FasterSkier

Category: XCFeeds

A collection of live feeds from cross-country ski blogs around the web.

  • 2010 US Senior Nationals Underway

    Tomorrow is the first day of the four day Senior Nationals Competition in Anchorage, Alaska. It seems the weather will be warm enough to start the races this year!!. Todays temperatures in the stadium hovered around single digit numbers, so it is in no way warm out there! The humid conditions still make for fast skiing, which will be great for tomorrows Skate Sprint Competition. The races kick off as soon as the sun rises, 10 AM for woman, and 11 AM for men. Sam, Erik and I all have good starting positions, racing in the A seed for the 1.5km skate course. We are all feeling quick, healthy and ready for some good racing tomorrow. Live timing should be posted at http://www.summittiming.com/races/ divbr //divdivTop 30 qualify for the heats which will run from 1:00-2:45 tomorrow afternoon./divdivbr //divdivGO MOD!/divdiv class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2910103639238326543-2060633760404008191?l=methowolympicdevelopment.blogspot.com’ alt=” //div

  • The New Year

    a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Qy8LpbgYOag/Sz7GkdB9h1I/AAAAAAAAASw/xO0HP4cuACs/s1600-h/email+-+winter+church.jpg”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Qy8LpbgYOag/Sz7GkdB9h1I/AAAAAAAAASw/xO0HP4cuACs/s400/email+-+winter+church.jpg” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421989330971101010″ //abr /Coming across this image reminded me that Christmas is right around the corner.br /br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Qy8LpbgYOag/Sz7Gj6Ng4WI/AAAAAAAAASo/Hc2s3VJMWg4/s1600-h/email+windowsill.jpg”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 265px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Qy8LpbgYOag/Sz7Gj6Ng4WI/AAAAAAAAASo/Hc2s3VJMWg4/s400/email+windowsill.jpg” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421989321624314210″ //abr /The winter’s upon us. The snow in the lowlands of Washington is finally coming, too.br /br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Qy8LpbgYOag/Sz7Gjfc4fEI/AAAAAAAAASg/TP5eLR_oqU8/s1600-h/email+-+fredrickson.jpg”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Qy8LpbgYOag/Sz7Gjfc4fEI/AAAAAAAAASg/TP5eLR_oqU8/s400/email+-+fredrickson.jpg” border=”0″ alt=””id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421989314441018434″ //abr /The racing continues. Just not for me at the moment. Recharging the body for later in the season.br /br /Until a later time.br /-Torindiv class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2691525267872963085-8388177997819891257?l=in-the-arena-torin.blogspot.com’ alt=” //div

  • Tour de Ski Prologue Picks

    The Tour de Ski prologue was as interesting as I hoped. In the women’s race, Petra used her sprint power to take a convincing victory by 2.1s over Korosteleva and three times that much over Kowalczyk. Miriam Goessner of Germany held the top spot for a long time and eventually wound up a surprising fifth, with Arianna Follis in between. Petra’s gonna be great in the classical pursuit tomorrow. In

  • Possible US Nationals Doping Scheme Foiled (click here)

  • “You’ll see Bird wearing some sort of absurd Bronchos clothing this week. He and Hoff had a…”

    “You’ll see Bird wearing some sort of absurd Bronchos clothing this week. He and Hoff had a bet on the Pats / Bronchos game. Look for that.”br/br/ – em Dragster3000 on the equipment choices at Nationals./em

  • US Nationals is go. (Downtown E.Brown photo via Twitter…

    img src=”http://23.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kvkrsxBhAF1qzt3xbo1_500.jpg”/br/br/pUS Nationals is go. (Downtown E.Brown photo via Twitter dedicated to Mundahl)/p

  • New Years Snow on SuperTour Trails in the Methow Valley

    a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_T8lplfcx_Ro/Szo0JbTIs8I/AAAAAAAAAXo/ptWGoOrc8Hk/s1600-h/MethowXMas09+088b.jpg”img style=”margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 286px; height: 320px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_T8lplfcx_Ro/Szo0JbTIs8I/AAAAAAAAAXo/ptWGoOrc8Hk/s320/MethowXMas09+088b.jpg” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420702438045299650″ border=”0″ //aA New Year’s Eve snowstorm brought a big pile of new snow to

