November 17, 2011 (West Yellowstone, MT) – Here’s the official update from West Yellowstone: BRING A PUFFY JACKET because it’s COLD out here! Or at least a weight vest, and put hand warmers in the pockets. Seriously, I’m not kidding – on my website I have a short video…taken by Cork, so you know it’s good 🙂

But gliding out on the perfectly groomed trails, with bomber kick thanks to some Toko green….it’s days like today that remind me why I love this sport so much! So here’s the snow report: it’s really good right now, so good that I’ve been skiing on my good skis. Most of the trails are groomed, and the tracks are perfect right now. According to the weather report, we’re getting some amount of snow every day and there’s a storm coming in Friday. So if you’re driving out soon….bring tall boots and warm clothes!

This year the CXC team is staying in this awesome little house in town. It’s really nice to be living together, and have our own kitchen! Not to mention communication on training times and team meetings are much, much easier.

Every year, I really look forward to my first week out at West Yellowstone. Basically, it’s just a big training and socializing week! With skiing every morning and afternoon and seeing most of my buddies out on the trails…it’s paradise for an athlete.

Today we did our first classic ski, and after a little struggling up the hills (rollerskis are SO nice sometimes!) the technique snapped back into place and the long boards no longer felt so awkward. I’m really looking forward to some great training!

Also, for those of you participating in/watching the National Nordic Foundation Drive for 25… it was a success! 526 donors nation-wide, $22,841 dollars raised to help send junior athetes to Europe to gain critical experience!

Thanks so much to those involved, at any level!

November 15, 2011 (Punta Arenas, Chile) – On November 16, 2011 a team of six adventurers will fly to the continent of Antarctica. The team consists of Canadian, Richard Weber, internationally renowned North Pole adventurer; Britain, Chris De Lapeunte; Americans Kathy Braegger and Ruth Storm; New Zealander Michael Archer and South African Howard Fairbank. The entire team will start skiing from the Filchner Ice Shelf at a location called the “Messner Start”, 900 km from the South Pole. The team will pull all their supplies in sleds. Howard Fairbank will ski off on his own, for a solo attempt. The journey to the South Pole should take about 35 days.

At the South Pole, they will receive a re-supply; the skiers will change boots, skis and sleds. Ruth Storm will fly back. Howard will re-join the team. Then the team will kite-ski 1,100 km back to the edge of the Antarctic continent at Hercules Inlet. The South Pole is at an altitude of almost 10,000 feet. Cold air flows from the Pole down toward sea level. Using this wind, the team should reach Hercules inlet in about 15 days. The team is scheduled to fly out of Antarctica on January 12, 2012.

Despite numerous South Pole expeditions these days, a round trip to the South Pole has only be completed twice in history. Once by Amundsen in 1911, and another team in 2004, but never on this route. The expedition blog will be posted here at skitrax.com – and on WeberArctic.com… check back regularly for updates.

Richard Weber is a world leader in polar expeditions. He has trekked to the North Pole more than anyone in history. In 1995, he completed the only expedition to reach the North Pole and return with no outside assistance. He is in the Guinness Book or records for the fastest North and South Pole expeditions.

November 14, 2011 (Toronto, ON) – We are excited to announce that over 200 teams have registered so far for the annual SkiTraxFIS Fantasy World Cup 2011/12 Contest. Nordic ski fans around the world are anticipating the season launch this weekend and the contest deadline is fast approaching.

The final day to register your team for a chance to win fabulous prizes is November 18, the day before the first FIS World Cup race in Sjusjoen, Norway. The SkiTrax Fantasy Contests are the only contests of their kind worldwide, so don’t miss your chance to enjoy top level xc ski racing and win great prizes –  good luck to all contestants.

To register click HERE.

SkiTrax Fantasy FIS World Cup 2011/12 Contest Prizes
* 1st Prize – Fischer 11/12 Carbonlite Hole Skis, Xcelerator Bindings, Carbonlite Poles (value $1,100)
* 2nd Prize – SkiGo Carbon 780 Roller Skis (value $580)
* 3rd Prize – Alpina ESK Ski Boots (value $449)
* 4th Prize – Bjorn Daehlie Exclusive US XC Ski Suit (value $300)
* 5th Prize – Sporthill XC Pants/Tights and Glacier Top (value $220)
* 6th Prize – Fresh Air Experience or High Peaks Cyclery Gift Certificate (value $150)
* 7th Prize – Rottefella Xcelerator Skate/Classic Bindings (value $130)
* 8th Prize – Bliz Proflip Visor (value $129)
* 9th Prize – Concept2 Goodie Duffle Bag (value $100)
* 10th Prize – Auclair Micro Mountain Olympic Gloves + Earbags (value $65)
* WCup Breaks – Buff Headware (value $22) to top 3 contest leaders before the Tour de Ski

Thanks to all of our great sponsors, including Fischer, SkiGo, Alpina, Bjorn Daehlie Clothing, Sporthill, Fresh Air Experience, High Peaks Cyclery, Rottefella, Bliz, Concept 2, Auclair, and Buff.

SkiTrax is North America’s leading Nordic skiing publication and the official magazine of the United States Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) and Cross Country Canada (CCC).

November 14, 2011 (Bruksvallarna, Sweden) – Watch video highlights of Maurice Manificat’s win in the men’s 15k freestyle race in Bruskvallarna, Sweden, which took place on Saturday, November 12. As reported by SkiTrax earlier, Manificat (FRA) bested the field of 179 competitors, winning in 32:35.9. Sweden’s Johan Olsson finished in 2nd, and Norway’s Petter Northug took 3rd, finishing 18 seconds back of Manificat.

http://youtu.be/PeZems4spWM

November 13, 2011 (Bruksvallarna, Sweden) – The FIS cross country ski race season kicked off this weekend with two days of racing in Bruksvallarna, Sweden, that featured many of the top World Cup skiers from Scandinavia, Europe and Canada. Event organizers were forced to reduce the number of races to a single men’s and women’s freestyle race on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, due to the lack of snow. Both events were interval start races run on a 2.5k loop of artificial snow.

France’s Maurice Manificat (FRA) triumphed in the men’s 15k on Saturday. Sweden’s Johan Olsson finished in 2nd, shaking off a shoulder injury suffered earlier in the fall. Norway’s Petter Northug set the early pace but could not hold on, eventually finishing 18 seconds back of Manificat in 3rd place.

The race featured a huge field of 179 men racing six laps of the 2.5k loop that organizers worked hard all week to get in shape for the race. Despite fears of congestion and deteriorating snow, the course held up well and athletes contacted by SkiTrax had no complaints.

The top Canadians in Bruksvallarna were Alex Harvey (10th), followed by Len Valjas (18th) and Devon Kershaw (28th). Harvey skied a strong race and was consistently in or near the top 10 through the splits after the first few kilometres, but slowly lost ground to the leaders, eventually finishing 48 seconds behind Manificat. “It is a satisfying result for me, especially since it’s a 15km skate individual, arguably my ”worst” event but I feel like I’m better than this,” Harvey told SkiTrax by email.

Valjas notched another excellent distance result with an 18th place finish. Starting in bib number 121, Valjas crossed the line as the fastest racer up to that point, but, with another 60 competitors still on course, he had a long wait before knowing how well his time would stand up.

“I started really slow, way too slow actually. My first split at 1km had me in 54th!” Valjas confided, “I slowly picked up the pace throughout the race and by the last lap I was feeling really strong trying to make up as much lost time as possible.

As soon as Justin [Wadsworth] was giving me the splits that I was the current leader I knew it was hammer time.  I had a really strong finishing lap. I actually skied the last 1.5kms the same speed as Northug. I was pretty proud of that, since he is know as the king of finishing strong.”

“I was pretty pumped to cross the line in first, its not an easy feat with 120 Europeans starting before you,” Valjas added. “I knew there was around 60 world cup skiers still to finish after me, so I expected a bunch of them to beat my time … I didn’t expect to be in the top 20 with this tough of a field, it was a nice surprise.”

Something about the Bruksvallarna course certainly seems to suit Valjas, who is known as a sprint specialist – Valjas was a surprise fourth place finisher in this race last year. He will now make the trip to Sjusjoen next weekend for the World Cup opener, which features a 15km FR race and a 4x10k relay, suggesting that Valjas is earning some recognition as a distance skier as well.

Kershaw, meanwhile, was clearly disappointed with his race, calling it a “career worst start” on Twitter after the race. “It started out okay,” he later told SkiTrax via email. “My first lap I was way too slow, but then I settled into an okay rhythm until 10km. From there, my legs became really heavy/bad and I started to lose my ability to accelerate out of corners/over the tops of the hills. I lost over 50 seconds to the lead in the last 5km, which is a horrendous stat …I just lost power and muscularly my legs failed me today.”

Kershaw also felt that the course didn’t suit his shape, given how his legs were feeling. “There were a lot of corners to accelerate out of – to carry your speed well into the short/punchy climbs. Also, on the soft uphills it was important to have the legs to attack over each small climb to carry your speed well on the short, turny descents.”

Also skiing for Canada were Graham Nishikawa, Kevin Sandau, and Drew Goldsack. Nishikawa, who started in bib 152, skied a strong and consistent race, crossing the line just outside the top 20 among racers to that point, but eventually fell to 45th place.

Sandau, a member of the so-called “convergence group” of development skiers, finished 52nd. “It was a pretty tough field and I thought it was a good race to start off the season,” he commented. Known to be a strong distance skier, Sandau conceded that the course in Bruksvallarna didn’t play to his strength. “The 2.5km course for the 15km wasn’t exactly my type of terrain; not much in the way of long climbs,” he added.

Another convergence group skier, Drew Goldsack, finished 82nd. Goldsack started out strong but quickly fell off the pace. “Today was a rough day for me,” he admitted in an email interview, “The 15km skate is one of my weaker disciplines but I was expecting to do much better than I did. I started well but had really bad cramping in my legs after only 3-4kms. It was a real suffer-fest for me for the rest of the race”.

Women’s Race

Sunday was the women’s turn with a 10km event. A total of 94 women from Scandinavia and Europe, as well as a handful of Canadians were on the start line. Local favourite Charlotte Kalla took the win over Russia’s Irina Khazova by an 18.3 second margin. Norway’s Hanna Brodin was third. Perianne Jones was the fastest Canadian in 20th. Chandra Crawford was 36th and Alysson Marshall skied to a 51st place finish.

Reached via email after the race, Crawford was excited to get back to racing and seemed satisfied with her result: “Feels great to have a race bib on and I feel really privileged because the races from now until Dusseldorf seem so sketchy! The race was a solid good hard day for me and the snow coverage was impressive considering the heat wave we are living with here in Scandinavia.”

Crawford also pointed out that she still has some fatigue to unload from a recent hard training block and that she is looking forward to showing better form once she is better recovered. “Body wise I have done a big block at the end of October and also the past 14 days here in Ostersund have been some of the most training I’ve done since I was in Alaska in August, so I was happy to get out there and push and know I have a good load to taper off into December’s skate sprints.”

Overall, despite a few disappointments, the Canadian performance in Bruksvallarna bodes well for the World Cup season, which kicks off next weekend in Sjusjoen, Norway. As Wadsworth and athletes like Crawford indicated, many team members are coming off a big block of training that is masking their underlying fitness. Each will be looking to taper at the right time in order to be at their best for key races.

In Kershaw’s case, Wadsworth points out that “…he needs to keep the hours up through the beginning of the year as he’s been training quite a lot – he’ll be there when it counts this year for sure. Both he and Alex have shown tremendous fitness in training, so I know it will show more when the load is down a bit.”

More photos by Erik Wickström HERE.
Women’s final results HERE.
Men’s final results HERE.

November 13, 2011 – Casey Smith of Methow Valley Biathlon has been named as the Junior Biathlete of the Year for the 2011 US Biathlon Team. Casey is a sophomore at Montana State University in Bozeman, MT and a native of Winthrop, Washington. He is a member of the US Junior National Biathlon Team.

