November 13, 2012 – I’m about to board my second of four flights taking me from home in AK to Northern Finland, “Munio.” It’s hard to see on this map but it’s to the left of “Lappi” …. you may notice this is WAY above the Arctic Circle. Don’t worry, I packed some neon to keep things bright and happy….

My favorite wax tech helping me travel wax skis. I had this pic on Facebook earlier and many people are surprised by the number of skis I have.  Reality is, everyone has this many to be competitive at the international level.  Each one is for different conditions… different cambers, stiffnesses, grinds, etc.

Fast and Female Anchorage (last weekend) is deserving of its own post. I’ll try to write an update later. Basically, it was AWESOME and we had over 200 girls. Thanks so much to everyone who pitched in and helped out!

After the main event we took the opportunity to get a bunch of Alaskan women influential in sports together for a social/pow-wow. Women shared incredible personal stories and also gave updates on the programs they are currently involved in. We had everyone from Nina Kemppal (4x XC Ski Olympian) to Deedee Jonrowe (30x Iditorod sled dog racer) to Margaret Timmerman in charge of Tuesday Night races to Joey Caterinichio – US Ski Team Nordic Program Director, Rosey Grundwaldt – 2006 Torino Bronze Medalist, etc, etc. I wish I had had a tape recorder on the conversation because it was amazing.

Rob dropped me off at the airport last night. Always hard to say goodbye. He’s my biggest supporter. (Thanks for the help babe!)

Opp! They’re calling my name to board! Next flight to Frankfurt, then to Helsinki, then to Rovanemi & finally, a drive to Munio. I have a long road ahead!

More soon!
Holly 😉

The day before my departure I got this in the mailbox. I’m excited to be writing an international column for the statewide Nordic Skier Newspaper. In case you live outside of Alaska or don’t receive the paper, I’ve included my article below….

From Alaska to Europe & Back
by Holly Brooks

Eight years ago I moved to Anchorage because I wanted to live in a ski town. After growing up in Seattle, I craved a place where roller skiers weren’t considered freaks and I could see snow outside the kitchen window. I was ecstatic to find friends who knew of Swix Extra Blue and a spider web of fabulous trails throughout the city, complete with lights for skiing at night. I made my rounds of the local ski scene working at Alaska Mountaineering and Hiking, serving as the head coach for West High, spent six years as a coach for the Alaska Junior Olympic team and finally, five years as a fulltime junior and master’s coach for the APU Nordic Ski Center.

I started out racing in the local Anchorage Cup series; the Hickok, Pia’s Classic, the Sven, the Oosik, the Tour. Then, in 2009, I entered the American Birkebeiner and “lost” the race by what some called a “toenail” in a photo finish. In many ways, that race was one of the defining moments that inspired me to focus on skiing at a new level. Luckily my commitment and hard work was rewarded when this past May, I was named as an official member of the US Cross Country Ski Team.

Last winter I unexpectedly spent almost five consecutive months in Europe racing the World Cup. Needless to say, this was quite the jump from the Alaska community racing scene where I frequented the coastal trail, had a “handful of skis” thrown into the back of my Subaru or spent Tuesday nights doing intervals at Hillside with my friends. In all, I traveled to & raced in ten different countries and accumulated 26 World Cup starts. There were highlights such as my contribution to the best women’s 4x5k team relay finish in history and there were certainly low lights as well. Christmas night I was running on an icy road, fell & broke my wrist just four days before the start of the infamous “Tour de Ski” stage race. (I foolishly competed anyways!) This winter promises to be full of more tales and adventures. I’m by no means a seasoned veteran of the World Cup but I’m not a rookie either.

