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10/25/2007
Renner, Crawford Headline Canada's World Cup Team
A talented group of Olympic and World Cup medalists, including the return of Olympic medalists Sara Renner and Chandra Crawford, will headline the 2007-08 Canadian World Cup cross country ski team.
Cross Country Canada announced the return of Olympic silver medalist Renner, who took last season off to have a baby daughter. She will compete on the Haywood NorAm series in Canada before hitting the start line for her first World Cup race in Canmore, Alta., January 22-26, 2008.
"We are delighted to have Sara continue to be there with us to deliver on her high standards and commitment to excellence over the next three years," said Tom Holland, director of high-performance, Cross Country Canada. "Sara is a world-class person both on and off the snow. Our team will continue to benefit from her leadership, and from having a proven international performer at their side as we work together to own the podium in 2010."
"I still have the fire in my belly to compete, to improving in all disciplines of our sport, and I look forward to the opportunity to lead our team along the way," said Renner, who is enjoying the challenge of balancing motherhood with a career in high-performance sport. "The young athletes in our program proved over the last couple of years they are ready to compete with the worlds best, and it is going to be a fun ride. Im looking forward to getting back on the start line."
Joining Renner on the womens team is fellow Canmore resident, Chandra Crawford, who is an Olympic and World Cup medalist. The 23-year-old Crawford, who shocked the world to win gold at the Torino Games, added to her World Cup medal total last season when she won a bronze medal at the World Cup Tour-de-Ski on New Years Eve in Germany. Rounding out the Canadian womens team is: Amanda Ammar, of Onoway, Alta.; Dasha Gaiazova, of Montreal; Perianne Jones, of Almonte, Ont.; and Brittany Webster, of Caledon, Ont.
Devon Kershaw, of Sudbury, Ont., will lead the Canadian trail for the mens team. The 24-year-old Kershaw became the first Canadian male in 15 years to medal in a World Cup event. He captured a silver medal in the opening event of the World Cup Tour-de-Ski last season.
Other members of the team include: David Nighbor, of North Bay, Ont.; Drew Goldsack, of Red Deer, Alta.; George Grey, of Rossland, B.C.; Phil Widmer, of Banff, Alta.; Sean Crooks, of Thunder Bay, Ont.; and Stefan Kuhn, of Canmore, Alta.
"This is a unique group of athletes that has been making significant progress, and has demonstrated the ability to maintain Canadas position on the podium in international cross-country skiing," said Dave Wood, who returns as head coach of the Canadian cross country ski team. "Our young team has had a taste of success over the last few years, and now knows what it takes to win. We are going to make positive strides together, with the goal of winning more medals for Canada."
A group of six athletes will compete in the season-opening World Cup event, October 27-28, 2007, in D?sseldorf, Germany: Chandra Crawford, Perianne Jones, David Nighbor, Phil Widmer, Sean Crooks and Stefan Kuhn. The remaining athletes will continue to chase snow in Canada, and train at the recently upgraded Canmore Nordic Centre, which will host four World Cup races, January 22-26, 2007.
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10/24/2007
REGIONAL NEWS: MIDWEST
Midwest Junior Olympic Team Seeks Assistant Coaches
Organizers of the Midwest Junior Olympic team have five coaching positions open for the 2008 Junior Olympics, taking place in Anchorage March 9-16, 2008.
Interested coaches will apply to the Midwest Junior Executive Committee. Applications are available at cxcskiing.org under the Midwest Juniors tab.
Coaches will provide support for the team at the Junior Olympics in Anchorage. The team will depart on Friday, March 7, 2008, and return March 16, 2008. Applications must be submitted to Head Coach, Karen Cook (kcook777@yahoo.com) by November 15, 2007. The coaching positions will be filled by December 1, 2007.
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10/24/2007
REGIONAL NEWS: MIDWEST
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10/24/2007
REGIONAL NEWS: NEW YORK
Lapland Lake Open House November 23-24
Lapland Lake Nordic Vacation Center will host its annual two-day open house and equipment sale, Friday and Saturday, November 23-24 from 9:00am-4:30pm. Visitors are invited to tour the Finnish-style four-season vacation center which is celebrating its 30th winter season.
The open house is free of charge to visitors and facility use passes to cross country ski, snowshoe, tube and ice-skate will be free both. If there is no snow, attendees can enjoy complimentary hiking on the resorts 50 km private trail system.
Door prizes will include facility use passes, lessons, rentals and learn-to-ski packages (trail pass, rentals and group ski lesson). The grand prize is a two-night stay in one of the resorts tupas (cozy housekeeping cottages) during the upcoming winter season. The lodging package, which is valid non-holiday midweeks, includes use of ski and snowshoe trails, ice-skating pond, tubing hills, 50 percent off a group lesson (per person), daily discounts on ski and snowshoe rentals and use of the Finnish wood-burning sauna. The grand prize drawing will be held at 4:30 p.m. Saturday.
Select ski equipment and clothing will be offered at discounts of up to 40 percent; complete ski packages will be discounted 20percent. Lapland Lakes owner-operator, former U.S. Olympian, Olavi Hirvonen, and his trained staff will provide assistance in proper equipment selection and sizing. All regularly priced and sale-priced merchandise will be discounted an additional 10 percent during the two-day open house.
Free beverages will be available; fresh baked goods will be for sale at the resorts Tuulen Tupa Grill.
Season passes will be available at reduced early-season rates; full season pass rates go into effect Saturday, December 1.
The resorts two domesticated reindeer, Viima and Talvi, will be welcoming visitors at their lakeside home.
A complete cross country ski and snowshoe facility, Lapland Lake offers fully equipped rental and retail shops, a comfortable warming lodge with snack bar, a trailside restaurant and overnight accommodations in private housekeeping cottages. The trail system has 50 km of trails, including 38 km marked, mapped and snowcat groomed with trackset and skating lanes; 12 km are ungroomed, marked, mapped snowshoe trails. Other activities include ice-skating, tubing, sledding, kicksledding and wilderness ski touring.
Located in the south-central Adirondacks, Lapland Lake is just over an hours drive from Schenectady, 60 miles from Albany and Utica and four hours from New York City and Boston. Visit online at www.laplandlake.com, call the resorts 24-hour taped snow condition report at 800-453-SNOW, or contact Lapland Lakes main office for further information at (518) 863-4974.
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10/23/2007
Newell Wins World Cup Tune-up Sprint in Sweden
Andy Newell dominated the final loop to capture Moras annual Oktobersprint in sluggish, slow snow conditions in Sweden. Teammate Torin Koos led the quarterfinal and semifinal heats of the classic technique race, but Newell took charge on the final uphill and breezed to victory over the last few hundred meters; Koos finished fourth.
The 1,200-meter course consisted of snow which had been stockpiled last winter and then covered with wood chips to preserve it through the summer.
The sprint was a final tuneup for the World Cup season, which begins Saturday in Dusseldorf, Germany. Newell and Koos, who each has produced a World Cup top-three result in the last two seasons, will be the U.S. entries. They have been training in a ski tunnel in nearby Torsby, an indoor facility where special refrigeration pipes provide weatherproof, near-winter conditions.
"The trainings gone very well and, perhaps just as important, the guys have stayed healthy," U.S. Sprint Coach Chris Grover said Monday. "This was a cool event, especially with snow from last season. The guys had poor start positions for the prologue [the time trial which determined the final 16 skiers in the round of heats], but they powered through to qualify.
Koos was unstoppable in the first two rounds, leading both his quarterfinal and semifinal heats, with Newell second in each of his heats. "Torin ran out of gas in the A Final but that was when Andy stepped up and skied away from everyone on the final uphill," added Grover. Newell double-poled to the finish over the last 250-300 meters. The field had several quality sprinters including World Cup podium finishers Fredrik and Mikael Oestberg, and Anders Hoegberg.
Rain the night before and 50-degree weather created sloppy conditions, but the Mora organizers did an outstanding job in staging the sprints. The U.S. Ski Team looked at it as a hard training day and a chance to get a real good workout before Dusseldorf.
The U.S. athletes leave at midweek for Germany with the individual sprint Saturday and a team sprint, with each of the two skiers alternating loops, on Sunday. The season-opening races are among the highlights of the World Cup, attracting crowds well in excess of 100,000 each day, according to organizers.
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10/22/2007
AltaGas Incentive Supports Coaching at Four Canadian Clubs
Four Canadian Nordic ski clubs will receive $10,000 each as part of Cross Country Canadas AltaGas Club Incentive and Coach Mentoring Program.
The Big Thunder Nordic Ski Club in Thunder Bay, Ont.; Commission Nordique Skibec, in Quebec City; Foothills Nordic Ski Club in Calgary; and Nakkertok Nordic Ski Club in Ottawa were all selected from an extensive application process.
The AltaGas Club Incentive and Coach Mentoring program is a new Cross Country Canada initiative aimed at supporting Canadas high-performance clubs and coaches by optimizing high-performance coaches ongoing and practical education and training. The financial support will also aim at improving the outlook for more full-time professional club coaching positions.
"We believe by initiating this club incentive program we will help strengthen the national ski team talent pool, improve the career path for our club coaches and retain them within the system while increase the financial resources available to them," said Al Maddox, executive director, Cross Country Canada. "This pilot project will help enhance the quality of coaching from the grassroots to high-performance level across the country. It is our goal this program will be a success, and continue to benefit Canadian cross country ski coaches and clubs well into the future."
The new program is part of the major multi-year financial commitment announced by AltaGas Income Trust to support the nations high-performance cross-country skiers and fuel their drive to the podium. The commitment, valued at more than $500,000, was announced earlier this fall, and is the largest philanthropic contribution ever by AltaGas Income Trust.
AltaGas will also fund the employment of two new assistant coaches – one at the National Team Training Centre in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and the other at the Pierre Harvey National Team Training Centre in Quebec City. It will also sponsor youth training and development camps across the country.
AltaGas Income Trust operates natural gas related businesses across Canada. Cross Country Canada is the governing body of cross country skiing in Canada.
