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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: Laura McCabe

  • Novie McCabe—Gold Rush Winner and Alaska Bound

    Novie McCabe—Gold Rush Winner and Alaska Bound

     

    Gold Rush winner Novie McCabe on a run with her teammate, Sophia Laukli, last year in Alaska. (Photo: Novie McCabe)

    Stifel U.S. cross-country ski team member Novie McCabe recently won the Gold Rush Award. This award is given to the Nordic Olympic woman who “has represented the U.S. in cross -country skiing and has demonstrated outstanding qualities of grit and grace throughout the year.”

    Past recipients include Rosie Brennan, Sadie Maubet Bjornsen, Sophie Caldwell Hamilton, Jessie Diggins, and Julia Kern. The past recipients choose the next award winner, so it’s quite a prestigious field which selects the winning candidate. McCabe was chosen by those athletes as the woman who best personified those values.

    McCabe had her best finish in a World Cup individual race this last winter taking 14th place in Falun, Sweden, and finishing 7th at the daunting hill climb in the Tour de Ski at Val di Fiemme, Italy.

    Novie McCabe joined by friends and family at City of Rocks this spring. (Photo: Novie McCabe)

    McCabe has overcome injury and illnesses to reach these heights — obstacles which might have forced a less determined athlete to back off, or give up. But the former University of Utah skier’s resolve held firm; she soldiered on, and eventually broke through with career best performances.

    FasterSkier had a chance to catch up with McCabe while she was home in the Methow Valley, Washington, where she was generous enough to talk with FasterSkier’s Ken Roth about winning the Gold Rush award, prior seasons’ difficulties, and overcoming obstacles.

    (This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity)

    FasterSkier: Where are you?

    McCabe: I’m at home in the Methow Valley.

    FasterSkier: You still consider the Methow Valley home?

    Novie McCabe raced collegiately for the University of Utah, then moved on to the U.S. team. (Photo: Novie McCabe)

    McCabe: I don’t know! I’ve been living in Utah for school and I’m moving to Anchorage in a few weeks. It still feels like home since my family still lives here.

    Novie McCabe out with friends for a run in Alaska. She’s decided to make Alaska her new home and join the APU (Alaska Pacific University) team. (Photo: Novie McCabe).

    FasterSkier: Is that a permanent move; to Anchorage?

    McCabe: I’m planning on being there for a long while. I’m joining APU (Alaska Pacific University Ski Team) I’m very excited about it.

    FasterSkier: That’s news. Can you tell me how the decision to join APU came about?

    McCabe: I spent part of last summer and the summer before training with APU and really enjoyed it. I like [Erik] Flora a lot as a coach. It’s a fun and productive vibe, which I really like, and I really like Anchorage. It also feels a little closer to home. Those were all factors. I trained with SMS T2, it was so fun also, there are many great club options in the U.S., but Anchorage felt a little closer to home than Vermont and that’s nice too.

    FasterSkier: Have you graduated from University of Utah?

    McCabe: I have still have some classes to take. I plan on finishing by next spring. All of the remaining courses are online, so I’ll go to school online while I’m in Alaska.

    FasterSkier: The Gold Rush award you won has some pretty high benchmarks and the nominators are a prestigious group of past winners. How does it feel to be chosen by that group of women to represent the U.S. ski team by showing grit and grace?

    McCabe credits her teammates with helping her develop the traits which won her recognition. Here she is training in Beijing with Hailey Swirbul, Hannah Halvorsen, and Sophia Laukli. (Photo: Novie McCabe)

    McCabe: I’m obviously very honored to have been considered by all of them for the award, because I feel like I’m so lucky to have so many great women to look up to. Being surrounded by them…trying out World Cup for the last two years has been really inspiring for me. I always have all of these role models to show me how things are done and have given me a good idea of how I want to carry myself on hard days and on successful days of racing. I’m really proud to be part of that group of women. It’s definitely special that they chose me for the award.

    FasterSkier: Do you think that the grit and grace you displayed was something you picked up on; that you were mentored by those women?

    McCabe: Definitely. I don’t know if I would say that I displayed grit and grace, but…I think it’s very nice that people thought that. But those are two qualities that I see all of the time in the whole women’s team. They are really two qualities that we embody as a team, so I think that is definitely a huge part of it.

    FasterSkier: Part of your backstory for the award is coming back from shoulder surgery at the beginning of last calendar year. What kind of surgery did you have?

    McCabe: I had surgery to repair my labrum, and a few other things in the shoulder. I was having dislocations all of the time, so I had to get everything tightened up.

    FasterSkier: Was that from a fall?

    McCabe: Yes. I originally fell roller skiing and dislocated it. It was fine for about a year, then I fell again roller skiing and it was kind of fine for a little while, but then started happening a lot.

    FasterSkier: So… you done with roller skiing?

    McCabe: (Laughing) Not quite, although I was close to calling it there for a while.

    FasterSkier: How hard was the rehab?

    McCabe: It went very smoothly. I didn’t really know what to expect. I’ve been really lucky throughout my career, apart from that [injury], I haven’t had any major injuries to deal with. I didn’t really know what to expect, but everything went really smoothly. It definitely took a while. It was frustrating to start the training year not being able to use my arm… but I knew that’s just part of it, and everyone get’s injured. I had great P.T.s to help me the whole way and good surgeons at Utah. I feel I didn’t lose too much fitness in the summer because of it.

    FasterSKier: So you made training adaptations during recovery?

    McCabe: Yep. I did a lot more running, and Flora was a big help even though I wasn’t officially an athlete on APU. He was really helpful in coming up with some alternative training to do. It was a good introduction to Anchorage.

    Novie McCabe joined by family and friends for a climbing adventure. (Photo: Novie McCabe)

    FasterSkier: What helped you stay positive post-surgery?

    McCabe: I came home after surgery and spent time with my family which I love to spend time with. I was bummed to miss out on Bend camp two years ago, its definitely sad to not be with your team and not be training hard, but I think it was helpful to be a little removed from it, to be in the Methow [valley] doing my own training and I feel that helped me feel confident in what I was doing. My mom also had the same surgery along with a lot of people in my family. Maybe it’s a bit of a genetic thing? She had good advice for me. I think I had it a little easier than some other people with that surgery. I feel it was a pretty quick rehab.

    FasterSkier: Isn’t that similar surgery which kept Lyn Svahn out for so long? Were you ever worried that would be the road you were going down, being out for a long time?

    McCabe: I knew going in what the timeline was, I feel they gave me an accurate timeline. I was planning on being back to roller skiing in the summer. It was disappointing when it was June, and I couldn’t roller ski yet. In the grand scheme of things, I think it was early enough in the summer where it really didn’t matter that much.

    FasterSkier: So, is the injury completely behind you?

    McCabe: I haven’t had any trouble other than I’ve lost a lot of mobility. So, I’ve had to work on getting that back. I’ve decided this summer I want to work on getting all that back again. I don’t think I still struggle with anything major from the injury.

    FasterSkier: You also had to deal with illness this last winter. Can you talk about that?

    McCabe: Maybe I don’t have the best immune system. Illness has definitely been one of my biggest roadblocks. I struggle with what seems like getting sick constantly, and it’s a bit frustrating. I feel like I’m getting sick all the time but realize that seen from the outside people probably think I’m sick a normal amount. This last season I got sick a few times, and the timing wasn’t ideal. I was struggling with staying motivated when I had to keep resetting my training, missing competitions, and not having good lead ups to races. That was definitely a bit frustrating. It’s part of skiing; but it was a bit more than usual.

    Novie McCabe with her sister Dashe last summer. McCabe credits her family with helping her create the foundation for the right attitude. (Photo: Novie McCabe)

    FasterSkier: Was it Covid related?

