We have been hearing quite a bit about the Mt. Redoubt eruption that has spewed ash over parts of Alaska. This has not done good things to the snow pack – Tim Kelley shared some photos. Since he took these, it has snowed, cleaning up the trails for now – the ash lies in wait, ready to appear at the next thaw. From a ski racing perspective it was fortunate the Fairbanks and US Distance...
The Associated Press reported that the great Gunde Svan has resigned from his position as Manager of the Swedish national Ski Team. Svan, 47, took the position in late 2007. He was brought on to repair a rift between the Swedish Federation and several of the top athletes in the country. The World Cup team was on the brink of falling apart, with top skiers Mathias and Tobias Fredriksson, Bjorn Lind, and Anders Soedergren splitting...
The Red Group consists of the top 30 distance and sprint racers in the world. It is based on World Cup points from the previous four World Cup periods. The Red Group rankings are extremely important, in that the race organizer must pay the travel and living costs (accommodation, food, etc) for every athlete in the Red Group. Expenses must also be covered for a maximum of one coach per nation and sex, if there...
A few weeks ago “Can Northug be considered a true champion if he doesn’t treat his competitors with respect?” The question stimulated quite a bit of discussion and is worth following up with a bit more information on Northug. I was recently in Norway, where Northug’s antics are laughed off. The people I talked to did not necessarily approve of his actions, but he is the on the home team, and one of the best...
In a move to stimulate attendance at the Cross Country Ski Areas Association’s annual Convention April 15-17 hosted by Whistler Olympic Park, BC, SkiTrax magazine is sponsoring a prize drawing on the final night of the convention during the closing banquet at Fairmont Chateau Whistler. A prize consisting of a 2-night lodging package at Fairmont Chateau Whistler with extras from Tourism Whistler will be awarded to one lucky registered convention delegate. The CCSAA Annual Convention...
I have been recovering from surgery for three weeks. I was suffering from compartment syndrome in both shins. Compartment syndrome occurs when the muscle outgrows the fascia, or protective covering, of the muscle. As blood moves into the muscle during exertion the tight fascia restricts blood flow and causes a lot of pain. To combat this condition I removed most of the fascia from five muscles in both shins. I also had extensive scar tissue...
Cross Country Canada is pleased to announce that registration for the 2009 FIS Trainers Seminar is now underway! The schedule is as follows: 22/05/2009 Tour of Whistler Sliding Centre (WSC) Tour Host OWG venue – Bobsleigh, Luge, Skeleton Whistler Sliding Centre Wine and Cheese Social 23/05/2009 Sprints (Biomechanics & Physiology) H.C. Holmberg – Swedish Winter Sports Research Centre Prediction of Excellence Dr. David Cox – Simon Frazer University Building Successful Systems Dr. Stephen Norris –...
Russian cross-country skier Natalia Matveeva (also spelled Matveyeva) tested positive for the banned substance EPO at the World Cup event in Whistler. Russian sprint team coach Tatyana Revina has passed the positive result off as a mistake. Results of B-Sample testing have not been released yet. Matveeva, 22 years old, is one of the top performers on the Russian team. She has five individual top 10 finishes this season, including a second in Dusseldorf, and...
Petter Northug (NOR) has been on a roll recently, winning three gold medals at the World Championships and then besting sprint specialist Ola Vigen Hattestad in the first World Cup sprint following Liberec. Northug has come under constant criticism for his cocky and disrespectful attitude. He has routinely made headlines in European papers for his lack of tact. In one notable incident, after taking out Swede Thobias Fredriksson in a sprint, he told the...
www.boldbeautifulbiathlon.com on the Internet, targeted retail outlets across Western Canada, and by each one of the athletes personally as they travelled the world. “There are so many sponsors, volunteers, retailers, family, friends and members of the Canadian media to thank,” said Megan Tandy,” who starred on the memorable Rick Mercer show with Rosanna Crawford in January to help showcase the calendar which sparked the reprint. “Each person who backed this project will own a piece of our...
New highlights of the World Championships from Universal Sports have been added to the FasterSkier media player. Highlights include Ola Vigen Hattestad’s sprint gold and Todd Lodwick’s gold medal performances! The media player is located on the left further down the homepage.
FAQ How does one get into this program? Selection of athletes for this new program will be based on a combination of performance criteria and a written application. Applicants will be expected to meet at least one of the following performance criteria: • Top 20 EISA Ranking for the current year (or last year that skier raced EISA races) • Top 10 USSA birth year ranking (on the most recent ranking list) • Top 20...
alisongannett.com Be sure to check out FasterSkier’s
Middlebury, Vt – Next week, the Middlebury Nordic ski team will head to Maine for the NCAA Championships, hosted by Bates College. Before they leave, they’re likely to stop at the dining hall, but not necessarily for food. This stop is to pump 40 gallons of leftover fryer oil into their team truck. Middlebury’s green-minded Nordic team believes it is the first Division I ski team to power its transportation with vegetable oil. It’s one...
The Maine Winter Sports Center invites junior, senior and collegiate athletes to join our biathlon and Nordic teams for the 2009-2010 season. Our world-class facilities and coaching staff offer unparalleled training opportunities. Qualified athletes enjoy free coaching, assistance with equipment and uniforms, free waxing, travel support, housing, health insurance packages, physiological testing, tuition reduction programs at local universities, and training stipends. Members of the MWSC Teams have competed at Junior Olympics, World Juniors, NCAAs, FIS...
by Sam Newbury After last week’s stellar performances by US athletes at World Championships, there has been much talk about the momentum and health of our sport. While top results certainly help, I wonder how else we can build momentum, especially given our dynamic and challenging times. From the perspective of an event organizer, one answer is to commit to skiing for the greater good. racing in pursuit of a cure for cancer. Several top...
The penultimate day of the ski championships in Liberec, Czech Republic was one of ebullient hope for the future of American skiing with the races and results from the young women’s performances in the 30 kilometer mass start skate. This day also demonstrated the heights nordic sports the U.S. is reaching with Billy Demong’s win in big hill, single jump 10 kilometer (a.k.a. the Gundersen HS134/10.0), capping off three individual nordic combined gold medals in...
Were you wondering what to do with those extra two sets of fast skis? Looks like FIS has a new rule regarding equipment exchanges during competition, but I don’t see it in the current (2008) rule books. Can you exchange your poles too? Because dang, dawwg, that would totally improve my Tour time. How much more is a fast race going to cost a poor program? Will coaches gradually lose the ability to wax for longer...
Four time Olympian Alaska Sports Hall of Fame Thursday. The induction ceremony was held in the Conoco/Phillips atrium in downtown Anchorage. Although there was no sign of the state’s well known sitting Governor, the event was a “who’s-who of Alaska” affair, including former Governors and Anchorage Mayors as well as several prominent local athletes. Each inductee was introduced by former Mayor Rick Mystrom, and a video was played on a large projection screen to describe each athlete’s career...