  • Pictures from our Alaska Adventure Day

    a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/Sz1XySMumQI/AAAAAAAAB3A/HeKJGAhIHFc/s1600-h/IMG_1955.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 242px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/Sz1XySMumQI/AAAAAAAAB3A/HeKJGAhIHFc/s400/IMG_1955.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421586047814244610″ //aThis is taken from upstairs in the house where we are staying. Mt Denali, approx 190 miles away!br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/Sz1Xpm8GGBI/AAAAAAAAB24/BE3nLH3vNuY/s1600-h/IMG_1960.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 369px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/Sz1Xpm8GGBI/AAAAAAAAB24/BE3nLH3vNuY/s400/IMG_1960.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421585898762803218″ //aAs we left this morning at 9:30 am, we saw a partial eclipse of the blue moon as it set over Anchorage. Pretty cool… A blue moon is the 2nd full moon in a month, it doesn’t happen too often (about once a year). The partial eclipse shows as the bottom is faded out. All on the last day of the decade… jeez…br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/Sz1XgARWNnI/AAAAAAAAB2w/npqJmfff8IM/s1600-h/IMG_1963.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 364px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/Sz1XgARWNnI/AAAAAAAAB2w/npqJmfff8IM/s400/IMG_1963.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421585733764134514″ //aA good message for New years Eve.br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/Sz1XVYG7EgI/AAAAAAAAB2o/X7beYgjb2Es/s1600-h/IMG_1998.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/Sz1XVYG7EgI/AAAAAAAAB2o/X7beYgjb2Es/s400/IMG_1998.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421585551184302594″ //aWe drove down to Portage, then went to Girdwood for lunch, took the tram up Alyaska and returned home. It was a fun, beautiful day.br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/Sz1XHzuTAUI/AAAAAAAAB2g/ok6xkHqNqQg/s1600-h/IMG_1999.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/Sz1XHzuTAUI/AAAAAAAAB2g/ok6xkHqNqQg/s400/IMG_1999.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421585318079037762″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/Sz1W6mZ0VvI/AAAAAAAAB2Y/LQF0uZfo-ew/s1600-h/IMG_2003.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/Sz1W6mZ0VvI/AAAAAAAAB2Y/LQF0uZfo-ew/s400/IMG_2003.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421585091165181682″ //aAs always, you can click on any picture to enlarge it.br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/Sz1WsjQCmHI/AAAAAAAAB2Q/qlMi2dXK_Bk/s1600-h/IMG_2015.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/Sz1WsjQCmHI/AAAAAAAAB2Q/qlMi2dXK_Bk/s400/IMG_2015.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421584849800697970″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/Sz1WeG4fsiI/AAAAAAAAB2I/TvPU0AC3_20/s1600-h/IMG_2045.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/Sz1WeG4fsiI/AAAAAAAAB2I/TvPU0AC3_20/s400/IMG_2045.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421584601667580450″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/Sz1WQhqn3RI/AAAAAAAAB2A/or04brnMlmg/s1600-h/IMG_2052.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/Sz1WQhqn3RI/AAAAAAAAB2A/or04brnMlmg/s400/IMG_2052.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421584368338984210″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/Sz1WCJLIUFI/AAAAAAAAB14/dh5PDSXPyG0/s1600-h/IMG_2055.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/Sz1WCJLIUFI/AAAAAAAAB14/dh5PDSXPyG0/s400/IMG_2055.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421584121246273618″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/Sz1V1MIA8QI/AAAAAAAAB1w/O2RShgYFDoY/s1600-h/IMG_2059.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/Sz1V1MIA8QI/AAAAAAAAB1w/O2RShgYFDoY/s400/IMG_2059.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421583898700214530″ //aClick on the above pic to see a couple of high mtn glaciers.br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/Sz1VkqvFORI/AAAAAAAAB1o/C0j0nxbJ5Z4/s1600-h/IMG_2067.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/Sz1VkqvFORI/AAAAAAAAB1o/C0j0nxbJ5Z4/s400/IMG_2067.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421583614859360530″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/Sz1VXYykLeI/AAAAAAAAB1g/peRaJFoYEEg/s1600-h/IMG_2071.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/Sz1VXYykLeI/AAAAAAAAB1g/peRaJFoYEEg/s400/IMG_2071.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421583386703834594″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/Sz1VH5AdDgI/AAAAAAAAB1Y/OVPhv3HCPds/s1600-h/IMG_2007.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/Sz1VH5AdDgI/AAAAAAAAB1Y/OVPhv3HCPds/s400/IMG_2007.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421583120474115586″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/Sz1U0V9kR2I/AAAAAAAAB1Q/_ZkkBOh22gg/s1600-h/IMG_1990.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 290px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/Sz1U0V9kR2I/AAAAAAAAB1Q/_ZkkBOh22gg/s400/IMG_1990.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421582784649250658″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/Sz1Un5M_haI/AAAAAAAAB1I/pDOlWY2s8rg/s1600-h/IMG_1968.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/Sz1Un5M_haI/AAAAAAAAB1I/pDOlWY2s8rg/s400/IMG_1968.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421582570770892194″ //aThe picture above was taken at 10 am. The sun is just about to come over the mtns as we head southeast.br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/Sz1UYx46_iI/AAAAAAAAB1A/3qdw1YVAchs/s1600-h/IMG_2084.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/Sz1UYx46_iI/AAAAAAAAB1A/3qdw1YVAchs/s400/IMG_2084.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421582311109623330″ //abr /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/Sz1UNjegK8I/AAAAAAAAB04/KUPZMdxilmE/s1600-h/IMG_2092.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_H2SCM3lmKm8/Sz1UNjegK8I/AAAAAAAAB04/KUPZMdxilmE/s400/IMG_2092.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421582118262156226″ //aComing home :)div class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4680416899705879324-7914192486367130111?l=smsxc.blogspot.com’ alt=” //div