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10/18/2007
SIA Releases 2007 Intelligence Report
This week, SnowSports Industries America (SIA) will make available the 2007 Intelligence Report – a compilation of 10 unique research studies on the snow sports industry. Celebrating its 30th annual update, the Intelligence Report provides valuable insight into trends, sales, participation and demographics for the snow sports market. For the first time, the 2007 report will include details on Internet sales in addition to specialty retail shops.
The comprehensive report also includes several enhanced highlights along with new stand-alone Intelligence Report chapters for alpine, snowboard, Nordic and apparel categories.
While the Winter of 2006-07 will be remembered for its warmer temps and lower-than-average snowfall in many regions, snow sports continued to thrive and trends were apparent. Heres just a sample of information that can be found in the 2007 Intelligence Report:
Winter 06/07 Sales
$2.1 billion in sales of snow sports equipment, apparel, and accessories from specialty shops and Internet sales. Category breakdown:
$629 million in equipment
$813 million in apparel
$680 million in accessories
All mountain snowboards were the hot trend, with an increase of 24 percent in units sold and 31 percent in dollars spent.
Winter 06/07 Internet Sales
$341 million total Internet sales were recorded
13% of all snowboard equipment was sold online
Winter 06/07 Demographics/Participation
Approximately 5 percent of Americans (7 years or older) participated in winter sports more than once a year – this is equal to 13.3 million
53 percent of snowboarders reported riding outside of resort areas at least once
40 percent of snowboarders also ride a skateboard
A free copy of the 2007 SIA Intelligence report is available to all SIA members; non-members will pay $425. Members of the press can contact the SIA PR department for specific requests regarding information from the report. For more information on this and other research available through SIA, log onto snowsports.org and click on the "Industry Resources" button.
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10/17/2007
McGee to Coach PSIA Nordic Team
Scotty McGee of Jackson, Wyo. has been given the nod from the Professional Ski Instructors Association (PSIA) to become the coach of the elite 2008 PSIA Nordic Demonstration and Education Team. The teams purpose is to inspire members personally and professionally, and make contributions to the research, development and delivery of PSIA information and messages to the industry. Candidates for the Team must be first nominated by their Division, although no Division quota exists during selection. Candidates then go through a selection process that generally includes Division try-outs. PSIAs goal is to select "the best in the nation" for its four-person Nordic Team and coach. Individuals serve a four-year term on the Team. The PSIA Nordic Team currently consists of: Craig Panarisi-Team Coach, Tor Brown, Dan Clausen, Ross Matlock and Scotty McGee.
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10/17/2007
American Birkebeiner Raises $173,901 in 30 Days
The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation (ABSF) has raised more than $100,000 in 30 days, qualifying for a matching challenge grant of $65,000.
The challenge grant was issued by John and Leslie Taylor and family from Madison, Wis. The ABSF received $103,901 from 423 donors, plus $5,000 from the Hayward Lakes Visitors and Convention Bureau, bringing the grand total to $173,901.
The Taylors issued the 30-day challenge as a way to support the 51 kilometer American Birkiebeiner and 23 kilometer Kortelopet and the shorter races and events associated with the Birkie.
Funds raised during the Birkie Challenge will allow completion of the Birkie Classic Trail segment to the High Point food station in 2007 and to Highway OO in 2008. Trail construction will begin in late Spring 08 and the Birkie Classic Trail will be completed in time for the 2009 American Birkebeiner. The ABSF also plans to purchase a second grooming machine.
"We gave people the opportunity to express themselves and invest in the Birkie Trail," John Taylor said. "The fact that the goal was exceeded by 50 percent is a tremendous example of a community coming together in a healthy show of support."
He also said he plans to the ski the new classic trail during the 2008 event. Leslie Taylor has completed 13 Birkies and also plans to participate in the 35th Anniversary events.
"It has been such an exciting month," said ABSF executive director, Ned Zuelsdorff. "In addition to the many generous contributions, we also received many personal messages telling us how much people believed in our cause and what the Birkie Trail means to them. We received donations from around the country, and thank everyone who donated. Its interesting that some people donated as a gift for, or in memory of, someone else."
To learn more about the American Birkebeiner and 35th anniversary events, from February 21-23, 2008, log on to www.birkie.com, email birkie@birkie.com or call 715/634-5025.
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10/15/2007
Paralympic Champion Cook Retires; Will Develop Disabled Program
Paralympic and world championships gold medalist and former World Cup champion Steve Cook has retired. Cook, who was the cornerstone of the U.S. Disabled Cross Country Ski Team for the better part of a decade, will take on the responsibility of developing a disabled Nordic development program.
After losing his right leg below the knee in a 1988 farm accident, Cook started mountain bike racing in 1990, switched to road cycling in 93 and made the 96 Summer Paralympic Team (where he was fifth in Velodrome and seventh in the road race).
As a cross-training workout, he added cross country skiing to his quiver in 95 and rapidly surged to the top of the sport, gaining seven Paralympic medals, including double gold in 2006 with victories in both the 5K freestyle and 10K classic and a U.S.-record four medals (all silvers) at the 2002 Paralympics in Utah.
Cook earned 14 medals (five gold) at the last five major championships. He clinched the 2005 World Cup title at Fort Kent, Maine, in the season-ending World Championships, which doubled as World Cup races, by winning two gold and a bronze.
"Hes been the backbone of this Team since 98," said Disabled Cross Country Head Coach Jon Kreamelmeyer. "Along with Willie [Stewart, retired 04] and Crenny [Mike Crenshaw, retired 06], Cookie took the Team to a different level - they set the tone for what was going to take place over the next 10 years. Hes certainly going to be missed."
According to Kreamelmeyer, who coached Cook through his entire 11-year international ski career, the team will miss his competitiveness, sense of humor and leadership in the standup discipline.
"He was the model of a true competitor," he said, "Cook was a brown-bag guy who always showed up ready. He never offered excuses and always looked for the positives even if he had a horrible race."
But even more so, Cook was a team player, explained Kreamelmeyer. "He would always say, We did a great job today, when he hit the podium. To me, thats a true indicator of what an outstanding character and competitor he was. As much as he deserved it, he hated the individual spotlight and never was comfortable talking about himself."
Cook closed the 2006 season with four World Cup podiums, including three wins, good enough to finish as runner-up in the overall title race and earn him U.S. Disabled Athlete of the Year honors from his peers.
Starting a new chapter in his athletic career, Cook has been hired by the National Ability Center in Park City, UT, and tasked with developing a disabled Nordic program designed to help feed the U.S. development pipeline. He will also continue his longtime employment with Sages Way, a low-water, sustainable landscape business in Utah.
"Im sure well see him around," said Kreamelmeyer, "Ill definitely utilize him as a coach whenever possible. Hes certainly not leaving the sport."
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10/12/2007
USSA Announces US Distance Races Headed to Fairbanks
The 2008 U.S. Cross Country Championships will conclude with long-distance races on a rugged course at the Birch Hill Recreation Area in Fairbanks, Alaska. U.S. Nordic Director said the races will take place March 28-30.
"The 30 and 50 km courses in Fairbanks will be the most challenging physical test of the entire domestic season, and will be the toughest race many of the competitors will ever participate in," Bodensteiner said.
The U.S. Championships will begin January 1-6, with sprints and 5-15 km distances at the Michigan Tech Nordic Training Facility in Houghton, Michigan.
The races again will double as SuperTour competitions, with each U.S. championship race counting as double SuperTour points. A special ingredient in this seasons championships will be staging the pursuit races March 28 under the lights at Birch Hill.
The pursuit distances are 15 km classic and 15 km freestyle for the men and 7.5 km legs for the women. On Sunday, March 30, the men will ski at 50 km classic and the women will cover 30 km.
In addition, Bodensteiner said there will be two days of midweek racing preceding the Fairbanks events for a Spring Series-style finale. This will also give local junior racers an additional opportunity to gain experience against the nations best skiers.
"The long-distance races are a great way to close the season, "Bodensteinr said. "Weve struggled for many years trying to find the best way to incorporate the womens 30K and mens 50K into the national championships, either as a stand-alone race in the spring or during the championships in January.
"In both cases we experienced many top athletes deciding not to take part in the competition, because of either the physical demands of racing such a long distance during the heart of the competition season, or because traveling for a stand-alone competition wasnt practical.
"With the recent development of the pursuit into a long-distance race, its become a perfect companion to the 30/50K races. The pursuit allows our athletes to shift these races - which require a lot of recovery time - to the end of the season. Last season was a great debut for this new program, and Fairbanks is poised to solidify it as a great new feature on our national calendar."
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10/10/2007
REGIONAL NEWS: NEW YORK
New York Center Schedules Reindeer Roundup
Lapland Lake Nordic Vacation Center has scheduled the 30th annual Reindeer Roundup Festival for Sunday, December 23. The day-long event features a pursuit-style ski race, ski orienteering meet and youth cross country ski race.
The pursuit race format requires racers to use classic technique for the first 5 kilometers and to complete the final 5km using freestyle technique. There is no break between the two 5km laps; racers may change equipment between laps, at their discretion. This race, which begins at 10 a.m., is an Empire State Games Qualifier.
The Lapland Lake Reindeer Roundup is a citizens race open to all skiers. The race entry fee covers both portions of the race. NYSSRA (New York State Ski Racing Association) members are charged $20.00 for participants who preregister by Wednesday, December 19; $25.00 thereafter. The entry fee for non-NYSSRA members pre-registering by December 19 is $25.00; $30.00 thereafter. Pre-registration may be completed online at www.nyssranordic.com . Day-of-race registration will take place from 8:00 - 9:30 a.m.
Awards will be presented to the first three male and female finishers in each of seven age divisions and to the overall male and female event winners.
A fun Bill Koch Junior Cookie Race for skiers ages 13 and under will take place after the conclusion of the Reindeer Roundup (at approximately 1 p.m.). Each participant will take home a ribbon and a large fresh-baked cookie from the resorts Tuulen Tupa Grill.
