Alaska Pacific University skier Eric Packer, the 2015/2016 SuperTour leader currently spending World Cup Period 1 in Europe, opens up about the training that got him there, as well as his career highlight to date. Plus the Birkie, breakfast, and beards.
After delving into the computation-and-analysis side of sports, Brayton Osgood is back and looking forward to his new position as head coach of the Dartmouth men's nordic ski team. "The opportunity to coach at Dartmouth is a fantastic one and I’m eager to lead the next generation of Dartmouth cross-country skiers," the 2003 Dartmouth grad said.
After 27 years of leading the Dartmouth men's nordic team and 10 years coaching with the U.S. Ski Team, Sun Valley native Ruff Patterson is venturing into the next chapter of his life and heading back west.
Cami Thompson-Graves and Ruff Patterson, the coaches of the Dartmouth nordic teams, are FasterSkier's Coaches of the Year. Dartmouth ended UVM's nearly four-year college win streak in the East, and eight alums raced in nordic World Cup competition this season, including three who stood on podiums.
Cami Thompson-Graves is entering her 26th year of coaching at Dartmouth, making her the longest-serving female head coach on the collegiate circuit. FasterSkier caught up with Thompson-Graves to reflect on the past quarter century of coaching and what inspires her to continue working with promising young skiers.
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.
Note: This article has been updated. Peering up at a sign inside a pizza joint in Colville, Wash., Sam Tarling saw an opportunity. Like so many other spontaneous offers 21-year-old Dartmouth College racer seized to get out West, Tarling jumped at the chance to eat for money. With an evening to kill and a stomach of steel, Tarling reasoned he couldn’t lose. The defending NCAA 10-k champion trumped similar challenges in the past. Three quarters...