February 04, 2013 (Sochi, Russia) – SkiTrax caught up with Canadian Ski Team members Dasha Gaiazova and Perianne Jones after their bronze medal women’s team sprint effort in Sochi. It was a thrilling finish to the women’s 6×1.25km Classic Team Sprint as Gaiazova started the final leg in fourth, then stormed on to pass the USA’s Sadie Bjornsen in third, and then chased down Russia’s Natalia Matveeva to barely miss out on silver in a photo finish. Check out what the ladies had to say about their race.

Perianne Jones

Dasha Gaiazova

FIS video HERE.

February 01, 2013 (Sochi, Russia) – USA’s Kikkan Randall dominated the FIS World Cup women’s 1.3km free sprints today in Sochi, making her mark at the venue as the top contender for the upcoming 2014 Winter Olympic. The American team had a strong day overall, with five U.S. skiers qualifying for the heats. Read more here.

Randall started her day with a second place finish in the qualifier and then went onto win each of her heats, leading the final from start to finish for an undisputed victory over second place, Aurore Jean (FRA) who passed Norway’s Celine Brun-Lie near the finish to take the silver.

“I’ve been working really hard in my training to make every sprint course a good course for me so it was cool to get out there and see how it felt,” said Randall. “The course is deceptively tough and there’s not much rest out there outside of maybe 10 or 15 seconds on one downhill but you’re preparing for a turn so I think the weather conditions are really going to play in how the race goes but I think it’s a good course for me and I’m a strong finisher and it’s a really long stadium, so I like that. This is definitely a confidence boost for next year!”

Ida Sargent was the next-best American finisher with a personal best sixth after finishing second in her quarterfinal and then sneaking through in her semifinal as lucky loser to contest in her first ever “A” final.

“I like the course here,” Sargent told Trax. “It’s short but hard and technical and there isn’t much recovery out there so you’re working a lot. We had very fast skis today and I was 17th in the skate qualification which was a PB. In the rounds I tried to ski at or near the front and was very happy to make the final!  I was pretty tired by the time the final heat came around but it was still an awesome day for me.”

Jessie Diggins (USA) charged to third in her heat with Holly Brooks (USA) placing fourth in hers. Sadie Bjornsen (USA) was eliminated after her fifth-place quarterfinal. In the end, they ranked 15th, 16th, and 21st, respectively.

“I was disappointed to end the day after the quarterfinal, but considering that it was my best qualifier and my best sprint final place to date, I’m really happy,” said Brooks in a post-race email exchange with Trax. “It’s awesome to have a good experience at the Olympic venue, on the Olympic course … and be able to leave here with a great vibe. Kikkan [Randall] took the win easily which points towards success one year from now and Ida [Sargent] had her first appearance in the A-final!”f

Dasha Gaiazova was the top finisher of the two Canadian qualifiers, finishing 12th after she placed second in her heat and sixth in the semis. Perianne Jones (CAN) finished in 18th spot.

Elizabeth Stephen (USA) and Chandra Crawford (CAN) did not qualify, and finished 42nd and 51st, respectively.

Qualifications HERE.
Final results HERE.

January 30, 2013 (Toronto, ON) – We are excited to announce the 2012/13 SkiTrax FIS Fantasy World Cup Contest standings after the events in La Clusaz, France, host of the latest round of the 2012/13 Viessmann XC FIS World Cup tour Jan. 19-20.

The contest saw team Little Matt take hold onto the lead for another round with 719 points, still only one point ahead of second place team Summerstars with 718. Team maksimy has moved into third with 699 points.

USA’s women’s relay team placed ninth in the 4x5km relay, which was won by the Norwegian squad – read more here.

Good luck to all contestants and thanks to all of our great sponsors, including Fischer, Trapp Family Lodge, SkiGo, Alpina, One Way, Bjorn Daehlie, 2XU, Bliz, Fresh Air Experience, High Peaks Cyclery, Auclair, and Buff.

For the Contest standings after La Clusaz, click HERE.

SkiTrax Fantasy FIS World Cup 2012/13 Contest Prizes
* 1st Prize – Fischer 12/13 Carbonlite Skating Hole Skis, Xcelerator Bindings, Carbonlite Poles (value $1,100)
* 2nd Prize – Trapp Family Lodge – 2 nights lodging in a Deluxe Room w/breakfast (value $600)
* 3rd Prize – SkiGo Carbon 335 Skate Roller Skis (value $420)
* 4th Prize – Alpina ESK Ski Boots (value $419)
* 5th Prize – One Way Premio Ski Poles (value $400)
* 6th Prize – Bjorn Daehlie Exclusive US XC Ski Suit (value $300)
* 7th Prize – 2XU Long Sleeve Thermal Compression Top and Elite Socks (value $195)
* 8th Prize – Bliz Proflip Visor (value $129)
* 9th Prize – Fresh Air Experience or High Peaks Cyclery Gift Certificate (value $100)
* 10th Prize – Auclair Micro Mountain Olympic Gloves + Earbags (value $65)
* WCup Breaks – Buff Headware to top 3 contest leaders before the Tour de Ski (value $23)

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).

January 30, 2013 (Montebello, QC) – Fast and Female is inviting female cross country ski enthusiasts ages 7 to 19 to attend an afternoon activity of inspiration on February 9 led by 2010 Olympian Madeleine Williams as part of the Canadian Ski Marathon.

Williams, an accomplished cross country skier and runner as well as a current Law student at McGill university will join the girls for an inspirational presentation followed by a personal development exercise on attitude as well as fun dance and yoga sessions. The event will take place at Château Montebello – one of the largest log-built hotels in the world – from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm on Saturday, February 9.

“I’m very excited to be leading the Fast and Female event at the Canadian Ski Marathon because this event is one of our country’s premiere ski events,” said Williams. “This is a great opportunity to reach an audience of racers and recreational skiers alike. Inspiring girls to stay in sport is important to me because sport teaches so many vital life lessons and encourages lifelong health,” concluded the retired World Cup cross country racer who still competes in cross country running.

As a two-day event, the CSM features 160 kilometres of skiing divided into 5 sections each day, with an average of 16 km per section. Skiers of all ages and abilities are welcome to participate and can do so safely. There are checkpoints at the end of each section providing food, first, aid an other services, as well as shuttle buses that run between accommodation and checkpoints throughout each day. The CSM alternates its direction each year, from East to West one year and then West to East the next – between Gatineau and Lachute.

Unlike most ski events, there are no winners or losers in the Canadian Ski Marathon. Each skier can select his/her own level of challenge and try to achieve it. One can ski as little as 12 km or up to the maximum of 160 km over the weekend.

“Chandra Crawford, Madeline Williams and the Fast and Female team have brought an inspiring energy to the 2013 Canadian Ski Marathon,” said Bill Syrros, CSM President “We recognize and respect the level of empowerment and encouragement they’re offering to CSM youth; to ski and to be the best that they can be.”

Fast and Female is a non-profit organization launched in seven years ago by Chandra Crawford – 2006 Olympic gold medalist and honorary president for this year’s edition of the Canadian Ski Marathon. The organization’s mission is to support, encourage and motivate girls to stay in sports. It is believed that girls are six times more likely to drop out of sports than boys by the time they reach 14 years old.

“I’m super pumped that we are able to bring the Fast and Female message of joy for sport to the girls taking part in the Canadian Ski Marathon,” said Crawford who is in Europe for the remainder of the World Cup season. “The CSM is a tremendous event for participants of all ages and abilities to push their limits in a fun and supportive environment. This is extremely in line with Fast and Female’s values of inspiring all girls to follow their passions for sport and continuously challenge themselves to improve as athletes and as human beings. I’m sure all the girls attending the Fast and Female activity will learn a lot from Madeleine’s presence and her lessons on perseverance and determination.”

The February 9 Fast and Female activity in Montebello is open to female youth Canadian Ski Marathon participants as well as non participants from the area.

The cost for the events is $25 for youth and includes a Fast & Female t-shirt, a healthy snack, a magazine subscription (Pedal or SkiTrax) and an autographed poster. Online registration is open until February 8 at lunch time HERE or at www.fastandfemale.com.

As a complement to the event, Fast and Female and the Canadian Ski Marathon are also partnering to run a Marathon Girl Contest. As part of the contest, girls ages 7 to 19 registered in the Canadian Ski Marathon are invited to submit a short paragraph on what makes them exemplary Fast and Female Marathon Girls. Ten young women will be selected as part of this contest and will be rewarded with a free Fast and Female Buff. Entries in the contest can be sent to info@fastandfemale.com.

For more information about the Canadian Ski Marathon and to register, click HERE.

January 28, 2013 (Gatineau, QC) – Yes, in less than a month, from February 15th to 17th, 2013, we will be giving the start for the 35th edition of the Gatineau Loppet. We hope that your preparation for the biggest cross-country skiing event in Canada is going well. We invite you to participate at the Gatineau Loppet in your way – as a skier, volunteer, spectator or as a visitor.

Happy reading and we look forward to seeing you all on the trails.

– Yan Michaud, president of the Gatineau Loppet

Tara Whitten Named Honorary President
On January 15th 2013, at our press conference, we had the great pleasure to announce the Honorary President of the 35th Gatineau Loppet: Olympic medalist in London in 2012, Tara Whitten. We invite you to read the press release and biographical document to learn more about this athlete who’s been significant in both skiing and cycling. Tara will ski the 55 km classic on Saturday and the 10 km freestyle on Sunday. Come and ski with her!

New Challenges
On February 16th, two new linear courses of 55 and 38 km classic style will be inaugurate at the start of Lac Philippe (P.19). Participants of both races will have the chance to ski through the beautiful scenery of three municipalities; La Pêche, Chelsea and Gatineau.

It is very important to note that all skiers who take part in the 55 and 38 km classic will be transported by bus to Lac Philippe. Then, they must:
– Go at the Mont-Bleu Secondary School on Saturday morning;
– Be prepared to take the bus 1 h 10 before the start of their race at Lac Philippe;
– Go in front of the school to take the bus.

NO PARKING WILL BE ALLOWED P19.

Skiers register for the 55 and 38 km classic will receive an email with all the details a week before the event.

Carnaval Soleil Polaire
We are extremely pleased to present the second year of the Carnaval Soleil Polaire, neighborhood party held Sunday, February 17th, 2013. At noon, we invite you behind the Relais plein air to participate in a variety of activities for all. Inflatables, face painting, giant skis, music, culinary enjoyment await you. This is a family event not to be missed.

Cross-country Ski Show
This year, at the cross-country ski show, you will find the major players in the industry and also several retailers in the region: Atomic, Buff, Bushtukah, Fischer, Fresh Air Experience, Greg Christies, One Way, Peccos, Salomon, Skifast Ergometer, Suunto, Swix … without forgetting the Gatineau Loppet’s shop!

Volunteers
The Gatineau Loppet is looking for volunteers in different positions:

– Feeding stations
– Medals and awards
– Sales
– Official
– Start / Finish

Complete the form to become a volunteer HERE.

Accommodations
For official hotels and rates, click HERE.

Location Sauvageau Promotion
To get in Gatineau, enjoy a 5% discount on car rental from our partner Location Sauvageau by using the following promotional code: 2013LOPPET35

Haywood NorAm (FIS) Canadian Eastern Championships
The 2013 Haywood NorAm (FIS) Canadian Eastern Championships will be held at Nakkertok Nordic Centre, Cantley, Québec, from Feb 1-3, 2013. We encourage you to support the cross-country skiing community and to contribute to the success of this event by volunteering. Please click HERE for details.

On behalf of the EOC-2013, thank you for supporting this prestigious cross country ski event!

