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From the FasterSkier archive — posts syndicated from athletes’ and coaches’ own blogs between 2004 and 2012, kept online as published. Current coverage is at fasterskier.com.

Tag: 2015 Canadian nationals

  • Best of Canadian Nationals: Photos and Quotes

    Best of Canadian Nationals: Photos and Quotes

    A happy spectator at 2015 Canadian Ski Nationals at Lappe Nordic in Thunder Bay, Ontario. (All photos: Martin Kaiser)
    A happy spectator at 2015 Canadian Ski Nationals at Lappe Nordic in Thunder Bay, Ontario. (All photos: Martin Kaiser)

    Canadian Ski Nationals in Thunder Bay, Ontario, capped off the 2014/2015 domestic season in Canada from March 14-21. Here are some of our favorite photos and athlete comments from the weeklong series at the Lappe Nordic Centre, courtesy of Martin Kaiser. (Quotes collected via email by Gerry Furseth and François Léger Dionne.)

    Recaps: Open freestyle team sprints | Senior 5/10 k skate, 10/15 k classic & classic sprints | Senior 30/50 k freestyle mass starts

    On highlights:

    “I was really happy to get my first senior national title in the 5km free. I didn’t get any splits until 4k so I didn’t know how it was going results wise but I was pushing as hard as I could and made sure to race the first portion that was flatter like a sprint prologue so I wouldn’t give up too much time before the climbing. … There have been lots of great moments this week but I have to say my favourite was when Peri [Jones] came over to me at the end of the 5k free and told me that I had won. ” — Dahria Beatty (AWCA/NST-U23), who beat World Cup veteran Perianne Jones by 3.7 seconds in the women’s 5 k skate

    “One of my favourite moments was when [teammate] Peri [Jones] came across the finish line in second in the team sprint. It was an amazing feeling to have won a medal with someone who has been a[n] inspiration for me for a very long time.” — Katherine Stewart-Jones (Nakkertok/NST-Junior Team), 2nd in the freestyle team sprint with Perianne Jones

    “I think my favorite moment was seeing all my friends again after a long time being gone in Europe for racing. Seeing faces I know everywhere and talking to people I know was really nice. And I also really enjoyed hearing my name when people were cheering during races. Being back home, this feeling is just great!” — Cendrine Browne (CNEPH/NST-U23), 3rd in 10 k classic and 30 k freestyle mass start

     

    On exceeding goals:

    “My focus events were the skate races.  The team sprint, 10km and 50km.  I can’t believe I was able to win gold in all three.” — Michael Somppi (AWCA/NST-Dev.), 1st place in the freestyle team sprint, 10 k freestyle and 50 k freestyle mass start at 2015 Canadian Nationals

     

    On beating World Cup veteran Ivan Babikov in the 50 k freestyle mass start:

    “When we neared the final kms it was apparent Ivan’s legs were cramping up and as we crested over the 2nd last big climb I noticed I had a small gap on him.  So I just blasted with everything I had left and opened up a good margin to the finish line … It was just an amazing feeling coming into the finish with the home crowd cheering me on.  Maybe that’s what helped me feel so good … and really, this whole week.” — Somppi

     

    On overcoming adversity:

    “In the qualifier I broke a binding on the last hill so I had to stop and put it back on, which took about a minute and a half. Luckily, there were only 28 girls in the race so I qualified anyway with bib number 28. I was pretty rattled after breaking a binding but I managed to calm down and focus on the heats. I knew that before I had broken the binding my race had been going well so I was confident that I could ski well in the heats. Because of my low bib number, I was put in the hardest quarter-final and in the hardest semi-final and was lucky looser in both of the races, At that point, I was pretty relieved to have made the final. Overall I am happy with my fourth place because I skied as hard as I could and I am happy with how I skied.” — K. Stewart-Jones, 4th in junior women’s classic sprint

     

    On a long season:

    “[It] feels like travel and all 180km of racing that I’ve done in the past 4 weeks finally [caught] up to me.” — Ivan Babikov (Canadian World Cup Team)

    “I’m skiing as fast as I can and with all the energy that I have left.” — Browne, 3rd in 10 k classic

    “Considering my lead-up to Nationals wasn’t ideal, with racing in Lahti the weekend beforehand and traveling back to Canada on Monday, I’m happy with the consistency of my performances.” — Somppi

  • Save the Dates: 2014/2015 NorAm and SuperTour Schedules in a Nutshell

    Save the Dates: 2014/2015 NorAm and SuperTour Schedules in a Nutshell

    NorAm action in Rossland, B.C., last winter: with Dakota Blackhorse-von Jess of the Bend Endurance Academy (101) rounding a corner with Sun Valley's Miles Havlik (110) and Graeme Killick (121) of the Alberta World Cup Academy/CNST in the Black Jack NorAm 1.6 k skate sprint semifinals on Dec. 15. Blackhorse-von Jess won the semifinal and went on to place fifth in the A-final. Fourth in the semi, Havlick ended up second overall, and Killick placed 12th. (Photo: Shelley Peachell/Peachell Photography, http://peachellphotography.com/)
    NorAm action in Rossland, B.C., last winter: Dakota Blackhorse-von Jess of the Bend Endurance Academy (101) rounds a corner with Sun Valley’s Miles Havlik (110) and Graeme Killick (121) of the Alberta World Cup Academy/CNST in the Black Jack NorAm 1.6 k skate sprint semifinals on Dec. 15, 2013. (Photo: Shelley Peachell/Peachell Photography)

    Note: This article has been updated to reflect the correct U.S. SuperTour schedule, notably West Yellowstone’s individual start. 

