Matt Liebsch couldn’t believe the nerves he was fighting before the 2012 American Birkebeiner. A Minnesota ski hero at the ultimate of U.S. cross-country marathons, Liebsch had won the 50-kilometer skate race in 2009. In early February, he took back-to-back victories at the 2012 Boulder Mountain Tour and City of Lakes Loppet. But the last time Team Birkie’s lone elite skier raced the Birkie in 2011, he was ninth. And he hadn’t competed in three...
When the head of F.A.S.T. Performance Training in Hayward, Wis., Bill Pierce heard Tad Elliott pulled off a cross-Atlantic trip to win the American Birkebeiner last February, he knew he had to have him back in town. Matt Liebsch, one of the Midwest’s nordic heroes and 2009 Birkie champion, thought the same. In July, F.A.S.T. held its first “Train Like a Birkie Champion” “Live & Ski Like a Champion” Purpose: This camp designed for the...
Train With Birkie Champions! Matt Liebsch & Jennie Bender July 27-29 in Seeley, Wis. (Just ten miles north of Hayward) Imagine how much your skiing will improve by spending a weekend dryland training with Birkie Champions Matt Liebsch and Jennie Bender at the fastperformancetraining@gmail.com or, call 612-590-1427. CAMP SCHEDULE Friday, July 27, 2012: 3-5pm: Check in at Lenroot Lodge and Sawmill Saloon 5-6:15pm: Intro to the fundamental movements of Nordic skiing with Bill Pierce. Dryland skills and technique...
After a massive wave of spring skiers left Bend, Ore., last month, the groomers at Mt. Bachelor hardly packed it in. The U.S. and Canadian national teams and several elite squads were gone, but nearly the same amount of skiers – 150 – were expected to flock to the snow-covered trails in June. The Mt. Bachelor Nordic Center and its club, the Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation (MBSEF), planned accordingly. On June 16, the MBSEF...
Note: This article has been updated to reflect the correct time between Holly Brooks and Alysson Marshall, and include quotes from Pate Neumann. One was a native. Another was a ringer. Both Brian Gregg and Holly Brooks found themselves at the front of the pack in the first of the The Bellingham Herald. It was Gregg’s second year on the competitive-open team. “The other guys on the team are really fast and it is fun...
At its most basic level, “ski fit” can be defined as finding a ski that is of correct length and stiffness. This baseline is something you should be able to obtain at any reputable ski shop. But what does a Gear West ski fit entail that makes us so much different that the baseline? We use our hands, eyes, 3 flex benches, and a one-of-a kind ski flex test analyzer to distinguish us a leader...
For most, the ski season as come to an end. This usually results in one of two different mindsets: 1) Excitement for dry-land training and spring/summer or 2) Bitterness that the snow is gone and a complete and utter lack of motivation to begin training for next season. On the motivation front, experienceing a very wet/cold spring makes getting out the door less enjoyable. But on the flip side, spring is theperfect time for unstructured...
April 20, 2012 Dear Team Strong Heart Supporters, friends and families, Thank you for your support this past season. I was able to have my best season to date and took another step closer to my Olympic dream while representing Team Strong Heart in its charity mission for Camp Odyain, an organization for kids with heart diseases. This upcoming year is important as the World Cup (the highest level of competitive skiing) makes its way back to North...
All American Birkebeiner coverage is brought to you through the generous support of SkiErg. HAYWARD, Wis. – For the first half of Saturday’s 50-kilometer skate race at the 39th American Birkebeiner, Tad Elliott mostly looked down. The 23-year-old U.S. Ski Team member was hanging in there, but it wasn’t easy. Reaching for a water bottle around 24 k, he mustered the strength to ask his Salomon support staff where the frontrunners were. Last year’s runner-up, Benoit...
All American Birkebeiner coverage is brought to you through the generous support of SkiErg. CABLE, Wis. – Matt Liebsch’s wife had been in a car accident. Lars Flora couldn’t feel his fingers nearly two weeks after a ski mountaineering race in Vail, Colo. Holly Brooks had just returned home to Alaska to recharge. Caitlin Gregg was waiting for an OK from her doctor. Tad Elliott wasn’t sure what to do with a weekend off from the...