As you may know, three of the six US Ski Team girls reside and train in Anchorage including Kikkan Randall, Sadie Bjornsen and myself. We represent the USA, the State of Alaska and APU Nordic Ski Center on the International stage. This year World Championships will be in Val di Fiemme, Italy and in less than two years we hope to be “toeing the start line” at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

When driving up the serpentine roads to the racing venue in Slovenia or landing a chartered plane on an obscure military base in Russia to compete it’s easy to feel far from home and far from the people, specifically the Alaskans, that helped us reach the World stage. Realizing that, I’m excited to be writing a monthly column for the Nordic Skier that will attempt to bring stories from the World Cup into your hands. While I may not spend much of the winter in Alaska anymore I spend the spring crust skiing at Portage, the summer running in the Chugach and the fall roller skiing at Kincaid. While I love being on the road, my heart is always at home. I hope you’ll join me for the adventure that is the 2012-2013 World Cup season

If you would like to follow Holly’s ski adventures on a more regular basis, check out her blog @ www.hollyskis.blogspot.com

February 28, 2012 (Mont-Ste-Anne, QC) – Fast and Female will be traveling East for its second Cross-Country Ski event of the season as it hosts an activity on March 18, 2012 as part of the 2012 Haywood Ski Nationals at Mont-Ste-Anne in Quebec.

Fast and Female, a program launched seven years ago by 2006 Olympic gold medallist Chandra Crawford – is inviting 125 girls ages 9 to 19 for an afternoon of skiing, dancing and inspiration running from 11:30am to 3:30pm at the Château Mont-Ste-Anne.

All activities will be led by National Team member Perianne Jones as well as Former Olympian Madeleine Williams. Jones and Williams will be joined by a group of inspiring women from the XC ski community including racers Julie Boisvert, Caroline Drolet, Stéphanie Drolet, Sara Hewitt, Kendra Hicks, Camille Pepin, Alexia Pichard-Jolicoeur and Heidi Widmer plus coach Pavlina Sudrich.

Feeling a bit run-down as she comes off of racing in Europe, Jones is getting excited about the energy that this event will bring her. “Hopefully it’ll carry me through the rest of the week,” said Jones. “I hope to inspire, but also be inspired,” added Jones who stepped on the podium for the first time of her young career this winter with teammate Crawford as they claimed the bronze in a World Cup cross-country skiing team sprint race in Milano, Italy.

Williams has been with Fast and Female since its inception and has never grown tired of seeing the bright faces of young girls enjoying sport and the positive empowering environment Fast and Female creates. “This event will be a fun-filled day to inspire and motivate every girl to live life to the fullest,” said Williams who retired from competitive racing after participating in the 2010 Olympics and is now a full-time Law student at McGill University.

In addition to the March 18 activity for girls, Fast and Female will be offering free educational sessions for parents to increase awareness of how to support their female athletes. Parent seminar speakers will include Stéphane Barrette, Director of Coaching and Athlete Development for Cross-Country Canada and professor Guylaine Demers, PhD, from the Department of Physical Education of Laval University. Demers was named one of Canada’s most influential women in sport in 2010 and will address the differences between coaching girls versus boys.

Earlier this season, Fast and Female hosted 95 girls for a XC Ski event held in Canmore, AB in conjunction with the Canadian Western Championships. That activity was led by ambassador and Olympic medalist Sara Renner. All Fast and Female events are intended to inspire and motivate girls to stick to sport.

Happening around this afternoon of Fast and Female fun are the Haywood Ski Nationals, a week-long championship taking place from the 17th to the 24th in la belle province. There will also be athletes racing for titles in the Cross Country University Championships (CCUNC) as well as race categories for Athletes with a Disability. These races will draw talent from around the country to compete against each other in what is sure to be fierce competition.

There is a $20 registration fee for the Fast and Female youth activities that includes a Fast and Female t-shirt, Buff and a healthy lunch. The parent seminar is free but requires online registration. Participants can secure a spot by signing up online before March 16 HERE.

Fast and Female would like to thank sponsors Cross-Country Canada, Best Buy Canada, 2012 Haywood Ski Nationals, Chateau Mont-Sainte-Anne, Buff Canada, Clarins Canada, Cold-FX, Sportchek, and Globo Shoes as well as Lululemon Athletica, LUNA Bars, LIT Glitter, SAUCE Headwear, and Champion System for making this event possible.