Canadian Ski Marathon
Learn about the Canadian Ski Marathon, a Nordic ski tour of 160 km over two days that will take place on February 9 and 10, 2013 between Gatineau and Lachute, Quebec HERE.

Special Offer Gatineau Loppet – Ski Trax
Gatineau Loppet and SkiTrax Magazine, the largest cross-country ski magazine in North America, have teamed up to bring you great savings. SkiTrax keeps you up to date on all the latest Nordic news, ski gear, adventure and recreational skiing, including race reports from across Canada, the USA, and around the world – check out skitrax.com.

Gatineau Loppet participants save 30% off regular subscription prices – try a SkiTrax/Pedal Combo Deal and get Pedal Magazine as well – to order click HERE.

Remember to “like” the Facebook page of the Gatineau Loppet HERE!

January 25, 2013 (Obertilliach, Austria) – USA’s Sean Doherty, 17, won a silver medal in the Youth men’s 7.5km sprint as the 2013 IBU Youth and Junior Biathlon World Championships kicked off today in Obertilliach, Austria. Fabien Claude (FRA) won the race in a time of 21:12.4. Doherty trailed by 3.6s. Both competitors logged two shooting penalties.

This is the first World Championship podium for Doherty had the fourth fastest skiing time, and climbed five positions on the last lap of the race to finish second. “It is hard to believe that I have worked all of this time towards this goal but now it is here I am still a little bit in shock,” said Doherty at his third trip to the IBU Youth/Junior World Championships.

“My strategy today was no different than any other race. I stared the two laps skiing well but under control. On the last lap I got a split from my coach that I was in fifth, really close to third, and I just gave it my all on the last lap. My main goal is to keep calm in the pursuit and have a really good race.” Doherty will race in Sunday’s 10-kilometer pursuit.

“We are very exited about Sean’s race today,” said U.S. Biathlon Coach Vladimir Cervenka. “He did great and according his plan he saved his best for the last loop. It will be fun to watch the pursuit on Sunday.”

The fastest Canuck of the day was Stuart Harden in 20th place, while teammates Carsten Campbell and Arthur Roots finished 30th and 59th, respectively. Other North Americans include USA’s Jakob Ellingson in 62nd, Matthew Strum (CAN) in 69th, Jordan McElroy (USA) in 79th, and Brian Halligan (USA) in 88th.

Uliana Kaisheva (RUS) won gold in the Youth women’s 6km sprint in a time of 18:08.7 with only one shooting penalty. Anna Kubek (USA) was the top North American woman in 34th spot, followed by Canadian Sarah Beaudry in 36th. Mikaela Paluszek (USA) finished 65th and Leilani Tam Von Burg (CAN) tied for 71st place. Canada’s Emily Dickson was 75th, Charlotte Hamel (CAN) finished 80th, and Aleksandra Zakrzewska (USA) placed 84th.

Youth Women results HERE.
Youth Men results HERE.

January 24, 2013 (Liberec, Czech Republic) – On Day 4 of the 2013  U23/Junior Nordic World Ski Championships, Ragnhild Haga took home  the first gold medal for the ambitious Norwegian team winning the women’s 10km FR race. The men’s 15km FR competition was clearly dominated by the Russians as they won gold and silver.

Team USA’s Caitlin Patterson and Erik Bjornsen led the North Americans, placing 14th and 15th in the women’s and men’s competitions, respectively.

Kazakhstan also celebrated their first medal of the championships winning silver in the women’s 10km thanks to Anastasia Slonova, while the bronze medal went to Italy, courtesy of Debora Agreiter.

USA’s Sophie Caldwell finished 17th in the women’s race, with teammates Annie Pokorny and Elizabeth Guiney in 29th and 42nd, respectively. Heidi Widmer posted the top Canadian women’s result in 28th place, while Annika Hicks finished 37th, Andrea Lee placed 40th, and Marlis Kromm took 43rd.

Bjornsen’s men’s teammate Sam Tarling finished 39th in the 15km event, followed by David Norris in 50th and Eric Packer in 54th. Top Canadian man was Colin Abbott in 63rd. Patrick Stewart-Jones (CAN) finished 71st.

Women’s 10km Individual Free – Haga Scores First Gold for Norway
Fifty one women set off on the demanding course in Vesec on Thursday morning. The conditions were worsened by thickly falling snow and hard frost. Nevertheless, only two skiers failed to reach the finish.

“I am really satisfied. Today, it was a real exhausting race; I could not afford to relax. Two years ago, I triumphed at the junior world championship so I am happy that I managed to pick up on this success,” said winner Ragnhild Haga.

Haga literally flew through the course and left second-placed Slonova half a minute behind. She was especially strong in the second half of the race. It was the young Kazakh, however, who performed admirably after the unsuccessful first third of the race when she overtook seven competitors and got a well-deserved silver.

Anastasia Slonova: “I feel good after the race. I am really pleased with the result. We watched the weather carefully, so we were able to prepare the skis very well. It is a great achievement for us, indeed. We picked up on the successful performances during the World Cup competition which took place in Liberec few days ago.”

Debora Agreiter: “I do not know what I lacked for being the second placed. I guess I did not have enough strength at the end; after all, it was a difficult race. But I am still excited about the third place.”

Men’s 15km Individual Free – Russian Dominance
The strong Russians again confirmed their role as favourites of the cross-country competitions. The 15km freestyle was won by Sergey Ustiugov ahead of Evgeniy Belov. The bronze medal goes to Germany thanks to Thomas Bing.

Just before noon on Thursday, 84 competitors set off on an extremely demanding course in Vesec. Conditions were really difficult, as the skiers were slowed down by freshly fallen snow.

Ustiugov dominated the whole race and was the fastest at all split times. In the end he triumphed with a lead of nineteen seconds. The twenty-year-old Russian followed his great performance of last year at the WC in Turkey, where he won four gold medals. His countryman Belov won his second medal at these championships. On Tuesday, it was silver in the sprint.

“It is fantastic! I feel really wonderful. I achieved my goal: I was in first position for the whole race. I feel really happy,” rejoiced the confident winner Sergey Ustiugov from Russia after the finish.

Evgeniy Belov: “I am really satisfied with the result of the race. Today´s race was just a training for the next month – I will started at the FIS Nordic World Ski in Val di Fiemme in Italy, so I did not expect medal. That pleased me more.“

Thomas Bing: “I am incredibly happy. Today, it was a really tough race. I did not want to overvalue the start; I saved my energy for the end. And it was worth it: as time went on, I worked my way to the fourth place – thanks to the cooperation with Clementini from Italy, as well. And then, I got enough strength in the finish.”

Women’s 10km Free results HERE.
Men’s 15km Free results HERE.

Complete results are available at www.liberec2013.cz.

January 23, 2013 (Toronto, ON) – We are happy to announce the standings for the second annual SkiTrax FIS Fantasy Marathon Cup 2012/13 Contest after the third round – Dolomitenlauf 42km free technique race held last weekend in Lienz, Austria. Team SSWSC still holds top spot in the contest with 206 points, while Nordic Thunder has moved up into second place with 171 points. Team Broken Poles has leaped into the top three with 158 points.

Olga Mikhailova (RUS) and Sergio Bonaldi (ITA) won the women’s and men’s races, respectively – read more here.

For contest standings after Dolomitenlauf click HERE.

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.

Remember to register for our FIS Fiemme 2013 Fantasy Contest, launching soon…!

FIS Fantasy Marathon Cup Prizes

* 1st Prize – Nipika Lodge – 4-nights for 2 people in luxurious cabin, including Trail Fees (value up to $1,160)
* 2nd Prize –  Marwe 610c Roller Skis (value $349)
* 3rd Prize – Yoko 9100 Poles (value $299)
* 4th Prize – Halti XC Race Suit Hemmo Set (value $269)
* 5th Prize – Skiwax.ca Racer Kickwax kit (value $235)
* 6th Prize –  2XU Long Sleeve Thermal Compression Top and Elite Socks (value $195)
* 7th Prize – One Way Snowbird Glasses (value $120)
* 8th Prize – Fresh Air Experience or High Peaks Cyclery Gift Certificate (value $100)
* 9th Prize – Auclair Micro Mountain Olympic Gloves + Earbags (value $65)
* 10th Prize – Buff Headware (value $23)

Thanks to all of our great sponsors, including Nipika, Marwe, Yoko, Halti, Skiwax.ca, 2XU, One Way, Fresh Air Experience, High Peaks Cyclery, 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).

January 22, 2013 (Toronto, ON) – We are pleased to announce the 2012/13 SkiTrax FIS Fantasy World Cup Contest standings after the double sprint events in Liberec, Czech Republic, host of the fifth round of the 2012/13 Viessmann XC FIS World Cup tour.

The contest saw team Little Matt take over the lead with 586 points, only one point ahead of second place team Summerstars. Team jesters fell to third place with 575 points.

Canada’s Dasha Gaiazova turned heads in the 1.3km CL sprint when she finished just off the podium in fourth – read about it here.

Good luck to all contestants and thanks to all of our great sponsors, including Fischer, Trapp Family Lodge, SkiGo, Alpina, One Way, Bjorn Daehlie, 2XU, Bliz, Fresh Air Experience, High Peaks Cyclery, Auclair, and Buff.

For the Contest standings after Liberec, click HERE.

SkiTrax Fantasy FIS World Cup 2012/13 Contest Prizes
* 1st Prize – Fischer 12/13 Carbonlite Skating Hole Skis, Xcelerator Bindings, Carbonlite Poles (value $1,100)
* 2nd Prize – Trapp Family Lodge – 2 nights lodging in a Deluxe Room w/breakfast (value $600)
* 3rd Prize – SkiGo Carbon 335 Skate Roller Skis (value $420)
* 4th Prize – Alpina ESK Ski Boots (value $419)
* 5th Prize – One Way Premio Ski Poles (value $400)
* 6th Prize – Bjorn Daehlie Exclusive US XC Ski Suit (value $300)
* 7th Prize – 2XU Long Sleeve Thermal Compression Top and Elite Socks (value $195)
* 8th Prize – Bliz Proflip Visor (value $129)
* 9th Prize – Fresh Air Experience or High Peaks Cyclery Gift Certificate (value $100)
* 10th Prize – Auclair Micro Mountain Olympic Gloves + Earbags (value $65)
* WCup Breaks – Buff Headware to top 3 contest leaders before the Tour de Ski (value $23)

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).

January 21, 2013 (Minneapolis, MN) – Jennie Bender (CXC) and Torin Koos (Bridger Ski Foundation/Rossignol) scored the women’s and men’s wins, respectively, in the 15/20km Classic Mass start event, Stage 2 of round #4 of the 2013 USSA SuperTour’s Tour de Twin Cities at Wirth Park in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Sunday.

Bender won by a healthy margin of 6.5s over her closest competitor, Rosie Brennan (APU), while APU’s Kate Fitzgerald rounded out the podium in third place, trailing by 8s. Raphaela Sieber (University of Alaska Fairbanks) was the top collegiate women.

Koos edged out Brian Gregg (Central Cross Country Team) for first place by 1.9s with Canada’s David Greer (Yukon Elite Squad) close behind at 2.4s in third. Top collegiate skier was Jonas Loeffler (University of Alaska Fairbanks).

The Stage 3 Classic Sprint scheduled for Monday, January 21 has been rescheduled to Friday, January 25 due to weather.

Full results HERE.

January 21, 2013 (Lake Placid, NY) – The New Hampshire Wildcats registered a monumental team victory in the women’s 15k freestyle race at Mt. Van Hoevenbeurg on the first day of the St. Lawrence Carnival. Anya Bean, Annika Taylor, and Elizabeth Izzo swept positions 2-4 to produce the best Nordic result for their school in recent history. Vermont holds the team lead by 97 points over Dartmouth heading into the second day of competition, but the first day of racing produced some surprise results across the board.

