November 28, 2012 – The National Nordic Foundation raised $218,000 from 1,300 donors to support our developing Cross-Country and Nordic Combined athletes. Seeing what our American Nordic community can do when we work together is truly amazing, humbling, and inspiring. We are so fortunate to have you as a part of it. In the coming weeks we will be announcing our funding for the 2012/2013 season. Stay tuned…. But you prepaid for this!
“The current US Team World Cup success is a product of the team work and cooperation between US Ski Team, Clubs, and NNF. Together we are strongest as a team.” – Erik Flora
Thank you all.
Top 10 D25 States by Dollar
– Idaho $42,552
– Colorado $26,320
– Minnesota $15,690
– Utah $10,990
– Alaska $8,134
– Vermont $6,655
– Wisconsin $6,060
– Washington $5,520
– New York $4,440
– Pennsylvania $4,325
Top 10 D25 States by number of donors
– Colorado 244
– Utah 127
– Minnesota 125
– Vermont 113
– Alaska 105
– Wisconsin 77
– New York 57
– Washington 53
– Idaho 52
– Massachusetts 52
November 02, 2012 – This week on Talkin’ with the Gravy Train, we bring you Part 2 of the interview with the multi-talented and well-known former US star skier and coach, Jim Galanes. Talkin’ with the Gravy Train is a series of audio interviews hosted by famous sports commentator and journalist Peter Graves, that provides a forum for notable Nordic personalities to talk about the sport they love in their own words and express their point of view.
Jim Galanes – A Man For All Seasons Seasons
I have known Jim Galanes since we were both teenagers growing up in Southern Vermont. A truly gifted athlete, he excelled in the Nordic sports and later in cycling. Born in Brattleboro, Vermont, his brilliant ski racing career began with Nordic Combined as the local famed Harris Hill was calling. His prodigious talents and his drive helped him secure a USST berth at the tender age of 17. A member of three US Olympic teams in ’76, ’80 and 1984, Galanes dropped ski jumping to focus on cross-country skiing and turned in many outstanding international performances. A twelve-year member of the U.S. Ski Team he won three national Nordic Combined championships and two World Cups, in addition to ten xc ski national championships.
His interest in coaching led Galanes to head up the US Ski Team from 1986-1992, followed by a stint at Vermont’s SMS leading to his outstanding career at APU from 1995-2006. Considered among the elite of the coaching fraternity, he has worked and coached many of America’s top skiing talents. Recently he moved from Anchorage to Sun Valley where he currently operates Galanes Sports Lab Institute in Ketchum, Idaho, offering a variety of services from coaching, ski trail design, program development and ski products – read more HERE.
October 09, 2012 – Happy Canadian Thanksgiving everyone! Ok, now the blog post can begin. The Fast and Female event in Park City was officially AWESOME. As per my usual, I got to lead the dancing/endurance station, where we keep moving the entire time and each girl gets to add a dance move of her own to the group dance. The dance gets longer and longer and by the last group of the day I’m always working so hard to try and remember which move comes next! But it’s so much fun. Anne Hart was my dance station partner and we had a blast although by the end we both had jelly legs and were wiped out.
For me the coolest thing is seeing each girls face light up as the entire group does the dance move SHE got to add. It’s fun to make each girl be the star for 10 seconds!
And now… the National Nordic Foundation’s Drive for 25.
I realize that there are a ton of fundraisers going on this fall. And my personal fundraiser, the Chilkoot Cafe dinner in Stillwater, is going on this fall as well, on November 10th. But, I’m putting this up because the National Nordic Foundation directly helps me as well as many other junior, senior and U23 athletes looking to take the next step in international racing. NNF lowers trip costs for World Juniors/U23′s, and help pay for World Cup expenses. NNF also helped the US Women’s team travel to Sweden to train with some of the best in the world and improve.
So!
If you cannot come to Stillwater, MN on November 10th but are a friend of mine and/or Nordic Skiing and want to help out, this fundraiser is the best way to do it. I’ve linked my fundraising page below, and my goal is to get 20 people to donate $25. All the fundraiser information is on the link – even if you do not want to donate, please check out the NNF and their mission – the stories, pictures and race blogs are well worth looking at. Thanks for your time!
October 05, 2012 – Exciting news, I am starting my own xc ski camps. The plan is (as always), incredible xc skiing, the best coaches, the best atmosphere, the most fun and of course YOU!
The Coaching line up:
Dr. Mike Mandli, Munro Duncan AKA (Munny),Dr. Joe Bouscaren, Jennifer Tabbernor, Joanne, Pat Van Mullem and I will work to make your xc skiing more efficient and more fun.
Sun Peaks Resort
– November 26-30 – Monday to Friday Camp
– December 1 & 2 – Weekend Camp
Beautifully groomed Nordic trails are at the door step, cozy village with accommodation, restaurants, spa and so much more.
Online registration HERE.
Visit the Sun Peaks website HERE.
Delta Sun Peaks
The flag ship hotel at Sun Peaks Resort. Delta Sun Peaks Resort is a full service, luxury hotel where guests have exclusive use to a health club, featuring three outdoor hot tubs, an indoor entrance to a heated outdoor swimming pool, sauna, and a well equipped gym.
Whistler Olympic Park
– December 3-7 – Monday to Friday Camp
– December 8 & 9 – Weekend Camp
Whistler Olympic Park was built at a cost of $119.7 million to stage the Nordic ski disciplines of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Cross-country skiing, biathlon, ski jumping and nordic combined events and training were held exclusively at Whistler Olympic Park.
With 90 kms of expertly groomed trails for classic and skate skiing, Whistler Olympic Park has it all.
Online registration HERE.
Visit the Whistler Olympic Park website HERE.
Whistler Athletes Centre
The energy is amazing at the Whistler Athletes Centre, stay where the Olympians lived during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games!
I have blocked rooms in the athletes lodge under “Glenn Bond Cross Country Ski Camps”.
Rates:
– $55.00 for a single room – one bed
– $80.00 for a double room – two beds
– Participants will need to plan their own transportation to and from Whistler Olympic Park.
October 03, 2012 – This season, Canada will see the planet’s top cross-country ski racers make two stops in Canada for FIS World Cup events. The first layover will be in Quebec City, with the second in a perennial favourite venue, Canmore, AB.
Quebec City Sprints
Renowned Quebec event organizer Gestev is in charge of the Quebec City edition, December 6-9. Ski fans will see their favourite athletes go head-to-head in historic downtown Quebec in exciting sprint competitions, including individual and team sprint races. All hopes will be on local hero Alex Harvey’s shoulders as he goes full throttle on home turf.
Alberta World Cup
Athletes will then head to the beautiful Rocky Mountain town of Canmore, AB, December 13-16. As the HQ for Cross Country Canada and the Canadian Ski Team, this is the country’s flagship event. Coming just two weeks before Christmas, World Cup 2012 will have a distinctive Christmas theme surrounding the actual races and part of the Canmore downtown activities as well.
Races will include sprint and distance events to test athletes to their fullest. The Alberta World Cup 2012 is hosted by the Alberta World Cup Society and is expected to have a worldwide TV audience of over 35 million people.
October 01, 2012 – FIS Cross-Country World Cup season 2012/13 kicks off in 57 days in the Swedish Gällivare. With only a few weeks left until the opener, the organising committee reports record interest.
Almost 200 people came to the official kick off meeting for the partners that was held by the organising committee. “We are absolutely surprised by the interest of sponsors, partners and volunteers. So many showed up for this event,” Secretary General of the LOC Tommy Niva says.
The FIS Cross-Country World Cup opener is the biggest sport event in Norrbotten and preparations have been already in full swing. About 250 volunteers are needed to cope with all organisation aspects of the World Cup ranging from competition course to transport and catering.
“The World Cups activates the entire community. Everybody is very proud of the event and interest only increases every time we organise the first World Cup of the season. As early as in the sumer people would show up and asked about the chance to participate and help with the competitions,” Tommy Niva says.
