2008 September

PARK CITY, UT (Sept. 25) The 2009 U.S. Disabled Cross Country Team roster will feature the return of all six athletes from the previous season, including World Cup winner Chris Klebl (sit-ski; Heber City, UT), according to Disabled Team Program Director Sandy Metzger. “It's great to have all of our talent back to lead our Team to success in the 2009 season,” said Metzger. “The staff has done an outstanding job preparing the athletes for...

A timeline of historical events from the world of skiing has now been published on the FIS web site under the address of history.fis-ski.com. This timeline represents the results of the efforts of a working group of ski historians led by former chairman and long-time member of the FIS PR and Mass Media Committee Elisabeth Hussey (GBR) between 2005-2007. The goal of the group was to compile an international timeline of events which were important...

The first Coordination Group meeting for the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2013 in Val di Fiemme (ITA) took place on Wednesday, 24th September. Almost exactly four months after the election of the Italian site as host of the championships, the local organizing committee has already taken considerable steps to put its working structure in place and begin the planning processes. There is significant organizational experience in the committee from annual FIS World Cup Cross-Country...

The sixth FIS Youth and Children’s Seminar will be held in Zurich (SUI) in conjunction with the FIS Autumn Committee and other meetings. Following positive feedback on the fifth edition of the Seminar in 2007, the 2008 Seminar will again take advantage of the presence of the many National Ski Association experts in Zurich. It will be held on Wednesday 1st October with a pre-seminar networking evening on Tuesday, before most of the Technical Committees’...

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2008 FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Juliann Fritz, jfritz@ussa.org Gundersen Named Director of Sport Education PARK CITY, UT (Sept. 25) – Finn Gundersen, who has nearly 40 years of educational experience from the club level to the national team, has been named director of sport education by the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association. Gundersen, who is presently director of alpine education, will continue developing programs to educate the USSA's coaches, clubs and parents,...

No doubt Coach had ordered a rollerski workout for Sunday, but University of Alaska Nanook skiers Oyvind Watterdal (l) and JohnParry (r) opted for the real thing to take advantage of a September snowfall in Fairbanks. When asked about the expected duration of the workout Parry quipped, “For as long as I can.”

PARK CITY, UT (Sept. 26) – The 2009 roster for the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team is stacked with talent and full of determination and momentum for the coming season. The team includes one of the world's fastest sprint skiers, Andy Newell (Shaftsbury, VT), World Cup winner Kikkan Randall (Anchorage, AK), who became the first woman to win a cross country World Cup competition last season in Rybinsk, Russia, and up and coming racer Liz...

The Central Cross Country Ski Association is proud to announce the acceptance of CXC Elite Team athletes Brian Gregg and Caitlin Compton to In the Arena’s (ITA) roster. Founded in 2006, ITA is a youth development organization based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. ITA facilitates the implementation of athlete-designed projects that seek to instill in under-served youths valuable elements of a character education. By encouraging goal-setting, increased self-awareness, and the importance of civic engagement, ITA programs provide...

PARK CITY, UT (Sept. 25) – The hunt for the cover of Sports Illustrated for Kids continues for USSA club ski jumper Nina Lussi (Lake Placid, NY). She received enough votes to move on to the next round and is now one of six athletes who are up for the honor of being named 2008 Sports Kid of the Year. The winner, who will be decided by online voting at http://www.sikids.com/sportskid/index.html , will grace the...

Portland, ME – Fort Kent Event Director Nancy Thibodeau, along with three other prominent Maine women, yesterday received the Deborah Morton Award in ceremonies at the University of New England’s Westbrook College Campus. The Deborah Morton Awards presented annually, since 1961 by the trustees of the University of New England honor women who have achieved high distinction in their careers and public service or shown exceptional leadership in civic, cultural, or social issues. Thibodeau is...

Germany’s first ski tunnel in Oberhof The new Tour de Ski venue of Oberhof (GER) will receive a new attraction and first-class training facility for top athletes. The groundbreaking for the first ski tunnel in Germany, situated next to the Ski Arena at the Grenzadler, took place at the end of May in the presence of famous politicians and sports persons. The construction should be ready to enable the German athletes to prepare themselves for...

Effective October 2008, the USSA will launch the first level of a multi-level cross country-specific Coaches Education Certification System. The curriculum is based on up-to-date practices used by the U.S. Ski Team in the quest for Olympic medals. The course materials come directly from the Team’s coaches and several of their key partners. Instructors will be trained and certified by the U.S. Ski Team. The rollout of the certification system will occur throughout the next...