FasterSkier

Tag: Devon Kershaw

  • Kershaw’s Korner: SkiTrax.com Interview

    I recently did an interview about Trondheim for SkiTrax’s website with Nathan Schultz. Click the link and read it, if you’re into it.

  • Kershaw’s Korner: L and T

    After the World Championships it was time the show packed up and continued on – like a traveling circus onwards to the next venue, Lahti, Finland. That move signaled the long awaited Spring World Cup session, which consists of 8 races over 3 weeks in 3 different countries. I’ve been racing since the beginning of November, so I was eager to go to Scandinavia and see what’s left in my gas tank before the year is officially over. Spring ski racing is pretty killer – the days grow longer, the birds begin to sing again, and the seemingly impenetrable grayness that settles over so many venues we visit throughout the winter seems to crack ever so slightly. We, the ragged, pale cross country racers soak up the vitamin D like paper towels soaking up spilled juice and that burning star puts a huge smile on all our faces.

  • Kershaw’s Korner: 4X10km Relay – 5th, Yeah Buddy!

    Last Friday I finished the 2009 World Championships on a long awaited high note. The World Champs were starting to feel like that puppy you always wanted, but kept getting gypped on at Christmas time. You did extra chores, got good grades, did everything – but still no puppy.

  • Distance Red Group for World Cup Period IV Announced

    With the completion of World Championships, the distance Red Group for the final World Cup period has been announced.  The Red Group consists of the top 30 men and women in distance and sprint by World Cup points.  Red Group athletes receive full travel and living expenses from race organizers.  It is not used for seeding purposes.

    Devon Kershaw and Ivan Babikov both made the distance Red Group for Canada.  Kershaw is ranked 20th with 244 points, and Babikov 25th with 179 points.  Kershaw also made the Sprint Red Group.

    No US athletes made the top-30.  Kris Freeman is the closest, ranked 40th with 106 points, 47 points out of 30th.  Because he is having season ending surgery, Kris will not have an opportunity to continue moving up the list over the final weeks of the season.

    Sara Renner (CAN) is the lone North American woman to crack the top-30.  She is ranked 17th with 269 points.

    Liz Stephen is the top US skier in 46th with 37 points.  She is 67 points out of 30th.

    The Red Group mean all expenses are covered!

  • Devon Kershaw Recaps Tour de Ski Sprint

    Devon Kershaw gives a play-by-play accounting of the first Tour de Ski sprint in Prague.  Devon qualified in 1st, but was knocked out in the quarterfinals when he fell on a corner.  It is interesting to get the behind-the-scenes scoop, and the honest evaluation of the race.

    1.2km City Sprint (2 laps of 600m) – Prague, Czech Republic (December 29th)

    After the long(ish) drive and a short(ish) sleep I awoke in Prague still feeling fresh and excited for the skate sprint. We headed down to the venue and inspected the flat 600m loop which snaked around an old “carnival looking” building and I was instantly excited and very impressed. The organizers did a great job, the snow was cold and laid down pretty well and it was the perfect course for me for skate sprints – flat – with lots of curves to accelerate out of. I felt awesome in qualifying and actually shocked myself as I crossed the line in 1st – and stayed there for the duration of qualifying! I couldn’t believe that I had qualified 1st for the first time in my life. Sounds good? Well, that’s where things got, well – sketchy.

    Last night I had formulated a plan in the van as I drove to Prague: it was rather simple: stay relaxed, ski smooth, move through to the semi-finals without going crazy, and get a decent amount of bonus seconds. No stress, don’t go crazy thinking about winning – think big picture. I told myself I was in good shape, sitting in 3rd, no need to take risks because the week is young and there’s a lot of races left.

    In the span of a few minutes after qualifying 1st, I threw my own well laid-out plan out the window. I got incredibly nervous and started to think solely trying to win the day. My focus narrowed, and my nerves escalated. It was a double poling start and I was leary of that because I am not the fastest starter out there and because of the tight, turny course I thought I needed to be in the lead in my quarter-final to control the pace. So, after about 1:15 of working myself into quite the frenzy it was time to race

    Read the rest on Devon’s blog. This is where it gets interesting…  This link starts with Devon’s report on the 15km Classic pursuit (which is also worth reading), so you will need to scroll down to get to the rest of the sprint story.