Bente Skari (32) wants to help the Norwegian women’s team and will be a part of the coaching staff at their August camp at Kvitfjell, Norway. Skari will be focusing on helping with classic technique and championship preparations. The Women’s team coach Svein Tore Samdal had expressed interest in getting help from Bente even before she was back from her “trip around the Worldâ€. Skari considered the offer when she came back and said yes...
The American Birkie race is a little longer than 50-kilometers. Here is an article about two skiers that rollerskied a distance longer than six 50-kilometer marathon races in four days. Havard Skorstad and Sjur Borsheim, Norway recently rollerskied from Oslo to Ulvik. – I’m not interested in skiing back and fourth on a 5 kilometer long road when I’m doing long workouts. I need new challenges said Havard Skorstad. Skorstad converted from regular skier to...
Norwegian junior national team coach Jon Arne Schjetne is feeling fine about coaching skiers involved in multiple sports at a high level. He currently has two skiers on the team that are also on other sports junior national teams. Marte Elden ( www.fasterskier.com/news.php?id=1273 ) is involved with the orienteering team. Competing in these summer sports makes it impossible for the two athletes to participate at all the cross county skiing camps, but the national team...
There has been a lot of discussion about skating technique in this country in recent years. Unfortunately, it has almost all been misdirected. Instead of asking “How can we apply the advances that have been made in skating technique?†many coaches and writers ask “Has skating actually changed?†or “Are the changes in skating a good idea?†This article is written most specifically in response to Marty Hall’s three Hallmarks articles in Ski Trax last...
The July issue of Fasterskier.com’s Club subscription service was sent to subscribers on July 20. The Club provides detailed, in-depth coverage of modern and interesting issues in the sport of Cross-Country. Most of the Club’s articles will cover issues related to training and racing, and will also include material for all ages and abilities, from World Cup skiers’ training to important elements of youth and age group training and skiing. This month we include three...
Far West Nordic just completed it’s Eastern Sierra Junior Training camp. Set in the spectacular surroundings of June Lake, California (on the eastern edge of Yosemite Natl. Park near Mammoth Lakes), 26 juniors rollerskied, hiked, ski-walked, climbed and swam ‘til near exhaustion for four days. The camp was run by former 2-time Olympian and multiple national champion Nancy Fiddler, along with 5 additional Far West and Auburn Ski Club coaches. Highlights of the camp included...
The second year senior skier (22) was prior to last season one of many young and talented Cross-Country skiers in Norway. Noone raised their eyebrows at his 23rd place in the Junior World Championships two years ago. His first season as a senior skier was uneventful as well. Everything seemed as usual with his 27th place at the National season opener in Norway last November. But then something started to happen! U-23 at Soldier Hollow...
World Championship medallist Tore Ruud Hofstad is focusing on being better at what he is best at – skating. Hofstad is therefore training specifically for skating towards next season, and will let classical technique training suffer a bit.
From Race Director Travis Jones: I need to let everyone know that we have decided to cancel the Idaho Rollerski Series for 2004. we've only had a few people interested in taking part, and it's just way to much work for a field of 10 people… Sorry – maybe next year! Thanks to all for your offers of help!! Thanks, Travis Jones
After many seasons with several breaks in training due to illness and injuries, Ella Gjœmle is finally healthy and ready to train with her teammates on the Norwegian National Team. Illness and injuries have expectedly affected her prior training, but Ella now looks forward to the future. Prior to last season she decided to have her tonsils removed, which dramatically reduced her normal number of infections. Staying healthy and injury free should make a big...
Idaho Rollerski Series 2004 July 23-25, 2004 Boise, ID The Idaho Twilight Rollerski Sprint has been expanded into a series for summer 2004! This year, we have added a classic distance event and a freestyle sprint relay to the schedule to make for a full weekend of racing. SCHEDULE: Friday, July 23 MORMON CRICKET CLASSIC 1-2:00 pm Registration and Bib Pick-Up. Bogus Basin Downtown Office, 2600 Bogus Basin Road. 3:00 pm Mormon Cricket Classic. Classic...
BRIEF UPDATE ON THE CENTRAL CROSS COUNTRY SKIING REGIONAL ELITE CAMP AT CRESTHILL RESORT, HAYWARD, WI JULY 3-10, 2004 DAYS 3-6 July 9- FROM THE COACHES: Some vacationers have considered the unseasonably cool weather here in the Northwoods to be less than optimal, but the weather has been excellent for training. Our focus on Monday was strength. The morning session included an easy run on the Birkie trail with explosive ski-specific lower body strength on one of...
Our two daughters, ages 8 and 12, participated at former NBA six-time All-star Lou Hudson's basketball camp in Park City last week. Hudson’s message in his opening speech was very clear: “I’m not here to make you star basket ball players, but if you want to reach your potential and become good some day, work on fundamentals and drills.
New Zealand: Where the USST turns training into results Our skiers spent the early spring recovering from the racing season, the late spring building back up to training and starting in May they are training full-bore. With three months of training behind them the team heads to New Zealand aiming to connect the dots between rollerskiing, general and specific strength, running, bounding with the specifics of skiing on snow. Since we ski right from the...
The next Fasterskier.com training and rollerski camp will be on September 16 — 19, 2004 in Park City, Utah. The coaches Torbjorn Karlsen and John Aalberg will focus on technique and specific strength, ski-imitation and quality training for Cross-Country skiers. September is a crucial time of the year for ski training and we will help you prepare most effectively for the upcoming season. More details on camp schedule will follow in a few weeks. Make...
Participants that hadn’t followed Fasterskier.com’s recent discussion of modern intensity training got surprised at the June 10-13 Fasterskier.com’s training camp in Park City, Utah. The camp schedule for last week’s training camp started with a high intensity rollerski intervals including lactate testing and video filming on Thursday morning at 9.00 AM. We didn’t call the June FasterSkier.com an intense rollerski camp, but we could have. Five rollerski workouts, including interval, distance, technique (both classical and...
Elite skiers and ambitious juniors have rollerskied for more than one month already in their preparations for the upcoming season, while many masters are just getting going. Rollerskiing is the most specific and the best way of preparing for the upcoming season’s races. It’s also a great and fun way of adding variety to you endurance training and the only way of improving your technique in the summer and fall. So while we suggest rollerskiing,...
Gear West Ski & Run Presents a US Ski Team technique clinic fundraiser for Team Today. Saturday & Sunday, September 11-12 2004 at French Regional Park, Plymouth Minnesota. All proceeds from this event directly support Team Today and the athletes of the US Cross-country ski team and their goal of becoming the best in the world. Team Today is a nonprofit organization started and run by the athletes of the US Cross-country Ski Team. Team...
My good friend David Belz, a top 200 Birkie skier from Switzerland likes to refer to things as “alte schule†which in Swiss-German means “old schoolâ€. Nothing could be more “old school†than riding a bike with only one speed. Think back to the carefree days of your youth. Screaming down the street as an 8 year old on your Schwinn Sting Ray; never in oxygen debt, pedaling as hard and as fast as you...
A BRIEF REPORT ON THE CENTRAL CROSS COUNTRY SKIING REGIONAL ELITE CAMP AT CRESTHILL RESORT, HAYWARD, WI JULY 3-10, 2004  FIRST TWO DAYS July 5- FROM THE COACHES:Central Cross Country Skiing is hosting the Regional Elite Group training camp for the top junior and senior athletes in the Central Region (athletes from MN, WI, MI). This is a very unique opportunity for athletes to train together for the whole week without any costs to the athletes or coaches. Financial...