The day also includes a ski orienteering race, also an Empire State Games qualifier. Entry fee of $10.00 includes a detailed color course map. In a ski orienteering event, participants navigate through a series of points on a prearranged cross country ski course and are timed as individuals or as group members. The course length will be determined by snow conditions.
Members of various age group divisions will experience different race course lengths and numbers of controls. For example, scholastic females will ski a 4-5 km course with 8-10 controls. At the other end of the spectrum, the open male division will ski 6-10 km with 12-16 controls. There are several divisions in between.
An abbreviated 2 to 3 km course will be available and appropriate for juniors and adult first-timers.
Interested individuals may contact Eric Hamilton, Empire Orienteering Club, at ejh.bkh@juno.com or at 518-383-8565. Event, snow condition and general resort information may be obtained online at www.laplandlake.com.
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10/10/2007
REGIONAL NEWS: COLORADO
Colorado Backcountry Bash, Slide Shows Announced
The Backcountry Snowsports Alliance has announced a fundraiser and educational program planned for later this season.
The Backcountry Bash fundraiser will take place Friday, November 20, at the Denver REI flagship store. The event includes gourmet finger food and free Colorado beer. Attendees can participate in silent and live auctions for outdoor gear and services, as well as see an adventure slide show by photographer Dan Bailey.
A second event, to be held at the Boulder REI store, features a slide show on Colorados backcountry hut system. The program covers itinerary planning, developing packing lists, and planning family activities for your stay at a hut.
The Backcountry Snowsports Alliance advocates for the creation and protection of quiet areas on public lands for skiers, snowshoers and snowboarders.
For details, including costs and times, go to www.backcountryalliance.org.
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10/10/2007
Telemark SuperTour to Include Sprint Competition in Duluth
The sprint competition for the Telemark SuperTour event will be held January 23, 2008, in Duluth, Minnesota, according to CXC Skiing. The other SuperTour races will be held at Telemark Resort in Cable, Wisconsin.
According to Scott Wilson, race director, teams will take charter buses to Duluth on the morning of the competition. This will be provided at no charge to the competitors.
The Duluth facility includes indoor waxing facilities, athlete lounge areas and locker rooms adjacent to the stadium. Competitors will cover a 1.4 km course. A high school 100 meter race will be held at halftime.
Qualification rounds are planned for mid-afternoon, with the finals taking place at night on the lighted course. An awards ceremony and athlete party will take place after the event, and the coach bus will return the entire field back to Telemark Resort by approximately 10:30 p.m.
Details will be provided, as they are available, at www.cxcskiing.org .
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10/10/2007
Johnson, Hendrickson Win Lake Placid Jumping Events
Anders Johnson and Nick Alexander dominated the ski jumping over the weekend at the annual Flaming Leaves meet at the Olympic Jumping Complex in Lake Placid, New York.
Johnson, a 2006 Olympian, won Saturdays event with jumps of 101 and 97 meters, good for 263.5 points. Alexander, who trains in Lake Placid with the New York Ski Education Foundation, went 99.5 and 98.5m (257.5 points) for second place. Kyle Lockhart completed the podium in third.
Sunday, Alexander won, compiling 235.0 points, with Johnson second at 233.5 points. In third place was Blake Hughes with 218.0 points.
The womens podium was the same for both Saturday and Sunday, with Sarah Hendrickson in first place, Tara Geraghty-Moats in second and Nina Lussi third.
Saturdays competition was organized by Lake Placids Olympic Regional Development Authority, while NYSEF put on Sundays meet.
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10/8/2007
REGIONAL NEWS: WYOMING
Cody and Yellowstone Country Gear Up for Winter
Known for its Buffalo Bill museum, Cody, Wyoming, and the surrounding area offers a number of winter activities. Popular outdoor activities include ice climbing, cross country skiing, wildlife-watching and photography, and snowcoach and snowmobile tours to nearby Yellowstone National Park.
Ice climbing is available along the South Fork of the Shoshone River (www.codyice.com). The frozen waterfalls provide one of the highest concentrations of waterfall ice climbing in the United States.
The area also offers a number of Nordic skiing trails, including the Wood River Valley Ski Touring Park located 22 miles southwest of Meeteetse, North Fork Nordic Trails located near the East Entrance to Yellowstone National Park and Yellowstone National Park itself, with groomed ski trails throughout the park.
Snowcoaches are increasingly popular, particularly for trips to Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding national forests. Snowcoach drivers do double-duty as interpretive guides, and stop the vehicles along the way so visitors can appreciate the parks incredible beauty and abundant wildlife.
The Park County Travel Council website (www.yellowstonecountry.org) lists information about vacation packages, special events, guide services, weather and more. Travelers wishing to arrange vacation can also call the Park County Travel Council at 1-800-393-2639.
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10/5/2007
REGIONAL NEWS: COLORADO
Top Coaching at Crested Butte Thanksgiving Camp
Former Olympic skiers, an NCAA coach and other experts will lead this years Thanksgiving Training Camp at Crested Butte Nordic Center in Colorado. The camp will take place November 23-25, 2007. All of the clinics will be at elevations of at least 8,800 feet.
Former Olympians Rebecca Dussault, Kendall Butts and Ingrid Butts will be on hand, along with NCAA coach Jessie Crandall and PSIA Nordic Demo Team member Ross Matlock. Clinics are designed to enhance and improve skills and are limited to approximately 12 people in each.
Friday and Saturday, Nov. 23-24, both begin with pre-clinic waxing assistance, followed by two hours of lessons. After lunch, skiers will receive another two hours of instructions. Video analysis is included and skiers can take advantage of a gourmet dinner on Saturday.
The highlights on Sunday, Nov. 25, are a 5 km classic and a 5 km skating race. Members of the Western State College and Crested Butte Junior teams will participate.
The Crested Butte Nordic Center is a full-service cross-country ski center providing lessons and complete rental packages for skate and classical skiing, as well as ice skating, snowshoeing and sledding. The Nordic Center maintains more than 45 kilometers of groomed trails.
For information or to register, go to www.cbnordic.org or call (970) 349-1707.
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10/4/2007
REGIONAL NEWS: MONTANA/WYOMING
Winter Wolf Discovery Coming to Yellowstone
The Yellowstone Association Institute, Yellowstone National Parks official educational partner, is offering a four-night "Winter Wolf Discovery" throughout the winter at the Mammoth Hotel. The package includes accommodations, some meals, in-park transportation and wildlife viewing excursions.
"Everything comes together in winter to make Yellowstone the best place in the world to see wolves in the wild," said Jeff Brown, director of education for the Yellowstone Association. "Wolves are spotted every day in the Lamar Valley. They follow the elk and other prey to the lower elevations near the park road, and they are relatively easy to see against the backdrop of white snow."
The first program will be offered December 26, 2007, and will be available through the end of February. The four-night stays begin on Wednesdays and Sundays.
Instructors will provide expertise on the reintroduction of wolves to the park and lead wildlife viewing excursions through the Lamar Valley. This package includes accommodations at the Mammoth Hotel, breakfasts and lunches each day, in-park transportation, snowshoe rental, one-hour hot tub rental, unlimited ice skating and optional evening programs. Rates start at $545 per person, plus tax, based on double occupancy and $695 for single occupancy. Yellowstone Association members receive a $10 discount.
The parks winter season begins Dec. 19, 2007 with the opening of the Old Faithful Snow Lodge. The Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel opens Dec. 21, 2007. The lodges provide the only wintertime accommodations within the park. Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel will close for the season on March 2, 2008, and Old Faithful Snow Lodge will close March 9, 2008.
Other winter packages allow participants to explore the park by cross country skiing, snowshoeing and over-snow vehicles. For details, go to www.YellowstoneAssociation.org. To make a reservation, call Xanterra, operator of the hotels, at 307-344-5566.
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10/3/2007
La Sgambeda Opens Italian Cross Country Season
The 18th annual La Sgambeda race will open the cross country season on December 16, 2007. The freestyle race is the first in the FIS Marathon Cub series, with racers covering either a 22.5 kilometer or 42 kilometer distance.
Swiss instructor Daniel Sandoz will offer a four-week training workshop prior to the event, focusing on technique and video analysis. Information is available at www.sandozconcept.com.
The race is the opening event in the FIS Marathon Cup, with prizes totaling 21,000 Euro divided among the top six men and top six women. Registration is open, with a 40 Euro fee prior to October 30 and 55 Euro fee until the December 13 registration deadline.
The event also includes a youth race on December 15.
Special packages are available for those who would like to compete and spend a short holiday in Livigno, Italy. Information on packages are available by emailing booking@livigno.eu. For more information on the race, see www.lasgambeda.it .
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10/2/2007
REGIONAL NEWS-10/2/07
COLORADO
Free Dryland Training in Boulder
The Boulder Nordic Ski Club has announced a series of free dryland training sessions. Each session of rollerskiing and dryland simulation is led by a local master skier or professional coach. A full schedule is available at www.bouldernordic.org.
The club will also hold is annual expo on November 14 at 7 p.m. in the Boulder High School cafeteria. This annual ski swap benefits the Boulder Nordic Junior Race Team.
The latest newsletter also provides an update on the potential for in-town skiing in Boulder and other news items. Subscriptions are free and available at bouldernordic.org.
MINNESOTA
CXC Ski Team to Hold Camp in Northern Minnesota
The entire Central Cross Country (CXC) ski team will host a training camp at the Rainbow Resort in Waubun, Minnesota. The camp, which will take place October 26-28, is open to any skier.
According to Team CXC, the camp will focus on training and extensive technique work. Rainbow Resort is near Itasca State Park in northwestern Minnesota. CXC coaches and athletes will work one-on-one with participants to improve fundamentals of both classic and skate techniques. Body position, power application, timing, and other technique components will be emphasized through several dryland and rollerski drills.
Meals and full-service cottages are available at the resort and there are a number of other lodging options in the area. For details and registration information, visit www.cxcskiing.org.
The CXC ski team is a regional development team based in Hayward, Wisconsin.
