Rick Kapala – FasterSkier

Q and A: Sun Valley’s Rick Kapala on coaching, sport development, and constructing a “complete ecosystem” in the skiing community

Ben TheyerlNovember 20, 2022

“I’m sorry, but once I start talking cross-country skiing, I can’t stop,” admits Rick Kapala. Remove the “talking” from that statement, and it’s still a succinct summary of long-time Sun Valley coach Rick Kapala’s career. This season will mark the first time in thirty-five years that Kapala won’t be manning the wax bench on race day for the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation. This summer, he turned to a new role at the Sun Valley...

Community Feature Juniors Resources Waxing

The Pros & Cons of League-wide Wax Protocols: Western Clubs Consider the Evolution and Impact (Part 2)

Rachel PerkinsJune 10, 2022

Here are links to earlier installments in this five-part series. The first two parts (part one; part two) spoke to the perspectives of high level wax technicians and industry representatives, while part three focused on the Wisconsin Nordic Ski League. To read the beginning of this article on the wax protocols of Western clubs, part four, click here. Leveling the Playing Field In regard to the question of whether the policy widens the gap in...

Community Feature Juniors Resources Waxing

The Pros & Cons of League-wide Wax Protocols: Western Clubs Consider the Evolution and Impact (Part 1)

Rachel PerkinsJune 9, 2022

In speaking with representatives from each of the leagues featured in this series, a few main points rose to the foreground in this discussion: the level of competition matters, how the policy came about matters, and how a program can enhance athlete support holistically by relieving wax-related expenses – measured both in time and dollars – matters. Before jumping into discussions for club level programs across the West, here are the links to view the...

Collegiate Community Interviews Resources

Unraveling the College Athlete Admission Process: A Look Into Post Graduate Gap Year Programs with Paul Smith of SVSEF

Rachel PerkinsOctober 14, 2019

Deciding how to handle the “college conflict”, as aptly phrased by Alayna Sonnesyn, is a daunting and somewhat mysterious prospect, particularly for athletes and families who are unfamiliar with the process. How does a junior athlete know that they are cut out for a collegiate program? NCAA or USCSA? What about a gap year? In this series, FasterSkier spoke with collegiate and junior coaches and athletes who have chosen different pathways to create a resource...

Collegiate General Interviews News

Houghton-Bound: Tom Smith Hired as Michigan Tech Nordic Coach

Jason AlbertJune 23, 2017

Locked in the heart of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on an arm of land stretching into Lake Superior is the small city of Houghton. Locals there are intimate with lake-effect snow, long winters and a strong sense of community. Houghton is also home to Michigan Technological University (MTU) and the school’s nordic ski team, which officially named MTU’s newest nordic head coach and cross-country running assistant coach. He’ll be joined by his partner and MTU alumna, Kristen Monahan,...

General Interviews News

A New Chapter for GMVS with Rodgers, A New Start for SVSEF’s Gold Team with Mallory

Jason AlbertSeptember 14, 2016

Colin Rodgers has left Sun Valley to take charge at Green Mountain Valley School in his native Vermont, while his good friend Chris Mallory, also from Vermont, parted ways with UVM and is moving West to head up the SVSEF Gold Team.

Continental Cup General Juniors News Racing

USSA Ends Affiliation With High Plains Division; Western Leaders Ask Why

Chelsea LittleMay 7, 2016

Rebecca Watson, the board chair of the High Plains division, was surprised by an email saying that USSA was ending the affiliation agreement with the division - without warning or a probationary period to improve the weaknesses that USSA says it finds in Wyoming. Others on the Cross Country Committee, which is now set to discuss the topic at USSA Congress, said they were also surprised.

General Juniors News Racing

For Junior Nationals Athletes, Coaches and Organizers, a ‘Roll-with-the-Punches’ Scenario

BrainspiralMarch 9, 2016

The good news: “We’ll have a race tomorrow,” chief of competition Gary Larson said of the U.S. Junior Nationals currently taking place in Cable, Wis. Due to exceedingly warm temperatures on Tuesday reaching into the 60's, the 5-kilometer and 1.3-kilometer race courses have been jeopardized.

Continental Cup General News Training

Many Hands Make Light Work: Sun Valley SuperTour Snow Update

Gabby NaranjaDecember 3, 2015

With plenty of shovels and smiles, the Sun Valley crew is working hard to make both SuperTour races happen at the Lake Creek trails. "Putting the work in here gives the athletes an opportunity to test themselves appropriately on the kinds of courses that they need to be prepared to ski on," SVSEF Nordic Director Rick Kapala explains.