New Hampshire’s head Nordic coach Cory Schwartz remarked, “Our women’s team is very deep this year. For this weekend we were missing one of our top women—as was Dartmouth and Middlebury—so we know each weekend there will be a fight among the teams. I am very proud of how the team performed, as I think this might one of the best finishes during my tenure.”

Anja Gruber, the Vermont Catamount who regularly placed as the fourth team skier last season, finally got her day—albeit a cold one—in the spotlight. Both Gruber and teammate Scott Patterson, whose 2012 season was plagued by injury and illness, took home the Nordic wins for the Cats despite subzero morning temperatures.

“I think in the end the cold didn’t matter that much because it was the same for everyone, and the conditions and the course were really great,” said Gruber. “We’ve trained really well all year, so all you can do is warm up well and dress warm enough and ski your best.”

Nordic powerhouse Dartmouth College rounded out the men’s 20k freestyle podium with Silas Talbot and Scott Lacy placing second and third, respectively.

In alpine giant slalom action, Vermont swept the women’s podium following the lead of Kate Ryley. Kristina Riis-Johannessen was second and Elli Terwiel, fresh off a 17th-place finish in the Flachau World Cup slalom, finished third. The first non-Cat in the points was the ever-familiar defending NCAA champion Rebecca Nadler of Harvard University.

David Donaldson of Middlebury College continued his giant slalom winning streak, besting Vermont’s Jonathan Nordbotten, a regular on the World Cup circuit, by over a second. Donaldson’s Panther teammate, Andrew McNealus finished third.

Team scores at the completion of Day 1 of the St. Lawrence Carnival:
1. UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT – 508.0
2. DARTMOUTH COLLEGE – 411.0
3. UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE – 364.0
4. MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE – 353.0
5. BATES COLLEGE – 269.0
6. COLBY COLLEGE – 228.5
7. ST LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY – 219.5
8. WILLIAMS COLLEGE – 200.0
9. HARVARD UNIVERSITY – 174.0
10. BOWDOIN COLLEGE – 123.0
11. UNIVERSITE’ LAVAL – 93.0
12. ST MICHAELS COLLEGE – 92.0
13. PLYMOUTH STATE UNIVERSITY – 82.0
14. BOSTON COLLEGE – 48.0
15. COLBY SAWYER COLLEGE – 42.0
16. UNIVERSITY OF ME -PRESQUE ISLE – 39.0

January 21, 2013 (New Gloucester, ME) – US Biathlon‘s  International Competition Committee is pleased to announce the 2013 World Championships Team.  Team USA will travel to Nove Mesto, Czech Republic for the IBU World Championships Biathlon, which opens with the mixed relay on February 7th.  A complete event schedule and links to the 2013 World Championships can be found HERE. Congratulations, and good luck Team USA.

2013 US Biathlon World Championships Team

Men
– Lowell Bailey (Lake Placid, NY)
– Tim Burke (Paul Smits, NY)
– Russell Currier (Stockholm, ME)
– Leif Nordgren (Marine, MN)

Women
– Annelies Cook (Saranac Lake, NY)
– Hannah Dreissigacker ( Morrisville, VT)
– Susan Dunklee (Barton, VT)
– Sara Studebaker (Boise, ID)

2013 IBU World Championships Biathlon, Nove Mesto, CZE
– 07 Feb – 11:30 – Mixed 2×6+2×7.5 km Relay
– 09 Feb – 07:00 – Men 10 km Sprint
– 09 Feb – 10:15 – Women 7.5 km Sprint
– 10 Feb – 07:00 – Men 12.5 km Pursuit
– 10 Feb – 10:15 – Women 10 km Pursuit
– 13 Feb – 11:15 – Women 15 km Individual
– 14 Feb – 11:15 – Men 20 km Individual
– 15 Feb – 11:15 – Women 4×6 km Relay
– 16 Feb – 09:15 – Men 4×7.5 km Relay
– 17 Feb – 06:00 – Women 12.5 km Mass Start
– 17 Feb – 09:00 – Men 15 km Mass Start

January 18, 2013 – The Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association (RMISA) series got underway January 8-13 with Nordic skiing action at Steamboat Springs’ Howelsen Hill, part of the CU Invitational, and continues January 19-20 in Minturn, CO, with the Denver Invitational. The Central Collegiate Ski Association (CCSA) launched its season at U.S. Nationals at Soldier Hollow, January 4 and 6, with the next event taking place this weekend at the Battle Creek SuperTour in Minneapolis, MN. Also this weekend, January 19-20, the Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association (EISA) kicks off its nordic season at the St. Lawrence Carnival in Lake Placid, NY.

Check out the 2013 U.S. Collegiate XC Skiing competition schedules for NCAA events across the country. Regional championships take place in all three regions, February 22-24, with the NCAA finals on March 6-9 in Middlebury, VT.

CCSA Schedule
– January 4 – US Nationals at Soldier Hollow
– January 6 – US Nationals at Soldier Hollow
– January 19 – Qualifier at Battle Creek SuperTour
– January 20 – Qualifier at Battle Creek SuperTour
– January 26 – Qualifier at Giants Ridge
– January 27 – Qualifier at Giants Ridge
– February 2 – CCSA Championship 1 at Al Quaal
– February 3 – CCSA Championship 1 at Al Quaal
– February 16 –  CCSA Championship 2 at Mt. Itasca hosted by GAC
– February 17 – CCSA Championship 2 at Mt. Itasca
– February 23 –  NCAA Central Regionals at Michigan Tech
– February 24 – NCAA Central Regionals at Michigan Tech

Central Collegiate Ski Association HERE.

EISA Schedule
– January 18-19 – St. Lawrence Carnival
– January 26-27 – Colby Carnival
– February 2-3 – UVM Carnival
– February 8-9 – Dartmouth Carnival
– February 15-16 – Middlebury Carnival
– February 22-23 – Bates Carnival/EISA Championships/NCAA East Regional
– March 6-9 – NCAA Skiiing Championships – Hosted by Middlebury College

Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association HERE.

RMISA Schedule
– January 8-13 – Colorado Invitational – Steamboat Springs, Colo.
– January 12-20 – Denver Invitational – Minturn, Colo.
– February 6-9 – Utah Invitational – Soldier Hollow, Utah
– February 1-10 – New Mexico Invitational – Red River, N.M.
– February 22-24 – RMISA Championships – Bozeman, Mont.
– March 6-9 – NCAA Championships – Middlebury, Vt.

Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association HERE.

January 18, 2013 (Cable, WI) – Canada’s Mark Arendz followed up three of the best cross-country ski races of his career with his third silver medal of the week – this time in a individual biathlon race at the IPC World Cup in Cable, Wisconsin.

The 22-year-old Arendz, who finished second overall in the IPC biathlon World Cup biathlon standings the last two years, grabbed the 18th medal of his career after clocking a time of 40:02.6 in the individual event. Arendz, of Springton, P.E.I., was on pace to his first gold medal of the season, but missed one shot in four rounds of shooting in the tight race to the finish.

“That was close, and I mean close by 3.8 seconds,” said Arendz. “It was a bummer to not shoot clean and win, but that close out in second is a good result. I skied pretty well, and we have a plan in place for tomorrow.”

Norway’s Nils-Erik Ulset won the men’s individual start with a time of 39:58.8 (0+0+1+1). Russia’s Oleg Balukhto shot clean to grab the bronze medal with a time of 40:58.7.

The IPC Biathlon World Cup continues on Friday in Cable, Wisconsin.

Full results HERE.

January 16, 2013 (Toronto, ON) – We are pleased to announce the standings for the second annual SkiTrax FIS Fantasy Marathon Cup 2012/13 Contest after the second race – Jizerská Padesatka 50km CT race held last weekend in Liberec, Czech Republic. Team SSWSC continues to lead in the contest with 176 points, followed now by littlebig in second with 152 points and Nordic Thunder has moved in third with 141 points.

Valentina Shevchenko and Anders Aukland won the women’s and men’s races, respectively – read more here.

For contest standings after Jizerská Padesatka, click HERE.

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.

Remember to register for our FIS Fiemme 2013 Fantasy Contest, launching soon…!

FIS Fantasy Marathon Cup Prizes

* 1st Prize – Nipika Lodge – 4-nights for 2 people in luxurious cabin, including Trail Fees (value up to $1,160)
* 2nd Prize –  Marwe 610c Roller Skis (value $349)
* 3rd Prize – Yoko 9100 Poles (value $299)
* 4th Prize – Halti XC Race Suit Hemmo Set (value $269)
* 5th Prize – Skiwax.ca Racer Kickwax kit (value $235)
* 6th Prize –  2XU Long Sleeve Thermal Compression Top and Elite Socks (value $195)
* 7th Prize – One Way Snowbird Glasses (value $120)
* 8th Prize – Fresh Air Experience or High Peaks Cyclery Gift Certificate (value $100)
* 9th Prize – Auclair Micro Mountain Olympic Gloves + Earbags (value $65)
* 10th Prize – Buff Headware (value $23)

Thanks to all of our great sponsors, including Nipika, Marwe, Yoko, Halti, Skiwax.ca, 2XU, One Way, Fresh Air Experience, High Peaks Cyclery, 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).

January 16, 2013 (Gatineau, QC) – In one month, from February 15th to 17th, 2013, the start of the Gatineau Loppet, the largest cross-country ski event in Canada, will be given. It’s in a festive spirit that the organizing committee unveiled today a few surprises for the 35th edition!

A Very Special Guest
The President of the Gatineau Loppet, Mr. Yan Michaud, said he was “extremely pleased to announce Tara Whitten as Honorary President of the event.” The 32-years-old athlete made her mark in cross-country skiing with her silver medal at the 2003 Under-23 World Championships, by winning the Gatineau Loppet’s 50 km freestyle in 2004 and also for competing as a member of Team Canada, in the 2005 Senior World Championships. In 2008, she exclusively devoted herself to cycling, where she was crowned Omnium World Champion on the track in 2010-2011 and also won the bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics in team pursuit. The young woman, native of Edmonton, is “delighted to reconnect with cross-country skiing for the 35th anniversary of the event.” She will participate in the 55 km classic on Saturday and also in the 10 km freestyle on Sunday: “Come and ski with me on February 16th and 17th, 2013 at the Gatineau Loppet!”.

New linear Courses
The Organizing Committee wishes to remind all skiers that for the 35th anniversary of the Gatineau Loppet, two new linear courses of 55 and 38 km classic starting from Philippe Lake will be inaugurated. Participants of these two races will have the opportunity to ski for the first time through the beautiful scenery of three municipalities; La Pêche, Chelsea and Gatineau.

Hall of Fame
As a legacy for the 35th anniversary of the Gatineau Loppet, the “Trail of Legends” Hall of Fame will be inaugurated. The organizing committee wishes to honor individuals or organizations that have marked the event or contributed significantly to the development of cross-country skiing. The first member of the “Gatineau Loppet Trail of Legends” will be presented during the Ice Worldoppet Cocktail hold February 16th at Mont Bleu High School.
For more information, visit our website at gatineauloppet.com.

January 15, 2013 (Toronto, ON) – We are excited to announce the final SkiTrax FIS Tour de Ski 2012/13 Fantasy Contest standings after stage 7 in Val di Fiemme, Italy. In another dramatic turn of events, the top three spots changed completely, with Team Fratuzzi TdS leaping to the top of the standings with a total of 1,019 points. Team Powered by Biscuits secured second place with 1,002 points, followed by Team Kostroma Russia in third with 996 points.

