Interviews

Maine Winter Sports Center ski coach John Farra recently won the North American Wife-Carrying Championships. We just had to ask him a few questions. Here are a few more articles on the event: MWSC Coach John Farra Wins North American Wife-Carrying Contest 09 October 2006 http://www.sundayriver.com/summer/06NAWCCResults.pdf When I think of a wife-carrying contest, I picture “World's Strongest Man”-type guys. But you managed to win the one-minute race by ten seconds. That's a big margin. I...

Atomic’s Nordic Director, Rick Halling, caught up with Chris Cook right after the US Ski Team training camp in Lake Placid. Chris is a USSA National Champion, NCAA National Champion and 2006 Olympian. The boy from Rhinelander, Wisconsin is known for being equally competitive in skate and classic events. RH: Man, you just plain whupped the field in the sprints at last year’s Nationals. What did you have for wax that day? CC: I can’t...

Petter Northug (20) is the new sponsor favorite among Norwegian and European ski related companies. The talented youth is getting overwhelmed by all types of sponsor offers according to Norwegian newspaper VG Northug was guaranteed a base salary (before performance bonuses kick in) of more than 700,000 Norwegian kroner (roughly US $110,000) already six month ago. That is now increasing quickly. Northug has among others signed a new and improved contract with Fischer. This is...

The season is about to ramp up again. After (7) years on the US Team, what do you feel like going into another season? How goes your training? I feel better prepared on all fronts than I have the last few years. I’ve been relatively healthy and training has been really solid with continual improvements throughout the summer. We have our last testing camp in about 10 days and it will be interesting to see...

Jens Arne Svartedal has launched Petter Northug (20) as one of his toughest competitors to win the overall World Cup. (See Angerer And Björgen Favorites To Win The World Cup)

Paul Murray is Australia’s top sprinter and the first Australian to achieve World Cup points. He also achieved Australia’s highest placing at a World Championship with 31st placing in Obertsdorf. At the Olympics in Torino, illness prevented him doing his best with a 51st placing.. A back injury prevented him from racing this past Australian winter but he is hoping for a good season in Europe this year. Whilst in Europe he spends most of...

The hunt for World Cup points will be at least as important as the hunt for a medal at Worlds this season for last seasons second place finisher, Jens Arne Svartedal of Norway. Have to perform well in sprint – I depend on continuing to do well in sprint, says Jens Arne. He won the Drammen sprint last season and was fourth in Otepaee and fifth in Oberstdorf. More races Svartedal knows that he will...

The summer has been tough for Swedish Olympic champion Lina Andersson. – I have not been able to train as I had planned, says Lina to the Norbotten Kurien newspaper Lina Andersson captured gold along with Anna Dahlberg in the two-person classic sprint relay in Turin. The post Olympic season was however poor due to illness and Lina has now had a tough summer due to pollen allergy. – Lots of pollen all summer has...

Clare-Louise Brumley posted Australia’s best ever female cross-country ski performance at an Olympic Games in Torino. She finished 42nd out of 67 less than 10% behind winner Kristina Smigun of Estonia in the 15km Pursuit. Unfortunately she also suffers from exercise induced asthma. She was selected to ski the 30km freestyle at the Olympics but bronchitis exacerbated her asthma and she was unable to compete. Here is an interview I did with her:

Beckie Scott (CAN), 2002 Olympic Champion in the pursuit and 2006 Olympic Silver Medalist in the sprint relay, finished second in the overall Viessmann FIS World Cup Cross-Country 2005/06 standings. After ten World Cup seasons and her third Olympics, Beckie retired at the end of last season. However, in her case retirement has not meant leaving the sports world — quite the opposite! FIS Newsflash recently had a chance to interview Beckie. FIS Newsflash: How...

Caroline Tangen (21), the 2005 junior World champion is back on the trails. Caroline Tangen was on of Norway’s best juniors for four years, but chose to take a break from serious training and racing last season. The 21-year old is now back ion full training and her goal is to do well among the senior elite. – It will be tough to be competitive with the best and I need to be patient. I...

Chris Cook Age: 26 Personal Coach: Chris Grover Cook emulating Packer employee #4 in a San Diego pickup game on the beach. Koos photo. Springtime- back home in Rhinelander the whole time, or any notable trips? No real notable trips, but I did spend a lot of time talking to schools throughout the state about the Olympic experience and how they can excell in anything they set their heart on. Best of luck with the...

Morgan Arritola Age: 20 Personal Coaches: Pat Casey and Matt Whitcomb Torin Koos is a member of the National A Team for the United States. A World Cup, World Championship and Olympic competitor, Koos brings this experience to the FasterSkier sportscasting arena for the 2006/2007 season. Equipment: Rossignol Skis, Boots and Bindings, Toko gloves and wax, Marwe, Exel poles, Rudy Project Eyewear, Powerbar Home Ski Club: Leavenworth Winter Sports Club ( www.usapears.com ) Best Western...

Leif Zimmermann Age:22 Personal Coach: Myself, Dragan Danevski Hometown: Bozeman, Montana Leif doing what he does best, gliding at the 2005 US Nationals 30km. Koos photo. www.skileavenworth.com ) Headgear Sponsor: USA Pears ( www.icicleinn.com ) BioSports NorthWest Physical Therapy (

Swedish supertalent wants to show the ski world what he is capable of.

Andrew XGames Newell Age: 22 Hometown: Shaftsbury VT Personal Coach: Chris Grover What about the snowboard concussion story? Yeah… I was snowboarding with Foster and some guys two days after I got back from Japan spring World Cups. Apparently I went big off the knoll and whacked my noggin pretty good. I woke up in the hospital. I still don’t remember going to the mountain or anything that happened that day. It was funny –...

Matt Gelso Age: 17 Personal Coach: Jeff Schloss Hometown: Truckee, CA http://www.wunderground.com/US/CA/Truckee.html?bannertypeclick=big2. What is your first impression about training with the Continental Cup and World Cup teams? It seems like the team gets along very well. Many of the team are fairly like minded in their competitive drive and everyone seems to be pretty down to earth and intelligent. The team has good chemistry. What are you looking forward to getting accomplished at the July...

Liz Stephen Age: 19 Liz Stephen (L) sharing the podium’s top step at the 2006 US Olympic Trials with Kikkan Randall. USST photo archive. www.skileavenworth.com ) Headgear Sponsor: USA Pears ( www.icicleinn.com ) BioSports NorthWest Physical Therapy (

Tazlina Mannix Age: 20 Hometown: Talkeetna, Alaska www.skileavenworth.com ) Headgear Sponsor: USA Pears ( www.icicleinn.com ) BioSports NorthWest Physical Therapy (

Andrew ‘AJ’ Johnson Age: 28 Hometown: Greensboro, VT. Park City, UT. AJ in Baja Summer life in Park City: How's the Home Depot gig going? The Home Depot Olympic Job Opportunity Program still provides me with flexible, part time work at their stores and is a crucial part of my support structure. I’m also going to school part time – taking a couple classes at Westminster. That’s fun. I haven’t taken a class since ’99...