“FIS has given us the trust to organise the season opener for the fifth time since 2004. I can say we are preparing a great skiing festival. Our goal is to secure all arrangements at the top level and the great interest gives us plenty of inspiration in this work,” Niva concludes.
FIS Cross-Country Word Cup kicks off in on November 24th. One week before the World Cup junior and FIS competitions will take place in Gällivare as test events.
October 01, 2012 (Park City, UT) – The USST’s Noah Hoffman has had a busy fall after returning from a training camp in New Zealand with a quick stopover in Putney, VT. Back home in Park City, Hoffman has been enjoying the fall weather, quality time with family and friends, and hard training sessions in preparation for the upcoming competitive season.
September 29, 2012 (Afton, MN) – Wow, I LOVE being home! I forget sometimes how wonderful fall is in Minnesota, and it’s so beautiful driving through Afton with the trees turning leaves and hanging over the road. Especially since there’s so many people out enjoying the good weather – I must have seen at least 30 rollerskiers and bikers out yesterday in the 10 minutes I drove through Afton.
The Beech family invited a bunch of the skiers and friends from the Stillwater High School team over to help pick apples and press them into cider, and they have this really cool cider press that takes at least three people to work at once. It tasted delicious!
Everyone’s hands got super sticky sweet, and there were little bits of apple flying all over whenever the wheel got turned really energetically.
At the Art in the Park fair going on in downtown Afton, I got the most delicious acorn squash from my favorite booth… Siri and Carl Bohacek! I had the honor of going for a roll with their mom, Kris, earlier – a good Sunday morning tradition that I look forward to every time I come home.
Then I got to plant some bright fall flowers in the garden and help my Dad wash the deck and burn buckthorn… some fall chores that I was excited to be home to help with, since I’m never around to do my share normally!
My Dad had returned home just before I did, from a hunting trip down in South Africa, just outside of Kimberly. We all piled on the couch as my Dad scrolled through the amazing pictures of wildlife he took, including lions, zebras, warthogs, giraffes, impala, wildebeest, and springbok. He also had cool stories of the culture he experienced down there, and it was so neat to hear about a place that skiing will never take me but would be really fun to visit and learn more about.
September 26, 2012 – Join Canadian Olympic XC Skier Perianne Jones and support her 2013 season as she continues her road to the Sochi 2014 Olympic Games. The event takes place on October 16 at the Britannia Yacht Club in Ottawa from 7-9p.m. The evening will include a waxing workshop and a silent auction. Tickets $30, available at Fresh Air Experience, 1291 Wellington St., Ottawa, 613-729-3002.
September 26, 2012 (Helsinki, Finland) – A new documentary to be released on October 5 in Finland focuses on former decorated cross-country skier Juha Mieto and suggests for the first time that the 1980 Olympic silver medalist used performance enhancing substances, reports the Helsingin Sanomat at HS.fi.
In the film, titled “Blue and White Lies”, former Finnish weightlifing gold medalist Kaarlo Kangasniemi claims that Mieto asked his advice about the use of anabolic steroids in a conversation in a sauna in 1975. The documentary contains other interviews that claim “hormone research” and blood transfusions were used among Finnish skiers in the ’70s.
August 19, 2012 – Nordic Group International has posted a wonderful video that was shown at John Frado’s Last Hurrah celebration on July 30. John had more than 30 years of experience in recreation planning, with special expertise in multi-use trail and facility design and construction.
As a recreation planner for Northeast Utilities, he designed and operated the award-winning trail system and environmental education center at Northfield Mountain, Massachusetts. Since joining Nordic Group International in 1985, he had been involved with more than 120 trail, resort, and park projects in the U.S. and Canada. His work at Great Glen Trails in New Hampshire won international acclaim for a state-of-the-art trail lodge and trail system.
John was a Founder and Director Emeritus of Cross Country Ski Areas Association and was instrumental in developing the National Ski Patrol’s Nordic Division.
Thank you Hilary for creating the video. John would’ve loved it!
August 19, 2012 (Aspen, CO) – Recently, Noah Hoffman of the US Men’s XC Ski Team, was a featured guest on TheLocal’s Show, an Aspen, Colorado local TV talk show hosted by Erik Skarvan. Watch yesterday’s program online and learn more about this rising cross country ski star HERE.
August 17, 2012 (Canmore, AB) – 2013 CCC race license applications are now available online or by mail. You must have a current race license or a Supporting Member Day license to compete in CCC sanctioned events. To apply for your 2013 CCC race license online, click HERE or by mail, click HERE.
Note: You must be a member of a registered CCC club before your license application will be processed.
FIS Race License – It is time to renew or apply for your 2013 FIS Race License
To apply for a FIS race license, please complete the CCC FIS Race License Application and the FIS Athlete Declaration Form available HERE, and forward it by mail or fax, together with your cheque, VISA or MasterCard number to the Cross Country Canada National Office. Don’t forget to included the expiry date and 3 digit card verification number (on back of the card).
By mail or in person: Cross Country Canada, 100 – 1995 Olympic Way, Canmore, AB T1W 2T6
By Fax: (403) 678-3885
The cost is $45.00 (non-refundable) and the deadline to submit the FIS License application form is January 1st, 2013.
This deadline is very important. Any FIS license applications received after January 1st, 2013 will be processed at a cost of $100.00. If you require points to be added retroactively, this will cost you another $100.00.
Note: Any Junior skier who may make the criteria for a national team or international tours is encouraged to purchase a FIS licence prior to the ski season as it will be needed for FIS point calculations.
Your FIS license will not be processed until your CCC license is renewed or bought for the 2013 season.
You must include your CCC and FIS license numbers when registering for events to have your results eligible for points. A fee is required to retroactively add license numbers to “Official” result lists.
International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Race License
IPC race licenses are necessary for Para-Nordic athletes and guides who wish to compete internationally in IPC sanctioned events (IPC World Cup, IPC World Championships or Paralympics).
To apply for an IPC license you must first have a CCC race license (see application requirements and process above).
The cost of an IPC race license is 60Euro (approx $85) and the application deadline is October 1st, 2012.
An IPC license can be purchased after the deadline but the price doubles to $120Euro (approx $170).
To begin the application process please complete the IPC Eligibility Code form HERE and then contact us at nsmith@cccski.com to complete the process.
August 17, 2012 – Skiers from around the world are converging on Falls Creek for the Kangaroo Hoppet, the opening event of the 2012/2013 Worldloppet season, which will be held on August 25. Good snowfalls last weekend topped up the snow base, and with 50km of trails available for training, early arrivals are enjoying excellent conditions.
With skiers in the seeded group from Russia, Canada, Sweden, Estonia, Switzerland and USA joining our best Australian skiers, we are expecting some exciting competition. Favourites in the men’s event are Russians Alexander Legkov and Ilya Chernousov who are making a four week training camp at Falls Creek, with Maria Graefnings (SWE), Marina Chernousova (RUS), and Brooke Darlington (CAN) the leading internationals in the women’s field. Top seeded Australians are Callum Watson, Alex Almoukov, Esther Bottomley and Aimee Watson.
As in all Worldloppet races, the event is not just for the elite. Most important are the citizen skiers, many of whom are taking on the challenge of becoming a Worldloppet Master. Skiers from twenty five other lands will join Australians at the start, including Norwegian sit skier and Worldloppet Master Ole Herman Ronnevig making his first trip to Australia.
August 16, 2012 (Davos, Switzerland) – The defending FIS Tour de Ski Champion and FIS Cross-Country World Cup winner is getting ready for the coming season at home, in Switzerland. After a few days at his home place Davos, Cologna started a high altitude training block in Engadin and Flüelapass. “I spent a great week with Curdin in Engadin. We trained together very well and he showed me some great tours in his home area,” Dario Cologna wrote on his website.
After the week in Engadin Cologna returned back to Davos “I am sleeping at Flüelapass in 2382 m but mainly do the training down in the valley in Davos. Together with Toni Livers we will carry out running tours at the Flüellapass,” Cologna adds.
