Ken Roth – FasterSkier

Karlsson Dominates Les Rousses 20 K Classic. Diggins Sidelined by Injury. Brennan Out Indefinitely

Ken RothJanuary 19, 2025

This coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award, or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage, please contact info@fasterskier.com. The timing of the Norwegian national championships has already had a dramatic effect on world cup races in Les Rousses, France. Today’s women’s 20 kilometer Classic mass start race would not be...

Feature News Racing World Cup

Skistad Returns to Win Les Rousses Classic Sprint

Ken RothJanuary 18, 2025

This coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award, or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage, please contact info@fasterskier.com. Sprinting has the most unpredictable action of any World Cup racing format. Skiers are crammed into a narrow patch of snow, leading to skis crossing and poles breaking. Wobbly legs often misfire,...

Feature News Racing Tour de Ski World Cup

Johaug Wins Alpe Cermis and Tour. Diggins Third Overall

Ken RothJanuary 5, 2025

This coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award, or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage, please contact info@fasterskier.com. Today marked the end of the journey on the long and hilly road that is the Tour de Ski. All that remained is one of the more daunting challenges in cross-country ski...

Feature News Racing World Cup

Johaug Dominates 20-k Skiathlon. Diggins Fifth and Back on Overall Podium

Ken RothJanuary 4, 2025

This coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award, or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage, please contact info@fasterskier.com. As we enter the second to last event in this year’s Tour de Ski—the 20 kilometer Skiathlon—there has been little movement at the top of the women’s Overall leader board. As the...

Feature Racing Tour de Ski World Cup

Slind and Johaug Dominate 15-k Classic Pursuit. Diggins 6th, Relinquishes Tour Lead

Ken RothJanuary 1, 2025

This coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award, or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage, please contact info@fasterskier.com. Part of the attraction of the Tour de Ski is the quick ebb and flow of the leader board. One day you’re sitting on top of the world with a big lead,...

Feature Racing World Cup

Diggins Again! American Wins Tour 15K Classic

Ken RothDecember 29, 2024

This coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award, or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage, please contact info@fasterskier.com. Watching the Tour de Ski is like looking at a giant pendulum swinging back and forth. Yesterday, on day one, the pendulum swung to the favor of skiers with sprinting talent. Jessie...

Feature News Racing World Cup

Diggins Electric in Tour de Ski Opener. Wins Freestyle Sprint

Ken RothDecember 28, 2024

This coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award, or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage, please contact info@fasterskier.com. Today marks the opening round of the 19th edition of the Tour de Ski, and this year it will be an all Italy based event with races in Toblach and Val Di...

Feature News Racing World Cup

Short-handed Sweden Still Dominates in Davos Sprint. Diggins Sixth

Ken RothDecember 14, 2024

This coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award, or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage, please contact info@fasterskier.com. The U.S. women’s cross-country team really likes the site of today’s Freestyle Sprints, Davos, Switzerland. Last season in Davos, Jessie Diggins (USA) claimed the podium twice including third place in today’s event, the Freestyle...

Feature News Racing World Cup

Schumacher Fifth in 20-K Skiathlon–Norwegians Sweep Podium

Ken RothDecember 8, 2024

This coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award, or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage, please contact info@fasterskier.com. Today’s race—the 20 kilometer Skiathlon— marks the last day of competition in Lillehammer, Norway. On the men’s side of the racing there has been complete dominance of the weekend by Norway, with only...

Feature News Racing World Cup

Lillehammer Freestyle Sprints—Sweden Dominates, Diggins Top American

Ken RothDecember 7, 2024

This coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award, or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage, please contact info@fasterskier.com. World Cup competition in Lillehammer, Norway continued today with the Freestyle Sprints. Notably, it also marked the return of Norway’s Kristine Stavaas Skistad after she missed the first weekend of competition recovering from...

Feature News Racing World Cup

Johaug Leads Norwegian Sweep in Lillehammer 10-K Freestyle. Diggins Fifth

Ken RothDecember 6, 2024

This coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award, or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage, please contact info@fasterskier.com. To state the obvious, team Norway does not need any help on the World Cup circuit. But as this weekend’s racing moved to Lillehammer, Norway—home of the 1994 winter Olympics— that’s exactly what...

