – As many of you may know, the Maine Winter Sports Center announced last week that its ending its 10-year relationship with Black Mountain effective at the end of July. While Maine Winter Sports Center will not be involved in the ownership, or operations moving forward its very important to me that this historic resource continue and thrive for generations to come. We are very proud of the work that has been done at Black Mountain and proud of the progress that’s been made to advance skiing in Maine. If Black Mountain is to continue it will require strong support from the community so please give generously.

Andy Shepard

President & CEO

Donate to Black Mountain
Historic Black Mountain of Maine, a non-profit ski area that has been an epicenter of Nordic racing and alpine skiing, as well as the healthy, active outdoor lifestyle in Maine for three generations, had its best year ever last year, but lost its funding source.

The Nordic trails have hosted every level of competition from World Championships, to USSA National Championships, Maine State high school and middle schools state championships, Bill Koch Festivals, J2 championships, Eastern High School Championships, the Sassi Memorial – Maine’s unofficial all-class state championship and the Chummy Broomhall College State Championships. Black Mountain, the Chummy Broomhall stadium and the hundreds of Chisholm volunteers in their red jackets, have been the force behind Nordic skiing in the East.

The alpine ski mountain is 1,385 feet of vertical, Maine’s 4th tallest, has a beautiful post and beam lodge with two museums, two fireplaces, a cafe and Last Run lounge, a new snowmaking system, as well as four paved parking lots. Last year, in an effort to expand our mission of making skiing accessible to all Mainer’s, we began charging $15 for day tickets, even for vacation week, and $150 season passes with no blackout days. The result was dramatic growth, and a lot of new, young faces at the mountain.

We need your help to continue making healthy lifestyle choices accessible to everyone. Your tax deductible donations will help fund operations to keep Black Mountain open. I hope you will remember the role Black Mountain has played in your skiing career, or that of someone in your family and are inspired to give generously and pass the word to your friends to help as well.

To donate visit here.

June 28, 2013 – Liz Stephen of the US Ski team had a historic year in 2012/13, placing 5th in the 10k freestyle at the 2013 World Ski Championships (a best-ever finish for a US female), winning the Swiss National Championship 5km FR, along with a victory at the U.S. Distance Championships 30km CL.

Stephen was also part of the 4×5 km World Championships relay team that made US Ski team women’s history placing 4th. She was also part of the Olympic squad in 2010 and earned bronze at the U23 World Championships in 2008.

You were over in Norway for a personal training camp, and were recently up on the Sognefjell Snowfield. Are you training with specific athletes or did you join a Norwegian ski team camp?
Liz Stephen: I joined up with the Norwegian ski team for their 6-day camp. It was a really great experience and I am really grateful to their coaches, Egil and Roar who made it possible for me to join. I have really enjoyed the last two summers when I have gone over to Scandinavia to train with some new skiers and have made lasting friendships that makes living in Europe for five months much more enjoyable. Part of what is so great about this sport is making friends, but also learning from one another and trying to raise the level of the whole sport by sharing training ideas, pushing one another, and getting to know the other athletes. It’s been a really fun and beneficial experience for me, and I was welcomed with open arms by the Norwegian Team and even spent three extra days in Oslo at Celine Brun Lie’s house because I was having so much fun with the girls I didn’t want to leave quite yet!

Last summer you and your US ski team teammates shared in a camp with the Swedish Women’s Ski Team in Sweden, and have had joint camps with the Canadian women in Alaska the past two summers. These must be positive experiences if you continue to do them each year?
LS: YES! Very positive! I have made so many new friends, learned so much from the Swedish and Norwegian Teams and had a really good time training hard with new groups of athletes. I think it really gives me a jump start to my summer of training and adds an element of fun that gets me psyched to work hard for the next four months before we hit the road in November again.

For North American athletes you spend most if not all of the winter in Europe. Does having friends on the different teams make the time away from home an easier experience?
LS: Yes, for sure. Our women’s team all feels like after spending time with the Swedish National Team last year we all have a great group of friends to hang with each weekend, and it makes the whole scene seem more like home and less intimidating. If you are away from home for five months, only spending time with your teammates, and racing 70 girls whom you only know by name, the scene gets very stale. Now that we feel we have friends in those 70 people who used to be just names on a result sheet, the whole atmosphere lightens and becomes much easier to enjoy and as a result, ski faster. Happy athletes perform better.

You are coming off your strongest World Cup season ever, and recorded the best ever distance finish (5th place 10km free technique) for a US female cross-country skier at the recent 2013 World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy. After such a successful season do you make any changes this summer or just try and replicate last year’s plan?
L.S.: There are always changes that I make to the training each year. Some years the changes are big and some years just little tweaks, but there are always things that I think of during the season, even on a good year that I think I can improve on during the next season’s preparation period. This year, I will just tweak the training from last year a bit, adding certain elements that I think were lacking a bit during the season, and taking away things that I tried but didn’t think made much of a difference.

You and your teammates gathered a great deal of attention at the start of the season with your first ever World Cup 4 x 5km relay podium, and followed up with a 4th place finish in the same event at the World Championships. Is an Olympic medal in the relay at “team” goal for the coming year in Sochi?
LS: Yes, that is for sure a huge goal of ours, and it is for sure my biggest goal for next year. I can’t imagine a more meaningful medal than one that is won by a team of people, though I believe any medal that is won, even individually, takes a team to make it happen.

If you don’t mind sharing, what are your individual goals from the coming year?
LS: My goals for the year are for a top 10 at the Tour de Ski, be a consistent top-10 World Cup skier, and my biggest individual race focus will be the Olympic 30K Freestyle race where I hope to win a medal.

Read more HERE.