In the absence of a SuperTour last weekend, many elite skiers on the domestic circuit chose to contest one of several marathons taking place around the country—notably the Boulder Mountain Tour on Saturday in Sun Valley, Idaho and the City of Lakes Loppet in Minneapolis, Minn. on Sunday. You didn’t have to take a close look at the results to notice that at least one person entered both races: Matt Liebsch (Team Strong Heart/Team...
After five races over the course of nine days and never once relinquishing his lead, Matt Liebsch (Team StrongHeart/Team Birkie) took home the overall victory in the Tour de Twin Cities on Sunday after crossing the line first in the 20 k freestyle pursuit at Green Acres. Pat O’Brien (CGRP), with the help of Saturday’s bonus sprint, claimed second in the inaugural Tour. Karl Nygren (CXC) took third after a series of consistent performances. “I’ve...
At the beginning of every mass start classic race, there are several points when the number of available lanes diminishes, and racers must scramble to find a new spot in the tracks. Starting lines 10-plus lanes wide must funnel down to two in a matter of a few hundred meters. Sometimes, a field of 100 athletes can make it through each transition with minimal collision. The men’s SuperTour 10 k classic in Lake Elmo, Minn....
On home turf with his friends and family cheering him on, Matt Liebsch (Team Strong Heart/Team Birkie) won his second race of the Tour de Twin Cities on Sunday in Wirth Park. Over the 15 k freestyle course, Tad Elliott (SSCV/USST) was 12.9 seconds behind him in second and Sylvan Ellefson (SSCV/Team HomeGrown) finished third (+16.7). After he finished, Liebsch credited skiing with Elliott for a chuck of the race as having helped him along....
SuperTour racing resumed on Saturday at Wirth Park in Minneapolis, Minn. with a 10 k individual classic—the first of five events in the inaugural Tour de Twin Cities. Skiing in front of friends and family on his home course, Matt Liebsch (Team Strong Heart/Team Birkie) took his first win of the season by 0.4 seconds ahead of Sylvan Ellefson (SSCV/Team HomeGrown). Karl Nygren (CXC) finished third (+3.5). This was Liebsch’s first effort above threshold since...
RUMFORD, Maine – Aside from their “bro” talk and Colorado slang, Team HomeGrown knows how to get serious when it counts. It might not seem that way when its athletes, like U.S. Ski Team members Tad Elliott and Noah Hoffman, jokingly hold hands. Most of Team HomeGrown thinks every race is “awesome” and “pretty sweet,” even if it isn’t their strength. That’s just their attitude. In its third season as part of Ski and Snowboard...
Race Wax Recommendations for the Masters Cross Country Ski World Cup 2011 will be posted on www.TokoUS.com. Here is a direct link to the page. They will also be tweeted (TokoUS) and posted to the Toko US Facebook page. American Birkebeiner Wax Tip 2011 Here it is Sorry! Not going to make it! On a personal note, I am really sick. For this reason, I will not be able to make it out to the Birkie...
With temperatures in the morning around freezing, and then quickly rising, the conditions were soft and slow for this year’s Mora Vasaloppet. Matt Liebsch powered through, using smart race strategy to get clear of his competitors for the win in the 58km freestyle, while Johanna Winters waited until the very end to make her move for the women’s title. 58km Freestyle In the men’s 58km freestyle race it was the 27-year-old Liebsch of Orono, MN...
Whether or not home-course advantage has much impact in cross-country skiing, the CXC Elite Team had no problem defending their local snow. SuperTour racing moved to the Midwest for the Mayor’s Challenge – two days of racing in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Last week combined an EISA collegiate carnival with the Lake Placid SuperTour, and this week was similar, swapping out the Central Collegiate Ski Association (CCSA) for the EISA. The races are also Junior Olympic Qualifiers...
