A former VAMP, Nancy Fiddler takes a close look at one of the country's largest all-female masters nordic groups, Muffy Ritz's VAMPS program in Sun Valley, Idaho, which caps out at 130 participants each year.
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Masters
The Masters category is devoted to those Nordic skiers who have figured out how to balance skiing with family and work. Here you will find coverage of major masters races and news from around the country.
‘Train Like A Birkie’ Camp Timed for Fat Tire Bike Festival, with Elliott Back in Town
Alex KochonAugust 9, 2013
Tad Elliott's headed back to Wisconsin for another "Train Like A Birkie Champion" camp, this time with his mountain bike. Organizer Bill Pierce added a mountain-bike component to this year's three-day camp (Sept. 6-8) to appease Elliott and all the citizens/masters that train for more than just the Birkie. Pierce is also hoping to raise $4,000 for the Birkie Skier Development Fund.
Wednesday Workout: The Art of Tapering
Alex KochonJuly 24, 2013
In this edition of the Wednesday Workout, we talk about tapering and present some conventional wisdom along with endurance-specific tips. Zach Caldwell explains what some of his professional skiers do to rest up for a big event, and explains why there's no sure-fire method of peaking.
Worldloppet Meeting Means Big Things for Smaller Ski Nations, Passport Holders
Alex KochonJune 20, 2013
For the first time in 15 years, the Worldloppet Annual General Meeting returned to where it was essentially born in northern Wisconsin. There, an estimated 45 delegates from 16 nations met to invite four more countries to the party, with Argentina, China, Iceland and New Zealand being granted associate status and their own Worldloppet marathons.
FasterSkier recently sat down with ultramarathon legend Scott Jurek over coffee in Boulder, Colo., to ask him about his background in skiing, his lifelong passion for running and his transition to a new phase of his career. When it comes to love of sport, his words are applicable whether you're a runner or a skier.
BiathlonCanadian National Ski TeamContinental CupJuniorsMastersNordic CombinedRacingUS Ski TeamWorld Cup
Weekly Roundup: Norway, Khanty-Mansiysk, Toblach and Fairbanks
Chelsea LittleMarch 18, 2013
From Drammen to nearby Oslo, to a frigid and snowy biathlon weekend in Siberia, and Norwegian dominance and U.S. junior nationals - a lot of exciting racing this weekend, much of it with extra significance as the end of the season draws near.
Birkie More Popular Than Ever, Sells Out in Record Time
Alex KochonOctober 17, 2012
Those unfamiliar with the American Birkebeiner and cross-country ski culture in the Midwest might not get it. How does a point-to-point ski marathon in northern Wisconsin 120 truckloads to Main Street. There, they spread the pristine white stuff 6 inches to a foot deep for the ½-kilometer finish. The ABSF also made sure the Birkie trail was in tact, unloading 500 totes of snow – each weighing 300 pounds – on the course, and shoveling...
Fewer Than 500 Spots Left for 2013 Birkie/Korte
Alex KochonOctober 12, 2012
Birkie and Korte Close to Closing ( This is the Final Update: Please birkie@birkie.com or call 715-634-5025.
When the head of F.A.S.T. Performance Training in Hayward, Wis., Bill Pierce heard Tad Elliott pulled off a cross-Atlantic trip to win the American Birkebeiner last February, he knew he had to have him back in town. Matt Liebsch, one of the Midwest’s nordic heroes and 2009 Birkie champion, thought the same. In July, F.A.S.T. held its first “Train Like a Birkie Champion” “Live & Ski Like a Champion” Purpose: This camp designed for the...
Train With Birkie Champions! Matt Liebsch & Jennie Bender July 27-29 in Seeley, Wis. (Just ten miles north of Hayward) Imagine how much your skiing will improve by spending a weekend dryland training with Birkie Champions Matt Liebsch and Jennie Bender at the fastperformancetraining@gmail.com or, call 612-590-1427. CAMP SCHEDULE Friday, July 27, 2012: 3-5pm: Check in at Lenroot Lodge and Sawmill Saloon 5-6:15pm: Intro to the fundamental movements of Nordic skiing with Bill Pierce. Dryland skills and technique...
(Note: On April 25, the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation announced it issued a formulated a plan to build about five acres of trails and a new trailhead on 120 acres south of Cable. Telemark joined the conversation and released a proposal of its own in late March. In a bullet-point letter, Telemark Resort outlined several possible solutions for keeping the race there, which included guaranteed easements to Telemark trails for Birkie events, free year-round access...
That last ski of the season might not have set well this year. You weren’t exactly ready. Some places enjoyed sufficient snow dumpings this winter, but on the whole, it just wasn’t enough. It ended too soon. Certain parts of the country aren’t quite in summer mode yet. Snow has been known to make April appearances, and some ski towns recently saw a late-season blast of the white stuff. But in Hayward, Wis., home of...
All American Birkebeiner coverage is brought to you through the generous support of SkiErg. Dr. Ian Duncan’s first phone call to Vegard Ulvang two years ago met a little dead air. It wasn’t that Ulvang, the executive director of the International Ski Federation’s cross-country committee, didn’t want to talk. He couldn’t at the time. The former Norwegian cross-country skiing superstar had the Olympics to tend to. Last summer, Duncan, a world-renowned National Multiple Sclerosis Society researcher...
RUMFORD, Maine – Swirling around the Black Mountain venue was news that Justin Freeman was done. After 16 consecutive U.S. Cross Country Championships, including his recent appearance at this year’s nationals, the 35-year-old Olympian, national champion and brother of current U.S. Ski Team veteran, Kris, wouldn’t be back. Of course, that all depended, Freeman said in phone conversation on Saturday. “It’s my last consecutive nationals,” he clarified. “It’s unlikely that I won’t be back.” Soon...
Long-distance classic races on March 11 wrapped up the racing action for the 2011 World Masters. The week was filled with impressive race performances and thrilling finishes on the world-class trail system at Sovereign Lake Nordic Center, Silver Star, BC.
It was a day of clouds, blowing snow and dropping temperature, it was a day of national pride. In a day of relay competitions one country has to come out on top and today, once again, that was Russia. Russia finished the day with 14 medals, the United States 12, Canada nine, Germany four, Italy two and France with one. The relays often will provide the most exciting races and finishes and today was no...
Glenn Bond Returns to Racing for Masters World Cup
Inge ScheveFebruary 15, 2011
Those who have been around North American racing for a while will recall Glenn Bond, who raced full-time with the Canadian team from 1992 to 2002. Well, Bond is back. This serves as your warning.
Masters World Cup Preview – Part 2
Inge ScheveFebruary 10, 2011
More than 1,200 racers from 28 countries are expected to compete at the 2011 Masters World Cup in March. What to do in Silver Star/Sovereign Lake and the Vernon, B.C., area when not skiing, waxing, racing or recovering? Bringing the family, and they’re not racing? No problem.
Masters World Cup 2011 - what to expect in terms of courses, waxing, accommodations and
Deadline For Masters’ World Cup Fast Approaching
Ben TheyerlFebruary 7, 2011
With only one week left until close of registration, the 2011 Sparking Hill Masters World Cup slated for Sovereign Lake/Silver Star, British Columbia (March 4-11) has already attracted a field of over 800 skiers from nearly 20 countries. The Masters World Cup serves as the age group World Championships for master skiers age 30 and older (age as of 12/31/2010). The only eligibility requirement for the MWC is current membership in your national masters association...