Stage 7 saw the USA’s Liz Stephen score her second podium of the season with the second fastest time up Alpe Cermis, behind climbing star Therese Johaug (NOR), while Justyna Kowalczyk (POL) took home the overall TdS victory – read more here. On the men’s side, Ivan Babikov pulled through for Team Canada, claiming the second fastest time on the stage for yet another Canuck podium and his best-ever overall Tour result in 7th. The final stage up Cermis was won by Sweden’s Marcus Hellner and the overall men’s title was claimed for the first time by Russia’s Alexander Legkov – read more here.

For the contest standings after Stage 7 in Val di Fiemme click HERE.

As we wrap up the SkiTrax FIS Tour de Ski 2012/13 Fantasy Contest, we’d like to congratulate the winners, thank all of our contestants, and once again thank all of our great sponsors, including Mont Ste-Anne, Alpina, One Way, Marwe, Halti, 2XU, Fresh Air Experience, High Peaks Cyclery, CCC, Auclair, and Buff.

SkiTrax FIS Fantasy Tour de Ski 2012/13 Contest Winners

 – Fratuzzi TdS – Anton Burmelev – Minsk, Belarus
1st Prize – Mont Ste-Anne – 2 nights lodging w/breakfast + 3-day XC gift certificate, tune-up (value $800)

– Powered by Biscuits – Jacob Scheckman – Minneapolis, MN
2nd Prize – Alpina ESK Ski Boots (value $419)

– Team Kostroma Russia – Alexander Orlov – Kostroma, Russia
3rd Prize – One Way Premio Ski Poles (value $400)

– fleur – Simone Berrod – Fleurie, France
4th Prize – Marwe 610c Roller Skis (value $349)

– karukoobas – Rain Kuldjari – Harjumaa, Estonia
5th Prize – Halti XC Race Suit Hemmo Set (value $269)

– Maffe – Marius Urstad – Rogaland, Norway
6th Prize – 2XU Long Sleeve Thermal Compression Top and Elite Socks (value $195)

– mlynek – Pawel Mlynski – Warsaw, Poland
7th Prize – Fresh Air Experience or High Peaks Cyclery Gift Certificate (value $150)

– birks ski – Birgit Hanilane – Paulvamaa, Estonia
8th Prize – Two free CCC Inside Track Rewards Cards plus a $50 Gift Card to the CCC e-store (value $100)

– AndreFTW – Andre Marchand – Masham, QC
9th Prize – Auclair Micro Mountain Olympic Gloves + Earbags (value $65)

– RK Ski Team – Siim Sarapu – Virumaa, Estonia
10th Prize – Buff Headware (value $23)

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).

January 14, 2013 (Liberec, Czech Republic) – Check out these audio interviews with Canada’s Dash Gaiazova and Len Valjas following the Liberec World Cup sprints on the weekend. Gaiazova had a stellar day on the 1.3 CL course, finishing just off the podium in fourth. In the team sprint, Gaiazova and Perianne Jones finished 11th. Gaiazova is coming off of recent podium finishes on the OPA Cup circuit.

Valjas was the top Canadian man of the day in Liberac’s 1.6 CL event in 10th place. It was the rangy Canadian’s first race back after the grueling Tour de Ski during which he delivered the country’s first World Cup medal of the season.

Gaiazova

Valjas

January 14, 2013 (Cable, WI) – Canada’s Para-Nordic squad teamed up to win five medals – one gold, three silver and one bronze – in middle distance cross-country ski races at the IPC World Cup in Cable, Wisconsin on Sunday.

Mark Arendz, of Springton, P.E.I., skied to his second-ever cross-country ski medal, winning the silver in the 10-kilometre skate-ski race in the men’s standing division. The 22-year-old Arendz, who has finished second overall in biathlon on the IPC World Cup standings the last two years clocked a time of 25:08.9.

“I’m very happy with the race. A lot of things were right where I want them, with my speed and fitness,” said Arendz, who now has 17 IPC World Cup medals in his career. “I was having a great race and knew I was on the podium, but it never sunk in until after the race that I was on track for a best-ever cross-country race. It shows that I’m in solid shape for the biathlon races later in the week.

Norway’s Nils-Erik Ulset won the division with a time of 24:07.9.

Brian McKeever and guide Erik Carleton, both of Canmore, Alta., teamed up to win the lone gold medal of the day. A winner of 10 Paralympic medals, the 33-year-old McKeever set the time to beat at 24:03.0 in the men’s 10-kilometre skate-ski visually impaired race.

The path to the podium continued to roll in the women’s races as Canada’s legendary Colette Bourgonje powered her way to the silver medal in the women’s five-kilometre sit-ski division. The six-time Paralympian from Saskatoon, who has skied on the national team for the last 20 years, clocked a time of 14:29.0.

Germany’s Anja Wicker won the women’s sit-ski race with a time of 14:17.0.

Canada also grabbed the silver and bronze medal positions on the women’s visually impaired podium. Robbi Weldon, of Thunder Bay, Ont. clocked a second-place time of 15:38.0 in the five-kilometre skate-ski race. Ontario’s Margarita Gorbounova and her guide, Andrea Bundon, celebrated the bronze with a time of 16:17.0.

The Canadian Para-Nordic Ski Team is using the Wisconsin event to start qualifying athletes, in particular development athletes, for the 2014 Paralympics. Five of the eight development-level athletes to hit the start line on Sunday met the IPC Paralympic qualifying standard.

The IPC World Cup continues on Monday in Cable, Wisconsin.

Results HERE.

January 14, 2013 (Steamboat Springs, CO) – Senior Miles Havlick recorded his seventh career victory in the 10-km Classical at the CU/Spencer Nelson Invitational on Sunday in Steamboat Springs, Colo.

The Utes ended up fourth in the team standings with 723 points, which trailed third-place New Mexico by 18.5 points. Host Colorado came away with the meet title with 878 points. Utah put up a meet-high 124 points in the men’s 10-km classical race on Sunday with a pair of Utes in the top three and three in the top 10.

Havlick turned in his second straight podium finish to start this season and he has finished third or better 21 times during his career as a Ute. The Boulder, Colo., native won the race by more than 10 seconds.

“Today, our team really demonstrated the grit and determination that make us so strong,” Havlick said. “When it’s -3F at the start of the race and there are smiles all around, you know it is going to be a great day.

“I want to dedicate my race today to my former teammate Charlie Smith, who finished on the podium at the NCAA Championships in the 15-km classical on this same course in 2010. He passed away over the holidays, but continues to be an inspiration to us all and constantly in our thoughts.”

In his first year at Utah, senior Einar Ulsund turned in his first top-three effort with a third-place finish. Ulsund, a Trondheim, Norway native, finished fourth yesterday in the 20-km freestyle to cap an impressive debut weekend.

Noe Bellet and Tucker McCrerey finished 10th and 11th, respectively. Bellet rounded out Utah’s scoring as its third finisher with his second consecutive 10th-place finish to start the 2013 season. Freshman Niklas Persson rounded out the Ute effort on the day with a 16th-place finish.

On the women’s side in the 5-km Classical race, the Utes ranked second in the meet with 107 points as a pair of Utes finished among the top eight.

Senior Rose Kemp registered a third-place finish for her second straight top-10 effort to start this season. The Boise, Idaho native has now finished third or better three times over her Ute career.

Freshman Sloan Storey turned in the first top-10 finish of her career with an eighth-place effort after coming in 12th in yesterday’s 15-km Freestyle event.

Senior Parker Tyler was Utah’s third scorer with a 13th-place finish for her 18th career top-20 finish as a Ute. Marta Larsen completed Utah’s effort with a 28th-place finish.

The Ute Alpine squad concluded its races for the Denver Invitational in Winter Park, Colo., on Sunday. Heading into next weekend’s Nordic events, Utah stands in fourth place with 376 points, which is just eight points shy of third-place New Mexico. Host Denver leads the way with 457 points halfway through the meet.

“Congratulations to the whole team for their effort this whole weekend,” Utah Head Alpine coach Jaka Korencan said. “We could not be more proud of this small group of athletes. We scored a lot of great results for NCAA qualification and performed well as a team at the same time. Unfortunately, Tim [Hribar] was not able to help us because he suffered a knee injury last weekend in Eldora. We all just hope he can return in Loveland in a couple of weeks.”

In the ladies’ slalom race, a pair of newcomers led the way for the Utes. Sophomore Ana Kobal turned in a fourth-place effort for her second top-five effort of the young season and the fourth top-10 performance.

“I am really impressed with our small women’s team performing so consistently and glad that I can do my part,” Kobal said. “I’m still not completely satisfied with my own performance. I know I can be much faster, but now I’m just looking forward to some rest and training.”

Kobal’s classmate, Kristiina Rove followed in fifth place as the Utes’ second competitor among the top 10. Rove, an Espoo, Finland native, has been among the top 10 four times already in 2013. Junior Jaime DuPratt capped Utah’s performance with a 26th-place finish.

“Our women’s team again had a very solid performance today in the slalom,” Korencan said. “To compete with just three women and have them all strong and safe in the finish is just a great accomplishment. They did an awesome job.”

Utah’s performance in the men’s slalom was highlighted by freshman Andy Trow and junior Jeremy Elliot, who took 10th and 11th place, respectively. Trow has already finished in the top 10 three times in 2013. Senior Ryan Wilson placed 24th, while Eian Sandvik was disqualified during his second run.

“The highlight of today was Jeremy, who had won the second run and proved to himself and his teammates that he can really ski slalom,” Korencan said. “I am just so excited for Jeremy to finally show what he has been doing in training in a race. Andy had a great day as well and finished strong. Unfortunately, Ryan and Eian made a few mistakes today, but I know they will return strong in Loveland.”

The Utah Nordic team completes the Denver Invitational next weekend at Minturn, Colo. The 5/10-km Freestyle will be held next Saturday and the 10/15-km Classical race will be ran on Sunday.

CU/Spencer Nelson Invitational Results HERE.
DU Invitational Results HERE.

January 14, 2013 (Chama, NM) – Next weekend, January 19-21, is the 40th Annual Chama Chile Ski Classic and Winter Fiesta and it looks like we’ll have great weather for the races and activities! The weather gods are calling for sunny days and cold nights – a perfect combo for our seven cross-country ski and snowshoe races!

We can’t wait to see all of you and look forward to having a great time celebrating the 40th Annual Ski Classic with you! We’d like to feed you yummy green & red chile at our chile/chili contest, play Frisbee golf with you & your kids or take you on some of our favorite ski/snowshoe trails. Also, this year, we invite you and your furry dog friends to join us for our new, free Dog Harness Training & Ski Joring Clinic on Sunday afternoon.

We have something for everyone over the three-day weekend, as long as you love playing in the snow and being outside! Check out the schedule below and get the details at our website at chamaski.com.

Don’t forget to get out your 70’s clothes (for the costume contest!) and help us celebrate 40 years of races on the snow! See you on the mountain!

Hurry and register for the 40th Annual Chama Chile Ski Classic and Winter Fiesta! Online registration ends Friday evening, Jan 18th. Of course, we’ll still have registration on both race days at the High Country Restaurant in Chama or at the race site.

The forecast for race weekend is calling for sunny days and crisp nights – perfect conditions for a fun day in the snow and for fast racing! The snow is fabulous and we have one more snow squall in the forecast before race weekend.

We’re looking forward to seeing everyone and to celebrate our 40th year! Check out our website for more info at Chamaski.com.

Register at Active.com HERE.