Cologna’s training program is full packed for the rest of the month. “On Friday we are having an Odlo bike tour. On Sunday I am taking part in the roller skiing competition in San Bernardino. At the end of the month we are travelling to Oberhof where we will be training again on snow,” Dario Cologna revealed plans for August.
August 16, 2012 – Red Deer Nordic is hosting a province wide dry land cross country ski camp and we want you to come! WOW!!! Some of the best coaches and athletes in the province will be here to help you develop as a person and athlete. You won’t want to miss this opportunity!
Registration is now open at Zone4.ca. Click HERE to register. Please note that registration numbers are limited, so be sure to sign up a.s.a.p.! Please note that registration closes at 10pm on Tuesday September 4.
What: Red Deer Nordic Hosts- Cross Country Alberta Inter-Club Provincial Dry Land Training Camp
When: September 7, 8, 9
September 7 – Coaches and athletes with a long drive can come into town and settle in for the evening. Others may want to come in on saturday morning? We could have a coaches meeting at 8:00pm to firm up some of the details.
September 8 – Coaches meet at 8am, Athletes meet at 8:45, programming will start at 9:00 and we will run until 9:00pm (including snacks, lunches, dinner and presentations)
September 9 – Coaches meet at 8am, Athletes meet at 8:45, programming will start at 9:00 and we will plan on being done between 3:30 and 4:30.
Where: Red Deer, Alberta
Who: Athletes ages 10 and older, Track Attack Skiers, Alberta Cup Skiers, Members of the Alberta Development Team and Alberta Ski Team, Members of the Junior National Ski Team, any athletes from other sports ages 10 to college and university age who would like an introduction to training for cross country ski racing; plus coaches of all levels from beginner youth coaches to experienced club coaches; and parents of young athletes.
Why: The goal of this camp is to bring together all of the athletes and coaches from cross country ski clubs across Alberta to train together in a Provincial Camp. A great opportunity for athletes to gain valuable friendships, learn from each other, and develop together.
Coaches of all levels, this is an amazing chance for you to work with some very talented coaches that we have in Alberta, to develop your own skills, coaching style, detection and correction and work with different athletes too.
We will be using our amazing trail system through the river valley, have dinner and presentations at the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Museum, preview the High School Provincial Cross Country Running Race Course and enjoy being around so many great people in our sport. We have prizes from Fast Trax Run and Ski Shop, SkiGo, and Valhalla Pure Outfitters in Red Deer!
Detailed information, registration and costs will be available August 15th.
Coaches and parent coaches if you are interested in being part of this camp please contact Graeme Moore at 403-314-9356 or email at gsmpaddleski@gmail.com. Please let me know if you would like to make a presentation to the coaches and athletes and what topic you would like to share.
Coaches, please take 2 minutes after you finish reading this message to email this out to all athletes ages 10 and older, coaches and parent coaches so they know about this camp!
August 14, 2012 – Short and Quick – Who wins? Have believed in this ever since the beginning of my coaching career (early ’70s) – way more times then not the stronger skier wins. Essentially the top skiers are all doing the same training, but if there is an area where there will be a difference, it is in being in the weight room and doing the proper lifting programs. The musculature between these three ladies is quite dramatic to my eye and whether I knew the names or not I would have picked the heavier muscled skier to be the more successful one.
Back then it was important to be strong, but in today’s skiing it is even more so, with skating and even in classic because of the huge reduction in hill lengths because of the short loop format that is used. There is way more double poling happening and it will continue to grow in proportion to the use of the diagonal stride. Cross country skiers have shown the propensity to train anything they want to when they set their minds to it.
When skating started it was said no one could skate a whole course, and then it was off-set was the technique, which quickly became V1, which is now the most used technique. It is now being thought that the diagonal stride will be dead soon, as everyone will double pole everything and it will be faster.
Here is some reading if you don’t believe it – click HERE.
It is not too late for you to get on board – remember specific strength gains beat general endurance work – everyone does big weights and small reps now – make it a part of your future success.
August 14, 2012 Montebello, QC – The 47th edition of the Canadian Ski Marathon (CSM) taking place on February 9 and 10, 2013 in Montebello, QC will enjoy the endorsement of one of Canada’s golden girls – Chandra Crawford.
Crawford (28) is a native of Canmore, Alberta and surprised everyone at the 2006 Olympics in Torino when she won gold in the skate sprint cross country skiing discipline. Her other career highlights include six podiums achieved on the World Cup circuit and seven national titles.
“I’m very excited and honoured to be supporting the Canadian Ski Marathon in the capacity of honorary president,” said Crawford. “The event boasts a very solid status as a classic Canadian ski event and also enjoys an outstanding international reputation,” added the active member of the Canadian Cross Country ski team who has her sight on the 2014 Olympics.
As a two-day event, the CSM features 160 kilometre 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.
“With its open and non-competitive spirit, the Canadian Ski Marathon stands for celebrating the great sport of cross country skiing, promoting healthy lifestyles and encouraging participants to push their personal limits,” highlighted Crawford. “These values are very dear to my heart both as an athlete and as a philanthropist,” concluded the athlete who was named among Canada’s most influential women in sport in 2010 for her work as founder of Fast and Female, a program dedicated to empowering young women through sport.
In addition to offering tremendous skiing opportunities through the Laurentian mountains, the CSM is highlighted by the over-night stop in Montebello, home of the famous Château Montebello, one of the largest log-built hotels in the world.
“We are absolutely thrilled that Chandra is this year’s Honorary President. The energy that she brings to cross-country skiing and the Canadian Ski Marathon is absolutely contagious! We know that Chandra’s involvement in the CSM will inspire other young ladies and gentlemen skiers to ski in the CSM and see just how far they can ski” said Bill Syrros, President, Canadian Ski Marathon.
Past Canadian Ski Marathon Honorary Presidents have included: Hon. Peter Milliken, Hon. Peter MacKay, and Stephanie Vallee, Deputee de Gatineau, Parliamentary Assistant to the Premier.
Crawford will be in the midst of World Cup competition when the CSM takes place this February. Nonetheless, she will be lending a hand to spread the word and support the event in the months leading up to it.
“I will definitively be there in spirit and look forward to hearing about everyone’s great time on the trails!” she concluded.
For more information on the Canadian Ski Marathon and to register, click HERE.
August 13, 2012 (Ushuaia, Argentina) – Federico Cichero won the 10 KM classic interval start race on Friday August 10th at the Francisco Jerman Nordic Ski Area just outside of Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. Carlos Lanes (ARG) placed second after traveling from his current home in Spain. Third place was taken by Brazil’s Leandro Ribela who has dedicated himself to cross-country with the support of his federation despite coming from a tropical country.
The race was the first ever FIS sanctioned race on a homologated course in Argentina or South America.
Argentina’s Developing Nations Group Coach, Sebastián Menci, said through a interpreter “everything went really well…the Technical Delegate is from the U.S. and he has been really helpful and seems to enjoy being here… on one hand it was a small race but on the other it was start… I was not sure I would have ever seen this day actually happen.”
August 13, 2012 (Wanaka, New Zealand) – Justyna Kowalczyk powered to victory in all three competitions of the Australia/New Zealand Cup that were held at Snow Farm last weekend. The runner up of the last FIS Cross-Country World Cup and the triple FIS Tour de Ski winner dominated 10 km Classic, 1.0 km Sprint Free and 5 km Free. Kowalczyk dominated all three competitions in a great style. By the end of Kowalczyk’s stay at Snow Farm is will take part in the Muster Marathon and the winter triathlon.
“We will take part in all competitions, which will be held near our center, during the time we are here,”coach Alexander Wierietielny said.
The marathon takes place on Augaust 18th and Justyna Kowalczyk will be in full training until then. “The conditions are perfect. There is maybe less snow than last year but the courses are very well prepared,” the coach revealed.
On the men’s side Kowalczyk’s training partner Maciek Kreczmer powered to victory in 15 km Classic 8 sec ahead of Nobu Naruse and Masaya Kimura of Japan.
Russian skiers clearly dominated the sprint free competition as they occupied first four spots. Alexey Petukhov showed to be in good summer shape and clamed victory ahead of Nikita Kriukov and Alexander Panzhinskiy.