June 28, 2013 – The London 2012 Olympic Games marked the first time in history that all countries participating in the Games had women athletes on their teams. As the number of women in sport continues to grow, we look for opportunities to increase that momentum by recognizing female athletes and leaders as influencers in the community. In raising the awareness of women in sport we hope that it will inspire other women to get active and involved as well. SIRC has compiled articles that cover leadership, coach-athlete relationships, motivation, and knee injuries.

June 24, 2013 – Check out the latest news from US skiers in training for the upcoming Olympic season. Jessie Diggins has bid adieu to her adventures in Park City and is headed to Stratton, VT; Noah Hoffman celebrated Summer Soltice Swedish style and contested the second annual U.S. Ski Team Sufferfest uphill road bike race at Sundance; Liz Stephen returned from Norway and now back in Utah she fills us in on her bro on Mt. Denali, Sufferfest and her favourite restaurant in Park City, Vinto; plus SMS Nordic reports on its first Eastern REG camp and Sadie Bjornsen gives us the scoop on the sun, beaches, rivers, paddling and rodeos Alaskan-style…

Jessie Diggins
Last couple days in the Wasatch
This is as close to home as I’ll get in the next month; a 2.5-hour layover in the Minneapolis airport! But that’s ok because I’m going from one awesome place to another; I’ve just left Park City and am en route to Stratton, where I’ll rejoin my club teammates that I haven’t seen in way too long!

Before I left Park City, I wanted to go on an adventure OD – a fun long workout that wasn’t directly related to roller skiing. So Cork and I hiked up Mount Timpanogos, the second highest peak in the Wasatch mountain range.
Read more here.

Noah Hoffman
Sufferfest
I went up to my teammate Liz Stephen’s house last night to celebrate Midsummer, a Swedish (European) holiday on the summer solstice. (We know we were a day late.) Liz really likes Sweden and can see herself living there someday. She made us a Swedish meal for the occasion. She recruited our coach Jason Cork to make the bulle (Swedish Pastry). Read more here.

SMS Nordic
Eastern REG Camp Update #1
Everyone arrived at SMS for our REG camp yesterday and settled in with a run, dinner and a short intro meeting. Today we started to get down to business.

USST coach Bryan Fish led the group through a V2 technique progression that started with… V2 with no poles….(6 repeats of a 15 second section)… Read more here.

Liz Stephen
Sunday Sundance Sufferfest
I’m not sure if you have noticed the super moon the last few nights, but it has been amazing.  Check it out tonight if you get a chance and haven’t seen it, as last night once the sun went down I couldn’t believe how bright my living room was with moonshine!  As I was looking at it, I was actually thinking about my brother, Andy, who for the last month has been in Alaska guiding trips for the American Alpine Institute (AAI) up Mt. Denali!  I realized last night, as I was admiring the moon from 8,200 feet, where I live, how much more amazing it must be to see it at 14,000 feet, which is where he and his team currently are on his second trip up the mountain in a month.  The last trip he led his team summited, but he was not able to, as one of the clients fell ill with altitude sickness and he stayed with her at 17,200 feet.  He is hoping to summit this time up, though he has assured me that, while summiting would of course be incredible, just being on the mountain and doing what he loves, is cool enough. Read more here.

Sadie Bjornsen
Summer is HERE!
What is summer in Alaska? I didn’t even know it existed. I can remember about 3 total sunny weeks that I have experienced in Alaska where I break out my shorts and tank tops. That’s why it’s always such a miracle when the heat makes its way up here! While we were at our camp in Bend I kept seeing pictures from Anchorage of people skiing in shorts and sports bras and I was worried I had missed my opportunity, but sure enough- when I got back, summer was still here! As amazing as the sun is in Alaska, it also has its challenges. I always get this feeling that when it is sunny, I have to be outside as much as possible. I want to do my training outside, eat my meals outside, do my homework outside, and do any form of activity outside…. but that doesn’t work so well. Read more here.

Dasha Gaiazova
Summer is HERE!
The Olympics are a scant 8 months away and I’m excited to be sharing my training and preparations progress with you as I make every workout count on the journey to Sochi. When compared to my last-minute Vancouver 2010 qualification, being already qualified for Sochi allows me to shift the focus entirely to performing on the Olympic race day and not worry about the qualification races along the way. It makes my purpose feel so simple and that’s just the way I like it… read more here.

June 22, 2013 (Canmore, AB) – Talkin’ with the Gravy Train is pleased to present Part 2 of our interview with Canadian cross-country skiing star Chandra Crawford from Canmore, AB, of Olympic fame who is training on her own for the Sochi 2014 Games… listen to Part 1 HERE.

We caught up with Crawford in Canmore, AB… she was enthusiastic and happy and addressed such topics as her decision to take a step back from competition last February, how well her training is going, and her preparations for the Sochi 2014 Olympic Games next February.

Chandra also talks with eloquence about what it’s like to recharge the batteries after what she called a “solid burnout”, and how she has found the joy in skiing and training again. The Canmore, Alberta native also speaks about health and happiness in this inspired interview. At the end, one thing is certain…Crawford will be a force to be reckoned with this coming season.

Interview with Chandra Crawford – Part 2

June 22, 2013 (Toronto, ON) – Welcome once again to the SkiTrax Annual North American (NA) Nordic Ski Awards honouring top skiers from across Canada and the USA for the 2012-2013 season determined by votes from readers at skitrax.com. We apologize for the delay in lauching our annual awards and hope the historic season that North American skiers enjoyed is still resonating with readers as it’s time to VOTE (link below) and perhaps win some great prizes from our award sponsors.

This season’s contenders are up against some very tough competition as North American skiers continued their charge to the top of the international ranks and there are many great names across all disciplines to select from.

These awards recognize Elite, U23 and junior skiers, along with Conti Cup, collegiate, biathlon, Nordic combined, jumping competitors plus Paranordic skiers as well.

Once again we expect a close battle in the Paul Robbins Best Breakthrough or Exceptional Nordic Performance(s) Male or Female as there were many historic and stellar breakthrough performance this year… what a season – our good friend Paul would be uber proud.

