Tag: J.D. Downing

The Teen Years and Beyond
By J.D. Downing This is the final column in a three-part series about the competitive development process, starting with youth skiers. Part one looked at youth skiing and part two considered skiing programs aimed at middle schoolers and adolescents. Both columns looked at how skiing development programs need to accommodate […]

Elite Scene: Then, Now, Next
As is typical in the valley that is the middle year in the Winter Olympic cycle, the 2007-08 international and North American seasons offered a handful of highlight moments and plenty of emerging trends to ponder. With no Nordic World Championships to focus on, the international scene was left with […]

Master’s World Cup Headed to McCall
by J.D. Downing The 2008 Masters World Cup, taking place March 1-7, 2008, in McCall, Idaho, will mark the first ”Worlds” hosted in the U.S. since 1998. The event will bring together more than 1,000 adult skiers of all abilities, from over two dozen nations and throughout North America, […]

U.S. Development: Part Two
In the December issue of Cross Country Skier, this column began a “big picture” view at the many positive things that are happening in U.S. youth and junior cross country skiing competitive development, while also pointing out some of the challenges facing the youth and junior scene. This issue’s column […]

The Big Show Plus
By J.D. Downing Last winter, the Torino 2006 Winter Olympics was the big snow show-the entire international early season a big build-up to the Games and the entire post-Olympics…well, a post-Torino hangover. Were it not for the seemingly endless parade of notable references to North American athletes, the entire winter […]