The last competition at Snow Farm over 10 km free belonged again to Maciej Kreczmer. The podium was exactly the same as on the first distance and Nobu Naruse finished second and Masaya Kimira third.
July 25, 2012 (Coon Valley, WI) – Coming off a very busy 2011/12 winter season, Mt. Borah Nordic has put the finishing touches on their upcoming season preparations by inking partnership agreements with some of the top Nordic programs in the US and Canada. In addition to working with Maine Winter Sports Center, Rocky Mountain Racers, Far West Nordic and Vail Ski and Snowboard Academy, Mt. Borah has also partnered with the University of Colorado (Nordic / Alpine) and Northern Michigan University. These programs will compete and showcase the latest Mt. Borah Pro XC apparel.
Besides working with some of the top-tier programs in North America, Mt. Borah has been busy making modifications to its existing XC product line. “We have really focused on improving our patterns and utilizing some exciting new fabrics for the 2012/13 line. The fit, form and function of nearly all the XC products has been greatly enhanced, especially compared to the 2011/12 line, all while keeping price points as competitive as ever,” said Chris Jackson, company owner.
Further news includes the recent development of a high-end XC apparel line dubbed OTW or Out to Win. The OTW line is expected to release as early as this November. “We couldn’t be more excited about the upcoming season,” said John Dyste, Mt. Borah’s Winter Sports Sales Manager. “Mt Borah appreciates just how competitive the custom team market is, which is why we continually work on improving both our products and our production facility. Our customers realize how important it is to work with a company which produces all of its apparel in-house, achieves the colors and graphics right the first time, and offers 100 percent on-time delivery,” added Dyste. To learn more about Mt. Borah, or to view their entire line of custom XC ski apparel, please visit www.mtborah.com or call 800-354-2825, M-F, 9-5 CST.
July 24, 2012 (Sun Valley, ID) – The National Nordic Foundation will invest $6,000 in two forthcoming Cross-Country Pillar Projects in its summer round of XC 2012/2013 funding. The primary goal of these USST International Development camps in Austria, Germany, and Sweden is to get the athletes on snow midway through the preparation period, and most goals will be technique-based. The National Nordic Foundation’s investment will offset some athlete’s travel expenses thereby reducing the personal cost for many of the athletes. Primary funding for the camps will come from USST with a significant additional investment to the men’s camp from the Oregon Nordic Ski Foundation. These strategic investments are made to Support Tomorrow’s Stars Today.
Men’s Camp: July 28-Aug 3 Ramsau/Dachstein, Austria, Aug 3-9 Oberhof, Germany
The men’s National Team is looking forward to the upcoming camp in Ramsau am Dachstein, Austria and Oberhof, Germany. Ramsau and Oberhof are two of the best summer cross-country ski training venues in central Europe. Both venues provide excellent skiing, as well as world-class rollerskiing and dry-land training opportunities. It has been many years since the USST has been in Ramsau for a summer camp and we are looking forward to being back in a place that is already one of our winter homes. This will be our first summer camp in Oberhof, a venue that offers a rollerski track over 10 kilometers in length as well as the ski tunnel. The primary goal of our camp is to get the men back on snow midway through the preparation period, and most goals will be technique-based. We also gain a unique opportunity to test new equipment directly from the European factories. This camp would not be possible without the generosity of the Oregon Nordic Ski Foundation and the National Nordic Foundation. We are grateful for the support of both of these great Nordic organizations; they have made this camp a reality.
Women’s Camp: August 3-16 Torsby & Salen Sweden The women’s National Team is preparing for its third of five preparation period camps – this time to Sweden. The team will spend its first three days training in Torsby to kick off the camp. During this time we will test equipment on snow in the tunnel with ski industry representatives. We’ll then pack up and meet the Swedish National Team women in Salen for five days of dry land. For the final five days of the camp we’ll head back to Torsby’s ski tunnel with the Swedes. An important national strategy for this group is international partnerships. We’ve made significant progress with Canada in two years and have felt positive benefits on a number of levels. These partnerships naturally inject change into our program without drastically changing our direction. The excitement of new faces and training methods is motivating. We have more fun this way, and we train harder and better. If you want to see a hardcore interval session like never before just put two national teams together and stand back. Our team depends on a deep network of support and NNF is at its center.
July 24, 2012 (Canmore, AB) – CCC is pleased to announce a partnership with the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise (FCLL) that will see the resort become an official accommodation supplier to CCC and the National Ski Team. As part of the agreement the FCLL is offering a special discounted rate to Cross Country Canada members across the country.
The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is proud to offer Cross Country Canada Members 10% off its Best Available Rates throughout the year.
Situated on the shores of Lake Louise in the heart of Banff National Park, The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is Canada’s ‘Diamond in the Wilderness’, a beautiful chateau-style resort offering stunning views of the Victoria Glacier. The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is located only 2 and a half hours from the Calgary International Airport.
Lake Louise is renowned for reliable snow fall, a long ski season, extensive trail network, easy highway access, and iconic world class destination with great amenities. Enjoy endless groomed trails and fresh mountain air as you glide along some of the most enchanting ski trails in North America. With record snow levels in recent years, improved signage and a season starting earlier than any North American region, Lake Louise is the ultimate cross country skiing destination. Or, come during the summer to hike to the tea houses and other iconic destinations right from the hotel doorstep.
Call 1-800-441-1414 and ask for your preferred 10% off Best Available Rate with your Cross Country Canada Membership or visit www.fairmont.com and enter promo code N3CS.
July 24, 2012 – Canada’s Alysson Marshall recently participated in a groundbreaking collaborative North American women’s cross-country ski training champ in Anchorage, AK, along with over dozen other athletes from Canada and the U.S., along with Finland’s Aino-Kaisa Saarinen. For the full report and photos from the camp that saw the athletes on rollerskis, in running shoes, skiing on the Eagle Glacier, and celebrating Canada Day in Anchorage, click HERE.
May 22, 2012 (Park City, UT) – In this edition of Talkin’ with the Gravy-Train, Peter Graves speaks with USSA VP of Communications, Tom Kelly, at the recent USSA Convention in Park City, UT. Kelly has been involved in the sport for decades, sporting the role of reporter and photographer along the way, and working with such legends as Tony Wise as his Public Relations Director for the Telemark Lodge, along with the venerable journalist Paul Robbins. He was also the co-owner (with Graves) of Worldwide Nordic, a travel company that specialized in trips to the World Loppet and other international Nordic races. Born and raised in Madison, WI, Kelly is also a member of the FIS Media and Marketing Committee. In his interview, he speaks about Kikkan Randall’s historic season, but more significantly, the impact she and her team mates have created with regards to cross-country skiing in the USA.
May 15, 2012 (Park City, UT) – Tune in to this week’s edition of Talkin’ with the Gravy-Train, as renowned sports reporter and announcer Peter Graves talks with CXC Director, Yuriy Gusev, at the recent USSA Convention in Park City, UT. CXC, the Central Cross Country Ski Association, has seen tremendous growth and success with their race team, aka Jessie Diggins, and various programs, and Gusev accepted the award at the Convention for CXC as winner of the cross-country club of the year. In this in-depth interview, Gusev speaks about his central motivation, which is to grow the sport of cross-country skiing, and the steps he has taken with his team to achieve that goal for CXC.
May 14, 2012 (Denver, CO) – The 2012 SIA Snow Show, launching all that’s new for 2013, was held in Denver, CO earlier this year and SkiTrax caught up with many exhibiting companies to find out about their latest product offerings from the top end on down, including some fun stuff, for next season. Part 2 of our series of interviews offers a look at what’s new from from Rossignol, Atomic, Toko, and more from Swix – plus we stop in at the Madshus Aquavit Party…
May 14, 2012 – Today we are introducing you another candidate to host FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2017 – Zakopane, Poland. Find out more about this potential host venue in the Q&A below.
Q: Why is Zakopane a candidate to host 2017 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships? How many times have you run your bid?
