The marquee event of cross-country skiing is finally upon us as the men’s 4×10km relay will run at Whistler Olympic Park under cooler conditions than we have seen over the past couple days. Spectators will be treated to a lot of action as the athletes ski a 3.3km three times. There will be different loops for [...]
img src="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kyblvvTA5x1qzt3xbo1_500.jpg"/br/br/pa href="http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/vancouver/nordic/2010-02-23-nordic-combined-men_N.htm"This/a is a very big deal. (photo: Christopher Gannon, USA TODAY)/p
a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yQVGDwRTtI"Click here for an out-of-date Visa Ad. (He has TWO medals now.)/a
img src="http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kybk8vgSVR1qzt3xbo1_500.jpg"/br/br/pI mean…a href="http://www.ng.mil/news/archives/2009/02/022709-Ski.aspx"why not?/a More a href="http://www.nordicskiracer.com/cgi-bin/news/news_item.asp?NewsID=3753"here/a./p
pAs absurdity goes, the American Birkie is a fine specimen. The race, while pleasant, is not as historic or familial as its Scandinavian counterpart. It isn’t as epic or fun as many other American ski races including but not limited to the Craftsbury Marathon, the Crested Butte Alley Loop, or California’s Great Race. What it does have is more than its share of crazy. Not the good kind of crazy, the kind that a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0DkS3o_vcQ"pushes like Husaby/a or the we’re doing this for the kids crazy like a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3z3fpQdAVIY"any division’s Junior National staff/a, but a special blend of a href="http://blog.lsc.edu/wave/files/2007/11/birkiebsm.gif"sanctimony/a and a href="http://passionskidefond.typepad.com/.a/6a00e5502ec03088330120a54b6bb0970b-320wi"absurdity/a with just a hint of earnestness: the kind of crazy that irelegates the race winner to the a href="http://fasterskier.com/2010/02/birkie-fever-preview-2-the-2009-winner-matt-liebsch/"sixth wave/a/i, the kind that lives up to its history as aa href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birkebeiner" political cult. /aThis week, crazy, swaddled in lycra will descend on Telemark, Wisconsin and a race more significant than the Olympics, more storied than US Nationals and larger than nearly a href="http://www.birkie.com.prod.ngin.com/news_article/show/44221?referrer_id=104564"every other major US race combined/a. Send along the most absurd thing you see, overhear or partake of in the human spectacle that is the American Birkebeiner to JohnnyKlister@gmail.com. Until one has fully suffered the fever, there is no chance of immunity against it’s symptoms./p
Congratulations to Bret, Todd, Johnny, and Billy on their Nordic Combined Silver Medal!!!! Caitlin and I were watching the live feed from our room and literally sitting on the EDGE of our bed. nbsp;Those guys had a great race and showed that their team work has paid off. They are setting a great example for the country and US Skiing. nbsp;It's really inspiring. Here is a picture of the TV:br /br /div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Wl4EmOZ6xTM/S4RikLus8jI/AAAAAAAAA2A/eD7Ch-ECOKo/s1600-h/DSCF0290.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Wl4EmOZ6xTM/S4RikLus8jI/AAAAAAAAA2A/eD7Ch-ECOKo/s320/DSCF0290.JPG" //a/divdiv class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"br //divdiv class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"It must be an awesome feeling...... It was fun to watch the boys compete in a 4x5 event. nbsp;They raced the same course that we will be using for the women's 4x5, only our race includes two classic legs on a different course. Relays are often some of my favorite events in skiing. Most people consider cross country an individual sport (and it largely is) except for events like the 4x5. nbsp;I'm excited to have a competitive team and think that we have a chance of turning in a good result. Here is our women's team in order of appearance!!!!nbsp;/divdiv class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"br //divdiv class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"Our classic "Scrambler" Kikkan:nbsp;/divdiv class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"br /a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Wl4EmOZ6xTM/S4RjefGtJzI/AAAAAAAAA2I/kXwFv66xWxA/s1600-h/Kikkan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Wl4EmOZ6xTM/S4RjefGtJzI/AAAAAAAAA2I/kXwFv66xWxA/s320/Kikkan.JPG" //a/divdiv class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"br //divdiv class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"I'm classic skiing second - it should be fun because I think that Kikkan will keep us in the mix and I'll get a hand off which should put me in a big group of girls.....nbsp;/divdiv class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"br //divdiv class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Wl4EmOZ6xTM/S4RjyiUIg4I/AAAAAAAAA2Q/03TuHTJg_-0/s1600-h/Holly.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Wl4EmOZ6xTM/S4RjyiUIg4I/AAAAAAAAA2Q/03TuHTJg_-0/s320/Holly.JPG" //a/divdiv class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"br //divdiv class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"Mo has turned in some solid skating results lately so I'm excited to be tagging off to her for our third leg (and first skate leg)nbsp;/divdiv class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"br //divdiv class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Wl4EmOZ6xTM/S4RkOgHzeSI/AAAAAAAAA2Y/DciIaNejmBo/s1600-h/Morgan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Wl4EmOZ6xTM/S4RkOgHzeSI/AAAAAAAAA2Y/DciIaNejmBo/s320/Morgan.JPG" //a/divdiv class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"br //divdiv class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"Last but not least, our skating maniac, my roommate Caitlin will be our anchor!nbsp;/divdiv