“If we work as hard as we can to slow down climate change, then it’s possible these young people won’t be the last generations of cross country skiers,” wrote Bill McKibben in an email exchange. “It would be a horrible loss to lose snow–for a few months every year we get to say goodbye to friction, to glide through the woods. It’s a kind of magic, and perhaps defending it will make us appreciate it...
To say Coronavirus is reshaping our world is to state the obvious. Even in the tucked-away haven of the Methow Valley, COVID-19 is having an impact in more ways than one. An article written by the Methow Valley News in October, details how the valley is becoming a “zoom town”, a phenomenon echoed by many mountain towns around the country as the pandemic encourages remote work and less densely populated living environs. Just three hours...
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If you follow Julia Kern on social media or her blog, you have probably gotten the sense that outdoor recreation is more than just part of her job as a professional cross country skier. A quick scroll highlights a multitude of activities that extend far beyond rollerskiing and World Cup travel. Kern seems to do it all: open water swimming, backcountry skiing, paddle boarding, camping, trail running, rock climbing, and mountain biking. And always with...
Training for an endurance sport is the first clue. Training from a schedule that basically dictates the arrangement of one’s life is an additional data point. And being a Faster Skier reader? Another strong indicator. If any of that resonates with you, it’s safe to assume that you are a Type-A personality. There are many positive aspects of being this goal-oriented sort of person. These characteristics lead us to create a plan, make a to-do...
For years FasterSkier has been navigating the shape shifting media landscape. Although not immune to the effects of social media and an ever changing online advertising model, we’ve kept the lights on. FasterSkier has relied on advertising to keep the website’s content free. But the financial contraction due to the pandemic has closed hard on us too. We’re asking, like many media outlets, what’s the best financial model moving forward? This is our ask: We’d...
Weather, pandemic travel restrictions, and… a bunch of newbies on the trails? Anyone skiing in the Northeastern parts of the U.S. and Canada knows, as if by osmosis, we acquire a sort of obsessive (and annoying) fascination with the weather. This season adds the Coronavirus pandemic as a factor. The snowsports industry has been working all summer planning and revising practices for safe skiing this winter. Cross-country skiers are actually lucky in that touring centers...
Molly is a rare dog, although let’s go with this premise, all dogs are good. But some, like Molly, might be slightly better. Hailing from a working line of Springer Spaniels in Northern Ireland, Molly now resides in Sweden with her caretakers, Joanna and Michael Sjöö. Both are part-time doping control agents with the Swedish Sports Federation. Molly is six years old and also works a part-time gig with the Swedish Sports Federation. With a...
With a massive low-pressure system flowing off the Pacific, over the Cascades, and onward to the Northern Rockies, it means the watch is on for snow in West Yellowstone. But, these are not normal times. We’ve written similar sentences in the past. Yet the message remains essential when speaking of traveling from point A to point B. We’ll say it again: be safe. The 2020 Yellowstone Ski Festival is a go with some expected...
2020 has been rough for many of us, at least for those readers who are fans of some or all of civil political discourse, summer training without choking wildfire smoke, or life unhaunted by the specter of a global pandemic. Against a steady drumbeat of bad news, here is some good news: Early-season ski conditions have been favorable in much of the country. Please enjoy this unscientific social media roundup of October and November skiing,...
The magic brew. The secret sauce. The omniscient wax-tech with encyclopedic knowledge of all things ski wax and the ability to bestow the goods onto a ski base. Ah, those slick and slippery skis. And that bite of kick in slush. The mythology of wax in this sport looms large. And the few wax-mixologists of note live among their peers as deities. The popular myth is this: some are gifted with the wax gene, most...
Winthrop Mountain Sports is looking for a Nordic ski Specialist Bring us your enthusiasm, your energy, and your commitment. Become an ambassador of cross country skiing and work side by side with the Bjornsen’s crew at Winthrop Mountain Sports in WA. Qualified applicants should have prior Nordic skiing technician experience. Previous retail sales and customer service experience encouraged. Must be able to work 5days/Week. The PLUS : The Methow Valley offers over 250km of groomed trails. RESPONSIBILITIES:...
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...
“I train because I like to race but I also train because I enjoy it, so I never took a pause,” said Kris Freeman from his New Hampshire home. That’s straight-up Freeman. Focus. Intensity. A plan. Even during COVID. Let’s face it, enjoying the process became a necessity for many as public sporting events have been mostly cancelled since mid-March. Six feet distant, mask-wearing, hand-sanitizing have become as much a part of our daily...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: The WSCA Announces Webinar: Waxing Skis and Waning the Gender Gap Today, the Women Ski Coaches Association (WSCA) announced it will host a Webinar to connect and educate women coaches, and redefine ski waxing culture and opportunities. The webinar, Waxing Skis and Waning the Gender Gap will take place on October 21st. “The ski coaching world is going through a big shift with the ban on fluoro waxes and we see...
Masters World Cup 2021 Postponed Due to COVID-19 Pandemic Originally scheduled for March 4-12 in Canmore, Alberta, the Masters World Cup 2021 has been postponed to 2022. PRESS RELEASE The Masters World Cup 2021 for cross-country skiing has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Masters World Cup was originally scheduled for March 4-12, 2021 in Canmore and has now been rescheduled for March 3-11, 2022 in Canmore. Due to the on-going travel restrictions and the...
For skiers and race organizers, remaining nimble and realistic are keystone 2020 attributes as the global pandemic commands our attention. Amidst the disruption, the New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA) remains committed to organizing races for the 2020-2021 season. Justin Beckwith, Competitive Program Director at NENSA, said the aim is clear during uncertain times: under-promise and over-deliver. As a case study, New England poses several challenges. Geographically several states with differing Covid-19 mandates share borders...
Reflections From a White Skier On The Spaces and Places We Ski, And How To Build Inclusivity By: Ben Theyerl The typical life story of a competitive nordic skier in the U.S. tends to resemble a character out of a Robert Frost poem. It’s an appropriate metaphor; the Rikert Nordic Center at Middlebury, VT doubles as the quarters of the renowned Bread Loaf School of English during its summer months, where the Bard of New...
It goes without saying or writing, but I’m writing it anyway with a nod to a certain beloved Bay Area band: What a long strange trip it’s been — (at only six months).
FasterSkier interviewed Constance Beverley, the CEO of Share Winter, last week. Share Winter is a non-profit focused solely on providing access to snowsports to a more diverse community of children. As Beverley states in the interview, the primary goal is to share winter. Beverley was part of U.S. Ski and Snowboard’s virtual panel: “Discussing Racial Diversity In Snowsports” This interview has been edited for length and clarity. FasterSkier: Can you tell me a bit...