Al Serrano – FasterSkier

Need for U.S. Technical Delegates Rises as Current TDs Approach Retirement

Gabby NaranjaJanuary 26, 2017

At Norway’s 2015/2016 season-opening International Ski Federation (FIS) weekend, defending World Champion Martin Johnsrud Sundby was in for a surprise. The final starter to hit the deteriorating tracks in the 15-kilometer classic individual start, the Norwegian initially posted the fastest overall time, only to later be an obstruction of competition“, switching lanes before completely clearing his competitor’s skis. While being the athlete in either of the above situations is never easy, difficult too is the position of technical delegates (TD) who...

Continental Cup Racing

Newell Skis Away with Classic Sprint Win at SuperTour Finals

Audrey ManganApril 7, 20131

As the fifth-ranked sprinter in the world this year and the only guy on the World Cup to qualify for the heats in every sprint he started, Andy Newell returned to the domestic sprint scene on Saturday as the odds-on favorite. Despite a challenging wax day at SuperTour Finals, he delivered the win he'd hoped for, besting Pat O'Brien and Erik Bjornsen in second and third, respectively.

Biathlon Collegiate Juniors

Spare Rounds: Follow the Money

Chelsea LittleJune 14, 2012

Our recent series on biathletes facing the question of when and whether to go to college (parts two, and

Biathlon Collegiate Juniors

Spare Rounds: Before You Go To School…. Wait!

Chelsea LittleJune 11, 2012

Our recent series on biathletes facing the question of when and whether to go to college (parts two, and first part of our series, we focused on several elite junior biathletes who, bucking the conventions of the early- and mid-2000’s, decided to go to college before returning – often extremely successfully – to biathlon. Without a single exception, the five athletes said that today’s juniors should not rule college out as a means of facilitating...

Biathlon Olympics World Cup

Bucking Conventions, U.S. Biathletes Prove That College Isn’t a Barrier to Long-Term Success

Chelsea LittleMay 21, 20124

Once the country’s best juniors, a handful of biathletes – including Lowell Bailey, ranked 14th in the 2012 World Cup standings – detoured through college programs before representing the U.S. at World Championships and the Olympics.

Collegiate Continental Cup News Regional / Local World Cup

U.S., Canada Face Homologation Crunch as FIS Deadline Looms (updated)

Chelsea LittleJuly 1, 20117

Holding elite level events, whether World Cup races, National Championships or just FIS points competitions, pose numerous challenges for organizers and National Governing Bodies in the US and Canada. Over the course of the summer FasterSkier will examine the various issues at hand. Today we start with a piece on homologation, with future topics to include snowmaking and prize money, among others. Until this year, the U.S. and Canada have had reprieve from the International...

Continental Cup General News Racing US Nationals

Tuesday Video Updates from Rumford

FasterSkierJanuary 4, 2011

Thirty hours of snowmaking has left varying levels of cover on the trails in Rumford, the site of the 2011 U.S. National Championships. On Tuesday morning, athletes trained and coaches tested on a 900-meter loop, while organizers and volunteers were using shovels, dump trucks, groomers, and even chainsaws to prepare a course for Wednesday’s classic distance races. Their efforts were focused primarily on a one-kilometer extension to the 1.4-k sprint course used for Sunday’s classic...

Continental Cup General

A (Long) First-Person Perspective on Homologation – It’s Easier and Harder than You Think!

Chelsea LittleOctober 30, 2010

Back in June, Nat Herz ran a piece on homologation called “It’s Not as Boring as You Think.” Since then, I’ve gone through most of the process while working for the Craftsbury Outdoor Center. Nat was right. It’s not boring. However, the relative ease or difficulty of some parts of the process took me by surprise. Since Nat introduced the concept of homologation on a theoretical level, I thought I would provide a first-person perspective...