Athlete Blogs

Hannah Halvorsen during the 2019 Quebec City World Cup sprint. (Photo: Doug Stephen) I’ve struggled with body satisfaction my entire life. I don’t just want to be skinnier, I want to be leaner, more defined, more like an… “athlete”. But last fall, I was hit by a car and I find myself wondering, is the […]

It is with great disappointment that Boulder Nordic Sport (BNS) announces today the permanent closing of its BNS Midwest location in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Boulder Nordic Sport’s other two locations in Boulder, Colorado (BNS HQ) and Portland, Maine (BNS East) remain open. The Midwest store is closing due to our inability to ensure a safe environment […]

The formidable Pyramid Peak at dawn captured by the author in July from the climb to Buckskin Pass on the Maroon Bells Four Pass Loop. Looking for an option to keep your glycogen stores full while logging hours this fall? Consider adding Tailwind Nutrition Endurance Fuel to your bottles for stable energy without distressing your […]

The International Biathlon Union posted a press release Friday with the following key take aways. We will post the full press release below. “The IBU is planning to hold a full BMW IBU World Cup.” “The IBU Executive Board will meet on 26-27 September to take a decision on whether adjustments need to be made […]

History repeats itself: A supporter holds an updated sign at the #savealaskaskiing rally in Anchorage, Alaska, on Nov. 10, 2016. (Photo: Gavin Kentch) ANCHORAGE — For the second time in four years, nordic skiing has been saved at the University of Alaska Anchorage, following a serious proposal to eliminate the ski team entirely. This time […]

Matthew Perry Johnson, shown here in an earlier position with Alaska Winter Stars, began working as the new head coach for the Montana State University Ski Team in August 2015. (Photo: Montana State University) Half of the schools in the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association do not currently have an active nordic coach going into […]

Thirty two years old and wise as wise can be. Clare Egan brings a calm intellect to the sport of biathlon. Speaker of many languages and head of the International Biathlon Union’s athlete committee, Egan is respected by her peers for on-snow performances as well as her leadership in the IBU board room. U.S. Biathlon’s […]

SEPTEMBER 9, 2020 BY KAIT MILLER NENSA just wrapped up a hybrid App Gap Challenge with invitational in-person and all-inclusive virtual components.  This rollerski competition was important for both the competitors and NENSA as we start to implement protocols of how our winter events will be conducted.  Athletes, parents and coaches were energized by and […]

With the ever-evolving nature of the pandemic, two months out from our article titled “Covid-19 Trends and Early Season World Cups“, we thought it an appropriate time to review Covid-19 trends in Europe. If the International Ski Federation chooses not to modify Period 1 and Period II on the World Cup, Finland, Norway, Germany, Switzerland, […]

Don’t Forget, this WEEKEND (Sept 11th to Sept 13th) Huge savings on this year’s and previous year’s XC ski gear and apparel, up to 60% off retail.  HOURS…  >Friday 10am-5pm >Saturday 10am-4pm >Sunday 11am-4pm XC Clothing: All last year apparel 40-50% off. 2020/2021 XC Service Sale: FREE hotbox with all ski and grind purchases this weekend. Also, check out […]

  Kate Boyd Named High Performance Director of Nordiq Canada High performance team focused on rebuilding Olympic pathway at all levels, maintaining Paralympic excellence   Press Release CANMORE, Alta.—On the eve of the organization’s 2020 Annual General Meeting, Kate Boyd will be first-ever woman to take the reins of Nordiq Canada’s high-performance program. A quiet, […]

  Matthias Scherge. GLIDING is a niche science journal spearheaded by Matthias Scherge and a cohort of advisors. Scherge the Fraunhofer MicroTribology Center in Germany. The research institute specializes in industrial lubricants and is assisting the International Ski Federation (FIS) with their fluoro free guidelines. Scherge’s side project, GLIDING, as the name suggests, presents findings related to […]

The Crosscut Mountain Sports Center is now welcoming applications for an assistant coach. The purpose of this position is to assist current coaching staff in the workload associated with running an Elite Team with high-performing cross country, biathlon, and adaptive nordic athletes, while managing overall program responsibilities.   Crosscut Mountain Sports Center is a community […]

A clean slate cancelation of U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s cross-country national racing calendar. That’s a piece of the collateral damage in the niche world of domestic ski racing. The cancellation includes SuperTour, U.S. National Championships, SuperTour Finals, and the Junior National Championships. We’ll get to how these races may be replaced in a moment. First, […]

    Nordiq Canada Keeps Cross-Country Ski Athletes on Track During Pandemic by Unveiling FIS Cup Regional Race Series World Championship Trials set for Whistler; Canadian Ski Championships head back to Capital region   Press Release CANMORE, Alta.— In an effort to provide a safe and competitive domestic race series while keeping athletes close to […]

Masters World Cup 2021 Postponed Due to COVID-19 Pandemic Originally scheduled for March 4-12 in Canmore, Alberta, the Masters World Cup 2021 has been postponed to 2022.   PRESS RELEASE September 1, 2020 CANMORE, Alberta — The Masters World Cup 2021 for cross-country skiing has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.   The Masters World […]

It’s hard to believe that we are already looking ahead towards the next set of winter sports world cups. Opening stages of the FIS Cross-Country World Cup begin late this November in Ruka, Finland, and finally, in March, we’ll see the Finals over in Beijing, China. (Photo: Fischer/Nordic Focus) Martin Johnsrud Sundby At this point, […]

Reflections From a White Skier On The Spaces and Places We Ski, And How To Build Inclusivity The start of the American Birkebeiner in 2010. The typical life story of a competitive nordic skier in the U.S. tends to resemble a character out of a Robert Frost poem. It’s an appropriate metaphor; the Rikert Nordic […]

The U.S. women (l-r Kikkan Randall, Holly Brooks, Jessie Diggins, and Liz Stephen) after their first ever World Cup relay podium in November 2012. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus) ANCHORAGE — The U.S. women’s epochal third-place relay finish at the World Cup stop in Gällivare, Sweden, in November 2012 is justly hailed as an inflection point for American […]