Time to get in shape for the skiing season! Even though it’s summer, many resorts cater skiing enthusiasts during this season. However, hitting the slopes right away without exercising enough leaves you with sore muscles screaming in pain the following day. Therefore, you must take your muscles through a thorough training program before you slip into your skiing boots. You would be wise not to wait until the last moment and avoid achy muscles performing...
Gian-Franco Kasper, the President of FIS for the past 23 years, will step down after a new candidate is elected at the FIS virtual FIS Congress on Friday, June 4th. The new President will be only the fifth person to hold that role since the inception of FIS in 1924. The elections come at an inflection point within the organization as it looks to navigate the ski sports under its governance into a new, post-pandemic...
Yesterday the International Biathlon Union announced their modified fluoro ban for the 2021-2022 season. The brief: C8 fluoros are banned, while C6 fluoros are permitted. The International Ski Federation (FIS) announced on Tuesday they too are moving in a similar direction. “FIS has prohibited any products containing C8 fluorocarbons/PFOA at all FIS events from season 2021/2022 onwards, in line with the EU Regulation 2019/1021 (“POP-regulation”) and EC Regulation 1907/2006 („REACH“-regulation), which regulate the handling of fluorinated...
With time to spare before the 2021-2022 race season, the International Biathlon Union clarified on Monday their fluoro wax policy. In a press release titled “IBU bans harmful fluor products from biathlon events,” the sport governing body banned the use of C8 fluorinated products. C8 compounds, also known as PFOAs, are eight chain fluorocarbons that have historically been used to enhance ski speed in certain conditions. The IBU’s stance brings it into compliance with current...
Medical conditions pose one of the biggest stumbling blocks travellers face when it comes to buying travel insurance. According to the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), more than 14 million people with underlying health conditions try to purchase travel insurance every year – a significant percentage of the overall market. Of these, an estimated one in 10 end up travelling with insurance that is not appropriate for them, leaving them exposed to sky-high...
Yarmouth High School seeks a head Nordic ski coach for the 2021-2021 season to continue its 30+ year legacy as one of Maine’s premier public school racing programs. This team is well-funded by an active parent-booster program that perennially produces some of the top athletes in the Western Maine Class B Conference and the state. Candidates for this paid position should have USSA-level coaching experience and racing experience, as well as a high level of...
Whether cycling, rollerskiing, or apparently spring skate skiing, road rash is almost inevitable. Maybe more annoying than painful, but definitely damaging to the ego, road rash is not necessarily difficult to treat. Contrary to popular belief, it acts much more like a burn than an abrasion. Also, contrary to popular belief, treatment should not attempt to dry it out. Step 1. Cleaning Make sure your hands are clean or gloved. Clean the area with water. If...
General Manager Mt. Hood’s Teacup Nordic is looking for an experienced, broadly capable General Manager. This “Mountain Manager” will be excited to lead and execute all venue and operations work as well as support coaches focused on our programs. Teacup Nordic is the primary venue and programs provider for the Nordic skiing community of Portland Metro & Hood River County areas. Since 1979, Teacup has been a community-supported non-profit offering 20+ Km of expertly-groomed...
The decade of the aughts witnessed the decimation of wide swaths of forest in Colorado due to a pine beetle infestation. This was no slow drip affair. What was a tree-to-tree process eventually swallowed whole green mountainsides morphing them into a desiccated dead-tree blight. Those dead trees, unable to hold moisture, were hundred-foot matchsticks during wildfire season. Over the past few decades, an ominous cycle prevailed. Warming temperatures due to climate change made life easier...
George Hovland was convinced that skiing saved his life. What is known for certain is that Hovland dedicated his life to skiing. Credited as a pioneer who championed the cause of both downhill and cross-country skiing in the Northland region of Minnesota, Hovland, a former United States Olympic cross-country ski racer, died on May 9th from complications that arose following hip surgery that was the result of a fall Hovland took two weeks earlier. He...