Selection for Athlete of the Year is primarily based on international results in the previous competitive season. Casey lead the US Men’s team at the Junior World Championship which were held in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic. He had his best result in the 12.5km Individual Race, placing 30th with shooting 0-2-0-2. Casey was the top ranked Youth after the US Jr/Youth Trails which were held in Jericho, Vermont. Casey spent most of January and February on the road in Central Europe, racing and gaining experience in a number of events in Germany, Italy, and Czech Republic. He finished up his season with three National Championship titles at the US Biathlon Championships at Mt Itasca, Minnesota.

Casey has been training in Bozeman, and has joined the US Junior National Team for summer and fall training camps in Colorado and Utah. He will be looking to top his previous years Junior World Championship performances as he moves into the Junior age category (age 19-20) at the Junior Worlds which will be held in Kontiolahti, Finland in late February, 2012.

Read more on Smith HERE.
Smith Bio HERE.

November 11, 2011 (Hanover, NH) – Check out the first edition of an all-new SkiTrax audio series, Talkin’ with the Gravy-Train, featuring legendary commentator and sports reporter Peter Graves, who will present a series of interviews, discussions and conversations throughout this season with elite athletes and coaches. Our inaugural guest, Kikkan Randall, spoke with Graves at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. Due to an unfortunate glitch the full interview with Kikkan was not posted initially but it is now with our apologies-ed.

Audio Interview with Kikkan Randall

November 11, 2011 – (Ostersund, Sweden) – I’m in Scando – and it’s damn hell ass warm out.

Seriously. It is. I’ve been here a shade over a week and the Mercury hasn’t dipped below zero – not once here in Ostersund, Sweden. No bother – while the skiing here has been at times awful for sure (compared to the skiing I left in Canmore on good old “Frozen Thunder”) – it has been some of the best/consistent available anywhere in Europe – so in one sense I count myself lucky (to be in Ostersund).

Let’s dial this back a bit – pre-Ostersund, when I was still in Canada.

Prior to leaving I was faced with a number of questions, yet the one that plagued me the most was this: anytime I went downstairs and set eyes upon my giant, beat-down green duffel bag I experienced anxiety. Plain and simple, I was struggling to come to terms with the 5-month commitment I had made with it – a feeling I’d imagine akin to what an old school fisherman feels when he looks back at dry-land before stepping foot on the deck of his trusty – albeit beat down – trawler. Psyched for the journey (as I’m psyched for the race season to begin), but I’m sure he’ll miss being dry (like I’ll miss having more than 2 pairs of jeans, and 6 t-shirts), and surely he’ll miss the safety, friendships, comforts and Crazyweed (Canmore’s best restaurant) – of home.

The one thing I’ve got on this fictional fisherman is that he doesn’t have to haul his trawler through poorly designed airports, heave it into packed vans, and attempt to “tetris” his gear into it every time there’s a venue change. But – I’ll take my woes over the incessant wet, constant stench, all that itchy wool and tangled lines that I associate with that imaginary metaphor.

The last days in Canmore were great – the weather held perfectly – and skiing conditions on Frozen Thunder were fantastic day in day out. We even held our first “race” of the season on the loop – a classic sprint race which was great. Most of the top Canmore/Western Canadian based ski racers contended and after a disastrous qualifier where I fell heavily off-course (not good when the only snow is on the course itself!), I was able to move through each round and eventually win the competition. It felt great to race again (on skis) – and I was quickly reminded again why I get so fired up this time of year. I mean – ski racing is awesome. It must be when I seem to have no problem skiing around a sugary 2km loop for hours and hours with a smile on my face.

In the final days, I enjoyed time with friends – and being the worst packer-upper in history – did a decent job of living up to my stringent standards of procrastination.

Chandra, the ever-efficient uber packer-upper could not understand my issues with it – repeatedly asked the same question “ you’ve done this for how many years, for how many long trips and yet you still claim you don’t know how many t-shirts to bring?” Her bags packed and ready days out from the departure date. *author’s note: she forgot her computer AND ipad at home.* Even though we’ve dated for over 8 years (please don’t remind Chandra of this point- apparently that’s “too” long a courtship), I can usually still trick her into helping me decide which flannel shirts to bring by conducting some modeling (and thus – wasting time) before finding some non-space for them in the bowels of the duffel.

No, seriously  – my 5 months worth of gear and I made it out of Canmore in one piece. I will admit I was pretty nostalgic those last few days under the spell of the Canadian Rockies, but as I suspected once airborne and on my way across the pond those feelings quickly subsided. I love to race, travel and live this life. Quite simply, racing at the highest level and being able to test myself against the World’s best week in week out rules. I’m also under no illusions – it’s a Euro-based sport, so living out of a duffel bag for months and months is a small price to pay for that opportunity. I could do without ever eating another boiled potato – true, but like anything in life one must take the good with the bad.

I know – that would have been the perfect way to end this – but lacking an editor, I will continue.

This past week here in Ostersund I’ve been busy doing mostly volume-based training on skis (coupled with some workouts on foot, in the gym and (barf) rollerskis),  training between 3-4 hours everyday. I’m feeling pretty decent, but for sure “dulled’ from the volume – but I can’t forget that the season is a long one. I can’t very well shut it down in early November and expect to contend in February and March.

At first it was only Chandra, Peri and I – athlete-wise with Micke and Peter Larsson taking amazing care of us. We explored Ostersund daily – and I really like this town. With it’s giant lake, rolling terrain, nice people, and great views – in my opinion it’s a real winner.

On the extracurricular activity side of things we’ve been downing a few cappuccinos’ as Nat Herz (formerly/not formerly at all from fasterskier.com has kindly pointed out) in the afternoons, scratching away on the guitar, wasting time on our computers, iphones, and ipads, and I’d say about 77.5% of all conversations inevitably turn to the snow/race situation over here. Luckily, as of earlier today – we know our fate. 1) There will actually be races, so that’s sweet (on some +10 degree afternoons we weren’t so sure…). 2) There will even be the World Cup openers – but instead of Beitostolen, we’ll head to Sjusoen – which is also pretty balling.

Decent. Things are looking up – and our first competition of the year is in less than 48 hours – a 15km individual skate race in Bruksvallarna – the Swedish opener.

Check back for updates if you care to – as for me, I’ve got to hit up a jog before it get’s dark. I mean – it is 3:30pm so I only have about 45min of light left 😉

Dk.

November 11, 2011 – To all Drive for 25 participants: Thank you for stepping up to the plate at a time when U.S. skiing needs it most. This can be an historic fundraiser for U.S. cross country skiing as more people than ever stand up in support of our sport on a single day.

The funds generated from this drive will help over 40 athletes from ages 14 to 28 at events ranging from the National J2 Elite Camp and J1 Scandinavian Trip to Continental and World Cup starts. Your money gets plugged directly into a project that happens this winter.

To clearly answer a common question, this is not a U.S. Ski Team fundraiser, though roughly a half-dozen of the 40 benefitting athletes will be U.S. Ski Team members. This is a National Nordic Foundation drive to benefit U.S. development.

We already have nearly 500 participants that have agreed to contribute to this drive. We’ve attached a flier to this email and encourage you to help us recruit even more supporters. We know we can reach well over 1,000 people but it will require every one of us to work for it.

When you donate, list your club or team in the comment box. Please click HERE in advance to be sure we have 100% success on donation day. There is also a facebook “like” button that you can click today to help the marketing of this drive achieve viral reaches.

While this is a drive based on as many 25$ donations possible in a single day, you may donate anytime if the 15th does not work for you. The 15th is our request if possible. Additionally, we promise that you won’t receive any complaints if you donate more than 25$! Please do what you can on November 15th. All donations are tax deductible. Receipts will be available immediately after you donate.

T-minus 5 days. Get ready to take our sport to a new level of community buy-in on November 15th. Thank you.

Matt and Pete

Matt Whitcomb
(C) 435.640.8543

Peter Vordenberg
(C) 435.640.8544

November 09, 2011 – We’re excited to announce that US xc ski star, Holly Brooks, from Alaska, 2011 SuperTour overall winner, is joining SkiTrax’s team of bloggers this season. Her section on the site will be ready soon, but check out her great overview of APUs (Alaska Pacific University) stellar program that has produced top skiers like herself, Kikkan Randall, Lars Flora, James Southam, Kate Fitzerald, Morgan Smyth…

People often ask: What is APU? How does it work? You’re a University team that isn’t NCAA – What does that mean? These are all good questions and yes, the format (if you will) of APU can tend to be confusing to people looking in on us from the outside. However, here it is in a nutshell: We are community ski club based within a University such that skiers of collegiate age can attend school (undergrad or graduate) while pursuing ski racing at a high level. Our community program is then built both below and above the University-based team in age. We have APU skiers as young as 11 and as “senior” (!) as their mid-eighties! In all, our total program membership involves over 200+ people directly on a regular basis. It’s RAD.

Here we are, a small club in Anchorage, AK that has duel goals of winning Olympic medals and teaching 11 year old how to huck jumps! Or, making it possible for University students to attend online classes while at training camp on Eagle Glacier and teaching a mother of four to V2 alternate.

Erik Flora, the APU elite team head coach and APUNSC Director wrote a great update to our programs at 3am this morning – I thought it was worth sharing. It explains what each group has been up to the past couple of weeks!

APU Program Members
Winter is off to a great start! We have already had groups skiing at Glenn Alps, Hillside, Hatcher Pass, and Russian Jack. Glenn Alps and Hatcher Pass have mid-winter conditions. With snow in the air, it is a good time for program update. Of course there are 100 more items, here are a few.

Junior Program has had a strong off-season of training. We have had full programs with lots of new faces and athletes reaching a new level of fitness. Part of the group participated in last weeks camp in Fairbanks. Next up is an early season snow camp in Hatcher Pass where they will focus on volume and technique (plus a whole lot of fun!). High School skiing started this week. Impressive as two junior team members were named to US National Training Groups Tarynn Hunt-Smith and Thomas O’Harra.

Devo’s have been ripping up with coach Charlie, Erin, and Dylan. This group keeps on getting faster and faster. It is amazing to watch this group as they continue to have fun and explore the joys of ski training. Keep an eye out, if you see a group of unusually fast moving-jumping-excited kids blasting through the woods and across the trails. It is a good chance it is the Devo’s!

Master Programs are in full-swing with Noon, Evening, and One-day Women Groups. Winter session has started off well with mix of dry-land and skiing at Hatcher Pass. The move to 2 and 5 day options has been a great way to get more people involved and enjoying ski training. We are excited to add a coach to the Master Programs this winter. Calisa Schouweiler is going to join Dylan and Sam for Evening Masters, Noon Master, and Women’s One-day. Calisa has a strong background in coaching. She will start in mid-November. More to follow.

The Elite team is getting ready to travel. We have had a good summer with most athletes setting record amounts of training and new PR’s on interval courses. APU members Kikkan Randall, Holly Brooks, Sadie Bjornsen, and Lars Flora are heading to Norway next week to compete on World Cup. The rest of the team will focus on early winter domestic race series starting in Fairbanks, racing West Yellowstone, Bozeman, SilverStar BC, ending at Kincaid at Besh cup 1 and 2. After Christmas we are competing in Maine at the US Nationals, World cups, Alaska Races, and World Junior and U23 World Championships in Turkey. APU added more athletes to US Ski Team programs: Kikkan, Sadie, Erik Bjornsen, Kinsey Loan, and Celia Haering. Plus Men and Women current Super Tour Leaders Lars and Holly. The Elite team was on tonight’s 10 o’clock news, click hereto watch. Best community outreach year to date with athletes really busy hosting Fast and Female events, helping at kids events, and working at junior camps.

