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Alex Kochon

Alex Kochon (alexkochon@gmail.com) is a former FasterSkier editor and roving reporter who never really lost touch with the nordic scene. A freelance writer, editor, and outdoor-loving mom of two, she lives in northeastern New York and enjoys adventuring in the Adirondacks. She shares her passion for sports and recreation as the co-founder of "Ride On! Mountain Bike Trail Guide" and a sales and content contributor at Curated.com. When she's not skiing or chasing her kids around, Alex assists authors as a production and marketing coordinator for iPub Global Connection.
Halfway Through Joint Camp, North Americans Discuss Sweden

Just over a week ago, five U.S. Ski Team women and one Canadian packed their bags in various parts of the world and set off to meet in Sweden. Usually faced with the task of preparing for months of overseas travel, some might have scratched their heads. What do you bring for just two weeks? Americans Kikkan Randall and Liz Stephen had already been in Europe for nearly a month, first competing in the Blink...

(Press release/job posting) Madshus, the oldest ski brand in the world, is seeking an independent sales representative for the U.S. Mid-West territory. The successful candidate will have an intimate knowledge of the Nordic business and the Nordic community within the territory (Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska). Ideally we are seeking someone who is an independent sales rep and working within the Outdoor and Nordic communities of the territory. Responsibilities: All...

(Press release) Boulder Nordic Sport (BNS) currently has openings for sales associates and service technicians at our Boulder location. We are looking for skiers who are excited to share their knowledge, experience and passion for skiing with our customers as part of the leading cross-country skiing source in the United States. BNS serves customers across the spectrum from absolute beginners to elite racers—applicants should be willing and able to provide a positive experience to any...

Elite Team Preview: Pierre-Harvey NTC

This is the second preview in a quick-and-dirty series about Canadian national-training centres. We asked coaches to send their 2012/2013 rosters and tell us what’s new for the coming season. We will be publishing additional reports over the next few weeks. Teams are presented in no particular order. Team: Centre National d’Entraînement Pierre-Harvey (CNEPH), a.k.a. Pierre-Harvey National Training Centre Coaches: Louis Bouchard (head coach), Godefroy Bilodeau (assistant coach), Vincent Renart (assistant coach), Lee Churchill (assistant coach/wax tech),...

Crawford on Joining the Americans in Sweden

The first North American to arrive in Sweden last week, Canadian Chandra Crawford came two days earlier than everyone else, starting her journey Wednesday in Östersund near the Norwegian border. There, she visited Canadian national-team technician Micke Book and his family, and rollerskied before making her way 460 kilometers north on Friday. Up in Torsby, the home of Sweden’s famous ski tunnel, she worked out alongside U.S. Ski Team members Kikkan Randall, Liz Stephen, Holly Brooks, Jessie Diggins and...

USSA National J2 Talent Camp Aug 4 – 11 Agenda (listed here (who qualified on results from the 2012 USSA Junior Cross Country Ski Championships) to train together, and learn from USST staff and top club coaches. The collaboration from regional coaches along with substantial support from USSA, and $4500 in support from the janice@nensa.net.   Weekly Agenda: Athletes will have an opportunity to try out some of the same workouts that the Eastern REG...

Press release  PARK CITY, UTAH — Women ski jumpers will vie this weekend for the top spot in the nation at the U.S. Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined Championships in Utah. Jumper Jessica Jerome, last year’s large hill champion, is aiming for her ninth U.S. title. “It’s always nice to have U.S. Championships on our home hill,” Jerome said. “I am really looking forward to this weekend and getting back into the competition mode.” The...

For the fifth-straight year, the U.S. Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined Championships are about to take place in the middle of summer with events Saturday and Sunday in Park City, Utah. The nation’s best, including defending champions Billy Demong and Jessica Jerome, will descend on the Utah Olympic Park ski jumps in Park City and Soldier Hollow ski area in Midway for two days of dryland competition, according to the Nordic combined (via USSA)

Elite Team Preview: NDC Thunder Bay

This is the first preview in a quick-and-dirty series about Canadian elite teams. We asked coaches to send their 2012/2013 rosters and tell us what’s new for the coming season. We will be publishing additional reports over the next few weeks. Teams are presented in no particular order. Team: National Development Centre Thunder Bay Coaches: Mark Doble (head coach); Victor Wiltmann (assistant) Senior roster: Andy Shields, Dudley Coulter, Bob Thompson, Jimmy Gunka, Jordan Cascagnette; Erin Tribe, Andrea...