CALIFORNIA
October 6 Session for Interested Mt. Shasta Skiers
Californias Mt. Shasta Nordic Ski Organization will hold an informational meeting on October 6 for its 2007-08 teenage cross country ski group. The program seeks to introduce young people to Nordic skiing. Last year, the program had 15 participants.
Skiers meet every Wednesday afternoon after school and every Saturday morning during the ski season. A typical session begins with an instructional focus on technique followed by games and drills intended to reinforce the skills learned. These activities are normally followed by a short ski tour.
Last year, some of team members took part in a field trip to Lake Tahoe over the Presidents Day Weekend. "Due to its popularity, we will repeat the Tahoe trip this year" said coach Craig Vivas. "The kids get an opportunity to ski at some of the outstanding Nordic centers in the North Tahoe area, watch the state championships and even participate in a race if they want."
The club provides top-notch skate-ski and classic equipment to anyone who needs it for the season at a very low price.
"Fitness will be a focus this year" said Vivas. "We will begin in October with dry-land training to develop ski-specific fitness and work to customize training programs for each individual. Whether the skier is a top athlete, or just out to have fun at a slower pace, they will have more fun if they are fit."
Interested young people between the ages of 12 and 20 are invited to attend the informational meeting on Saturday, October 6, at 11:00 a.m., at the home of Craig Vivas, 201 Shasta Ave., in Mt. Shasta. Phone (530) 926-9896 for directions or information. Vivas is also looking for adults who would volunteer with the program.
WISCONSIN
Team CXC Takes Show on the Road
The CXC ski team conducted some wilderness training in Michigans Upper Peninsula and finished the week with a time trial near their home base of Hayward, Wisconsin.
The Central Cross Country (CXC) team is a regional development team, providing promising skiers with the training and experience necessary to challenge for a spot on the U.S. Ski Team.
The team spent four days camping and training at Porcupine Mountain State Park in the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The Porkies is a 59,000 acre wilderness park with varied and rugged terrain. The athletes camped along the shores of Lake Superior and took part in ski-walking, rollerskiing and over-distance workouts.
The second week of training took place near Hayward, Wisconsin, concluding with two time trails and a visit from Caitlin Compton, a former CXC team member and U.S. Super Tour champ. Compton is now a member of the U.S. Biathlon team.
The next stop in the teams schedule is Lake Placid, New York, where they will train with the U.S. Ski team and other developmental teams.
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10/1/2007
NEW CROSS COUNTRY SKIER MAGAZINE WEBSITE DEBUTS
Cross Country Skier magazine is pleased and proud to announce the debut of its newly re-designed and constructed website, www.crosscountryskier.com (CrossCountrySkier.com). “I’m quite happy with the new website,” said Cross Country Skier publisher Ron Bergin. “The site has been in the making for the past several months as we worked to create a simple interface that is intuitive and easy to navigate and most importantly, expand the site’s content to a point where it has a much improved day-to-day relevance.”
The new CrossCountrySkier.com is a significant departure from its predecessor. “Our original site, which has been active since we assumed publication of the magazine six years ago, was primarily a mirror of the printed magazine,” says Bergin. Last year the site added a news component, which posted national and regional news on recreational and competitive skiing. “While the previous site was certainly a functional and useful tool for communicating information about the sport and introducing skiers to the printed magazine, it posed a dilemma as to exactly how much content we could provide.” Bergin explained, “We could not simply replicate the entire magazine, so we posted a few select items from every issue. Otherwise, the content was fairly stagnant. There was potential to do so much more.”
Conventional wisdom in the publishing world suggests that a print magazine’s website should essentially be a stand-alone entity, with its own identity and largely its own content. And this is exactly what the new CrossCountrySkier.com is. The site will still highlight current content from each issue of the print magazine as well as provide some previews of upcoming issues. The news component of the site has been retained, but the approach to posting the news has evolved. “We’ve taken a much more journalistic approach to presenting news about the sport,” comments Bergin. “Many sites simply take the canned press releases forwarded by national and regional organizations and post them verbatim to their sites. We give every press release and announcement a light editing to make them read better and tone down some of the hype and spin.”
To give visitors to the site more reasons to return, the new CrossCountrySkier.com will also have several web-only feature articles that have not appeared in the print magazine. Articles will continue to address similar topics and issues found in the magazine and new, web-only features will be added on a regular basis. “There are many restraints in publishing a magazine, such as limited page count and production costs, that we do not face with the web,” says Bergin. “It costs much less to add content and very importantly, allows us to react in a much more timely manner than possible with a magazine with a six to eight week lead time.”
Another major content boost comes in the areas of technique, training and waxing. Numerous how-to articles will be posted to the new site drawn from past issues, providing visitors the opportunity to study the sport as presented by Cross Country Skier’s professional corps or teachers, coaches and technicians.
Although known as the predominant recreational Nordic skiing publication, Cross Country Skier has in recent years expanded its focus to embrace the competitive side of the sport as well. To reflect this a special section of the website will be dedicated to racing including not only Nordic, but also biathlon, Nordic combined and jumping.
With a history of over 27 years, Cross Country Skier is also the oldest Nordic skiing publication on the market. As a result, there is an enormous archive of editorial content, all of it historic, some nostalgic and much of it still relevant today. Over time this well of Nordic knowledge, information and interesting reading will also be added to the new site, further enhancing its depth of content. A gallery of almost every cover of the magazine dating back to and including several of its predecessors will also be posted for those wishing to take a ski down memory lane. Many of these same back issues will also be available for sale from the site.
Other new features found on CrossCountrySkier.Com include an event calendar where clubs and event organizers can directly post their events. A similar component for trail reports is planned for the site and will be added as the season progresses. With the greater reach of broadband Internet service, CrossCountrySkier.com will be able to deliver content in formats not feasible or even possible when the site was first launched. Extensive photo galleries, slideshows and videos ranging from demonstrations of technique and training to just plain skiing through the woods will become an integral part of the site. Additional interactive features are planned as well, including forums and podcasts.
While the goal in rolling out this new site has been to create an on-line vehicle that not only represents the print magazine but also presents a stand-alone website with its own identity and content base, another significant objective has been to better integrate the print version of the magazine with the website. “Again the limitations of the printed world can be mitigated by partnering the magazine with the website to extend the impact of every issue,” Bergin explains. “In every issue of the magazine there will be opportunities to refer the reader to the website for additional information, photo galleries, video demonstrations or sidebar editorial. “This I see as one of the most synergistic benefits of having a companion website to a print magazine,” Bergin adds.
Cross Country Skier’s new website was developed by Dean Woodbeck of Self-Propelled Communications from Hancock, Michigan. Woodbeck works with numerous outdoor sport and Nordic ski organizations as well as Michigan Tech University and other business clients. He is also part of the U.S. Cross Country National Championships organizing committee. “Dean’s insight into the sport as a result of his direct involvement as a skier and professional association with other Nordic skiing organizations and events has been a strong asset in helping create this new site. He has been able to immediately grasp the types of things I wanted to see in the site and how I wanted it to function and look,” compliments Bergin. Technical assistance and hosting will continue to be provided by Tim Gavigan or OldCabin Internet Services of Madison, Wis.
CrossCountrySkier.com is by no means a finished product. Content elements and technical features and functions will continue to be added as the site evolves in response to continuing developments in the sport and the way in which information is disseminated on the Internet. “We are extremely excited about the new site and its capabilities and possibilities for serving the Nordic skiing community,” concluded Bergin. “But we do not intend to let it end here, as there will continually be new things we can do, and look forward to utilizing this new site to not only further the brand, but to advocate on behalf of the sport of Nordic skiing.”
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9/28/2007
Have You Skied a Fjord Lately? - Iceland's Fossavatn Marathon Set for May 3
If you are looking for a late-season challenge to cap your ski season, consider the Fossavatn Ski Marathon in Iceland. The event, with distances of 7, 10, 20 and 50 km, is set for May 3, 2008. Visitors fly in to Reykjavek , then drive the 490 kilometers to Ísafjörður, located in fjord country in far northwestern Iceland.
Organizers are also planning an early season training camp, November 23-25, on the Fossavatn trails. The camp includes two on-ski sessions per day, plus a video session. For complete information, email fossavatn@fossavatn.com.
At last years marathon, a record 239 racers finished in the balmy 12 degree (C) weather (53 degrees F). The event includes distances of 50, 20, 10, and 7 km.
While the start of the 50 km race is just 10 minutes from Ísafjörður, the 20 km start is inaccessible by car. Skiers either hitch a ride on a snowmobile or, as most prefer, ski to the start.
Organizers say they are coordinating with Ísafjörðurs volleyball club, which will host Icelands masters national volleyball tournament the same weekend.
For information about the marathon, visit www.fossavatn.com. Travel and lodging information is available at www.westfjords.is.
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9/26/2007
It's a Boy for Beckie Scott and Justin Wadsworth
Canadas most decorated Olympic cross-country ski athlete, Beckie Scott, has a new heir to the family home. The Olympic gold and silver medallist, along with husband Justin Wadsworth, a three-time Olympic cross-country skier for the United States team, welcomed the addition of Teo Jacob Wadsworth to their family on Sunday, September 16, 2007. Weighing in at 8 lbs 5 ounces, baby Teo (pronounced Tay-o) arrived healthy at Banffs Mineral Springs Hospital.
"Standing on the Olympic podium is an incredible experience that I will never forget, but the day Justin and I finally got to meet and hold Teo for the first time was absolutely hands down, the best day of our lives," said Scott, who travelled the world as a member of the IOC Evaluation Commission and WADA while pregnant with Teo.
While Scott will remain in North America, her husband will hit the road in early October to continue his responsibilities as a coach with the United States Cross Country Ski Team.
"Being a ski coach and a father wont be the easiest combination, but the current coaching structure of the U.S. Ski Team allows us to have good quality home time between trips which Im really excited for," said Wadsworth. "The first week of being a daddy has been absolutely awesome and I know it is only going to get better. We are both so excited."
