a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_bfd1dFDmRWA/S239Hko_KlI/AAAAAAAAAjE/hbsdDzbAtes/s1600-h/winter+09+001.jpg”img style=”margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_bfd1dFDmRWA/S239Hko_KlI/AAAAAAAAAjE/hbsdDzbAtes/s200/winter+09+001.jpg” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435278631842556498″ border=”0″ //aAnother World Cup experience under my belt! Today wrapped up the second and final day of racing in Canmore. We had amazing weather; sunny with blue bird skies and temperatures ranging from -7 to -3 degrees Celsius…perfect for ski racing, and spectating too!br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_bfd1dFDmRWA/S239WHJdSzI/AAAAAAAAAjM/czwaOHiRtJY/s1600-h/winter+09+006.jpg”img style=”margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_bfd1dFDmRWA/S239WHJdSzI/AAAAAAAAAjM/czwaOHiRtJY/s200/winter+09+006.jpg” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435278881623722802″ border=”0″ //abr /Yesterday the races kicked off with a 10/15k distance skate race. It was tough course with lots and lots of uphill. The US women represented well! Caitlin Compton led the way with a 14th place finish and we had 5 women in the top 44! I ended up 52nd, which doesn’t sound that great, but it is always important to put things in perspective and remember who I’m racing against…THE BEST IN THE WORLD! It is always a very humbling and inspiring experience to compete at this level. It fuels my desire to train harder and race faster!br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_bfd1dFDmRWA/S23-XHq3w7I/AAAAAAAAAjc/2gEjVPMwPDA/s1600-h/winter+09+003.jpg”img style=”margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_bfd1dFDmRWA/S23-XHq3w7I/AAAAAAAAAjc/2gEjVPMwPDA/s200/winter+09+003.jpg” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435279998455366578″ border=”0″ //abr /Today was the classic sprint. I qualified 46th…not nearly close enough to qualify for the quarterfinals. The US had 2 women and 5 men make it to the rounds. Our top finishers were Kikkan Randall in 10th and fellow ITA athlete, Torin Koos in 11th.br /br / Headed back to SV tomorrow!br / All for now!div class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5903545846797966075-7072817045794244060?l=in-the-arena-nicole.blogspot.com’ alt=” //div
Category: XCFeeds
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World Cup POINTS! …. in my first World Cup!
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The Money Shot
Matt Liebsch kicks back in the Hot Seat after posting the fastest time of the day early in the races. He held onto his seat for at least 10 minutes before the top Red Group skiers started crossing the line.
Congrats Matt on scoring your first World Cup points today!
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Waxing Crazy
Crazy WaxingAt the recent Rumford Eastern Cup I teased Kris Freeman by asking who waxed his skis for the race. He replied “I did! And I could barely remember how to do it”. At the Craftsbury Marathon I was chatting with his dad, Donovan, and he told me that Kris’s goal was to never wax his own skis and that he didn’t even want to know what waxed was used. At the time I took this as just a funny quirk, but soon I was to discover that Kris had figured out a very wise and useful strategy for elite racing.
For the Craftsbury Marathon I came up with a good kick wax tip: Green klister binder put on very thin and then covered while warm with Mint stick wax. The klister binder would be best at keeping the wax on the ski in the very cold and abrasive conditions. The Mint gave plenty of kick in the cold, dry powder that was mixed in with the icy snow. Friends who used my suggestion liked it and reported good skis for the whole race.