Feature News Racing World Cup

Diggins Wins in Ruka in Another Epic Race

Ken RothDecember 1, 2024

This coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award, or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage, please contact info@fasterskier.com. Going into today’s 20 kilometer mass start Freestyle race, the American team was a little back on its heels. This early in the season, it’s way too soon to talk about redemption. But...

Feature News Racing World Cup

Ruka Sprints: Hagstroem Gets First Win. Rough Day For USA

Ken RothNovember 30, 2024

This coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award, or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage, please contact info@fasterskier.com. Last year the theme for much of the women’s sprint season was whether anyone from team Sweden could defeat Kristine Stavaas Skistad (NOR). However, this year, things will be different, for at least...

Feature News Racing World Cup

Ruka Preview: The World Cup Starts Here

Ken RothNovember 25, 2024

This coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. Learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award—or about supporting FasterSkier coverage—by contacting info@fasterskier.com. It’s hard to believe, but the start of the World Cup ski season is upon us. The weekend opener in Ruka, Finland begins November 29th. While many of us will be bemoaning our Thanksgiving excess and recovering from NFL binge...

Feature Juniors News World Cup

National Nordic Foundation: Bridging the Funding Gap

Ken RothNovember 12, 2024

There’s a great scene in the 1983 classic movie epic The Right Stuff, where the test pilots are hanging out in their dank watering hole discussing the future of supersonic flight and bemoaning what they see as misplaced priorities. The press liaison throwing back a beer with Chuck Yeager and Jack Ridley seems to innocently ask, “you know what makes your rocket planes fly?” The aeronautical engineer puts down his beer and responds by beginning...

Feature News

Loppet Foundation Announces New Director

Ken RothNovember 8, 2024

The Minneapolis Loppet Foundation announced today, November 8th, that it has hired a new Director. Meghan Cosgrove will take the reins of the organization beginning November 18th. She takes over from Claire Wilson who resigned from the Director’s position in September for family reasons. Wilson had been at the helm of the Loppet Foundation for four years. Cosgrove’s most recent leadership post was as Executive Director at YMCA of the North for Camp Menogyn, where...

Feature News Racing World Cup

Making the Grade: A, B, and D Teams. What’s the Difference?

Ken RothOctober 29, 2024

Every fall the U.S. cross-country ski team announces its new roster. But there are teams within the team which makes it a little complicated to figure out exactly who belongs where. With designations of A, B, and D teams. The method for how members are selected to these teams is well documented, and it’s all contained in a public document on the U.S. team’s website. But as you’ll see, that process is going to change...

Feature Interviews News World Cup

Laukli’s Summer of Ups and Downs Ends With a Surprise. Part II

Ken RothOctober 21, 2024

In Part I of our interview with Sophia Laukli, FasterSkier caught up with her before she had returned to the Golden Trail Series Tour, and discussed the ups and downs of the difficult summer she had. We’ll continue our discussion with Laukli about the upcoming race season but first, we need to bring readers up to date with how she fared in the Golden Trail Series finals, and how she is feeling after her summer...

Feature News Racing World Cup

Laukli’s Summer of Ups and Downs Ends With a Surprise. Part I

Ken RothOctober 18, 2024

Last year was a breakout season for Sophia Laukli. She reached the top of the podium in a World Cup race and had a solid skiing season. In her non-skiing job, she also won the Golden Trail Series championship, being crowned the best international trail runner, all while making it look fairly easy. She dominated the race circuit and gave the best professional trail runners fits as she casually strolled to the race starts fresh...

Feature General News Racing World Cup

Are You Ready to Watch Racing This Winter?

Ken RothOctober 9, 2024

It’s hard to believe, but the first World Cup cross-country race is just around the corner. November 29th marks the cross-country racing season kickoff, in Ruka, Finland. For fans who want to watch the races, there are a couple of easy options. Once again, Ski and Snowboard Live will be the United States’ streaming service for viewing cross-country events held outside of the country, and this season, that means every race. Their coverage will include...

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