    McCabe: I had Covid in the summer and fully recovered. There were other lingering colds that were hard to recover from mid-season. I was at the World Cup for the first month and been sick before we left for Europe. I raced in Finland, then got sick, then was sick for Lillehammer, then raced Beitostolen, then got sick, and then I decided to go home and race nationals. It was a bit annoying (laughing), I couldn’t really figure out what was going on. I also got sick before U23s, that was also frustrating. After that I stayed healthy for the rest of the season, then my shape got better as I had some more consistent training behind me.

    FasterSkier: Were the U.S. nationals your first racing since the initial illness?

    McCabe: Yes, it was my first racing since Beitostolen.

    Novie McCabe (USA) in Beitostolen, Norway competing in the 10 kilometer Classic race. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    FasterSkier: You had some really good finishes at the U.S. Nationals. What do you see as the biggest challenge in translating high level finishes at the U.S. Nationals into high level finishes at the World Cup?


    McCabe: I think it sometimes translates easier than we tend to think in the U.S. When you’re in good shape…you’re in good shape! In World Cups you start so fast, you’re red line from the beginning and that’s shocking for sure. It’s maybe a different style of racing, but I think if you’re racing well and in good shape in the U.S. that you can go over there and be in good shape as well, which I didn’t think before this year. The style of racing is different and more aggressive for sure, all of that comes with practice and time on the World Cup.

    FasterSkier: Does the level of competition impact things?

    McCabe: It is in terms of competitions. But I think in terms of feeling good, feeling confident, and racing fast, I think that you can be racing well in SuperTour, go over to the World Cup, and have some really good results. I think people in the U.S. are totally capable of doing well at [the World Cup] if they’re doing well at SuperTour. People are racing at a high level in the U.S. too.

    FasterSkier: What’s the biggest adjustment in going from domestic racing and joining the World Cup?

    McCabe: Everything is way more official and feels like a way bigger deal. There are more nerves involved, at least for me. It feels like a bigger undertaking… and there’s pressure, especially if you’re not there all the time, and you have one chance to perform. I like to think that it’s still fun and a cool experience in the same way that racing SuperTour is. There’s such a cool culture surrounding SuperTour in the U.S. and our domestic circuit and skiing in general. I feel the U.S. team carries a lot of that into Europe and into the World Cup. Every time I’ve gone over there, they’re always so welcoming and help people integrate, so it’s not the most stressful and shocking thing in the world.

    FasterSkier: Is it possible to have fun everyday when you’re racing the World Cup circuit?

    McCabe: Definitely not, but it’s not possible to have fun every day when you’re racing the circuit in the U.S. either. There are going to be really tough days, you’re not always going to feel good, but I think you can have fun the majority of days. It gets mentally tiring when you feel like you’re not performing the way you expect yourself to. I’ve had a lot of fun taking each race as a new opportunity and trying to get slightly better. I’ve had a lot of fun with that. Yesterday I was 40th and today I’m trying to be 35th or make a lot of process goals. There are more opportunities for growth in that way which makes it kind of fun.

    FasterSkier: Can you share your goals for this coming winter?

    McCabe: I would love to podium at U-23s. Honestly one of my goals is to wear the green jersey on the World Cup for a while (best under 23 years old) or do my best to win that. It’s definitely a bit of a reach, but I was very inspired by Ben Ogden doing that this year. With smaller nations we might have a bit of an advantage because we get younger people on World Cup consistently because there isn’t such a massive battle for starts all of the time. I would also love to be more consistent on World Cup, be in the top 20 sometimes, and just learn things…figure out training, figure out racing, and figure out staying healthy.

    FasterSkier: How’s your training going so far this spring, anything new?

    McCabe: One of the main things is I’m just trying to be consistent —that’s kind of general, but instead of having really massive weeks, and then really low weeks to recover. I hope that will help me stay healthy and absorb more training. Paying attention to the simpler things…recovery, and that I absorb all the training that I do, going into every session with intent. I’m also really excited to train with such a good group in Alaska, that will make me really motivated for this summer and fall.

    One of Novie Mccabe’s (USA) career highlights was her top 15 finish in Falun, Sweden in a Classic race. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    FasterSkier: It’s early in your career, but what would your highlight race be so far?

    McCabe: Oh man, that’s hard.

    FasterSkier: So, let’s make it multiple choice. You were 18th in a race in the Olympics, top 15 in World Cup in Falun, and seventh in Val Di Fiemme at the Tour de Ski, which one of those are you most satisfied about when you look back?

    McCabe: I think out of those three maybe the top 15 in Falun. The Olympics were amazing… but Falun, because it was a Classic race and I haven’t historically considered myself a good Classic skier, and it came together for me there. I also had just come from NCAA championships where I was racing a strong field of girls, and it was cool to come from that and realize that we’re racing at a high level at the NCAAs also. It felt good to pull off a good result on the World Cup because I hadn’t before. I was stoked to prove to myself that I could be top 20, and it left me feeling really excited.

    Novie Mccabe (USA) – finishing at the giant hill climb in the Tour de Ski, where she finished 7th. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    FasterSkier: What do think about your performance at Val Di Fiemme that was able to propel you into the top ten?

    McCabe: I kind of always considered that type of skiing as one of my strengths. I really like just being able to settle in. In some ways it’s easier than skiing a transitioning course because you just settle in and go as high as your body will let you. We kind of do a lot of that kind of thing in training also. I also had really good skis, and Sophia [Laukli] shot up to the front when we first started climbing, and I thought, ‘I’m gonna try and do that too.’ I was very inspired by that. It was a good day for me, and a good discipline and it all worked out. That was so cool, especially for Sophia to have a good day too (Laukli finished third on the day).

    McCabe’s mother, Laura, was an Olympic cross-country skier and Novie’s coach early in her career. (Photo: Novie McCabe)

    FasterSkier: Earlier you mentioned that your mom had similar surgery. Your mother, (Laura), was an Olympic Cross-Country skier as well. Has she given you any advice which has stuck with you?

    McCabe: She was my coach for quite a while growing up; which was great. But I feel like these days she gives me advice when I ask for it, but otherwise she kind of stays off it and is my mom— which I appreciate too. She shows up to races and is there as my mom, and I really love that. Through the way she goes about things and lives her life, I feel I’ve learned a lot about skiing, she’s such a positive person and enjoys everything all of the time, and I think she was the same with skiing. She really loves skiing and I think that’s why I fell in love with it growing up. Her approach to skiing and being outside, enjoying life, just being very resilient in general, has taught me a lot that applies to skiing as well.

    FasterSkier: How old were you the first time you were on cross-country skis?

    McCabe: Oh gosh, I honestly… have not idea, maybe two or three. When can kids walk? It would be then.

    FasterSkier: Your age group at the World Cup will be the first wave of female athletes to go most of your careers under the equal distance format. Any thoughts on equal distance? Are you surprised it took this long to get there?

    McCabe: I’m a big supporter of it. I think it’s really cool that we finally have gotten there, and I think that we should have gotten there a long time ago. It’s great that we’re there now, and I think that the first year of it was a massive success. For the most part people had really good things to say about it.  I’m really excited for that to be part of my career going forward.

    FasterSkier: Did any of the distances that you might not have skied often before present difficulties?

    McCabe: I really enjoy 20-ks. It really didn’t feel much different. It was honestly really fun and pretty entertaining. It’s enough time for things to get strung out, but it still keeps it exciting.

    FasterSkier: What’s your favorite and least favorite thing about being on the road?