Zakopane is the cradle of Polish skiing, which traditions go as far back as to over 120 years. Zakopane organized FIS World Championships three times (1929, 1939, 1962), Winter Universiade three times (1956, 1993, 2001), World and European Biathlon Championships, Biathlon World Juniors Championships, Speed Skating World Juniors Championships and World Cup, FIS European Cup in Womens’ Slalom, Ski Jumping World Cup (several times), Nordic Combined, Cross-Country and Slalom, Ski Jumping Continental Cups, Ski Jumping Summer Grand Prix, FIS World Junior Championships in Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined. International competitions of various level are held here almost every year.
It is the fourth time that Zakopane, together with Polish Ski Federation and Tatra Ski Association, have begun making efforts to be granted the right to organize FIS Nordic World Championships in 2017.
Q: What makes you different from the other candidates?
The sports events, which have been hosted in Zakopane so far, have given a completely new quality to the concept of the atmosphere. Ski fans, enthusiasm and their admiration of the best athletes from all over the world is a unique phenomenon, which has developed in Zakopane during Ski Jumping World Cups and is always present at all the events organized at the foot of Mountain. It will be the same during the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships Zakopane 2017.
Q: What is the core of your bid? What would the Champs at your venue be like and what would people remember in 2027 about them?
Organization of big international winter sports events has had significant influence on the city development. Many new sports venues have been built, the accommodation and catering infrastructure has been developed, water-sewage system has been improved, new streets, roads and parking places have been built. Also tourism has greatly developed.
Zakopane has continuously aspired to be counted among the group of cities organizing world sports events. The crowning achievement of this aspiration was the submission of the city’s candidature for the organization of Winter Olympic Games in 2006 and FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in 2011, 2013 and 2015.
Zakopane is also a significant center of culture – it is the cradle of interwar art bohemians. Outstanding musicians, writers and artists have settled and created here for years.
May 10, 2012 – Here is the latest news from FIS, including information about elections, Ladies Seminar at the 2012 FIS Congress, FIS Congress travel information, and Swiss ski legend Karl Molitor’s upcoming biography.
FIS Council Elections
The 48th International Ski Congress will elect the sixteen members of the FIS Council for the next two-year period from 2012-2014. By the statutory deadline of 1st May 2012, the member National Ski Associations have proposed 19 candidates for membership in the FIS Council. Read more HERE.
FIS Congress 3rd Ladies Seminar
The 3rd FIS Ladies Seminar on the subject of “Women and Health” will take place on Monday, 28th May 2012 as part of the 2012 FIS Congress in Kangwonland and is open to all FIS Congress participants. The program will focus on Medical Issues in Female Sport. Read more HERE.
Travel Info for FIS Congress Participants
In just few weeks, some 800 participants will make their way to Korea for the 48th International Ski Congress from 27th May until 2nd June 2012. A welcome reception by the Korean Ski Association on Monday, 27th May, 19:00 at the Kangwonland Hotel will mark the official opening of the week which promises to be a fantastic occasion for the worldwide FIS family. Read more HERE.
Swiss Ski Legend Visits Oberhofen – Biography Out This Summer
The famous Swiss ski legend Karl Molitor (born 29th June 1920) recently visited the FIS Headquarters in Oberhofen to exchange views on his biography with FIS President Gian Franco Kasper. The biography will appear in print by the end of June 2012. Read more HERE.
May 08, 2012 – Canadian XC ski sensation, Devon Kershaw, recently tweeted a photo of himself at the summit of the 1,912m Mont Ventoux of Tour de France cycling fame. It was not aboard a bicycle that he climbed to the top of the peak via its 21 switchbacks, but with rollerskis. Check out the cool image HERE.
May 08, 2012 (Gatineau, QC) – Check out this video and see what it’s like to participate in the annual Canadian Ski Marathon, North America’s oldest and longest Nordic ski tour, held since 1967. The fully supported event features 160km of trails along the Canadian Shield and is conquered by participants of all ages.
May 07, 2012 – Like everyone else, I had huge intentions of writing a huge blog post (almost a month ago now) reviewing my season, talking about the highs and lows in detail – and covering everything in between.
However, in reality, I needed time to rest – both my body and my mind and that included taking a short hiatus from blogging and telling the world about my exploits 🙂
Now that I’ve had that time to rest, here is how it went, in a nutshell:
– A delayed departure for Europe due to no snow…. got my first taste of tunnel skiing in Torsby
– An awesome streak of World Cup performances – better than I had ever imagined… scoring WC points in 6 of 9 individual start races. I almost made the distance red group after one period alone! This was certainly a break through for me mentally, physically & emotionally. It also gave me the green light to extend my season in Europe and join the Tour de Ski USA crew! This meant spending Christmas in Europe.
– Christmas night: fell on icy road and broke my wrist four days before Tour de Ski. (Nice timing, right?)
– Proceeded to race the Tour de Ski with my wrist – didn’t find out it was broken until half way through the Tour when I got x-rays and an MRI en route to Italy.
– Stubbornly finished the Tour with the help of pain killers and tape jobs (thanks Steph!) Was ecstatic to reach the top of the Alps Cermis, even if my performance took a huge tumble.
– Proceeded to take some much needed rest in Italy at the home of Bill and Kathy Estes – thanks Guys!
– Continued onto Ramsau, Austria, SOLO for a one-pole ski camp… often in a blizzard.
– Got back into World Cup racing in time to come down with the weird stomach bug that took almost everyone out at one point or another. Dropped out of a race in Czech (Heck, I didn’t even drop out of races when I had a broken wrist!) and then the next day summoned all my courage and energy to help the USA ladies to our best 4x5k relay result ever. Certainly a HIGHLIGHT of the season!
– Just the day before I had purchased a ticket home for a 2-week recovery trip. My wrist episode combined with the stomach bug took a bigger toll on me than I’d thought. I traveled back to the States, 30 pairs of skis and all; knowing that I wanted to come back but not knowing if I could come back.
– Raced the American Birkebeiner and WON! That one had been on my list for a while ever since loosing my an inch in 2009!
– Returned to Europe for the Lahti World Cups but skied poorly. Perhaps 20,000 + miles in an airplane, a 50k and jumping 4 time zones doesn’t work….
– Skied and WON OPA cup finals in Toblach, Italy! It wasn’t WC Finals but it certainly felt good to stand on TOP of a podium. I won countless pounds of cheese and meat for my efforts.
– From Italy I continued onto Craftsbury Vermont where I met my APU teammates. It was close to 80 degrees so we had to get tanks and shorts at thrift stores…. I continued to have what I felt were mediocre races at spring series.
In all, the season was a huge breakthrough for me. Going into it, I had no idea that I would be spending almost five straight months overseas. I didn’t anticipate a 13th place in Davos, just missing the distance red group at the end of December, or even starting the Tour de Ski. Injuring myself was a huge bummer, especially with the momentum that I had created….. but on the bright side, it wasn’t an Olympic year, right? I raced in 26 different World Cup races in countries and venues all over Europe. In all, I raced 51 times last year, summer events included. I learned a lot, as you’d hope I would in that period of time. But perhaps the most important lessons when it comes to International performances are that 1 – I can do it; we can do it. We have the tools to succeed, let alone WIN against the Europeans. 2 – Next season I will need a planned break to come home to AK 3 – Diversify racing venues and level of competition – I didn’t race my first non-World Cup race until the American Birkie in February! As hard as it is to miss World Cups, standing on a podium and being in the hunt for the win is important and not to be under estimated.
All in all, I’m excited to train really hard this summer and take another stab at it next winter. I’m crossing my fingers to stay injury free and be able to pick up where I left off!
WHEW….. That wasn’t supposed to be long winded but it was, sorry. Here are some pictures of my spring to make up for it:
Following the ski season I did what so happy skiers do after 5 months of traveling on the road, chasing snow; go to the beach! This trip was actually planned as a college reunion some 8 months prior to going. There was lots to celebrate and lots to catch up on including BIG birthdays…. (and some anxiety on my part for those that know me well!) Time with my college girlfriends was awesome. We cooked amazing meals and talked for HOURS about all kinds of non-ski related things. My friends are all amazingly accomplished and it was fun to hear about mobile butchers for Sarah’s meat CSA, Al’s trips on the Grand Canyon, Jayne’s PhD in geophysics & Laura’s teaching exploits from Oahu!
