Let’s dial back to mid-March and the close of the 2021 World Championships with the men’s 50-kilometer mass start classic race. Russia’s Alexander Bolshunov and Norway’s Johannes Høsflot Klæbo came into the final corner and finish-straight in close quarters for the win. In the real-time fast-paced moment, Bolshunov and Klæbo tangled, with both skiers barely maintaining balance. To summarize, Bolshunov used all available real-estate coming around the final turn. Klæbo, as he had been doing...
Editor’s note: FasterSkier’s initial coverage of the women’s relay at this year’s FIS Nordic Junior World Championships in Oberwiesenthal, Germany, gave just the facts: The American women, fourth in this event a year before, skied their way up to second this year. This was entirely true, but didn’t get at the whole story. FasterSkier analyst Devon Kershaw, in a podcast shared later that day, hinted at some of the madness behind these facts, proclaiming early in...
Note: We’re seeking submissions for this year’s “U.S. or info@fasterskier.com with the subject line: “Fall Skiing”. Deadline for submissions is Nov. 3. *** HATCHER PASS, above Palmer, Alaska — Winter is in the eye of the beholder, but whatever you’re looking for to mark the skier’s favorite season, this spot at 3,500 feet in the Talkeetna Mountains probably has it. Seven kilometers of groomed trails? Check. Literally Extra Blue conditions? Check. A nearby lodge with a...
When is a race-time temperature of 2 above not so bad? When it's 16 below at the airport. Team Alaska was named as the Besh Cup series wrapped up in Fairbanks over the weekend, in conditions that one local skier described as "not too cold."
To double pole or not to double pole: sometimes it's not even a question for strong-enough skiers. We spoke to a few well-informed individuals on FIS's 83-percent rule and gathered their opinions.
Here's an in-depth look at the upcoming U.S. SuperTour schedule, addressing why the season’s first races won't be in West Yellowstone, why some SuperTour races are in Canada, why U.S. nationals are returning to Soldier Hollow so soon, why there is a skiathlon at Spring Series, etc.
During the U.S. Ski Team's Alaska camp this month, FasterSkier caught the team during a rollerski in Anchorage and chatted with U.S. women's coach Matt Whitcomb. He addressed everything from the upcoming World Championships to Kikkan Randall's return, the assimilation of new team members, and what gives the U.S team its competitive edge.
Note: This tribute has been updated to include comments from Mike Gallagher's wife, Tyna, and additional photos from John Estle. The passing of former U.S. Ski Team head coach Mike Gallagher on his 72nd birthday last week shocked the ski community and many that knew him.
Logan Hanneman has been skiing the Birch Hill Recreation Area trails as long as he can remember. On a chilly Thursday night at the U.S. Cross Country Junior Nationals, he and Ben Saxton gave spectators a race they’ll also remember for a long time.
A mini tour is more than just three days of racing. The strategic and tactical elements require racers to pace for the whole tour starting with the first event. Every stride, every pole plant counts. That’s an important lesson, as the tour format gains hold on the FIS schedules.