What happened to me? When it came time to wax my own skis I decayed into irrational thinking. I got nervous that I wouldn’t have enough kick (despite my good tests) so I put the green klister on thick to act as a cushion. But, the green klister is a binder and does not work well as a cushion. If I had wanted a cushion then I should have used Viola klister. Then, since I had the Green on thick, I cooled it outside, corked it smooth, and then covered it with Mint. Probably that meant that the Mint didn’t bind perfectly to the Green klister. During the race I had both drag and poor kick in the striding sections. If I had followed my own advice I would have had a really good race. Instead, my anxiety took over my reason and I did things that made no sense whatsoever. Now I realize what Kris Freeman is doing. He is taking wax thoughts out of his head. He just trusts his waxers to respond to his need for more or less kick. But, he never gets his own mind caught in a maelstrom of
irrational thought. Instead he can focus on racing well. So, from now on I’m going to do what I’ve been telling others to do: just follow the tip! -
Waxing Crazy
Crazy WaxingAt the recent Rumford Eastern Cup I teased Kris Freeman by asking who waxed his skis for the race. He replied “I did! And I could barely remember how to do it”. At the Craftsbury Marathon I was chatting with his dad, Donovan, and he told me that Kris’s goal was to never wax his own skis and that he didn’t even want to know what waxed was used. At the time I took this as just a funny quirk, but soon I was to discover that Kris had figured out a very wise and useful strategy for elite racing.
For the Craftsbury Marathon I came up with a good kick wax tip: Green klister binder put on very thin and then covered while warm with Mint stick wax. The klister binder would be best at keeping the wax on the ski in the very cold and abrasive conditions. The Mint gave plenty of kick in the cold, dry powder that was mixed in with the icy snow. Friends who used my suggestion liked it and reported good skis for the whole race.
What happened to me? When it came time to wax my own skis I decayed into irrational thinking. I got nervous that I wouldn’t have enough kick (despite my good tests) so I put the green klister on thick to act as a cushion. But, the green klister is a binder and does not work well as a cushion. If I had wanted a cushion then I should have used Viola klister. Then, since I had the Green on thick, I cooled it outside, corked it smooth, and then covered it with Mint. Probably that meant that the Mint didn’t bind perfectly to the Green klister. During the race I had both drag and poor kick in the striding sections. If I had followed my own advice I would have had a really good race. Instead, my anxiety took over my reason and I did things that made no sense whatsoever. Now I realize what Kris Freeman is doing. He is taking wax thoughts out of his head. He just trusts his waxers to respond to his need for more or less kick. But, he never gets his own mind caught in a maelstrom of
irrational thought. Instead he can focus on racing well. So, from now on I’m going to do what I’ve been telling others to do: just follow the tip! -
SMS Ski Ball Video
Here is a short video we made for the SMS winter Ball and auction. This is a huge scholarship fundraising event. Seen here is SMS Alum and 2010 USA Olympic Team Member, Andy Newell, getting the crowd psyched to bid high. Then a short clip of Skyler Davis winning the opening eastern cup sprint.object width=”320″ height=”266″ class=”BLOG_video_class” id=”BLOG_video-4121bdea99ab9625″ classid=”clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000″ codebase=”http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0″param name=”movie” value=”http://www.blogger.com/img/videoplayer.swf?videoUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fv13.nonxt5.googlevideo.com%2Fvideoplayback%3Fid%3D4121bdea99ab9625%26itag%3D5%26begin%3D0%26len%3D86400000%26app%3Dblogger%26et%3Dplay%26el%3DEMBEDDED%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1271270591%26sparams%3Did%252Citag%252Cip%252Cipbits%252Cexpire%26signature%3D83A9251FC439FC5DE63BF01E0396806915893C8.593C9E8CCA9091EFB55F445DC41A0402782BD579%26key%3Dck1amp;thumbnailUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fvideo.google.com%2FThumbnailServer2%3Fapp%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D4121bdea99ab9625%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw320%26sigh%3DzafkFu-LiP6Rk8pKtcfdCmM6EsIamp;messagesUrl=video.google.com%2FFlashUiStrings.xlb%3Fframe%3Dflashstrings%26hl%3Denamp;nogvlm=1″param name=”bgcolor” value=”#FFFFFF”embed width=”320″ height=”266″ src=”http://www.blogger.com/img/videoplayer.swf?videoUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fv13.nonxt5.googlevideo.com%2Fvideoplayback%3Fid%3D4121bdea99ab9625%26itag%3D5%26begin%3D0%26len%3D86400000%26app%3Dblogger%26et%3Dplay%26el%3DEMBEDDED%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1271270591%26sparams%3Did%252Citag%252Cip%252Cipbits%252Cexpire%26signature%3D83A9251FC439FC5DE63BF01E0396806915893C8.593C9E8CCA9091EFB55F445DC41A0402782BD579%26key%3Dck1amp;thumbnailUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fvideo.google.com%2FThumbnailServer2%3Fapp%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D4121bdea99ab9625%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw320%26sigh%3DzafkFu-LiP6Rk8pKtcfdCmM6EsIamp;messagesUrl=video.google.com%2FFlashUiStrings.xlb%3Fframe%3Dflashstrings%26hl%3Denamp;nogvlm=1″ type=”application/x-shockwave-flash”/embed/objectdiv class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4680416899705879324-5232768259050623127?l=smsxc.blogspot.com’ alt=” //div
