2007 September

The Vasaloppet is currently building an artificial snow facility near Oxberg. This will ensure enough artificial snow to cover the entire 90 kilometer Vasaloppet course from Sälen to Mora. Vasaloppet's director Tommy Höglund explains: “The hope is that the system will be able to produce 100,000 cubic meters of snow during a season. That translates into about 100 kilometers of tracks.” Will be able to take care of Itself: The last couple years of mild...

New Gloucester, ME, September 19. The USBA Board of Directors, in their fall meeting yesterday received good news on both the athletic and financial fronts, maintaining the Association’s momentum, which has been steadily building over the past 18 months. High Performance Director Bernd Eisenbichler, in an extensive presentation to the Board outlined the improvements made by the World Cup Team in both competition performances and lab testing from the previous year’s results. Virtually every athlete...

Dear FasterSkier.com readers, Earlier this week we posted a letter from Cory Smith and Torbjorn Karlsen announcing the sale of FasterSkier.com. We are happy to present you with the other side of the equation! As Cory mentioned, we have been running the site for well over a month now, learning the ropes and preparing for winter. First I would like to thank Cory and Torbjorn for the all the hard work they have put in...

Congratulations to Beckie & Justin who welcomed Teo (8 lbs. 5 oz bundle of joy) on Sunday September 16. Source: Cross-Country Canada

Canmore, Alberta – Canada’s elite level National and Para-Nordic Ski Team athletes embarked on a marathon quest through the Rocky Mountains where, after roller skiing from Canmore to the Kananaskis Country Golf Course, they received the ultimate reward at the finish line — one of the largest ever financial contributions for the national program. AltaGas Income Trust (AltaGas or the Trust) (TSX:ALA.UN) announced a significant, multi-year financial commitment to support the nation’s high-performance cross-country skiers...

New Gloucester, ME, September 17. For the second year in a row, those attending the successful US Biathlon Golf fund raiser today at the Falmouth Country Club enjoyed a perfect fall day of sunny blue skies and temperatures in the mid-60s. In his introductory remarks before the 70 golfers teed off, USBA Chairman Larry Pugh commented, “it was so exciting to see Tim Burke (Paul Smiths, NY) finish 7th at the World Championships last year.”...

Dear FasterSkier.com readers, When we (Torbjorn Karlsen and Cory Smith) started FasterSkier.com in late 2001, our goal was to provide North American skiers with the latest news and information about cross country ski racing. At the time, Cory was a full-time ski racer and part-time web developer and Torbjorn was a full-time ski coach and retailer. We were passionate about skiing and we committed ourselves to posting interesting articles every day, even though we only...

No one would have been surprised if Sara Renner had arrived at the delivery room on a pair of skis. Although the three-time Olympic cross-country skier put her World Cup training routine on hold while she was pregnant with her first child, there was no chance of keeping her off the trails. “I skied the day before she was born,” Renner, 31, said of her daughter Aria, who was born Feb. 1. “Skiing was a...

Editor's Note: This project follows in the footsteps of the indoor ski tunnels that have been constructed in locations around Europe. With low-snow conditions becoming a common problem, this is another effort to maintain the viability of winter sports. Ylitornio in Finnish Lapland is trying to develop plans to become the first venue to stage indoor Ski Jumping competitions. The municipality presented the results of an eight-month long feasibility study to the representatives of the...

Editor's Note: International travel and the logistics of racing in Europe, far from home, have long been one of the major challenges facing North American national ski teams. By creating a European training facility, The Canadian Snowsports Association has taken a significant step toward minimizing the effects of these necessary components of elite competition. VANCOUVER, BC – The Canadian Snowsports Association (CSSA), the Val di Fiemme, Italy Tourism Authority and Trentino Region are very pleased...

Skis equipped with an ingenious new self-waxing device that enables them to travel quicker could make a dramatic entry onto the skiing scene in the 2008/09 World Cup season. The device continuously applies fresh wax to the bottom of the ski during a race. Its developers are now working with manufacturers, with the aim of incorporating it into skis used in top-class international competition as early as next year. Validated test results from the Alps...

The US Ski Team as well as top skiers from other regions, will be training in Lake Placid from October 1st – October 15th. The clinic will begin at 2pm in the lobby of the OTC, and will split the day with NYSEF's Whiteface Hill Climb. Make a day of it and participate in both events! The clinic will run from 2:00 pm to approx 5:00 pm on October 13th. Details: The clinic will address...