    McCabe: My favorite thing is probably being with my teammates. Everyone on the team is so great and so supportive. I feel very lucky to have that—maybe not lucky because people work very hard to create that. Least favorite; is getting sick, being isolated, it’s kind of tough, but it happens to everyone!

    FasterSkier: On your bio on the U.S. team’s page, it says that you have a fondness for Trader Joe’s snacks. What’s your favorite?

    McCabe: Oh… it’s chili lime tortilla chips. They’re super good. They’re like Takis (rolled corn tortilla chips), but the Trader Joe’s version. I’m going to struggle without those in Anchorage.

    FasterSkier: No Trader Joe’s in Alaska?

    McCabe: No, they don’t, it’s awful (laughing). I might have to have some shipped.

    FasterSkier: Thank you so much. It has been a delight speaking with you.

    FasterSkier would like to thank Novie McCabe for taking the time to speak with us, and thanks to the Stifel Cross-Country team for facilitating this interview.

  • Nordic Nation: Getting to Know the Future of the U.S. Ski Team — A Conversation with Sophia Laukli, Novie McCabe, and Sydney Palmer-Leger

    Nordic Nation: Getting to Know the Future of the U.S. Ski Team — A Conversation with Sophia Laukli, Novie McCabe, and Sydney Palmer-Leger

    In this episode, we have Sydney Palmer-Leger, Sophia Laukli, and Novie McCabe. Each is a member of the U.S. Cross Country team, and they are also all teammates at the University of Utah (UU), where they are coached by Miles Havlick and Fredrik Landstedt. 

    Utah teammates Sophia Laukli, Novie McCabe, and Sydney Palmer-Leger went 1-2-3 in the RMISA collegiate standings at the recent 5k interval start freestyle in Sun Valley. (Photo: Instagram @utahskiteam)

    Laukli and McCabe were recently named to the 2022 Olympic Team and are soon headed to Beijing, while Palmer-Leger will race in the RMISA collegiate circuit for the next few weeks before flying to Norway for the FIS Junior World Championships in Lygna. Laukli and McCabe were named to the FIS U23 World Championships, but declined their spots due to scheduling conflicts between the Olympics and the NCAA championships, which will be hosted by UU in early March.

    Each already accomplished in her own right, these women discuss their experiences so far as they set their sights on long-term goals for what they hope will be long careers in the sport. 

    28.12.2021, Lenzerheide, Switzerland (SUI):
    Sophia Laukli (USA) – FIS world cup cross-country, tour de ski, individual sprint, Lenzerheide (SUI). www.nordicfocus.com. © Modica/NordicFocus. Every downloaded picture is fee-liable.

    While each had strong performances as they progressed through high school, the trio perhaps first made their names more widely known in March 2020 when they earned a silver medal in the women’s 4 x 3.3-kilometer relay at the FIS Junior World Ski Championships in Oberwiesenthal, Germany with fourth teammate Kendall Kramer. This historic result improved on the 2017 bronze medal earned by a team of Julia Kern, Hannah Halvorsen, Hailey Swirbul and Katherine Ogden – not too shabby. 

    The day before the relay, Laukli had taken 5th in the 15k mass start freestyle, a top individual result which she repeated in February 2021 by taking 5th in the 10k freestyle at U23s in Vuokatti, Finland. McCabe also has two top-10 finishes at World Juniors/U23s; she was 10th in the 15k classic in 2019, and 9th in the 15k free in 2020. Currently 19-years-old, this is Palmer-Leger’s final year racing at World Juniors, and she expresses her hope for peak performances during these events. (Due to positive test results on the team and subsequent quarantines for close-contacts, Palmer-Leger and McCabe were unable to compete in the 2021 World Junior Championships.)

    Novie McCabe gets an early start in cross-country skiing, following in the footsteps of her two-time Olympian mother, Laura. (Photo: Instagram @novie.mccabe)

    Going further back, McCabe is the daughter of two-time Olympian Laura McCabe (’94 and ’98) who maintained a competitive ski career after giving birth to two girls: Novie and her younger sister, Dashe. Bringing Novie along both for training and to sessions she was coaching instilled a love of the sport in her daughter from infancy. Growing up in the Methow with her mother and close family friend Leslie Hall, a three time Olympian (’88, ’92, and ’94), as her coaches and mentors fostered both her passion for cross country skiing and her talent, eventually leading her onto the World Cup and soon to the Olympics. (For more on the McCabe family, read this beautiful piece on integrating family into the lifestyle of a competitive skier and coach written by Laura McCabe for Enjoy Winter.) 

    Laukli also grew up in a family with deep roots in the sport; her father is originally from Norway and raced for the University of Colorado Boulder, though she grew up in Yarmouth, Maine. With dual citizenship and family connections in Norway, Laukli has had the opportunity to train and race overseas, including some FIS and Norwegian National Championship racing in January, 2021 where Laukli finished 13th in the 15k skiathlon and 16th in the 10k freestyle. These results earned her World Cup starts, allowing her a whirlwind of international racing in the 2021 season which she had not foreseen when facing season cancellation and tight COVID-19 restrictions through the fall 2020 semester at Middlebury College. (Laukli transferred to UU in Fall 2021.)

    Novie McCabe finishes 7th overall in the 2022 climb up the Alpe Cermis. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Perhaps their most noteworthy result this season, Laukli and McCabe were fifth and seventh, respectively, in the final stage of the Tour de Ski, the infamous hill climb up the Alpe Cermis. 

    Originally from Park City, UT, Palmer-Leger was also raised in an active family, enjoying the myriad of outdoor activities available in the Park City region as a kid. Eventually, two sports moved to the forefront of Palmer-Leger’s focus: cross-country skiing and mountain biking. She found success in both through high school, earning five national titles in mountain biking before deciding to focus solely on her skiing. After racing period 1 on the World Cup, Palmer-Leger headed back to Utah to race at the U.S. Cross Country Championships, where she was third in the freestyle sprint, 7th in the 20k mass start freestyle, and 6th in the 10k interval start classic; she was the top collegiate athlete in each race. 

    Sydney Palmer-Leger races the classic sprint qualifier during the opening World Cup weekend in Ruka in November, 2021. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Thanks for listening. 

  • Still Charging: Erik Bjornsen Retires at 28

    Still Charging: Erik Bjornsen Retires at 28

    Erik Bjornsen crossing the line in the 2019 15 k skate pursuit in Ruka, Finland. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Bright lights in PyeongChang. The men’s second semifinal of the Olympic freestyle team sprint was a career highlight moment for Erik Bjornsen. Fourteen teams would crowd the start lanes with Martin Johnsrud Sundby in bib 1. The Norwegian was paired with Johannes Høsflot Klæbo: The duo blessed with Sundby’s stamina and his younger counterpart’s break-from-the-pack speed.

    With Simi Hamilton racing the second, fourth, and sixth legs for the U.S., and Bjornsen leading off, the semi was a chance to not only advance to the finals, but establish some mojo amidst an Olympic field. Hamilton and Bjornsen both possess slower tempo big-power generating F-350 type motors that belie the meters gobbled up with each cycle of their cadence. 

    As Bjornsen was tagged for the fifth of six legs, he locked on to France and Norway to position himself in rarefied company. PyeongChang’s Alpensia sprint course packed a punch. The course’s second climb it’s Everest – a drawn out leg burner. Pulsing into that climb, France’s Maurice Manificat, Sundby, and Bjornsen had already separated from the field. Midway up, Bjornsen subtly shifted gears, moved to the left of Manificat, and dropped the two steely veterans by 10 and then 15 meters pushing over the top.

    It was a Stars-and-Stripes flex.

    Bjornsen tagged Hamilton in first by nearly five seconds. The pair went on to qualify for the final and placed sixth overall in an event eventually won by the Sundby-Klæbo pairing. 

