New World Cup Season Underway For APU Nordic Skiers
FasterSkierNovember 15, 2014
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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.
Approximately 40 athletes attended the USST Altitude Camp in Park City, Utah which concluded Oct. 19. The camp is a final opportunity of the best skiers in the country to fine tune their skiing before the winter season starts in November.
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,...
U.S. Ski Team ‘Man Camp’ a Success on Eagle Glacier (Video and Photo Gallery)
Lander KarathJuly 30, 2014
The U.S. Men's Ski Team and APU recently wrapped up their summer training camp in Alaska. They spent their final week on Eagle Glacier where they trained hard, cemented technique, and had a few laughs.
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.
Anchorage and Eagle Glacier are happening places these days, with the North American Women's Training Alliance (including Norway's Celine Brun-Lie and 13 top U.S. skiers), a couple of French biathletes and the U.S. men's team, which recently arrived for its first unified training camp in Alaska.
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."
At the 2014 NCAA Championships, Kyle Bratrud was the first American in the 15 k classic. The result was the highlight of his college career to date. However, the skier is much more than his results suggest and the Minnesota native's relationship with the sport shows that several strong influences from his coaches have helped him get where he is today.
APU Masters Camp: June 28-July 1 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. The camp is coached by APU Elite coach Erik Flora, Don Haering and Greta Anderson. Erik has coached at Olympic and World Championship levels, including three time Overall World...
"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.
Unlike most of the SuperTour field that likely crashed and burned after the last day of the U.S. domestic season in Anchorage, APU's Lex Treinen packed up the hot tub and headed to Homer for the three-part Ski to Sea race last Sunday. Treinen won it, and his brother placed second.
Spring Series in Photos: Mixed Relay
FasterSkierMarch 27, 2014
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.
It's sure to be an exciting day at Kincaid Park on Tuesday for the first team event at U.S. nationals in at least a decade, and unlike most relays, this one's coed. Stay tuned for a showdown between APU, Stratton, Craftsbury, Sun Valley and several college teams.
On a sunny afternoon in Kincaid Park, several World Cup skiers, including three Olympians and three Alaska Pacific University members, took the time to chat on camera between training and testing on Friday.
Erik Bjornsen enjoys the finer things in life: hot chocolate, Sequence and 1994 Ford Rangers. More about the younger of the Bjornsen siblings and first-time Olympian, who's racing at U23 World Championships starting Wednesday in Val di Fiemme, Italy.
Catching Up with Kikkan Randall’s APU Coach Erik Flora
Emily SchwingNovember 29, 2013
The first day of cross country ski racing in this season’s opening World Cup Event has come to a close. Alaska Pacific University’s Kikkan Randall claimed a silver medal in the women’s classic style sprint race in Kuusamo, Finland. Randall said she didn’t expect a podium finish, but APU Coach Erik Flora thinks she was more than prepared.
On her 24th birthday, U.S. Ski Team member Sadie Bjornsen shares some little-known facts about her personal life, including what she loves most about being a skier and how Europe turned her into a meat-eater.
1-on-1 with Erik Bjornsen (Exclusive Video)
FasterSkierNovember 13, 2013
Before the start of the 2013/2014 season, 22-year-old Erik Bjornsen recently sat down with Reese Hanneman for a frank discussion about last winter and the one just ahead.