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Rachel Perkins

Rachel is an endurance sport enthusiast based in the Roaring Fork Valley of Colorado. You can find her cruising around on skinny skis, running in the mountains with her pup, or chasing her toddler (born Oct. 2018). Instagram: @bachrunner4646
Switzerland Bests Russia at the Line in the Team Sprint; Caldwell Hamilton and Diggins 4th for USA

  This World Cup coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and their 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. Another lovely spring-like day in Dresden, Germany with vibrant green grass contrasting the ribbon of man-made snow along the Elbe River bank. On course in the women’s team...

Russia, France, and Italy Put On a Show in Dresden’s Team Sprint; Hamilton-Bolger 9th for USA

This World Cup coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and their 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 team sprint is like a pump rocket, slowly building pressure for a final eruptive takeoff. Six 0.65 km laps each in rapid succession. Short recoveries between legs mean...

Historic Win For Geraghty-Moats (USA Nordic Press Release)

HISTORIC WIN FOR GERAGHTY-MOATS Four USA Nordic women take part in debut women’s World Cup RAMSAU, Austria (Dec. 18, 2020) – American Tara Geraghty-Moats (West Fairlee, Vt.) made history Friday, skiing to a hard-fought victory by just 1.5 seconds in the first ever FIS Nordic Combined World Cup for women in an idyllic mountain setting at Ramsau am Dachstein. It was an emotional win for the 27-year-old who has been a pioneer in the movement...

Interval Session to Kick Start The Season

We’ve reached mid-December. With any luck, your local trail system is beginning to fill in, you’ve scraped off your storage wax, and you’ve put in at least a handful of easy days getting reacquainted with your boards. Whether or not you rollerski during the summer, skiing on snow has its own jive and it’s normal to feel a little like Bambi your first few sessions.  In my experience as a coach and masters athlete, I...

Brennan Nails First World Cup Podium and Win in Davos; Caldwell Hamilton 5th (updated)

This World Cup coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and their 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. With a thick, fresh coat of fluffy white snow that fell over the last week, Davos, Switzerland looked regal as ever despite the smaller field and lack of spectators...

Developing Single-Leg Stability for Improved Glide

  If you’ve found your way here, you are likely familiar with the three tenets of cross country skiing: push off, weight transfer, and glide. Whether it’s diagonal stride in the track or V2 on the corduroy, your ability to experience a complete weight transfer, ride a flat ski, and carry momentum is heavily dependent on the stability of your standing leg.  Why is developing that balance and stability a challenge? For those who choose...

International Time Trial in Davos Sharpens American World Cup Squad

Lillehammer cancels World Cup events. Norway, Sweden, and Finland pull from the World Cup after the opening weekend in Ruka citing COVID safety concerns. To an outsider, these headlines paint a seemingly bleak picture of the start of the race season. However, an international time trial featuring a skate sprint day Friday and distance event Saturday sparked hope for the American team as they remain in Europe focused on the upcoming weekend of racing in...

Gear Review: Fischer Speedmax Classic and Carbonlite Skate Rollerskis

Depending on where you live, rollerskis may seem like a distant memory, retired to a storage closet not to be looked at again until next May. For others, sliding on snow might not be the agenda for another month. Perhaps you are foregoing Thanksgiving travel to snow this year due to the pandemic, or you are an urban-dwelling weekend warrior whose usual routine of traveling regularly to snow has come to a halt. Regardless of...

Opportunity and Transformation with Greg Townsend of Ridge View Academy

Like most other states, a cross section of athletes racing in the Colorado High School circuit (CHSAA) looks relatively homogenous when it comes to ethnicity. The field is largely white. However, in stark contrast to skiers hailing from affluent mountain towns like Steamboat Springs, Aspen, and Vail, a team from Denver might catch your eye for adding some color. Most of the Ridge View Academy Rams, all male, are Black or Latino, and line up...

Nordic Nation: Jordan Fields Snags the Triple Crown of White Mountain FKTs

Last fall, FasterSkier spoke with former Williams Ski Team member Jordan Fields after his impressive effort on the Presidential Traverse in the White Mountains of Northern New Hampshire. This classic point-to-point route leads travelers over eight summits in roughly 18 miles, including Mt Washington, which tops out at 6,288 ft as the highest elevation peak in the Northeast. Over the years, many have raced the clock against the storied challenge of traversing the range as...