Prior to officially announcing her retirement nearly two years ago from competitive skiing, Scott has spent the last two decades traveling around the worlds Nordic highways with Olympic teammates, Sara Renner and Milaine Theriault.
Now, Scott follows her teammates into the world of motherhood. Renner, who teamed up with Scott to win an Olympic silver medal in the team sprint relay in 2006, welcomed a baby girl into the world in February, while Theriault competed for two years on the international circuit after having a boy in 2004. After taking a year off, Renner is now back training to compete on the World Cup circuit with the goal of skiing at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver/Whistler.
"Sara and I ended up delivering the babies with the same doctor, in the same hospital, only eight months apart, so it is getting more difficult to convince people we dont do everything together," joked Scott, who also added they were trying for Canadas future sprint relay team, but that now wont be the case unless they create a co-ed race. "Saras baby, Aria, was one of Teos first visitors. It has been great to have Sara around to turn to, and ask questions about being a mom. It really has been a special experience to both become mothers in the same year."
Scott skied into retirement having rewritten the Canadian record books in the sport, which also firmly established her as one of the worlds best all-round cross-country ski racers. The remarkable trail for the Vermilion, Alta. native concluded with: 15 World Cup medals; four World Cup victories; two Olympic medals – including a gold in the five-kilometre pursuit race at the 2002 Games, and her silver medal in 2006.
Despite retiring from competitive skiing, Scott continues to blaze her trail around the world as a member of the IOC Athletes Commission. Scott was elected to the position, which holds an eight-year term, by her peers at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games. Since the 2006 Olympics, and in addition to various public speaking engagements, Beckie holds positions on a number of commissions and committees including; WADA, Right to Play, VANOC, the CCES, and COC.
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9/21/2007
CAT Ski Developer Offers Ski Clinics
The maker of the CAT ski, an all-terrain dryland training ski that
mimics cross country skiing, will hold a series of clinics and races in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Washington. The Classical All Terrain (CAT) ski emulates classic skiing and allows the skier to go on any terrain, including grass, trails and sand.
The clinics will provide training workouts and demonstrations in the morning and races of varying distances in the afternoon. Organizer and CAT ski developer Dale Niggeman will provide participants with CAT skis, if needed, but attendees must reserve a pair ahead of time. Those who pre-register by October 1 will be entered in a drawing for a pair of CAT skis.
The clinic schedule and registration form is online at
www.catskier.com/catskievents.php. Wisconsin clinics will take place in Madison, Eau Claire, Minocqua and Stevens Point. There will also be clinics in Minneapolis; Rockford, Illinois; and Winthrop, Washington. The clinics kick off on September 30 in Madison.
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9/21/2007
New Hampshire Rail Trail Expands
New Hampshires Northern Rail Trail was extended this month to reach East Andover. A partnership has also provided a welcome center for the new section of the trail.
The Highland Lake Inn in East Andover, New Hampshire, will serve as a welcome center for the new trail segment, providing parking and restroom facilities (www.highlandlakeinn.com).
The Northern Rail Trail will eventually cover 59 miles. When combined with two other trails, it could eventually be part of a trail across New Hampshire, following former railroad beds.
The new trail provides a variety of scenery: views of Mt. Kearsarge, a series of cornfields and multiple stream crossings and wetlands. There is also an old wooden covered bridge next to the rail trail in Andover.
The trail is open year round for walking, jogging, hiking, bicycling, horseback riding and bird watching. During the winter, the trail is used for snowmobiling, snowshoeing, cross country skiing and dog sled training.
For more information about the Northern Rail Trail, see
www.northernrailtrail.org.
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9/21/2007
Dexter Trails Announce Improvements
Dexter’s Inn Trails by Norsk Cross Country has announced several improvements for the 2007-08 season. The trail system, located in Sunapee, New Hampshire, re-opened last year after a complete renovation. The original trails were built in 1948.
This years improvements include expanded parking, a new YTS Ginzu groomer, youth rental skis and a rental pulk. The area includes 20 kilometers of groomed trails, a loop for leashed dogs, and backcountry, ungroomed and showshoe trails.
The inn and annex include 17 guest rooms; a cottage and condo are also available. Detailed information on accommodations and the daily breakfast buffet are available at www.dextersnh.com or by calling 800-232-5571.
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9/20/2007
Athletic and Financial Improvements Highlight USBA Board Meeting
Improvements in both competition and lab testing highlighted a report to the U.S. Bialthlon Associations fall board of directors meeting.
According to Bernd Eisenbichler, the teams high performance director, USBA athletes have shown gains in one of the two areas. He also said he plans to continue efforts to integrate the U.S. Biathlon Team at all levels (World Cup, development, and junior).
Piotr Bednarski, director of athlete development, reported that four new athletes have joined the development team, based at the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, New York, while another six will form the new collegiate team.
"Our main objective is to support our World Cup team and their drive for an Olympic medal," Bednarski said. "But, at the same time, we need to develop a new generation of athletes that will keep our sport growing."
Bednarski and Max Cobb, USBA executive director, singled out
Anchorage, Alaska, as an example of a successful regional program. Cobb commented, "The work being done on the venue in Kincaid Park is really spectacular," Cobb said. "Rachel Steer and the Alaska biathlon community have brought together an excellent group of designers and construction people to make this a world-class facility in a great location."
The board also heard of an increase in fundraising, with the annual golf fundraiser earning $47,000, compared to $31,000 last year. In addition, the USBA is selling a full-color calendar and kicking off a "Gold Medal" program in October. The Gold Medal program earned $25,000 last year. The funds support athletes training for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.
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9/19/2007
Brikie Seeks Two Skiers for Warrior Reenactment
The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation (ABSF) is searching for two tough cross country skiers to dress as Birkebeiner warriors and trek 51 kilometers from Cable to Hayward on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2008.
The two skiers will dress in authentic gear, ski on wooden skis, and depict the 800-year-old rescue of Prince Haakon, the baby who became one of the most popular kings in Norwegian history.
The Birkebeiner warriors became a Norwegian symbol of courage, perseverance and character in the face of adversity, and the historic rescue inspired the creation of three ski marathons - the Birkebeinerrennet in Lillehammer, Norway, launched in 1932; the American Birkebeiner, launched in 1973; and the Canadian Birkebeiner, launched in 1985 in Alberta.
In addition to searching for two Birkie warriors, the ABSF is also
looking for a skier to depict Inga, the mother of the baby Prince.
"Inga" will wear traditional clothing and ski either the 51-kilometer Birkie or 23-kilometer Kortelopet before meeting up with the Birkie warriors and baby Prince Haakon at the finish line on Main Street in Hayward.
Inga and the Birkie 2008 warriors will serve as "ambassadors on the trail" encouraging both skiers and volunteers. The warriors will carry a baby doll along the course until Main Street where theyll pick up a real infant "prince" before skiing the last two blocks to Inga at the finish line.
"Since this is the 35th anniversary of the American Birkebeiner, we felt it important to highlight the historic roots of the race with Inga, Baby Prince Haakon and the two Birkebeiner warriors," said Ned Zuelsdorff, executive director of the ABSF. "We are challenging skiers to find a friend, and tell us in 300 words or less why they would be the best Birkie 2008 warriors, Torstein and Skervald."
Entries must show ability, passion and tradition and demonstrate that the pair is capable of skiing the 51-kilometer trek on wooden skis while wearing the warrior costumes, carrying weapons of the era, and transporting baby Prince Haakon.
"The Inga entries can be part of or separate from the warrior
entries," Zuelsdorff said. "Again, we are looking for a 300-word essay that shows passion, ability and tradition and demonstrates why the entrant should be selected as the cherished mother of the baby prince."
The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation will supply the Birkebeiner and Inga outfits and Birkebeiner weapons. Selected skiers must supply their own wooden skis.
To enter the competition, email a 300-word essay to birkie@birkie.com (one essay per warrior pair and one for each Inga). The deadline is November 1, and men and women are encouraged to apply.
"Be concise and persuasive," Zuelsdorff said. "The four most recent warriors will review the essays and select the best pair to ski as the 2008 Birkebeiner warriors as well as the winning Inga. All three winners will be announced on December 1, 2007."
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9/19/2007
AltaGas Provides $500,000 to Canadian Nordic Team
Cross Country Canada has announced a multi-year commitment from AltaGas Income Trust for the countrys national Nordic and Para-Nordic ski program. The investment will help support elite-level coaching and associated services necessary for the success of Canadas National and Para-Nordic Cross Country Ski Teams.
AltaGas will also fund the employment of two new assistant coaches – one at the National Team Training Centre in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and the other at the Pierre Harvey National Team Training Centre in Quebec City. It will also sponsor youth training and development camps across
the country. In addition, AltaGas donated a GMC Envoy vehicle to Cross Country Canada during the media conference.
"We are extremely proud to extend our financial commitment to help these great athletes achieve success on the world stage," said David Cornhill, chairman, president and chief executive officer of AltaGas. "It is our hope that this contribution will not only help put Canadas elite cross-country skiers on top of the podium, but will build strong grassroots programs across Canada so that amateur athletes have the skills, coaching and backing they need to realize their potential."
In recognition for their generous contribution to the national
program, the Canadian National and Para-Nordic Mens Teams will be sporting the AltaGas logo on their race toques. The logo will also be prominent on the entire mens and womens team race suits, training and casual wear.
AltaGas Income Trust is one of Canadas largest and fastest growing integrated energy infrastructure and services organizations. Since 1994, AltaGas Income Trust has expanded its business to include natural gas gathering, processing and transmission, extraction of ethane and natural gas liquids, power generation, marketing of natural gas and natural gas liquids, as well as retail energy services to commercial, industrial and institutional end-users across Canada.
Cross Country Canada is the governing body of cross-country skiing in Canada. Its 45,000 members are athletes, coaches and officials, including members of the Canadian Cross-Country Ski Team and Canadian Disabled Cross-Country Ski Team. Cross-country skiing is Canadas optimal winter sport and recreational activity with more than one million Canadians participating annually.