    (Video of Bjornsen’s breakaway on the 5th leg.)

    “It was interesting, I think that everybody knew what I was capable of in the field when I made those moves,” said Bjornsen when reflecting on career highlights. “I remember one of the strongest memories I have from racing is when I made that move against Sundby. And after the race, as we were starting the final in PyeongChang, he turned and looked at me for a while, and I could tell that he was thinking ‘what is this kid bringing to the final’? He eventually got the gold medal with Klæbo, and he is looking at this American guy, and I think that was one of the coolest feelings I have ever had — knowing that this legend was looking at me, and thinking, ‘what is this guy about to bring to the biggest performance of our lives?’”

    The U.S. men’s team has been overshadowed by a dominant women’s program for going on a decade. Through that time, the men’s distance program has seen the end of Kris Freeman’s reign and the emergence of Noah Hoffman and Erik Bjornsen. Hoffman retired in 2018. With Bjornsen announcing his retirement last month at twenty-eight years old, a void remains. As one generation bleeds into the next, Bjornsen is an anchor point for all those speedy juniors we’ve heard of. An affable athlete who set the American distance skiing bar for the past five years.

    Erik Bjornsen of the U.S. (bib 28) during the 2019 15 k skate pursuit in Ruka, Finland. In bib 27, Sebastian Eisenlauer (GER) leads Bjornsen. (Photo: NordicFocus)

    Bjornsen often shouldered the pressure for a team and broader community starved for that dominant distance performance by a U.S. male — a World Cup podium or a championship medal to validate the personal quest and the vicarious desire from some fixated on top-3 hardware. Making the top-30 on the men’s World Cup is a herculean task. Bjornsen first passed that threshold with an 18th place in 2014 during a 15 k classic (his marquee event), in Toblach, Italy.

    In January 2018, he surpassed that 18th place, which up to then was a career best individual mark on the World Cup, with a ninth place in Seefeld’s 15 k mass start skate. He peaked individually at the World Championships with an 18th and 17th, respectively, in the 2017 and 2019 Worlds in the 15 k classic. 

    The manifestation of steady improvement was Bjornsen’s calculus for remaining in the game. And the wait and wait for results beyond his stream of top-30s and top-20s was arduous. Even on the best of days, all things must align for the breakthrough.   

    “Definitely, my last couple of years, I was really hungry for great results, like everybody that puts so much into the sport,” said Bjornsen. “I was ready to make that next level. But I was moving towards the end of time I wanted to put into the sport and I really wanted to make the progress every year that I knew what I was capable of. There are so many variables in nordic skiing that I was just frustrated not to put it together more on the days when it was so tough. My thing was 15 k classic — that is where I could put together a top performance. That’s four 15 k classics a season, you are trying for your top performance in those four or five and also nailing the wax and also nail everything on that day. So I am proud of the results that I had but I was frustrated like any World Cup athlete. I was just definitely hungry for more at the end.”

    The World Cup came to an end for Bjornsen in December after he raced the opening weekends in Ruka, Finland, and Lillehammer, Norway. Yet, the decision to retire from World Cup level competition came after the 2018-2019 season if he did not, in his words, “step-up”.  

    After a solid summer of training, Bjornsen was blunt about his 2019-2020 World Cup campaign. “I am going over to the World Cup to make a step forward, or call it a career,” he said.

    He placed 25th overall in the Ruka triple. The following weekend in Lillehammer’s 15 k/15 k skiathlon he had a reason for optimism. At the same venue with the same race format in 2017 Bjornsen had placed 20th. This year, he initially raced near the sharp end. But as the temps warmed a degree or two, his skis began to ice. He faded to 39th. The plug was pulled.

    Bjornsen explained that U.S. World Cup regulars leave bags on the wax bus after each season, a stash of clothes and items to rely on when they arrive for the season each November. “I had left a bag over there basically for the last five or six years,” said Bjornsen. “On the last trip, I packed that one up. I didn’t know if I would be coming back.”

    Having grown up skiing in Washington’s Methow Valley, Bjornsen followed the usual path of success: solid Junior Nationals, World Junior Teams, a second place in the 2011 U.S.Nationals 20-kilometer classic, and his first senior championship two years later in the 15 k skate. USST D-team, B-team, and then A-team. Although the family fostered two future Olympians, (you know this but older sister Sadie is a USST veteran) Bjornsen’s parents moved to the Methow when a new alpine ski area was in the works. As luck would have it, the planned downhill area never materialized. 

    Erik Bjornsen (APU/USST) and Matt Gelso (SVSEF) headed up Hermod’s Hill for the final time at the end of the 15 k freestyle at the 2013 U.S. Nationals. Bjornsen took his first career national title and Gelso finished third.

    The Bjornsens live on the more secluded Mazama end of the Methow. Mazama sits at the base of a closed-in-winter State Highway 20 which snakes its way up to Washington Pass and alpine paradise. Drive any direction but south in the winter from Mazama and it’s a snowy dead end. One road during those cold months serves as a diversion into Winthrop and further south to Twisp. The region’s storied cross-country trails provided another outlet. Within walking distance of Bjornsen’s neighborhood were endless ski trails and families falling in love over and over again with the sport. Sean and Laura McCabe and Leslie Hall (Laura McCabe and Hall are former USST members) lived nearby and were constant reminders that sliding on snow without a gravity assist had merits.

    With his two older sisters, the Bjornsens joined the local ski club. It was a steady stream of hand me downs terminating at Erik. As Bjornsen became more serious, he relied on Scott Johnston as his primary coach. Johnston is known as fastidious and established a serious training regime for Bjornsen. 

    “I learned a lot from him,” said Bjornsen. “He took the time to explain everything about skiing and also the physiology side of things. I started to understand the ways of training and training plans. He brought my curiosity out and made me think about each and every workout.”

    By the time Bjornsen was in his late teens, Sadie had moved to Anchorage to ski race as a student-athlete for the University of Anchorage Alaska (UAA). When it came time for a post-high school decision in 2010, Erik chose to attend UAA too. Both Bjornsens ultimately aborted their UAA paths after earning NCAA All-American status and began taking opportunities on the World Cup as they trained with APU. APU, an emerging powerhouse team, was coached by Erik Flora and championed by Anchorage’s Kikkan Randall. 

    Erik Bjornsen on his way to second at the 2011 NCAAs in Stowe, VT.

     

    For a juxtapose of Bjornsen between 2011 and 2019, click the following link.

     

    With a cohesive training group at APU and the steadiness of Flora, both Bjornsens blossomed. Erik earned his first World Cup start on Dec. 7, 2012 in Québec. A few days later in Canmore, he popped a 36th place in the 15 k classic. Along the way, he won six national championships and was a member of the U.S. Ski Team for seven years. 

    “When Erik first came in, I could see this young, talented skier that was excited about skiing, and he really enjoyed racing,” said APU’s Flora. “And when he first came in, I thought, Okay, if I can help him with his training, and help him reach the next level in fitness, that seemed like an opportunity that was an easy one to help him get toward his goals. And as he retires, you know, there was a certain point where Erik went from being in a place where talking about daily training was constructive, to where Erik absorbed all of that over the years, to the point where Erik knew how he wanted to train, and he had the foundation for it.”

    During the later part of his career, Bjornsen had enough know-how and self-knowledge to write his own training plans with the occasional check in or hands-on training session with Flora. 

    Bjornsen imprinted the cycle in his muscle memory. He attended USST camps, looped around on the Eagle Glacier during the summer, and locked in for a lengthy stint as a World Cup regular. The bag he eventually snagged off the wax bus this past December was left in Europe for five seasons or so, during which he raced at two Olympics and four World Championships.