Product Review: Drink Wholesome Real Food Protein Powders

As summer training hours trend toward a peak, many athletes are looking for ways to support their nutritional needs, matching high volume training with high volume eating. A new product that should be on your radar is Drink Wholesome protein powder, created by former Williams ski racer Jack Schrupp. This protein is basically the RXBAR of protein powders: all natural without artificial flavorings or sweeteners, packing a high nutrient protein dense punch in each scoop.  The...

If you read FasterSkier, you are likely aware that elite cross country skiing in the U.S. has been steadily on the rise over the last decade. In the last four years alone, we’ve borne witness to medals at all levels, including a Diggins-Randall double podium in the freestyle sprint at the 2017 World Championships, a 10 k classic win for Gus Schumacher at the 2020 World Junior Championships, a bronze medals for Will Koch and...

Media Roundup: Elevating BIPOC Athlete Voices Edition

On June 3rd, FasterSkier published a statement regarding our commitment to diversifying the stories we cover and to providing a platform for people of color in the ski community to share their experiences. We aim to highlight the philanthropic actions members of the ski community have taken to support disadvantaged skiers and to promote inclusivity in sport. We’ve listened to your recommendations and followed the leads. We’ve spoken with clubs who have sought grants to...

Gear Review: Katadyn BeFree Water Filtration System

Here in the Rockies near Carbondale, Colorado, June is often a transitional month. Low elevation trails are dry and surrounded by lush vegetation and spring blooms, while jagged peaks and ridges remain encrusted with receding snowfields. Roaring creeks and flooded riverbanks hint the speed with which these sun-cupped features melt away.  As someone whose preferred form of movement in the summer is running in the high country, it is the season of preparing my legs...

Rising Together: The Crosscut Elite Team Fosters the Success of US Para Nordic

On April 9th, the Crosscut Mountain Sports Center in Bozeman, MT released information and qualification criteria for their newly founded elite team. As you skim what it takes to earn a spot at each tier of the program, it may catch your attention that the cross country, biathlon, and para nordic are housed within the same program. This single team approach reflects the growth and development at Crosscut in connection with its partnership with the...

Nordic Nation: Clean Sport, Testing Gaps, and Virtual Sample Collection with Noah Hoffman

As we all know, the COVID-19 global pandemic has left the world scrambling to adapt to the many challenges of slowing the spread of the virus. In the world of Olympic sports, the ripple effect has disrupted the efforts of anti-doping agencies worldwide to conduct the athlete testing normally relied upon to hold athletes accountable to abiding by the rules surrounding banned and controlled substances. Most international antidoping agencies have halted testing since mid-March as...

FS Gear Review: Upgrade Your Long Underwear Game With Brynje RaceBase

“You should probably wear something over that.” That was my husband’s witty response when I asked what he thought of the Brynje RaceBase long sleeve shirt and 3/4 tight base layers. No, most people don’t ski in just their long underwear, but these, in particular, would be quite revealing.  Why? Unlike traditional base layers, the RaceBase is made out of a polypropylene mesh, designed to allow maximum breathability while reducing air turbulence between the outermost...

DIY Fitness Testing: The How and Why with Pepa Miloucheva

It’s May. Yes, really.  For most skiers, the new page on the calendar also marks the beginning of a new training year. Dust off your rollerskis, locate your heart rate strap and drink belt, and make sure your running shoes have plenty of life in them. With the country still predominantly on public health orders to stay close to home, avoid groups, and keep at least six feet of distance from those outside your home,...

Masters and Gretsch Prepare for Two Paralympic Cycles After Postponement of Tokyo Games

Of the members of the U.S. Para Nordic team, more than half compete at the highest level in both summer and winter sports. Instead of quadrennial, their training is designed for biennial Paralympic cycles, oscillating between sports each year with an overall focus shift toward whichever Games is approaching fastest.  And the goal is not simply to compete in both rounds of the Games, it is to bring home medals.  Illinois based Oksana Masters is...