Coaches have stepped up community support of nordic programs. Two of our coaches, Dylan Watts and Sam Sterling, are going to help with local high school programs. Dylan at West HS and Sam at East HS. Eric Strabel at Regional Elite Group camp at Hatcher Pass. Eric and Charlie will coach at Junior Nationals. Casey Fagerquist stepping up this fall to help World Cup waxing during fall schedule. Erik Flora coached 3 US ski team camps and First Tracks High School camp in Fairbanks. Plus we hosted a new Alaska “open” Junior Glacier Camp. This is a good year for coaches to extend their experience to help strengthen Alaska and US skiing.

Good for our programs, Anchorage skiing is really good for early season right now. Glenn Alps and Hatcher Pass are race ski ready with good coverage. Russian Jack and Hilltop are skiable, but quite a few rocks/grass. The NSAA did a great job rolling Hilltop today. Let’s help Nordic Ski Club of Anchorage set record sales of trail pins. The more support they get, the better grooming we will see! click hereto join.

This is a great club to be a part of. I look forward to seeing everyone on the trails!

Sincerely,
Erik

Erik Flora
Director, APU Nordic Ski Center

November 09, 2011 (Cambridge, ON) – Andy Shields, named Best Overall Junior Male in North America in 2010/11 by SkiTrax readers, won the the Tim Turow Award which is the Cambridge Athlete of the Year Award, this past Friday at the Cambridge Sports Awards banquet at the Cambridge Holiday Inn.

At the Junior Worlds trials, the 20-year-old won the the 15km skate, placed third in classic sprint, and won the 20km pursuit to qualify for the World Championships where he finished 31st in the classic sprint and in the 20km pursuit.

Read the full story in the Cambridge Times HERE.

November 08, 2011 (Toronto, ON) – We’re pleased to announce the launch of our annual SkiTrax FIS Fantasy World Cup 2011/12 Contest for contestants around the world. This is the first of three fantasy contests this season – next up is our inaugural Marathon contest in conjunction with FIS and the World Loppet Ski Federation, creating a new dimension for the sport and adding excitement for skiers around the world for these legendary races. The third contest is for the incomparable FIS Tour de Ski, the centre piece on this year’s calendar with no Worlds or Olympic competitions on the schedule.

Register your team of four (4) men, and four (4) women including two (2) Outlaw Skiers – one (1) male and one (1) female not in the top 15 of the FIS World Cup overall rankings.

Points will be awarded following each World Cup based on each skier’s performance and published regularly at skitrax.com so you can see how your score compares to other international players and the actual FIS standings. Earn bonus TdS Points and other bonus points – all information and contest rules are available when you register your team.

These are the only FIS Fantasy Nordic contests of their kind worldwide so don’t miss your chance to enjoy fabulous top level xc ski racing and win fabulous prizes –  good luck to all contestants.

The deadline to register or revise your team is Friday, Nov. 18, at 10pm EST, the day before the Viessmann XC FIS World Cup season kicks off in Beitostolen, Norway.

To register click HERE.

SkiTrax Fantasy FIS World Cup 2011/12 Contest Prizes
* 1st Prize – Fischer 11/12 Carbonlite Hole Skis, Xcelerator Bindings, Carbonlite Poles (value $1,100)
* 2nd Prize – SkiGo Carbon 780 Roller Skis (value $580)
* 3rd Prize – Alpina ESK Ski Boots (value $449)
* 4th Prize – Bjorn Daehlie Exclusive US XC Ski Suit (value $300)
* 5th Prize – Sporthill XC Pants/Tights and Glacier Top (value $220)
* 6th Prize – Fresh Air Experience or High Peaks Cyclery Gift Certificate (value $150)
* 7th Prize – Rottefella Xcelerator Skate/Classic Bindings (value $130)
* 8th Prize – Bliz Proflip Visor (value $129)
* 9th Prize – Concept2 Goodie Duffle Bag (value $100)
* 10th Prize – Auclair Micro Mountain Olympic Gloves + Earbags (value $65)
* WCup Breaks – Buff Headware (value $22) to top 3 contest leaders before the Tour de Ski

Thanks to all of our great sponsors, including Fischer, SkiGo, Alpina, Bjorn Daehlie Clothing, Sporthill, Fresh Air Experience, High Peaks Cyclery, Rottefella, Bliz, Concept 2, Auclair, and Buff.

SkiTrax is North America’s leading Nordic skiing publication and the official magazine of the United States Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) and Cross Country Canada (CCC).

November 05, 2011 (Vail, CO) – If you don’t know who Sylvan Ellefson is, you should. The 2009 Bates College graduate is making his case as one of the rising stars on the domestic US xc racing scene. An All-American in college, Ellefson has built on that success in his first two seasons as a full-time professional racer. He followed up several top-ten results at US Nationals with back-to-back wins at the Boulder Mountain Tour and the Owl Creek Chase, two of the largest and most competitive races in the United States. Ellefson also led the American squad in March in Slovenia with a 6th place in a 10km Classic OPA Cup. He races for Ski Club Vail and Team HomeGrown and SkiTrax caught up with him for the skivvy on this coming season…

Tell us about Team Homegrown and how it all got started.
Sylvan Ellefson: Team HomeGrown was an idea of my coaches and teammates, Dan Weiland, Karl Hochtl, and Kevin Hochtl. Vail had never produced a Nordic skier that could ski at the World Cup level until Kevin, but he was on his own training in Vail. It wasn’t until 2009 when Josh Smith and I got out of college that everyone realized the talent all of us had and the potential here to make a mark on the
national/international Nordic skiing scene as individuals and a team from Vail, CO. We were all born and raised in Vail so the “HomeGrown” aspect of the team name was a given.

How is it connected to Ski Club Vail?
SE: Actually, Team HomeGrown is essentially Ski and Snowboard Club Vail’s “elite” Nordic program. We train at all of the Ski and Snowboard Club Vail’s facilities and they provide us with support year round.

You guys must have some tremendous resources available – do they open a loop early for you?
SE: They are awesome in terms of getting us early season snow. If it doesn’t come sooner, we are basically guaranteed a 1km loop of snow to ski on by November 1st of every year. We just got a huge snow-making renovation and so as soon as the temperature hits 0C, the guns turn on and are making snow. We call it the gerbil loop because often at first it is small and you are just traveling in a circle, but it’s still on-snow skiing. At this time of year it is a nice treat to get ready for the upcoming races.

How is SSCV connected to this new winter academy program in the valley?
SE: Ski and Snowboard Club Vail run the winter academy in Minturn, CO called the Vail Ski and Snowboard Academy (VSSA). VSSA has actually been around for quite awhile but hasn’t had a permanent location like we do now. The school just moved to Minturn (about 10 minutes away form Vail) and is in the process of making its biggest transformation ever. The school has the largest number of students it has ever seen and the most success we have ever seen as well. Currently, we are finishing building 7.5km of trails right next to the school so it will be nice to be able to come to Minturn and train year round. VSSA is unique in the fact that it is a public school, so the education is free. The only required investment is the program fee. I’m actually quite excited to see what comes out of the academy in the next 10 years.

Changing gears a bit, where are you now and how is your last month of training going leading up to West Yellowstone?
SE: Right now I am in Vail just training and working away. Training this past month has been very focused and dialed. NCAA Champion, Sam Tarling, has been training with us in Vail and is a good inspiration for the kids here. Mike Vigers (Team HomeGrown) and Connor Wallace (NCAA skier) have also been great training partners to do some gnarly training sessions with. It’s always nice to have someone to grit your teeth with. We have also been doing some fund raising for the upcoming season recently, with some pretty good success, I think. I am excited to get skiing though on our gerbil loop and then get to West Yellowstone for some racing. It is always tremendous skiing there.

You attended a couple USST camps, in Lake Placid and Park City. How have these camps helped your off season preparation?
SE: We had a camp in Lake Placid, NY followed by a camp in Park City, UT. The attendance of Elite athletes at this camp was great to push the intensity and focus of the group. These camps really help me on a personal level because I am able to surround myself with many Elite athletes trying to do the same thing I am – get faster, race faster, race more World Cups, race World Champs, race Olympics, win medals. There is the same incentive for everyone so I think being able to push the group as a whole is a great direction for me and for Nordic skiing in the US.

What your schedule for the season?
SE: I will be heading to West Yellowstone, then up to Bozeman and then to Canada for the first week of Nor-Ams up there and finally back home until US Nationals. After US Nationals, some races in Colorado, the Midwest, and then definitely heading over to Europe at some point to race OPA Cups or World Cups (based on my national results). Ending the season at SuperTour Finals in Craftsbury, VT, which should be a pretty fun event to end the season.

What are your goals for the season?
SE: Goals for me are pretty simple: I want to have some top-5 results at Nationals this year and keep skiing consistently hard and well on the SuperTour circuit, so I can give myself a chance of racing at a higher level on the international scene. If that doesn’t work out I would like to win an OPA Cup race.

Long term goals?
SE: Sochi 2014

Thanks, Sylvan all the best this season and beyond.
SE: Thanks

October 31, 2011 – After the kind of season that Canada’s Alex Harvey had in 2010-11, climaxing with a gold medal in the Team Sprint event with Devon Kershaw at the Nordic World Championships in Oslo, Norway – a Canadian first – he couldn’t be blamed for resting on his laurels and relaxing for a little while.

But after SkiTrax caught up with him by phone outside Quebec City following the recent team press conference, it’s clear that Harvey has no intention of doing so. When his World Cup rivals take to the start line at the first FIS World Cup race of the 2011-12 season in Beitostolen (NOR) just under three weeks from now, they will find Harvey, a world champion, more motivated than ever to come out on top.

The son of the legendary Pierre Harvey wracked up an impressive list of achievements last season, establishing himself as a podium threat just about every time he strapped on his skis. After a couple of shaky World Cup starts in Kuusamo and Gallivare before Christmas, Harvey began showing his true form starting with last year’s Tour De Ski – he recorded four top-10 finishes and placed 10th overall in the grueling 10-day event.

Together with his teammate Kershaw – who won his first WCup gold in Toblach, Italy (Stage 5) and placed 7th overall – Harvey was in the mix or near the front in just about every stage of this daunting event modeled after the Tour de France.

A few weeks later Harvey put in a stellar effort at the U23 Nordic World Championships in Otepaa (EST) where, with the exception of Russia’s Evgeniy Belov, no one could match his gold-medal winning pace in the Men’s 30km Pursuit. Then in February he notched his best World Cup result to date, a close 2nd place finish to Sweden’s Emil Joenssen in a sprint event in Drammen (NOR).

But it was at Oslo 2011, in Norway’s famed Holmenkollen stadium, that Harvey revealed the form, ambition and confidence that made him a persistent threat in every race. After posting a solid 7th place in the Sprint event, Harvey sent a message in the 30km Pursuit race when he gapped the field and skied solo at the front until the closing few kilometres, where he was stricken with leg cramps and had to settle for a respectable 12th.

More was coming for fans worldwide and by far his best and most gratifying race, came in the Team Sprint. Skiing the anchor leg for Canada, with Kershaw as his teammate, Harvey out-sprinted Norway’s Ola Vigen Hattestad for the gold medal, stunning the boisterous and partisan throng of Norwegian fans. Proving his strength as an all-around contender, Harvey went on to finish 5th in the 50km race as well, on what is widely viewed as the toughest race course on the planet.

While Harvey can look back with pride on many of his feats from last season, his Nordic World Championship victory stands apart as the season highlight. To win Canada’s first ever World Championship gold medal in cross-country skiing, and to do it in the birthplace of skiing in front of the huge and enthusiastic crowds at the Holmenkollen was a dream come true.

Sharing the victory with his teammate, Devon Kershaw, while representing Canada, made the victory that much sweeter. “Winning with a partner, winning for our country, for Team Canada, was just amazing,” Harvey told SkiTrax. The victory in this particular event, against a world class field, also helped erase some of the painful memories left over from the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, where Harvey and Kershaw placed 4th in the Team Sprint event.