January 11, 2013 (Toronto, ON) – We are pleased to announce the SkiTrax FIS Tour de Ski 2012/13 Fantasy Contest standings after stage 6 in Val di Fiemme, Italy. In an exciting twist, Team Iisaku has taken charge with 632 points, trailed by ZIS XC with a mere one-point deficit. Team Mavericks has moved up into third place with 627 points.

Stage 6 was the day Canada earned a double podium in the men’s 15km CL competition, courtesy of Len Valjas and Alex Harvey – read more here. On the women’s side, Justyna Kowalczyk (POL) continued to dominate the field, while USA’s Kikkan Randall finished a strong 11th in the 10km CL race – read more here.

With only one stage to go, we’d like to wish all contestants good luck and once again thank all of our great sponsors, including Mont Ste-Anne, Alpina, One Way, Marwi, Halti, 2XU, Fresh Air Experience, High Peaks Cyclery, CCC, Auclair, and Buff.

For the contest standings after Stage 6 in Val di Fiemme click HERE.

* 1st Prize – Mont Ste-Anne – 2 nights lodging w/breakfast + 3-day XC gift certificate, tune-up (value $800)
* 2nd Prize – Alpina ESK Ski Boots (value $419)
* 3rd Prize – One Way Premio Ski Poles (value $400)
* 4th Prize – Marwe 610c Roller Skis (value $349)
* 5th Prize – Halti XC Race Suit Hemmo Set (value $269)
* 6th Prize – 2XU Long Sleeve Thermal Compression Top and Elite Socks (value $195)
* 7th Prize – Fresh Air Experience or High Peaks Cyclery Gift Certificate (value $150)
* 8th Prize – Two free CCC Inside Track Rewards Cards plus a $50 Gift Card to the CCC e-store (value $100)
* 9th Prize – Auclair Micro Mountain Olympic Gloves + Earbags (value $65)
* 10th Prize – Buff Headware (value $23)

January 10, 2013 – Kikkan Randall’s 2012/13 season is off to a blistering start with numerous WCup wins and podiums, so it’s no wonder Morgan wants to know Randall’s strength workouts and training secrets. Read what Randall reveals and… check out Randall’s Training Rap HERE and check her MAILBAG for all Q&As thru the season.

Q&A – Training and Strength

You are SO beast!!
I was just wondering what kind of strength training and normal training you do to become one of the best in world. It’s so inspiring to watch you race and do so well. 🙂
Thanks!
Morgan

Hi Morgan,
Thanks for the compliments and your question. Strength is one of my favorite parts of my training plan. A few years ago I began working with a US Ski Team strength and conditioning coach to redesign my strength training plan and since then I have seen big improvements in my skiing. We’ve focused more on mobility and balance in the body, i.e. not just hitting the ski muscles all the time, and on some specific power and quickness stuff for my sprinting.

When I was younger, I did a lot of basic strength exercises like pull-ups, push-ups and core exercises, as well as jumping and sprinting uphill. This provides a good base and when you get older, you can get more specific.

Best of luck!

Cheers,
Kikkan 🙂

January 10, 2013 (New Gloucester, ME) – The New England Nordic Ski Association’s premier competitive series, the TD Bank Eastern Cup Series, heads to the Mountain Top Inn & Resort for a weekend of cross-country ski racing in Chittenden, VT. The event will kick off Saturday morning with a spectator friendly freestyle spring qualifier with final sprint heats to follow in the afternoon. Sunday will feature distance classic races of 5.2K for women and J2 competitors, 10.5K for men and a 4.5K NEARS series adaptive race.

The Sprint Course will take place on our snowmaking loop and in the field and measures out to 1.3km. It provides for excellent spectator viewing and will challenge racers with sweeping corners and an uphill finish. The Classic Course will comprise of 2 laps of 2.6km each for the Women, and 3 laps of 3.5km for the Men. It will feature some tough climbs and challenging downhill’s and will start, lap and finish in the field allowing for great spectator viewing.

There will be several athletes competing this weekend fresh from U.S. National Championships in Soldier Hollow, UT. Look for the junior teams of Cambridge Sports Union, Green Mountain Valley School, Stratton Mountain School, Maine Winter Sports Center, Burke Mountain Academy, and Ford Sayre to name just a few. In the open division, the Craftsbury Green Team, Vermont XC, and several Collegiate teams will headline the competition.

“This year the weather is cooperating and we are very excited to be back at Mountain Top for the second weekend of TD Bank Eastern Cup and JNQ races. With full use of the trail system, racers can expect challenging and beautiful courses,” said NENSA competitive programs director Janice Sibilia. “Mountain Top was the home of the 2012 TD Bank Eastern High School Championships, hosting four races in two and a half days for 250 athletes. Despite the lack of winter that Mother Nature threw at us in 2012, the crew at Mountain Top turned that event into a highlight of the season and we’re looking forward to another great weekend of racing.”

January 09, 2013 (Thunder Bay, ON) – Here are some great photos from last weekend’s Haywood NorAm and U23/Junior trials, Jan. 5-6, at the Lappe Ski Centre in Thunder Bay as athletes made their bids for selection to the various upcoming World Championship teams. Results HERE. Read more about the races: Day 1 HERE, Day 2 HERE.

January 09, 2013 – It wasn’t sure for a long time if it would be possible to host the 46th edition of the Jizerská Padesatka on the 13th of January. Warm temperatures and a lot of rain had made it very difficult for the organisers to maintain the course. However, colder temperatures are announced for the coming days and also some new snow. With the help of a lot of volunteers, who helped to get snow back on the tracks, the OC decided that the race can be held. The track will remain the same as usual.

In total, 4470 participants from 30 nations will be on the start line for the 50km classic race which will pass through the wonderful landscape of the Iser mountains. Starting from the cross country stadium in Bedrichov, the track ducks into the forest and keeps on until close to the Polish boarder before turning back to Jizerka and finally to Bedrichov and the finish.

Already two days before, the first race goes under way with the 30km skating race around the Iser mountain tracks. The 25km classic race will then follow on Saturday.

All the classic specialists from Norway and Sweden will be present and are joining in the fight for the overall FIS Marathon Cup ranking for first time this season.

As there will also be the FIS Cross Country World Cup present in Liberec – only some kilometres from Bedrichov – the same weekend, a huge ski party will take place in the centre of Liberec Saturday night with a live band playing.

The racers – Who is on the start list?
First name to mention is certainly the one of Stanislav Rezac, the local hero, who could win last year’s edition. Last year’s complete podium will be present as Jimmy Johnsson (SWE) is announced to start as is Joergen Aukland (NOR) and his brother Anders. Toni Livers (SUI), the third of the FIS Marathon Cup opener La Sgambeda (ITA), Florian Kostner (ITA), Jerry Ahrlin (SWE), Daniel Tynell and his brother Rikard (SWE), Jörgen Brink (SWE) or Oskar Svärd (SWE) will certainly be the major contestants. It will be interesting to see how some World Cup skiers will do: Anders Soedergren (SWE), Simen Oestensen (NOR), Martin Bajcicak (SVK), Johan Kjoelstad (NOR), Vassili Rotchev (RUS) and Eldar Roenning (NOR) have decided to use the Jizerská Padesatka as a preparation for the 50km race at the World Championships in Val di Fiemme in the beginning of March later this year.

On the women’s side, the second and the third of last years race, Tatjana Manimaa (EST) and Jenny Hansson (SWE) will be present as will be last year’s overall FIS Marathon Cup winner Stephanie Santer (ITA), Laila Kveli (NOR), Susanne Nyström (SWE), Antonella Confortola (ITA), Seraina Boner (SUI) and Valentina Shevchenko (UKR). Vibeke Skofterud (NOR), who already did the Vasaloppet last year and who has also won it, will equally be starting.

The actual start list for the elite skiers can be found HERE (always subject to change).

Important dates & Information:
– January 13: Jizerská Padesatka (CZE) – 2nd FIS Marathon Cup 2012-13 / 50km classic
– 9am: start of the 50km Jizerská Padesatka at the Bedrichov cross country stadium

Winners in 2011:
– Men: 1st Stanislav Rezac (CZE), 2nd Jimmy Johnsson (SWE), 3rd Joergen Aukland (NOR)
– Women: 1st Sara Svendsen (NOR), 2nd Tatjana Manimaa (EST), 3rd Jenny Hansson (SWE)

More information on the race:
Jizerská Padesatka: www.jiz50.cz
Track information HERE.

Next FIS Marathon Cup: January 20 – Dolomitenlauf (AUT), 60km skating

Worldloppet – The World of Marathon Skiing!!!
More information: www.worldloppet.com
Visit also the official Worldlooppet Facebook Page HERE.
Never miss an info about the world of marathon skiing – follow @WLandFISMaCup

January 07, 2013 (Val di Fiemme, Italy) – As the 2012/13 FIS Tour de Ski wrapped up on Sunday with the grueling handicap-style Alpe Cermis hill climb it was time for goodbyes until next time as teams dispersed and some were on the road soon after. We caught with the Canadians on their magic bus en route to Munich to get their final take on a very strong Tour.

Ivan Babikov, who won this stage in 2009, finished a fantastic second place to take seventh overall in this season’s TdS nailing a personal best along with the top Canadian result this year. Devon Kershaw posted a personal best 13th place on the Stage 7 ascent up Cermis to secure a respectable 12th overall in the Tour, followed by TdS rookie Len Valjas in 23rd on the day and 23rd overall. Alex Harvey was forced to abandon the Tour to protect his left leg, which was operated on in 2008, but scored a podium and showed his form is getting stronger. And finally we chatted with Head Coach Justin Wadsworth for his take on the Canucks at the Tour and beyond aka relay…

Ivan Babikov – 7th overall

Devon Kershaw – 12th overall

Len Valjas – 23rd overall


Alex Harvey



Justin Wadsworth

January 07, 2013 – With the 2012/13 Tour de Ski in the history books, Team USA’s Liz Stephen, Jessie Diggins, Holly Brooks, Kikkan Randall, Noah Hoffman, and Coach Matt Whitcomb talk shop, reflect on the TdS, and look ahead to the rest of the season.

Liz Stephen – 15th overall

Noah Hoffman – 46th overall

Matt Whitcomb

Jessie Diggins – 21st overall
Wow, Cermis was really, really tough. This was definitely the hardest race series I’ve ever done! And it feels so great to have completed it healthy and in one piece. I am so proud of my teammates and all the staff for such a positive and energetic ride through all the stages – because that was the most fun I’ve had on the World Cup yet!

The race today was really cool – my teammates warned me that the stretch of trail from the stadium to the base of Cermis was super narrow and really only one skier wide, so I got right out in front and me, Liz, an Italian and French girl all took turns leading. That really made a difference, too – drafting was so much easier than when it was your turn to pull! But we worked together and made up time before the base of the climb.

I’d watched the race video from last year to get a feel for what the hill looked like, but the cameras show the athletes coming up, it doesn’t show what it looks like from the viewpoint of the person actually racing! So although I had a pretty good idea of what to expect, I definitely had one of those “Oh-my-gosh-where-IS-the-finish-line????” moments out there!

Holly Brooks – 38th overall
The second half of the Tour was extremely rough for me and I’m still wondering (a bit) why I kept going…. If I was from any Euro team I’m sure I would have been sent home a long, long time ago. I kept hoping that my energy would turn around each day and it never did. Maybe that’s the optimist in me? Yesterday was especially tough and it was clear that no miracles were going to happen. But, with only one stage left to go I decided that I would “get her done.” I put on some extra sparkles, wore some white aviators and tried to have fun out there.

