This series comes to FasterSkier from the Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Club.
A Day in the Life: APUNSC is checking in with Elite Team members of the course of the next few months to get a glimpse into what life looks like for elite athletes as training starts up again during a global pandemic.
Today we check in with Hunter Wonders (21), a member of the 2018 silver medal-winning 4 x 5 kilometer Junior World Championship Men’s Relay Team and 2020 US National Classic Sprint Champion. Hunter was born and raised in Anchorage and has been a member of APU since he joined the junior program as a kid. Hunter was just nominated for the U.S. Ski Team for the first time last week!
Where are you right now?
I’ve been living at the ski house at APU since the season ended.
Enjoying Alaska (Photo: Hunter Wonders)
How did your season end? What races were cancelled that you were planning to do?
My season ended in Oberveisenthal, Germany with the U23 Relay. I was hoping to race the Quebec and Minneapolis World Cups and then on to World Cup Finals in Canmore. Those were going to by my first World Cups so it was hard to get so close and not be able to race.
Despite a turbulent finish to the season, what is a highlight of last season?
My highlight was getting top 10 at U23s in the 15km classic race.
Hunter Wonders racing at U23 World Championships.(Photo: Doug Stephen)
What does a typical day look like now? How have you planned around the shortened race season?Did you start up training early or try to finish out the season from home?
After I got home, I needed to step back and did some backcountry ski adventures and took it chill for a of couple of weeks. Starting in mid-April, I started to get back into things and ramp up my hours and now I am just building back into all training modes.
What activities are you doing to keep yourself busy outside of training?
I’ve been getting lots of firewood, backcountry skiing and now the trails are dry enough to get some mountain biking in.
What did your workout look like today?
Today we did a 40 min warm-up and then into running progression. We did 60, 45, 30 seconds at 3k pace to work on the elasticity in running.
Do you have any indoor/at-home workouts you are doing?
I’ve just been doing my normal core routine. Chopping wood is a great workout to do at home.
Without knowing what the future has in store and having a shortened season with little to no closure, has it been challenging to keep up the motivation to train? Where are you getting that motivation? What motivates you to keep training?
I just got named to the D-team which has been a big goal of mine. I really want to keep going and progress and show that I deserve to be in that spot. That has provided good motivation during this time.
How are you keeping in touch with friends/family/teammates?
I had a couple of friends that I was able to exercise with at a social distance and after I did my two-week isolation upon returning to the U.S. I joined my family here in Anchorage.
Enjoying Alaska (Photo: Hunter Wonders)
What has been your biggest challenge in relation to Covid-19 and how are you tackling it?
I’m definitely scared of getting it so I haven’t been to a store in a couple of weeks and I work hard to keep social distancing to keep things more in my control.
What are your plans from here? What does the rehab road look like for you moving forward?
I’m just taking it day by day and week by week. Camps might get cancelled, but everyone is going to be in the same boat so we will just have to keep training and do what we can.
Do you have any helpful advice in dealing with the changing times?
Stay as flexible as possible. Don’t get too set on doing something because it might not happen in the end.
A U.S. Ski Team member for the last two seasons, Tad Elliott (SSCV/Team HomeGrown) races to 34th in the 15 k freestyle individual start at World Championships on Feb. 27 in Val di Fiemme, Italy. Elliott was not renamed to the 2013/2014 U.S. team, but will continue to pursue skiing in hopes of making the 2014 Olympics.
Tad Elliott knows what it feels like to get bucked off the bike, and why it’s important to get back on again.
The two-time U23 mountain-bike national champion from Durango, Colo., has been there before, essentially stepping away from a sport he loves to give everything he had to another: skiing. In 2010, U.S. Nordic Ski Team Head Coach Chris Grover reportedly told him he had what it took to make the national squad, but he needed to scale back his mountain biking significantly to do so.
The son of three-time Olympic cross-country skier Mike Elliott, Tad decided to go for it. He put biking on the backburner, ramped up his offseason ski training (i.e. running, rollerskiing, weight lifting), and in 2011, made the U.S. Ski Team (USST).
Almost exactly two years later, Elliott is at another crossroads. One of three men not renamed to the USST, which was announced earlier this week (Kris Freeman and Skyler Davis are the other two), the 25-year-old Ski & Snowboard Club Vail/Team HomeGrown skier was a little stunned.
A month and a half ago at World Championships, he heard there was a possibility of him not being nominated to the 2013/2014 squad, but before an Olympic season? He tried not to overthink it and just kept plugging.
In his third of four races in Val di Fiemme, Italy, Elliott anchored the U.S. men’s team to a solid 10th-place finish in the World Championships 4×10-kilometer relay. Previously, he placed 34th in the 15 k freestyle, and two days after the relay, he was 40th in the 50 k classic mass start.
“I thought I had a pretty solid season, I scored points in Canada [finishing 28th in the World Cup skiathlon] and my sprinting got better,” Elliott said on the phone from Durango. “Especially World Champs and the relay, I thought my season was going to be good enough to be on the Ski Team.”