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Mt. Washington, Vancouver Island
a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S2yfEEoAvYI/AAAAAAAAA0M/09jyPZ70M-8/s1600-h/IMG_0239.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 179px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S2yfEEoAvYI/AAAAAAAAA0M/09jyPZ70M-8/s320/IMG_0239.JPG” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434893742639201666″ //abr /div style=”text-align: left;”Today concludes the first week of my final preparations for the Games. We’ve spent the week at Mt. Washington Resort on Vancouver Island, just a short flight away from Vancouver. It is a unique place, but offered a good range and training venue to prepare for Whistler. Perhaps it has been most valuable because it has been a week of training in adverse conditions: snow, wind, fog, icy snow, slow snow, soft snow, light wind, gusty winds, hints of rain….I could go on. All such conditions we can be sure to encounter at the Whistler venue./divdivbr //divdivI took a short run yesterday afternoon through the neighboring village. It snows so much here that it has become custom to just groom the “streets” instead of plow, which only adds to the winter wonderland allure of this place. /divdivbr //divdivspan class=”Apple-style-span” style=”color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; “img src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S2yYMMPSBOI/AAAAAAAAAzU/JpVOzLMvIfM/s200/IMG_0223.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434886185540519138″ style=”display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; ” //span/divdiv style=”text-align: center;”There is tons of snow here! /divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divdiv style=”text-align: center;”span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; “img src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S2yYL2nhnoI/AAAAAAAAAzM/7w0csixWUag/s200/IMG_0219.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434886179736624770″ style=”display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; ” //span/divdiv style=”text-align: center;”And there are kids everywhere taking advantage of the massive snow banks for sledding, climbing and snowcave building./divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divdiv style=”text-align: center;”span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; “img src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S2yYLYU8gDI/AAAAAAAAAzE/1uMS0OhrpbA/s200/IMG_0218.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434886171605631026″ style=”display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; ” //span/divdiv style=”text-align: center;”Cabins are packed in right next to the alpine trails./divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divdiv style=”text-align: center;”span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; “img src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S2yYKyUWNgI/AAAAAAAAAy8/nU2vp1BYhek/s200/IMG_0216.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434886161402574338″ style=”display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; ” //span/divdiv style=”text-align: center;”China, Canada, Sweden, Germany and the US: the teams training here this week./divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divdiv style=”text-align: center;”span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; “img src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S2yYMg9qjbI/AAAAAAAAAzc/Mdr7e4E5yMc/s200/IMG_0227.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434886191103774130″ style=”display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px; ” //span/divdiv style=”text-align: center;”The snow finally ceased snowing yesterday afternoon to get a glimpse of the water below, reminding me that we are on an island./divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divdiv style=”text-align: center;”span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; “img src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S2ybWOIVxCI/AAAAAAAAAzk/Wn6ylsdgAOU/s320/IMG_0234.