Think of it as nationals Part II. After two races to kick off the 2016 U.S. Cross Country Championships in Houghton, Mich., (the 10/15 k classic and skate sprint), athletes and coaches had two days off to prepare for the last two races on Thursday and Saturday: the freestyle mass start and classic sprint, respectively.
With a tough psyche and plenty of team support, Chelsea Holmes raced to her first win of the season during the women's SuperTour 10 k classic mass start on Sunday in Sun Valley, Idaho, ahead of APU teammate Becca Rorabaugh in second and Craftsbury's Caitlin Patterson in third.
After rebounding from separate scary incidents, APU's Scott Patterson and Eric Packer showed their desire to be back on top of the SuperTour, placing first and third in Sunday's 15 k classic mass start in Sun Valley. Patterson won by more than 30 seconds and CU's Mads Strøm edged Packer for second.
On a bluebird day in Sun Valley, APU's Becca Rorabaugh skied to her strengths to win the women's SuperTour classic sprint final, while Craftsbury skiers Kaitlynn Miller and Caitlin Patterson fed off their teammates' success to round out the podium in second and third.
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After surgery on his hand and then a knee injury, U.S. Ski Team member Erik Bjornsen recently resumed full-on training, and did so with the help of French biathlete and multiple-time world champion Martin Fourcade in France. "It's crazy to see how famous he is," Bjornsen says. "He’s just a normal guy."
Press release) Many US elite athletes are currently training on Eagle Glacier in Alaska. I thought you all might be interested to have some insight on what it is like waxing and training up there. Here are some thoughts from Brian Gregg on last year’s camp: Summer Skiing on Eagle Glacier Report By Brian Gregg I love roller skiing but it is no match for skiing fresh corduroy on a bluebird day, especially...
In April, FasterSkier contributor Seth Adams joined the volunteer ranks of NANANordic and headed north to Noorvik -- a remote city in the Alaska's Northwest Arctic. The following is his editorial recapping the experience.
This summer APU is hosting a masters on-snow ski camp at the Thomas Training Center on Eagle Glacier. Come experience glacier training, just as APU’s Elite team and Olympians Kikkan Randall, Holly Brooks, Erik and Sadie Bjornsen make their seasons. “Skiers are made in the Summer” The camp is coached by APU Elite coach Erik Flora, Greta Anderson and Galen Johnson. Erik has coached at Olympic and World Championship levels, including three time Overall World...
An intimate look at first-timer Seth Adams' adventures with NANANordic, which introduces youth to nordic skiing in remote regions of Northwest Alaska.
Alaska Pacific University's first and second teams overcame deep, new snow to claim the top two spots in Tuesday's 4 x 5 k mixed relay at the 2015 SuperTour Finals in Sun Valley, Idaho. Stratton Mountain School T2 skied to third behind the two APU teams.
APU Nordic Ski Center is accepting new members for the Summer-only Bridge Program. What: The Bridge program is geared for college age student-athletes (high school graduates through U23), but for those with other academic commitments from Fall to Spring. The goal of this program is to bridge the gap between ski seasons and other potential gaps in areas of training and ski sport education. Bridge participants will train and learn about elite level cross country...
Kikkan Randall's been home for just over a week, and in a phone interview on Tuesday, she said she was ready for the break. "It wasn’t an easy decision to leave the racing circuit ... but with Falun being my big goals, I wanted to really try to make a drastic change," she says.
Part of the joy and the pain and, ultimately, the poetry of a lifetime of skiing is how the sport focuses one’s attention on natural processes that are both cyclical and unpredictable. This year Southcentral Alaska caught its first real snow on Oct. 20, and early season skiing has been great, but not in the usual ways or places.
Anchorage, AK – The Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center will take on a new look this season. APU is partnering with Craft Sportswear, a global outdoor wear company that also outfits the Swedish National Nordic ski team. The APU Nordic Team will be suited up in Craft’s new custom training and racing uniform while the community-based programs will sport Craft suits and warm-ups. http://www.craftsports.us/ ### Accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities,...
From June 28 to July 1, the Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center held its third-annual Masters Glacier Camp, hosting nine skiers ranging in age from their 30s to their early 70s. While Pyeongchang may be decidedly out of reach for these nine older athletes, it could be argued that no group of Eagle Glacier skiers — this month or ever — will have more fun.
APU Head Coach Erik Flora isn't one to toot his own horn, but when it comes down to it, he's really in awe of the levels his Anchorage-based program has reached and his recent recognition as USOC Coach of the Year. "I had no idea it was coming," he says. "It’s such an incredible honor."
"It's not about skiing," Shungnak School Principal Roger Franklin wrote in an email to FasterSkier about NANANordic, newly expanded and known as Skiku. "It's much more, and it's saving lives daily." This year, the program brought skiing to 27 villages in Northwest Alaska.
Photos from Tuesday's 4 x 5 k mixed relay, a new event at U.S. Distance Nationals, which was held at 5 p.m. in Anchorage and included 26 teams, 18 of which were vying for a national title.
The 4 x 5 k relay made its way back into U.S. nationals for the first time in about 16 years, but with a new twist of two men and two women per team. APU showed its strength and depth early on, and its winning anchor, Kikkan Randall said she's hoping the format makes it into the World Cup. She's not alone.