  • Senior Nationals Update

    a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/Sz2NICbjG4I/AAAAAAAABEs/C9e4sFYbXOI/s1600-h/Emily.jpg”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/Sz2NICbjG4I/AAAAAAAABEs/C9e4sFYbXOI/s400/Emily.jpg” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421644695654833026″ border=”0″ //aEmily (bib 21) in her Quarterfinal heat.br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/Sz2NHm7dhzI/AAAAAAAABEk/1O4kNv0P-5A/s1600-h/dev.jpg”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/Sz2NHm7dhzI/AAAAAAAABEk/1O4kNv0P-5A/s400/dev.jpg” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421644688272492338″ border=”0″ //aDev taking charge in the J2 Semifinal.br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/Sz2NHYYwLtI/AAAAAAAABEc/7lhlUIJFHoM/s1600-h/dev”img style=”margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 1px; height: 1px;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3c1Nv5NLyNg/Sz2NHYYwLtI/AAAAAAAABEc/7lhlUIJFHoM/s400/dev” alt=”” id=”BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421644684368817874″ border=”0″ //abr /David Sinclair, Hans and Kristin Halvorsen, Emily Stitt and I are in Anchorage, Alaska for US Senior Nationals. We left Waitsfield on the 29th and arrived here last night after a little vacation week travel delay. The good news is we have a great weather forecast here for the week and the snow is hard and fast. We had a short skate today with some quick, hard intensity to wake up the muscles and get ready for the skate sprint on Saturday.br /br /The athletes will be competing alongside some of the best skiers from throughout the US. The races serve as trials for several international teams including: the Olympics, U23 World Champs, World Junior Champs and the J1 Scandinavian Trip(which Coach Weston will lead). Beyond that the top twenty juniors after the first three races will auto-qualify for Junior Nationals and give additional skiers to New England’s quota.br /br /Tomorrow Will Sweetser (MWSC) and I will continue to test and wax skis for our first event. The athletes will do a short ski and do one last round of inspection and test run the course. Although these races are not the end goal of the season for the athletes they have all trained hard to get here and are poised to have great races. It’s exciting for all of them to be on the same trails as World Cup skiers like, Freeman, Koos, Randall and Stephen.br /br /Today we snuck in a drive up Turnagain Arm to the town of Girdwood for a burger at the SilverTipGrill. Girdwood is home to Alyeska, one of the most famous alpine ski areas in Alaska. On the drive we took in views of the sun soaked mountains on the Kenai Peninsula and our Bald Eagle count is up to three.br /br /Stay tuned as the week progresses. Also threw in a few more pictures from Presque Isle that I found on NENSA’s flickr page.div class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1847564486460994594-3440267216295350884?l=gmvsxc.blogspot.com’ alt=” //div