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434889656381850658″ style=”display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 179px; ” //span/divdiv style=”text-align: center;”Ha, funny sign to have in your neighborhood, huh? The curving downhills only asked to be ridden down./divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divdiv style=”text-align: center;”span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; “img src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S2ybXvV-1DI/AAAAAAAAA0E/NZ4I3D_xuaM/s320/IMG_0232.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434889682477306930″ style=”display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 179px; height: 320px; ” //span/divdiv style=”text-align: center;”The tall cedars and hemlocks are quite enchanting in the winter too. And here, they even seem small compared to the mainland and skiing around Whistler. /divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divdiv style=”text-align: center;”span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; “img src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S2ybWdc1DYI/AAAAAAAAAzs/MwOekTiFabg/s320/IMG_0235.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434889660494318978″ style=”display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 179px; height: 320px; ” //span/divdiv style=”text-align: center;”One of the stylish ski cabins./divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divdiv style=”text-align: center;”span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; “img src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S2ybW-DG7FI/AAAAAAAAAz0/zR_jWZJa0IY/s320/IMG_0238.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434889669244808274″ style=”display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 179px; height: 320px; ” //span/divdiv style=”text-align: center;”Good wishes from one of the nearby ski cabins./divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divdiv style=”text-align: center;”span class=”Apple-style-span” style=”color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; “img src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_k1DHbqzFvCE/S2ybXDRM1sI/AAAAAAAAAz8/NSdxtmCIqic/s320/IMG_0229.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434889670646093506″ style=”display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; ” //span/divdiv style=”text-align: center;”On my way back to our apartments./divdiv style=”text-align: center;”br //divdiv class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1362992899157556571-8054446453249685881?l=comeskiwithme.blogspot.com’ alt=” //div
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Skate Intervals — Trapps Wednesday
a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xoC1iIwFI/AAAAAAAABPE/lm5Oxk-eXwo/s1600-h/IMG_2208.JPG”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 395px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xoC1iIwFI/AAAAAAAABPE/lm5Oxk-eXwo/s400/IMG_2208.JPG” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434833248268632146″ border=”0″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xoCsZKt5I/AAAAAAAABO8/8mdkOWs6n1A/s1600-h/IMG_2209.JPG”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 295px; height: 400px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xoCsZKt5I/AAAAAAAABO8/8mdkOWs6n1A/s400/IMG_2209.JPG” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434833245815093138″ border=”0″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xoCeA60CI/AAAAAAAABO0/Kkpr2TtV_78/s1600-h/IMG_2210.JPG”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 372px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xoCeA60CI/AAAAAAAABO0/Kkpr2TtV_78/s400/IMG_2210.JPG” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434833241955291170″ border=”0″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xn2KY-r2I/AAAAAAAABOs/InP9qst4Mis/s1600-h/IMG_2211.JPG”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 378px; height: 400px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xn2KY-r2I/AAAAAAAABOs/InP9qst4Mis/s400/IMG_2211.JPG” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434833030529068898″ border=”0″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xn15ag64I/AAAAAAAABOk/zgUP-50YRSE/s1600-h/IMG_2211.JPG”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 378px; height: 400px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xn15ag64I/AAAAAAAABOk/zgUP-50YRSE/s400/IMG_2211.JPG” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434833025972104066″ border=”0″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xn1o93DKI/AAAAAAAABOc/HK4O1_DTDCY/s1600-h/IMG_2212.JPG”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 326px; height: 400px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xn1o93DKI/AAAAAAAABOc/HK4O1_DTDCY/s400/IMG_2212.JPG” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434833021556952226″ border=”0″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xn1VIrDZI/AAAAAAAABOU/MUWOdPVe-p8/s1600-h/IMG_2212.JPG”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 326px; height: 