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Articles that express opinions about various topics.
A Late Start
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A Late Start

FasterSkierSeptember 4, 2019

Summer has been chaos. Bright, shining chaos.   By the time mud season subsided here in the Idaho Panhandle, the calendar bulged with summer weekends that had been taken out of the unscheduled pot ages ago. Glorious, unbroken stretches of cheery weather forecasts beckoned for peaks to be bagged, rivers to be paddled, trails to be pedaled, tents to be inhabited, and clubs to be swung. Those same weather reports inspired home projects that were, inevitably,...

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Fulfillment Outside Religion by Noah Hoffman
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Fulfillment Outside Religion by Noah Hoffman

FasterSkierJuly 29, 2019

This piece written by Noah Hoffman is republished from the State of Formation Blog, a publication of the Boston Interfaith Leadership Initiative. Many readers know Hoffman as a U.S. Ski Team member and Olympic skier. He is currently enrolled in Brown University’s Resumed Undergraduate Education (RUE) program; he will be a sophomore this fall. He is pursuing a bachelor’s degree while focusing on Economics and Public Policy with an emphasis on opportunity inequality. He also works...

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Paige Elliott and a Paralympic Eye-Opener
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Paige Elliott and a Paralympic Eye-Opener

FasterSkierJune 19, 2019

This story comes to FasterSkier from Paige Elliott, a lifetime cross-country skier with some wisdom to share after her experience at the 2018 Paralympics. Elliott is based in Durango, Colo. The story is reprinted with permission from the Durango Telegraph and originally ran on April 12, 2018.  ***  “What are you doing in March?” and “How would you like to go to South Korea?” were not the questions I was expecting to hear after answering...

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From the Aspen Institute — Future of the U.S. Olympic Movement: Reimagining Goals Beyond Medals
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From the Aspen Institute — Future of the U.S. Olympic Movement: Reimagining Goals Beyond Medals

FasterSkierMay 24, 2019

A few disclaimers first. Metrics suggest people want quick reads and quick-view content. The above video is neither. Yet it is full of ideas for Olympic sport. On May 22, the Aspen Institute hosted a forum titled the Future of the U.S. Olympic Movement: Reimagining Goals Beyond Medals. It consisted of a two-part discussion captured in this long-form embedded video from the Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Program. The first part of the video features...

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“The Norwegian Way”: From HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel
GeneralNewsOpinion

“The Norwegian Way”: From HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel

Jason AlbertMay 21, 2019

If you happen to have an HBO subscription, this evening, Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel will air a segment titled, The Norwegian Way. You can tune in/log in at 10 p.m. ET/PT for HBO’s exclusive. The impetus for Real Sports’ investigation appears to have been Norway’s overwhelming success at the 2018 Winter Olympics. Norway won an unprecedented 39 medals in PyeongChang. In cross-country skiing alone, Norway won 14 medals. Russia was second with eight medals. “When we are...

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Op-Ed from Pete Vordenberg on Getting Involved
Opinion

Op-Ed from Pete Vordenberg on Getting Involved

FasterSkierMarch 29, 2019

  This op-ed comes from Pete Vordenberg, former fast skier and U.S. Ski Team Coach, and present dad, husband, photographer and climate activist.  Join POW, CCL, and a huge list from the outdoor industry and many of our outdoor and Olympic skiing heroes such as Jessie Diggins, Lowell Bailey, Alex Honnold, Angel Collinson and others in supporting the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act A bipartisan bill that will help make the United States a...

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On Beauty–Québec Day Three: By Bill McKibben
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On Beauty–Québec Day Three: By Bill McKibben

FasterSkierMarch 24, 2019

Beauty was the order of the day, beginning with the spectacle that spread out on the old battleground that shoulders up against the city of Québec. Nordic skiing usually proceeds against a backdrop of pine and birch, but there’s an undeniable thrill to see a race unfold beneath a bright blue sky, the action painted on a backdrop of buildings and streets. From the bottom of the one steep drop, one looked up to see...

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Harvey on the Plains of Abraham: by Bill McKibben
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Harvey on the Plains of Abraham: by Bill McKibben

FasterSkierMarch 23, 2019

It’s remarkably sweet when an athletic career ends on a grace note:  Ted Williams lofting a home run in his final game at Fenway, say, or John Elway passing his Broncos to a Super Bowl victory. Or, earlier today, Alex Harvey taking second in front of a levitating crowd of supporters on the Plains of Abraham in the middle of Quebec City. Harvey’s career has been winding slowly down from its world championship apex, but...

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Ben Berend: The Two Sided Fence
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Ben Berend: The Two Sided Fence

Jason AlbertMarch 11, 2019

  There are two sides to any fence. This fence here, it separates pain and pleasure. Flags wave with pride, flasks are filled, beers are drank, and chants are yelled triumphantly for all to hear. Inside the fence, the sound of nerves echo silently- the loudest noise you’ll never hear. The sound of poles colliding with the snow, skis gliding delicately, and the heavy breath which always accompanies such ache. This ache starts as a...

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Op-Ed by Chad Salmela: Saturday’s Men’s Skiathlon and Why I Think it Matters

Jason AlbertFebruary 24, 2019

This Op-Ed comes from Chad Salmela, the commentator for World Cup nordic skiing and IBU Biathlon at NBC Sports. Salmela also coaches running at the The College of St, Scholasticia.  *** Saturday’s Men’s Skiathlon and Why I Think it Matters I don’t have a blog and I didn’t get to call the race Saturday,  but I thought it was compelling on a couple levels. (Disclaimer: You may have figured all this out without me, so my...