In total there are 22 categories for men and women so take your time and make your voice heard.

Plus there are some great prizes as all entrants are eligible to win one of five great prizes provided by Salomon, Swix, FI, Exer-Genie, and Auclair. Please include your email address [at the bottom] after submitting your selections if you wish to be eligible to win any prizes.

Prizes
1st – Salomon S-Lab Skate or Classic boots ($450sk/$299cl)
2nd – Swix T72 Iron (value $400)
3rd – F1 Sprint Skate roller skis (value $269)
4th – Exer-Genie XC Trainer (value $229)
5th – Auclair Rail Gloves (value $50)

Cast your votes and complete as many or as few categories as you like – but you are limited to only ONE entry per person.

Deadline – voting ends at 11pm (EST) on Sunday, June 30, 2013
Winners – announced on July 1, 2013

June 20, 2013 – This issue of the Worldloppet and FIS Marathon Cup Newsletter includes lots of important information, including a historical decision to open the series to smaller races as “associated” races. Plus, there are details about further AGM discussions, TV coverage of the FIS Marathon Cup, the new Worldloppet and FIS marathon cup race calendar, and other important dates and information.

Worldloppet main races 2013/2014 – Valid for recognition as a Worldloppet Gold Master

Date		Race name	Distance	Techn	Country
24.08.13	KANGAROO HOPPET	42 Km	FT	AUS
12.01.14	JIZERSKÁ PADESATKA	50 Km	CT	CZE
18.01.14	AMERICAN BIRKEBEINER: Open Track	50 Km	FT	USA
18.01.14	DOLOMITENLAUF: Classic Race	42 Km	CT	AUT
19.01.14	DOLOMITENLAUF	60 Km	FT	AUT
26.01.14	MARCIALONGA: Main	70 Km	CT	ITA
01.02.14	KÖNIG LUDWIG LAUF	50 Km	FT	GER
02.02.14	KÖNIG LUDWIG LAUF	50 Km	CT	GER
02.02.14	SAPPORO INT. SKI MARATHON: Main	50 Km	FT	JPN
08.02.14	LA TRANSJURASSIENNE	50 Km	CT	FRA
09.02.14	LA TRANSJURASSIENNE *	57 Km	FT	FRA
09.02.14	LA TRANSJURASSIENNE	76 Km	FT	FRA
09.02.14	TARTU MARATON: Open Track	63 Km	FT	EST
15.02.14	GATINEAU LOPPET	51 Km	CT	CAN
16.02.14	GATINEAU LOPPET	51 Km	FT	CAN
16.02.14	TARTU MARATON	63 Km	CT	EST
22.02.14	AMERICAN BIRKEBEINER: Main CT	54 Km	CT	USA
22.02.14	AMERICAN BIRKEBEINER: Main	50 Km	FT	USA
22.02.14	FINLANDIA- HIIHTO	50 Km	CT	FIN
23.02.14	FINLANDIA- HIIHTO	50 Km	FT	FIN
23.02.14	VASALOPPET: Oppet Spar	90 Km	CT	SWE
24.02.14	VASALOPPET: Oppet Spar	90 Km	CT	SWE
01.03.14	BIEG PIASTOW: Main	50 Km	CT	POL
02.03.14	VASALOPPET	90 Km	CT	SWE
09.03.14	ENGADIN SKIMARATHON	42 Km	FT	SUI
14.03.14	BIRKEBEINERRENNET: FredagsBirken	54 Km	CT	NOR
15.03.14	BIRKEBEINERRENNET: Main	54 Km	CT	NOR
15.03.14	DEMINO SKI MARATHON: Main	50 Km	FT	RUS

Worldloppet short races 2013/2014 – Valid for recognition as a Worldloppet Silver Master

Date	Race name	Distance	Techn	Country
25.08.13	KANGAROO HOPPET: Austr. Birke	21 Km	FT	AUS
10.01.14	JIZERSKÁ PADESATKA: Bedrichovska	30 Km	FT	CZE
11.01.14	JIZERSKÁ PADESATKA: Jizerska 25	25 Km	CT	CZE
18.01.14	AMERICAN BIRKEBEINER: Open Track	25 Km	FT	USA
18.01.14	DOLOMITENLAUF: Classic Race	20 Km	FT	AUT
19.01.14	DOLOMITENLAUF: Lienz Lauf	25 Km	FT	AUT
23.01.14	MARCIALONGA: Lavazèloppet	22 Km	CT	ITA
26.01.14	MARCIALONGA: Light	45 Km	CT	ITA
01.02.14	KÖNIG LUDWIG LAUF: short	23 Km	FT	GER
02.02.14	KÖNIG LUDWIG LAUF: short	23 Km	CT	GER
02.02.14	SAPPORO INT. SKI MARATHON: Short	25 Km	FT	JPN
08.02.14	LA TRANSJURASSIENNE: Transju	25 Km	CT	FRA
09.02.14	LA TRANSJURASSIENNE: Transju	25 Km	FT	FRA
09.02.14	TARTU MARATON: Open Track	31 Km	FT	EST
15.02.14	GATINEAU LOPPET	31 Km	FT	CAN
16.02.14	GATINEAU LOPPET	31 Km	CT	CAN
16.02.14	TARTU MARATON	31 Km	CT	EST
21.02.14	VASALOPPET: KortVasan	30 Km	CT	SWE
22.02.14	AMERICAN BIRKEBEINER: Korteloppet	23 Km	FT	USA
22.02.14	FINLANDIA- HIIHTO	32 Km	CT	FIN
22.02.14	VASALOPPET: TjejVasan *	30 Km	CT	SWE
23.02.14	FINLANDIA- HIIHTO	20 Km	FT	FIN
25.02.14	VASALOPPET: HalvVasan	45 Km	CT	SWE
02.03.14	BIEG PIASTOW: Short CT	26 Km	CT	POL
02.03.14	BIEG PIASTOW: Short FT	30 Km	FT	POL
02.03.14	ENGADIN SKIMARATHON: Frauenlauf	17 Km	FT	SUI
08.03.14	BIRKEBEINERRENNET: Inga Laami *	15/30 Km	CT	NOR
09.03.14	BIRKEBEINERRENNET: HalvBirken	28 Km	CT	NOR
09.03.14	ENGADIN SKIMARATHON: Halbmarathon	21 Km	FT	SUI
16.03.14	DEMINO SKI MARATHON: Short	25 Km	CT	RUS