400px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xn1VIrDZI/AAAAAAAABOU/MUWOdPVe-p8/s400/IMG_2212.JPG” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434833016233594258″ border=”0″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xn1G3qddI/AAAAAAAABOM/SPhPAhepYlE/s1600-h/IMG_2215.JPG”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xn1G3qddI/AAAAAAAABOM/SPhPAhepYlE/s400/IMG_2215.JPG” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434833012404155858″ border=”0″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xnjwXr92I/AAAAAAAABOE/c0zN62NqI7g/s1600-h/IMG_2217.JPG”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 364px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xnjwXr92I/AAAAAAAABOE/c0zN62NqI7g/s400/IMG_2217.JPG” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434832714306680674″ border=”0″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xnjmfo_TI/AAAAAAAABN8/dFdFF3si–o/s1600-h/IMG_2218.JPG”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 378px; height: 400px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xnjmfo_TI/AAAAAAAABN8/dFdFF3si–o/s400/IMG_2218.JPG” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434832711655685426″ border=”0″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xnjSYgTjI/AAAAAAAABN0/Qte3Ni5egoA/s1600-h/IMG_2220.JPG”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xnjSYgTjI/AAAAAAAABN0/Qte3Ni5egoA/s400/IMG_2220.JPG” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434832706257047090″ border=”0″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xnjCPFLqI/AAAAAAAABNs/AR6Hw1AAQfc/s1600-h/IMG_2221.JPG”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 279px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xnjCPFLqI/AAAAAAAABNs/AR6Hw1AAQfc/s400/IMG_2221.JPG” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434832701922553506″ border=”0″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xniya7umI/AAAAAAAABNk/n3ol0Ya8F9M/s1600-h/IMG_2224.JPG”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 290px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xniya7umI/AAAAAAAABNk/n3ol0Ya8F9M/s400/IMG_2224.JPG” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434832697677298274″ border=”0″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xnQzq4hhI/AAAAAAAABNc/hVwRXYF-2pQ/s1600-h/IMG_2225.JPG”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 392px; height: 400px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xnQzq4hhI/AAAAAAAABNc/hVwRXYF-2pQ/s400/IMG_2225.JPG” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434832388774987282″ border=”0″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xnQkt17AI/AAAAAAAABNU/CP942xHwCaY/s1600-h/IMG_2228.JPG”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 321px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xnQkt17AI/AAAAAAAABNU/CP942xHwCaY/s400/IMG_2228.JPG” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434832384760867842″ border=”0″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xnQaVMFEI/AAAAAAAABNM/e1KR0HtmX_k/s1600-h/IMG_2229.JPG”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 362px; height: 400px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xnQaVMFEI/AAAAAAAABNM/e1KR0HtmX_k/s400/IMG_2229.JPG” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434832381973107778″ border=”0″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xnP-xLtbI/AAAAAAAABNE/Z6ebh4AFxJs/s1600-h/IMG_2230.JPG”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xnP-xLtbI/AAAAAAAABNE/Z6ebh4AFxJs/s400/IMG_2230.JPG” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434832374574331314″ border=”0″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xnPyT-dQI/AAAAAAAABM8/Ik9B_PEXlyQ/s1600-h/IMG_2232.JPG”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 244px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xnPyT-dQI/AAAAAAAABM8/Ik9B_PEXlyQ/s400/IMG_2232.JPG” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434832371230602498″ border=”0″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xmDlRI35I/AAAAAAAABM0/AjuI_JgbiRI/s1600-h/IMG_2233.JPG”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xmDlRI35I/AAAAAAAABM0/AjuI_JgbiRI/s400/IMG_2233.JPG” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434831062058983314″ border=”0″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xmDeY3ncI/AAAAAAAABMs/76ScEyrLQ80/s1600-h/IMG_2234.JPG”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xmDeY3ncI/AAAAAAAABMs/76ScEyrLQ80/s400/IMG_2234.JPG” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434831060212358594″ border=”0″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xmDOAegCI/AAAAAAAABMk/MYUTjfJfmEU/s1600-h/IMG_2235.JPG”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 279px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xmDOAegCI/AAAAAAAABMk/MYUTjfJfmEU/s400/IMG_2235.JPG” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434831055815082018″ border=”0″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xmC9NorMI/AAAAAAAABMc/yNoKMCb3TuM/s1600-h/IMG_2238.JPG”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xmC9NorMI/AAAAAAAABMc/yNoKMCb3TuM/s400/IMG_2238.JPG” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434831051306872002″ border=”0″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xmCg6RuvI/AAAAAAAABMU/BzIOKWc8SWQ/s1600-h/IMG_2244.JPG”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/S2xmCg6RuvI/AAAAAAAABMU/BzIOKWc8SWQ/s400/IMG_2244.JPG” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434831043709483762″ border=”0″ //adiv class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1847564486460994594-8617923430459655175?l=gmvsxc.blogspot.com’ alt=” //div