It was a tight turn around to get to Hawaii. I came into Alaska on a red eye and had less than 24 hours in AK to give my husband a hug, vote, pack, un-pack, lead a clinic & attend to all kinds of business and months of mail. Then, I departed on another red eye for the islands….. arriving 10 hours later; exhausted to say the least. (I’m NOT complaining though!)
The girls also put up with my need to exercise – at least a bit. I’ve always wanted to bike on the islands and this time I was finally able too. Here I am at the 9,000 ft. lookout for Mauna Kea.
The other super fun thing I did this spring was attend my good friend, Chrissy’s bachlorette party. Instead of a night on the town we took a water taxi across K-Bay in Homer to her family cabin. We brought skis, running shoes, and blow-up paddle boards – and used them all!
The spring is also a great time to participate in some awesome community programs. ARISE is a new program co-lead by Alaska Sports Hall of Fame and Healthy Futures. It stands for Anchorage Runners Inspired to Succeed and Excel. Basically, it brings local runners and health advocates into Title I schools in Anchorage to run with elementary school kids at recess. The goal is to show that being active can be fun! This spring Tyson Elementary in Mountain View is the pilot program.
The grades, K-5 are having a competition to see which class can run the most. Mid-week last week, the Tyson kids had run 584 miles total! Last Thursday we had a “speed gun” where kids did a full on sprint. The school is going to take our mileage and overlay it across the state of Alaska. The goal is run from Anchorage to the North Slope – at least!
In other news, training for 2012-2013 has started and we’re hitting it hard with APU. Lucky for us, we can still ski in Anchorage so we’re mixing some on-snow training in with running, lifting, etc. Should be fun (and sometimes sore) times!
May 01, 2012 – This year more than ever, NENSA members have stepped up to support xc skiing in New England! Every donation made a huge difference — the large and small ones, the first and last — just as importantly as the money contributed is that the way this drive puts on display the enthusiasm that we all have for skiing and for NENSA. It is never easy to keep things growing and moving forward in a small organization like NENSA, but a successful drive like this sure makes it easier.
On a personal note, today is my final day as Executive Director. Zach Stegeman gets started tomorrow and I hope you will all give him a warm welcome and help support him with as much positive energy and enthusiasm as you have supported my efforts over the past eleven years with NENSA. – Pat Cote, Executive Director
April 27, 2012 (Denver, CO) – The 2012 SIA Snow Show, launching all that’s new for 2013, was held in Denver, CO earlier this year and SkiTrax caught up with many exhibiting companies to find out about their latest product offerings from the top end on down, including some fun stuff, for next season. In Part 1 of our series of interviews here’s a look at what’s new from from Fischer, Alpina, and Swix…
April 26, 2012 (New York, NY) – Vancouver Olympic Gold, Silver and Bronze Medalists will be at the Loeb Boathouse in Central Park on Wednesday, May 9th, for an evening of entertainment hosted by MSNBC’s Dylan Ratigan to benefit the Next Generation of NYSEF athletes, including U.S. Olympians and Sochi 2014 hopefuls.
The gala fundraiser, hosted by the New York Ski Educational Foundation (NYSEF), will offer attendees the rare opportunity to meet Olympic medalists and National Team members including Nordic Combined Gold and Silver Medalist Billy Demong, Super G Bronze Medalist Andrew Weibrecht and three-time World Cup winner Manuel Osborne-Paradis. U.S. Ski Jumpers Nick Alexander and Jay Rand, and top U.S. Biathletes Tim Burke, Lowell Bailey and Annelies Cook will also be in attendance.
The event begins at 6:30 p.m. and will feature cocktails, a buffet, and a live auction with items that range from a week vacation in a private villa on Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas, to a day of skiing with Olympic Bronze Medalist Andrew Weibrecht. General admission tickets for the event are $250. Net proceeds from ticket sales and the auction will be donated to the Endowment Fund and NYSEF scholarship and general funds.
In partnership with NYSEF, the Next Generation gala event is sponsored by CBRE, the Black Rock Foundation, Northwood School, the Paine Family, the Hospital for Special Surgery and in part by Whiteface Mountain, the Mirror Lake Inn, gloProfessional, and Harrow Sports, Eastern Collective, the Lake Placid Crown Plaza, Grenier Des Alps, and the Meltzer Group.
April 25, 2012 (Mosjøen, Norway) – Petter Northug (NOR) will be tested in a laser speed trap at this year’s Bysprinten in Mosjøen, Norway. Fellow Norwegian champion, the celebrated Oddbjørn Hjelmeseths, will also be in attendance at this much anticipated sprinter’s duel.
“We have gathered some of the best skiers in the world for this years event, and we have a lot to look forward to on Saturday,” said Trond Are Rasmussen, Event Manager. Bysprinten 2012 is the 6th annual show race in Mosjøen, but it’s the first time the Police will control the speed of the skiers. We will try to beat the world record on 100 meters sprint on skis, which is currently 11.82 sec.
This year we will also have a “Brother’s Relay Race”, where the Northug brothers will compete against the Pasini brothers from Italy and the Tettli Rennemo brothers from Norway.
FACTS
– The Bysprint is arranged on April 28th with nearly 30 international ski stars
– The arena is placed right in the town center of Mosjøen
– The course is 750 meters x 2
– In 2011 Petter Northug and Marit Bjørgen met for the first time in a duel in Bysprinten
All websites can broadcast live from Bysprinten. The broadcast starts Saturday April 28th at 13.00 CET
You will find the broadcast at www.bysprinten.no/live
Contact and questions: Trond Are Rasmussen, (+47) 957 14 195
April 24, 2012 – On this week’s edition of Talkin’ with the Gravy-Train, we pick up where we left off last week during Peter Graves’s interview with former US and Canadian XC Ski Team Head Coach, Marty Hall. Hall delves deeper into the North American success this year and looks at the next wave of talent and what it means for the future of the sport on this continent. Hall coached the US Team when Bill Koch won his Olympic silver medal at the Games in Innesbruck, Austria, and was also at the helm of the Canadian Team during Pierre Harvey’s heyday – check out his report cards in his column Hallmarks in the final issue issue of SkiTrax this season.
April 23, 2012 – NENSA is pleased to announce Justin Beckwith as our 2012 New England Coach of the Year! Justin has been quietly managing the Green Mountain Valley School Nordic Program for several years now. He has coached GMVS athletes through successful junior careers and instills a love of skiing and outdoor adventure into them as well. A world class athlete himself, he knows what it takes to be a student of the sport and his program ensures that there is enough of a challenge intermixed with plenty of fun!
Justin wrote via email: “I’ve been really lucky to work with an impressive group of skiers over the past six years here in Waitsfield. My goal as a coach is to make all around skiers and expose kids to adventures that create a passion for sport and competition. Pursuing your dreams as a ski racer is an ultimate adventure and it is inspiring to help kids follow that path. It has been awesome to watch our alums continue to ski and improve in college and beyond.
We’ve had five Junior National Champs and three athletes placed on the J1 Team since I’ve been at the Green Mountain Valley School. We are really excited about our summer training programs with athletes like Tim Reynolds, David Sinclair, Dylan Grald and Heidi Halvorsen leading guests from throughout New England.”
Justin has been coaching at GMVS for 6 years, was J1 Scando trip leader in 2009, World Junior Coach in 2012 and the New England Team Wax Tech 2009-2012. For four straight years in a row, Justin has also managed the production of 55- 65 pairs of skis per race at Junior Nationals- this is no easy feat to keep the New England train rolling! His calmness through the inevitable storms of wax testing and making the right calls, consistently put out the best skis on the best skiers day in and day out during a busy week.