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9/19/2007
New Hampshire Resort Announces Ski Packages
The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel has announced a "ski free package" for alpine and Nordic skiers, from January through March 2008. The resort is located in New Hampshires White Mountains with 77 kilometers of
groomed trails.
The hotels $89 per night (per person) rate includes lodging,
breakfast in the dining room, lift tickets to the alpine ski area and trail passes for cross country skiing. The Balsams property includes 15,000 acres.
The package is subject to availability and is based on double
occupancy. The resort also offers specials on two-bedroom family suites and has other packages. For details, call (866) 380-6798 or visit www.TheBalsams.com using the promo code SKIFREE).
The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel includes 202 guestrooms and suites, four dining areas and 10,000 sq. ft. of meeting and banquet space. Recreational opportunities include cross country skiing, ice skating, snowshoeing and alpine skiing.
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9/18/2007
Recreation Leaders Meet with Key National Officials
The American Recreation Coalition is sponsoring a policy forum as a step toward increasing the national visibility of recreation issues. The forum, scheduled for September 20 in Washington, DC, will feature an address by Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee.
Recreation leaders had previously met with a number of lawmakers and Interior secretary Dirk Kempthorne.
The prime catalyst for the events is legislation to create a National Park Service Centennial Challenge Fund, a plan to match $1 billion in new federal funding over 10 years with at least an equal sum from the private sector, yielding $2 billion for new projects and programs to dramatically improve national parks and park visitor experiences.
Discussions with Senator Alexander focused on his call for the creation of a new national commission on Americans outdoors to collect ideas and information and to identify innovative programs at the local, state and federal levels that protecting outdoor resources.
Participants include outdoor industry groups that represent developers and motorized sport, as well as the National Wildlife Federation, American Hiking Society, National Association of State Park Directors and National Recreation and Park Association.
The group also wants to increase awareness of Great Outdoors Month (October 2008) to increase awareness of recreations benefits, including the possibility of adding a "Take Your Child Outdoors Day" during the month.
Senator Alexander demonstrated noted that he had recently met with top medical industry officials and had been told that todays youth might well be the first generation to have a shorter natural life expectancy than their parents – because of diminished physical activity. He also said that although understanding of the key role played by outdoor recreation in combating health, education and economic ills has increased, actual usage of public lands and waters has lagged.
Background information and details of the September 20 event are available at www.funoutdoors.com/node/view/1927 .
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9/18/2007
Karhu Re-Launches Web, Introduces Blog
Karhu has redeveloped its web site, Karhu.com, to provide detailed information on its line of ski equipment and in-depth profiles of its athlete team. The site also includes links to other backcountry skiing web sites and an events calendar with telemark and backcountry festivals and Karhu demos.
The company has also launched a new ski blog, Where Will You Ski Today (http://wherewillyouski.blogspot.com). The blog will feature contributions from Karhu employees, athletes, ambassadors and friends.
"We are passionate skiers, dedicated to making gear that is reliable and enjoyable for exploring winter," says Graham Gephart, marketing manager for Karhu. "Where Will You Ski is simply our place to interact more with our users and share some of that passion with the ski community, through Karhu news, initiatives, trip reports, contests, photos, videos, stories and much, much more."
Karhu focuses on Nordic touring, telemark and alpine touring ski equipment.
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9/18/2007
SnowSports Industries Announces New Chair
SnowSports Industries America (SIA) has appointed Mike Carey as its chairman of the board position. Carey owns Seirus Innovative Accessories and holds five of the eight company patents. He is also a referee in the National Football League.
SIA also announced two new board members: Jake Jacobs, president and CEO of Spyder; and Mike Adams, general manager of Atomic USA. Both will serve one-year terms.
Jacobs started with Spyder as production manager and set up the companys quality control office in Hong Kong while managing production and development in 11 Southeast Asian factories. He has served as Spyders director of merchandising, vice president of merchandising, senior V.P. of product, and president/COO.
Adams was named general manager of Atomic USA in April 2007 and recently relocated the company from Amherst, New Hampshire, to Ogden, Utah. Prior to that, Adams had spent 11 years with Salomon North America, most recently as the senior VP and director of hardgoods in Portland, Oregon.
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9/13/2007
Birkebeiner Foundation Receives Challenge Grant
Its not every day that a donor knocks on your door with grant dollars that could make a distinct and lasting imprint on the organization, but thats exactly what happened when John and Leslie Taylor recently contacted the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation (ABSF).
The Taylor family, of Madison, Wisconsin, will match donations collected by the ABSF, dollar for dollar, up to $65,000 over a 30-day period.
ABSF Executive Director Ned Zuelsdorff immediately announced a fundraising campaign from September 15 to October 15, 2007.
Zuelsdorff said funds would allow completion of the Classic Trail segment to the High Point food station in 2007 and to Highway OO in 2008. Funds will also allow the purchase of a second, large grooming machine to assure quality grooming through the winter and for American Birkebeiner ski races and events.
"This challenge grant will benefit both skate and classic skiers," Zuelsdorff said. "A new Pisten Bully will allow us to provide the best grooming possible for all skiers, and expansion of the new Classic Trail will reduce congestion for skaters and striders alike. Trail expansion will also allow us to stage separate, smaller, 5-minute alternating skating and classic wave starts and ensure a better race day experience for both skaters and striders."
John Taylor, an athlete with ties to the Birkie, has been supportive of the international ski race that annually pulls 9,000 skiers, including his wife Leslie, to northern Wisconsin and the Birkie Trail. Leslie has completed 13 Birkies.
"Donors can send a check for their donation to the ABSF at PO Box 911, Hayward, WI 54843. The check should be made out to ABSF Trail Fund. The ABSF is a non-profit organization and donations are tax deductible."
For more information about the Birkie Challenge Grant and Birkie 2008 35th anniversary races and events, log on to www.birkie.com or call 715/634-5025.
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9/11/2007
Toko USA introduces Toko eBlasts
Starting immediately, Toko USA will be sending out Toko eBlasts to those who sign up to receive them. A Toko eBlast is an informative email that includes Toko news, tech tips and product highlights. They will be sent out at regular intervals during the season. A winter sport enthusiast can sign up to receive any or all of Alpine, Cross Country or Snowboard specific eBlasts. To sign up for Toko eBlasts, please visit www.TokoUS.com and fill in the box at the bottom of the page.
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9/10/2007
Yellowstone Lodges Announce Winter Packages
Yellowstone National Park Lodges and the Yellowstone Association Institute will offer six "Lodging & Learning" packages this winter in Yellowstone National Park.
The programs include wildlife tracking and observation, skiing and snowshoeing, and snowcoach tours of the park.
"Yellowstone on Skis" features five days of cross-country skiing with daily trips to the Blacktail Plateau, Lamar Valley, Yellowstones Grand Canyon and the foot of the Gallatin Range. The program is led by a naturalist/guide from the YAI, and a professional cross-country skiing instructor will accompany the group on two days to help participants improve their skills. Offered Sunday through Thursday December 29, 2007, Jan. 12, Jan. 26, Feb. 9, and Feb. 23, 2008, the package includes two nights of lodging at the Mammoth Hotel and two nights of lodging at the Snow Lodge.
The "Winter Rendezvous" will be held at the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel March 4-8 and 8-12, 2008. Activities include observing wolves at sunrise and learning to ski or snowshoe on backcountry trails. Evening programs include guest speakers, including the expert instructors from the days activities.
The "Family Winter Holiday" will be offered Dec. 28, 2007, Jan. 18, 2008, and Feb. 15, 2008, and is geared for families with children eight to 12 years old. The package includes tracking animals, watching wildlife, taking photographs, skiing and snowshoeing, a snowcoach trip to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and four nights at the Mammoth Hotel.
The "Winter Wildlife Expedition" allows participants to observe and learn about bison, elk, bighorn sheep, pronghorn, coyotes, wolves and other wildlife. Available every other week Saturday through Wednesday Jan. 5 - Feb. 16, 2008, this program includes four nights of lodging at the Mammoth Hotel.
The "Winter Wolf Discovery" is offered Wednesday to Saturday beginning Dec. 26, 2007 to Feb. 23, 2008 and Sunday to Wednesday beginning Dec. 29, 2007 to Feb. 27, 2008. Instructors provide expertise on the reintroduction of wolves to the park and lead wildlife viewing excursions through the Lamar Valley. This four-night package includes accommodations at the Mammoth Hotel.
"Winter in Wonderland" is designed as a comprehensive introduction to Yellowstone in winter. Guests receive three nights of lodging at the Mammoth Hotel and two nights at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge. Guests explore the park via snowcoach, skis and snowshoes and learn about wildlife in the Lamar Valley and geology in the Old Faithful region.
For detailed package information, go to www.YellowstoneAssociation.org.
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9/7/2007
New Zealand Camp, Tailored Programs Basis of U.S. Team Training
U.S. Ski Team athletes found midwinter snow for cross country training again in New Zealand while some teammates fine-tuned their own training with their grassroots club or personal coach at home.
The annual U.S. Ski Team camp at The Snow Farm was blessed with a storm shortly after the Ski Team arrived in late July, providing "great conditions," according to Sprint Coach Chris Grover. "It was definitely thin [cover] when we got down there, but then we had a day-and-a-half snowstorm - the winds were so high at one point they couldnt even groom - and then it was plenty of snow, blue skies, cold temps...really good conditions for another successful camp."
The camp included former Olympians and several members of the U.S. Ski Team and the U.S. Development Team.
"There are so many different ways to ski and train, and theres more than one way to get the job done," said Andy Newell, Olympian and U.S. Ski Team member. "You need to have confidence in what youre doing, and what Im doing this year is some new strength training. I dont think any other cross country skier is doing this kind of aggressive strength work, but [Conditioning Coach] Zach Weatherford has helped my skiing so much over the years, and hes made me faster every year, so Im taking a little change and doing more strength training.
