With new athletes headed to Craftsbury, Sun Valley, Stratton and Alaska, it looks like the SuperTour can expect a sizable incoming class next season.
After Shoulder Surgery, Hoffman Capitalizes on Recovery Process
May 17, 2013 By Audrey Mangan
Noah Hoffman’s recent shoulder surgery this has restricted most of his workouts to the gym this spring, but he says his training has been the opposite of held back. In fact, he’s logged more hours than ever before, and in the coming months Hoffman plans to make use of the recovery process to improve his upper body strength.
Despite Women’s Strength, Stereotypes Still Nip Sports Performance – With No End in Sight
Nordic sports are pretty egalitarian, as far as athletics go – but women are still confronted, constantly, with stereotypes about what is and is not appropriate or possible for them to do. In southern France, two researchers are focusing on what effects these stereotypes have on women’s participation and performance in a wide range of sports, and explained their findings in an interview.
Northug Announces Departure from Norwegian National Team
May 15, 2013 - 1 Comment
The most recognizable name in cross-country skiing and the 2013 overall World Cup champion has decided to ski independently of the his national team next season. Petter Northug, Jr., held a press conference on Wednesday with Norwegian National Team cross-country head Åge Skinstad to announce that he would not sign a contract with the Norwegian Ski Federation in 2013-2014.
Crawford Declines Nomination to NST in Effort to Bring Out Her Best
Chandra Crawford recently confirmed that she will not train with Canadian Ski Team this summer, but rather with a personal coach in an effort to peak at the 2014 Winter Olympics. If all goes according to plan, she’ll be back with the squad this winter. World Cup coach Eric de Nys weighs in and explains the state of his team.
With New National Training Group Criteria, USST Brings NCAA Skiing into Official Pipeline
The qualification criteria for the U.S. Ski Team’s National Training Group now includes a top-three finish from NCAA Championships, signaling a change in the way the national team involves collegiate skiing in its development pipeline.
Timo Puiras Takes the Helm at Thunder Bay NDC
May 9, 2013
The Thunder Bay National Development Centre (NDC) announced Thursday that it hired Timo Puiras as head coach for the 2013/2014 season and beyond.
Hamilton Returns to Vermont to Gear Up for Olympic Year with SMS T2
May 8, 2013 By Audrey Mangan
The Stratton Mountain School T2 Team announced on Monday that Simi Hamilton will join its ranks this June. After a season of untimely bouts with illness, Hamilton said a big part of his decision to move to Vermont was the opportunity it gives him to train with Andy Newell on a daily basis and work on his speed at low altitude before an Olympic year.
In Land of Caribou Hunts and 10-Dollar Gas, Biathlon’s Message Rings True
After a successful demo in the small Alaskan village of Kiana last year, former national team biathlete Zach Hall coordinated an effort to introduce biathlon to six villages this year as part of Lars Flora’s NANANordic program. For kids in the villages, the combination of skiing and hunting just makes sense; for the athlete coaches, it was the experience of a lifetime.
No Easy Feat: NANANordic Gets Nearly 2,000 Rural Alaskans on Skis
May 7, 2013 By Alex Matthews
In its second year, NANANordic reached three times the amount of villages and more than twice as many students in Northwest Alaska. And if you ask founder Lars Flora, they’re not done with spreading cross-country skiing just yet.
After Two College Seasons, Pokorny Makes the Leap to Professional Skiing
After she finishes final exams this spring, Middlebury College sophomore Annie Pokorny will be headed to Stratton, Vt., as one of the newest additions to the SMS T2 team. Though the timing of her move to professional skiing is unusual, it’s a step she’s enthusiastic about. “I’m excited to go for it and to take a chance. It’s exciting, it’s new — it’s going to be fun,” she says.
Northug, Bjørgen are FS International Skiers of the Year
May 4, 2013 By Audrey Mangan
Norwegian superstars Marit Bjørgen and Petter Northug, Jr., skied away with this year’s top honors in the International category.
Outstanding at World Champs, Olsson, Bjørgen Earn International Performance of the Year
Looking back on last season, anyone who watched Johan Olsson ski away from the pack and win the 50 k classic mass start at World Championships would be hard-pressed to forget it. Other inspiring performances include Marit Bjørgen’s 30 k win, Therese Johaug’s Holmenkollen domination, Petter Northug’s individual-start victory, and Alexander Legkov making history at the Tour de Ski.
In Historic Season, Whitcomb is FasterSkier’s Coach of the Year
May 2, 2013 By Audrey Mangan
Matt Whitcomb led the women’s U.S. Ski Team to new heights this winter on the World Cup and at World Championships, earning him FasterSkier’s inaugural Coach of the Year award.
From Trapping to the Olympics: The Legacy of Canada’s Firth Twins
May 2, 2013 By Pavlina Sudrich
Following the death of Shirley Firth, who rocked the Canadian cross-country scene with her sister, Sharon, a provincial coach remembers the significance of the Firth twins and how the two aboriginal women paved the way for generations of skiers.
FasterSkier Performances of the Year: Bringing Home the Hardware
May 1, 2013 By FasterSkier
Amongst our 2013 Performances of the Year recipients there are seven World Championships medals, one World Cup medal and four races that were historic moments for the U.S. or Canada.
Burke and Cook Shoot Straight to Biathlete of the Year Honors
April 29, 2013 By Chelsea Little
With a bevvy of international podiums by North American men and a group of four U.S. and Canadian women who ended the season ranked in the 40′s, it was tough to pick our biathletes of the year. But Americans Tim Burke and Annelies Cook stood out to snag top honors.
Now a National Champ, McKeever Again Adaptive Skier of the Year; Bourgonje Top Female
April 28, 2013 By Alex Matthews
Brian McKeever continued to impress this season, and Colette Bourgonje and Mark Arendz further showed the strength of Canada’s Para-Nordic squad. New to skiing, Tatyana McFadden stood out as the top American female.
Taylor Fletcher Rises to the Top, Achieves Nordic Combined Skier of the Year
April 27, 2013 By Alex Matthews
After reaching the World Cup podium and helping his team land a historic bronze at World Championships, Taylor Fletcher is FasterSkier’s Nordic Combined Skier of the Year at the age of 22.
Grover Talks Strategy Behind Recent U.S. Ski Team Nominations
April 26, 2013 By Audrey Mangan
Following the U.S. Ski Team’s announcement of its 2013-2014 nominations, cross-country head coach Chris Grover discussed reasoning behind the major changes to the roster, which left off three men and for the first time in two years did not include a development tier. “This is a performance organization and at the end of the day the athletes have to be judged on their performances,” Grover said.
