Not far from the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus lies a notorious climb – 2,000 feet in five kilometers – and every year, the college’s cross country and nordic ski team members test themselves on its terrain. For the last three years, Matt Dunlap, the assistant coach for both, clocked his athletes from the side of the steep trail as they forged ahead. A week after this year’s fall time trial, he found himself racing...
In the early fall, World Cup hopefuls fan out across the globe, fine-tuning their approaches on glaciers in places like Ramsau, Austria, or Tignes, France. This year, you can add an American spot to the list: Fairbanks, Alaska. Fairbanks may not have the same cachet as those European locales, but for Vahur Teppan, it’s got a lot going for it. Teppan, a native of Estonia and an alumnus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF),...