Athletes at all levels of the competition spectrum constantly seek the missing piece of their performance puzzle. For many years now, sport psychology has played an increasing role in solving that puzzle. From the World Cup to the junior ranks, FasterSkier explores how some skiers and coaches make use of sport psychology.
Testing outfits and performance wear in the crappiest conditions, all in the name of research. Fast Big Dog presents the latest in his gear-review series: Best in Show, for a 35-45 degree run or rollerski.
The call to climb can be strong, especially if the place to climb is located in your backyard. This week, we caught up with avid rock climber Jason Brenden for a Wednesday Workout that involves traversing the holds and building strength, all on a homemade wall. "I just didn't want to pay for a gym membership," he explained.
Happy Father's Day to all the pat-on-the-back, "go get 'em kid!" dads out there. We asked U.S. and Canadian national-team skiers to share the best advice or lessons they learned from their dad. As Ian Torchia's dad told him: "You know what happens to hot dogs, Ian? They get eaten!"
Now that you know the eating habits of some of APU's top skiers in Anchorage, Alaska, we posed the question to Stratton Mountain School skiers based in southern Vermont. Their responses (and accompanying photos) will make your taste buds tingle.
On Wednesday, June 1, U.S. Ski Team veteran Kikkan Randall plans to resume training, six weeks after giving birth to her first child. While she's admittedly antsy, she also knows it's wise to ease back into things with a goal of peaking for 2017 World Championships. “I’m really curious to see how it feels,” she said of racing. “My body is refreshed from a little break, my mind is refreshed and that could open totally new doors.”
The Memorial Day photos are in, and we can say one thing -- from Texas to New Hampshire -- you made the most of it. Check out our gallery of reader and staff submissions.
Whether you're kicking back relaxing this weekend or doing something epic and adventurous, we want to see it. MDW is the unofficial start to summer (we know, it's not winter, but try to enjoy it) and we're seeking photos of skiers in hot-weather mode.
What do athletes eat for real breakfast on real weekdays? Training day or rest day, at home or abroad, every elite athlete has a food that they’re comfortable with. We started with the APU elite team, asking them what they eat to fuel their day. Here's a photo gallery of their spreads.
"What role did you mom play in your development as a skier?" was the single question we raised to North American cross-country, biathlon and nordic combined national-team members. Many of them had a hard time holding back in their responses.
FasterSkier contributor JoJo Baldus takes us through his whirlwind of Wordloppet experiences this past winter, sharing insider details only someone who actually raced each marathon event could understand.
A group of Americans, including USSA president and CEO Tiger Shaw, explains why Switzerland's 42-kilometer Engadin freestyle marathon should be on your bucket list, and why you should do it sooner than later.
One name notably absent from the World Cup results this year is Kikkan Randall. As the U.S. Ski Team veteran nears the due date of her first child, she talks about pregnancy, training and how next season might look. "We'll go over to Europe early next year as a family," she explains. "While it’s a lot to figure out, we've got some time and we've got some good options."
An APU skier and University of Alaska-Anchorage professor shares the story of his experience at last month's Marcialonga. "The Italians are famous for their snowmaking, but it's still impressive to see a 70 k long white stripe of manmade snow that runs along an otherwise brown valley," the author recalls.
For the second installment of the "Living the Dream: The Gear Review You'll Actually Enjoy Reading", columnist and reviewer FBD takes us through an assortment of puffies: the big-boy, hard-hitting and weather-withstanding ultimate puffies, and even a bonus snorkel jacket.
Shin pain is no joke -- shin splints, bony stress injuries and exertional compartment syndrome are becoming increasingly common among cross-country skiers. Here is some help in identifying and differentiating between the three causes of lower-leg pain.
At long last, for the big items on your list (or what could be), $200-and-up gift ideas. And with that the Holiday Gift Guide is complete. Happy Holidays!
Oh, the things you can buy for the cross-country skier or all-around winter enthusiast! Go crazy with a cool duffel, toasty warm boots or overboots, a Strider bike made for little skiers, and more!
Willing to spend a little more than $25 but less than $80? Check out these extra-thoughtful and wicked-cool gift ideas.
It's here! FasterSkier’s Holiday Gift Guide, divided into four categories by price points, is meant to help you manage the holidays, whether it's browsing you seek or last-minute shopping ideas.