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A Peek at the Rossi WCS Skater for next season…
a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_T8lplfcx_Ro/S2t-dmXT8KI/AAAAAAAAAbU/8D5jT_Xq2vU/s1600-h/tipgraphics.JPG” target=”_blank”img style=”margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 236px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_T8lplfcx_Ro/S2t-dmXT8KI/AAAAAAAAAbU/8D5jT_Xq2vU/s320/tipgraphics.JPG” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434576422332264610″ border=”0″ //aI’ve had a pair of the 2010/11 Rossignol WCS skate skis in the shop and on the snow for the past couple of weeks.br /br /The new version of the WCS skater has some changes.br /br /First, the skis are trimmed down about 1cm. The new skis are 180, 186, and 192 (instead of 181, 187, 193). Also, the tip is cleaned up — Rossignol has ditched the “window” in the tip and is instead using a thinner, cleaner looking flat shovel. I think this is a good thing. (Note that a 186cm Rossignol WCS is about the same length as the 190cm skate ski from Madshus for 1010/11).br /br /More subtle, but more important, Rossignol has reshaped the profile of the ski, making it wedge-shaped, with the heel a little lower than the toe. This is further accentuated by the NIS bindings (for those who use them) to give a pronounced wedge-shape under the foot. The intent is to help keep the weight back on the foot to improve performance. On the World Cup, skiers have been playing with wedge shaped shims for a couple years, and this is percolating through to consumer products now.br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_T8lplfcx_Ro/S2t-HKmCr3I/AAAAAAAAAa8/4V5bTqwLx_0/s1600-h/wedge_shape.JPG” target=”_blank”img style=”margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 157px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_T8lplfcx_Ro/S2t-HKmCr3I/AAAAAAAAAa8/4V5bTqwLx_0/s320/wedge_shape.JPG” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434576036920733554″ border=”0″ //abr /Also, the camber is slightly modified, with the half-weight camber open just a little further forward than the old WCS. The camber closes about another 10-12cm when progressing to full-weight, and this provides a great all-around front end camber, especially when combined with the somewhat more compliant tip flex than the old Xium.br /br /And how do they ski? SUPER. All the previous detail would add up to zip if the skis weren’t performers. As I’ve come to expect with Rossignol skate skis, they’re very stable. But these skis are also fast and predictable and compliant. The WCS-2 skaters are really nice.a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_T8lplfcx_Ro/S2t-IWUh05I/AAAAAAAAAbM/APqbW-Ggfcw/s1600-h/topgraphics.JPG” target=”_blank”img style=”margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_T8lplfcx_Ro/S2t-IWUh05I/AAAAAAAAAbM/APqbW-Ggfcw/s320/topgraphics.JPG” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434576057248371602″ border=”0″ //abr /br /Finish on the skis is very nice as well. The shiny clear top is free of bubbles or cosmetic goobers. Maybe the pre-season skis are specially picked, or maybe these are a reflection of the standard production quality… …I won’t know that until autumn. Ummm, less orange and more black for next year. The tip graphics on the bottom have been changed. Very cool looking white insert, and it’s smooth when you feel it with your fingers; nicely done.br /br /Finally, the bases are nice and flat. I was able to blank these skis with one pass through the Mantec grinder… …that requires an almost perfectly flat ski edge-to-edge. This gets a big thumbs up from me!br /br /The new Rossignol WCS skate ski is an incremental improvement from last year’s ski. Evolution, rather than revolution. But definitely a step forward. Rossignol has done a really nice job. Everyone will want a couple pairs, right?br /br /Next posting (or really soon, at least) will spend time talking about the amazingly good new NIS binding!br /br /h3 class=”post-title entry-title”
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Canmore World Cup
We start racing tomorrow! Friday, February 5: the women race a 10km Skate starting at 10am Mountain Time. The men start the 15km Skate at Noon. Saturday, February 6: the Classic Sprint qualifiers start at 10am for women, followed immediately by the men. Sprint heats start at noon.
