Athlete Blogs

Like so many organizations, FIS, the governing body for international skiing, is a slow-to-change entity. Doping reforms, for example, have evolved but at a yawn-worthy rate. So in rather atypical fashion, like a finger snap, FIS voted to oust its Secretary General, Sarah Lewis, on October 9th. Lewis had been considered a lifer at FIS. […]

Jim Morrison and Hilaree NelsonSierra Nevada Mountains, CA. (Photo: Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity/Christian Pondella)   Within my pay-grade back in November 1993 was the cost of a weekend pass to the renowned Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival. Living in Northwest, Montana at the time, the drive north and across the border […]

Like most other states, a cross section of athletes racing in the Colorado High School circuit (CHSAA) looks relatively homogenous when it comes to ethnicity. The field is largely white. However, in stark contrast to skiers hailing from affluent mountain towns like Steamboat Springs, Aspen, and Vail, a team from Denver might catch your eye […]

A few weeks back, we featured an excerpt from a new book titled Nordic Warrior? A Midlife Crisis in Biathlon. Written by Ithaca, New York, based biathlete, Craig Wiggers, the book explores his love affair with biathlon which began midlife. Wiggers’ path to biathlon is as circuitous as they come. Raised in the deep south, Wiggers attended […]

The start-line scene at the 2016 Vasaloppet with skis for 15,000 racers Below is an excerpt from a detailed article exploring “the problems of ski testing, measuring friction, and evaluating skis.” For first-timers, the linked article offers a glimpse into the technical side of the sport at the World Cup level. For those veteran wax-techs, […]

Photo: Noel Rogers. When we began this series, The Escape, we imagined it would be a slippery slope. It turns out that the slope is blue-ice slick. Cabin-lust is real.   This past spring, just as Covid-19 began making headlines in the U.S., one of the best treat makers on the planet, Zoë Roy, was chef […]

The all new Redline 3.0 skis are hitting the market right now, after three years of intense research and development, testing and collaboration with the top Madshus athletes. So, what’s the big deal with the new Madshus Redline 3.0? Let’s hear it from four-time Olympic medalist Krista Pärmäkoski. The 29-year-old Finn, who is entering her […]

Press Release from ABSF:   Birkie Week 2021 Slated for February 24–28, 2021 Hayward, WI (October 14, 2020) – After months of planning, and with the guidance of public health officials, today the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation (ABSF) is pleased to announce the planned format for their annual February ski races. Registration for the 2021 […]

Freeman at the 2020 Sunapee Tri. (Photo: Millennium Running.)   “I train because I like to race but I also train because I enjoy it, so I never took a pause,” said Kris Freeman from his New Hampshire home. That’s straight-up Freeman. Focus. Intensity. A plan. Even during COVID. Let’s face it, enjoying the process […]

The Madshus Redline 3.0 is no less than a small revolution three years in the making. There are huge changes under the hood on the new Redline 3.0 models headed for retailers this season. Madshus engineers explain what’s under the top coat of the all-new Redline 3.0 models. The new Redline models are the result […]

Sarah Lewis, secretary general of the International Ski Federation. (FIS file photo) The International Ski Federation announced last Friday that Secretary General Sarah Lewis has been relieved of her duties effective immediately.  “At its meeting today, the FIS Council, including the members of the Marc Hodler Foundation, has decided by a great majority vote to […]

Watch Matt Liebsch talk about picking skis before his 2018 trip to Europe. Skis are all different, even within a pair there are differences since skis are made in single quantities, one at a time. The manufacturing process to produce a ski is still variable and the materials can change. The core of most skis […]

DIY Dachstein: September tracks on a snowfield in the Chugach mountains, Sept. 27, 2020. (photo: Gavin Kentch) The koan that skiers are made in the summer has been around for longer than this website. The related truism, that summer snow time is necessary to effectively compete as a high-level skier come winter, also has a […]

In this episode, we hear from a familiar voice – someone, in fact, we’ve heard from recently on the podcast, former elite cross-country skier Noah Hoffman. Post-race career, Hoffman has been deeply involved in the anti-doping movement as an educator, lobbyist, and content creator. This conversation is from Hoffman’s content creation side. A few months […]

Testing the Fischer fleet in Davos. (Photo: NoridcFocus) This morning the International Biathlon Union (IBU) and the International Ski Federation announced they were postponing their fluoro wax bans until the 2021-2022 season. The stated reason in the IBU press release was the following: “allow more time to test and refine the Fluorine Tracker device that […]

FOMO: Fear of missing out. FOMO through the lens of envy is probably not the way to thrive. FOMO through the lens of seizing the day, on the other hand, has a lovely ring to it. Chad Salmela: biathlete, skier, running coach, forever linked with “HERE COMES DIGGINS”, husband, and parent. He is also the […]

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: The WSCA Announces Webinar: Waxing Skis and Waning the Gender Gap Today, the Women Ski Coaches Association (WSCA) announced it will host a Webinar to connect and educate women coaches, and redefine ski waxing culture and opportunities. The webinar, Waxing Skis and Waning the Gender Gap will take place on October […]