Hamilton and Brooks Win FasterSkier Rookie of the Year
FasterSkier · April 15, 2010
FasterSkier Rookie of the Year
It is hard to define a “rookie” in cross-country skiing. First year on the World Cup? First season as a senior? First year in college? First year skiing? We keep it loose and give the award to skiers who take a major step forward while moving up to a new level of competition.
Rookie of the Year (men):
Simi Hamilton (USA). In his first season out of college, Hamilton moved from potential to legit in a big way. Hamilton not only qualified for the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, he qualified for the heats in the classic sprint, and finished 29th.
In addition to the Olympics, he raced in three World Cup events, placing 28th in Canmore, and in perhaps his most impressive performance of the year, took 34th in the Oslo, Norway skate sprint. Sprints in Norway feature the largest and toughest fields on the World Cup. Hamilton was just half a second out of the heats.
Hamilton also qualified 1st in the U23 Championship sprint in Hinterzarten, Germany, before being undone in the heats when the grip of his pole came detached.
Simi Hamilton mixing it up at the Olympics
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Rookie of the Year (women):
Holly Brooks (USA). Brooks is the closest to a true rookie to win this award. Prior to this season, she did not even have a FIS number since 2004, and started just four USSA sanctioned events last year.
A coach for APU, Brooks exploded back onto the racing scene last season when she finished 2nd in the American Birkebeiner and 4th in the US National Championship 15km. This year she made another huge jump, qualifying for the Olympics, and starting five events.
She also raced the Canmore World Cup, earning top-30 finishes in her first two World Cup starts of her career.
On the national level, she won three SuperTour races and finished on the podium in seven others. In a total of 14 SuperTour/US Nationals and NorAm starts, Brooks was out of the top-5 just one time.
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2010/04/rokkie-6364.jpg" "Simi Hamilton mixing it up at the Olympics")
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2010/04/holly-rookie.jpg" "Holly Brooks")
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2010/04/Medal-2010.jpg" "FasterSkier Awards 2010")