FIS Marathon Cup

15.12.2013	FT	La Sgambeda	42 km	ITA
12.01.2014	CT	Jizerská padesátka	50 km	CZE
19.01.2014	FT	Dolomitenlauf	60 km	AUT
26.01.2014	CT	Marcialonga	70 km	ITA
09.02.2014	FT	La Transjurassienne	54/76 km	FRA
16.02.2014	CT	Tartu Maraton	63 km	EST
22.02.2014	FT	American Birkebeiner	50 km	USA
01.03.2014	CT	Bieg Piastow	50 km	POL
09.03.2014	FT	Engadin Skimarathon	42 km	SUI

More information: www.worldloppet.com
Visit also the official Worldlooppet Facebook Page
Never miss an info about the world of marathon skiing – follow @WLandFISMaCup

June 06, 2013 (Stowe, Vermont) – Stowe, Vermont’s Trapp Family Lodge has been selected as Host of the 2014 Junior National Cross Country Ski Championships.  The community celebrations and races, sanctioned by the United States Ski Association (USSA) will be held March 1-8, 2014 on the Trapp Lodge’s 100-kilometer network of cross-country ski trails.

The awarding of this national race to the Trapp Family Lodge may come as a surprise to people unfamiliar with cross-country skiing. A little-known fact is that Johannes von Trapp started what is considered to be the first full service cross-country ski center in America, in 1968 [cleared trails, built a ski shop, and stocked rental gear in 1968]. The youngest son of Maria and the Baron von Trapp, Johannes foresaw a growing interest in what was then viewed as primarily a European pastime.

The Trapp Family Lodge cross-country complex includes man-made snow when needed, warming huts, and full service equipment rentals and sales. The world class racing course has long met all of the facility, logistical and homological course requirements of the International Ski Federation. Over the last few decades it has been a favorite venue for the Eastern Cup races, and has hosted many NCAA National Championships.

For more information visit www.trappfamily.com

June 06, 2013 (Dubrovnik, Croatia) – FIS Newsflash caught up with FIS Cross-Country World Cup sprint champion Kikkan Randall (USA) on the eve of the 2013 FIS Calendar Conference. Randall is present in Cavtat-Dubrovnik (CRO) for her role as one of the two Athlete Representatives for Cross-Country Skiing within the FIS Athlete Commission. The FIS Council has to formally confirm all members on June 10.

You were recently re-elected as the female athlete representative for Cross-Country Skiing. It was four years ago in 2009 when you first attended one of these meetings that just happened to be in Cavtat-Dubrovnik as well. Looking back over those four years, do you return to this location with positive feelings from your role as a Cross-Country Athlete rep?
Kikkan Randall: You know being back here in Dubrovnik really helps me reflect on the past four years. When I arrived the first time in Dubrovnik I really didn’t know what I was doing, and now four years later I know the ropes much better and have built what I feel is a solid platform for me to be able to represent the needs of the athletes.

What is on the agenda for you this year?
KR: We had a very productive athlete’s survey that focused on a few things on the calendar. For next season and the seasons beyond, we will be able to provide clear and direct feedback on things like what competitions and formats the athletes would like to see. Also I will continue to work to improve little things like athlete areas and execution of prize money payment. These are small details but this is a great time to bring attention to those items here at the meetings. It’s also important that I also take back what I learn here and present it to the athletes.

During your first term as athlete rep you were partnered with Sami Jauhojärvi of Finland. What were your first moves to build influence within FIS on behalf of the athletes?
KR: Working with Sami we developed a network and a way of getting feedback from the athletes and presenting it in a manageable form for the FIS Cross-Country Committee. Over those four years the process has become more refined and we now have an established pathway to make the needs and the concerns of the athletes heard.

As a result of your work on behalf of the athletes, you now have a voting right at the table of the FIS Cross-Country Committee. That is a first time for such a right for athlete representatives within FIS.
KR: I think that is one of the biggest accomplishments that Sami and I have achieved over the past four years. It’s huge for us. We really took the lead from the IOC Athlete Commission, where they have representation at the highest level on their Executive Board.

Aside from the FIS meetings, how is your training going in the new year?
KR: Our US competition season continued about 2 weeks longer than usual this year, so it feels like it has been a quick turnaround since my season ended, but I have been back to training again for three weeks now. I am being cautious so far to make sure none of the foot trouble I had last season resurfaces. It’s been a good start and enthusiasm is high with it being an Olympic year. I am hoping to be able to get a few little training sessions here while in Croatia.

Thank you for your time. Good luck with the meetings and the upcoming training and competition year.
KR: Thanks.

June 04, 2013 – Check out the latest news from US and Canadian National Team skiers following their first training camp in Bend, OR. Liz Stephen reports from Norway, while Ivan Babikov is back in Canmore, Kikkan Randall and Noah Hoffman are in Park City, Perianne Jones is on pink roller skis, Ida Sargent reports from Craftsbury and Sadie Bjornsen does a Bend wrap up….

Liz Stephen
Sognefjell Norway:
I have successfully made it to the Sognefjell snowfield for another week of training on snow! I flew after our Bend camp ended and met up with Astrid Jacobsen who picked me up from the bus station and brought me to her house to spend the night. It was really nice to stay with Astrid, as she made me feel right at home immediately, and after going to a run in the forest we went to her parents home for a delicious dinner of salmon, potatoes and salad followed by Norwegian ice cream and “American” blueberries.
Read more HERE.