    Erik Bjornsen (APU) during the 2020 U.S. Nationals men’s 15 k skate. (Photo: Reese Brown)

    At the 2014 Olympics, Bjornsen contested five of six events as the youngest member of the team at 22 years old. Sochi was a time he recalls fondly not so much for a “media-worthy” result, but for the pure novelty of it. Big eyes. The Olympic rings. An international career yet to unfold. “It was just so fun, everything around it was great,” said Bjornsen.

    What was also great were the Hamilton-Bjornsen prospects in the team sprint. It’s one thing to prognosticate and imagine a team sprint medal on the men’s side. On paper and on snow this was no pipe dream. Other teams had the luxury of mixing and matching athletes over the years. When sprinting three laps, a total of roughly 4.5 k full tilt, the combo of stamina and 100 meter close out speed is rare. Deep teams can play around, shuffle a deck, optimize for those parameters when naming a team sprint duo. Someone falls ill, insert A for B. Someone has an off year, change X for Y. 

    For Hamilton and Bjornsen, the USST was all in. Sixth in Sochi. Sixth in PyeongChang. Fifth at the 2017 World Championships. Better than coming close, these two provoked legitimate medal hope. And better, the two were good friends. They were not simply two speedy specimens tolerating one another for a material outcome.  

    Walking through the mixed zone in PyeongChang after their finals, on a night when Jessie Diggins and Kikkan Randall won a historic gold 30 minutes prior, Hamilton and Bjornsen were consummate pros. There’s was a no-bullshit interview post-race. In tight quarter racing, Bjornsen had tumbled during the second leg after tripping on another skier’s tails. A tough-to-rebound-from-mishap on the tightrope of Olympic sprinting. 

    “It was super disappointing when I went down, but I mean, it was only halfway through the race and I just got up, and that’s for sure not going to be the end of it for us today,” Bjornsen said to FasterSkier at the time. “Unfortunately, I kind of felt like I let the team down there a bit. I think that was one mistake that may have made a huge impact on our race today, but you know, that’s ski racing, that’s the way it goes sometimes. Unfortunately, it’s at the Olympics.”

    Hamilton immediately responded by focusing on the asset that is Bjornsen.

    “In absolutely no way did Erik let any of us down, especially me,” Hamilton said. “I watched that on the big screen, I have been at a lot of team sprints on the World Cup, World Champs, Olympics, that always happens to someone, and 99 percent of the time, that person, especially if it’s in the finals, just gives up, whether it’s the first leg, second leg, third leg, they just give up. And Erik, he never does that, no matter what happens to him, what happens to us, he just fights ’til the absolute very end.”

    The U.S. team for the men’s 4 x 7.5 k relay in Beitostølen, Norway (2018). From left to right, Erik Bjornsen, Simi Hamilton, Scott Patterson, and Kevin Bolger. (Photo: Aleks Tangen)

    This was, as Hamilton and Bjornsen knew, their best career opportunity for a hallmark medal. They both made eye contact with reporters — their disappointment palpable. This was clear: The two men had a deep bond forged over countless laughs and near misses. More than anything, the two could trust one another to bring their best. 

    “It’s hard to put into words the impact that Erik not only had on our team, our program, and XC skiing in general over the years, but also the impact that he had on me as my teammate and my friend,” Hamilton emailed when asked about Bjornsen’s retirement. “He grew to become one of my closest friends and I’m confident we’ll remain as such for the rest of our lives. Within the team, Erik defined what it meant to be a genuinely supportive teammate and he was the first person to celebrate any success that someone within our group had. His unwavering selflessness was evident as he always put his teammates, our coaches, and the staff before himself. I think in a way his successes and accomplishments went very much unnoticed because being genuinely happy and supportive of everyone around him always came before the desire to highlight his own results and market his own extraordinary talents. I’ve never laughed harder after hearing some of his witty remarks and jokes over the years and he always lent a tone of humor to any situation, no matter how serious everyone else was taking themselves. I’m grateful for so much that ski racing has given me over the years, but being on the team with Erik lands close to the top of the list of things I’m most grateful for.”

    Erik Bjornsen (USA) racing in the semifinals of the 2014 Olympic team sprint.

    It’s also hard to imagine that a force such as Bjornsen would have successes and accomplishments go unnoticed. Such is the atmosphere of quick turnaround news cycles amidst the backdrop of a national women’s team setting an incomprehensibly high watermark of podiums weekend after weekend.

    “You have to understand, it is like getting beat up over there if you are not achieving what you know you are capable of,” Sadie Bjornsen mused. “Erik has put in a lot of time doing so. I believe Erik is a top-10 World Cup racer. I don’t just believe it, I actually know it.

    “But, in order to achieve that, I don’t want to say it is different in the men’s than the women’s field, but the men, it is to me, just a little more thick on the top. When I have an off day I am generally in the 20s. When I have an on day, I am in the top-10. It is a lot less fun when you have an off day and you are in the 50s or 60s and you have an on day and you can be top-10. That is a big difference.”

    Sadie said her respect for Erik stemmed from his investment in a plan and holding himself accountable to it. “I really respected his confidence in that plan. What it showed me is that he believes in himself and he knows what he is capable of. He did not think of himself as a 50th place racer, he thought of himself as better. At the end of day, if someone achieves that confidence, that is huge.” 

    With Bjornsen’s departure from the team in December, he set forth to race several marquee domestic skate marathons. Although it afforded North American based skiers a chance to toe the line with a generational talent, for Bjornsen it was an opportunity to touch base with the many friends he had connected with during his years as a ski racer. Call it an unofficial retirement tour. 

    Bjornsen said he didn’t come into the races expecting to win since he had modified his training to savor simple on-snow moments. He emphatically claimed that this past winter had been one of his most “fun” yet.

    There’s a prevailing mythos in sport: The peak performance, like Bjornsen dropping Sundby and Manificat, are the highlight reel’s apogee. Those instances all have their place. They send chills. But what about the 99.9 percent of the time when that person was off-stage, not performing? That matters. 

    “Thinking about this, an athlete like Erik retiring makes your chest kind of heave,” Matt Whitcomb, the U.S. Ski Team’s Head Coach said. “You are trying to suppress emotions because he has been such an important part of my life as a coach. He is one of those people that makes being a coach so great. Makes these 120 consecutive days on the road tolerable because he is such a great guy. … He is the kind of the guy that has your back and everybody needs people like him.”

    Lightness and humility are attributes many peers associate with Bjornsen. He was, according to Sadie, unequivocally as much a support mechanism for her as she was for him. The shoulder to lean on tilted in both directions. Outside his immediate family, Erik’s even keeled perspective became an integral piece of the U.S. Ski Team’s European based unit. 

    Sadie Bjornsen and her younger brother Erik in 2013 after winning an Alaska Pacific University time trial earlier this month at Hatcher Pass near Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo: Courtsey Sadie Bjornsen)

    “The role Erik played on the team is easily overlooked,” said Sadie. “We can never talk about it enough. We got a breath of it without Erik the rest of this past winter. That position was really missed. That person who is always enthusiastic, always positive, always having a game, making light of everything. Erik took on that role really young, he was not going to hide anything. He was going to admit when he was struggling or whatever it was. That is a talent when spending four and a half months on the road. That is a long time. It is your family that you are living with, and it is difficult to maintain a positive outlook all the time.”

    There was no bitterness in Erik Bjornsen’s statements or tone when we spoke. He seemed ready with open arms for his next chapter. He did, however, mention a teaser of a thought experiment. “It would have been, at times, super fun to have Kris Freeman at his peak come around 10 years later and I could have skied alongside him. That would have been sweet. We could have pushed each other well.” 