I had some bright spots at the beginning of the Tour (prologue and sprint) and I’m happy for that but at this point, I’ve had two tough years at this event. But, I’m glad I tried it this year so that I can plan accordingly for next year, which is an Olympic year.

Most of all, I’m just really proud of my teammate’s accomplishments. While Liz may have been #2 today on the Cermis she is “Queen of the Hill” in my book!

All of us will skip Czech in order to rest up from our efforts. Sadie and Ida will be representing us there. Our next appearance will be in La Clusaz. My plan is to take some time away from skiing and go visit some dear friends in Polcenigo, Italy. After a period of rest I’m looking forward to a training break. I’d love to do a race or two that aren’t World Cups as part of that training period – we shall see.

Kikkan Randall – 12th overall
A tough day out there – how were you feeling this morning? What was the atmosphere like on the final stage… similar to previous years? You looked solid until the very last section… tell us about today’s race.
KR: Today was a tough race for me and not the performance I was hoping to get out of myself. But, it was still a good experience and I will pull some good lessons from it. I actually felt pretty good this morning. My warm-up went smoothly and I felt like I had good energy. In my two previous tours, I have struggled on the climb. Going into today I was optimistic that my skating form was stronger and my goal was to climb better this year.

With some good skiers starting just ahead of me I put in a big effort to get myself in their pack. After about 2km, I got into the group and was able to conserve some energy for the climb. Unfortunately, once we started to head up the steeper sections, I struggled with my focus and let my tempo settle too much . I was skiing with my legs too straight and not fighting hard enough to keep my skis moving. The further I went up the climb, the more I struggled. I’m pretty sure this race is tough no matter how rested you are. So somehow I have to figure out how to keep my focus better and use my leg strength.

Still a great performance by you with second in the Sprint standings and 12th overall – and the team. Liz had the second best time today placing 15th overall and Jessie had a strong day finishing 21st at the Tour.
KR: I am still really satisfied with my Tour as a whole. To win two stages was amazing and I was really psyched with both of those performances. I had a couple solid classic races as well and to finish second in the sprint standings is a nice bonus. Despite being disappointed when my own race today I am incredibly psyched and proud of my teammates! I am really impressed with Liz [Stephen] for her first World Cup podium (although after the Blink festival climb this summer I was pretty sure she was going to rock Cermis this year)!! She dropped a full minute off her time from last year and fought hard all the way to the line. It is really fun to have such a great race to celebrate and I’ll have to do a few more climbing workouts with Liz to learn the magic!!

Also an impressive day for Jessie [Diggins], she had a really solid climb and visibly left all she had out there on the course. Holly [Brooks] also finished the Tour with a lot of heart, fighting through some heavy fatigue and making it all the way up Cermis, no easy task! Noah [Hoffman] skied a great rookie tour, Kris [Freeman] also kept pushing and Andy [Newell] had some good races in there.

I really have to thank our team of staff and coaches. We had such dedicated support through this really demanding week and it feels especially good to have accomplished what we have with a fraction of the resources and man-power of some of the bigger teams!

All of this has to feel good going forward to the Worlds.
KR: Having a good performance at the Tour de Ski is exactly what we were looking for and it fits in perfectly with our plans for the rest of the season. We’ve done a lot of racing so far, now we will focus on recovery, some training and refining everything in preparation for Worlds.

It was also really important to get some more time racing on the World Champs courses here in Val di Fiemme and we’re more confident than ever that this will be a good venue for the whole team!

What happens now as you prepare for the Liberec WCup… ?
KR: Now I will actually take a training break to recover from the Tour and I will not be racing in Liberec next weekend. It was a tough decision to miss a sprint World Cup, but last year continuing to race hard after the Tour put me in a precarious position health-wise midseason. I am heading to France tomorrow to do some training with my husband and recharge for the second half of the season. I am planning to rejoin the team and the circuit the following weekend in La Clusaz. Since we don’t get to go home for the entire season, I am really looking forward to a break from the hotel scene, I’m actually excited to do some laundry and some cooking!!

January 07, 2013 (Soldier Hollow, UT) – APU’s Sadie Bjornsen (USA) and Stratton Mountain’s Sophie Caldwell (USA) were 1st and 3rd, respectively, at the U.S. National Championship’s 20 km CL women’s race. Both women are headed next to the World Cup in the Czech Republic. Each spoke about their race, competing with each other and working the course together, and expectations at the Liberec World Cup. Bjornsen also talks about competing with her brother while growing up.

Torin Koos (USA) won his first US National Title in a distance race, his second US title of the week and eighth National gold. Koos spoke about the 30km CL race at Soldier Hollow, his history of athletics at the University of Utah, his friends from school, his first World Cup, and the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics as part of his affection for Utah. Koos also sees the sport of Nordic ski racing maturing in North America.

January 04, 2013 (Oberwiesenthal, Germany) – Canada’s Dasha Gaiazova was on the podium in the 1.2km CL women’s sprint in today’s Alpen Cup event in Oberwiesenthal, Germany, finishing a strong third in the final behind winner Doris Trachsel (SUI) and second place, Alen Prochazkova (SVK). Gaiazova qualified second behind Prochazkova. Perianne Jones (CAN) finished 14th and Chandra Crawford (CAN) was 21st after qualifying 12th and 14th, respectively.

Gianluca Cologna (SUI) won the 1.4km CL men’s competition after a fourth-place qualification. Baptiste Gros (FRA) and Rok Trsan (SLO) finished second and third, respectively.

Qualifications
Women HERE
Men HERE

Final
Women HERE
Men HERE

January 03, 2013 (Soldier Hollow, UT) – Here are some more great photos from the 2013 U.S. XC Ski Classic Sprint competitions at Soldier Hollow on January 2nd. Jennie Bender won the women’s crown, while Torin Koos snapped up the title in the men’s race. The 2013 U.S. Cross Country Ski Championships run Jan. 2, 4, 6 and 8. Day 1 report and results HERE.

January 03, 2013 (Toblach/Cortina, Italy) – The women attacked the 15k freestyle pursuit, stage 4 of the 2012/13 FIS Tour de Ski, after a well-deserved rest day. Ideal conditions met the skiers as three-time TdS champion Justyna Kowalczyk (POL) aimed to defend her lead and her closest chasers fought to gain back precious time.

Kowalczyk started 50.3s ahead of Therese Johaug (NOR), but the top Norwegian in the competition was unable to maintain her position as she was caught by 2008 TdS winner Charlotte Kalla (SWE) and Johaug’s teammate Kristin Stoermer Stiera.

The USA’s Kikkan Randall who started fifth couldn’t keep pace and fell back to finish eighth on the day, also causing her to slide from fifth to eighth in the overall standings. Her teammate Liz Stephen was a strong 19th while Jessie Diggins was also in the points placing 27th with Holly Brooks just behind in 34th.

The big move today came from Sweden’s Kalla who claimed second at 18.3s behind Kowalczyk who held onto her lead while Johaug took the third spot at 18.7s. Kalla now sits second overall behind Kowalczyk who is winding up to claim her 4th Tour title… but it’s not over yet.

Results HERE.
Overall standings after Stage 4 HERE.

January 03, 2013 (Solider Hollow, UT) – Check out these interviews with newly crowned U.S. XC CL Ski Sprint Champions Jennie Bender and Torin Koos. It was a spectacular finish for Bender in the women’s Classic Sprints, especially after coming off a summer of both mono and Lyme’s disease. Bender talks about acclimating to the altitude, returning to ski at Soldier Hollow, recovering from her double illness, and is looking forward to testing herself in the distance races. In the men’s competition, Koos qualified third and then led most of his heats to take the victory. Hear his thoughts on racing at Soldier Hollow and his excitement for the rest of the 2013 U.S. National Championships.

For the report, results and photos click HERE.

January 03, 2013 (Toronto, ON) – We are excited to present  the SkiTrax FIS Tour de Ski 2012/13 Fantasy Contest standings after stage three in Val Mustair, Switzerland. Team fleur has assumed the lead with 292 points, bumping ZIS XC down to second with 289 points, followed by SkiingwithIan in third with 282 points.

USA’s Kikkan Randall won the stage three women’s 1.4km FR sprints by a huge margin, while all of her countrywomen qualified for the heats. Read more here. Canada’s Len Valjas powered to Canada’s first podium of the season, placing third – read more here.

With lots of racing still to come we’d like to wish all contestants good luck and once again thank all of our great sponsors, including Mont Ste-Anne, Alpina, One Way, Marwi, Halti, 2XU, Fresh Air Experience, High Peaks Cyclery, CCC, Auclair, and Buff.

For the contest standings after Stage 3 in Val Mustair click HERE.

* 1st Prize – Mont Ste-Anne – 2 nights lodging w/breakfast + 3-day XC gift certificate, tune-up (value $800)
* 2nd Prize – Alpina ESK Ski Boots (value $419)
* 3rd Prize – One Way Premio Ski Poles (value $400)
* 4th Prize – Marwe 610c Roller Skis (value $349)
* 5th Prize – Halti XC Race Suit Hemmo Set (value $269)
* 6th Prize – 2XU Long Sleeve Thermal Compression Top and Elite Socks (value $195)
* 7th Prize – Fresh Air Experience or High Peaks Cyclery Gift Certificate (value $150)
* 8th Prize – Two free CCC Inside Track Rewards Cards plus a $50 Gift Card to the CCC e-store (value $100)
* 9th Prize – Auclair Micro Mountain Olympic Gloves + Earbags (value $65)
* 10th Prize – Buff Headware (value $23)

January 02, 2013 (Val Mustair, Switzerland) – Find out what the Canadian men’s XC squad had to say after stage three of the 2012/13 FIS Tour de Ski 1.4km FR sprint in Val Mustair and the first Canuck medal of the season, courtesy of Len Valjas. Valjas and his teammates Alex Harvey and Devon Kershaw finally broke out of their shells on race day, with all of them landing in the top 15.

December 28, 2012 (Oberhof, Germany) – On the eve of the popular FIS Tour de Ski, the world’s best xc-ski athletes are as excited as the fans – the proof is in their tweets! Check out the latest Twitter posts and photos straight from the skiers’ mouths – ahem – smartphones. Everyone’s getting amped for one of the season’s most exciting nine days in skiing that starts Dec. 29 in Oberhof, Germany and ends on Jan. 6 in Val di Fiemme, Italy.

What not to get Petter Northug for Xmas – click HERE.

Babs on the Canadian Team bus… check it out HERE.

Organizers trucking in snow for the Tour kick-off in Oberhof, Germany – check it out HERE.

Axel Teichmann leads and strong German contingent on home snow – click HERE.

Canada’s Chandra Crawford is not at the Tour but we love this a great Peace on Earth photo – click HERE.

December 28, 2012 (Toronto, ON) – We are pleased to announce the 2012/13 SkiTrax FIS Fantasy World Cup Contest standings after Canmore, which hosted the fourth round of the 2012/13 Viessmann XC FIS World Cup tour. The event was the second chance for Canada to showcase its world-class skiing opportunities!

The contest saw a new leader finally gain a gap of more than one point over second place, with team jesters moving into top spot with 531 points. Little Matt is in second with 527 points, and Summerstars is in third with 526 points.

The Canadian stars had a tough time on home turf, and it was young up-and-comers who made breakthroughs, like Jesse Cockney, who qualified second behind Norwegian powerhouse Emil Joenssen in sprint qualifiying. Read more HERE. USA’s Kikkan Randall continued her strong season with a second-place finish in the women’s sprint. Read about it HERE.

A reminder that Dec. 28 at midnight EST is the deadline to register for our popular Tour de Ski and our Fantasy TdS Contest HERE. Also, fans can look forward to our Fiemme 2013 Nordic World Championships contest in the new year.

