Luke Dykowski – FasterSkier

Davos Team Sprint: Could It Be Anyone But Norway?

Luke DykowskiDecember 13, 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. Friday night in Davos: A fast course, fireballs, and a remarkably flexible field for the Men’s Team Sprint Finals. After qualifying, the evening’s would-be winner was uncharacteristically unclear, with four nations represented in...

Feature News Racing US Ski Team World Cup

Zak Ketterson: His New Training Philosophy and the Road to Ruka

Luke DykowskiNovember 28, 2024

This article was made possible through the generous support of our voluntary subscribers. If you would like to see more articles like this one, please support FasterSkier with a voluntary subscription. Despite a challenging start to the 2023-2024 season, Zak Ketterson (entering his third year on the U.S. B-Team), narrowly qualified for the Minneapolis World Cup—fulfilling his goal of racing, not merely in the United States, but in his own hometown. The Minnesota native has...

Collegiate Feature World Cup

Juggling the Four S’s: An Interview with John Steel Hagenbuch

Luke DykowskiNovember 11, 2024

The 2023-2024 season was undeniably strong for Dartmouth College’s John Steel Hagenbuch (’25, U.S. B-Team). In December, his was the fastest leg time in the Men’s 4×7.5 k Relay in Gällivare. One week later, he secured his first top-15 finish on the World Cup circuit, taking 13th place in the Östersund 10 k Freestyle. In February, he surprised himself with a bronze medal in the U23 World Championship Sprint in Planica. Domestically, the wins came...

Feature Interviews Olympics Racing

T-Minus Ten Years: Soldier Hollow’s Preparations for Salt Lake City 2034

Luke DykowskiSeptember 4, 2024

As the pageantry and athletic performances of Paris 2024 captivated audiences across the United States, a team of organizers had their eyes fixed on a target far beyond the shores of the Seine. Ten years beyond, in fact. The International Olympic Committee announced on July 24th that Salt Lake City, Utah will host the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Games, with the Cross-Country and Biathlon events returning to the Soldier Hollow Nordic Center, site of the...

Feature Masters News Racing

“Like Riding a Bicycle”: American Birkebeiner’s Popp to Push Worldloppet Forward

Luke DykowskiJuly 17, 2024

“If you’re not pedaling, you’re going to fall over.” Last month, the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation sprang into registrants’ inboxes with a summer announcement: Ben Popp, Wisconsin native and ABSF Executive Director since 2013, had been elected President of the Worldloppet International Ski Federation. Replacing Finland’s Juho Viljamaa, Popp will serve a four year term, effective immediately. He already has the regalia to prove it. The Federation’s gavel, a relic of the Tony Wise...

Collegiate Feature News

Ask Them One Question . . .

Luke DykowskiMay 9, 2024

As a snow-starved winter turns to blustery and reticent spring, an ill wind blows across our empty ski trails. What tumbles on that breeze brings relief and celebration to uncounted families; however, the changing season marks a sorrowful loss for the Nordic community. The gusts of April and May whip into mailboxes and under doors, leaving in their breathless wake college decision letters—for so many high school seniors, the start of an exciting next chapter;...