Just over a week ago, he received a call from his longtime coach, Jason Cork, now the USST assistant men’s coach.
“I actually wasn’t that surprised to learn that I wasn’t going to be back on the team,” Elliott said, thinking back to the initial buzz he heard about it at World Championships.
His conversations with Cork and Grover were amiable, he said, and the former B-team member announced his intentions to return.
“Even Cork said, ‘All the pieces to the puzzle are there, they just didn’t come together last year,’ ” Elliott explained.
Elliott was sick for much of the season, recovering then traveling home for a bit where illness struck again. His mom had a cold most of the winter, he said, and every time he came home, it seemed to take hold of him. Still feeling off at U.S. SuperTour Finals in early April, Elliott said he was going to get some blood work done to make sure he was on the mend.
“There were still some things good parts to last year, just want to make sure everything’s good for next year,” he said.
As for next year, the big question is: ski or mountain bike? Elliott said he didn’t give the latter much thought.
“I made the decision last year to really go in for skiing,” he said. “I didn’t really focus on the bike at all and tried to focus on skiing hoping for a great year. I did have a tough year results-wise and understood it, so I’m still gonna stay with that plan.”
Two of his biggest skiing sponsors, Salomon and Swix, told Elliott they’d stick with him. Salomon encouraged Elliott to join its factory team at some trail running races this summer, which he said would be a new experience, but he was excited about the opportunity.
In addition, he’s going to start riding again, competing in some local mountain bike races in Vail, Colo., where he’ll be based with his team, Ski & Snowboard Club Vail (SSCV)/HomeGrown.
“[My coach] Eric Pepper said, ‘You definitely need to be on the bike and having a good time. It’s something that’s made you successful in the past,’ ” Elliott said.
All he needs is a bike. When he committed to the USST two years ago, he had to give his bikes back to Specialized, his sponsor.
“I’m mountain-bike-less right now,” Elliott said with a laugh. “So that’s kind of my goal in the next week.”
Also on his radar, Elliott’s in the process of coordinating training dates with Freeman and some current USST members. When he didn’t make the team, his Vail coaches, Dan Weiland and Pepper, rose to action. They started planning on-snow camps with Noah Hoffman, Andy Newell and Simi Hamilton, all of which were renamed to the U.S. team.
Freeman and Elliott texted each other when they heard the news and resolved to meet up this summer in Colorado and the East Coast, where Freeman is based with the Maine Winter Sports Center.
“When I learned I wasn’t on the team, I was disappointed for sure, but a big part of me was relieved, too,” Elliott said. “Team HomeGrown [has] been supporting me really well for the last two seasons and the Colorado community, especially my hometown of Durango, they have all the tools in place to create successful cross-country ski racers from helping us fundraise, coaching, [and] they have really talented strength coaches.”
Knowing that he’ll be training with his former U.S. teammates comforted him as well.
“I think last year’s Ski Team men are still going to be training together this year leading into Sochi,” Elliott said. “I’m glad those guys are still friends of mine and still really want to go training. I don’t see a huge difference from my training-camp perspective.”
In terms of goals, Elliott’s still shooting for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. First, he will have to prove he’s at an international level and said it hadn’t been decided “100 percent” whether he’ll start racing domestically or on the World Cup.
“Most likely I’ll be in the U.S. and hopefully racing fast to get there,” Elliott said. “It’s the same as it was last year: you have to race fast. Wherever you are, you have to race fast so if it’s in West Yellowstone or on the World Cup, I think it’ll be apparent who’s going well and who should be on the team.”
Asked if he ever wonders what a career in mountain biking would be like, he said, “sometimes.” At the same time, he’s happy he chose skiing.
“I really enjoy the skiing lifestyle,” he said. “Sometimes I wonder, but I only wonder, I don’t really regret my decision.”
For now, Elliott said he’s committed to skiing for at least another year, probably two, and figures he’ll have time to try his hand at mountain biking later on.
“I love ski racing and if other people are racing fast on an international level with the ski team, good for them, they’ll be fun to watch,” he said. “I believe I’ll always be a skier in the U.S. having a good time, but I kind of still have mountain biking, I hope, as a card in my pocket. It seems like those guys are getting older and still racing fast so maybe someday I can go back to pro-mountain biking. I’m just keeping it open right now. We’ll see.”
April 22, 2013 – The following is the USSA’s preliminary list of nominations for the 2013 U.S. Ski Team. The nominations include those active athletes who qualified based on published selection criteria. The USSA will announce the actual team roster this fall, naming those athletes who accept the responsibilities of being a part of the U.S. Ski Team and are planning to compete in the 2013-14 season. Team staff will work individually with nominated athletes to provide education on Team responsibilities and programs leading up to the formal Team announcement this fall.