    We can all imagine the mutually beneficial pacing that may have developed. The mentioning of Freeman was only a fleeting whiff of a “what if” moment. The rest, his thoughts of the World Cup, his training principles, his discussion of not meeting some of his expectations, seemed rooted in the past just months after stepping away from the life he’s known since his teens. 

    “It would have been fun to be racing on the podium,” said Bjornsen. “But one thing I noticed just from watching my sister so closely, is I don’t think you get any more happiness. I always really enjoyed racing and being over there even though maybe her results were 10 to 15 places on average higher than mine. It really doesn’t make any difference except maybe a bit financially. In the end, I got as much joy out of it than a guy that would have been on the World Cup podium.”

     

    Erik Bjornsen – 2016 vintage classic skiing powerhouse. (Photo: NordicFocus)
  • A New Start For the Methow Valley in its Quest for a Signature Race

    A New Start For the Methow Valley in its Quest for a Signature Race

    Ready, set, go: racers at the start of the skate portion of the 2018 Methow Pursuit. (Photo: Methow Trails)

    Washington’s Methow Valley is the literal end of the road in winter. There’s one way in from the south.  There’s route 20, a sinuous side spur plunging down from Omak in the Okanogan Highlands to the Methow’s eastern edge. Otherwise, travel by car terminates just beyond Mazama — the small town nestled in the valley’s north.   

    The Methow’s charm remains its solitude and mellowed pace. Despite the wifi and cell service, there’s the real sense of being unplugged.

    For nordic skiers, that remoteness coupled with the Methow’s epic skiing make it paradise. Regionally, it’s hard to argue any other nordic ski destination matches the raw number of kilometers, terrain, and vibe etched into the Methow’s DNA.  

    Despite those travel brochure-worthy qualities, the cadre of skiers residing in the region have struggled to create a signature cross-country race event. By signature event, we’re talking races like Sun Valley’s Boulder Mountain Tour, Craftsbury’s storied marathon, and the behemoth American Birkebeiner which stands alone in terms of its draw.

    “In the early 90’s is when I think the Methow Pursuit first started,” said Kent Murdoch, a long time Methow skier who bounces between homes outside Seattle and the Methow. “The first iteration of that long distance race was a point to point from Cub Creek, up and over the Rendezvous pass, and dropping down into Mazama to finish.”

    That 42 kilometer skate race featured gut-punching climbs matched with a never-ending technical descent. The second day’s classic pursuit threaded from Mazama to Winthrop on the hallmark Community trail.

    “It was essentially a double pole race,” added Murdoch. “But it was pretty popular for the people that are established racers that knew about it.”

    Periodically, stakeholders within the community have attempted to recreate the concept of a must-race event. In a place defined in winter as much as the Methow is by nordic skiing, one would assume a marathon type race there would be an annual pilgrimage for many.

    That is not to say efforts failed. It is to say a rethink was due if success is measured by drawing a broad spectrum of the nordic community.

    “I knew the event had struggled over the years and as I dove into planning for it, I quickly realized why,” said Adrienne Schaefer, the Partnership Manager for Methow Trails. “In an effort to have something for everyone, the event had grown into a somewhat complicated format, which was fine for skiers who were familiar with racing but seemed hard to navigate for someone who had never entered a race and didn’t actually know what a loppet even was. Numbers for last year’s Pursuit were close to 70 on Saturday and around 35 on Sunday. It was clear that something needed to change.”

    Last spring, the race reboot began.  

    “We had just completed our Sunflower Marathon, Half Marathon and Relay and had 1,100 runners at the event,” Schaefer said. “The question was, why not just do a winter version of the Sunflower?”

    Skiing above the fog and under a big sky in the Methow Valley. (Photo: Methow Trails)

    The Sunflower is a five-leg trail running race connecting Mazama on the valley’s north end to Twisp in the south. Participants have the option of running the marathon solo or as part of a relay team. Relay teams consist of two to five participants. The half-marathon starts near Mazama and shares the same finish as the marathon. The end result is a race with enough options to draw the hardcore and recreationist.

    What Schaefer saw in the success of the Sunflower was its accessibility. A concept easily applied to the cross-country ski version of the event.

    Murdoch was equally invested in formulating a successful winter-edition model of the Sunflower.

    “The area really warrants putting something like this on,” Murdoch said. “A few friends and I have been envisioning this for a few years and I am now on the Board for the ski team. I Have taken this as my main focus to not just build this race but eventually a week-long festival with multiple events. We want to appeal to people of all ages and skill levels.”

    On January 26, the Methow’s inaugural Ski to the Sun Marathon and Relay kicks off.

    Valley local Laura McCabe, a timeless podium magnet and herself fond of burly skis, along with Murdoch worked to piece together a course appealing to all comers. Beginning in Mazama, the envisioned course runs a solid 40.6 k for individual skiers. The relay is broken into six segments – teams may have between two to six members.

    For the first quarter, the race route streams the middle of the valley floor. At the end of the third leg, at 13 k, the course turns towards the west and trends to the rolling hills buffering the valley’s flanks. After approximately 28 k, the climbing begins towards the finish at Sun Mountain Lodge.

    “It is very skiable,” Murdoch added. “There is nothing in it that is, I think, that is going to turn anyone away purely based on difficulty. And it doesn’t have the technical descents. So technically it should be doable for a very large group of people. And for the people that are not interested in the climb, it is possible to get on a relay team. I think some of the legs are only 2 to 3 kilometers and are totally flat. So there is something for everyone.”

    Course map and profile : Methow Ski to the Sun Marathon and Relay.

    For skiers on the sharp end of the race, keen on fast splits and podiums, Murdoch believes the race will deliver. For those with an affinity for warm drinks and food as they tick off kilometers, organizers plan to staff numerous feed zones along the course to keep participants comfortable. In an appeal to families, racers 17 and under race for free.  The race is freestyle technique, but skiers may skate or classic. 

    “We know this is not going to happen overnight,” Murdoch said of the Methow’s desire to cement itself on the race circuit with the Ski to the Sun Marathon and Relay. “The basic answer to why we lack a signature event is that I don’t think we ever set out, in the beginning, to envision a course and the post-race dinner and award ceremonies and marketing especially. This is new to all of us. How to go about that. In previous years it was never really intended to be that kind of event. Now we have the energy.”

  • Wednesday Workout: ‘Old Lady’ Interval Ladder with ’94 Olympians Hall and McCabe

    Wednesday Workout: ‘Old Lady’ Interval Ladder with ’94 Olympians Hall and McCabe

    Laura McCabe, 1994 and ’98 Olympian, during her weekly Wednesday interval workout. (Photo: Leslie Hall)

    *Note: This article has been updated to include email comments from Laura McCabe as of Wednesday. 

    Don’t let the name “Old Lady Intervals” (designated by Leslie Hall) fool you. The interval ladder she and Laura McCabe complete every Wednesday and submitted to FasterSkier is one that takes experience and willpower. Hall doesn’t recommend the workout for juniors, but more for masters and those with limited time for harder training efforts.

    ***

    If their houses were any closer, Leslie Hall and Laura McCabe could probably comfortably hold conversations from the threshold of their front doors. For a little more than two decades, the duo have been neighbors, living within one-tenth of a mile from each other in northern Washington. But a street name and sidewalk view of the Methow Valley isn’t the only thing the two women share.

    In 1994, they were teammates, representing the U.S. at the Winter Olympic Games in Lillehammer, Norway. Two years later, they moved into their neighboring houses, and close to six years after that, they became co-coaches of Methow Valley Nordic.

    For the past 15-plus years, Hall and McCabe, who are now 53 and 51 respectively, also share Wednesday mornings.

