There's a reason APU ventures to Park City each summer, and it's all about transitioning and revving up for the season ahead. “Whether it's the altitude or not, I think everyone here has gotten two weeks of incredible training,” U.S. Ski Team and APU skier Holly Brooks said. “It's hard to say from a physiological standpoint, but I think it's been a really productive camp either way.”
In advance of his club’s facility playing host to the third annual North American Women's Training Alliance (NAWTA) camp in July, APU Nordic Director Erik Flora broke down film of last year's World Cup races in Sochi. He was studying every undulation of the race courses, with a goal to replicate the Olympic venue.
Six years ago, a back injury put a damper on Rosie Brennan's skiing, but she didn't let it get her down and finally addressed it this spring. Now training consciously and rehabbing the injury, the 24-year-old APU skier is hoping for another career-best season leading up to the Sochi Games.
This week, World Champion, Jessie Diggins (SMS T2, USST) joins a collection of the strongest women in nordic skiing in Alaska. Known as the NAWTA (the North American Women’s Training Alliance), the camp brings together the strongest skiers during a camp in Alaska for a chance at the best competition and training. Here we are, halfway through the annual NAWTA (North American Women’s Training Alliance) camp in Alaska, and I feel like I’ve already learned...
With 24 athletes, APU is keeping its elite team pretty similar to years past, but there's definitely new blood in the training group with eight new men on the team.
This week, recent Mount Marathon winner Eric Strabel shares the secret to his success: sustained, hour-long Level 3 efforts.
On July 4, Eric Strabel did the unthinkable, besting the field and beating a Mount Marathon course record that stood for 32 years. The APU university and elite-team coach has been working at conquering the 3,022-foot hill climb for the better part of the last year, and nipped a former U.S. Mountain Running Team member by seconds in doing so. Comments from other top-four finishers Brent Knight, Ann Spencer and Lauren Fritz.
Jim Galanes already has a lot on his resume: nordic combined World Cup winner. Cross country skiing national champion during the "golden era." U.S. Ski Team coach. Founder of the APU ski program. But after a few years away from the ski world, he's excited to tackle yet another peak: stonegrinding for Edgewise Ski Service in Stowe, which already has a booming alpine business.
Over the years, Sadie Bjornsen's learned a thing or two about patience, especially when it comes to getting healthy. This season, the 23-year-old U.S. Ski Team member has a few key priorities and a strategic approach to achieve them.
With new athletes headed to Craftsbury, Sun Valley, Stratton and Alaska, it looks like the SuperTour can expect a sizable incoming class next season.
The NNF Cup winner for the 2012/2013 season is the Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center. The NNF Cup is awarded annually to the top domestic club on the USSA SuperTour circuit. APU showed impressive depth in its program by roughly doubling the points of Craftsbury, the 2nd place team.
Can't get enough of the action at U.S. Nationals? Here are some bits and pieces from top performers on Friday that didn't make the race reports.
Rosie Brennan of APU notched her first national title at home just outside Park City on Friday, winning the 10 k freestyle individual start by nearly 11 seconds over teammate Sadie Bjornsen. Kate Fitzgerald took third to complete the APU podium sweep.
November is up and ready on XC Ski Girl for those who are interested! http://xcskigirl04.blogspot.comThe US Team drove 3 hours from Muonio to Gallivare yesterday afternoon. We enjoyed a long sunset... and then it was dark at 2 or 3 in the afternoo...
Our week in Muonio is coming to a close. We hit the road for a "Lappish road trip" at noon. We're headed three hours west (by van) to Gallivare, Sweden, the location of the next weekend's World Cup opener. Now that we've gotten the first ra...
of twenty thirteen, we’ll be producing the show regularly. Expect interviews with the country’s biggest cross-country skiing stars and coaches, plus analysis from the FasterSkier crew. This week, Topher Sabot and Nat Herz interview Erik Flora, the head coach of the Alaska-Pacific University Nordic Ski Center club team, which includes World Championships medalist Kikkan Randall, and U.S. Ski Teamers Holly Brooks, and Erik and Sadie Bjornsen. Randall has been dealing with a stress fracture in...
I'm about to board my second of four flights taking me from home in AK to Northern Finland, "Munio." It's hard to see on this map but it's to the left of "Lappi" .... you may notice this is WAY above the arctic circle. Don't worry, I packed some ...
It is saying nothing new to point out that Kikkan Randall becoming the World Cup Sprint Champion last season was a breakthrough for U.S. skiing. The enormity of the moment in March when an American woman was handed the crystal globe has been well documented since the conclusion of the 2012 season. Each photo that has surfaced online this summer of Randall, her trophy and a new group of wide-eyed fans is a reminder...
T-minus 9 days before I take off for the entire winter.... it's fun, overwhelming & exciting, all at the same time! Here are a few pictures from the last month. Welcome to November & the race season everyone! "Holly's Trail" on...
Two more days in October left and I made it right under the gun! Here is the XC Ski Girl update just in time! Check it out if your interested...... http://xcskigirl04.blogspot.comI have my last ski at Birch Hill this morning - in CLASS...