The Oslo victory was “redemption for sure,” added Harvey, “Since the last day of the 2010 season, we had been thinking about and looking forward to the Oslo World Championships – we really were going for a medal that day. After Vancouver we wanted that medal pretty bad!” Small wonder the two erupted into their now famous air guitar victory celebration at the finish line in Oslo!

Our conversation then turned to training this past summer and Harvey’s preparations for the 2011-12 season. He explained that his dryland training has gone according to plan, with no interruptions due to illness or injury. He has increased his training volume slightly to about 800 hours, up from 755 last year, in keeping with his age and training base.

While his coaches, Louis Bouchard and Justin Wadsworth, have made no major changes to his overall plan, Harvey says his program, along with that of his teammates, placed  more emphasis on uphill skating and striding than in previous years, reflecting the importance of climbing ability in events like the Tour de Ski.

“Pretty much all of our camps this year were for doing uphill training,” he continued. With this year’s Tour de Ski serving as the de facto World Championships, Harvey wants to make sure he doesn’t lose ground on the final climb up Alpe Cermis like he did last year, where he fell from 7th to 10th overall in the final few kilometres.

Asked about his goals for the coming season, Harvey has his sights set on placing higher in the overall World Cup standings than last year’s 10th place overall. Doing so will depend on his ability to race with more consistency than he has in past seasons. “My goal is to score points in every race, and hopefully a lot of them,” he said.

Harvey also identified the Tour de Ski as key to overall World Cup success, given the number of World Cup points available during the event. “To be good in the overall you need to be good in the Tour … there are a lot of races, 9 stages, with 50 points available every day and then 400 points for the overall, so it’s a big event for points”. With that in mind Harvey declared, “I’ll try to be at my peak for the Tour de Ski”. Harvey has other unfinished business on the World Cup circuit. “I’ve never won individually either a World Cup or a World Championships, so I want to win individually as well.”

We concluded our conversation with a discussion about success, motivation, and pressure. I was curious as to whether the World Championship win had affected Harvey’s motivation in any way, and if it had lessened or increased any pressure to perform that he felt. His response reveals an athlete whose motivation is primarily internal and intrinsic, who competes for his own reasons, as opposed to those motivated by the opinions and expectations of others.

“I’ve never really felt pressure coming from anyone except myself. I put a lot of pressure on my self every day, every workout, every session… I really want to achieve specific things every day and improve, so there’s a lot of pressure coming from myself. Pressure from the outside, I ignore all of that. I don’t really care what people say on the outside, I know what I want to do, what I will do.”

And if his World Cup rivals were counting on last year’s World Championship gold to dampen Harvey’s motivation to compete, they will be disappointed. “I’ve tasted [victory] once and I want to taste it more and more.”

Look for Canada’s Harvey to attack off the front more often this season – then it will up to the field to see if they can catch him.

October 27, 2011 (Canmore, AB) – For veteran Canadian national XC ski teamer, Perianne Jones, this past racing season was intended to be a rebuilding year. Following a tough 2009-10 season where Jones cracked the top 30 on the World Cup circuit only once – notching a 25th in Canmore – she failed to qualify in the classic sprint event at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Well, rebuild she did, gaining momentum through the season which began in North America and concluded with solid races at  the Nordic World Championships in Oslo, Norway and later at the season-end World Cups. On the strength of her late season results Jones was named to Canada’s Senior World Cup Team, and is looking to sustain last year’s momentum going into the 2011-12 season.

She began the 2010-11 campaign racing in the domestic Haywood NorAm and Teck Sprint Series race circuit, as part of a strategy to rebuild her confidence and gain more experience racing in sprint heats. The strategy paid off, with Jones stepping onto the podium at just about every event she entered, recording wins at Sovereign Lake, Lappe, and Telemark. She was eventually crowned the overall women’s champion in both the Haywood NorAm and Teck Sprint series.

“It’s hard to race on the World Cup when you’re not putting in any good results, so it was good to gain some confidence over here and then head over to Europe later in the season feeling pretty confident.”

On the strength of her stellar NorAm results Jones stamped her ticket to the Nordic World Championships and late season World Cups, joining the Senior World Cup squad in Drammen (NOR) in late February. Once there she shook off any lingering doubts about her ability to race amongst the world’s best, posting some of the best results of her international career.

In Oslo, Jones qualified 24th and finished a respectable 29th in the Free sprint event and teamed up Dasha Gaiazova to finish a solid 6th place in the classic team sprint. Following the Worlds she stayed in Europe for the remaining World Cups, where she earned her best result yet. At the World Cup in Stockholm, Sweden, she aced her quarter final heat in the classic sprint and made it to semis ending up 12th overall – a break through result for the Almonte, Ontario skier.

Named to the Senior World Cup Team last spring, Jones has enjoyed a busy and productive dryland season, which included team camps in Oregon, Hawaii, Canmore, Park City, and Whistler, in addition to a special joint camp with the women of the US Ski Team on Alaska’s Eagle Glacier, which she attended with teammate Chandra Crawford.

“It was really cool to check out a different glacier because we ski on the Haig all the time… and just to ski with 20 girls who were training with us most days, was such a great opportunity to learn and take something from each person that you get a chance to ski and chat with.”

In addition to honing her technique, Jones worked this dryland season on improving her anaerobic threshold so that she can maintain her speed for longer periods during sprint races. “I can go pretty fast for two minutes, but it would be really handy if I could go fast for three whole minutes!” she told SkiTrax.

Looking ahead to the approaching World Cup season, Jones has her sights set on qualifying for sprint heats on a consistent basis and racing deeper into the heats, including semis and finals. She feels her distance skiing is coming along as well and has hopes of breaking into the Red Group there as well.

With her fitness level closer to where she wants it to be, and her confidence restored, Jones is ready once again to take on the world’s best skiers adding, “I’m pretty confident with the level I’m at now.”

October 27, 2011 (Putney, VT) – We’ve been sort of quiet on the website lately. It’s not because we don’t have anything to say. As usual, this time of year, it’s because we don’t have a lot of free time to say it. Ski season has definitely arrived.

A brief history of Caldwell Sport mark II (abridged)
We moved from Boulder to Vermont at the end of May. We had two trips to Europe for factory visits and ski picking (June and August). We bought a new house/shop with the closing coming at the very end of August (just in time to watch the flood waters from Hurricane Irene come up and lick our toes). We started right in with building out the new shop, and didn’t quite finish before it was time to get rolling on work.

With help from Pat and Will O’Brien and Noah Hoffman, we got the grinder moved from Uncle John’s sugarhouse down to the new shop on a flatbed trailer in the pouring rain. About three hours after we moved the grinder the sugarhouse driveway washed out in a deluge that could only be appropriately appreciated on rollerskis. Ask Pat and Noah about it sometime. According to the official Osgood meteorogical and hydrological records, it rained 4.5 inches that day. OK – that part wasn’t all that abridged (sorry).

Back in the early Summer I placed an order for new grinder supplies, including new stones. Lars has been working on a new stone compound for several years now, and the first “final” production of the new “blue” stones was finally in the works. I had tested the new stone compound previously, and have been eager to get ahold of the new materials for use in developing finer and colder structures. So, we agreed that we would wait for the new stones to be ready for shipment, which meant cutting it close for delivery – probably receiving the materials in late September. Well, it’s now late October, and due to a series of unfortunate occurrences and the vagaries of the international shipping industy, I still don’t have the new stones.

What that means is that we’ve been slow making final structure, because it’s more difficult to do good work on the old stone. We’ve finished about 130 pairs that we really needed to get done, and we’ve finished them to a very high standard. But we’ve held most of the work for the arrival of the new stones. So we’ve now got a huge backlog of flattened and polished skis eagerly awaiting final structure. Later this week Wayne Johansson is bringing his stone down from Gatineau Nordique Sport in the Ottawa area to help me crank out a whole bunch of skis. Thanks Wayne! To the left you can see some of the pending batch. I can’t get it all in one picture. That photo there is about 300 pairs of skis. OK – that part was also unabridged (sorry).

Work has been going well. It’s a small operation – a family business – so everybody has to do everything. That means that Amy handles all the accounting, billing, bill-paying, data entry, ordering, phone answering, binding mounting, wax scraping, etc. Since I’m really busy, she’s also running the grinder for flattening and polishing. It’s a pretty good system.

New Skis
One of the tricks to restarting an old business is figuring out who your customers are, and how much business you’re going to do. This isn’t a big deal with service, because the overhead is fixed and there isn’t much in the way of inventory (some service wax, grinder supplies, etc). However, new skis are a big deal! When we were working in Vermont previously, we would take orders, and then go select the skis to fill the orders from the manufacturer’s US distribution warehouse. Our last year in Vermont I spent 14 days in the Fall picking skis in the Fischer warehouse in new Hampshire. The model has changed significantly since then. Now, instead of picking skis using a flex tester, I use my hands and eyes. I’ve gotten better at spotting what I want, and the manufacturers have gotten better at pairing skis. So more time is spent identifying good skis, and less time is spent identifying matched pairs.

I also travel to Europe to visit factories and talk to the racing department guys who work with the skis all the time. This helps us understand what those guys are trying to do, which makes it easier to recognize when they do it well! I pick inventory from some companies when I visit the racing departments in Europe. The long and short of it is, we have to start the season with our inventory in-hand, and we don’t go pick skis to order in the Fall. All of this adds up to a considerable risk in ski inventory. We have a lot of astonishingly good skis, but it’s still a lot of skis that need to be paid for. So this time of year always produces anxiety. Do we have enough skis? Do we have too many skis? So far sales have been quite good, but we’ll keep pushing that end of things as snow season gets firmly established. About half of our profits come from service, and about half come from new skis. So you’ll hear more about this!

OK – back to work!

October 27, 2011 – The snow has finally fallen enough to accumulate some ski trails up at Hatchers Pass. Lots of pictures and stories have been circulating around already, so I think the word is out that the Alaskan Crew got to ski on October 20th!! Thats so early. What this means is I skied every month of the year this year, besides one! So I skied on snow 11 months of the training year… how many racers can say that???

The skiing has been great. Extra blue, packed tracks, and blue bird cold days!! The APU crew headed up last thursday for a distance ski, and by the following day I was sore. It’s funny how rollerskiing never seems to train the exact same muscles, so you are sore the first ski of the season, regardless. We then skied a second time on saturday… so by the end of the three hour ski, I was cooked. I have to say, this is the main reason that I love training in Alaska. The opportunity to be on snow as much as we are I see as a huge benefit. By getting that early “snow shape” back together in October, you can sometimes jump start the engine for the early racing season.

Speaking of early racing season, I will be on a different path this fall period. For the first time, I will be racing on the World Cup Circuit for Period 1 along with a group of 4 other girls. This has been super exciting news for me, and I have to say, I have been counting down the days for the “2012” experience to begin! The greatest thing about this year is it is the year to experiment and try new things. Because there are no main Championships of the year, I can set my own expectations and goals. Having never raced much in early season, nor raced much on the World Cup Circuit, nor left my home from November 6th until the end of March…… I will be switching things up quite a bit.

Last year I had a small introduction into this top level of racing, and ever since I have been working hard to jump into that category. This fall will be a great opportunity for me to open my eyes wide, learn some new skills and tricks, and have a great time skiing along with the best skiers in the world.

My schedule starts with me Leaving November 6th for Beitostoelen, Norway and follows:
– November 11-13, FIS Races in Beitostoelen
– November 19-20, World Cup in Beito
– November 25-27, World Cup Kuusamo, Finland
– December 3-4, World Cup downtown Dusseldorf, Germany
– December 10-11, World Cup Davos, Switzerland

Following that, December 12th I will fly back to Washington for a short break in Washington before Nationals, early January in Rumford Maine.

Unfortunately this opportunity has come with a price. Being named to the US SKi Team this last year has provided me with the opportunities and the steps at reaching this next level, but it has also provided me with some responsibility for completing these steps. Having major budget cuts this year resulted in the funding being cut for all B-Team level athletes for this top level of competition. What this means for me is that the spot is available for me, but I must find my own funding to get there.