Note: Chandra Crawford and the rest of her teammates from the National Team will be back from Europe later in the week to compete at Nationals. The group will be welcoming female athletes for a Q&A session set for March 23 and hosted by Cross Country Canada’s Women’s Committee. For more information on this event, click HERE.

January 24, 2012 (Canmore, AB) – At the age of 12, Canmore’s Sara Renner attended the 1988 Olympics as a spectator. That moment changed her life and prompted her to aim for Olympic dreams of her own.

With a career that was highlighted by an Olympic silver medal claimed at the 2006 Games in Torino with Beckie Scott in the team event, retired cross-country ski star Renner now inspires others to reach for the skies. This Sunday, she did just that as 80 aspiring female champions between the ages 9 to 19 joined the Fast and Female XC Ski event for an afternoon of motivation.

“When I was your age, I was exactly like you,” told Renner to the captive group of skiers coming from all corners of Alberta and even British Columbia. “I loved cross-country skiing, and one day I qualified for the Alberta Winter Games. That was such a thrill and really the beginning of my desire to train and work hard.”

“With experience, I learned that what made a big difference for me to reach the next level of performance was to focus on that 10 percent of the race that hurts the most,” explained Renner as her Olympic medal circulated amongst the girls in the crowd. “I knew that if I gave it all in that segment of the race, then I would do my best. That’s how I began to judge all my races – asking myself how much I had pushed myself in that 10 percent of the race when you just want to give up,” added the 2005 bronze medalist in the individual sprint at the World Ski Championships.

Held in conjunction with the first-ever FIS (Federation International de Ski) World Snow Day, the Fast and Female XC Ski event featured team building activities, one hour of on-snow ski drills, healthy snacks, Zumba dancing and Renner’s inspirational presentation. In keeping with Fast and Female’s mission, all activities were aimed at motivate girls to stick to sports and the healthy lifestyle. It is believed that girls are six times more likely to drop out of sports than boys.

On this special occasion, Renner was joined by a dynamic group of tremendous female role-models including current and past national team athletes, World Cup Academy racers, and provincial team competitors such as Alysson Marshall, Emily Nishikawa, Janelle Greer, Annika Hicks, Kendra Hicks, Marlis Kromm, Rebecca Reid, Heidi Widmer, Kate Brennan, Natalie Hull, Brooke Gosling, and Karen Messenger. Many of these ladies were onsite to take part in the Haywood Western Championships and volunteered valuable time to join the Fast and Female event.

Founded by Olympic gold medalist in cross-country skiing and active World Cup racer, Chandra Crawford, Fast and Female strives to counter this phenomenon by hosting fun, non-competitive sporting events with inspiring female athletic role models all over North America. The organization is currently involved in sports such as alpine skiing, biathlon, ski cross, snowboard, cycling, and running. A key ingredient to Fast and Female’s success in impacting the lives of girls lies in the quality and wisdom of its ambassadors.

“When I qualified for my first World Cup, it wasn’t at all what I expected,” shared Renner. “You could have flipped the results page around and found my name all the way at the bottom. Over time, I was very lucky to have awesome teammates. We really demanded a lot of each other and that’s why we were able to turn things around and achieve such successes.”

In closing, Renner told the girls: “As an athlete, you’re always being judged for your performance, your body fat composition and so on. Ultimately, that doesn’t define who you are. What you have to know is that people around you will love you no matter what,” concluded the mother to two young girls.

This unique event was made possible thanks to the financial support of Fast and Female’s national financial and in-kind sponsors – including exclusive platinum sponsor Best Buy as well as Buff Multifunctional Headwear, CLARINS, Cold-FX, Cross-Country Canada, Lululemon Athletica, LUNA Bars and LIT Glitter. The Canmore Nordic Centre also provided free access to the venue and trails. We would also like to thank all volunteers who helped at the event. For a complete list of Fast and Female national program supporters and sponsors, please click HERE.

The next Fast and Female event will take place on February 4, 2012 at Blue Mountain Resort in Ontario with members of Canada’s national Ski Cross team. The off-snow activity will feature an afternoon of inspiration for girls involved in Alpine skiing and Ski Cross. The online registration page can be found HERE.