Continental Cup News Racing

Canadian Women Dominate SuperTour Sprint; Bender Narrowly Claims Third

Lander KarathNovember 29, 2014

SuperTour racing began Friday with a 1.5 k freestyle sprint in West Yellowstone, Mont. With warm temperatures and strong winds, two Canadians, Heidi Widmer and Alysson Marshall, were able to top the American women's field led by Jennie Bender.

General Interviews News

An In-Depth Look at the NNF and D25: What You Might Not Know and Didn’t Think to Ask

Alex KochonOctober 24, 20142

David Knoop, director of the National Nordic Foundation (NNF) in Utah, explains the foundation's beginnings, how he got involved, how it's evolved over the years, and how its current fundraiser, the Drive for 25, actually works.

General Interviews News Racing World Cup

Two Decades and 20+ World Cup Starts Later, Sinnott Retires from Skiing

Alex KochonOctober 16, 2014

Mikey Sinnott grew up in Sun Valley, came up through the junior ranks, excelled at Junior Nationals and reached the highest levels of elite competition on the World Cup. After missing the Olympics last season and feeling like he never hit his stride, Sinnott, 29, had some decisions to make this spring: to keep racing or embark on a new path.

Biathlon Interviews News

After Retiring from Pro Cycling, Durtschi Turns to Biathlon

Lander KarathSeptember 2, 201410

Max Durtschi left cross-country ski racing in 2009 for a professional career in cycling. Now that he's retired, Durtschi has his sights set on a new frontier: Biathlon.

Camps General Training

The U16 Camp: NNF and Rick Kapala Explain

National Nordic FoundationAugust 5, 20141

The NNF-supported U16 Camp just wrapped up in Jackson Hole, Wyo. The National Nordic Foundation caught up with one of the camp’s founders, Sun Valley's Rick Kapala on what the U16 Camp and NNF Pillar Project means in the scope of skiing development.

Other News

USSA National U16 Camp Announces Selections and Program for 2014

BrainspiralApril 22, 2014

Selection for the camp is based on results from US Junior Championships, held in Stowe, Vermont using a system of best 2 of the 3 individual results. In addition to the automatic selections of the top twenty boys and top twenty girls based on JN results, each USSA division is afforded two discretionary picks of one boy and one girl in addition to however many may have qualified via the JN selection procedure. It is...

The USSA National J2 Camp Announces Selections and Summer 2013 Program

National Nordic FoundationApril 5, 2013

The fourth edition of the USSA National J2 Camp will be held Saturday, July 27, to Saturday, August 3, 2013 in Marquette, Michigan.

General News

“There Was Outrage:” USSA Membership, Race Fees Increase In 2012

Audrey ManganAugust 6, 20121

Athletes who buy U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) membership and compete in National Ranking List (NRL) events throughout the season will face higher race and membership prices this winter than in previous years. Due to an increase in its own administrative and insurance costs, USSA has raised the price of some of its services, which has some coaches and regional coordinators concerned about pricing entry-level skiers out of the sport. The head tax that...

Dryland General News Racing Regional / Local Training

Elite Team Preview: Sun Valley Gold Team

Alex KochonJuly 5, 2012

Note: This is the eighth preview in a quick-and-dirty series on U.S. elite teams. We asked coaches to send their 2012/2013 rosters and tell us what’s new for the coming season. We will be publishing additional reports over the next few weeks. Teams are presented in no particular order. Team: Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation (SVSEF) Gold Team Coaches: Colin Rodgers (head coach), Clarke Sullivan (service tech) Roster: Simi Hamilton (U.S. Ski Team), Mike Sinnott,...

General Interviews News Racing US Ski Team

Arritola Steps Away from Skiing, Leaves Gold Team

Alex KochonMay 2, 20122

Inside the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation center on Tuesday, Morgan Arritola made her usual rounds, visiting longtime friends and coaches and introducing them to her new addition – a puppy. A staple of the team for nearly a decade, the 25-year-old Olympian affectionately known as “Mo” wasn’t stopping in for training plans. She hadn’t just finished a workout and she wasn’t preparing to start one, either. Arritola was on a lunch break from her...

General News

Nordic Community Remembers Rob Kiesel

Alex KochonOctober 27, 20111

“Perhaps it was the wine of the cool autumn breeze. Or perhaps as climbers sometimes we meet, we met. Rob Kiesel was an aggressive downhill racer. Perhaps it was his single-minded drive, which induced success. Nevertheless he was somewhat new to climbing and this would be no leisurely climb.” — Excerpt from Gregory Lowe’s “Half Dome in the Winter” as it appeared in The American Alpine Journal (Vol. 15, Issue 1) by the American Alpine Club. ***...

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