"Really, this is one of the great ways the Ski Team works now, at least with the older guys," Newell added. "As you get older with the national team, you should learn from your training, from keeping your training logs - and my logs go back to my first year at Stratton [Mountain School], back to 1997-98. You learn how your body reacts to different kinds of training...and were personalizing our training more. [Torin] Koos and [Chris] Cook and I go to New Zealand, Kris [Freeman] stays home, Kikkan [Randall] trains on the glacier in Alaska. We work with the national staff but also with our own coaches at home.
Grover said the camp also helps lay the groundwork for the Teams final preseason camp with everyone in Lake Placid, New York, in October. Newell and Koos will head to Europe for the season-opening World Cup races Oct. 27-28 in Dusseldorf, Germany. Chris Cook will rejoin his club program with Idahos Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation and the others will resume training with their clubs in conjunction with the U.S. Ski Team.
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9/3/2007
Ski Jumping Summer Series Ends with Utah Doubleheader
The summer phase of the womens ski jumping Continental Cup schedule came to a wild finish under the lights Sunday night at Utah Olympic Park following a rare two-meets-in-a-day lineup.
The doubleheader schedule was required because erratic winds Saturday night pushed that competition into Sunday morning.
During the summer series, jumpers land on plastic matting covering the hill. When sprayed with water, the mat simulates snowy conditions.
Austrian Daniela Iraschko, the Continental Cup points leader, won both events Sunday. Anette Sagen of Norway, the defending Cup champion, was second in each meet, finishing a half-point back under the lights Sunday.
Jessica Jerome and Alissa Johnson had the top U.S. performances in the morning; Jerome tied for sixth place while Johnson, back in action after suffering an ankle sprain in Germany last month, was eighth. At night, Lindsey Van was the best American, finishing ninth.
"The girls were so close - I saw a lot I liked, especially in the second competition. And now we have three months to prepare even better," said Kjell Ivar Magnusson, U.S. head coach. "I know them better and we have time to make a stronger individual plan for each of them. That starts [at a Team meeting Monday]."
"It was so frustrating," Jerome said after the first event as winds created numerous holds in the action. "Yeah, its an outside sport, and we know these things can happen, but...arrrrghhhh!"
Van, number three in the standings last season and second the two previous years, felt good about her final jump, which moved her up three spots into the top 10 at night, but said, "Im really looking forward to these next three months, dialing-in my technique and jumping."
The Continental Cup schedule, the highest level of womens jumping, resumes on the snow, Dec. 11-12 in Notodden, Norway.
Another overflow crowd - attracted by the mid-afternoon sunshine and the variety of events (and free admission) - turned out for the second day in a row. Several hundred watched the morning jump meet, but a couple of thousand spectators sprawled on the out-run grass, at picnic tables and throughout the Utah Olympic Park jumping complex.
CONTINENTAL CUP WOMENS SKI JUMPING
Visa Womens International Ski Jumping Festival
Utah Olympic Park
Park City, Utah - Sept. 2, 2007
HS100 (jump distances in meters)
Morning meet (postponed from Saturday)
1. Daniela Iraschko, Austria, (96.5-85 meters) 226.5 points
2. Anette Sagen, Norway, (103-87) 216.0
3. Jacqueline Seifriedsberger, Norway, (91.5-82.5) 215.0
4. Nata de Leeuw, Canada, (90.5-83.5) 210.5
5. Salome Fuchs, Switzerland, (91.5-80.5) 203.5
6T. Jessica Jerome, Park City, UT, (85-82.5)
8. Alissa Johnson, Park City, UT, (89-78.5) 190.5
12. Avery Ardovino, Park City, UT, (86-74) 176.5
13. Lindsey Van, Park City, UT, (85.5-70) 169.0
15. Brenna Ellis, Park City, UT, (82.5-67) 151.5
25. Karin Friberg, Roseville, MN, (64-58) 90.0
26. Elisabeth Anderson, Eau Claire, WI, (61.5-54) 73.0
Evening meet
1. Daniela Iraschko, Austria, (79-99.5) 221.5
2. Anette Sagen, Norway, (80.5-99) 221.0
3. Nata de Leeuw, Canada, (82.5-93) 215.0
4. Salome Fuchs, Switzerland, (82-92) 208.0
5. Jacqueline Seifriedsberger, Austria, (79-93.5) 205.0
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9. Lindsey Van, Park City, UT, (73.5-88.5) 188.5
12. Jessica Jerome, Park City, UT, (72.5-88.5) 180.5
13. Alissa Johnson, Park City, UT, (75-85.5) 177.0
15. Avery Ardovino, Park City, UT, (74.5-81.5) 168.5
20. Brenna Ellis, Park City, UT, (69.5-76.5) 147.0
25. (tie) Elisabeth Anderson, Eau Claire, WI, (61.5-67) and
Karin Friberg, Roseville, MN, (61.5-69.5) 101.5 each
For complete results:
www.fis-ski.com/uk/604/1228.html?event_id=23059_suchsector=JP
Photo gallery:
http://ussa.smugmug.com/gallery/3410220
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8/30/2007
Calgary Unveils Centre of Sport Excellence Design
Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach delivered details on his governments $69 million commitment to the Calgary Olympic Development Association (CODA) on August 30, launching construction of Canadas first Centre of Sport Excellence. He also helped unveil the design of the centres core new facility – a landmark athletic and ice complex at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary. The $69 million committed by the Alberta government represents 25 per cent of the total project cost.
"The Alberta government is committed to strengthening Albertas role as a sport leader within Canada and around the world," said Premier Stelmach. "The 1988 Olympics in Calgary created a standard of excellence in winter sport that has been building towards the return of the games to our country. Canadas road to success in the 2010 Olympics travels through Alberta."
The complex, part of CODAs $276 million plan to provide athletes with access to the world-leading facilities and resources they need to win at international competitions, will also become the new permanent home of Hockey Canada, a partner in the facility.
The plan for development of the Athletic and Ice Complex will go before Calgary City Council September 10 to seek planning approval in order to begin construction this fall,
When complete, the Athletics and Ice Complex will contain ice surfaces, gymnasiums, physical training facilities, and all of the technical, human and research services needed for athletes to become world leaders. It has been designed to be built in stages as funding becomes available.
"To have a new permanent home where we can train as a team is fantastic and is another competitive advantage," said Cassie Campbell, former captain of Canadas Olympic gold medal-winning womens hockey team. "This project will create more winners for Canada and facilities that allow us to be more competitive internationally."
Developed by CODA in association with Canadian athletes, coaches, and national sport governing bodies, the Centre of Sport Excellence, with Canada Olympic Park serving as the hub facility, was designed to create a culture of excellence by centralizing resources, providing access to world-leading technology as well as offering education and enhanced nutritional opportunities. The project models what other world-leading nations including the Australians, Americans and Europeans are already doing to enhance athlete performance.
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8/29/2007
Cross Country Ski Areas Association Revamps Website
The Cross Country Ski Areas Association (CCSAA) has redesigned its web site ( www.xcski.org) to provide information about its member resorts and trails. There is also information about other services offered at CCSAA member locations, including snowshoeing, skating and sledding.
"One of the great things about cross country skiing is everyone can do it at their own pace and at their own level," says Chris Frado, CCSAA President. "Hard-core athletes like it because you can make it a hard-core, athletic experience. But those who like their outdoor activity to be milder – maybe they dont want to work so hard, but they want to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors and get some exercise – can cross country ski, too."
Web site users can search by a resort or trail name or by region, find current snow conditions and find information about events. The site also includes information about equipment and clothing.
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8/28/2007
Utah to Host 2008 U.S. Jumping, Combined
Utahs Olympic sites will host the mens and womens 2008 U.S. jumping and combined championships on March 15-16, USSA Nordic Director Luke Bodensteiner announced.
Events on the 134-meter large hill are set for March 15 and those on the 100-meter normal hill take place March 16. The Nordic combined championship, a sprint event, will include one jump on the large hill and a 7.5 kilometer race March 15 at Soldier Hollow.
"These are outstanding venues," Bodensteiner said, "and its good we have another opportunity to make use of them. Theyre outstanding facilities for us in training and we use them constantly."
In 2001, the last time the championships were held in Utah, Bill Demong won his first two national titles and Lindsey Van won both of the womens competitions. Last season, Demong returned from the World Cup with another victory and from the World Championships with a silver medal. He swept both U.S. jumping titles and the Nordic combined championship, while Van again won both womens events. She has won four consecutive U.S. womens crowns.
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8/28/2007
U.S. Women Jumpers in Lake Placid, Park City
The top women ski jumpers in the world - including the six-member U.S. Ski Team - will be in Lake Placid Aug. 28-29 for two days of Continental Cup jumping at the 1980 Olympic Jumping Complex. The team, led by 12-time U.S. champion Lindsey Van, then moves to the 2002 Olympic venue in Park City, Utah, as the summer competition period concludes Sept. 1-2.
Continental Cup is the highest level of competition for women jumpers, who will debut at the World Championships in 2009 in Liberec, Czech Republic. They hope to be included in the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
Van has been ranked in the top three of the Continental Cup standings for all three seasons of the tours existence. She was second in 2005 and 06, then third last season when she won three events and made four other podium appearances.
First-year Head Coach Kjell Ivar Magnusson expects the U.S. women to be very competitive because of their familiarity with the two Olympic venues, which will be the biggest hills the women have competed on thus far in the 2008 season
"Were excited about getting these two jumping competitions in Lake Placid," U.S. Nordic Director Luke Bodensteiner said. "Weve got a bigger team this season and they have a new coach, whos got them making some advances with their technique, and theyre all anxious to do well as they come to the United States after opening the season in Europe."
In addition to Van, who won both womens jumping events in Lake Placid during Fourth of July festivities, the U.S. Ski Team includes Alissa Johnson, Jessica Jerome, Abby Hughes, Brenna Ellis and Avery Ardovino, who collected her first top-five result in Bischofsgruen, Germany, when she was fifth this month.