Fast and Female Event Video

More photos HERE.

December 27, 2011 (Chama, NM) – Come out and play in the snow at the Chama Chile Ski Classic, January 14-16, 2012 over the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend in Chama, NM! There will be 3 days of fun for everyone and 7 cross-country ski and snowshoe races! This winter event is held in the charming, quaint Village of Chama and the races are held on the Rio Grande National Forest between Antonito, Colorado and Chama, New Mexico. There’s everything from Freestyle and Classic style cross-country ski races and a snowshoe race to family events and a chile/chili contest, where you can taste some of Northern New Mexico’s best family recipes.

Families can take advantage of the Classic Cross-country Ski Techniques Clinic (there will be 4 instructors for beginner to advanced), broom hockey and Frisbee golf for the kids, and some of the ski/snowshoe/yurt tours being offered over the weekend. For even more fun, there will be a costume contest and snow sculptures at the ski race site.

In the evenings, there will be live music and beer tasting at the High Country Restaurant in Chama. Gary Gorrence from Pecos, NM will be playing on Friday, January 13th with his own style of country and southwestern rock. The Muddy Mountain Orchestra from Taos, NM will be playing Irish, rock-n-roll blues and bluegrass on Saturday, January 14th and the Porchlights from Dolores, CO will be returning with their original, “rocking acoustical mayhem”. Both the Saturday and Sunday bands will be playing before and after the Awards Ceremonies each evening.

For more information, on the weekend schedule and registration go to www.chamaski.com or call 575-756-2294 or email chiliskiclassic@yahoo.com.

For athletes, there are 2 days of cross-country ski and snowshoe races. On Saturday, January 14th there will be both a 7.5K and 15K Freestyle Cross-Country Ski race. On Sunday, January 15th, there will be 5K and 10K Classic Style Cross-Country Ski races and a 5 K Snowshoe race. Those who need more of a challenge can enter the combined 5K Ski/5K Snowshoe Race or the 10K Ski/5K Snowshoe Race. Skiers can also “go retro” in the wooden ski category or enter a team in the 5K Classic XC ski race.

More advanced skiers and racers, can take advantage of the Telemark Skiing Clinic, Classic Style XC Skiing Techniques Clinic and Ski Waxing Clinic.

A Restorative Yoga class is being offered by Steve Ilg with High Performance Yoga on Saturday afternoon to help all skiers unwind from the day’s activities and prepare for the next day of races.

For the skier or snowshoer who doesn’t want to compete, there will be a guided XC ski/snowshoe tour to the Sargent’s Wildlife Area (now groomed for XC skiing & snowshoeing) and tours to a couple of the yurts located in the South San Juan Mountains near Chama. After the races on Sunday, everyone is welcome to ski the race course.

An Avalanche Rescue Techniques Clinic offered on Saturday, January 14th in the afternoon, is a must for skiers and snowmobilers who venture onto snowy, mountainous terrain.

The races and many of the events are held on the Rio Grande National Forest through a special use permit.
For more information go to www.chamaski.com or call 575-756

Thank you for supporting the CCSC.

November 01, 2011 (Fairbanks, AK) – As a young girl, Fairbanks’ Becca Rorabaugh had the opportunity to cross paths with Beckie Scott – the first Canadian and first North American woman to win an Olympic medal in cross-country skiing with gold at the Salt Lake City games and silver at the 2006 Games in the team sprint with Sara Renner.

“North American elite skiers once did early season training in Fairbanks, and when I was about 10 years old I was lucky enough to meet Becky Scott,” explained Rorabaugh. “Basically the only words we exchanged were “Hi! My name is Becca too!”, but the inspiration of meeting her steered me to aim for the Olympics,” recalled the enthusiastic athlete.

Twelve years later, Rorabaugh, who is now 22 and an aspiring Olympian in cross-country skiing, took it upon herself to host a Fast and Female event in the hope of recreating this same magic for the next generation of Fairbanks racers.

