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From Olympian to Entrepreneur: How Garrott Kuzzy Turned a Life on Skis into Lumi Experiences

Matthew VoisinOctober 29, 2025

Garrott Kuzzy’s journey from the trails of Minneapolis to the alpine valleys of Austria reads like a skier’s odyssey—equal parts serendipity, endurance, and vision. Before becoming an Olympian or founding Lumi Experiences, a travel company built around the joy of cross-country skiing, Kuzzy was simply a kid who loved movement. “There were no cell phones then,” he recalls with a laugh. “I think I was just playing soccer, doing the stuff kids did in Minneapolis.”...

Interviews News US Ski Team

Middlebury’s Kate Barton Advances to U.S. Ski & Snowboard D-Team Head Coach

Rachel PerkinsJune 24, 2020

If you read FasterSkier, you are likely aware that elite cross country skiing in the U.S. has been steadily on the rise over the last decade. In the last four years alone, we’ve borne witness to medals at all levels, including a Diggins-Randall double podium in the freestyle sprint at the 2017 World Championships, a 10 k classic win for Gus Schumacher at the 2020 World Junior Championships, a bronze medals for Will Koch and...

Collegiate Continental Cup General Juniors Lifestyle Racing Resources US Ski Team

The College Conflict: Part 1

FasterSkierSeptember 10, 2018

The following was written by Alayna Sonnesyn, a new member of the Stratton Mountain School (SMS) T2 Team who graduated from the University of Vermont (UVM) this past spring. Originally from Plymouth, Minnesota, Sonnesyn, 22, raced on the UVM Ski Team for four years and qualified for four NCAA Skiing Championships teams. She placed second and third in two races at 2017 NCAA Championships, and in her senior season, won the first five Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association...

Continental Cup General Interviews News Other

Heather and Brooke Mooney on Where Skiing Led Them and What’s Next

Gabby NaranjaJuly 27, 2018

Perhaps you have heard of them. Or at least seen them. At 6 feet and 6 feet 2 inches tall, respectively, the Mooney sisters, Heather and Brooke, are hard to miss. But their height is not the only reason the two women stand out. The sisterly pair also share a talent for the sports they pursue. At one point, for both of them, that sport was skiing. And at one point, for both of them,...

General News

Summit Nordic Coach Hannah Taylor Dies in Trail Running Accident (Updated)

FasterSkierJuly 26, 2018

(Update: On Thursday, Aug. 2, the Summit County coroner’s office provided details on what happened to Hannah Taylor on July 21. Those details can be found here.) A Summit Nordic Ski Club coach for the last 14 years, Hannah Taylor, 39, passed away on Saturday after a trail running accident in the Gore Range near Frisco, Colorado. Originally from Hopkinton, N.H., Taylor, who lived in the Frisco area for the better part of the last...

Biathlon Interviews Juniors News Racing

20-for-20 with Chloe Levins

FasterSkierMarch 1, 2018

In an effort to showcase the North Americans competing at this week’s International Biathlon Union (IBU) 2018 Youth and Junior World Championships in Otepää, Estonia, we asked those qualifying athletes several questions about themselves — actually, we had them fill in the blanks. Here we have 19-year-old Chloe Levins, who is representing the United States at her first Junior World Championships. She previously represented the U.S. at Youth World Championships, including a

General Interviews News Regional / Local

Q&A: Beckwith’s Return to Skiing as NENSA Competitive Program Director

Ian TovellJune 22, 2017

About a year and a half after Colin Rodgers. GMVS went through some transitions. I am staying in the Mad River Valley, which is amazing; another great part of the job is that I get to stay where I am and sort of create some of that vision and move it in a way. It’s a pretty cool job, it’s a very cool lifestyle, it’s something that I am so passionate about. I was just...

Biathlon Biathlon Canada Juniors News Racing US Biathlon

Levins Goes ‘Back to Basics’ for 4th in IBU Youth Worlds Pursuit; Bankes Scores 3rd Top 20 in Osrblie

Alex KochonFebruary 26, 2017

At just 18 years old, Lowell [Bailey] prepared for two decades before winning a World Championship title. Today’s race was simply more preparation for the future. Every race is a learning experience, and every race that you’re in contention is an even better learning experience. So for now, I’ll keep learning.” A Middlebury freshman who plays collegiate golf in the spring and fall, Levins had previously finished sprint result on Friday, and shot 18-for-20 to finish fourth,...

General News Training Workouts

Wednesday Workout: On the Up with Mountain Running World Champ Kasie Enman (with Video)

Gabby NaranjaJune 8, 2016

This week, FasterSkier shares a workout from elite mountain runner Kasie Enman of Huntington, Vt. She divulged her secret to prepping for mountain races and the latest projects she’s been tackling when it comes to mountain running.

