Exploring Cross-Country Skiing: The Best Places to Start

  Cross-country skiing offers a fantastic way to experience the beauty of winter landscapes while enjoying a full-body workout. For those looking to get into this exhilarating sport, choosing the right location can make all the difference. Here’s a guide to some of the best places for people to start their cross-country skiing journey, from beginner-friendly trails to renowned ski resorts. Nordic Centers and Resorts Nordic centers and resorts are excellent places for beginners to...

Matt Whitcomb: Reflecting on a Special Season with Stifel U.S. Ski Team Head Coach

Asked for a reflection on the 2023-24 World Cup season, US Ski Team Head Coach Matt Whitcomb pointed straight towards one place; Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on a sunny February day, filled to the brim with 20,000 people cheering loud and clear.  “We often talk about athletes peaking for big events,” he said. “But I’d never considered that our American ski culture could peak for an event.” The specific dynamics between performance and...

Ski and Snowboard Club Vail Seeks Competition & Development Team Coach

Ski and Snowboard Club Vail (SSCV) is one of the premier junior ski clubs in the country. SSCV’s Cross Country Program is in the Rocky Mountain Division and competes at regional and national level annually. The surrounding valley and communities provide a fantastic environment for training, outdoor recreation, and excellent alpine skiing nearby. Additionally, SSCV operates the cross country ski trails at Maloit Park on behalf of the Eagle County School District, which provides a...

Peltonen Factory Ski Selection 2024/2025

DIRECT LINK TO SKI REQUEST FORM Why hand selected skis? Skis are infinitely variable, we are selecting skis based on your needs.  The skis: The shape of the ski is referred to as the camber. Skis vary in their stiffness profile, meaning the stiffness of the ski varies along the length of the camber. Skis also vary in their torsional rigidity and their rebound speed from loaded to unloaded. We asses skis by analyzing the...

XCSO and NTDC Thunder Bay Seeks Development Coach

Job Title:  XCSO Development Coach and NTDC Daily Training Environment Coach Organizations:  Cross Country Ski Ontario and National Team Development Center Location:  Thunder Bay, Ontario FTE:  1.0 Reports to:  XCSO Executive Director Cross Country Ski Ontario (XCSO) provides leadership and programs for its 73 ski clubs and over 17,000 members across Ontario. As the Provincial Sport Organization for cross country skiing in Ontario, we represent our sport to both the Provincial Government and Nordiq Canada,...

Fluoro-Free Waxing—Two Years In with Zach Caldwell

  On January 17th, 2022, a US Ski and Snowboard (USSS) ban on using perfluorocarbon-based wax products (“fluoros”) at all International Ski Federation-sanctioned (FIS) races in the country went into effect. The action marked the critical point in a rapid evolution of policies meant to limit competitive nordic skiing’s emission of perfluorocarbons, part of a class of especially environmentally persistent, and potentially health-concerning, chemicals known as PFAs. Overnight, The cumulative knowledge of 40 years on...

FasterSkier At the Movies—”Kikkan”

For those of us suffering from the post-ski-season let down—or for those who simply can’t get enough ski-related content—an effective way to help address these issues will be to take 46 minutes to view “Kikkan,” a nicely produced short documentary about the life of Kikkan Randall. Presented (sponsored) by L.L. Bean and Providence Health Alaska, the film includes details of Randall’s childhood, ski career, cancer struggle, and personal life. The movie is a candid chronological...

NENSA Seeks Competitive Program Director

  As the regional governing body for cross country skiing in the U.S., New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA) provides the support structure necessary to bring cross country skiers to their highest potential at regional, national and international events. NENSA seeks a dynamic Competitive Program Director to oversee our year round competitive programming. This role requires strong, inspired leadership and a collaborative spirit to galvanize and to work with our nordic community.  This position will...

Skiing under the Northern Lights: A Guide Chasing the Auroras 

With so much attention focused on the sky as many places in North America prepare for the upcoming total solar eclipse, it seems like a great time to highlight another solar phenomenon.   One of my favorite ways to extend the ski season is to travel north in the early spring, an ideal time to see the aurora borealis or northern lights. Lumi’s ski season comes to an end next week in Iceland’s Westfjords region for...

Elevation, and a Season Not Yet Gone

It’s the nature of the old English teacher who still resides within me: I fiddle with the words, revisit the definitions, consider the etymology. English words generally mean a thing, combining roots from Latin, from Greek, from the Germanic to express meaning by combining different parts. Today’s word: elevation, one we generally take to mean being higher. But it’s more than just high compared to low . . . el·e·va·tion — /ˌeləˈvāSH(ə)n/ E/ex, meaning “out,”...