On the eve of Halloween, Rorabaugh fulfilled her vision. Teaming up with APU Nordic Ski Center teammates and Olympians Kikkan Randall and Holly Brooks, she hosted more than 50 young female skiers ages 9 to 19 for the first ever Fast and Female Fairbanks event.

On this special occasion, the Fairbanks Nordic Ski Club saw a sea of girls in pink take part in cross-country ski drills, yoga, motivational presentations and a poster signing session – all led by Rorabaugh, Randall, and Brooks.

“Many of the girls seemed to really enjoy and absorb some great technique pointers from our experienced Ambassadors,” specified Randall, lead Fast and Female ambassador in the US and double World Cup winner on the Cross-country circuit in 2011.

“Some of the highlights for me were watching the swirl of neon colors, and especially the pink, zing around the four ski stations and then watching everyone synchronized in the warrior II pose during the yoga session,” added Randall, a full-time World Cup athlete who has already hosted three Fast and Female events in her hometown of Anchorage over the past three years.

Rorabaugh knew she accomplished her goal as girls left the event with huge smiles on their faces and a renewed sense of commitment to their own Olympic dreams.

“Kaya, Zoe and I REALLY got a lot out of it,” confirmed mom and volunteer Kim Troxel in an email following the event. “We all feel energized to go for it with skiing and running! These types of opportunities make a huge difference in girls’ (and women’s) lives so THANK YOU,” she concluded.

This activity was made possible thanks to valuable local partners such as the presenting sponsor – SBS Retirement Consultants LLC, as well as the Fairbanks Nordic Ski Club, Bettisworth North, Lulu’s Bread & Bagels, Equinox Physical Therapy, Martha Hanlon Architects, Fairbanks Cancer Treatment Center, Beaver Sports, Challenge Life Racing and Goldstream Sports.

“I can only hope that today’s event might have a similar affect for the next generation of girls, and I am proud to have helped bring it to Fairbanks,” added Rorabaugh who will soon kick off a busy season of racing. “The community response was incredible and I am very thankful that so many businesses and volunteers were so generous. Fairbanks certainly embraced the Fast and Female mission with open arms,” she concluded.

Fast and Female’s national sponsors – including Best Buy, Buff Multifunctional Headwear, LUNA Bars, and LIT Glitter – also provided key resources to making this event possible.

The next Fast and Female youth event will be the December 3 Alpine day held in conjunction with Alberta Alpine’s Legends Club in Canmore and Lake Louise, Alberta. For more information about this event, visit: www.fastandfemale.com

September 10, 2011 (Silverstar Mountain, BC) – “If only we could bottle this stuff” “he said surveying the early morning landscape. With a smile on his face he turned back to take a swing. As his ball flew silently from his golf club into the quite early morning air I couldn’t help but think he is so right….

I am speaking to a moment, shared recently, on a golf course with Silver Star Mountain Cross Country Camps co-founder and resident coach, Norm Crerar. Our conversation had been on the importance of “stretching.” Often when we read about stretching we think of stretching our bodies. The essence of our conversation, this particularly fine Okanagan morning, was about stretching both our bodies and our minds.

The physical benefits of having good flexibility as a Nordic skier isn’t necessarily a common topic when discussing our summer cross training ideas. Improving our strength, cardio and agility normally captures our attention instead. These topics are much flashier and more exciting to discuss. It’s a bigger, faster, stronger kinda-a-thing. The reality is though, without a decent range of flexibility, our new, bigger, faster, stronger muscles and our mobility will become more and more restricted. With this restriction, we increase the likelihood of injury such as muscle strains, pulls and worse yet ruptures. Incorporating activities such as yoga and/or Pilates into our routine is a great investment towards all of our other physical conditioning. Recently, I have made a more concerted effort to incorporate yoga/Pilates into my own training plan and have been very happy with the results. Increasing my range of dynamic movement has been something I struggled with for years. Now, as a Masters age skier (47) and having started to increase my flexibility again, my sense of confidence is renewed.