General News Racing

Changing Times and NCAA’s: (Part II) Women, Men and the Distance Debate

Gabby NaranjaMay 26, 2016

Do gender equality in sport and race distances go hand in hand? We asked a multitude of skiers and coaches who raced (or are currently involved in racing) at the collegiate level, as well as FIS Cross-Country Committee Chair Vegard Ulvang: should men's and women's distances be the same, and if so, how do you go about doing that at every level?

General News Racing

Changing Times and NCAA’s: (Part I) Could Sprinting Become a College Thing?

Gabby NaranjaMarch 17, 2016

With the conclusion of the 2016 collegiate season, FasterSkier examines the traditional format of NCAA Skiing Championships with two distance races. Part I of a two-part series discusses proposed changes to NCAA Championships, including the addition of a sprint.

General News Racing

Patterson Doubles Up on Distance Wins at Nationals

Gabby NaranjaJanuary 8, 2016

Caitlin Patterson snagged her second title of the week in as many distance races at U.S. nationals in the women's 20 k freestyle mass start on Thursday -- her third podium of the week. She edged Chelsea Holmes by 4 seconds, and Stratton's Katharine Ogden, Anne Hart and Erika Flowers landed in the top five.

Collegiate News Racing

Johnson Takes Over as Head Coach at MSU after Trygstad-Saari Resigns

Lander KarathJune 30, 2015

Matthew Perry Johnson was named the new head coach of the Montana State University nordic ski team following Kristina Trygstad-Saari's resignation from the position this spring after one year on the job. Johnson is the third head coach in two years for the Bobcats.

General News

After Two College Seasons, Pokorny Makes the Leap to Professional Skiing

Audrey ManganMay 7, 20133

After she finishes final exams this spring, Middlebury College sophomore Annie Pokorny will be headed to Stratton, Vt., as one of the newest additions to the SMS T2 team. Though the timing of her move to professional skiing is unusual, it's a step she's enthusiastic about. "I’m excited to go for it and to take a chance. It’s exciting, it’s new — it’s going to be fun," she says.

Collegiate Racing

Photo Gallery: NCAA Championships 15/20 k Mass Starts

FasterSkierMarch 11, 2013

Photos from a picture-perfect bluebird afternoon on the last day of the 2013 NCAA Skiing Championships at Rikert Nordic Center in Ripton, Vt., with the women's 15 k and men's 20 k freestyle mass starts.

Collegiate Racing

Gruber Crowned NCAA Classic Champion; UVM Leads Championships After Two Events

Audrey ManganMarch 7, 2013

Last season Anja Gruber wasn't on the University of Vermont's NCAA squad, this year she's the 5 k classic national champion. "It’s pretty unbelievable right now — I’m not sure if this actually just happened!" she said. Dartmouth's Mary O'Connell claimed second and Marine Dusser (UAA) took third. UVM leads CU after the first two NCAA Championship events at Middlebury College.

Collegiate Racing

Think You Know Rikert? Think Again: The Story Behind Its ‘Reconfiguration’

Alex KochonMarch 7, 2013

From a new 5 k homologated course to the largest snowmaking system of its type in North America, Middlebury College's Rikert Nordic Center in Vermont is on the cutting edge of cross-country ski racing. It did so largely in part to attract events like NCAAs, which start today.

Collegiate Racing

2013 NCAA Championships Nordic Preview

Audrey ManganMarch 6, 2013

Men’s and women’s giant slalom kicked off the 2013 NCAA Championships on Wednesday at the Snow Bowl in Middlebury, Vt. The University of Vermont leads the team scores after the first of four events; nordic races begin on Thursday with a 5/10 k individual classic. Here’s a preview of who to watch as the East vs. West showdown heats up at Rikert Touring Center.

Training Workouts

Post-Holiday College Workout: Endpoints

Alex KochonJanuary 12, 2013

Middlebury College head coach Andrew Gardner breaks down a basic-but-important workout: no-poles skiing with a focus on endpoints.

General Interviews News

Where Are They Now: Patty Ross

Alex KochonJuly 31, 20126

This profile is part of a ‘Where Are They Now’ series, made possible through the generous support of Fischer Sports. Learn more about their products at www.fischersports.com. MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – Thirty-five years ago, Patty Ross couldn’t wait to leave town. Born and raised Middlebury, central Vermont’s cozy college community with a few thousand year-round residents, she grew up with everybody knowing her business, including her father – the business administrator at Middlebury College. No way...