Where Are They Now: Patty Ross

This profile is part of a ‘Where Are They Now’ series, made possible through the generous support of Fischer Sports. Learn more about their products at www.fischersports.com. MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – Thirty-five years ago, Patty Ross couldn’t wait to leave town. Born and raised Middlebury, central Vermont’s cozy college community with a few thousand year-round residents, she grew up with everybody knowing her business, including her father – the business administrator at Middlebury College. No way...

U.S. NoCo Soaks Up Sochi, Takes Results in Stride (with Photo Gallery)

At the biggest international competition of the summer, hardly anyone could blame the Americans if their heads weren’t totally in it. It’s not that they weren’t focusing on nordic combined’s International Ski Federation (FIS) Summer Grand Prix. They just had a lot of other things to absorb during their first visit to Sochi, Russia. For veteran competitors like Todd Lodwick, Johnny Spillane and Billy Demong, the new venue was a welcome change to their routine...

Elite Team Preview: APU

This is the last of several previews in a quick-and-dirty series on U.S. elite teams. We asked coaches to send their 2012/2013 rosters and tell us what’s new for the coming season. Teams were presented in no particular order. Team name: Alaska Pacific University (APU) Nordic Ski Center Coach: Erik Flora (head coach/director) Roster: Kikkan Randall (U.S. Ski Team A-team), Holly Brooks (USST B-team), Sadie Bjornsen (USST B-team), Becca Rorabaugh, Rosie Brennan, Kate Fitzgerald, Erika...

From France to Sochi, Taylor Fletcher Talks About Whirlwind Trip (with Video)

Just over two weeks ago, the U.S. Nordic Combined Ski Team set foot in France and immediately hopped on their road bikes. From there, they embarked on a weeklong cycling camp and watched two stages of the Tour de France along the way. In all, they rode more than 600 kilometers and tallied some 14,500 meters of climbing, including a team time trial up L’Alpe d’ Huez. The team’s youngest A-team member, 22-year-old Taylor Fletcher...

Verbal Agreement Secures Start for Birkie 2013 (See 4/25/12 Press Release). Since then, however, the ABSF had not received a formal response to this long-term proposal and is therefore now focused on the immediate needs of the 2013 Birkie event and at least a short-term agreement for securing the start area. In mid-July both Kaufman and Robin Bucholz, current operator of Telemark, assured the ABSF through a verbal agreement that the 2013 Birkie can use...

Newell and Diggins Talk Skiing, Fitness And Olympics With YMCA Summer Camp Kids In Brooklyn

Press Release T2 FOUNDATION/U.S. SKI TEAM ATHLETES ANDY NEWELL AND JESSIE DIGGINS TALK SKIING, FITNESS AND OLYMPICS WITH YMCA SUMMER CAMP KIDS IN BROOKLYN Brooklyn, New York – As the world gears for the summer Olympic games in London, T2 Foundation and U.S. Ski Team members Jessie Diggins and Andy Newell met with YMCA campers to talk about what it takes to be a world-class athlete, the importance of fitness and the meaning of team spirit, while...

Vote for 2013 Birkie T-Shirt Design

Birkie.com press release) CLICK HERE — To See the Top 5 T-Shirt Designs & to Cast Your Vote. This is the American Birkebeiner’s fourth annual Birkie T-Shirt Design Contest. The contest is held every year in June. Skiers and non-skiers alike, and even first time artists, are encouraged to enter the design contest. “This contest is one more way to be involved in the Birkie events and to express your Birkie Fever,” said Ned Zuelsdorff, Executive...

Goldsack Hangs Up Skis, Headed to Miami

Drew Goldsack laughs when he thinks about his elementary school days in Alberta, when Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers would come to class and proclaim that they hadn’t drawn their gun in 30 years. A couple of decades later, Goldsack, who crashed in a NorAm sprint final, suffering a concussion and shoulder injury. With his rotator cuff still plaguing him this spring, Goldsack decided to reevaluate his career. He hadn’t really considered retiring until then,...

Roy Returning to Canadian Roots

Maybe it was the transition to full-time racing or the fact that Zoe Roy was competing in her home nation last season. It could’ve been the back-and-fourth flights across the U.S/Canadian border, or one team’s hospitality that helped Roy reach new heights on the NorAm circuit. Whatever it was, she wasn’t fighting it. After spending some 20 years in Bend, Ore., Roy, who turned 25 on Sunday, is moving to Canmore, Alberta. Starting Aug. 1,...