As for stretching our minds, I believe Norm summed it up when he said “It seems people are in too much of a hurry to slow down and learn. I can’t see how a person can relax enough to get into the right frame of mind, let alone enjoy themselves when they rush to the ski area, rush to the trail head and hurtle themselves into skiing for the short time they have allowed themselves”. Slowing down to speed up is an adage used in a number of sports. Stretching our mental approach to incorporate this into our Nordic skiing is equally important. Having just enough time to “squeeze in a run or ride” while we cross train is commonplace. Taking the time to warm up and pre-visualize what we want from our workout, as well as reflect on our successes during our cool down, is easier said than done. Learning to “stretch” both our bodies and our minds is something we all need to spend more time on.

Ski to you door convenience at Silver Star Mountain Cross Country Camps just got better. Book your Silver Star Mountain Cross Country Camp between now and October 31 and receive 20% off your on-mountain accommodation. Now that’s something to smile about. Did you know? Silver Star Cross Country Camps incorporate yoga / stretching sessions in our camps given by fitness experts. Two more great reasons to come to our camps this fall. For more information and to book your Silver Star Cross Country Ski Camp please contact our Central Reservations at info@skisilverstar.com / 1-800-663-4431 / 250-558-6083

December 24, 2010 (Canmore, AB) – Fresh off two World Cup sprint medals so far this season, Alaska-born Cross-Country skier and Fast and Female Ambassador Kikkan Randall now has her sights on spreading the love – the Fast and Female way! On Saturday, January 29, 2011, Randall and her teammate, Holly Brooks, will be hosting 250 young female skiers between the ages of nine to 19 years old at the Chugiak High School in Chugiak (Alaska) for a unique afternoon of inspiration, skiing, healthy eating and yoga.

Title sponsored by the Anchorage Women’s Clinic, this year’s event marks the third consecutive year that Randall is hosting a Fast and Female event in her home state of Alaska. The highly anticipated event will offer aspiring female ski champions the opportunity to be in direct contact with two of the World’s and Nation’s top cross-country ski racers.

“We’ve had so much fun with our previous events in Alaska and I’m really looking forward to testing out a new venue this year,” said Randall. “I hope to see participants from all over the state and celebrate together the Fast and Female motto of: Spread the Love and Dominate the World!”

Founded in 2005, Fast and Female is a non-profit organization based in Canmore, Alberta, Canada. The organization is intensely focused on delivering innovative non-competitive programming to increase the retention of girls in sports and offset the factors that make girls six times more likely to drop out of sports than boys.

Each year, the organization travels all over Canada and the US with Olympic and elite-level female athletes to offer sport-specific programming for female youth participants involved in Cross-Country Skiing, Biathlon, Alpine Skiing, Triathlon, and Cycling. Program scope and reach grows annually with the addition of new female ambassadors.

Fast and Female’s expansion into the US was made possible in 2009 thanks to the friendship and collaboration between Randall and Canada’s Chandra Crawford. Crawford is the organization’s original founder and won a gold medalist in cross-country skiing at the 2006 Olympics.

Since 2009, Randall has hosted two Annual US X-Country Ski Festivals in her hometown of Anchorage in Alaska, reaching a total of more than 300 girls. In 2011, the Annual US X-Country Ski Festival is moving to the State of Maine in early January – in sync with the National Cross-Country Championships which are held in the same region.

The 2011 Fast and Female Regional X-Country Ski Festival held in Chugiak promises to offer participants an experience of a lifetime thanks to the generous financial and in-kind contributions of the Anchorage Women’s Clinic, Best Buy, Subway, Cross-Country Alaska, Kaladi Brothers Coffee, Buff Multifunctional Headwear, and Cold-FX.

Registration for this event is now officially open and participants can secure a spot by visiting: www.FastandFemale.com or clicking HERE. The deadline to register is January 25, 2011.

The registration fee for the event is only $25 and includes a Fast and Female t-shirt, a Fast and Female ski tie, snacks, and access to the activities held from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.. Financial assistance is available for participants in need. Please contact info@fastandfemale.com to inquire.