Elite Minnesota Skiers And Coaches Establish Sisu Nordic Ski Foundation

Twin Cities-based Organization to Provide Skiers of all Levels with Coaching, Sponsorship and Support

ST. PAUL, Minn. –  An elite group of Minnesota skiers and coaches today announced that they have established the Sisu Nordic Ski Foundation (SNSF), a Twin-Cities-based organization dedicated to the development, support and promotion of Nordic Skiing in Minnesota. SNSF and its Sisu Skiers training group, provides skiers of all levels with the opportunity to grow and succeed through coaching, sponsorship and support.

“We’re very excited about the opportunities this foundation will provide for Minnesota skiers,” said Ahvo Taipale, Sisu’s head coach. “Our group is modeled after Finland’s leading Nordic ski clubs.  Kids can join the club at a young age and develop into elite athletes, and adults, no matter their level of experience, have an opportunity to learn or improve at the sport of skiing from a seasoned team of coaches.”

Sisu Skiers currently offers summer, fall and winter training programs for both juniors (7th grade to under 21 years old (U21)) and masters (21 years old and up). According to Michael Nightingale, program director, Sisu plans to announce additional new programs in the coming months. The organization also will sponsor an elite race team comprised of national- and Olympic-class skiers. Information about Sisu’s race team and its athlete roster will be released in spring 2009.

Taipale serves as Sisu’s head coach; he founded the well-known Finn Sisu training program more than 19 years ago and has coached athletes of all levels, including Olympians. Taipale’s knowledge and experience serves as the foundation for Sisu Skiers’ training programs. Nightingale was an elite skier before coaching several NCAA Division I Nordic ski teams, as was Ben Popp, Sisu’s assistant program director and board president.