class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"br //divdiv class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Wl4EmOZ6xTM/S4Rkaz3N5WI/AAAAAAAAA2g/GT5dcr6iblw/s1600-h/Caitlin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Wl4EmOZ6xTM/S4Rkaz3N5WI/AAAAAAAAA2g/GT5dcr6iblw/s320/Caitlin.JPG" //a/divdiv class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"br //divdiv class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"nbsp;We'll do a "race prep" workout tomorrow, practice some tags, watch the boys race, and then it's our turn! We'llnbsp;havenbsp;onenbsp;daynbsp;ofnbsp;restnbsp;andnbsp;thennbsp;it'snbsp;movingnbsp;ontonbsp;thenbsp;30knbsp;classicnbsp;massnbsp;start.nbsp;It'snbsp;beennbsp;nicenbsp;tonbsp;havenbsp;anbsp;couplenbsp;ofnbsp;"downnbsp;days"nbsp;herenbsp;atnbsp;thenbsp;Gamesnbsp;andnbsp;Inbsp;seenbsp;itnbsp;pickingnbsp;upnbsp;fastnbsp;andnbsp;gettingnbsp;really,nbsp;reallynbsp;busy.nbsp;/divdiv class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"br //divdiv class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"Alsonbsp;-nbsp;thisnbsp;isnbsp;offnbsp;subjectnbsp;butnbsp;ifnbsp;anynbsp;Alaskanbsp;and/ornbsp;APUnbsp;folksnbsp;arenbsp;innbsp;thenbsp;Whistler/Squamishnbsp;areanbsp;wenbsp;arenbsp;havingnbsp;anbsp;get-togethernbsp;TONIGHTnbsp;atnbsp;Howenbsp;Soundnbsp;Brewerynbsp;innbsp;Squamishnbsp;fromnbsp;5:30-8pm.nbsp;nbsp;KTUU,nbsp;Channelnbsp;2nbsp;newsnbsp;isnbsp;goingnbsp;tonbsp;benbsp;there.nbsp;nbsp;Thenbsp;addressnbsp;isnbsp;37801nbsp;Clevelandnbsp;Ave.nbsp;Hopenbsp;tonbsp;seenbsp;somenbsp;ofnbsp;younbsp;there!nbsp;/divdiv class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"br //divdiv class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"Havenbsp;anbsp;wonderfulnbsp;day,nbsp;/divdiv class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"Hollynbsp;:)nbsp;/divdiv class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"br //divdiv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6401505974719455979-6951109984501170327?l=hollyskis.blogspot.com' alt='' //div
a href="http://thefuckingweather.com/?zipcode=Hayward%2C+WI"Click here for Birkie weather updates. (via NB)/a
Thanks for following my adventures on garrottkuzzy.com. I hope the site has provided a little break to your work day, given you some extra motivation for your Birkie training, offered a little insight into the life of an Olympian, or gotten you a bit more psyched to get outside and enjoy winter. If you’ve [...]
After being selected as the fourth member of the U.S. nordic combined team’s relay squad, the pressure was all on Brett Camerota’s shoulders this morning as he took to the top of the jump. He didn’t disappoint, coming through with his best-ever leap on the big hill here in Whistler and setting up the Americans for another podium finish this afternoon, after Johnny Spillane’s silver last week. The team will start the 4×5 k relay...
Those who have been in Hayward and Cable, Wisconsin, have told me that the snow is abrasive and dirty. It snowed a little today, a very fine snow coming off the lake. The forecast from NOAA:divbr //divdivspan class="Apple-style-span" style="font-famil...
a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75cNZ_STzt8"(Click Here for Link To Video)/abr /Watch in 720p for a smoother video in the best quality so you can fully experience Tyler's masterpiece!div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='h...
Back in the fall when we were flying out to Bozeman, Ollie wrote a blog entitled “adventures in air travel”. It was about how his boot bag got lost in Detroit. I’m not even sure that qualifies as an adventure. Also, I just one-upped his “adventure” like none other. So as a fun little exercise, [...]
Cable to Hayward, WI Saturday, February 27 23K/50K Skate or 23K/54K Classic Classic start at 8 A.M., first Skate wave at 8:25 A.M. Wave 10 starts at 10 A.M. Forecast/Conditions: Low of 7F overnight and a high of 28 on race day. Snow will stay cold through noon. There is a lot of debris (twigs and pine needles, etc.) on the course, especially between OO and Mosquito Brook. Glidewax: Apply LF Blue/LF Moly mixed 1:1, scrape...
With four events down and two to go, FasterSkier caught up with U.S. Ski Team Sprint Coach Chris Grover on Monday night for a quick check-in about the American performance at the Games thus far. Grover talked results, expectations, and the pressures on the team over the last couple of weeks. FasterSkier: So, can you start by just giving me kind of a sense of how the team and coaches are feeling about the Games...
There are few opportunities to list American Nordic skiers as gold medal favorites, but the US Nordic Combined squad has changed that over the last few years. And in today’s team event, there is no other nation that can match the depth and ski speed of the Americans. With three skiers all capable of winning individual events, and the up-an-coming Brett Camerota who had a fantastic jump in the first individual competition, the US is...
The last week of the Games have begun. With wonderful weather again there were three events decided in the Whistler Nordic Park today. The jumpers competed in the team jump (on the big jump). In the cross-country stadium next door was the team sprint in the free technique (skating) in the men’s and ladies. There have been some interesting results which are in contrast to the previous season so far. For example, the German ladies...
I was all set to do one of the classic legs in tomorrow's relay. Then I woke up this morning with the beginnings of a little cold so it looks like I wasn't meant to represent the US in an Olympic relay... Pretty disappointed. Now I get to do everything I can to be ready for the 50k.
Photo set from Steve Kotvis – Minneapolis Based Photographer http://f-go.smugmug.com/Sports/Nordic-Skiing/2010-lympics-XC-Ski-Relays/
Photo set from Steve Kotvis – Minneapolis Based Photographer http://f-go.smugmug.com/Sports/Nordic-Skiing/2010-lympics-XC-Ski-Relays/