I am not sure on my definite plans for the entire year, but I am going to guess the financial need will remain at the same level through Period 2 as well as Period 3. What it looks like for this first period of racing can be broken down easily between room and board as well as plane tickets to and from Europe, and between race venues. This comes to a total around $8000.

Being an athlete similar to every other nordic athlete in the country, this is not the kind of money we can ask our parents for, or we can raise on a side job. This is the kind of financial support we must find in our supporters and followers. This is also not only a problem for me, but every other talented young athlete in this country that is ready to make another step in their development. It starts at the 16 year old level skier who just made Scando Trips, and continues through the World Juniors level, affecting everyone all the way up to the top level of World Cup Racing.

The Nordic community has been working hard recently to make these unrealistic financial expectations more realistic. With the new push at the National Nordic Foundation level, supporters are beginning to see the sad truth of the financial demands affecting the opportunities for a new level of talent our country is now experiencing. This is just the beginning, but it is a step forward.

Which brings me to my final point. I have a long year in front of me, and it could cost me around $30,000 to race at this level throughout the season. If you would like to support either myself, or the other athletes in getting there; there are several options. As with everything, even the smallest amount makes a difference and builds towards that end goal. Just like us athletes; it wasn’t the 4-hour ski we did that made us fast, but it was the culmination of all those 1 hr., 2hr. and 3hr. workouts that made us great. So please know that every effort is greatly appreciated!

Your options for supporting our skiing goals for the year are:

1) Methow Valley Ski Education Foundation- The community in the Methow has been extremely helpful and supportive towards trying to help make this next step available. The team has created an Elite Opportunity Fund with 501(c)(3) status. Money can be donated to help support the athletes of the Methow participating in international level competition. If you would like to send a tax-deductible donation towards me, or the athletes of the Methow Valley, send to:
MVNSEF Elite Opportunity Fund
PO Box 1063
Winthrop, WA 98862

2) Donations directly towards me. Email me at sbjornsen@alaskapacific.edu if you have questions.

3) Donations towards the National Nordic Foundation, which is a non-profit organization aimed at supporting the nordic athletes of the US. They are recently doing The Drive for 25, which will include a small support of a large spectrum of supporters. Check out this site to get an idea of what we do and learn how to help HERE.

4) Support through the APU Ski Club

There are many ways to help out and support including you standing on the side of the trail cheering and screaming. It all counts, and it all keeps us going. So keep it up, and get ready…. race season is coming!!! Thanks to everyone that has helped so far, and that may help in the future! You guys are truly making it possible!

October 25, 2011 (Toronto, ON) – With under a month to go to the first World Cup we’re excited once again to announce that Phase 1 of our international 3-in-1 SkiTrax FIS Fantasy World Cup, Tour de Ski, and new Marathon contests will be launching soon for contestants around the world – the only Nordic contests of their kind worldwide.

This year will see the launch of our inaugural Marathon contest in conjunction with FIS and the World Loppet Ski Federation creating a new dimension for the sport and adding excitement for skiers around the world for these legendary races that are steeped in history and reach out to skiers of all stripes.

Once again the contests feature a host of fabulous sponsors and lots of great prizes that could reach $10,000 or more – Fischer, Rossignol, One Way, Alpina, Rottefella, Auclair, Buff, Ski*go, Fresh Air Experience and High Peaks Cyclery have all signed on again with more companies to be announced soon.

Here’s a snapshot of what’s coming for race fans the world over, so start planning now for the most exciting Nordic Ski Fantasy Contests anywhere.

SkiTrax FIS Fantasy World Cup Contest
– register your team of four (4) men, and four (4) women plus two “Outlaw” skiers
– bonus Tour de Ski and other bonus points
– 1st prize is a Fischer package (to be announced soon)
– first World Cup is Nov. 19 in Beitostolen, Norway
– registration opens early November

SkiTrax FIS Fantasy Marathon Contest
– register your team of four (4) men and four (4) women plus two (2) “Outlaw” skiers
– bonus points for American Birkebeiner and Gatineau Loppet events
– 1st prize is a One Way package (to be announced soon)
– first Marathon event is La Sgambeda on Dec. 18 in Livigno, Italy
– registration opens early December 2011

SkiTrax FIS Fantasy Tour de Ski Contest
– register your team of four (4) men, and four (4) women plus two “Outlaw” skiers
– bonus Team and Val Climb points
– 1st prize is a Rossignol package (to be announced soon)
– first TdS event is Dec. 29 in Oberhof, Germany
– registration opens early December 2011

October 19, 2011 (Park City, UT) – Here’s part two of the Strength Training  Q & A with Kikkan Randall where she explains about her 3-part program for balance, agility, strength and speed. Check out Randall’s Training Rap HERE and check her MAILBAG for all Q&As thru the season.

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Oct. 19 – Q&A – Strength Training Part 2

Hi Kikkan,

What are the details of your strength and core program this time of year?  Specifically what exercises would you be doing. Do you have a maintenance program once the ski/racing season starts?

Karl Schneider

Hi Karl,

My current strength sessions are divided into three parts. Part one is mobility exercises that help me reverse and balance out some of the motions I do over and over in skiing and focus on the shoulders, hips and back flexibility. Part two is the main part of the program where I do a couple big leg/whole body lifts like power cleans and a couple upper body exercises like weighted pull-ups. The final part of the program is core based and usually includes three core exercises like weighted plank.

Once the racing season starts, I will still continue to do a mix of mobility, power lifting and core, but the amount in each session will be reduced. I also use some explosive exercises to get the muscles fired up for racing.Cheers,
Kikkan 🙂

October 14, 2011 (Colorado Springs, CO) – The 5th International Athletes’ Forum ended in Colorado Springs with a series of strong recommendations for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to take action in a number of areas affecting athletes. In the presence of the IOC President Jacques Rogge, eight separate working groups made a series of recommendations.

Athletes’ representatives reported back to the closing plenary session on a number of subject areas, including: athletes’ entourage (those surrounding and advising athletes, such as coaches and doctors); communications and social media; the IOC’s Athlete Career Programme; health, safety and security of athletes; anti-doping; betting and gambling; Games-time experience; and athletes’ commissions themselves.

Calls were made to control the size of athletes’ entourages during important events, and for members of an entourage to face investigation and possible sanctions when the athlete in their care faces similar action.

But perhaps the strongest recommendations came from the working group on anti-doping.

One recommendation was that athletes “convicted of a deliberate and aggravated doping offence should receive a lifetime Olympic ban”. In addition, “coaches, doctors or any other members of an athletes’ entourage found to be taking part in illegal doping practices must be convicted and sanctioned.”

The Athletes’ Forum consists of representatives from the athletes’ commissions of International Federations, National Olympic Committees, the International Paralympic Committee, Continental Associations and WADA, and is designed to give them a strong voice within the Olympic Movement. The recommendations will be put to the IOC Executive Board for final approval.

Frank Fredericks, Chairman of the IOC Athletes’ Commission, praised those present for their hard work and welcomed the recommendations. “It is important to take note of the strong and growing voice that athletes have in the Olympic Movement,” he said. “We are right to put the athletes at the centre of our activities, and we should take action when they speak so clearly and powerfully on topics that crucially affect them.”

October 12, 2011 (Toronto, ON) – Winter lovers can rejoice as the snow comes early this year at the Toronto Ski, Snowboard & Travel Show taking place October 13 – 16. Back for another year of winter wonders, this year expect never-before-seen cliff hanging features, along with the return of crowd pleasing favourites. For the first time ever, experience mind boggling ski and snowboard tricks at the Jib Jam – a trick zone where boarders show off their skills.  Stock-up on the latest equipment and attire and book your winter getaway at some of the most luxurious winter travel resorts. Join us for an action packed weekend that every winter enthusiast will enjoy.

2011 Show Highlights:

– Jib Jam Action Alley – The first-ever indoor snowboard park features a competition where local talent battle for awesome prizes and bragging rights! Action alley will offer up tweaked out tricks and sweet swag.

– Ultimate Ski Vacations – This year’s show features $25,000 in trip giveaways. Stamp your TSki Trail Pass at 15 travel booths to win one of 15 vacations, drawn every two hours. Participating vendors include Blue Mountain, Holiday Valley, the Fairmont Chateau Whistler, and many more.

– Quebec Ski Lounge – The Quebec Ski Alliance brings the chalet to you this year – come enjoy outrageous ski footage on the big screen while relaxing in the lounge and indulging in a maple syrup snow cone.

– Banff’s Next Top Model – Ski Banff-Lake Louise Sunshine is on the hunt for Banff’s Next Top Model offering the winners a luxury trip for two to Banff Lake Louise. The models will visit Banff Lake Louise in celebrity style to participate in a film shoot and experience three spectacular resorts that sit in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Banff National Park.

– Canada’s Biggest Ski and Snowboard Swap – Thousands of brand new and pre-owned skis, boards, boots and accessories are available for purchase. It’s the biggest DEAL – come ready to buy and get ready to fly!

What:
The 2011 Toronto Ski, Snowboard & Travel Show

When:
Thursday, October 13, 3:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Friday, October 14, 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Saturday, October 15, 10:00 am – 9:00 pm
Sunday, October 16, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm

Where:
Better Living Centre, Exhibition Place

Details:
Adults: $18.00; Juniors: $13.00 (Ages 6 to 15); Seniors: $13.00 (Age 60+)
Children (under six years): Free when accompanied by an adult
Family Pass: $50.00 (two adults & two juniors)

Complete show information is available HERE.

October 09, 2011 (Austria) – Check out this great video of the Pierre Harvey Training Center (CNEPH) training in on the Dachstein glacier in Austria in tough conditions aka very little snow – but they persevered…

October 07, 2011 – The National Nordic Foundation’s 2012 calendar is now available for pre-sale and is scheduled for delivery in November. The calendar costs $20.00 + shipping, or make a $75.00 donation to the NNF’s Cross Country or Nordic Combined Pillar Projects and receive a Calendar as our gift to you. Donate HERE.

To order your personal calendar or place a Team or Retailer wholesale order, contact nccsef@gmail.com

Preview Calendar HERE.

October 07, 2011 – Check out this great photo album featuring Canada’s Ivan Babikov on Salomon Nordic’s Facebook page. The action-packed selection of pics showcase Babikov’s World Cup season and are courtesy of Nordic Focus. Click HERE to view them.

October 06, 2011 (Craftsbury, VT) – SkiTrax recently caught up with US Ski Team and Craftsbury Green Racing Project member Ida Sargent at the Craftsbury Outdoor Centre in Craftsbury, Vermont. Sargent talks about learning to ski at Craftsbury, balancing the demands of training and school, her recent international success, training with the Craftsbury Green Racing Project, and her goals for the upcoming season.

October 06, 2011 (Vantaa, Finland) – The Finnish Nordic Sports brand, ONE WAY, has signed a contract today with the European cross country long distance event series Euroloppet to become the official partner.

ONE WAY is one of the leading Nordic Sports brands with a unique product range for Nordic sports from hard goods to textiles. The Euroloppet event series, with 13 well-known ski marathon events all over Europe, is an important platform to connect our key customers in Nordic Skiing with our brand.

ONE WAY will be present with promotion and support during all 13 ski marathon events.

For more information regarding the race schedule and the events: www.euroloppet.com

www.onewaysport.com

October 05, 2011 (Park City, UT) – American XC ski star Kikkan Randall is currently in Park City, Utah, undergoing a whack of testing with the US team while training and is stoked to answer questions from readers every Wednesday through her new Daily Training Rap.

Check out Kikkan’s reply to  Marty Hall about Training Hours and don’t miss your chance to go one-on-one with one of the most dynamic top international skiers in the sport today – click HERE and check Kikkan’s MAILBAG for all Q&As thru the season.