    Following the birth of Hall’s second child and McCabe’s first, the women decided that neither was about to give up interval workouts. Even if it meant having their toddlers in tow.

    “When she stopped competing and had her daughter, my son was close in age, so I was like, ‘What are you doing?’ … and she said, ‘I’m going out and I’m doing intervals and I’m carrying Novie,’ and I’m like ‘OK, I’m going to come,’ so then we just started going together,” Hall explained on the phone.

    Every Wednesday for the next 51 weeks, the women completed the intervals with their babies on their backs.

    “Once they got on a schedule where they were in preschool or something, we’d go off without them,” Hall said. “Now, we drop the kids off at the bus and then we go. It works for both of us because we don’t go into the office at a certain time, so that’s nice.”

    The workout itself, which is a ladder-type interval set totaling 43 minutes of on-time at a pace Hall describes as “as hard as we can,” is not one she recommends for junior skiers, but rather those on a tight training schedule.

    “It obviously wouldn’t be the best workout for someone, say a 14 year old, that’s not going to be the best workout for them,” Hall said. “But for a lot of masters or working people, they always go sort of medium-hard, so having a targeted interval workout helps raise their fitness. … They go easy [during easy days] because they’re either too tired from the interval workout or they know the interval workout is coming up.”

    Both women continue to compete, with Hall jumping into local running and ski races that fit with her coaching schedule and McCabe racing internationally, competing in this year’s Fossavatnsgangan Worldloppet in Iceland (where she placed third in the 25-kilometer skate behind Caitlin Gregg and Britta Johansson Norgren), and the Masters World Cup in Switzerland (where she won two races).

    “Leslie and I have been through a lot of life stuff together, starting with being on the U.S. team to raising our children together, going through the joys and difficulties of life as they are handed to all of us,” McCabe wrote in and email on Wednesday. “Working together as coaches, running the Methow Valley xc ski team and just being great friends. WE have kept each other motivated on Wed for some intensity for many years, as just that 1:30-2 hours pays off if you are consistent. Wed we discuss things that need to happen for the team, the kids, life etc and we both get a good solid workout!”

    Hall couldn’t agree more.

    “I think my favorite part is having someone who makes sure I get out and do it,” Hall added. “I don’t have to worry about how I’m going to fit in some hard training, and that’s really satisfying.”

    The Workout

    • Terrain type: Hilly
    • Warmup: 15-20 minutes jogging followed by 4 x 30 second speeds
    • “Old Lady” (as Hall likes to call it) Interval Ladder: 5-6-5-6-5-4-4-4-4 minutes with 3 minutes recovery between each 
      • i.e.: 5 minutes on, 3 minutes recovery, 6 minutes on, 3 minutes recovery, 5 minutes on, 3 minutes recovery…etc.
    • Interval Effort: Between Level 4-Level 3
    • “We just go and go as hard as we can, which is another thing I don’t recommend for everybody necessarily,” Hall explained. “Some days it’s just naturally Level 3 and some days it’s Level 4. And also it’s longer than what most people would want to do, but that’s just what we’ve gotten to at this point.”
    • Cool down: 15-20 minutes jogging with 4 x 5 second sprints incorporated throughout to “clear out the legs”
    • Total time: 75-80 minutes
  • Part of the Team, Part III: Female Coaches’ Impact on Teenage Skiers

    Part of the Team, Part III: Female Coaches’ Impact on Teenage Skiers

    Scottie Eliassen giving a pre-race pep talk to one of her athletes. (Photo: Midge Eliassen)
    Scottie Eliassen (l), coach of the Ford Sayre Nordic Club in Hanover, N.H., gives a pre-race pep talk to one of her athletes. (Photo: Midge Eliassen)

    Editor’s note: This is the third installment in a four-part series on female nordic coaches in the U.S. In Part I, two-time Olympic U.S. skier Nancy Fiddler introduced herself, Part II took a look at several influential female collegiate coaches, and Part III delves into female coaching in the junior pipeline. Part IV will explore women leading grassroots efforts across the country.

    ***

    America! Land of the free, home of many sports! As a parent, I know all about the athletic choices kids have; my daughter cross-country and alpine skied, played soccer, did ballet, Irish danced, and rode horses for many years. Life is crazy busy for most American kids and the parents who shuttle them around.

    I am going to go out on a limb here and say that most of the successful cross-country skiers in the U.S. come from a multi-sport background. I went through high school playing varsity field hockey and lacrosse and was a diver on the swim team. I never trained during the summer for any of my sports, working instead at a summer camp teaching swimming and canoeing.

    I went to college and played hockey and lacrosse, but graduated with a Bachelor’s degree and a passion for skiing. How did I end up learning to ski and race in college? At the time, there was no pool at Bates, and the nordic team was recruiting, so I gave it a try. Yes, I gained a high degree of athleticism doing other sports, and this helped me in my skiing, but this is not the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association’s recommended pipeline!

    The scenario is different today. Yes, kids are still involved in multiple sports at a young age, but collegiate and elite skiers ultimately picked nordic at some point out of a vast menu of fun athletic endeavors. Focusing on one sport means giving another sport a lesser role or dropping it entirely. These decisions can be agonizing.

    Successful nordic skiers typically begin to focus on skiing around age 15 or 16. By then, ski training requires a significant amount of time and energy for teenagers. The sport becomes year-round and is increasingly specific. Many good cross-country skiers also excel at other sports, but end up skiing because it is fun and their friends do it. They choose to do ridiculously hard workouts in all kinds of weather because they love the sport and the culture attached to it.

    Part III of this series takes a look at female coaches who work with U18 and U16 athletes, the kids who are in the process of choosing cross-country skiing over other sports. These coaches are involved with juniors at a critical point in their development. Much happens during this time: technique refinement, conditioning, coordination during growth spurts, more frequent racing, equipment acquisition and maintenance, and more. Skiing takes on a new level of commitment for these kids.

    It becomes part of a coach’s job to lead kids to skiing and help them love it and choose to pursue it. Ten female club level coaches weighed in via an email survey about their coaching careers. These dedicated women are part of the team who make skiing attractive, fun, and rewarding for junior skiers around the country.

    Female Coaches: Roots of Community and Family

    Go to the Olympics or to a World Cup race and take a look at the athlete-support system. Every team has a swarm of coaches and service staff to meet the athletes’ every need. With few exceptions, coaching at the international level in cross-country skiing is a male-dominated field.

    Are female coaches coaching closer to home by choice?

    “I see myself right where I am: working in a community-based program to share the sport and prepare athletes to take it to any level they choose – whether it be local, regional, national, or international,” wrote Scottie Eliasson, who coaches the Ford Sayre Nordic Club in Hanover, N.H.

    Community-based programs, whether they are clubs or school teams, are the backbone of nordic skiing in the US. Eliasson has committed 21 years to coaching at Ford Sayre, a program with more than 100 athletes and 30 coaches.

    Club programs are attractive to female coaches on many levels. For starters, it’s a foot in the door of coaching. Ashley McQueen, who skied as a junior in the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation, explained that her coaches and nordic skiing in general “had a huge impact on how I grew up. I really wanted to have an influence like that. Rick [Kapala] offered me a coaching job as a way for me to get in my training and to make some money over the summers, and I really enjoyed it. When he called to offer me a position on the staff, I jumped at the opportunity.”

    Methow Valley biathlon coach Betsy Devin Smith giving some guidance at practice. (Photo: Kristen Smith/Methow Valley Photography)
    Methow Valley biathlon coach Betsy Devin Smith giving some guidance at practice. (Photo: Kristen Smith/Methow Valley Photography)

    Lots of coaches who double as moms don’t want to travel outside the U.S. while their kids are young.