A Team
Holly Brooks – Alaska Pacific University NSC
Jessica Diggins – Stratton Mountain School T2
Andy Newell – Stratton Mountain School T2
Kikkan Randall – Alaska Pacific University NSC
Ida Sargent – Craftsbury Green Racing Project
Liz Stephen – Burke Mountain Academy
B Team
Erik Bjornsen – Alaska Pacific University NSC
Sadie Bjornsen – Alaska Pacific University NCS
Sophie Caldwell – Stratton Mountain School T2
Simi Hamilton – Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation Gold Team
Noah Hoffman – Ski & Snowboard Club Vail/Team Homegrown
With less than 10 months to go until the 2014 Winter Olympics, three of seven men on the U.S. Ski Team (USST) were not renamed to the 2013/2014 national squad.
A former U.S. Ski Team D-team member, Erik Bjornsen (APU) is shown at 2013 World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy. After winning his first national title and achieving several other personal bests last season, Bjornsen, 21, was recently named to the B-team for 2013/2014.
Official nominations have not been publicized, but it appears the remaining four – Andy Newell, Noah Hoffman, Simi Hamilton and Erik Bjornsen – will be divided between the A- and B-teams. By making the World Cup Red Group, Newell retained his A-team status while Hoffman and Bjornsen explained they will be the B-team along with Hamilton, a former A-team member.
One of two Development Team skiers for the last two seasons, Skyler Davis of the Stratton Mountain School T2 Team (SMST2) was not renamed and his D-team status was not renewed. Bjornsen, of Alaska Pacific University, received the call-up to the B-team, and both said on the phone Friday that they were surprised.
“I didn’t think they would take anyone off the team before an Olympic year,” Davis said. “I thought, why not keep us on for one more year? Especially when you’re cutting half the guy’s team. That didn’t make much sense to me.”
At least three women are expected to remain on the A-team, with Kikkan Randall and Jessie Diggins confirming they kept their spots. After a breakout season, Liz Stephen has also met the Red-Group, A-team criteria.
Earlier this week, three-time Olympian and A-team veteran Kris Freeman expressed his alarm at being dropped. Teammates confirmed Tad Elliott was not renamed to the B-team. Head coach Chris Grover has declined to comment until nominations are released early next week.
“I was pretty confident with all the strong racing at the end of the year, I thought they would keep me on,” Bjornsen said, coming off his first SuperTour Finals title at the age of 21. “Last year, I was pretty nervous. This year, I didn’t think much about it. … I just felt like I’m stronger than those next-tier guys, like David Norris and Tyler Kornfield. For Grover to chose me over them was [huge].”
On the other hand, Davis said the phone call he received from Grover was a “little surprising,” considering he showed improvement over the previous season and scored World Cup points in Canmore, Alberta, where he was 24th in the freestyle sprint.
Skyler Davis qualifying at the World Cup freestyle sprint on Dec. 15 in Canmore, Alberta, where he finished a career-best 24th. A former D-team member, Davis was not renamed to the USST, but will continue training with Stratton Mountain School T2 Team in an effort to make U23s and the 2014 Olympics.
“I didn’t think they were gonna bring back the D-team,” Davis said. “It was more like you have to race fast and live up to the B-team if you’re gonna be on it.
“I’m still only 21 years old,” he added. “I thought they’d try to keep me on, but it’s not that big of a deal because if you ski fast, you make it again. … With the D-team, I didn’t really get much funding as it was, so that part’s not really different. Basically I got stripped of the title and some free clothes.”
He said not being named shouldn’t affect his sponsors, and he plans to attend certain USST camps except the upcoming one in Bend, Ore., and those in New Zealand and Europe this summer. Davis will try to make U23 World Championships and the Olympics next year, drawing inspiration from SMST2 teammate Sophie Caldwell, who is expected to be added to the U.S women’s team.
“World champs [are the] same as Olympic criteria; Sophie got picked because she was racing fast,” Davis said. “I didn’t get picked. I don’t think [not being on the U.S. Ski Team] will help or hurt your chances.”
As for the reduced men’s team size, Davis and Bjornsen had mixed reactions.
“It’s not really a team anymore with [four] guys,” Davis said. “That’s really small for any group to be a team.”
“It’s definitely a stronger team,” Bjornsen said. “I don’t think it’s a bad thing. I’m gonna miss training with Freeman and Tad and having Skyler there was awesome.
“All the women, too, it seems like it’s such a strong group right now,” he added. “Everybody has the possibility of doing something amazing. I’m glad that they categorized me with those other guys and I hope I can show everybody that I was a good choice and I’ll be making a charge for the Olympics.”
![Tad Elliott climbing.](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2013/02/IMG_9582.jpg")
![US Ski Team Logo](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2009/02/usst-logo.jpg"){kind=logo}
![A former U.S. Ski Team D-team member, Erik Bjornsen (APU) is shown at 2013 World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy. After winning his first national title and achieving several other personal bests last season, Bjornsen, 21, was recently named to the B-team for 2013/2014.](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2013/02/IMG_5029.jpg")
![Davis qualifying.](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2012/12/davis-us-web.jpg")