Good luck to all contestants and thanks to all of our great sponsors, including Fischer, Trapp Family Lodge, SkiGo, Alpina, One Way, Bjorn Daehlie, 2XU, Bliz, Fresh Air Experience, High Peaks Cyclery, Auclair, and Buff.

For the Contest standings after Canmore, click HERE.

SkiTrax Fantasy FIS World Cup 2012/13 Contest Prizes
* 1st Prize – Fischer 12/13 Carbonlite Skating Hole Skis, Xcelerator Bindings, Carbonlite Poles (value $1,100)
* 2nd Prize – Trapp Family Lodge – 2 nights lodging in a Deluxe Room w/breakfast (value $600)
* 3rd Prize – SkiGo Carbon 335 Skate Roller Skis (value $420)
* 4th Prize – Alpina ESK Ski Boots (value $419)
* 5th Prize – One Way Premio Ski Poles (value $400)
* 6th Prize – Bjorn Daehlie Exclusive US XC Ski Suit (value $300)
* 7th Prize – 2XU Long Sleeve Thermal Compression Top and Elite Socks (value $195)
* 8th Prize – Bliz Proflip Visor (value $129)
* 9th Prize – Fresh Air Experience or High Peaks Cyclery Gift Certificate (value $100)
* 10th Prize – Auclair Micro Mountain Olympic Gloves + Earbags (value $65)
* WCup Breaks – Buff Headware to top 3 contest leaders before the Tour de Ski (value $23)

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).

FIS Fantasy WCup 2012/13 Contest Standings after Canmore

December 27, 2012 – If you are not familiar with the various competition formats that will be used during the seventh edition of the FIS Tour de Ski, here is a quick overview with explanations.

Oberhof: Stage 1 – 3 km Ladies/4 km Men Free Prologue

Traditional individual start competition; the 30 best athletes according to the current overall World Cup standing registered to compete will start in reverse order as the last group. The overall World Cup leader will start as last. Registered athletes with the highest distance FIS points will start between all the seeded athletes. The athlete with the highest distance FIS points will be set as first of those athletes.

Oberhof: Stage 2 – 9 km Ladies/15 km Men Classic Pursuit

All athletes registered to compete will start as according to the current FIS Tour de Ski standings after the first stage using the time differences between respective athletes as the start interval.

Val Müstair: Stage 3 – 1.4 km Ladies/Men Free Sprint

For the individual sprint qualification round the top 30 after 2 stages start first and the starting order within this group will be decided by a draw. Start positions for all other competitors will be assigned according to the FIS Tour de Ski ranking after 2 stages (the last athlete of the current FIS Tour de Ski standing will start as last).

Cortina-Toblach: Stage 4 – 15 km Ladies/35 km Men Free Pursuit

The starting order will be decided according to the current FIS Tour de Ski standings after 3 stages using the time differences between respective athletes as the start interval. If there are too big time differences in the back of the start field, the Jury can decide upon the use of the “wave start”.

Toblach: Stage 5 – 3km Ladies/5 km Men Classic Individual Start

The 30 best athletes according to the current overall FIS Tour de Ski standing after 4 stages will start in reverse order as the last group. Last 30 athletes according to the current TDS overall standing will start between all the seeded athletes. The athlete ranked last in the current overall TDS standing will be set as first of those athletes.

Val di Fiemme: Stage 6 – 10 km Ladies/15 km Men Classic Mass Start

The overall FIS Tour de Ski leader after 5 stages will get the first start position on the grid and bib number 1. Other competitors are assigned next start positions and bib numbers in order of their current FIS Tour de Ski standing after 5 stages.

Val di Fiemme: Stage 7 – 9km Ladies/9 km Men Pursuit Final Climb Alpe Cermis

The starting bibs will be assigned according to the current FIS Tour de Ski standings after 6 stages using the time differences between respective athletes as the start interval. To prevent too big start time differences, the Jury can decide upon the use of the “wave start”.

December 27, 2012 – Check out this great video featuring highlights from the inaugural FIS Quebec City World Cup sprints held earlier this month in the old city right by the Parliament buildings. The video was compiled by Zacharie Turgeon – it’s a must-watch!

December 24, 2012 – I finally got time to sit down and load up a bunch of pictures I’ve taken the past few days… and I realized that there’s a lot going on in a World Cup weekend that the TV doesn’t show you. So, here’s some of the World Cup scene the way I see it!

Simply put, CHEERING. IS. HARD. WORK. You have to walk up to the venue hours early to get a good spot, put on a ton of facepaint, make up incredible posters… and my family and friends were up to the challenge! (the Go Team USA poster is currently residing in our wax cabin here in Canmore). To the fans out standing on their feet for hours and losing their voices: you make a difference. You really do!

FIS usually puts out drinks and snacks for the athletes, coaches and wax techs, the latter of which put in these ridiculous long hours at the venue. Next they’ll have to put futons in the wax cabins so they can get some rest! I’m only half joking here. But in Quebec (and most everywhere) the venue had a really nice warm tent.

And then there’s a lot of goofing off and joking around that isn’t always caught on camera. But when it is, it’s awesome.

Because the wax cabins in Quebec were a little ways away from the actual race course and we didn’t want to be running around the road in our ski boots, we set up a row of spin bikes inside this iron fence next to the start access area.

Given the row of iron spikes at hip level, that fence was very hard to climb safely.

And we felt a lot like zoo animals when the media gathered on the other side of the fence to watch us warming up on the bikes… animals in our “natural habitat”!

So… traveling to Canmore! It was a nice 5-hour flight, and on the way I made friends with the flight attendants. They were super fun to talk to and learn about the work schedule and travel involved in flying for a job… theirs sounded not unlike the crazy schedules of an athlete!

Once we got to Canmore, I was so excited to see all these adorable posters that kids made and stuck in the wax cabins, athlete room, and even along the sides of the road and bike paths! This picture is just one of literally HUNDREDS of posters. AWESOME.

The coffee shops here are also pretty sweet. And by that I mean that every single afternoon we’ve gone to visit one of them.

There’s been a weird cold floating around the team, and last night I opened the hotel door to see Andy giving Sylvan a “get well soon” serenade. The song played? Acoustic version of “Lets Get It On”. He’s a wicked good guitar player and by the time he was finished singing doors all down the hallway were propped open!

I don’t know any other teams that are this much of a family on the road. Just sayin.

The trails in Canmore are:

1. Perfectly groomed. The trackes were… well… perfect!

2. Insanely wide. There were 4 classic tracks and room for a couple skaters in-between. The picture above is actually one of the side trails but the race trails are much bigger.

3. Wicked hard. The race trails have some monster climbs that would be challenging to pace correctly at any altitude, but then the air at 4,500 ft adds a whole new level. At least, when you’re coming off sea level it does!

Check out this huge stadium!

Last but not least – the USST is streaming the races LIVE on their website! Check it out, don’t miss a second of the exciting action: www.usskiteam.com

I’m not racing today because I am not feeling healthy and have to sit it out, which is a major bummer, but hopefully I’ll bounce back in time for the weekend races. In the meantime, please cheer extra loud for my teammates out there this morning!

December 24, 2012 (Canmore, AB) – The weekend I had been dreaming about all summer and fall has come and passed. Not an ounce of adrenaline was left unused in Canmore as we played host to the World Cup at the Nordic Centre as well as downtown. I put on a bib for the 10km mass start classic, skate sprint and 15km pursuit – meaning I’ve raced more World Cups this season than domestic!?

I can walk away from this weekend knowing I did everything in my power to lay down a good race, but yes, I am disappointed with the outcome. Outcomes or results are always hard to be completely satisfied with. As much as I focus on the process and journey of training and racing, there will always be a result at the end of the day and being able to take something positive from the experience is what I believe the result is there for. How will this result make me better? I can tell you one thing, dwelling on a number on a results page is not how to move forward but learning from the movement, actions and mindset that gave you that result will.

The 10km classic race was my first distance World Cup and being seeded at the back, I felt I had a great opportunity to make my way through the pack. First things first, I needed to be in the pack. Unfortunately, I was way too focused on staying with the pack than I was with skiing the way I needed to. My legs were blown, my lungs fried and mental mindset was just awful. The biggest blow ups seem to happen on the biggest stages and it took every fighting inch of me to finish this race. The fan support on the side of the trail didn’t seem to notice that I was taking up the rear – so I decided not to dwell on that either! Having an extremely hard race like this, however hard to swallow in the moment, was necessary preparation for me for the weekend.

Saturday was sprint day and the buzz of energy that had been brewing in me throughout the summer was about to be let loose! I felt confident, nervous (definitely nervous) and prepared. I raced that course the way I wanted to, the way I had practiced and channeled all the energy of the crowd into propelling me forward. I crossed the line in 31st position, needing a top 30 result to qualify for the sprint heats. It is so bizarre to think about a small fraction of time separating me from the top 30 having such an amplified effect. Taking a tighter line here, pushing harder there and being stronger would all have helped me get to the line a little faster which is what will keep me motivated for the future World Cups. I am getting closer. Slowly but surely. Patience is something I have never been good at but I feel like I have a good thing coming and know it will be worth the wait!

My final result of the day was 34th position but I live vicariously through my teammates today. My bro, Phil, in particular posted his personal best 15th overall on the World Cup. Jess Cockney can’t be left unmentioned either, qualifying 2nd?! So inspiring having fast people around – talent and fitness are contagious right? Or maybe it’s through osmosis that I’ll get my boost.

The last bib of 2012 for me was in the 15km Pursuit. Nervous? Yup. Tired? Definitely. I was adamant that I wouldn’t go out without a fight and was so thankful that I had that within me today. I finished today as the 50th woman across the line and over 6 minutes back from the leader but as far as a distance World Cup goes – it was amazing. I had a fight, put it to good use and gradually picked off racers in the pack. I am really happy with the end to the weekend and will be using this momentum to propel me forward in the next couple weeks of training.

An incredibly HUGE thank you to the support of the volunteers, sponsors, families, friends, community and event organizers for putting on such an amazing show. Canmore has truly made a name for itself on the world stage.

I have some time in the Bow Valley to get in some quality training as we have a break from the racing circuit until the New Year. Our next big races are in Thunder Bay, Ontario for the U23 and World Championship qualification. My performance there will determine the shape of the rest of my season and I couldn’t be more excited about dat.

In the meantime, I have some Christmas crafting to do and training to tackle.

Happy holidays and Merry Christmas!

December 21, 2012 – I arrived back at my Vermont home yesterday from Canmore and the World Cup tour with my mind racing from all manner of things – to be sure, there was some measure of fatigue from the last several weeks of working on the road – but inside it all, my heart was smiling.

I’ve been trying to get my hands around all that I – and we – had witnessed at the Canadian FIS World Cups in Quebec City and Canmore. It was now a time of reflection, for looking back – and for looking forward.

One of the things that struck me about both of the events was the extraordinary enthusiasm of the fans, from both sides of the border. I saw old friends in Quebec City, that I hadn’t seen for years – keen, knowledgeable racing fans that turned the weekend around the old fortress in Quebec into a wonderful, utterly enjoyable cross-country skiing nirvana.

Cheering fans, ski hats, backpacks and flags – and cheering voices – were all that was needed for the price of admission.

In Canmore, I felt blessed to see dear friends I had worked with during the 1988 Olympic Winter Games of Calgary. I hadn’t stepped in the announce booth at Canmore since the last day of the 1988 Games. Some of my buddies looked older, some heavier, including me, and some looked almost the same. It reflected a powerful, shared experience, and our strong sense of camaraderie.