  • Lunar Eclipse

    If there are two things I learned in Professor Frank Winkler’s physics class, Introduction to the Universe, it is that: 1. A lunar eclipse can only occur during a full moon and 2. the moon looks larger when it is closer to the horizon, not because it is “enlarged” in any way, but because it is closer to a reference point (the Earth) and appears larger than when it is higher in the sky.  These photos of today’s lunar eclipse illustrate both examples.

    If I didn’t know any better, I’d think the moon looks bigger because Alaska is so far north that we are actually closer to the moon.

    The trails are right next to the Anchorage Airport, so there is almost constant flight traffic overhead.

    On the racing side of life, we are getting closer to the National Championships.  The schedule for the week looks like this:

    Saturday, January 2: Skate Sprint

    Monday, January 4: 15km Skate

    Wednesday, January 6: 30km Classic Mass Start

    Friday, January 8: Classic Sprint

    More information can be found here.

    Race results will be posted here.

  • Tour de Ski Prologue Picks

    Others have already weighed in with picks for tomorrow’s mostly-flat Tour de Ski prologue (course profile available here), but by god I have to offer my one-fiftieth of a dollar, too. men’s 3.7km freestyle prologue1. Northug2. Legkov3. Teichmannwomen’s 2.8km freestyle prologue1. Nystad2. Kowalczyk3. FollisAnd while I’m at it, picks for the overall TdS podiums:men1. Northug2. Legkov3.

  • New Years Relay at Mt Bachelor.

    The weather seems to enjoy throwing rain at the race days at Mt Bachelor this season. The current (1:00 PM 12/31/09) forecast for New Years Day is br /br /Tonight: Rain and snow. Low around 28. Breezy, with a west southwest wind between 24 and 26 mph, with gusts as high as 37 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible. br /br /New Year’s Day: Rain and snow showers, becoming all snow after 10am. High near 35. Southwest wind around 21 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible. br /br /The race is a relay of 3 skiers. The first leg is classic and the last two are skate. See the MBSEF website for more details. br /br /br /Glide wax: Start with a fairly soft pair of plus base skis. Brush them well with a medium bronze or steel brush and apply a layer of Solda UF7, scrape and brush. Follow with a layer of Solda F31 Pink or F40 Red, scrape and brush. Finish with Solda Fluor 100. The spray would work well, or Powerjet 1. After corking these fluoro additives remember to let the skis cool before brushing. Use a soft horse hair or very fine/soft nylon to finish the job. br /br /The economy wax would be a layer of Solda UF7 on a nice clean base. br /br /After waxing you could apply a medium structure with the Toko Structurerite tool. Always brush again after applying structure. br /br /Kick Wax: YUCK… I would start with a sticky wax under foot, maybe two thin layers one just a bit longer than the other and then cover with a slightly harder wax. If using Swix, start with a layer of VR 60 or 65 and cover with VR 55.You could also try straight VR 70. If using Rode, start with the Rode Red Extra 0 to +2C and cover with Rode Blue Super -1 to -3C. Good Luck. Remember there is also the Klister cushion. If using this idea probably best to start with a Silver klister and cover with a hard wax for around 0C temps. Klister must be cold when covering with a hard wax. br /br /Good Luckdiv class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6589659500745667109-3034142787261700567?l=www.webskis.com%2Fwebskisblog.html’ alt=” //div

  • Hoffmann: Busted (?)

    From that well-known ski-news site, the Malaysian Mirror:Austria’s 2002 Olympic 30 kilometres cross country skiing champion Christian Hoffmann was suspended with immediate effect on Thursday by the Austrian Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) over suspicions he is involved in a blood-doping ring.Let the record show that we were on this story a long time ago.

