The U.S. Ski Team’s annual May training camp began in earnest this week in Bend, Ore. A few inches of fresh snow greeted skiers at Mt. Bachelor on Wednesday morning, just in time for the group’s first interval session: a set of 6 x 4-6 minute L3 freestyle intervals with intermediate sprints.
It took some flexible training and a plane trip from Minnesota, but last Saturday, Santi Ocariz achieved his longtime goal of racing (and winning) the Pole Pedal Paddle in Bend, Ore., while women’s runner-up and Bend native, Zoe Roy, challenged the winner.
Leaving their rifles at home, the U.S. biathlon team is in Bend and today addresses a question that many skiers face come spring: how do you tackle the first couple overdistance workouts after a break? How long should they be, and what activity is best? Coaches Per Nilsson and Jonne Kahkonen assigned a three to four hour classic OD, and gave us their tips.
The annual USSA Coaches Congress wrapped up this weekend in Park City, Utah, and the biggest decision to come out of the meetings was an overhaul of the U.S. SuperTour calendar so that it makes more athletic and developmental sense nationwide. Other changes include the addition of a mixed club relay at SuperTour Finals and renamed junior age groups.
Five years after starting SISU Nordic, Ben Popp has accepted the position of executive director of the American Birkebeiner, North America’s largest ski marathon. Popp talks about the “dream job,” his goals for the big race, and how he’s handling the transition.
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Sovereign Lake Nordic Center’s annual Summer Ski camp from May 10-19 attracted the usual collection of hard-core skiers, a mixture of teams and day trippers who need a last fix of snow before the inevitable arrival of summer. With the city of Vernon already in full-summer mode in the valley below, Sovereign’s weeklong camp is the last chance for set tracks in the region.
With new athletes headed to Craftsbury, Sun Valley, Stratton and Alaska, it looks like the SuperTour can expect a sizable incoming class next season.
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.
Auburn Ski Club Training Center on Donner Summit, Calif., is currently seeking to fill the year-round position of Training Center programs manager. ASC-TC is a nationally recognized club that offers a wide range of Cross-Country, Alpine, Snowboarding, Freeride and Biathlon programs with a competition schedule in all disciplines.
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.
Introducing FasterSkier’s renewed training series: Wednesday Workout. This week, two-time NCAA Champion Miles Havlick takes us through one of his regular summer sessions, an extended L3 running interval.
The Mountain Adventure Centre in New South Wales, Australia, is looking for a cross-country ski coach/instructor from late June through August.
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.
The Craftsbury Outdoor Center is excited to offer its first residential ski camp June 17-21. The camp is geared for J2 and J1 skiers and hosted by our sister organization, Hosmer Point. Athletes will get two workouts a day, talks and presentations by coaching staff and GRP skiers, as well as hearty helpings of fun.
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.
The Bogus Basin Nordic Team (BBNT) in Boise, ID, seeks to hire a part-time head coach for its middle school Comp-Devo Team/Assistant Coach for the high school Comp Team.
In another first, Woodski has launched the LX Junior – a skate ski for smaller skiers with the same great wheels and brake! With 80mm wheels and a shaft for up to a 42 boot, this is a great ski for the smaller skiers who want the performance of a top roller ski and the confidence of a brake.
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.
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