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The Devon Kershaw Bonus Episode: A Davos Postscript with Rosie Brennan

We’ve got a special edition of the Devon Kershaw Show for you this week with star American cross-country skier Rosie Brennan. After more than a decade of international racing, Brennan had a breakout season last year with World Cup wins in Davos. She’s had more strong results this year, including a podium in Lillehammer and two near-misses in her return to Davos. Brennan hails from Utah; she’s a graduate of Dartmouth College and currently trains...

The Devon Kershaw Show: A Weekend of Slick City Sprints in Dresden

This week’s edition of the Devon Kershaw Show comes in hot with a recap of the city sprint in Dresden, Germany. The breakdown includes solid American results and a tragic crash for a Canadian sprinter, plus some Kremlinology about Alexander Bolshunov and the Russian Ski Federation, discussion about the internal dynamics of the Swedish sprinters, and a reminder about how you’re lucky to live outside Norway if you want to go to the Olympics for...

Nordic Nation: Transitioning to the World Cup with Ben Ogden, JC Schoonmaker, and Gus Schumacher

In this episode, we have Ben Ogden, Gus Schumacher, and JC Schoonmaker coming to us from Davos, SUI. These athletes are key members of the new generation of American men who have found success at the junior level internationally, and are now transitioning onto the World Cup as athletes to follow. In this conversation, we explore this transition from a variety of angles, along with goal setting, team dynamics, and navigating the challenges of competing...

The Devon Kershaw Show: The Highs and Lows of a Davos Weekend

Davos brought another entertaining weekend of racing for American ski fans, with Rosie Brennan in the mix in both competitions, a podium from Jessie Diggins, and breakout performances from Hailey Swirbul, Sophia Laukli, and Novie McCabe. Devon Kershaw and FasterSkier’s Nat Herz take us through the results with special guest Eirik Brandsdal, the longtime, now-retired Norwegian World Cup sprint racer. Have questions for Devon or Nat? Send them to devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com to have them answered. We’ll be...

The Devon Kershaw Show: Lit Racing in Lillehammer

  It was another hot weekend of racing in Lillehammer, with another epic Johaug–Karlsson duel, some legit results from American racers, and some breakout performances from some new names. Today, Devon Kershaw and Nat Herz break it down, with the added bonus of Kershaw’s firsthand experience of waxing for the Canadian team on-scene. Come for the race breakdowns, stay for the monologues about TV production and the cross-country ski boot supply chain. Send your questions...

Nordic Nation: Challenges of the Pro-Athlete Journey with Hannah Halvorsen, Hailey Swirbul, and Kate Barton

In this episode, we have U.S. Ski Team members Hannah Halvorsen and Hailey Swirbul along with development team coach Kate Barton. The original idea behind the conversation was to discuss a variety of challenges female athletes of all levels experience during their careers based on an infographic posted by the organization Voice in Sport, shown below.  As the conversation evolved, it became clear that this conversation will resonate with athletes of all genders, ages, and...

The Devon Kershaw Show: The 2021 Ruka Recap with Guest Sadie Maubet Bjornsen

We’re back with this week’s episode of the Devon Kershaw Show! Devon and FasterSkier’s Nat Herz break down the World Cup’s exciting season-opening weekend of racing in Finland, along with a special guest: U.S. Olympian Sadie Maubet Bjornsen, who retired in the spring. The trio breaks down Ruka’s frigid temperatures, legit results from North American racers, Frida Karlsson’s surprising victory over Therese Johaug, and some Russian men’s distance domination — with the inevitable aside about...

The Devon Kershaw Show: A 21-22 Season Opener featuring Russell Kennedy

The Devon Kershaw is back from summer hibernation! This week, Devon takes a break from medical school to break down the first big tune-up races of the season in Muonio, Finland. Joining him are the show’s new co-host, former FasterSkier reporter Nat Herz, along with Canadian athlete Russell Kennedy, who popped a huge result in one of the races in Finland. Russell catches us up on the European circuit; we also discuss Charlotte Kalla’s recently...

Nordic Nation: From NoCo Crystal Globe to Biathlon, An Interview With Tara Geraghty-Moats

In this episode, we have Tara Geraghty-Moats, a trailblazer in women’s nordic combined who made the switch this season to biathlon. As we discuss in this conversation, women’s nordic combined could be put on display as an example of gender inequity in sport. Despite the fact that men have competed in nordic combined at the Olympics since the first Winter Games in 1924 and the FIS has organized a men’s World Cup season since 1983,...

Nordic Nation: Guiding Principles for Masters Athletes with Jim Galanes

In this episode, we have Jim Galanes to discuss some guiding training principles for masters athletes. If you enjoy the endurance athlete lifestyle, or are juggling a career and family, but still enjoy trying to get fitter and faster as in this fickle sport, this interview has plenty of exercise physiology insight to chew on.  Galanes may need no introduction — he’s been a noteworthy member of the cross country ski community for more than...