The experiences of both week’s Canadian World Cups, was so wonderful as to be delicious, so joyful to our sense of belonging, that it reminded me how lucky we are that the Canadians have found a way to host these brilliant events, and for those of us Yanks that live near by, are only too happy to come up and cheer. It’s time for us in the USA to host an event sooner rather than later, and pony up for the fine work the Canadians have been doing hosting high level events, like World Cups.

From a sport perspective the events all ran like clockwork, we were entertained and inspired by watching our USA and Canadian athletes successfully challenge and in some cases beat some of the world’s elite. Many others were so close that they are knocking on the door of greatness. Yet, it wasn’t so much about nationalism, but more – in my view – to share an experience that united North Americans in an overwhelming way. Many of us are lucky enough to have treasured skiing friends on both sides of the border. Our respective national teams train together and share a close bond.

Thank you Canada for playing host to these most amazing events that celebrated the best our sport has to offer and the best in the human spirit. I will remember these last two weeks in my heart forevermore.

December 18, 2012 (Toronto, ON) – We are excited to present the 2012/13 SkiTrax FIS Fantasy World Cup Contest standings after round three of the 2012/13 Viessmann XC FIS World Cup in Quebec City, Canada – the first of two World Cups in Canada this season!

The contest saw a new leader take control as things heated up on the FIS circuit. Suusakollid charged ahead with 389 points, while Double Polers and previous leader lafrasse are now tied for second place with 387 points. Luca D. and asterion are tied for third with 385 points.

The Canadian squad had a tough time on home turf, but USA’s women continued their stellar season led by Kikkan Randall, who won the individual sprint, then went on to win the team sprint with partner Jessie Diggins. Read about it HERE.

Soon it’ll be time for the popular Tour de Ski and our Fantasy TdS Contest, and finally fans can enjoy our Fiemme 2013 Nordic World Championships contest in the new year.

Good luck to all contestants and thanks to all of our great sponsors, including Fischer, Trapp Family Lodge, SkiGo, Alpina, One Way, Bjorn Daehlie, 2XU, Bliz, Fresh Air Experience, High Peaks Cyclery, Auclair, and Buff.

For the Contest standings after Quebec City, click HERE.

December 18, 2012 – Justyna Kowalczyk who is a top favorite for the Tour de Ski overall victory has confirmed her participation in the tour-opener on December 29, 2012 in Oberhof. The Polish skier won last year’s Tour de Ski and finished second in the overall World Cup. Kowalczyk won the prologue in Oberhof 2011 before Marit Bjoergen of Norway.

In addition to the Polish national team, teams from Italy, Belarus, Russia and Romania have reported the names of their skiers. The Italian men should have some opportunities to get one of their starters to the top ten in the overall standings. The best Italian in the Tour de Ski last year was Giorgio di Centa 15th position.

Also, expected to be on or near the podium will be one of the strong Russian men with Alexander Legkov (5th), Maxim Vylegzhanin (8th place) and Ilia Chernousov (10th), three men in the top ten in the 2011/2012 Tour . The Russian women are also likely to have in their best skier Julia Ivanova. They finished second in the final statement of the Tour de Ski 2011/2012 13 team rank.

After the heavy snowfalls, a recent thaw took away some of the snow base. According to course Chief Christopher Gellert, there is enough snow remaining for the event to be held without concern. The race track currently has 40 centimeters of snow as a base. The Viessmann FIS Tour de Ski will be in Oberhof: 29.12.-30.12.2012.

December 18, 2012 (New Gloucester, ME) – The International Competition Committee of US Biathlon met today and would like to announce the women’s and men’s teams for World Cup 4 in Oberhof, GER, Jan. 1-6, and IBU Cup 4 in Otepää, EST, Jan. 4-6, 2013.

World Cup 4
Women:
– Susan Dunklee (Barton, VT)
– Sara Studebaker (Boise, ID)
– Annelies Cook (Saranac Lake, NY) – discretionary selection based on ranking as the 3rd women in WC points and second fastest ski times.

Men:
– Tim Burke (Paul Smiths, NY)
– Lowell Bailey (Lake Placid, NY)
– Russell Currier (Stockholm, ME)
– Leif Nordgren (Marine, MN) – discretionary selection based on two top 60 WC finishes and fourth best skiing among the World Cup team members

IBU Cup 4
Women:
– Lanny Barnes (Durango, CO) – from World Cup qualification
– Tracy Barnes (Durango, CO) – from Nov/Dec IBU Cup qualification
– Hannah Dreissigacker (Craftsbury, Vermont) – IBU Cup trials winner
– Katrina Howe (Gilford, New Hampshire) – discretionary selection from IBU Cup trials*

Men:
– Jay Hakkinen (Kasilof, AK) – from World Cup qualification
– Jeremy Teela (Heber City, UT)- from Nov/Dec IBU Cup qualification
– Bill Bowler (Wausau, Wisconsin) – IBU Cup trials winner
– Wynn Roberts (Battle Lake, MN) – discretionary selection from IBU Cup trials*

* Due to US Biathlon financial constraints participation by the additional athletes selected by discretion from the IBU Cup trials will be on a self-pay basis.

December 17, 2012 (Canmore, AB) – Canmore World Cups – Can there be any better place in the world for cross-country racing, blow-away scenery, dynamic courses, skilled and knowledgeable race and organizing committee, and a town that knows what racing and training are all about (they get to see it every day)? This was one exciting weekend of World Cup races. Sponsors and Alberta government got worldwide exposure and helped to spread the word about skiing in Canada.

Having said this last week in my column: Really Quick Evaluation – If you weren’t in the top 30 in Sunday’s race and in the finals in the team sprint on Saturday, it’s time to look at what you are doing – really at what you aren’t doing. For the really young people – 22 yrs and younger, you most likely aren’t doing enough hours and not spending enough time on upper body strength.

There were a lot of NA skiers who made the move this weekend here in Canmore – actually there were some huge breakthroughs and it was exciting and fun to watch them take place.

I almost dropped out of my chair when I came back to my computer from letting the dog in and saw that Jesse Cockney had qualified 2nd in the sprint – this was a very, very good sprint field. No fluke here as he progressed to the semi-finals. A big barrier now broken down for him and many others.

Noah Hoffman, not a rookie and has been scoring WC points – but skiing in the top 3-4 skiers for most of that 30km race in both techniques – he’s a “big baller” now.

How about Graham Nishikawa – getting on in years has had WC experience, but not like Sunday. I wonder if he scared himself when he saw what he had done…put himself in the lead pack from start to finish and mowed down a few “big baller” guys at the end.

Sadie Bjornson, had an injury-plagued summer and fall and was invisible until late fall (I wrote about this in an earlier column, MIA) – both sprinting and distant races she was hunting down WC points. Her teammate Sophie Caldwell was scoring in the sprints and then we may have another star arriving on the scene in Eda (Euro’s say it this way) Ida Sargent as she is smoking the trails both in the long and short races. The US girls team is getting deeper.

Message to Bill Marolt, CEO USST, these guys need more $$$s, they can win medals in Sochii!

Skyler Davis – always wondered how he made it on the US Team – he showed me this weekend. Tad Elliott had to be scratching his head as I’m sure there were times he wished he had stayed on his mountain bike but WC points on Sunday and half of his effort was in classic – his weak technique.

OK you guys, the barrier is down – this was a stronger field then I thought it would be – now you are learning how the game is played. Each time you go out there you have to take chances and make sure you get yourself in position early in those races. Holly Brooks was a perfect example of this in both distance races here in Canmore – she is on the low octane right now, but in the lead group out of the gate – always scoring WC points, but getting them from the front end not coming from the back.

As one of my old coaches use to say, “Go get ’em tiger” – only here it is tigers.

Live Timing (message to FIS) – is the pits, as way more information could be listed on this system, but FIS has always been a conservative organization. The streaming banner that runs across the top of the page could do updates, DNSs, DNFs, snow conditions, track conditions, sponsor advertising, DSQs, promote the next broadcast and times and I’m not even trying to come up with ideas. Talk to us out here in ski racing land, please.

Canadian Team – is in disarray – in these situations it’s always interesting to hear the excuses. Yes, it is a tough schedule but somehow the other 120-130 skiers are scrapping through it. This is a pretty big load for Ivan to be carrying by himself – also, he is a top tenner, but not a podium guy. He has one win to his credit on the WC in Val Di Fiemme in the hill climb in 2009.

Last year the two “big boys” Kershaw and Harvey were slow out of the gate, especially Kershaw, and they’ve done a good job of following that plan again.

The women’s team is doing the same thing it did last year – ducking every distance race they can (coaches direction). Emil Joensson, the Swedish sprinter, is stronger than ever as the last two years he has added way more distance races to his schedule and is leading the overall WC right now.

Four years ago, Kikkan Randlall, was just a sprinter, and dabbled in a few distance races and was nowhere on the overall or sprint cup standing. Simple solution – add more distance races each year – and now she is #2 on the overall WC list and #1 in the sprint cup.

This is so obvious, but the Canadian coaches know better as how to get these ladies in shape and keep them there – no distance races. This will soon lead to not qualifying in the sprints and they will get out of racing shape. There is talent being undeveloped.

It didn’t work last year, why should it work this year?

Talk to You Soon!

December 14, 2012 (Quebec City, QC) – Check out this SkitTrax interview with Gestev President Patrice Drouin, organizer of the 2012 FIS Quebec City XC Sprint World Cup held last weekend in the old city. Drouin speaks about the history of his company and how he first conceived of the idea for an inner-city sprint, their snowmaking challenges, the involvement of Pierre and Alex Harvey and  the logistics of hosting the sprints in the old city of Quebec.

December 13, 2012 (Pokljuka, Slovenia) – US Biathlon’s Tim Burke (USA) placed just outside the medals in fourth spot for a superb performance shooting clean in the men’s 10km sprint at round 3 of the IBU World Cup in Pokljukain, SLO today. Local star Jakov Fak (SLO) took the win on home turf, besting rivals Emil Hegle Svendsen (NOR) and Martin Fourcade (FRA) to the delight of Slovenian fans.

“I am really happy with today’s result,” said Burke in a team release. “Of course it would have been nice to find a few more seconds to get onto the podium, but I really did everything I could out there today so I am very happy with that. I felt very solid on the shooting range today.

“I was able to execute the techniques that I have been working on in practice. I am still missing my top gear on the skis, but hopefully that will show up at World Championships in February. Now I am looking forward to Saturdays Pursuit. I will be starting only 15 seconds behind first place so everything is still possible!”

Fak posted a time of 24:41.7 and a spotless shooting record to nab the victory by a mere 0.8s over Svendsen, who suffered a penalty on the second round of shooting. Fourcade finished 6.1s behind after shooting clean in both rounds. Burke who also shot clean finished 15.2s back.

Scott Perras was the fastest Canuck on the day, sprinting into 34th place, with Lowell Bailey (USA) close behind in 36th. Other North American results include Scott Gow (CAN) in a tie for 50th, Jean Philippe LeGuellec (CAN) in 83rd, Russell Currier (USA) in 89th, and Jay Hakkinen (USA) in 92nd.

Results
1. Jakov Fak (SLO) 24:41.7
2. Emil Hegle Svendsen (NOR) 0.8
3. Martin Fourcade (FRA) 6.1

4. Tim Burke (USA) 15.2

Full results HERE.

December 13, 2012 (Canmore, AB) – Check out the latest edition of  FIS’s Inside the Fence – the Canmore preview. Follow the USA’s Sadie Bjornsen for a lap around the women’s 3.3km classic course, and watch interviews with Vibeke Skofterud, Kristen Stoermer Steira, Devon Kershaw and Justin Wadsworth.