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Central Cross-country Skiing (CXC) is starting the summer with a bang, scheduling three elite training camps at their new home at Wisconsin’s fabled Telemark Resort. Yuriy Gusev, CXC’s Executive and Athletic Director, said, “We’ve been looking for a training center for awhile.” While considering other training venues near Duluth and Wausau, WI, CXC kept coming back to Telemark and the Birkie area. Gusev cited the huge ski tradition in the Birkebeiner region, but noted challenges...

Diggins Holds on For Podium in First-Ever 30 K

Most 19-year-old women racing in their first-ever 30 k would be satisfied just to finish. But on Sunday in Sun Valley, Jessie Diggins (CXC) did much more: she came away with a podium at the U.S. National Championships. After 91 minutes of classic skiing—three-quarters of it with the leaders—Diggins ended up in third place, with just enough gas left in her tank to hold off Morgan Arritola (USST) on her last trip up the course’s...

The CXC Elite Team’s goal is to provide coaching, training and financial support to a select few individuals that possess the skill, drive and dedication to compete in World Cup, World Championship and Olympic competitions. Though we have a budget for domestic events, our success internationally requires your support. “One of CXC’s goals throughout the winter has been to better support CXC athletes during their international racing experiences.  To do so, we have created the...

Toko: Field Report from CXC from Minneapolis SuperTour Races

The Mayor’s Challenge SuperTour at Wirth Park (Minneapolis) was this last weekend, and we (CXC) were pretty excited with our results in both the classic and skate: In four races, we had four 1sts, two 2nds, and two 3rds — plus a few more finishes in the top-six, which pay out prize money. Races were held in frigid conditions, with a mix of man-made and natural snow, including a small amount which fell Friday night....

Toko: US Nationals Skate Sprint Race Report

US Nationals Skate Sprint Race Report Waxing was interesting today and showed why I am happy to be a Toko man.  I was expecting a lot of styrofoam-like manmade snow mixed in with the bit of old snow that remained.  Somehow the snow changed and today skied more like “normal” snow.  The wax recommendation would have rocked for sure in what we were expecting so I was relieved to see that the HF Blue/XCold mix...

Pro Workout: High Speed with Brian Gregg

It may sound trite, but in cross-country ski racing, you can never have too much speed. If you want proof, ask any of Emil Joensson’s opponents in recent World Cup sprints. The ability to accelerate quickly and reach high maximum speeds, be it in a sprint or during a surge in a mass start race, is critical to racing success. For Brian Gregg, a member of CXC’s elite team, his favorite workout focuses on just...

The Central Cross Country Ski Association (CXC) is pleased to announce the expansion of its Athlete Development Program. Beginning in the spring of 2011, CXC will be offering full support to America’s top junior skiers through the addition of an Elite Development Team. Selected junior skiersThose selected juniors for the Elite Development Team will train side-by-side with CXC’s top senior athletes throughout the year at camps held around the United States, and will continue to...

While Sunday’s Haywood NorAm 10 and 15 k freestyle races were held in Canada, it was the Americans who took the top step of both podiums – and convincingly. The men’s race started in sloppy conditions – approximately 20 centimeters of snow fell overnight, and continued right up until the start of the men’s race, resulting in ankle deep snow in some places. The men skied three loops of 5 k, and each one contained...

It’s that time of year again! Snow is falling, trails are open and groomed, and it’s time to toss the rollerskis in the basement. There are a couple of reasons why rollerskis are great for cross training; they allow you to develop your ski muscles, work on balance, develop arm strength you can’t get while running … and they are the closest thing to actual skiing when you aren’t fortunate enough to live on a...

Far West Launches Senior Farm Team, Looking to Grow

TRUCKEE, California – “The hope is that in the future, this can become a team on par with the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation, CXC and XC Oregon,” said Ben Grasseschi, the head coach of the newly established Far West Senior Farm Team based in Truckee, California. The squad’s mission, to create a premium senior race team, is partly a personal goal for Grasseschi, who himself was left dangling after his collegiate skiing career. “I...

Bryan Fish’s jump to the U.S. Ski Team from his job running the Central Cross-Country (CXC) program was one of the most significant coaching changes of the spring. Fish, who over the last few years helped to build CXC’s elite team into one of the most powerful in the country, left some big shoes to fill. Enter Jason Cork, who was hired to replace Fish after two years as the assistant coach at Michigan Tech...

How General Strength Makes Specific Strength Easier

Jessie Diggins recently graduated from Stillwater High School in Minnesota, where she earned three individual state championship titles, among other impressive national and international results.  Diggins skis for CXC Team Vertical Limit. One might wonder why an endurance athlete like a skier or runner would ever bother lifting weights. Isn’t specific strength enough? Shouldn’t skating without poles, single-sticking and double-poling build all the muscles a skier would need? The truth is, general strength does more...

Inspiring the Next Generation

Where do you start when you have one day to teach all that is cross-country skiing?  The Central Cross-Country Ski Association (CXC) gave it a shot, hosting a youth camp for children ages 8 through 11 at Lakewoods Resort in Cable, Wisconsin on Monday, July 26. The day’s schedule was a busy one, as the campers bounced from one exercise to another, including ski-specific warm-ups, bounding, light strength, plyometric strength, swimming, Ski Erg races, laser...

Racing for hours at a time is an entirely different kind of challenge than racing a 5 or a 10k and especially in the United States, the longer of these challenges tends to receive far less attention on the professional level. However, the Central Cross-Country Ski Association (CXC) is making plans to move ahead with the creation of an elite Worldloppet team.  Athletes on the team would compete in the American Birkebeiner and Vassaloppet, the...

Not Sitting This One Out

The athletes are far fewer in number and the competitions receive even less press than most Nordic ski races, but the adaptive ski community is steadily growing and gaining momentum.  And now the Central Cross-Country Ski Association (CXC) is getting involved. Over the past year, CXC has distributed over 120 sit skis to disabled athletes across the country.  The first ten sit ski prototypes were produced by engineering graduate students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison,...

All proceeds from the 2010 Run For Snow will go towards the Central Cross Country Ski Association (a 501(c)3 not for profit corporation) to support opportunities for talented athletes to pursue athletic excellence in the Winter Olympic Games. This year the Run for Snow will again raise funds to adopt CXC Team Vertical Limit member, 2009 U.S. Natonal Championships Bronze medalist and winner of the 2009 American Birkebeiner 52K Skate race. Matt, father of two future skiers, will...