Through all of this he stresses the team effort to make New England such a great ski community. In true spirit, Justin recaps his season on a recent blog post:
“Thanks for helping make this winter a success for New England– the enthusiasm of the Nordic Community in our region overshadowed any lack of snow. It was a huge year of successes for Eastern Skiers from the BKL level, at Junior Nationals and NCAA’s. I’m proud to be a part of this energy and I look forward to collaborating with many of you in the future.”
We congratulate Justin and wish him much success as he continues to educate and challenge his skiers to even more success in the future.
Coach of the year award history
– 2012 – Justin Beckwith
– 2011 – Sverre Caldwell
– 2010 – Pepa Milochoeva
– 2009 – Matt Boobar
– 2008 – Eileen Carey
– 2007 – Rob Bradlee
Donations Double-Matched – $10,000 Bonus
Another donor has stepped in to add to the challenge we announced on Friday. Instead of being matched $1 to $1, all donations to the Annual Fund are now matched with $2 for every $1 donated.
Your $10 donation becomes $30 to NENSA… your $50 donation becomes $150… And if we meet the $5,000 match (we’ve raised $2,005 toward it so far) then the new donor will also give a $10,000 bonus to the annual fund. Please be part of helping us reach this goal and earn this very important contribution to NENSA. I can’t think of a better way for our members to welcome our new Executive Director than with the energy and momentum that a successful annual fund can provide. And successfully meeting this match will mean that we’ll surpass our Annual Fund goal and have an opportunity, like last year, for our Board of Directors to designate even more funding to some of your favorite programs like the Athlete Fund and Skis for Kids.
So, please take advantage of the match today! Every dollar becomes three! How often do we have an opportunity like this?
Please donate today and help spread the word to your friends; we NEED your help to meet this challenge! And donating online will take just 5 minutes. Please help us reach the goal and continue to bring wonderful winter memories to New England families.
April 23, 2012 – Although support is still strong for him in many quarters in Estonia, disgraced two-time skiing gold medalist Andrus Veerpalu will lose out on state funding for a while – the stipend that the Cultural Endowment pays all living Olympic champions.
Veerpalu, who tested positive for doping last year, is not among this year’s recipients of the benefit, which consists of semi-annual payments of 1,150 euros each.
Secretary General of the Olympic Committee Toomas Tõnise said Veerpalu’s name could not be proposed this time as it would have gone against international anti-doping rules, which forbid sanctioned athletes from receiving public sector money…
April 19, 2012 – Just like skiing well in one of our Marathon Series events, we’ve gotten off to a solid start with our Annual Fund drive and sailed through the first two laps. And now we face just $10K to the finish line. Can you help us get there?
And just like skiing in a race, there are lots of reasons to doubt ourselves. Can we make it? What if the challenge is too great?
And just like with 10K to go in a race, it is time to focus on the goal and do everything we can to reach the finish.
As I am sure you have heard, NENSA starts with a new Executive Director on May 1 and there’s no better way to help Zach Stegeman get started than with a successful annual fund drive.
We have 10K to go and I know we can make it, but we definitely need your help to meet this challenge. Gifts of any size are valued, just as we value your participation in our clinics, clubs, camps, and races all season long.
Please donate today; we NEED your help to meet this challenge!
April 19, 2012 (Canmore, AB) – Representatives from long-time Cross Country Canada sponsor Auclair Gloves joined members of the National Ski Team in Mont Sainte-Anne for a dinner, product consultation and awards ceremony during last month’s Haywood Ski Nationals. Auclair, the exclusive glove supplier to the National Ski Team for the last 30 years, was pleased to meet with Canada’s top skiers to discuss product feedback and work on refinements to the company’s high performance glove line in advance of the 2013 and 2014 seasons.
Auclair President Peter Monk was on hand to present the first annual Auclair Team Spirit Award to Canadian National Team skier Devon Kershaw. Freshly returned from completing his 2011/12 World Cup campaign and finishing as the 2nd ranked skier in the overall FIS World Cup, Kershaw was thrilled to receive the honour which is presented to the National Team athlete who best represents the qualities of team spirit with which Auclair proudly associates itself. “It’s a real honour to receive this award and it couldn’t be more fitting than to come from Peter and his team at Auclair,” commented Kershaw. “They have been a key part of our team for over 30 years and we are excited to be here this evening working hand-in-hand with them to make sure we have the optimal gloves on our hands as we continue our drive toward the podium in Sochi 2014.”
Auclair is the premium sport and outdoor division of Paris Glove of Canada Ltd., one of the oldest and most respected glove companies in North America. In addition to its 30+ year relationship with Canada’s National Cross-Country Ski Team, the company is also the official supplier to practically every Canadian team on snow and ice including Alpine, Snowboarding, Freestyle, Speed Skating, Bobsled, Luge, Nordic Combined, Biathlon, Telemark and Speed Skiing.
April 18, 2012 – Ivan Hudac, longtime coach of Petra Majdic, has prematurely terminated the contract with Slovenian Ski Team. Majdic ended her professional racing career after the season 2010/11. Since then, Hudac has been coaching the Slovenian men’s U23 team with Gregor Kralj, Matija Rimahazi, Matej Simenc, Amel Scuk and Domen Potocnik.
“After careful consideration, and certain circumstances, I decided to prematurely terminate the four-year contract with the Slovenian Ski Team. I wish the team much success in the future, but now I want take some time for myself to consider what to do next,” Hudač said to rtvslo.si.
Ivan Hudac coached Petra Majdic for many years and led her to success including two medals from the World Championships, silver in classical sprint in Sapporo and bronze in free technique sprint in Oslo and the famous bronze medal at the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver 2010.
April 17, 2012 – Canadian Ski Team member Ivan Babikov and wife Svetlana recently welcomed a new addition to their family, Daniel Oliver Babikov, a brother for Sergey.
Ivan Babikov: “Yeah Danny!!! Daniel Oliver Babikov is here!!! All good!!! Strong, tough and beautiful as his daddy! :)”
Ivan has had an interesting climb to the top level of Canadian skiing as described in an article from just before the Vancouver Olympics. Read it HERE.
April 16, 2012 (Røldal, Norway) – Kristin Stoermer Steira and Chris Andre Jespersen were the quickest in Saturday’s Haukelirennet over the 32km freestyle race. Steira won the competition in 1:21.05 and edged out the big Crystal Globe winner Marit Bjoergen and Therese Johaug.
On the men’s sides Chris Andre Jespersen was superior over Sjur Røthe and Martin Johansson.
On Sunday, April 15, an unconventional competition took place in Røldal, Norway. More than 3,000 fans turned out in the mountain resort of Røldal to see an event that combined giant slalom and then 4km free uphill climb.
Some of World’s best cross-country skiers showed up at the start, including Charlotte Kalla, Johaug, Bjoergen, Anders Gloeersen, Oeystein Pettersen, Jean-Marc Gaillard, and Petter Northug Jr.
Organizers reckoned with the advantage cross-country specialists might get, therefore 1-second behind in the giant slalom meant 20 seconds back in the cross-country skiing portion.
Former top alpine skiers Andrinne Flemmen and Lasse Arnesen won the first part of the competition. Right after the alpine leg it was time to change the skiing equipment and climb 4km up with a vertical gain of 240m.
Andrinne Flemmen kept the lead after the alpine section and came in first at the finish. Norwegian youngster Tuva Toftdal came second at 16 seconds back. As expected, Johaug was the fastest climber with 15:39.6.
On the men’s side, Nordic skiing specialists prevailed over alpine skiers as Gloeersen led the way with a 33-sec margin over Nordic Combined athlete, Mikko Kokslien. Chris Andre Jespersen had the fastest climb time of 13:54.8.