Green Racing Project Seeks Biathlon Coach

We are looking for a Green Racing Project (GRP) biathlon coach who can work well as a collaborative member of a coaching team. This is a full-time, year-round and in-person position supporting Craftsbury’s team of elite-level biathletes and cross country skiers. We are accepting applications through April 15. The job will start in May. Job Description: Write the yearly shooting plan and implement shooting training for GRP biathletes. Assist with implementing the daily ski training...

Glacier Nordic Club Seeks Head Comp Team Coach

  Glacier Nordic Club (GNC) is based out of Whitefish, Montana.  Named one of the “Top 25 Ski Towns in the World” by National Geographic, Whitefish is located on the shores of Whitefish Lake and at the base of Big Mountain-home to Whitefish Mountain Resort. A short jaunt to Glacier National Park, Whitefish is a year-round outdoor destination. Glacier  Nordic Club operations include rentals and lessons at the Glacier Nordic Center, winter  grooming at multiple...

USCSA Celebrates Another Championship Season

In 2024, the United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association National Championships offered 621 Collegiate athletes (representing 71 colleges and universities) the chance to compete in the sports they love. That level of participation demonstrates that the USCSA is a far bigger league—and hosts a much bigger field—than what’s found at NCAA championships. USCSA also features competitions in an array of snowsports: Alpine Snowboard, Freestyle Snowboard, Nordic Skiing, Alpine Skiing, Freeski. FasterSkier has covered USCSA...

Top 5 Ski Resorts with Casino

From the snow-covered hills of Colorado to the beautiful scenery of the Alps, these resorts have something for everyone. In the recent past, there has been an increase in the number of ways in which people can combine different ways of relaxing and having fun. A good example includes going on vacation and enjoying your favorite games as you relax.  If you want to combine the thrill of snowboarding with the excitement of casino games,...

Hollywood Calling: Klaebo Takes On a New Role

In a move likely to anger movie purists everywhere, it was announced late this weekend that a long awaited sequel to the cherished classic The Sound of Music is in the works. Why is this relevant to a ski racing magazine? Because none other than Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo has been announced as the choice to play the lead of Captain von Trapp. “It seemed like a natural fit for us,” said Charles Diller, President of...

Cross-Country Skiing: How Nature Nurtures Mindfulness on the Snow

Outdoor activities such as cross-country skiing offer many benefits and is a leisurely sport for people of all ages and abilities. The overwhelming sense of calm and fulfilment that comes with gliding across snow-covered terrains in peaceful natural surroundings can evoke intense feelings of mindfulness if you’re deliberate about it. Some studies have shown that combining mindfulness with such outdoor activities lead to greater levels of positive mental well-being, so it’s essential to take some...

Spring Skiing on a Volcano: The Novelty of Mt. Bachelor

If there’s ever a place for a cross-country skier to put on their bucket list, Mt. Bachelor in central Oregon is it. With a ski season that typically lasts into late May and can even extend to June—with natural snow some 6,400 feet above sea level—the Mt. Bachelor Nordic Center is spring skiers’ paradise. According to Nordic Manager Sydney Powell, Mt. Bachelor (about 22 miles west of Bend, OR) has been inundated since January with...

Want to Quit Smoking? Replace an Unhealthy Habit with One of the World’s Most Healthy Activities

If there’s one sport that’s like no other, it’s cross-country skiing. It’s not only a great workout—it’s a low-impact activity anyone can learn if they want to traverse serene, snowy hillside landscapes at their own pace. For the best experience possible, you need to remember a few things. Having the right gear and safety knowledge will prevent you from getting lost or injured on the trails. Eating and exercising well will help you build the...

Alberta World Cup Academy Seeks High Performance Coach

The Alpine Insurance Alberta World Cup Academy (AIAWCA) has a current opening for a High Performance Coach (HPC) for the 2024/25 training and competition year. The HPC would work with a dynamic team of coaches, administrative and technical staff to oversee and accomplish the goals of the AIAWCA. The AIAWCA is a designated National Team Development Center, and is part of Nordiq Canada’s national network of training centers. Our goal is to provide appropriate, world...

SVSEF Cross Country Seeks Head Comp Team Coach

The Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation is seeking a Head Comp Team Coach to lead our junior age cross country athletes: U16 & U18/20. SVSEF is one of the premier junior programs in the country and needs an experienced head coach that can guide our athletes through the transition from Prep to Comp and help them achieve at the junior level and beyond. This is a full-time position with benefits. Salary range will be competitive...