Middlebury College is seeking applicants for the position of assistant coach for the men’s and women’s nordic ski team. The assistant coach works in conjunction with the head coach in leading all aspects of the nordic skiing program. To learn more about this full-time, benefits eligible position and to apply, please visit: https://middlebury.peopleadmin.com/postings/23480 Please contact head coach Andrew Johnson with any questions. Email: arjohnson@middlebury.edu Phone: 801-448-3757
Due to the start of the rollerski season, we are republishing this story to help promote best practices when rollerskiing on the open road. Making yourself visible while rollerskiing is a must. And with a recent reminder from U.S. Ski Team (USST) World Cup coach Matt Whitcomb, the time of year has come when many skiers are training on roads in lower angle sunlight as we tip away from the Sun in the Northern Hemisphere. Below...
It could be the time of year, it might be a lockdown has been initiated; whatever the reason, the truth is few of us can ski or practice winter sports as much as we would like. This is a frustrating situation and makes it harder to maintain fitness and keep our skiing skills sharp. With this in mind, what do we do in the months when hitting the slopes is impossible. Here’s some ideas. Read...
Position Information Working Title: Head Coach (Men’s and Women’s Nordic Ski) UW System Title: Head Coach Essential Job Functions This position reports to the Deputy Director of Athletics and is responsible for the leadership and organization of all aspects of a successful Division 1 intercollegiate Men’s and Women’s Nordic Ski program. This position includes the following responsibilities: Planning and conducting tryouts and practices. Identification, assessment, and recruitment of qualified student athletes. Development of training and...
Job Summary: Under the supervision of the Head Coach, the purpose of this position is to use athletics as a tool to educate college students. By using inter-collegiate competition and all activities related to such competition, this position serves as a teacher and mentor to help build student character, prepare students for a constructive and effective life, and teach valuable life lessons including work ethic; discipline; resilience; persistence; teamwork and selflessness; goal-setting and goal achievement;...
Last week, the International Ski Federation (FIS) held spring meetings to discuss the 2021-2022 cross-country race season. The Cross-Country Committee made several proposals that remain to be approved by the FIS Council. A familiar-looking draft of the 2021-2022 World Cup calendar was proposed. Ruka, Finland will kick off racing with a three-race weekend at the end of November. This series, however, will not be organized as a mini-tour. Period I advances with three races in...
The Bethel Outing Club seeks a Program Director/Head Coach to launch their 3-year initiative ‘Maine West Project Play.’ A successful candidate will be: Creative in designing an outdoor sport program that equally emphasizes physical literacy and social/emotional well-being. Resourceful in managing existing program assets and developing new funding streams. Collaborative in reinforcing community partnerships and broadening the reach of the program. Committed to ensuring that all members of our community have access to high quality...
Pursuing my interest in the French women’s team further, I was put in contact with Thibaut Chene, the women’s coach for L’équipe de France. Before coaching the women’s national team, Chene worked with the French junior team for four years. Thus, many of the women now at the senior level have worked with him since they were junior skiers. In 2015, the prior women’s team coach, Anaël Huard, left and Chene took over. An article written at...
The Journal of Science in Sport and Exercise recently published a paper titled ‘Preparing for the Nordic Skiing Events at the Beijing Olympics in 2022: Evidence-Based Recommendations and Unanswered Questions’, written by Øyvind Sandbakk, Guro Strøm Solli, Rune Kjøsen Talsnes, and Hans-Christer Holmberg. This is essential reading for anyone who is hoping to represent their country next year, covering the basics of elevation, time zone changes, cold weather, and the possibility of race format changes...
Do you find you are often stressed and feeling anxious in the workplace? Do you often feel overwhelmed and wonder how you’re even going to get through your day, all while trying to stay calm and focused? Workplace stress isn’t new, and anyone can suffer from it, no matter the job or the industry. What isn’t okay, however, is telling yourself, “It’s just part of the job” and not taking steps to remedy it. Here...