Ivan Babikov
Back to training, or to Bend and Back:
Another month pass,  and for me that means there is one month less of training left till Sochi. One month less to get ready, to get faster, to get stronger. Ever since I recovered from last season, and started my summer training, I’m trying to cherish every single work out, knowing that every minute, of every training is important, that’s all going to count in about 8 month, out there in Russian mountains, not too far from Sochi.
Few days ago I returned from Bend OR. Our team love that place. We spent 10 days of good quality training, getting back to some hard intensity, heavy weights in the gym but most importantly skiing up at the Mt. Bachelor. We got lucky with some fresh snow and days with temp around 0C. So it was perfect and probably the best skiing condition in the World for the end of May, at least that’s how I felt. For the fun we escaped to the Oregon coast for our day off, to enjoy some surfing.  Bend is one of the best places for training I know and we’ll be going back there for an altitude training camp in July.
Read more HERE.

Kikkan Randall
Daily Training Rap:
Check out Kikkan Randall’s Daily Training Rap on SkiTrax.com for an inside look at how a superstar skier makes it happen, how she trains with some inside scoops…
Took the leisure of sleeping in all the way until 7:30am! Went for a short and easy jog on a cool but beautiful morning. Managed to get quite productive on my computer for a couple hours before hoping on the shuttle to the Redmond airport. A quick and easy direct flight brought us to Park City and we spent the rest of the afternoon and evening getting settled in. Stopping by the US Ski Team COE felt a little like coming home.
Read more HERE.

Noah Hoffman
Salt Lake Bees:
Today was the busiest day I’ve ever seen at the U.S. Ski Team’s Center of Excellence. The parking lot was completely full. The alpine women are required to live in Park City this summer (except for the A team). They all arrived over the weekend. My teammates were also all in the gym treadmill testing. The alpine ladies (and halfpipe skier Tucker Perkins) pulled the spin bikes outside to enjoy the beautiful day. I don’t quite understand why they don’t just go for a ride.
I had a busy day beginning with a blood test at 7:30 a.m. The U.S. Ski Team has us do the test to check important measures. I’m not sure what they are looking for, but I know iron levels are one important metric. Every time I have had my blood drawn everything has been normal. I would be surprised if this test shows anything different.
Read more HERE.

Perianne Jones
Pink Skis? Yes Please!:
Today I was testing out the new pink rollerskis thanks to CCC supplier Peter Rozmovits at Canada Winter Sports!
Not even the rain could dampen my spirits with these boards on my feet! Is there such a thing as too much pink?… probably.
Read more HERE.

Ida Sargent
Springtime!:
Rabbit Rabbit, it’s June 1st!  While summer may not officially begin until the summer solstice later this month, it’s sunny and warm, everything is lush and green (even in Park City), training has ramped back up to big levels, and I’m feeling the excitement which comes with the start of a new season.  But first here’s a look back at my spring.

This was the first year which I wasn’t in school for the spring so after a week in Hawaii, a settled into the routine at home in Craftsbury.  There were lots of projects going on so even as I was just building into training, I felt busier than ever and loved it.  We had a beautiful stretch of perfect weather and rushed to get the gardens planted during the burst of blooming.  Alex Howe taught Emily Dreissigacker and I how to drive the tractor so we could rototil the gardens at Elinor’s.
Read more HERE.

Sadie Bjornsen
A New Season:
May marks the beginning of a new season… the Olympic Season. This year the racing ran a little further into the spring than normal- so the start of the new training year began a little later as well. This meant that the “start” landed during Bend, Oregon for the past two weeks.

For all three years I have been on the National Team, our first camp has been in Bend – where we spend the mornings skiing on Mt. Bachelor, and the afternoons dryland training in town. It is the ideal training condition, like we are living half summer and half winter. Unfortunately the sun didn’t shine as much as usual this camp which sometimes left me feeling like it was the middle of the winter in some situations… but it was still fun!
Read more HERE.

May 31, 2013 – Northug vs Legkov vs Hall (joke) – Please read the following article and see if you don’t have the same reaction I did. Of course, I wasn’t able to be there for the first two parts of the competition, but the  last test, we all can do – read the article here.

You, can’t tell me that when you see they’re only lifting 60kg – 132.5 lbs – it was down to the cellar for me. The big test was on… Legkov 25 reps and Northug pushed out 24 reps and Marty did 13 reps. I know pretty wimpy – but for a 75-year-old I think I was in the ball game and I’ll give it another go in the fall when I’m ramping up the weights. Yeah, have some fun – give it whirl – take on the big boys!

Nordic Dave, ND, Dave Knoop – I call him Doc D…the D being for Development. Doc Development is in charge of the only funded Development Nordic Program the USST has. This guy is a fund-raising machine the Nordies in the US have never seen the likes of – over $200 thousand dollars raised this past year and somewhere between $500 and a million dollars in the short number of years he has been doing this, and spent on all levels of development programs. Big emphasis on supporting those trips and  programs in Europe, that are so important in learning that those guys over there put their pants on just like we do over here. Like – the current US Nordic team, definitely knows how to do – one leg at a time!!!

So, remember, in the months ahead, the call will come from Doc D or ND to help out and let’s be ready to help him hit his target – big time!

Oh, one other little point I would like to make, since the USST/USSA hardly puts piddily-diddly into development, you would think, the least they could do, is give him some sort of recognition with one of the awards they hand out at the AGM every year. Park City – do something for God’s sake…

I’m Worried Big Time – I brag big time that I read everything Nordic – not true – but, I sure as hell try to and I’m seeing lots of little adjustments and verbiage that says Kikkan is still have problems with her feet. She every now and then cuts a workout short or misses a workout or spends time doing other types of training to reduce the load on her feet.

