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If we take a leap forward to the most recent world championship in Trondheim in 1997, the situation is turned on its ear. The media are often elevating us, and especially me, into the clouds. Now we have taken Gunde’s place. Some have written about “King Bjœrn.” Everyone wants an interview, everyone wants me to be on their side to get their own exclusive scoop, everyone looks for funny, original twists. For me and my...

I just finished getting dressed to go ski on the first day of our recent trip to West Yellowstone. I was about ready to step out the door when my wife said, “You look good”. I stopped dead in my tracks. My wife does not frequently disburse compliments to me. In fact, it is a rare occasion that I do anything right at all. She must have noticed the slightly incredulous look on my face...

In the Shadow of King Gunde Journalists are there, always, everywhere. Without them it would be much duller, but also simpler. So I wanted to write about my relationship to newspapers, radio and TV. If I should use one word to describe the development for the almost ten years I have been on the national team, it must be change. The cross-country skiing national team relationship to the media has changed, the media have changed,...

Copyright 2003, David Susong, used by permission I don’t want to go skiing! I stopped in my tracks when my daughter offhandedly said these words. I slowly turned around and gave her a piercing glare. She again said, matter of factly, “I don’t want to go skiing today” and finished with a slight turn of her head and for final punctuation raised her nose in the air. As a skiing obsessed parent these words sent...

(Editor’s note: The Norwegian language contains the word “ildsjel” which has no direct translation. Some potential translations would be enthusiast, fanatic or zealot — but those all miss the mark. Ildsjelene are those who give selflessly of themselves as leaders and support personnel in community activities and are quite simply the backbone of the Norwegian sport club system. I have chose to use the phrase “dedicated soul” in this chapter’s translation.) Behind most all elite...

I was in the right place at the right time, from the inspiring environment in Bjerke ski club to the Norwegian Ski Wonder. There is where we have an important part of the explanation of why I became the world’s best skier. But I constantly meet people who say that that cannot be the whole explanation. “There were, of course, others in these groups,” they say. “But it was you who became World and Olympic...

Following the outstanding US Team results at the World Championships, we have had a number of people write in to ask, “Is the US Team really that much faster now, or is there just less doping among the other top nations?” We decided to ask Pete Vordenberg, US Ski Team assisant coach to answer this question. Yesterday was Hollmenkollen extrordinare. It was raining and snowing and foggy and the trails were lined with people who...

But when the Olympic decision was made in 1988, it was no guarantee that the cross-country skiing events in Lillehammer would be a Norwegian success. Only very few had any faith in Norwegian skiing. It was the Swedes, with Gunde Svan as a powerful front man, who dominated. The mood of the team when I joined was simply not good. When we rode the participant bus to the World Championships in Lahti, Finland, in 1989...

Here at FasterSkier, we have received a lot of inquires about how those of us in the USA can watch World Cup and World Championships races on TV or on the Internet. As I said in my article about the WC Relay, I have been following the results of the World Championships live on the internet. But sometimes that is just not enough. I wanted to see the skiers in action – to watch the...

(Beginning of book’s 3rd chapter: “Why I Became Good”) I was lucky. Time after time I was at the right place at the right time. I lived in Nannestad with its club, Bjerke, which had one of Norway’s best and most exciting cross-country skiing communities. We had top skiers like Lars Erik Eriksen and Anette Bœe and the dynamic and inspiring leader Terje Bogen. Naturally it was great for development to be a young and...

Excerpts from the training log It’s Monday February 10th, 2003 and I’m just back from skiing classic up Mill Creek Canyon just above Salt Lake City with John Aalberg. 38F, lots of snow, super, double classic tracks, one set on each side of this wide road that is closed during the winter and groomed for XC skiers. We waxed with Rode Multi Grade covered with Red Extra —OK, but slippery at the start but it...

I believe many in Norway wish that we are among the world’s best cross-country skiers. Just think about the atmosphere in Lillehammer and in Trondheim. There is no doubt that what happened there meant a lot to many people in our country. I myself become moved when some one stops me on the street and thanks me, or when I get a letter from people who tell me how much it means to them when...

In 1995 Vegard Ulvang and I were the honorary starters in the Grete Waitz Race: we were the only two men in a sea of 48,000 women. Do you think we were noticed? My advice to all men interested in getting married: take a trip to Oslo on the weekend they organize this race! Afterwards we had an interesting discussion with Grete. We realized that we all shared the same opinions on the developments in...

The Boulder Mountain Tour is a great event for first time racers. It is well organized, always has good ski conditions and the course is well prepped. It also serves as a good motivational annual event for many skiers. For many skiers its also a good break from races with harder courses. The conditions were warm, with mostly moist and transformed snow. The overnight temperature was about 32F and at start time it was around 35F....