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Op-Ed by Bill McKibben: Where I’m going the day after the Birke
GeneralNewsOpinion

Op-Ed by Bill McKibben: Where I’m going the day after the Birke

Jason AlbertFebruary 3, 2019

Where I’m going the day after the Birke I know what you do the day after the Birke. Linger in bed. Go online to look at your time. Compare it with that other guy in your ski club’s time. And that other guy. Figure out if you were fast enough to move up a wave next year. But this year there’s another option. You could drive a few hours west to Lake Itasca State Park...

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NewsOpinion

Op-Ed: News on Those who Champion and Those who Cheat (Updated)

Jason AlbertDecember 31, 2018

The day is wrapped up in many parts of the globe — the new year has been celebrated, or the anticipation of midnight Jan.1 still tingles for some. In Moscow, Russia at the time this draft was begun, it was 2:30 AM, Tuesday, Jan. 1. For those who follow nordic sport, you know the clock has ticked past the deadline the World Anti Doping Authority (WADA) had set for Russia to meet the conditions set...

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Opinion

Op-Ed: Should the Nordic Ski World be Considering the “4%” Effect?

Jason AlbertDecember 27, 2018

(The following op-ed is an opinion piece submitted by an author unassociated with FasterSkier. Viewpoints do not necessarily reflect that of FasterSkier’s staff or sponsors. We fully support open dialogue and encourage the use of the comments section at the bottom of this page to express varying views. To submit an op-ed, email Rocky Mountain Nordic waxing protocols. To summarize, the coaches have agreed to use three types of glide wax depending on the day’s temperature....

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More Than Medals: Clean Sport in the ‘Icarus’ Era (Op-Ed)
DopingOpinion

More Than Medals: Clean Sport in the ‘Icarus’ Era (Op-Ed)

FasterSkierMarch 21, 2018

Editor’s Note: The following thoroughly cited opinion piece, prompted by the 2017 ‘Icarus’ documentary, was written by Maks Zechel, a 20-year-old Canadian cross-country skier who spent the 2017/2018 race season training abroad with Team Asker in Norway. Zechel is a regular contributor at FasterSkier, with his ongoing series: “Closing the Gap”. *** February 23, 2014 Sochi: a home Olympics and the opportunity of a lifetime. Russia, despite being one of the strongest skiing nations in the...

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What’s Happening as Russia’s Sochi Scandal Winds Down: An Editorial
BiathlonDopingGeneralNewsOlympicsOpinionRacingWorld Cup

What’s Happening as Russia’s Sochi Scandal Winds Down: An Editorial

Chelsea LittleFebruary 9, 2018

FasterSkier would like to thank Fischer Sport USA, Concept2, cleared 28 Russian athletes of doping charges. Many people seemed shocked by this development. The athletes had been disqualified from the 2014 Games by an International Olympic Committee (IOC) Commission. This was after more than 18 months of buildup in which the world learnt of systematic manipulation of the anti-doping process by the Russian state security apparatus at those Olympics. I was both shocked, and not shocked. When all...

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FasterSkier’s 12 Days of FBD Christmas: Day 12
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FasterSkier’s 12 Days of FBD Christmas: Day 12

Jon "Fast Big Dog" SchaferDecember 25, 2017

DDay 2 | Day 4 | Day 6 | 7 | Day 9 | Day 11 *** Day 12: Masters World Cup Total World Domination Package Day Twelve. We made it. Wow. Sure, we lost a few along the way, good men (and women, though most women were likely smart enough to not set foot on this sinking ship in the first place) As a quick aside, I bartended at Smullin’s rehearsal dinner, so I naturally wore a name tag...

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FasterSkier’s 12 Days of FBD Christmas: Day 11
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FasterSkier’s 12 Days of FBD Christmas: Day 11

Jon "Fast Big Dog" SchaferDecember 24, 2017

DDay 2 | Day 4 | Day 6 | 7 | Day 9 | Neck Gaiter Since the alpine vs. nordic debate can be a bit of a contentious one, we’re going to easy into today’s offerings with a product that straddles the line nicely — a neck gaiter. These are awesome for both alpine and nordic — and this is not just any gaiter, this is the “$22 at BeccaRorabaugh.com ***   $30 – $99 L.L. Bean U.S. Ski...

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FasterSkier’s 12 Days of FBD Christmas: Day 9
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FasterSkier’s 12 Days of FBD Christmas: Day 9

Jon "Fast Big Dog" SchaferDecember 21, 2017

DDay 2 | Day 4 | Day 6 | 7 | Ride your bike? I rode my bike across the country several years ago and while it was awesome, it’s probably not the most time-efficient manner of travel, in particular in the winter. And that was before cell phones, so nowadays, thanks to distracted drivers, you’d probably be dead within 50 miles of your house. Walk? We’re not far from this being your best option. Thankfully, all is not...

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FasterSkier’s 12 Days of FBD Christmas: Day 7
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FasterSkier’s 12 Days of FBD Christmas: Day 7

Jon "Fast Big Dog" SchaferDecember 18, 2017

DDay 2 | Day 4 | Day 6 *** Day 7: Nordic Tech Since no one has more style, steez and flow than the FBD, we’re going to mix it up a bit today and bring in, for lack of a better expression, an expert guest speaker to help walk us through today’s gift suggestions for Nordic Tech. I actually tapped into two experts for today’s gift ideas, Nathan Schultz from Boulder Nordic Sport and Zach Caldwell...

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