I’m sure after last year she and her support team are on top of this and have all the experts involved in the direction and adjustments to make this all get better. Not an easy chore, as she is in the early part of the season and the hours are going to continue to ramp up big time!

I’m sure she has orthotics and has Salomon doing everything they can do get her ski boots and running shoes adjusted and are tearing their hair to get it done. The hard part is that she is here in the US and Salomon is in France – distance kills these types of exchanges. It is a real hands on operation.

There is another possibility, about 3-4 years ago [Petter] Northug changed boot companies for the same reasons, as his boot last then just did not work for his feet. He went to the other company and low and behold they made boots for his feet that fit or their last was just more suitable to his feet.

Stay tuned.

Mr. Alpine, Ken Read – Are you surprised to see his name here? If you happen to know who he is? Read this so you can get to know him better.

Well, he is staying with the snow sports, but he is coming over to Nordic and is running for a BODs position at Cross Country Canada – beats the hell out of me! I’m sure stranger things have happened. His chances of getting elected – damn gooood in my estimation- he wouldn’t try it if he thought he would fail. Politics takes the cake!

Talk To You Soon.
misterxc@aol.com

May 31, 2013 (Canmore, AB) – We are excited to bring you Cross Country Canada’s “Inside Edge” video series. With action, interviews, strategy and much more, Inside Edge gives you unprecedented access to our National Ski Team as it takes on the world’s best.

In this eighth episode of The Inside Edge, we take an inside look into Senior World Cup Team early season testing on the roller ski treadmill. Athletes Devon Kershaw, Perianne Jones, Ivan Babikov and Len Valjas talk about their goals for the season ahead.

Thanks to our partners at Twin Zebra Productions. More episodes coming soon! To view Episodes 1-8 click HERE.

The Inside Edge Episode 8: 2013-14 Early Season Testing

May 31, 2013 (Bend, OR) – I have to say it’s funny that Bend actually manufactures plastic bags to ski in that say, “Mt. Bachelor Fun to the Last Drop” All of us Alaskans are constantly getting a hard time about the weather in Alaska yet everyday when we drive up to Mt. Bachelor it’s a blowing sideways and vacillating between snow and rain. I’ve never used my Salomon Zeros more. Ironically during our time in Bend Anchorage is experiencing perhaps the best weather window of the past decade. Apparently every day is beautiful and temps are upwards of 80F! I do find it ironic that I’ll go home and probably look pale in comparison to all the other Alaskans. When’s the last time that happened?

While it’s a bummer to ski around in tough conditions (one day was like skiing circles in a giant puddle of Elmer’s Glue) it’s good practice. Yes, there is a silver lining. The coach’s go-to saying during these tough days are, “Great Championships Conditions!” While this could be seen as blind optimism it is, in fact, brutally realistic. The Vancouver Olympic snow was skiing in slush sometimes over my boots, the fog of 2011 World Champs Oslo had visibility of about 10 feet and this year @ Val di Fiemme we faced some difficult waxing conditions. So, if the championships aren’t going to be straight extra blue, perhaps skiing in glue & rain is good for us?

In addition to all the training & meetings we hosted a Fast and Female event at the Bend Athletic Club. We had approximately 45 local girls as well as girls that traveled from Portland, Leavenworth, WA and other places to take part. I was lucky enough to lead the older group (ages 15-19) and we had an awesome goal setting session. Individually we each made goals that fell into four separate categories: Short term, long term, quantitative & qualitative. Afterwards the girls had the opportunity to share goals (if they wished) with the group – thought being that if you actually vocalize your goals, one is able to draw support, encouragement and ideas from friends and peers. It was a really cool session!

Here are some anonymous comments from girls that attended our event via Facebook:

“Those days you’ll never stop smiling.
Best day of my life.”

“Today. I am completely speechless. I have always had a passion for skiing and I couldn’t love something more. Today changed that. It is one thing to look up to someone but to meet them and talk with them is more then I could ever hope for in my whole life. I can’t thank the U.S. Ski Team enough. This is why I do what I do. Because of you.”

“Yesterday I got to spend the day with the greatest friends anyone could ask for and with all the women I idolize. The women that I have posters of, the ones my team looks up to, truly are inspirational. I couldn’t thank anyone enough. The ski community is incredible.”

It was AWESOME getting the chance to meet the girls from the Leavenworth Ski Club: Becca, Julia, Lydia & Keiren… these girls have a great thing going on with their club – keep up the great spirit ladies!

And – because I don’t think I’ve done it publicly yet – I wanted to officially congratulate my coach, Erik Flora on being named USSA Cross Country International Coach of the Year AND USSA overall (out of all disciplines) Coach of the Year! Congratulations Erik!

Tomorrow is our last day in Bend and then Friday it’s off to Park City – home of the USST for tests and a short altitude block before heading home.

….. 252 days until Sochi 🙂

Have an awesome day,

Holly

May 31, 2013 – Check out a great interview with 2010 Nordic Combined Olympic Gold Medalist Billy Demong (USA). Steve Mesler of the 2010 gold medal winning four-man bobsled team does the interviewing honours as Demong reflects on Vancouver 2010 and articulates his feelings on the lead-up to Sochi 2014 as defending champion. “This year I didn’t medal at World Championships (individually), and for sure didn’t kill it, and I think that makes me more motivated for sure,” says Demong… read the interview HERE.

May 30, 2013 (Salt Lake City, UT) – The National Nordic Foundation, America’s grassroots Nordic foundation, and CXC Academy, an online training subscription service are partnering up for the 2013/14 season. CXC Academy will be contributing 50% of new annual training subscription to the National Nordic Foundation for the coming season.

We at the NNF are so thankful for programs like the CXC Academy who are stepping forward to support the NNF in its quest to provide opportunities and support to our developing American Nordic skiers.