    Here’s what you have to look forward to this fall, domestically speaking. The Canadians are hosting a season-opening tuneup Oct. 24 in Canmore, Alberta, and it’s known as Frozen Thunder. After the classic sprint and freestyle-distance race (Oct. 31) at the Canmore Nordic Centre, North-American skiing attention will turn to Montana for the USSA SuperTour opener at its usual stop in West Yellowstone from Nov. 28-30.

    The SuperTour circuit then heads north to Bozeman, Mont., for the second weekend of races Dec. 5-7. Canadians will have a chance to race at home again at Cross Country Canada’s NorAm opener Dec. 13-14 in Rossland, British Columbia, which also serves as its U23/Junior World Championships Trials. Another set of trials takes place the next weekend, Dec. 20-21, at Whistler Olympic Park in Callaghan Valley, British Columbia.

    For the last two years, U.S. nationals has been held at Soldier Hollow, the 2002 Olympic venue just outside of Park City, Utah. This winter from Jan. 4-10, they’ll be in Houghton on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The SuperTour circuit ventures to Vermont for back-to-back weekends in Craftsbury from Jan. 30-Feb. 8 before the ultimate American distance race (also part of the SuperTour schedule): the American Birkebeiner Feb. 21 in Hayward, Wis.

    Another NorAm and the third-and-final set of Canadian U23/Junior World Trials is scheduled for Jan. 8-11 in Duntroon, Ontario. Western Canadian Championships in Canmore will follow from Jan.15-17, and Jan. 30-Feb. 1, Nakkertok will again host NorAm Easterns in Cantley, Quebec (just before U23 and Junior World Championships Feb. 2-8 in Almaty, Kazakhstan). The Gatineau Loppet will again double as Canadian Long Distance Championships with its 51 k classic mass start in mid-February.

    The NorAm season wraps up in Thunder Bay, Ontario, with Canadian Ski Nationals at Lappe Nordic, including the 50 k freestyle mass start.

    SuperTour Finals and U.S. Distance Nationals are set for March 20-26 in Sun Valley, Idaho — and the mixed relay is back.

    Emily Nishikawa (l) edges Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt (c) and Heidi Widmer (r) in the women's 1.4 k skate sprint final at the Black Jack NorAm on Dec. 14 in Rossland, B.C. Widmer was second and Bouffard-Nesbitt placed third. (Photo: Shelley Peachell/Peachell Photography, http://peachellphotography.com/)
    Emily Nishikawa (l) edges Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt (c) and Heidi Widmer (r) in the women’s 1.4 k skate sprint final at the Black Jack NorAm on Dec. 14, 2013 in Rossland, B.C. (Photo: Shelley Peachell/Peachell Photography)

    2014/2015 NorAm schedule

    Oct. 24: Canmore Frozen Thunder sprint opener: classic sprint*

    Oct. 31: Canmore Frozen Thunder distance opener: freestyle distance*

    Dec. 13-14: Rossland NorAm opener (and U23/Junior World Trials 1): freestyle sprint & 10/15 k classic

    Dec. 20-21: Whistler classic sprint & freestyle interval start at Callaghan Valley (U23/Junior World Trials 2)

    Jan. 8-11: Duntroon 15/30 k skiathlon, classic sprint, 10/15 k freestyle (U23/Junior World Trials 3)

    Jan. 15-18: Western Canadian Championships in Canmore: 10/10 k classic, freestyle sprint, classic mass start

    Jan. 30-Feb. 1: Eastern Canadian Championships in Cantley: freestyle sprint/prologue, 10/15 k freestyle, 15/20 k classic mass start

    Feb. 14-15: Gatineau Loppet/Canadian Long Distance Championships: 51 k classic mass start*

    March 14-21: Canadian Ski Nationals in Thunder Bay: freestyle team sprint, 5/10 k freestyle, 10/15 k classic, 30/50 k freestyle mass start

    *Separate from NorAm series

    Tucker McCrerey (Utah) takes the outside corner at the top of Tele Hill. McCrerey went on to place 19th in the 15 k skate at the 2013/2014 West Yellowstone SuperTour opener.
    Tucker McCrerey (Utah) takes the outside corner at the top of Tele Hill. McCrerey went on to place 19th in the 15 k skate at the 2013/2014 West Yellowstone SuperTour opener.

    2014/2015 SuperTour schedule

    Nov. 28-30: West Yellowstone SuperTour opener: Freestyle sprint & 10/15 k freestyle individual starts

    Dec. 5-7: Bozeman 10/15 k classic mass start & classic sprint

    Jan. 4-10: U.S. Cross Country Championships in Houghton: 10/15 k freestyle, classic sprint, 20/30 k classic mass start, freestyle sprint

    Jan. 30-Feb. 1: Craftsbury 20/30 k classic mass start & classic sprint

    Feb. 6-8: Craftsbury freestyle sprint, 10/10 k freestyle, 10/15 k classic mass start

    Feb. 21: American Birkebeiner in Hayward: 52 k freestyle mass start

    March 20-26: SuperTour Finals & U.S. Distance Nationals in Sun Valley: 10/15 k classic, freestyle sprint, mixed relay, 30/50 k freestyle mass start

    ***

    For the 2014/2015 International Ski Federation (FIS) cross-country calendar, click here.