October 03, 2011 (Sweden) – Vasaloppet’s 2012 Winter Week has now passed 40,000 registered participants, something which did not occur before November 9 last year. With this pace of registrations, both TjejVasan and StafettVasan will be fully booked before Christmas.

It’s a balmy 20 degrees outside, but interest in skiing is at its peak! Vasaloppet’s Winter Week 2012 has 10,000 more registered entries today compared with the same time last year.

“It’s really fantastic that there’s such a great interest in our events, and that so many choose one or other of our races as a goal for their training,” says Jonas Bauer, Vasaloppets CEO.

TjejVasan has already passed 6,300 registered ladies (a 53 percent increase compared with the same time last year) which means that there remains barely 3,700 places before the new, raised registration ceiling of 10,000 participants is reached.

In StafettVasan, so far, there are 818 teams entered (an increase of 204 percent). StafettVasan attracts many companies to enter their teams of five, as a way of furthering and supporting their own internal health and fitness objectives.

Last winter, three of the Winter Week races were completely full – Vasaloppet, TjejVasan and StafettVasan. Vasaloppet 2012 is already full and, with the current high registration pace, TjejVasan and StafettVasan will be fully booked well before Christmas.

Registration
Register entries to Vasaloppet’s various races HERE.

Vasaloppet Winter Week 2012
– Friday 24 Feb: KortVasan, 30 km. Start Oxberg.
– Saturday 25 Feb: TjejVasan, 30 km Start Oxberg.
– Sunday 26 Feb: UngdomsVasan, 3/5/7/9 km. Start Hemus.
– Sunday 26 Feb: Öppet Spår, 90 km. Start Sälen.
– Monday 27 Feb: Öppet Spår, 90 km. Start Sälen.
– Tuesday 28 Feb: HalvVasan, 45 km. Start Oxberg.
– Friday 2 Mar: SkejtVasan, 30/45 km. Start Oxberg.
– Friday 2 Mar: StafettVasan 9 km – 24 km. Start Sälen.
– Sunday 4 Mar: Vasaloppet, 90 km (FULL 30/5/11). Start Sälen.

October 01, 2011 (Worcester, VT) – Don’t miss this great opportunity to meet, listen to, and share a gourmet meal with Olympians Andy Newell and Liz Stephen plus NNF Director Dave Knoop in support of the National Nordic Foundation, as they share their life enriching lessons of the trail. “For the Lessons of the Trail Are the Lessons of Life”

Dinner at
The Kaeding Household
55 Kaeding Road
Worcester, VT

$50.00
Suggested Minimum Donation
Benefits the NNF
Dinner Limited to 30 Lucky Guests
RSVP to 802-249-8345 or gus.kaeding@cxcskiing.org

Support Tomorrow’s Stars Today
The National Nordic Foundation exists to help America’s young, dedicated, and driven Nordic talent realize their, and America’ s, long term potential in sport and in life. The biggest hurdle facing American Nordic racers is gaining consistent access to international quality coaching, training, and racing experiences from ages 15 through 25. Providing future generations of U.S. Nordic athletes earned access to a progression of high-quality international competitions, their life enriching lessons, represents this nation’s greatest Nordic development opportunity and funding need. The National Nordic Foundation and its Pillar Projects exist to fulfill this need. Please donate to the National Nordic Foundation and support tomorrow’s stars today as their quest for athletic accomplishment on the trails prepares them to achieve their potential in life while inspiring others to do the same.

September 30, 2011 – We’re excited to announce the launch of Kikkan Randall’s Daily Training Rap, the first blog of its kind worldwide (we believe), with one of the most dynamic top international skiers. Randall has set the bar higher each year landing on the final Sprint WCup podium in 3rd last season, along with scoring two WCup wins, and a  top-10 final overall WCup ranking, in addition to conquering the daunting Tour de Ski.

Kikkanimal skis head-to-head with the world’s top athletes and is poised to become the USA’s best female Nordic skier of all time.

In this unique daily blog – yes, you heard right – Kikkan will share her training schedule including rest days, travel days and test days, keeping readers up to date on her progress. Learn how a world class skier reaches the top – each entry will be colour-coded as Zone 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or Recovery for easy reference – and readers are welcome to submit questions and she’ll do her best to answer them each week. The Q/As will be posted in her blog and in the KR-Mailbag so readers will be able to access them with ease anytime.

Kikkan is stoked about the upcoming season ahead and her new blog… and we’re stoked as well and looking forward to watching her take on the world’s best and sharing her amazing ride with readers at skitrax.com – click HERE.

September 30, 2011 (Balsta, Sweden) – Sweden is reportedly all set to get the world’s largest indoor ski resort in the form of the all new ‘Skipark 360′. This one of a kind ski resort will be designed and developed by CF Møller Architects. A highlight of the world’s most complete indoor ski park will be a 700 metre long downhill slope with a drop of 160 metres, potentially enough to meet the requirements for World Cup slalom. At a height of approx. 135 metres, it will be one of Sweden’s largest buildings, and will become a landmark in the forest landscape just outside Stockholm.

The Skipark 360 is planned to be located in Balsta, which is about 45 minutes away from Stockholm In addition to the Alpine Skiing slope and a snow park, the resort will feature a 3.5 km cross-country skiing tunnel with enough room to play and practice a variety of activities including ice hockey, bandy and figure skating. Restaurants, shops, spa, hotel and conference facilities are also included. The entire structure is being designed to be completely self-sufficient and will meet its power requirements from a variety of renewable sources of energy such as geothermal heating, solar power, wind power and hydro power, with an estimated construction cost of a staggering 1.5-2 billion Swedish kroner. The project is expected to start at the turn of 2013/2014.

September 29, 2011 (Park City, Utah) – Dear Park City; I’ve missed you. It’s good to see you, your sick trail system, and copious amounts of Vitamin D again. I’m living at about 8,000 feet in the USST condo, which is super close to what might be my all-time favorite single-track trail to run. The Mid-Mountain trail is super long, rolling, with just enough roots and rocks to keep you on your toes.

Here’s a “virtual tour” of my run!

It was awesome, except for the crazy-huge slug I almost stepped on. Slug guts all over me = minor freakout!

I was sad about missing the changing leaves at home – fall in Afton has some seriously beautiful rollerski routes. I’d thought that all the “tree” in Park City would be knee high and brown, but I was wrong! The leaves are starting to change and the views were great.

So I’m getting settled in for a month of high-altitude living and training. Thursday at the Center of Excellence, I get to rollerski on the giant treadmill again for some testing, and then camp gets rolling!

September 22, 2011 (Canmore, AB) – Former Olympic skiers Sara Renner and Thomas Grandi spoke in their hometown of Canmore, AB about life after their athletic careers as a part of the Healthy Canmore Association speaker series Wednesday, September 14, reports the Canmore Leader. Renner and Grandi spoke about the differences between being elite athletes and being business owners and parents and how skills they learned as athletes translate to their “new” lives. Read the article HERE.

September 21, 2011 (Quebec City, QC) – The 2012 Snowshoe World Championship will take place near Quebec City, March 8th-11, 2012 with Dan Des Rosier as the race director. The event took place in Japan last year, and in Vancouver, BC in 2010 during the Winter Olympics. The previous two Snowshoe Worlds prior to that were in 2007 and 2006 on the Dachstein Glacier in Austria.

Jimmy Gobeil of Canada finished in 4th place in 2007 and David Leporho of Quebec is currently the defending World Champion after winning in Japan last year and will, therefore, have a fierce race as he aims to defend his title on home turf.

More info HERE.

September 21, 2011 (Chicago, IL) – The 24hr Ski Jumping World Distance Challenge is an ultra event to see how far ski jumpers in the USA can jump in one 24-hour period – and a challenge to ski jumping nations from around the world to see if they can match or beat the USA effort. The distance of every jump taken in the USA between 9:00 am CDT October 1 and 9:00 am CDT October 2 will be counted toward the USA total. Other festivities including food, drink, music, and more will supplement the event making it a memorable and meaningful 24 hours for participants and spectators.

Registration is FREE! Register HERE.

Contact: Jeff Hastings – jhastings@procutusa.com
www.usaskijumping.org/24hrs.htm

September 14, 2011 – Norwegian Petter Northug, the best skier in this year’s World Championships in Oslo, extended his contract with Alpina. Petter Northug, who won three gold and two silver medals at the Oslo 2011 World Championships and is the holder of four Olympic medals from Vancouver 2010, has extended his contract with the Slovenian company through May 2014.

With permanent investments in development, Alpina has become one of the most important manufacturers of Cross-Country boots and today reaches one third of the market share in the segment of XC boots. Alpina is proud that one of the best and most popular athletes in the Cross-Country Skiing world continues to use its shoes for his future challenges. Furthermore Alpina also believes this will help to consolidate the Alpina brand all over the world.

September 13, 2011 (Sochi, Russia) – Preparations for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games are continuing, with work expected to be completed on many of the mountain venues by the end of this year.

During the 2014 Games, events will be focused around two different areas – a coastal cluster of venues in Sochi for ice events, and a mountain cluster in the Krasnaya Polyana Mountains.

The mountain cluster will be home to all the skiing and sliding sports and will include a Biathlon and Ski Complex, a Bobsleigh Track, a Ski Centre and a Ski Jump Complex, as well as a Snowboard Park and Freestyle Centre.

Many of the venues are due to host international events at the beginning of 2012, in preparation for the 2014 Games, and IOC Coordination Commission Chairman Jean-Claude Killy was confident that the athletes would be impressed following a recent visit to Sochi. “I am confident that the world’s winter athletes will be impressed when they arrive in Sochi for the up-coming sports events and the Games in 2014,” said Killy. He continued, “The entire Sochi 2014 team deserves great praise for their achievements over the past six months.”

The Biathlon and Ski Complex, located on the crest and slopes of the Psekhako Ridge, will host both the FIS Cup and the IBU Cup in January next year, while the Alpine Centre, on the Aibga Ridge, will host the Alpine FIS World Cup in February.

The Ski Jumping Complex, which is located in Esto-Sadok village on the northern slope of the Aibga Ridge, will stage the FIS Ski Jumping Cup in February, while the Snowboard Park and Freestyle Centre, to the West of the Rosa Khutor plateau, will host both the Freestyle FIS European Cup and the Snowboard FIS European Cup in March.

www.olympic.org

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

September 12, 2011 (Canmore, AB) – I’d advise you not to scroll down. Ok, well now that you did – don’t be daunted by the sheer length of this “New Yorkeresque” post. Other than amount of words – it’s about as far away from an actual “New Yorker” column as a post can get – think more “Tashkenter” in terms of literary notoriety, style, organization and prose (if the capital of Uzbekistan even has a “reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry” magazine) – and of course that may be over stepping.

CHRIS JEFFRIES TO ME VIA TWITTER: “@DEVONKERSHAW – GO HOME AND CHILL OUT! I AM GETTING TIRED JUST FOLLOWING YOU ON TWITTER!”

Life as a Canadian Nordic skier is one of many travels and experiences and this August has disappointed – it’s been one heck of a busy month. I feel like Geoff Mack did back in 62’ – “I’ve been everywhere man…” As you’ve probably understood from the title of this post (which was generously donated by none other than the Big Guy), I’ve been gone awhile and I’ve gone to many different places.

How did New Zealand finish up? Great – thanks for asking. New Zealand this season was something out of a fairytale – until it wasn’t. The weather held up incredibly well for an obscene amount of days in a row – something you don’t expect when you stare long enough at the South Island on a map and realize “wow, there’s a ton of ocean around this thing.”

The training went as planned and we pushed it down there this year, which was good and planned. The collateral damage was our racing performances. Aside from Lenny, the rest of us struggled pretty hard in the 15km classic race down there. A tired body wouldn’t allow me to do much of anything but hang on as best I could, which was about all I could do. In the end both Alex and I were no match for the explosive final punch leveled on us by Freeman and Newell – who went 1-2. It was never in the cards to do the sprint – and stormzilla had other plans the Tuesday morning of the scheduled 10km skate race (it was cancelled. Apparently ski racing in 90+km/h winds and driving snow wasn’t in the cards).