  • Wooden Ski Classic

    div align=”left”embed pluginspage=”http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer” align=”left” src=”http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf” width=”288″ height=”192″ type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” flashvars=”host=picasaweb.google.comamp;hl=en_USamp;feat=flashalbumamp;RGB=0x000000amp;feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fchad.gregg%2Falbumid%2F5421584529754194145%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US”/embed/divdiv align=”left”The 3rd annual Wooden Ski Classic was a ton of fun with lots of old wooden skis, wool sweaters, and happy skiers. Check out these great pictures:/divdiv class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/489212310283984495-248139616054254051?l=methowvalleynordicteam.blogspot.com’ alt=” //div

  • POSTING

    I figured out how to delete all of the advertisements and financial opportunities that have been spammed onto my comments – You would think that they would realize US cross-country skiers are actually NOT interested in gainful employment, since we are XC skiers! Silly-heads. I will try to stay on top of deleting them as they are posted. How irritating.

    The trails were great yesterday at Kincaid. Groomed and tracked with courses marked. Maps can be found on the event website, as well as other race information. When I know who is doing the actual timing, I will post a link to their sight too, as it will be updated before the event site is.

    Moose count: 1

    Dead plant count after 30 days on the road: Zero (believe it or not, that plant above is not dead, just mostly-dead). “There’s a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive.”

    In an attempt to gain some real comments – a prize to the first person who can name who said the quote above and the movie (GREAT movie!)

  • POSTING

    I figured out how to delete all of the advertisements and financial opportunities that have been spammed onto my comments – You would think that they would realize US cross-country skiers are actually NOT interested in gainful employment, since we are XC skiers! Silly-heads. I will try to stay on top of deleting them as they are posted. How irritating.

    The trails were great yesterday at Kincaid. Groomed and tracked with courses marked. Maps can be found on the event website, as well as other race information. When I know who is doing the actual timing, I will post a link to their sight too, as it will be updated before the event site is.

    Moose count: 1

    Dead plant count after 30 days on the road: Zero (believe it or not, that plant above is not dead, just mostly-dead). “There’s a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive.”

    In an attempt to gain some real comments – a prize to the first person who can name who said the quote above and the movie (GREAT movie!)

  • POSTING

    I figured out how to delete all of the advertisements and financial opportunities that have been spammed onto my comments – You would think that they would realize US cross-country skiers are actually NOT interested in gainful employment, since we are XC skiers! Silly-heads. I will try to stay on top of deleting them as they are posted. How irritating.

    The trails were great yesterday at Kincaid. Groomed and tracked with courses marked. Maps can be found on the event website, as well as other race information. When I know who is doing the actual timing, I will post a link to their sight too, as it will be updated before the event site is.

    Moose count: 1

    Dead plant count after 30 days on the road: Zero (believe it or not, that plant above is not dead, just mostly-dead). “There’s a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive.”

    In an attempt to gain some real comments – a prize to the first person who can name who said the quote above and the movie (GREAT movie!)

  • POSTING

    I figured out how to delete all of the advertisements and financial opportunities that have been spammed onto my comments – You would think that they would realize US cross-country skiers are actually NOT interested in gainful employment, since we are XC skiers! Silly-heads. I will try to stay on top of deleting them as they are posted. How irritating.

    The trails were great yesterday at Kincaid. Groomed and tracked with courses marked. Maps can be found on the event website, as well as other race information. When I know who is doing the actual timing, I will post a link to their sight too, as it will be updated before the event site is.

    Moose count: 1

    Dead plant count after 30 days on the road: Zero (believe it or not, that plant above is not dead, just mostly-dead). “There’s a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive.”

    In an attempt to gain some real comments – a prize to the first person who can name who said the quote above and the movie (GREAT movie!)