This is the final World Cup weekend before the Olympic Games. Start lists, results, and live timing are available here and updated immediately. Look forward to an exciting weekend of racing. I know I am!
Testing skis, wax, structure to make the fastest boards possible.
US Teammates Noah Hoffman, James Southam, and Mike Hinkley
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Pimp My Ride – World Cup Style
Taking a page from MTV’s Pimp My Ride, I bring you a sneak peak of some of the rides on the World Cup. . .
Canada’s National Tourism Bus. Err, train? Monster truck? Who knows, but I’d be willing to bet the mileage isn’t as good as. . .
Olympic Gold Medalist Chandra Crawford’s Toyota Prius. Be sure to check out her Fast and Female Project as well. Chandra really gives back to the sport and this program is absolutely amazing.
My buddy Donovan just returned from a trip to New Zealand. He documented much of the trip on his website and included several photos of vehicles in New Zealand. This one doesn’t look much different from the vehicles he saw. . .except this steering wheel is on the left.
Swedish National Team wax bus taken at the 2009 World Championships in Czech Republic. The 18-wheeler might not be here this weekend, but you can bet their techs will be firing through all 12 gears.
For us Americans, it could be better, it could be worse. It’s not how you get to the races, but what you do when you’re there. I’ve got everything I could ask for here in Canmore, including World Class teammates and coaching support, and I’m looking forward to an exciting weekend of racing.
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Heaven (in Canada!)
Today was race prep… everyone was out testing their skis. The scene was awesome. nbsp;I think some of the pictures below will speak for themselves! nbsp;I’m excited to go 10k tomorrow. I felt great skiing today. Somehow the steep hills seem to be getting smaller each day. Check out some of these shots!br /br /div class=”separator” style=”clear: both; text-align: center;”
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HORIZONTAL
Ketchum, my own bed, Idaho – I got sick a while back (right after AK) and it hung on for a while. I would feel better and ski, get sick again and rest, repeat.As the Boulder Mountain Tour gets closer, my hometown marathon here in Ketchum, I decided to go back to the doctor one last time to get a clean bill of health and the go-ahead to race.
15 minutes, 3 prescriptions and 4 rented movies later, I am back to being horizontal. The diagnosis is not good. If you can name it, I probably have it. My doctor stopped at bronchitis, walking pneumonia and a sinus infection. No wonder I have had to drag myself out of bed after sleeping 12+ hour each night. My body has officially thrown in the towel.
The crazy part is that besides ears that hurt and sleeping a lot, I don’t feel that terrible. I am hoping to be back on my feet after all of these drugs kick into gear!
I took a horse-drawn sleigh ride to dinner last night with my Fischer rep, Brian. We almost ran over Marit Bjorgen with the horses (don’t worry, we missed her). I guess the Norwegian team is skipping the World Cups, staying put and training for Vancouver. Good luck to the gang up in Canmore!
Until I have something more positive to report, be well!
`kate -
HORIZONTAL
Ketchum, my own bed, Idaho – I got sick a while back (right after AK) and it hung on for a while. I would feel better and ski, get sick again and rest, repeat.As the Boulder Mountain Tour gets closer, my hometown marathon here in Ketchum, I decided to go back to the doctor one last time to get a clean bill of health and the go-ahead to race.
15 minutes, 3 prescriptions and 4 rented movies later, I am back to being horizontal. The diagnosis is not good. If you can name it, I probably have it. My doctor stopped at bronchitis, walking pneumonia and a sinus infection. No wonder I have had to drag myself out of bed after sleeping 12+ hour each night. My body has officially thrown in the towel.
The crazy part is that besides ears that hurt and sleeping a lot, I don’t feel that terrible. I am hoping to be back on my feet after all of these drugs kick into gear!
I took a horse-drawn sleigh ride to dinner last night with my Fischer rep, Brian. We almost ran over Marit Bjorgen with the horses (don’t worry, we missed her). I guess the Norwegian team is skipping the World Cups, staying put and training for Vancouver. Good luck to the gang up in Canmore!
Until I have something more positive to report, be well!
`kate