Results
Haukelirennet – 32 km free, 14. April 2012
Women
1. Kristin Størmer Steira, IL Forsøk 1:21:05
2. Marit Bjørgen, Rognes IL 1:21:19
3. Therese Johaug, Nansen IL 1:22:48
4. Martine Ek Hagen, BUL IL 1:23:00
5. Charlotte Kalla, IFK Tärendö 1:25:47
6. Pia Sofie Måbø, Stathelle og Omegn IL 1:35:39
Men
1. Chris Jespersen, Byåsen IL 1:17:19
2. Sjur Røthe, Voss IL 1:17:20
3. Martin Johanson, IFKMora ski 1:18:33
4. Vebjørn Turtveit, Voss IL 1:20:16
5. Gaute Kvåle, Røldal IL 1:20:21
6. Magnus Krog, Høydalsmo 1:22:03
April 13, 2012 (Burlington, VT) – University of Vermont senior skier Amy Glen appeared in this week’s Sports Illustrated Faces in the Crowd section following her photo-finish victory to win the NCAA national title in the 15k classic event at the 2012 NCAA Ski Championships. Click HERE to see the Faces in the Crowd feature.
Glen beat out Dartmouth’s Sophie Caldwell by 1/10 of a second and two inches. The win was Glen’s first collegiate victory in her final collegiate race.
Glen’s individual victory helped the Catamounts capture the overall NCAA National Championship. It was UVM’s first NCAA title since 1994 and the sixth in the program’s history.
Vermont piled up 832 points, the most ever by an NCAA Champion, and won the national championship by a record-breaking 161 points.
The University of Vermont ski team and men’s basketball squad will be honored on Sunday, April 15 with a parade down Church Street starting at 12 p.m.
April 11, 2012 (Argentina) – The Andino Ushuaia Ski Club, Marcha Blanca Race Organization, and their partners are pleased to announce Argentina’s inaugural International Month of Cross Country Skiing scheduled for August 2012 near Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. Four events comprise the schedule, including a weekend of ski instruction intended mostly for local skiers, a “Mini Marcha Blanca” for skiers aged 13 years and under, the 26th Annual Marcha Blanca 21/7km freestyle race, and the 2nd Annual Ushuaia Loppet 42 km freestyle ski marathon.
Race Director Pablo Valcheff says, “The Mes internacional de esquí de fondo (International Month of Cross Country Skiing) is intended to continue on the success of the last few years while also growing at a sustainable rate.” Last winter’s Master Classes gave hundreds of Fueguino skiers the chance to improve their skiing and spend a day on skis in the Valley of Tierra Mayor, both at Centro Invernal Tierra Mayor and at Cerro Castor. The Ushuaia Loppet will again trace the Marcha Blanca course twice in the opposite direction. The Marcha Blanca passes the quarter century mark in 2012. And the Mini Marcha is a chance for kids to enjoy an event of their own.
Apart from the events associated with the Marcha Blanca, the Club Andino Ushuaia is developing a roughly 1.5 km sprint course at the Francisco Jerman Nordic Ski Area just 10 minutes north of Ushuaia. The trails will be widened and the hope is to begin running FIS compliant sprint races there as soon as possible.
April 11, 2012 (Anchorage, AK) – After spending five months racing and training in Europe, USST member and 2011/12 FIS WCup XC Sprint champion Kikkan Randall, 29, finally returned to her home in Anchorage, Alaska. This was the first time Randall committed to staying in Europe for the entire season and it paid off big for the US star as she took home the Sprint Cup globe. But as we all know there’s no place like home as she recently tweeted… So nice to be back in my kitchen. Home cooked Tex Mex with my hubby.
April 09, 2012 – Justyna Kowalczyk underwent arthroscopic knee surgery at Warsaw clinic on March 20. “The recovery process has been going as planned so far but there is still some work to be done,” Kowalczyk wrote on her website www.justyna-kowalczyk.pl. The triple Tour de Ski winner spent Easter with her family, but on Monday she starts rehabilitation at Litwa sanatorium.
“Last year we returned from Kamchatka on Sunday evening before the Easter Monday. This year it’s the opposite,” Kowalczyk’s coach Alexander Wierietielny said. Kowalczyk will be rehabilitating in Druskienniki. “We had been here last year before we went to Kamchatka. They can boast of very good treatment. It’s not only about the knee. Also other parts of Justyna body need recovery after the season so that Justyna can take the training load,” her coach explained.
April 09, 2012 (Budal, Norway) – The annual Marit Sprint took place in Budal, Norway recently. “It’s a true fun to see all the happy kids,” Marit Bjoergen told nrk.no. After the race, the roles changed for the 2011/12 Cross Country World Cup Crystal Globe winner. This time it was Bjoergen who was hanging medals and hanging them around kids’ necks after Marit-Sprint in South Trøndelag.
In total, 350 kids took part in the sixth edition of event. Some kids were not sure if it was the real Marit Bjoergen supporting them on the course. “They are used to seeing me on TV, so they did not think it was me,” Bjoergen laughed.
April 06, 2012 – On this week’s edition of Talkin’ with the Gravy-Train, renowned sports journalist and announcer Peter Graves speaks with US XC Ski Team Head Coach, Chris Grover. In his interview, Grover reflects on the historic season for the US squad, that saw Kikkan Randall take home an overall World Cup series title, the American women storm the international circuit with tremendous results, the first distance points for sprint star Andy Newell, and a U23 Worlds silver medal for Noah Hoffman. Graves and Grover explore what changed within the US team and with the athletes themselves that made their fantastic season a reality.
Grover has a 25-year history in the sport, with nearly 20 of those years as a coach, telling Graves that Randall’s hard work, focus, and energy made her achievement a reality and showed the entire team it is possible to make it to the top. Looking at the next generation, Jessie Diggins floored onlookers this season with the incredible leap she made in her skiing, such as when she qualified first in the Moscow sprints.
![Making a late-night orthopedic clinic visit in Obertsdorf. [P] courtesy of Holly Brooks](https://skitrax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Holly-Brooks-late-night-orthopedic-clinic-visit-in-Obertsdorf.jpg)
![Holly Brooks’ first time tunnel skiing in Torsby. [P] courtesy of Holly Brooks](https://skitrax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Holly-Brooks-tunnel-skiing-in-Torsby.jpg)
![Holly Brooks helped Team USA achieve its best 4x5k relay result ever! [P] courtesy of Holly Brooks](https://skitrax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Holly-Brooks-helped-Team-USA-achieve-its-best-4x5k-relay-result.jpg)
![Tad Elliott and Holly Brooks won the 2012 American Birkebeiner. [P] courtesy of Holly Brooks](https://skitrax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Holly-Brooks-won-the-American-Birkebeiner.jpg)
![Team USA celebrates another successful season. [P] courtesy of Holly Brooks](https://skitrax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Holly-Brooks-Team-USA.jpg)
![Post-season girls’ college reunion in Hawaii. [P] Holly Brooks](https://skitrax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Holly-Brooks-college-reunion-in-Hawaii.jpg)
![Holly Brooks and her friend Jayne in Hawaii. [P] Holly Brooks](https://skitrax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Holly-Brooks-and-her-friend-Jayne.jpg)
![Holly Brooks at 9,000 feet – Mauna Kea lookout. [P] Holly Brooks](https://skitrax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Holly-Brooks-at-9000-feat-Mauna-Kea-lookout.jpg)
![Water taxi to Chrissy’s bachelorette. [P] courtesy of Holly Brooks](https://skitrax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Holly-Brooks-at-Chrissys-bachelorette.jpg)
![Holly Brooks didn’t go paddle boarding in Hawaii, but she did in Alaska! [P] courtesy of Holly Brooks](https://skitrax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Holly-Brooks-paddle-boarding-in-AK.jpg)
![Holly Brooks and friends showing this is an “Only In Alaska” moment. [P] courtesy of Holly Brooks](https://skitrax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Holly-Brooks-showing-its-an-Only-In-Alaska-moment.jpg)
![Holly Brooks participated in the ARISE program. [P] courtesy of Holly Brooks](https://skitrax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Holly-Brooks-participated-in-ARISE-program.jpg)
![Holly Brooks running with the kids at ARISE. [P] courtesy of Holly Brooks](https://skitrax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Holly-Brooks-running-with-the-kids.jpg)
![Holly Brooks (centre) and friends (far left, Kikkan Randall) 3.5h crust ski – May 1st. [P] courtesy of Holly Brooks](https://skitrax.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Holly-Brooks-and-friends-crust-ski-May-1st.jpg)