This is a great opportunity for skiers of all abilities to get back to training with a focus for the 2013/14 ski season and at the same time support America’s developing Cross-Country and Nordic Combined skiers.

The National Nordic Foundation (NNF) is a grassroots, 501(c)3 organization that supports our developing American Cross-Country and Nordic Combined skiers. This past season through the support of our American Nordic community the NNF was able to support 69 athletes with European racing opportunities in addition to domestic training camps and competitions.

CXC Academy is a program of Central Cross Country Ski Association (CXC Skiing) and online subscription service that provides professional training plans and instructional videos for cross country skiers of all ages and skill levels. Whether you are a beginner skier looking to finish your first 5K, a Master skier training for a big ski event, or simply looking to improve your overall strength and fitness, we have a training program to meet your goals.

For more about these organizations go to:
www.nationalnordicfoundation.org
www.cxcacademy.com

May 25, 2013 – It’s Wednesday. Wednesday, May 22^nd to be exact and I’m down here in Central Oregon. Read: south; latitudinal-south anyway – especially for a kid from Sudbury, ON. And it’s snowing. Not just that “Christmas special on tv, lightly falling on the picture perfect pines” snow either, as we were greeted this morning to 7 inches of new snow on the Mt. Bachelor trails ahead of our planned intensity! Crazytown. But as a cross-country skier it was a serious blessing in disguise, as the snowpack up at Bachelor this season prior to the snowstorm had been the lowest I’ve ever seen it for our annual Bend camp.

As you’ve gathered – or if you read my previous Wednesday’s selection – I am indeed down here in Bend, Oregon for our first official training camp of the year. I absolutely love being down here and although there’s a good chance I will write this about every training camp of the year, I am a pretty sure that Bend is my favourite camp we do. The variety of great training we are able to bang out is unparalleled and the skiing up at Mt. Bachelor for late May in my experience has always been stellar. The terrain is perfect, there are a lot of kilometers groomed – so variety and congestion isn’t an issue and everyone is so excited to be back into the groove of training and preparing for the upcoming racing season meaning the stoke is high on all the faces you see out there – rain or shine.

On the training side of things, since Saturday I’ve already enjoyed four “on snow” workouts up at Bachelor, done some crushing strength sessions, some rollerskiing and a great run. Also, as is tradition down here in Bend, we’ve hit up some lunch-stop musts already too. The Victorian, Jackson’s Corner, and a new stop for us – “Chow” have all been enjoyed. A Canadian xc fav’ – Spork – isn’t open in their new location yet – so we are doing our best to do daily psychotherapy with Joel to keep him going. Along with great training opportunities, there’s no shortage of great little cafes/lunch zones down here and along with the lunch hits, Thump has been hit almost daily to enjoy some well-pulled espresso. Ok, I’ll admit it – we also even had ice cream one evening downtown, and yes – it was delicious. Perhaps not the nutritional A+ choice to get me up the immensely enormous climbs in Sochi, but on a warm evening with great friends after a couple decent workouts I challenge you to turn down a waffle cone.

The #1 focus of this Bend camp is obviously maximizing our on-snow time and more specifically defining and working on some technical goals we’ve addressed for the upcoming year. We’ve been doing a lot of that already and my body’s muscular and myofascial systems are what I’d imagine contestants on “the biggest loser” must feel like after their first workout in 27 years with a personal trainer. If you filmed me waking up in the morning and then slow-mo’ed it I’m pretty sure there would not be much discernable difference between me and an actual African hippo fighting his way out of the deepest/suckiest mud in an African river bank – with similar amounts of noise and volume accompanied. I’m sore.

Also, in some depressing news, it turns out I don’t know how to ski. Like at all. Justin has addressed some changes that are the priority – most notably a completely re-vamped double pole and one-skate – and I’ve been working really hard on it already. That explains the epic soreness, as I am using muscles that apparently I have never once used in all my 30 years on earth. I feel like a newborn foal taking their first shaky steps after birth, a lot of the movements’ feel foreign, forced and just plain bizarre. My abs and back are blasted and I’m trying my best not to just fall onto either the a) snow or b) pavement (depending if we are rollerskiing or on snow) in a pile of tears, alternating between pounding the surface and/or my head with my fists sobbing and saying “I suck, I’ll never get it, this is so hard” as snot and sadness roll down my face. If it was easy, everyone would ski beautifully, is the moral of the story. Doesn’t sound half-bad actually when put that simply… Still – these are changes I want and am committed to make, so (for now), I’m doing my best to suck it up.

Aside from napping, skyping Kristin, therapy, lunches out, coffee in, Stanley Cup playoff watching, meetings with coaches and other staff – I’ve also been reading a decent amount. I’m currently flying through “Indian Horse” by Richard Wagamese – which was one of the five selections in this year’s “CBC Canada Reads” contest. It’s an easy read, but definitely enjoyable with about 50 pages remaining. I am still trying my best to keep up with weekly New Yorker reading, and some great reads the last couple weeks are:

– Inherit the Wind, by Michael Specter
– Every Disease on Earth by Rivka Galchen
– Odd Ball by Ben McGrath
– The River Martyrs by Luke Mogelson

Just to name a few. The diversity and quality of writing really is so enjoyable and something I look forward to weekly.

The musical scene ticks along, although I don’t have much to report on as far as “new” goes other than does anybody else notice just how completely and exactly the same “The Royal Concept” sounds to “Pheonix” ?? I know right?!

One last thing – Kristin was involved in a bit of an accident with a car back in Oslo on rollerskis (she was hit by a car running a red light). She’s doing ok, two broken ribs, some stitches and pretty sore – but it could have been WAY worse. Let’s all remember when we are driving that bikes, runners, walkers, rollerskiers etc… are out using the roads and drive “heads up” out there. A lot of this stuff is avoidable if we aren’t distracted and drive with care.