Our final two days on the South Island reminded us why it’s the only island of any consequence that close to Antarctica. All I remember now of the last 48 hours was this: oodles of snow fell, wind battered the building creating noise strangely resembling that of a bad drum solo from some Scando metal band. We kept training of course, but down in the valley bottom on foot – and then we left. There were some tense moments at the Queenstown airport the day we left because of the terrible weather – but somehow our flight got in the air (and stayed there) and just like that I was on my way home.

Because of a B2ten training camp in Montreal a mere 6 days after our New Zealand camp I decided to just fly straight East and deal with jetlag there instead of coming back to Canmore for only a few days only to pack up and fly 4+ hours again to Montreal.

First up was some time in my hometown of Sudbury. Albeit a short trip, it was productive. The main reason for the return trip was to host and execute the 3rd annual “Share the Road” ride to raise bicycle awareness in a city that is notoriously bad for cycling/cyclists. Along with the STR ride, I got out with a few of the local ski clubs to lead a training session with them, caught up with some old friends, and got out for some great training of my own. A short – but fruitful trip home!

Even got out fishing with my dad. He’s one lucky dude – didn’t like fishing my whole life growing up, but seems to be slowly getting into it – here he is in a full Tilly outfit (except the hat?! WHAT?) with a 9.5 lb/72cm Pickerel he caught a few days ago.

Being the third year of the Share the Road event in Sudbury, we worked out a lot of kinks and over-planned for this year’s event. My dad and family friend Chris (Gore), along with countless others did a fantastic job and worked tirelessly to ensure this year’s event was both safe and a resounding success. I can happily report that thanks to the 30 volunteers (thanks to Blair Franklin for donating bike jerseys for the event!), the over 200 riders with us had a fun and safe time riding together. Eight police officers joined us as well to ensure it was safe – and deepest thanks to Enzo and his men/women. I really appreciated it.

Like every year, I was deeply moved again this year by the turnout, the stories I heard and the people I met. Sudbury has a long way to go – but to see and hear just how important safe cycling and cycling options (like bike paths/bike lanes) is to their citizens I hope they continue to make it a priority. Thanks as well to Natalie and Eleanor from “Share the Road” – it was great to catch up – as both our schedules don’t overlap often.

It was a quick trip to the Nickel City, and still nursing some jetlag next thing I knew I was packing up my duffel bag yet again and heading south – to Lenny’s cottage. I’ll keep this part short. This is what you need to know about it:

– It was awesome
– The Valjas family is so wonderful, caring and generous – and his mom is a top chef
– Living out west, I really do miss summers in Ontario – especially water sports
– I love Lenny’s dogs – Misty’s (one of the 2 dogs) doppelganger is Jose Bautista. Seriously – it’s messed.
– I am a terrible motorcyclist – and even after a great lesson from Lenny, I can’t see my tush on the Ducati anytime soon
– Seeing my dad attempt to wake surf will arouse titters for years upon recalling the memory
– Days spent on/in Georgian Bay, training in the area, hitting the sauna, eating great food are what makes cottage life like nothing else.
– I wish the fishing in Georgian Bay was what it was like back in 1988. Even when it’s beautiful, getting skunked a bummer.
– Thanks to the Valjas fam – you guys rule.

Travel weary but well fed, it was time for my final stop. At this point I should mention friends from Canmore had begun lobbing “get the H home” messages at me – and believe me I was ready to stop lugging around my equipment all over the world’s airports too and return to my Canadian Rocky Mountain home. BUT – the last stop was important – a mini-camp with the CNEPH (the Quebec Training Centre) and supported by B2ten (a group I am involved with – check them out at www.b2ten.ca) in the beautiful city of Montreal.

Since last year JD and the gang had been itching to get me to Montreal to go through the ringer at Paulo’s (B2ten’s physiologist) computrainer lab -“PowerWatts.” (www.powerwatts.com)

I tried to explain that I am a bum on the bike – but they wouldn’t have it. Jokes aside, I was excited to try it (The CNEPH guys had done it a couple times and told me all about it) and it was great to get some face time with the B2ten staff – who are great supporters not only of myself but of our National Ski Team.

The CNEPH boys, two National Biathlon Team members (JP and Marco) and myself sweated like we’ve never sweated before. We did a ton of cycling on the computrainers – doing everything from fun little exercises to all out painful time trial/races.

I’ll be honest – at first I thought it would be hellishly boring – being stuck inside on a bike didn’t sound like a good time to me, but I soon realized that couldn’t have been further from the truth. It was so fun! The hours went by so fast, as Paulo put us through the barrage of workouts both on the bike and on other machines in the B2ten gym/lab zone. We did a lot of hammering – and I did my fair share of smack talk to McMurr – so I’d say it exceeded expectations.

We had fun, we worked hard and we all got completely owned by Lenny – but the workouts, the chats and the time I spent with B2ten, the CNEPH boys, JP and Marco were great. Even though we weren’t in Montreal long, we did get some time to check out the city – which was great – and I even got to see my brother who goes to school at Concordia, so my mom won’t be mad at me (just kidding Sean – it was/is always great to see you!).

Big thanks to Dom (Gautier) and Jenn (Heil) for hosting/taking care of me. They are both just such stand up/awesome people. I really enjoy spending time with you two and thanks so much for your hospitality!

What should you take away from this update? Yes, the length and lack of editing is an astute point, and if you’ve read this blog before you will know that the critisism will be noted and discarded in favor of continuing lengthy drivel – but seriously, it was busy but all the travel was purposeful. Along with the rest of the NST crew – we’ve had a very productive and good summer of training, and it always feels so good to give back in some way. Thanks to the Valjas family, the STR volunteers, B2ten, Jenn and Dom, Scot at Blair Franklin, and my dad. Take the time to thank those around you, that’s always something you can take away. We never get anywhere on our own and it’s important to thank those that help you out.

I’ve been home now for about 10 days and it’s been glorious. The weather has been perfect (sunny, hot and beautiful), I’ve been enjoying the Canmore/area trails and time with friends. Got out to see “Ray Lamontagne” which was rad and oh yeah, and it’s been nice to unpack and do laundry 😉

Traveling is nice, but lately the only place I would want to be is here in the Canadian Rockies.

Not for long though – next Monday it’s off to Park City for our “fall classic” altitude camp. Looking forward to that of course!

Thanks for reading.

September 10, 2011 (Telemark, WI) – The Ski and Tea ladies, a year round training group based out of the Birkie Trail area and founded by Linda Cook and Juli Lynch, came to Telemark today! With a motto of “No Woman Left Behind” and focus on feeling successful and proud to be a Nordic Skier, and over 102 women on the mailing list, this training group is a force to be reckoned with!

The event was coached by myself, Caitlin Gregg, Carolyn Ocariz, Sara Hewitt and Jennie Bender. We started out with some introductions and organization, led by Caitlin.

Then Sara took us through a light jog and mobility warm up that was fun yet challenging.

I worked over some technique highlights before Carolyn explained the workout: 6×4-8 min ski walking up Telemark hill.

But I’m afraid we may have underestimated some of these ladies, because I’m quite positive that many of them went back for more and by the end of the workout had done up to 8 intervals! Impressive.

Then Jennie took everyone through some stretching and yoga, before we had tea in the Telemark Lodge.

It was inspiring and motivating for me to be able to work with ladies who are committed to improving technique and training during the summer. It was fun to meet new people and get to know the Hayward/Cable area better. I’m looking forward to being involved with more Ski and Tea clinics in the future!

September 02, 2011 (Alaska) – I just recently came down from my final training camp of the summer up at Eagle Glacier. This camp was a bit different than all the rest… weather wise mostly!

We were fortunate to have the Sun Valley Olympic Development Team come for the week and join us. As always, it was fun to have new blood and new people to ski with on the glacier.

This camp was unique in that I skied two of the six days on powder snow! Powder snow in August… how crazy??!! The weather jumped between being warm and foggy to being full blown blizzard, cold, and snowing. I guess its true what they say “august can be anything”. We sure got anything! With the powder snow on top of the glacier snow, waxing got a bit tricky. There was one day the snow was so funky that Casey drove the PistenBully around, while all 16 of the skiers were following closely behind on the fresh tracks without powder in them. It was like a mother duck with all her ducklings following close behind… a site to see!! One of those days that makes you tougher though 🙂

The final day everything cleared up, so we had an amazing sun set on the mountains the night before, giving us a little preview of the following days weather. It was super pretty and maybe topped one of the prettiest sites I have seen up on Eagle.

APU classes started this week, so between training I was busy doing lots of homework and attending class on my little cell phone connection to the computer. Writing research papers gets a bit challenging up there when you are without internet. I tried to print a bunch of stuff out before going up…. but there always seems to be something missing! I have to say it’s a bit less challenging then getting up at 3:30 in the morning to attend class when I am in Europe… so I have to hold myself back from complaining!

August always brings a change in the Glacier. With lots of warm weather this winter, and a low snow year, there were some new crevasses that opened up a few camps ago. To keep us safe, they started having us ride down to the trails on the PistenBully, instead of skiing the trail down. This made it fun, mostly because I felt like a school kid in the morning trying to catch the bus. Fortunately it made me get going quicker in the mornings and afternoons before training, instead of going out at my own time. It also made it so that all the girls would start at the same time, so I got to do a lot more skiing with the group this camp… which was awesome!

On my way back into town, I saw my boyfriend and his buddies doing some rock climbing along the ocean- so I quickly ran home and grabbed my harness and shoes… just to top off the week of training and fun. I have never done any rock climbing here in AK, but it was sure awesome. Every time I go climbing with really good climbers, I have this new excitement to get better, because it is so awesome to watch them move up the rock quickly and effortlessly. I love how it is sort of a different challenge than skiing!!

For now I am back in full school and a rest week. Following this week I have another good block of training before heading to Park City in October for my final training camp. I looked over my training from the year, and it seems I have trained close to 100 hours on snow this summer!! That is more skiing than I normally did in a winter several years ago. Thanks to APU for making that possible. We are lucky we have this opportunity… I believe there is only one other place in the world where you can live right on the glacier and train!

I am still in the process of planning my fall of racing- but whatever it be, I think it will be new and exciting!! With the weather already starting to change here in AK… the racing excitement and feelings are starting to wake from hibernation!!!

September 01, 2011 ( Orillia, ON) – At the recent Southern Ontario Training Camp at Hardwood Ski and Bike near Orillia, ON, Graham Longford caught up with Eric Bailey, Head Coach at the National Development Centre in Thunder Bay, for his thoughts on the camp and the season ahead.

August 31, 2011 – Simi Hamilton grew up in Aspen, CO with skiing in his blood. Since before he can remember, he spent every non-school day during the winter either on the alpine hill or out on the cross country trails around Aspen.

His dedication to the sport paid off in a huge way in 2010 as he marked not one, but two U.S. titles in Anchorage and earned a spot on the 2010 Olympic team. Read on to see what makes this Aspen, CO native tick.

How/when did you decide you wanted to compete?
Simi Hamilton: Both of my parents were competitive runners when they were young and they got into cross country skiing after they were fed up with getting injured from running. Naturally, we ended up cross country skiing a lot together as a family when I was young. I have a very competitive personality, so cross country racing seemed like a great thing to start doing when I was about 12 or 13. That and my mom basically forced me to do it, which I’m glad she did. It’s the best sport in the world, and I know I’ll still be getting out on the cross country trails when I’m 90 years old.

What is your biggest accomplishment in your career so far?
Competing at and getting top-30 at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics for team USA is for sure the accomplishment I’m most proud of in my life. Just being able to be part of such an awesome team and take part in such a mind-boggling experience was absolutely incredible. I got enough Team USA clothing from Polo and Nike that I’ll never have to buy Christmas presents ever again!

