Images from the NorAm men’s 15 k classic race at Sovereign Lake, B.C. Photos are once again courtesy of the generous Jesse Winter, and are available for purchase.
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2011 December
VERNON, British Columbia — After five years on the NorAm Cup circuit, all Kevin Sandau needed was a little verification. Seeded first and the last to start in the men’s 15 k classic individual start on Sunday at Sovereign Lake, that meant something. The 23-year-old, who recently returned from several weeks of racing in World Cup and FIS races, had never started last in a Continental Cup race before. He had also never won one....
Photos of the NorAm Cup women’s 10 k classic individual start at Sovereign Lake in Vernon, British Columbia, courtesy of Jesse Winter Photography.
VERNON, British Columbia — Before the Alaska Pacific University racers stepped onto the course at Sovereign Lake, many of them sensed what it felt like to win. Their teammate and winner of Sunday’s World Cup freestyle sprint, Kikkan Randall gave them that feeling. While she won in Davos, Switzerland, the associated emotions resonated several thousands of miles to her APU counterparts in Silver Star, British Columbia. Upon hearing the news that Randall and another teammate,...
Led by Randall’s Win, American and Canadian Women Have Banner Sprint Day
Audrey ManganDecember 12, 2011
American and Canadian women have become a World Cup force to be reckoned with. It seems there was something to the North American Women’s Training Alliance after all. Kikkan Randall (USA) won her second individual sprint in as many weekends. Canada did something it’s never done before in Davos and sent all three women to the heats. U.S. Ski Team (USST) Head Coach Chris Grover probably put it best with his take on the American...
Park City Continental Cup
Taylor Fletcher - UpdatesDecember 11, 2011
After some solid racing in Norway and Finland, I came back to Park city for the first continental cups of the year. I was very confident coming into these races, as Last year I went 3/3 on podiums on the COC level. This year with the x-c form and the altitude, I knew I had a very good chance of continuing my streak of COC podiums. Going into the first competition jumps, I was happy with my level during t [...]
Lillehammer World Cups
Taylor Fletcher - UpdatesDecember 11, 2011
Coming off Kuusamo, I was very excited to try and score some points in Norway. I have spent a lot of time in Norway since skiing internationally, in a way its a home to me, and I feel very comfortable there. Once again the weather was challenging in Lillehammer. Luckily the crews at the "Lysgardbakken arena" worked very hard and had the k90 ready when we arrived to jump on Monday. After some better jumps on th [...]
Kuusamo/Ruka
Taylor Fletcher - UpdatesDecember 11, 2011
Kuusamo:Our first competitions were in Kuusamo/Ruka, Finland. Coming from last years comps there, I was super excited knowing I have been jumping better with time. Also knowing I was in good form on the cross country side, I thought I had a solid chance for some top 30.Due to the weather, the competitions were a challenge to get off. I was there for a whole week and only got three jumps. [...]
Davos, Switzerland — The Russians are coming. On a beautiful blue-sky day in Davos, Switzerland, Russian sprint-specialist Alexey Petukhov picked up his first win of the season in the 1.5 k sprint freestyle World Cup. Petukhov skied clear of the competition, leaving Swedes Teodor Petersen and Emil Joensson scrambling for second and third, respectively. While Petter Northug (NOR) crushed the field by nearly a minute in the 30 k on Saturday and was considered by many...
With three men who have placed in the top twenty so far this World Cup season and one more who was the hero of last year’s World Championships relay, the U.S. had high hopes for Sunday’s 4 x 7.5 k relay, the first of the season. The team chose Lowell Bailey, who has finished as high as fifth in these first two weeks of racing, as their leadoff leg. And in some ways, he lived...
Davos, Switzerland — Marit who? At least that’s how it appeared in the World Cup in Davos, Switzerland, on Sunday, during the 1.5 k freestyle sprint, as it was American Kikkan Randall who destroyed the field rather than the usual Marit Bjoergen devastation. The Alaskan native blasted her way to her second consecutive World Cup sprint victory of the year, skiing away from the other five women in the final, leaving Russian Natalia Matveeva to grab...
Silverstar
Pate NeumannDecember 11, 2011
Today I am sitting out the 15km classic. It was tough decision, but after last weekends 10km classic in Canmore, I was pretty run down. I woke up Monday morning with a tickle in my throat, (every skiers worst nightmare upon waking up!) but after ...
2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Over $200
FasterSkierDecember 11, 2011
2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Under $20 2011 Holiday Gift Guide: $50 – $100 SkiErg and the e-Rudy.com. 08: Dale of Norway Sweater. Price: starting from $299.00. If you want to feel like you just got back from Scandinavia, then a Dale of Norway Sweater is for you. That special someone on your shopping list that will appreciate one as well. Let’s face it, there aren’t many other items out there that scream Norway like this sweater....
Davos World Cup Sprint Live Chat
FasterSkierDecember 11, 2011
Readers asked for it, and here it is. Join the live chat to discuss the sprint races as the action unfolds! Click the link below to open a pop-up window with the chat interface.
Sovereign Lake NorAm Classic Sprints Photo Gallery
Audrey ManganDecember 11, 2011
All photos are courtesy of Jesse Winter Photography, and are available for purchase.
VERNON, British Columbia — Throughout Saturday’s NorAm Cup Teck Sprints, Jessie Diggins made a point to look back. There were a lot of things the current SuperTour leader and Central Cross Country (CXC) skier was working on, but keeping her distance ranked near the top. “I’ve had problems where I’ll get stepped on or pushed over or something,” said Diggins, who claimed her second classic sprint victory in the 1.2 k event in as many...
Noram
Erik BjornsenDecember 10, 2011
I raced today at Sovereign Lakes, first Noram for a couple of years. My top result in the past was 32nd place. Today I qualified 7th and was able to ski up into 3rd, for my first Noram podium. Pretty excited!!! Check out this link for a full race repor...
VERNON, British Columbia — As six men threaded the underpass and burst into the stadium at Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre, Canadian Brent McMurtry and American Mike Sinnott sent spectators running toward the finish. The men’s ‘A’ final of the 1.4-k classic Teck Sprints at the NorAm Cup opener Saturday was shaping up to be a close one, and who wanted to miss that? As he crossed the line just ahead of McMurtry, Sinnott knew he...
Hendrickson Continues Podium Streak, 3rd in Notodden COC
FasterSkierDecember 10, 2011
Notodden, Norway — Norway’s Anette Sagen, the 2009 World Championships Bronze medalist, ended a two-year victory drought in Continental Cup (COC) competition Saturday on home snow in Notodden, topping reigning World Champion Daniela Iraschko, Austria, and Sarah Hendrickson, USA. Sagen trailed Iraschko, who won Friday’s COC comp in Notodden, after the first jump on the normal hill (HS 98) Saturday before rallying to win by a full point. Hendrickson continued her torrid start this season...
With veteran Kris Freeman on the squad, and Noah Hoffman drooling over the long Davos climbs, not many would have picked relative World Cup rookie Tad Elliott to lead the US men’s team in the 30km freestyle in Davos, Switzerland. But Elliott posted a career-best result, placing 27th in a stacked field despite skiing what US Head Coach Chris Grover termed an “interesting” race. “In splits, he started quite fast, dropped off pace, then regained...