23 Nations, 1,223 competitors, and five days of racing with as many as eight races in a day – The 2008 Masters World Cup in McCall, Idaho was a resounding success. This was the third Masters World Cup held in the United States and first since Lake Placid, N.Y., hosted the 1998 games. A record contingent of 660 Americans attended, along with 152 Canadians and 122 Russians. The Russian team put on an impressive display,...
This is not a report about the results at the Masters World Cup taking place this week in McCall, Idaho. Results for the races can be found at http://www.mwc2008.com/ It is also not a feature about notable personalities, of which there are many. Former Olympians are here as well as people who have been skiing only a few years. My observations are made at my first Masters World Cup as a participant. I have watched...
Today was one of the most exhilarating and exciting experiences in my athletic life. To put things in perspective, I have participated in skiing at high levels my whole life. I was on two Cross Country World Junior Teams, skied in college, was on the US Ski Team for 4 years, was on the 1992 US Olympic Team, was on the US Biathlon team for 4 years, won national championships, and also have won American...
Editor's Note: Due to the sheer number of events being held each day, FasterSkier will nop be able to provide detailed recaps – there are as many as 72 podium finishers on each day of racing. We will attempt to communicate some of the highlights, but please look over the result sheets to recognize the fine performances by the skiers who are not singled out in our articles. The 2008 Master's World Cup kicked off...
World Masters is set to start in just two days — a celebration of Cross-Country skiing bringing together thousands of participants from skiing nations around the world. Held in McCall, Idaho, this year’s event features a staggering number of American participants. Over 600 US master skiers of all levels and ages will be competing. Says US National Masters Director John Downing, “The really cool thing about the massive US numbers this year is that not...
Nathan Schultz is the owner of Boulder Nordic Sport and a former ski racer. www.bouldernordicsport.com The Master World Cup comes to McCall, Idaho Mar 1-7, 2008 and it is looking to be a big event. Boulder Nordic Sport is running a Race Waxing Service at World Masters and in preparation I previewed the courses and tested grinds in McCall February 16 and 17th. I also had the chance to talk to John Downing, the National...
McCall, Idaho – For the first time in a decade, cross-country skiers in the United States have a chance to compete against an international Masters field on their own turf for a change in McCall, Idaho. But if you want to participate in the Masters World Cup, you need to register by Feb. 4 for the full week of racing events for Nordic skiers aged 30 and up. The event runs from March 1-7, 2008...
The last several weeks have provided numerous strong snow systems that have covered the Ponderosa State Park trails just outside downtown McCall, Idaho with a strong snow base of two feet heading into the new year. Good news on the early snow front (hardly unusual in McCall, but still nice to hear these days) comes as early USA entries to the world's largest traveling winter championship event surpass the 250 skier mark. The March 1-7...
Well, we are a a week or two late posting these results. We got caught up in the Junior Nationals, NCAA Championships, World Juniors, U23 CHampionships, and World Cup and accidentally overlooked the Master World Cup in Rovaniemi, Finland on March 4-10. We apologize to those participants and Masters fans who were looking for these results. Here is a link to all the Masters World Cup results: http://personal.inet.fi/private/tanu/mwc2007/results.htm The USA had some great finishes in...
American Cross Country Skiers (AXCS) and The Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation (MBSEF) will host the 2007 National Masters Cross Country Skiing Championships on Mt. Bachelor’s Nordic trail system, March 21-25. The event will offer classic, skate, skiathlon and relay races and serve as the U.S. National Championship for citizen skiers age 25 and older. Ben Husaby, MBSEF Nordic Director, says snow conditions will be ideal for the event. “While most of the country has...
With each and every new update from the Birkie Board, the participants in the 2007 American Birkebeiner either breathed a sigh of relief or cursed the snow gods once again. A week which kept skiers on an emotional roller coaster rose to a Birkie fever pitch on Friday morning when it was announced that the Birkie would be held but that it would be Oppet Spar or an “open track eventâ€. That was quite a...
Patrick Weaver and Suzanne King, fresh off their victories in the California Gold Rush, returned to their home town of Bend OR on Thursday to claim the fastest times of the day in the National Masters Pursuit (Skiathlon) race. The races featured skiers from all around the United States, including a number of recent World Champions and National/World medalists (plus a handful of former U.S. Olympians). The pursuitstarted with an 8km classic leg followed by...
On March 22-26, 2006 skiers of all abilities from throughout North America will be able to enjoy three days of fantastic ski events in the Oregon Cascades, incredible afternoon options for spring adventures in the Central Oregon high desert, and plenty of social/recreational events for all ages. All of this wrapped up in one of America's great vacation destinations…Bend/Mt Bachelor, Oregon. For the first time ever, the National Masters has been scheduled for the very...
The 2006 Masters World Cup provided a fine prelude to the Torino Olympics. The championship was hosted by the town of Brusson in the picturesque Ayas Valley in the Aosta region north of Torino. The Ayas Valley is nestled in under Monte Rosa, sharing the view of the peaks visible form Zermatt and Charmonix on the respective Swiss and French sides of the same mountains. The ski conditions were first class, and the experienced World...
We've had lots of people ask us for results from the Masters World Cup races currently taking place in Brusson, Italy. We didn't post them sooner, because it took us this long to find them. The results are pretty hard to track down, especially if you don't speak Italian. Go to this page:
Preparations for the 2006 National Masters season-ender in Bend, Oregon (March 22-26, 2006) continue at a furious pace over the early winter weeks. Come March, skiers from throughout the U.S. as well as several foreign countries will enjoy a long weekend filled with three race events, numerous social activities, demos, clinics, downtown awards, XC youth festival, plus unlimited dryland adventures once the on-snow fun has wrapped up each day. Mother Nature has already done her...
Central Cross Country Skiing (CXC) is pleased to announce the CXC Masters Cup. A fun new age handicap point system race series for all area master level CXC members. The idea behind the system is to get as many citizens involved in CXC FIS SuperTour cross country ski races. These shorter high-speed events are the best way to develop faster times for the big ones in February and March. It will give master racers an...
So, have you read the press releases about the “best field in North America this year”, great conditions, fun atmosphere, etc? The Spring Series folks have done an excellent job promoting the race, but today it became time to “walk the walk” as the series opened with a rolling pursuit at Devil's Thumb Ranch, near Tabernash, Colorado. I plunked down my credit card last week and signed up for the entire series – in the...
St. Paul, Minnesota Per K. Johnsen South Colby, Washington Kongsberger Ski Club Team TorbjœrnSport An unusual winter with little snow added a great deal of uncertainty and worry for the organizers of the 2005 National Masters Cross Country ski races. The original venue of Battle Creek looked for a while to have good conditions for the races, but a couple of warm days ruined those plans. But with optimism, good cheer, and skill the committee...
Masters Nationals starts January 30. You can still enter. Here is the latest press release and event schedule. AXCS National Masters 2005 Contact Information: Brent Oja 612-386-4412