What are your goals for next season?
Race in the Tour de Ski (a multi-stage cross country race in Europe in Dec. and Jan.). Improve my distance racing while still focusing on sprinting. Beat Andy Newell in a weighted pull-up competition.

What is your favorite snow destination?
New Zealand is probably the coolest place I’ve trained, while the Holmenkollen venue in Oslo, Norway is by far the coolest place I’ve raced.

What is your favorite non-snow destination?
Man, there are a bunch of these. Surfing and running on Kauai, mountain biking in Sun Valley, climbing in the City of Rocks, kayaking in Costa Rica, fall training in Lake Placid and the surrounding Adirondacks.

If you weren’t a professional athlete what would you be?
A pilot or backcountry ski/climbing guide.

What is the time you’ve been most scared in your life?
I climbed Teewinot Peak in the Tetons one summer after work one day and a huge lightning storm suddenly rolled in when I was about 50 feet from the summit. There were about four or five lightning strikes within 30 feet of me as I launched myself down the east face. I was completely alone, which made it worse, and ended up sobbing and yelling at myself for about half an hour when I reached the safety of the trees. I had to get stitches in 4 places on my body from crashing down the rocks the whole way down.

What is your biggest vice?
Coffee

What is your biggest pet peeve?
People that talk on their phones on chair lifts and bad drivers. It’s a tie.

What is your advice to others who want to follow in your footsteps?
Find a way to make it fun every single day. If it isn’t fun, it’s lame, and you probably shouldn’t be doing it.

August 30, 2011 – Check out this video interview with Len Valjas posted on the Team Hardwood YouTube channel. He talks about his break-out season last year, NST training camps so far this year, current training focus, and his role at this week’s Southern Ontario Training Camp.

August 25, 2011 (Oro, ON) – Over 100 committed young cross country ski racers from across Ontario will converge on Hardwood Ski and Bike this weekend for the 2011 Southern Ontario Training Camp, an intensive 5-day dryland training camp designed to help prepare for winter competition. Joining them will be a contingent of athletes from the National Development Centre (NDC) in Thunder Bay, led by coaches Eric Bailey and Timo Puiras, as well as Canadian National Ski Team members Len Valjas (Canadian Sprint Champion) and Michael Somppi. The Southern Ontario Training Camp promises to be one of the largest and most successful training camps for cross country skiers conducted in North America this year.

Organized by the host racing club, Team Hardwood, in collaboration with Cross Country Canada, NDC, Cross Country Ontario, and Hardwood Ski and Bike, the Southern Ontario Training Camp aims to give developing and high performance athletes a competitive edge over their rivals elsewhere in Canada and abroad. Camp participants will engage in a variety of training sessions under the supervision of Ontario’s top coaches, and that are designed to improve their physical strength, power, and endurance, as well technical and tactical skills on skis.

Camp participants will have the opportunity to train in the presence of top coaches like Bailey, Purias and Ontario Team coach, Pavlina Sudrich, and to test themselves against athletes like Valjas and Somppi, who will serve as role models and mentors for the younger athletes. A highlight of the camp will include a session on sprint tactics to be led by Valjas and Harry Seaton, who together (representing Team Hardwood) won gold in the Team Sprint at the Canadian Championships in 2010.

Valjas, who grew up skiing and racing at Hardwood, exploded onto the international racing scene last season with a top-10 finish in World Cup sprint competition and a 15^th place at the 2011 World Ski Championships in Oslo,  Norway. Valjas will share his experiences from the World Cup and World Championships in an evening keynote presentation next Tuesday (August 30) at Hardwood Ski and Bike.

In addition to its focus on athlete development, the Southern Ontario Training Camp will also include a coaching symposium comprised of afternoon workshops and presentations on topics such as overtraining and motor learning. Over 20 coaches from across Ontario will attend. The coaching symposium has been made possible through the generous support of the Canadian Sport Centre (Ontario) and Cross Country Ontario.

August 25, 2011 – After a June 5 teleconference in which Andrus Veerpalu’s defense team presented its arguments in attempt to clear the retired Estonian skier of doping charges, FIS announced its ruling to maintain the skier’s two-year ban, reported ERR News earlier this week. Veerpalu tested positive for Human Growth Hormone last winter. Read the full story HERE.

August 24, 2011 (Canmore, AB) – Since Beckie Scott’s breakthrough win at the 2002 Winter Olympics, North American sprinters have enjoyed growing success on the international cross-country race circuit. SPRINT to WIN, produced in 2008, features commentary from some of the most accomplished sprinters including Beckie Scott, Sara Renner and Chandra Crawford. Insight on the evolution of sprint racing is also provided from sprinting greats Kikkan Randall, Bjorn Lind, Emil Joensson and Devon Kershaw.

Purchase Sprint to Win HERE.

August 24, 2011 – For the first time ever this August, the USST men’s team had a solo trip down to New Zealand for a 2.5-week training camp. The goal of the camp was to bring all the teammates together to push one another in some long distance and interval training sessions and also work out along side our friends on the Canadian team.

During August, the NZ winter is in full swing and although it’s a pretty mild winter, the conditions and grooming at the Snow Farm are well worth the trip. With 30+ k’s of rolling terrain and prefect hard wax conditions for most of the days, I was able to log around 27 hours worth of training for the first week down there. Coming to a camp like this is a perfect opportunity for me to work on some threshold intervals along side my distance skiing teammates like Freeman and Tad and see how efficiently we can ski with one another.

So during the first week we were able to have two long interval days including one 5×10 minute session together. One of our other favorite workouts to do when we’re at camp is join up with the Canadian team and run a hard speed session. the more fast people you have around the better for workouts like this and it’s always fun to toe up to the line against Alex and devon and sprint it out. In a workout like this we will typically do 8 starts, 8 finishes, and 8 sprints on an uphill.

We also planned our NZ training camp to coincide with the New Zealand winter games which are a 3 race series that take place at the snow farm. this year saw the stiffest competition ever with our full mens team present along with the canadians, and a full Russian world cup sprint team. The first race was the 15k mass start classic with beautiful hard packed classic tracks and blue skies.

With a handful of world class distance skiers the pace was high but it was great practice for me to test my fitness and see if i could hang with the best. In the end Freeman pushed hard in the last 2k and the pack narrowed down to Freeman, Harvey, Kershaw and myself. Kris was able to hold the lead to the finish and I was able to sprint past the Canadians up the last hill to make it a 1-2 victory.

The placing in the race and even the points don’t mean a whole lot to me since it’s still August, but I was very excited to race a distance race and actually feel strong throughout the entire race which was something I was unable to do last year. So I was very happy about that. With two Olympic medalist entered the next day’s sprint was a very anticipated event, and ended up being a great workout despite heavy snow.

The Russians didn’t really push us as much as we had hoped for but it was still really fun to actually race full sprint heats and play around with some speed and a little bit of tactics. The snow and wind continued to pick up making conditions soft for the final, but it was still a strong showing by the American team with myself, Freeman, and Hamilton going 1-2-3.

After some big training weeks and two hard races I was pretty beat so I wasn’t too disappointed to hear that the final skate race was canceled due to bad weather. We were actually unable to ski for two days as the wind and snow picked up, but in the end the weather cleared and we were left with perfect skiing again for the last 3 days of camp. with all the racing behind us we really pushed the training in the last few days with a few 5 hour training days, and freeman even putting in a 5 hour OD.

Looking back I think it really was one of the most productive USST camps we’ve ever had and I’m really excited about the level of fitness throughout the team right now.

As we get into September the big hours that we are all training will begin to diminish a little bit as we begin to train more intensity and intervals. The next time the team will come together will be for a massive 2 week intensity camp at the Lake Placid Olympic training center starting on the 6th of September.

August 23, 2011 (Snow Farm, New Zealand) – The Snow Farm, New Zealand is a special place, if you want to ski in summer there is no better conditions in the world, than in New Zealand. That’s why the Canadian XC ski team heads there every year for a training as long as I can remember, at least in past eight years. This was a fifth year in the row for me.

Unlike previous years this time it was only the men’s World Cup team that made the trip including Alex “Hollywod” Harvey, Devon “Kersh” Kershaw, Lenny “Shorty” Valjas and myself – and of course Justin W. our coach, Joel “JJ” Jacques our wax technician, and physiotherapy-slave Shayne – a small but very well-functioning team.

Besides the US ski team and some local, New Zealand/Australian skiers, we were out-numbered by the Russian Sprint Team. You know, if the Russians are going anywhere they are bringing a good number of people, just in case.

So you can see that we had a pretty good company for the New Zealand Winter Games, which didn’t go as planned for our team. The US guys dominated in the distance and sprint races – Alex got 3rd in the 15km classic race and our young talent Lenny was 4th in the sprint final.

But that’s OK, we have almost 3 months to get in shape for a first World Cup race. What’s important, is that we had pretty good/hard training out there as a base for a next camp.

The last two days of the camp were very stormy, and the 10km skate race, that I really wanted to do, got canceled, as did most of the flights out of the North Island. But our flight to Sydney somehow got through, and we had pretty good evening there before returning to Canada.

Sydney BTW is a beautiful city, and I hope to visit there at a later date and for a longer time. Next on our calendars is a Park City/Salt Lake City camp in mid-September.

August 22, 2011 – After five consecutive training camps… it was time to unwind a bit and recharge the battery! And what better way to do that than spending time with my family? When I got off the plane from Alaska, I jumped right into the car and drove up for a week at my Grandparent’s cabin on Lake Superior. I love spending time up in Thunder Bay, and it was great to see my extended family.

Ever since I can remember, it’s pretty much the rule at the cabin that at least once a summer, you go to the quarry and do a little cliff jumping. I think jumping in is the easy part though – climbing back out’s much harder when you’re freezing your butt off and there’s big waves!

There were a number of day trips to go out fishing, but I don’t really have the patience to sit still in a boat. I prefer to spend my time on the water in a kayak or swimming. Lucky for me, my Dad and Nana brought back results!

I think one of the best things about being on the lake is taking saunas at night. We’d heat it up and pour water on the rocks until the water in the basin next to the stove was boiling and you could barely breathe. Then we’d sprint headlong into the lake. Sadly, it’s super shallow for a couple hundred yards so we’d run for a while before the water finally caught us around the knees and brought us crashing down. Lake Superior’s so cold that it is absolutely perfect after a sauna.

We also brought out the waterskis, but didn’t have a super strong motor on the boat. So getting up was a bit of a challenge. In the end, it was easier to get out a boogie board and kneel on it, and wakeboard instead! For some reason, I have a little problem of not being able to let go of the rope when I fall, so there were also some good crash-and-drag sessions.

When I got home, it was super weird to have so much quiet time without a house full of skiers! But it was also great to get to spend some time with my family and friends back home. However, I haven’t put in too much down time yet…but maybe that’s a good thing. Just chilling out on the couch is something I’m not too great at.

I got to jump in with the Stillwater skiers during their annual Super Ski – a 25/50km tour around Afton. It was great to see so many high school kids training during the summer! I’ve been putting in some good hours working at my Mom’s store, which I love since I get to assemble furniture, re-arrange displays and load people’s trucks. I had a good time doing a Ski walking and Bounding clinic down in Northfield, MN. I got to meet skiers from the area, and Gus came down to help me coach.

I was able to be home for my little sister’s 15th birthday, and took on the challenge of making her an absolutely monsterous cake. You know how you’re supposed to try to blow all the candles out in one go? That definitely wasn’t possible here.

And then, since it’s been a while since I’ve taken a really good digger on my rollerskis and I was starting to miss the look of road rash, I took a great pole plant this morning. Just because I wanted to, you understand. Not because it was an accident, or anything…

My next camp is with CXC back at Telemark in early September. And since I’m getting a big break in between camps, I’ll be ready and excited to zip over to Wisconsin! Till then, I’ll be enjoying time at home and making sure the roads in Afton remember me.