Pete Vordenberg and Chad Salmela remember Nikolai Annikin.. From Pete: I met Nikolai and Antonina at the USOC in Marquette where they were coaching. Over the years I spent up there I was fortunate enough to receive some coaching and advice while an athlete both at NMU and the USOC from Nikolai and Antonina. I was not one of their athletes but I did seek out their advice and advice was freely given. It was...
The National Cross Country Ski Education Foundation has launched a new website, integrating content from TeamToday.org with athlete profiles and additional information. The not for profit organization NCCSEF is celebrating 12 years of supporting U.S. skiing and has granted over $175,000 in NCCSEF Future Funds over that period. Visit the new site at:
Cross Country Canada is pleased to announce that it has awarded the 2011 Haywood Ski Nationals to the Canmore Nordic Cross Country Ski Club. The event will take place at the Canmore Nordic Centre in Mid-March of 2011. This will be one of the biggest events the Canmore Nordic club has ever hosted. The Haywood Ski Nationals encompass both junior and senior competitions and includes the Canadian Colleges and University Championships (CCUNC) and the Para-Nordic...
I did my first on snow intervals this morning. It was a short session- 2x 4 minutes level 3 but the goal of the work out was to get comfortable going fast on skis. I also focused on being in the right heart rate zone. Its really easy at high altitude to go too hard [...]
It is not too late to join the fun! The 2009 Yellowstone Ski Festival kicks off tomorrow. Come to West Yellowstone and join the hundreds of skiers already making their first tracks on the Rendezvous Ski Trails. There are a fresh four inches of snow on the ground, bringing our total on the trails to a foot according to the Montana Snotel site. Late registration is still available for the races and clinics. Register online...
The winners of the individual and relay races at the World Cup in Beitostolen last weekend were not subjected to doping tests, according to FIS Anti-Doping Administrator Sarah Fussek. In a telephone interview with FasterSkier, Fussek said that FIS rules required targeted testing of podium finishers only at certain international events selected by the Federation-not at all of them. This has been the case since last year. “We’re not conducting doping controls at every competition,”...
Its full on winter out here in West Yellowstone! Its snowing right now and anywhere between 5 and 9 inches are expected today. The fresh snow made skiing this morning perfect. It was freshly groomed and fast. I had a distance skate today with a few pick ups at the end. I also tested some [...]
Team Canada: In good health, could be the most successful season yet. When asked if he thought he had the “strongest team ever” coach Dave Wood paused and said that, in 2006, Becky Scott and Sara Renner were two of the strongest athletes he had seen on the Canadian Team. The difference coming into this season, Wood says, is that Canada not only has athletes with medal-winning potential, but a larger number of them. With...
I was so excited to ski again this morning that I woke up at 5 am! Ok, the real reason I was up that early was because of the 2 hour time difference but still. So when 9:00 finally rolled around I waxed up my classic skis and hit the Deja View and Rendezvous trails. Dan [...]
Morrisville, VT – In less than 4 minutes, world records were broken and history was made as two US Biathletes, Jennifer Wygant and Zachary Hall, skied their way to victory in the first annual SkiErg World Sprints. “The race was tough… My main goal was to sustain a consistent pace through the entire race. However, I also had some teammates go before me, so I had some times to try and beat” explains Wygant. Wygant...
To help promote the 2010 AXCS National Masters slated for the Craftsbury Outdoor Center in Craftsbury, Vermont (January 28-30, 2010) American XC Skiers (AXCS) is excited to introduce the 2010 National Masters Club Challenge. The 2010 Club Challenge is a very simple concept designed specifically to encourage clubs to participate as a group at the National Masters event — particularly the Thursday, January 28 10km FS National Masters Championship. Every skier that registers and participates...
Chris Hall is the Fischer USA Nordic Race Director and a former USST Head Wax Tech The mounting position of the binding on the ski is an interesting and underdeveloped topic that deserves some attention, given the many changes to ski camber profiles over the years. To beat everyone to the most obvious and humorous answer, yes the point where the boot connects to the binding should be closest to the tip and the point where...
Two weeks ago, Matthew Voisen put together an article describing blanket regulations enforced by associations that govern high school athletics, and how they appear excessive when applied to high school skiing programs. Some readers posted very informative comments about similar situations around the country, and it quickly reminded me of the extremely contentious relationships between high school programs and their elite club counterparts.
After 20 hours of driving Dan and I arrived in West Yellowstone early this afternoon. We didn’t waste much time and were on the ski trails as quick as we could. It was a perfect day for the first ski of the year- sunny, 33 degrees and awesome tracks. It was so great to finally [...]
Shortly after John Fahey, head of the World Anti-Doping Agency(WADA) announced his worry over the increasing number of Russian athletes involved in doping violations, Russian nordic combine athlete Anton Kamenev, 23, failed a drug test at the Russian National Championships in Moscow. Kamenov will be banned from competition for two years after being tested positive for amphetamines. Earlier this year cross country skiing champions Julia Chepalova and Yevgeny Dementiev retired after being tested positive for erythropoietin...
It’s happening in West Yellowstone It is less than a week until the Shuttle service is available from the Bozeman airport. Pack your gear and leave the driving to the professionals. You will find a variety of lodging choices at Holiday Inn, Yellowstone Ski Festival Headquarters, currently has accomodations and packages available for next week. Give them a call at 800-646-7365 for room and dining options. Many families make the Yellowstone Ski Festival their Thanksgiving...
Austria will set a precedent in the new year when proposed changes to their Criminal Code will make the use of performance enhancing drugs during competition a criminal offense, allowing for penalties of up to 10 years in prison. The proposals, introduced by Sports Minister Norbert Darabos and Minister of Justice Claudia Bandion-Ortner, would not only prosecute athletes who have been cought doping, but also the personell involved in the athlete’s deception, such as coaches...
We are using these races and the first part of this period for training and race preparation. But don’t think that means we don’t do anything other than race as fast and hard as we can. Because that is what we’re doing. Training has been very solid, nothing crazy, just solid good training.
The Callaghan Valley Training Centre was left in disarray after its second official season with no coach to lead the group. The resulting confusion and uncertainty prompted all but one of its dozen athletes to leave Whistler for other national training centres in Canmore and elsewhere. Call it growing pains. Cross Country B.C. remained committed to the program, however, and the CVTC is here for a third season with a new coach, two committed athletes...
