pb1. You mentioned you’re fired up this year for xc skiing in the US,br/ particularly for Bird? Why?/bbr/br/ I’m fired-up in general because I see reasons for optimism. We’ve gotbr/ some rising stars in US skiing right now – skiers with realisticbr/ expectations of consistent international success. It’s exciting. I’mbr/ not being all pollyanna-ish here – I can point to discouraging aspectsbr/ of the ski racing scene as well as anybody. But we’ve got some skibr/ racers coming along.br/br/ I’m fired-up with respect to Kris for a different reason. I feel thatbr/ we’ve seen a break-through that I can only describe by analogy. It’sbr/ as if we’ve been studying physics – doing equations, proofs, whateverbr/ it is that theoretical physicists do – and the grand unification theorybr/ has just come into focus. We’ve had glimpses, but we’ve been toilingbr/ away without the vision required to see the shape of success. I feelbr/ that I can see it, and more importantly, I feel that Kris can see it. Asbr/ a result he has the calm and patience of true confidence. His judgmentbr/ is sound. His vision is intact. He’s a fighter who has stopped fightingbr/ himself. That’s going to make him much more dangerous to whoever goesbr/ up against him.br/br/ It’s worth remembering that August has just started and that Kris hasbr/ looked great this time of year in training plenty of times. The same isbr/ true now – he looks great. It’s also worth remembering that there’sbr/ plenty of time for things to go bad before race season. But it’s notbr/ his current fitness that has me fired-up – it’s everything that he’sbr/ learned about himself and the sport, and everything he’s taught mebr/ along the way. It’s thrilling to feel it all come into focus and to bebr/ along for the ride./p
br/b2. What’s happening with BNS / Caldwell Sport?/bbr/br/pMy family has moved to Boulder. Watch for more announcements. Ourbr/ presence in Boulder is hardly the most exciting news coming from BNS.br/ We’re like a bunch of giddy school-kids here – we’re about to eat thebr/ canary. How many similes and metaphors do you want?/p
br/bbr/3. If you were bound to one kick one glide wax, which would they be?/b br/br/pWhat a stupid question. Can I get you on a technicality? What do you meanbr/ by “bound to”? Does that mean I can’t use any other waxes, or that Ibr/ have to pick waxes that are going to be strapped to my body? Startbr/ Universal Wide klister and FC10/LF3 mixed./p
br/bbr/ 4. Why are you “grumpy”?/bbr/br/pPick an answer:br/ 1- I’m not grumpy. I indulged myself with grumpiness for a while thisbr/ past season because of a variety of circumstances. I could complainbr/ about a lot of things but it wouldn’t help, so I’m done. Not grumpy.br/ Still, there are some people that should be careful if they see mebr/ coming. But they won’t.br/br/ 2 – I’m not grumpy and I never was. The name is a tribute to my unclebr/ John, who’s also not grumpy, but likes it when people think that he is.br/ JC has been the most important influence in my life as it relates tobr/ skiing – and therefor in my life as a whole. I wouldn’t pick the fightsbr/ that he has picked from time to time, but I would absolutely standbr/ shoulder to shoulder with him against anybody who would derogate hisbr/ contribution to the sport or the relevance of his perspective andbr/ experience. So I’m working on an affectation of grumpiness in order tobr/ ensure that there is an appropriate Caldwell presence in the sport forbr/ decades to come. He’s probably only got about another twenty years ofbr/ haranguing left in him!/p
br/b5. What from the ski world would you like to see go away and never return?/bbr/br/pI take a holistic view of the ski world – it’s not my place to say whatbr/ is wheat and what is chaff. Innovation has been great for the sport andbr/ I’m prepared to accept all of it. Like the pilot classic binding -br/ brilliant! All those moving parts! The sheer functionality! Love it!/p
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