That’s this Wednesday’s news – thanks for stopping by.

May 24, 2013 – The potential for a tragic roller ski accident is significant especially as more skiers take to the roads in the late summer and fall. My concern started with a driver complaint to the Craftsbury Select board about our club rollerski training on town roads. Our primary safety initiative when skiing on a quiet section of road with good visibility in Craftsbury was to put up caution signage along side the road and cones down the middle.

This gave a deceptive appearance of a safe venue but in fact made some drivers mad and probably more dangerous to our skiers. At the request of the select board I have discontinued this practice and instituted rigorous personal safety requirements for our club members. Club members are cautioned that they will be dismissed from the training session if they do not comply with these rules. They are particularly important when skiing on a section of road which has only two lanes or only a narrow bike lane.

1. Helmets required at all times.

2. Ski with traffic on the right side of the road.

3. Ski single file.

4. When skiing in a group the last person in the line calls “car back.” This is very important because skiers further up the line probably won’t hear a car coming due to the noise generated by the group.

5. Any time a car comes from the rear all skiers in a group or individuals skiing alone cease skating step and double pole, ski classic, or stop skiing all together and get as close to the edge of the pavement as possible. Do not resume skate skiing until you are sure there is not another car coming from behind.

6. Avoid skiing in large groups which make it difficult for cars to pass. Spread out into several smaller groups.

7. Be particularly vigilant when a car is coming from behind and another car or skier is approaching from in front. If necessary, step off the road completely.

8. When you stop skiing, all skiers in group, including the coach, should get entirely off the pavement.

9. Car drivers are much more familiar with bicycles on the road than roller skiers. The more a skier acts like responsible bike rider with regard to behavior, following rules of the road, and the space he or she occupies, the more likely a car will pass safety, without incident. Few drivers can relate to the amount of space that a roller skier takes up while skating.

Roller Ski Safety by John Brodhead, Craftsbury Nordic Center

May 23, 2013 (Oslo, Norway_ – Kristin Størmer Steira was injured after being hit by car during a roller skiing training session in Oslo on Tuesday. Størmer Steira, who suffered two broken ribs and a sprained an ankle, was not at fault. She will need to train intermittently over the next few weeks. “I am bruised a lot. Considering all the circumstances I am in a good shape. I am happy it did not get worse and I hope I will be training again soon,” said Størmer Steira in an interview with www.skiforbundet.no.

May 22, 2013 – Here is Part 2 of our interview with USST’s Liz Stephen on Talkin’ with the Gravy Train. Stephen, 26, of East Montpelier, Vermont was a talented young alpine skier years ago who switched to cross-country skiing from alpine while in the 8th grade at Burke Mountain Academy. Now she’s completed her 8th year on the US Ski Team and talks about her stellar season, the importance of team, and the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games that loom ahead – for Part 1 click here.

Interview w/Liz Stephen – Part 2

May 22, 2013 (Saint Petersburg, Russia) – Under the theme “The State of Our Industry – Examining the Health of Sport”, this year’s SportAccord Convention will get underway on May 26 in Saint Petersburg (RUS). In the gathering of leading representatives from the sport industry, FIS will be represented by President Gian Franco Kasper, Secretary General Sarah Lewis and Marketing Manager Marcel Looze.

In two days of debate and discussion, industry leaders will take the pulse of sport as it continues to grow rapidly as a business and a force in society. In addition to the conference sessions and various gatherings of International Sports Federations, the convention hosts the SportAccord Presidential Election. On 31st May, the General Assembly will appoint a new President to replace Hein Verbruggen of the Netherlands who has led SportAccord since 2004.

Another highlight will be the launch of the medals for the 2014 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. They will be presented on 30th May during a special ceremony conducted by Sochi 2014 CEO Dmitry Chernyshenko, who will also be a featured speaker during the conference sessions.

Designed by Russian jewellery manufacturer Adamas, the “Sochi medals will have a unique design, different from all previous editions of the Olympic Games, underlining the originality and distinctiveness of Russia,” Sochi 2014 announced in a statement.
Originally launched in 2003, the annual Sport Accord Convention has been held in a different country each year and encompasses the Congress and General Assemblies of over 100 International Sports Federations and their related Associations. The six-day gathering offers more than 1’500 representatives from international sport an opportunity to network, share knowledge and develop ideas on broadening sport’s collective endeavours.

To learn more about the convention, click here.

May 19, 2013 – Puerto Alcudia in Mallorca and Riksgränsen are going to be the first locations of the new cross-country season for the Swedish national team. “The men will be biking and running in southern latitudes while women want to ski on snow north of the Arctic Circle,” said Sweden’s head coach Rikard Grip.

On Tuesday the national team gathered in Värmdölandet in Stockholm to plan and carry out activities together with the Swedish Olympic Committee.

“The atmosphere and spirit in the team is beautiful. Both athletes and team officials are fully motivated,” claimed Grip. “We have the basic plan ready, now we have to make a really good job to deliver successful results in the Olympics.”

The men’s national team is led by newly appointed coach and former athlete Mats Larsson. Like last year Marcus Hellner and Co. will kick off the preparation for next season in Mallorca. The aim of the first training camp of the off-season is to get ready for hard workouts that will come later in the year.

“We will start training in an easy way in a pleasant climate. We do not want to start with long tough running workouts. Instead, we are going to use biking a lot to get ready for the volume training,” explained Grip. The men’s squad will be enjoying the Spanish sun from May 18-25.

The women’s team with Ida Ingemarsdotter, Charlotte Kalla and Emma Wikén begin preparation for the Olympic winter in Riksgränsen where snow conditions for skiing are still very good. The women’s squad has a new coach, Mattias Persson. “We had a good camp in Riksgränsen last year and the girls prefer a skiing camp to be able to test a lot of material,” added Grip. The women’s team will be training in Riksgränsen from May 18-24.