  • 2010 US Nationals and Refined Blogging

    After a two week break and some great skiing at home (despite some low snowfall), the MOD Squad has arrived fit and healthy in Anchorage, Alaska for the 2010 US National Championships and World Junior/U23/Canmore World Cup/Olympic Trials. Lots going on. We’re feeling super; this is a huge change from last year especially for Erik and I, as we arrived in Alaska a year ago with colds. Now we’re feeling super strong and snappy, ready to attack Saturday’s skate sprint, the first of the series.br /br /I’ve decided (with persuasion from our hardy readers) to be a bit more diligent on the blogging front, to expand the content to include tidbits of our lifestyle (which at times can be boring, then exciting, and everything in between), complete with pictures. Unfortunately I forgot to bring my camera cord up here this week but we should have a card reader by tomorrow and I’ll start uploading pictures. They are, after all, worth 1000 words. But for now I must ask you to be satisfied with mere words.br /br /Our flight up from Seattle was uneventful; after an easy drive from the Methow complete with a stop in Cashmere for our requisite Rusty burgers (some of the best drive-thru fare you could ever have; stop the next time you’re in town!), we got to the airport and connived the baggage check lady to take our very-slightly overweight items. Sadie, however, insisted on carrying on her huge foam roller and we were busy thinking of excuses for her insistence should she be questioned. But no problems there; I imagine the flight attendants thought it was a comfort object, something akin to a teddy bear for athletes.br /br /The flight itself was, as I say, uneventful. Scott and I sat together in an all-too-crowded row and quite near some mystery person who had clearly been getting plenty of starch in their diet, because the stank was overpowering. Breathing through my mouth for the majority of the trip I thought of clean sheets and fresh air and tried to survive.br /br /Anchorage isn’t too cold this year and there’s ample snow. We’ve had two days on course so far and things are looking great. I got my broken skate pole promptly replaced by Hallsey (Fischer racing director) and all is well. Scott has been out testing skis all morning so we’ll have some beta to go on for tomorrow’s pre-race ski picking. Tune in for more later, plus pictures!div class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2910103639238326543-4302953373892571377?l=methowolympicdevelopment.blogspot.com’ alt=” //div

  • OUT WITH THE OLD

    I am not exactly sure where this entry is going. The flury of holiday activity, being busy at the shop, skiing with family, racing in the rain have all kept my attention. I have today off. Dani is at work and Erin, Adam and Corbin are at the supermarket getting the necessary fixings for New Years Eve. It is snowing in Bend. The house is quiet. My thoughts, like dust from a passing whirlwind, have a moment to settle. br /br /Those of you who know me know that I am new to the world of retail. I have been a teacher pretty much since I was 12 when I was teaching the beginner swim lessons in Manchester, VT in 1960. I am enjoying learning something new and incorporating my skill set to my contact with many of you reading this. From my point of view there is a lot of teaching involved in retail. People have to have accurate information in order to make the right choice when buying skis, boots or wax. That is what I try to do. br /br /At the end of the year with 2009 about to become history, I am looking back and examining the lessons I have learned. I could also use some help and perspective from any of you folks who read this and have had dealings with us here at WebSkis. Since I often hear the voice of my father telling me that any job worth doing is worth doing well, and since I am a relative rookie at business, I know that to do my job well I need to continue to learn so that I can do the job better. br /br /I do know that even with a slow economy our ski business has been gradually improving. Looking at last year’s numbers, we have sold a few more pairs of skis, a few more boots, and our numbers of local customers for service are increasing. I have to believe that we are doing some things right. Not all sports equipment retailers are improving business statistics. So I have a pretty good read on what we have done. That is history. Now I am pondering the future. Sure, this is an undisguised commercial message. And we all know that when we are making money in our professional endeavors we pay the rent, the heat, the electric bill and shop at the supermarket. It all works to spread the wealth. br /br /Now we have a pretty good inventory of top of the line skate skis and a few classic skis. I would enjoy being able to move the skis from the racks here at WebSkis to the feet of the right skier. Check the website for more information.br /br /Thanks to all of you who have called with questions, come to wax clinics, looked at skis or shopped on-line. Think about what worked well for you. Consider suggesting what might work better. You could respond to this post or drop me an e-mail note at bert@webskis.com. br /br /Oh, the family is back. Time for Corbin and me to play in the snow. Next year we can ski together. br /br /a onblur=”try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}” href=”http://www.webskis.com/uploaded_images/snowman-nose-745467.JPG”img style=”display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;” src=”http://www.webskis.com/uploaded_images/snowman-nose-744591.JPG” border=”0″ alt=”” //adiv class=”blogger-post-footer”img width=’1′ height=’1′ src=’https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6589659500745667109-3996995534423911402?l=www.webskis.com%2Fwebskisblog.html’ alt=” //div