Nordic Nation: A Fall 2021 Pre-Season Chat With Matt Whitcomb

  In this episode, we connect with US Ski Team Head Coach Matt Whitcomb following the US Ski Team and National Training Group camp in Park City. Whitcomb answers a variety of questions to provide insight into the upcoming season leading up to the 2022 Beijing Olympics.  A couple of notes:  Firstly, you’ll notice some crackling in the audio on our end. We’re working out the kinks. Thanks for your patience.  Also, if your interest...

Nordic Nation: Moms Matter Now with Holly Brooks and Calisa Kastning

  In this episode, we discuss the topic of maternal mental health with Holly Brooks and Calisa Kastning. On Mother’s Day, the partners announced the launch of their passion project, Moms Matter Now with the aim of supporting and empowering women as they transition into motherhood.  For those unfamiliar with these names, Brooks is a two-time Olympian and U.S. Ski Team alumna who became a licensed professional counselor after retiring from professional skiing in 2016....

Nordic Nation: A Type-1 Diabetic’s Take on Continuous Glucose Monitoring for Athletes, Featuring Kris Freeman

In this episode, we bring Kris Freeman back to Nordic Nation. For those unfamiliar with Freeman, he skied in four Olympics from 2002 to 2014, placed fourth on two occasions at the World Championships in the 15 k classic, and stayed at the sharp end of American distance skiing until retiring in 2018. After leaving the ski realm, Freeman — now 40-years old — switched his focus to long distance triathlon and has now completed...

Nordic Nation: Caitlin Gregg — Athlete, Mother, and Team Birkie Head Coach

In early July, the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation announced the launch of the Team Birkie professional racing team. The elite post-graduate training group would pull from the three primary midwestern clubs, the Loppet Foundation, Central Cross Country Skiing (or CXC), and the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation. While the midwest has a strong culture of cross country skiing with a breadth of strong youth and masters racing teams, it has been nearly a decade since the...

The Devon Kershaw Show: Catching up with Summer and Zach Caldwell

  With wildfire smoke obscuring mountain views and compromising easy breathing in much of the West, it’s safe to say it is summer. In this episode of the Devon Kershaw Show, we mostly chat with Zach Caldwell of Vermont’s Caldwell Sport. Last season, during one of our conversations with Zach, we discussed some ideas we’d like to see in terms of an enhanced broadcast from FIS for their cross-country World Cup coverage. Zach came up...

The Devon Kershaw Show: Prepping for Beijing 2022 – A Chat with Dr. Øyvind B. Sandbakk

When it comes to the leading research regarding nordic sport, we often associate Dr Øyvind B. Sandbakk with publishing keen information regarding high performance. Sandbakk is the managing director at the Centre for Elite Sports Research at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim, Norway. Beyond just simply chit-chatting about the current state of affairs regarding cross-country skiing in Norway, Kershaw discusses the recently published paper titled, “Preparing for the Nordic Skiing...

Nordic Nation: Coaching Britain Up – Hans Kristian Stadheim and Jostein Vinjerui

As far as teams go on the cross-country World Cup, Great Britain arrives at the show with perhaps the smallest team roster and staff. Somehow, they often roar when considering the results. We know British Nordic from the sharp end skiing of Andrew Musgrave, and sprinters Andrew Young and James Clugnet.  Like all teams on the circuit, the human capital behind the Lycra-clad skiers make the travel, training, and race grind happen. In this episode...

The Devon Kershaw Show: Seeking Continuity in Canada

  There was a time when the Canadian National Cross-Country Ski Team was the North American team to watch. As skiers like Kikkan Randall and Jessie Diggins found their footing, Becky Scott, Chandra Crawford, and Sara Renner were medaling at the Olympics. Alex Harvey and Kershaw won team sprint gold at the 2011 World Championships. And Harvey continued to romp – winning the 2017 World Championship gold in the 50k. Along the way, like many...

Nordic Nation: Intentional Versatility in the Masters Athlete Lifestyle with Elite Ski Mountaineering Athlete Cam Smith

  If you have the good fortune to spend time in the Gunnison Valley of Colorado, perhaps on Crested Butte Nordic’s extensive trail system, exploring the Elk Mountain backcountry on mountain bike or skis, or taking laps on Mount Crested Butte, you may cross paths with a friendly red-haired resident who is likely moving faster and breathing easier than you are. Known locally as an aerobic machine, 25-year-old Cam Smith embraces all mountain sports as training...

The Devon Kershaw Show: Closing it Out — Diggins Wins the Overall and the Engadin Experience with Bill McKibben

The main point of the weekend was the coronation of Jessie Diggins as the overall winner of the cross-country World Cup. She becomes the first American woman to do so. Historic? Yes. Adding to the crystal collection, she’ll haul across the Atlantic on her trip home the distance globe too. We discuss the racing in Engadin, Switzerland which consisted of mass start classic races on Saturday and fun point to point skate races on Sunday...