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8/26/2007
Bianchi Skates Away with Marchablanca
Martin Bianchi skied clear of chasers in the early kilometers of the 21st annual Marchablanca 25 kilometer freestyle race. Argentinas biggest race, held August 19, turned into a solo time trial, as Bianchi skied alone for much of the event. Alma Zampatti, also a Fueguina local like Bianchi, took the womens title.
The Marchablanca features both 21 km and 7 km distances. The race is
held each year at the small resort of Tierra Mayor outside of Ushuaia,
Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, which bills itself as the southernmost
city in the world. The course is laid out just once a year for the
trace.
Following Bianchi in the mens race were local racer Federico Cichero
and Marcel Noél, a coach for the visiting Spanish National Junior
Team.
Organizers surprised participants by adding 4 kilometers to the
traditional 21 km course. One American who has done the race four
times summed it up: "I got to kilometer 18 and instead of turning
right and back towards the barn, we go left and add a 4 kilometer loop
through Cerro Castors base area, where the gravity crowd was drinking
beer and shouting at us. The best part is the organizers just spread
out the same 21 individual kilometer marker signs a little more on the
course. I love this race!".
The organizing Club Andino Ushuaia has steadily been improving Nordic
skiing in the region and hopes to continue that trajectory despite
the enormous difficulties of Argentine infrastructure in the area
known as the "end of the world."
More information and photos are available at www.skifire.com.
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8/26/2007
Burke Leads US Biathlon in Sprint, Pursuit
Tim Burke won the mens spring and was fourth in the pursuit races at an international competition in Ostersund, Sweden. The U.S. Biathlon team is competing on roller skis against national teams from Sweden, Norway, Great Britain and other countries.
Burke won the 9.3 km roller ski biathlon sprint on Saturday, with teammate Lowell Bailey finishing third. Burke had two prone penalties and one in standing, winning in 23:31.7. Second in todays competition was Jakob Borjesson of Sweden finished second, 2.5 seconds back. Bailey was just 9.8 seconds off the lead.
In other U.S. team results, Jeremy Teela placed 11th and Jay Hakkinen was 12th.
Lanny Barnes led the U.S. womens team with a ninth place, finishing 2:25 back from winner Tora Berger of Norway. Tracy Barnes was 14th.
On Sunday, Tim Burke took a fourth place in the 13 km pursuit, with Jeremy Teela taking fifth. Lowell Baily took eigth place in the event, while Jay Hakkinen was 13th. David Eckholm of Sweden won the pursuit.
Teela, ninth going into the final standing stage, recorded the highlight-reel moment by overtaking Swedens Mattias Nilsson in the final 300 meters to earn a fifth place finish.
Coming to the final 300 meters before the finish, Teela was just a meter behind Nilsson. He described the finish, "I did not feel fast enough to pass him on the flat section, just before we went behind the range. The tracks are pretty narrow there, so when he was still in a tuck after the downhill, I surprised him by easing by him really close. He could not react without going off the track or stepping on my ski. It was an extremely close pass; almost too close. Then as we started up the hill, I put my head down and pulled away. I am feeling stronger and better with each race here, so this was a good ending for me."
The U.S. biathletes now head to Torsby in southern Sweden for the final portion of their European training camp. For the final days, they will be skiing indoors at the Fortum Ski tunnel before heading home the end of the month.
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8/24/2007
U.S. Biathlon Skier Third in Roller Ski Race
Lowell Bailey gave the U.S. Biathlon Team a spot on the podium with a third place finish in the Mens 12.4 kilometer roller ski cross-country race on Friday, August 24.
Swedens David Eckholm edged Bailey for second place by 1.7 seconds. Mattias Nilsson of Sweden won the competition in 26:04.2, with Eckholm 16.9 seconds back and Bailey 18.6 seconds back.
According to Per Nilsson, head coach for U.S. Biathlon, the competitions are, "an important part of our training plan."
Bailey skied aggressively for each of the 3.1 km loops. He started 30 seconds behind Mattias Simmen of Switzerland, gaining time on each loop, then erasing the start gap in the final loop. The two crossed the finish line six-tenths of a second apart.
"I was trying a lot of new technique today," Bailey said, "especially the low skating technique and it felt good. The course was fun, but with these roller skis, [all competitors used the same model provided by the organizers]it was super fast; faster than we have been training."
Baileys teammates, Jeremy Teela and Jay Hakkinen, placed 10th and 17th, respectively.
In the womens 7.8 km, Lanny Barnes finished eighth, 2:02.9 behind winner Sofia Domeij of Sweden.
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8/24/2007
Sports Law Conference Addresses the Globalization of Sports
On Friday, September 28, 2007,the National Sports Law Institute of Marquette University Law School will host a conference titled: "The Increasing Globalization of Sports: Olympic, International and Comparative Law Business Issues." The conference will take place at the Hilton Milwaukee City Center in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Four conference panels will address the latest legal and business issues related to the globalization of sports. Panelists will include leading sports lawyers, sports law professors and industry professionals.
Topics will include implications of the global expansion of sports, global sports marketing and legal protection of intellectual property, resolution of international sports disputes, and a comparative analysis of sports league structure, governance and player restraints.
The conference will also feature the presentation of the Master of the Game Award to Michael Conley, an Olympic gold medalist (1992) and executive director of World Sport Chicago.
Conference registration includes a continental breakfast, conference lunch, attendance at each conference panel, and a reception after the final conference panel. Details are http://law.marquette.edu/jw/2007conf.
Address any questions to Paul Anderson, associate director of the National Sports Law Institute, at (414) 288-5816 or paul.anderson@mu.edu. Conference sponsors include Foley Lardner LLP, Greenberg Hoeschen, LLC, and the Sports Entertainment Law Section of the State Bar of Wisconsin.
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8/23/2007
New Interactive CD Introduces Children to Snow Sports
SnowSports Industries America (SIA) has produced a new interactive CD that teaches children "best practices" for snow sports. The organization will provide the CD to physical education and classroom teachers, recreation directors and other professionals involved in getting children active.
The CD includes interactive games illustrating how to dress for snow sports and easy-to-do warm-up exercises demonstrated by the Snow Monsters characters: Snowball the Tiger, the Snowboard Beaver, the X (cross country/telemark) Wolf and Snowshoe Roo. The package also includes lesson plans, parent take-home flyers and other resources.
The characters demonstrate the importance of layering, basic conditioning exercises that help improve agility, muscle strength and balance, and tips about the products needed for alpine skiing, snowboarding, cross country skiing and snowshoeing. The learning modules include quizzes to allow children to "self test" what they have learned. For example, children must properly outfit the characters before they can cruise off on-line for a snow sports experience. The educational material included on the CD has been reviewed by PSIA/AASI and the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE), the official membership organization for physical education professionals
The content will also be posted on www.winterfeelsgood.com and snowmonsters.com . The content was developed through SnowSports Industries Americas (SIA) Winter Feels Good initiative, including tje Professional Ski Instructors of America/American Association of Snowboard Instructors (PSIA/AASI), the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA), the United States Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA), the Cross Country Ski Areas Association (CCSAA), Snow Monsters and the Ski Utah School Program.
The CD package will be distributed in the fall of 2007 through resort and retail outreach programs and through professional organizations such as the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD), the YMCA and the National Association of Parks and Recreation.
Winter Feels Good project managers also are working with the National Ski Areas Association, the Cross Country Ski Areas Association and state resort association to encourage local use in schools, recreation and parks departments, physical activity organizations and health groups.
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8/22/2007
Biathlon Team Faces Top Competition
The U.S. Biathlon team, at a month-long training camp in Ostersund, Sweden, will hold three rollerski competitions, beginning August 24.
The team will participate in a cross country race on Friday evening (August 24), followed by a biathlon sprint on Saturday and a biathlon pursuit on Sunday.
The competitions come in the middle of a training camp, which began in coach Per Nilssons hometown of Solleftea. With the competitions, the camp shifts to Ostersund for physical testing, long distance workouts and shooting drills at the World Championship facility.
"We trained very hard before we came here (Ostersund)," Nilsson said, "and we will not do anything special to prepare for the competitions, in terms of extra preparation or rest. With all of our good training so far this season, we hope to see some improvements over our results last year."
Tim Burke, who ended last season ranked 25th in the overall World Cup, looks forward to the competitions this week.
"This is a great way to evaluate your training at this stage of the season. This weekend has been marked on my calendar for along time. Unfortunately, I caught a cold earlier this week, so the results may not be what I hoped for earlier. Nevertheless, it will be fun and I will just see how things go."
Coach Mikael Lofgren added, "It is really important for the athletes to have real competition here. Until now, we have only competed amongst ourselves. It will be good to see how we have progressed."
The real competition includes some of the best biathletes on the World Cup circuit, including Sweden, led by Olympic Gold Medalist Anna Carin Olofsson, and Norways strong womens team. Switzerland, Great Britain and Finland will also send teams, with over 130 competitors expected.
After the weekend of competitions, the US athletes will move on to Lofgrens hometown, Torsby, Sweden, to complete the final leg of this training camp. In Torsby, the team will use the indoor ski tunnel to train on snow.
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8/22/2007
Quincy Named USSA Medical DIrector
Richard Quincy has been named medical director for the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, according to USSA president and CEO Bill Marolt. As medical director, he will oversee the health and well-being of more than 200 national team athletes plus medical programs supporting their needs, including supervision of USSAs unique physicians pool.
Quincy, who was born in Decatur, IL, completed his undergraduate work at Colorado College and his master of science in exercise physiology at Michigan Technological University. He received a degree in physical therapy from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and is working toward a Ph.D. in sports psychology at San Diego University of Integrative Studies. He replaces Melinda Roalstad, who resigned in December as USSAs first fulltime medical director.
"Our medical program is an important asset for our USSA elite athletes," said Marolt. "The ability for USSA to provide emergency and ongoing medical care programs for our teams is a valuable service. Were excited to have Quincy take over leadership of this strong program."
Quincy said, "This position brings a huge responsibility with lots of preparation for emergency management. Its imperative to have s |
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