    The Methow Valley Nordic Team in Winthrop, Wash., has a stronghold of female coaches. Leslie Hall, Laura McCabe and Betsy Smith have been holding down the fort in the Methow Valley for nearly two decades. All three women are moms with children who are or have been involved in the program. Being able to coach in the program her own two kids are in is important to Hall, who sees her job as Mom as top priority.

    A three-time Olympian who competed in as many Junior World Championships and five World Championships, Hall explained she never had any goals to coach at the international level.

    “I will coach locally on some level until my kids are out of high school, so probably another 7 years or so,” she wrote of her coaching plan. “I hope to coach at Junior Nationals and to do my best to inspire lots of kids to commit to skiing.”

    Susan “Poppet” Boswell has been coaching skiing for 19 years and found her dream job at Stratton Mountain School [SMS] in Vermont. After two years of working with the U16 skiers, she now holds a position as a Winter Term Coach working with U14 athletes. She likes this arrangement, as it allows her more time at home with her family. Boswell’s 14-year-old son will start his first year at SMS this fall.

    Many female coaches have careers outside of skiing. Club programs offer flexibility and the opportunity to work with kids in the outdoors, which appeals to some women who work “regular jobs.”

    Smith juggles a career as a veterinarian and sheep rancher with her biathlon coaching. Eliasson works full time at the medical school at Dartmouth.

    Margaret Maher, who heads the New York Ski Educational Foundation nordic program in Lake Placid, N.Y., works per-diem at Adirondack Medical Center as an exercise specialist and is also in nursing school. Alison Deines-Sehnert, who recently stepped down from her position as nordic director of the Jackson Hole Ski Club, worked as a bookkeeper, a caretaker, and office coordinator for a heli-ski operation. Boswell owns a company that does computer mapping.

    U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association [USSA] Nordic Program Director Joey Caterinichio has come through the entire system of nordic skiing in the US. As an athlete, she made five trips to Junior Nationals and races at three NCAA Championships. She started coaching high-school skiers and went on to form Alaska Nordic Racing in Anchorage with her husband. She coached there and through 17 Junior Nationals until moving to her present position with USSA last year. Caterinichio has three children under 10, and all the years she was coaching, she also worked in medical sales.

    Although female coaches may not be front and center on the international stage, they are in the wings, behind the curtains and working for the team in school and club programs around the country.

    Eliasson sees it like this: “I feel that I am directly making a difference locally and regionally. Indirectly, I see our club as an integral part of the strengthening club network that is helping make a difference nationally and in the US’s international results.”

    Boswell feels she is part of the big picture of skiing in the U.S. “I’m a small person, and I work with small kids, but I have a high level of experience and education that I bring to my skiers, who in turn bring it to the table and raise the bar for everyone,” she wrote.

    Club Programs: The Infrastructure of U.S. Skiing and a Good Place to Grow Up

    “Sports keep kids out of trouble, pushes them to be disciplined and healthy while tackling dreams that they only have a short time to achieve. Everybody should do sports. I don’t care which one. Skiing of course is my favorite but kids need to be involved and active.” — Caterinichio

    Joey Caterinichio, shown here at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games with Kikkan Randall, has been named nordic program manager for the USSA. Photo: USSA.
    Before taking on the position of USSA nordic program manager, Joey Caterinichio (l) poses for a photo with U.S. Ski Team veteran Kikkan Randall at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, B.C. (Photo: USSA)

    Nordic clubs are growing around the country and are staffed by legions of full and part-time male and female coaches. Most clubs offer ski programs for juniors from 7 years and up and often engage entire families.

    Coaches who work with the U16 and U18 age groups are spending quality time with athletes in the process of growing up. Coaches become role models and mentors for the teenagers they work with and thus, very important figures in their lives. Strong relationships are created on the ski trails and in the wax rooms.

    “I love the relationships with the athletes,” McQueen wrote. “I get to work with such great individuals and watch them grow from little 13/14 year old kids into strong and confident adults.”

    Deines-Sehnert enjoys working with kids and helping them achieve “not results, but their inner goals,” she wrote. “Watching kids stand up straighter because they are proud of their accomplishments – that’s what I love.”

    The role of a club coach is a fine balance of taskmaster and nurturer. Cross-country ski racing is one of the toughest sports out there. How do coaches keep kids from quitting when the pain is too much to bear, the results too disappointing, or their will to do the same drill one more time is gone?

    After five years on the SVSEF Gold Team, Nicole De Yong has been coaching Sun Valley juniors for a year. She has quickly figured out that having a good rapport with the athletes is essential to gaining their trust. “Playing, joking, having fun from a friendship standpoint is as important as having the ability to get down to business when necessary,” she said.

    Ski racing boils down to complete commitment and the ability to take risks. None of this is possible without trust; trust in your preparation, trust in your equipment, and trust in the coaches who lead you. Skiing at the highest level requires these elements and belief in oneself and their coaching system. Fostering this confidence is part of a coach’s job and far exceeds the teaching of technique and the waxing of skis.

    Skiers entering the U20 bracket are often leaving home for the first time to either go to college or to pursue their skiing goals in a new setting. This is the time when nordic athletes make the decision to continue in the sport or to follow a new life path. The time spent training and racing during their high school years has prepared them for anything.

    According to Eliasson, the foundation of success in sports or anything in life boil down to “resilience, adaptability, independence, responsibility, and the capacity to prioritize competing demands,” she wrote. “Many of our athletes continue on to college ski teams, and feedback from the athletes and from their college coaches indicates that they are well-prepared for the demands placed on student-athletes. We hear from parents and athletes many years later that experiences in Ford Sayre have a lasting positive impact.”

    Sharing the Dream

    “My job is a lot more than just coaching, as I deal with all the bureaucratic stuff and organizing everything. My favorite part is the one on one interaction with the skiers and helping them to find the excitement and passion of committing to a great sport.” — Leslie Hall, Methow Valley nordic program director

    The qualifications required to coach skiing might include the USSA Level 100 certification, waxing knowledge, basic physiology, and an understanding of skate and classic techniques. These identifiable skills are important, but the essential qualification is not easily measured and not always readily apparent. Every good ski coach has it. Passion does not come from a clinic or a book on ski training.

    Many nordic coaches are deeply connected to the sport by means of personal experience. That does not mean that anyone who has ski raced is automatically a great coach; technical and waxing expertise can be acquired through education and practice, but the ability to channel passion and to communicate it to others is a gift.

    Head of the NYSEF nordic program, Margaret Maher on course at the 2012 Junior Nationals at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah. (Courtesy photo)
    Head of the NYSEF nordic program, Margaret Maher on course at the 2012 Junior Nationals at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah. (Courtesy photo)

    Everyone gets involved with ski coaching in different ways. Maher grew up cross-country skiing and coaching is her way of sharing her love of the sport.

    “Since high school, I knew at some point I would want to coach,” she wrote. “My dad, mom, and grandmother were all PE/health teachers: I guess athletic teaching is in my blood. I certainly wasn’t ready to leave the sport after college … but I was not ready to be a full-time ski racer. Coaching was the next natural step.”

    An eight-time Vermont state champion and two-time Junior Nationals winner, Maher turned her experiences she as a junior and in college (she made two USSA J1 Scando Cup Teams and raced four years in college) into a successful coaching career.

    Maher started skiing with the Mountain Top Bill Koch Club in Chittenden, Vt.,, which she called “family oriented.” She feels fortunate to have been coached by Mike Gallagher at Rutland High School and also credited her college coach at the University of New Hampshire, Cory Schwartz.

    An assistant coach at Sun Valley, McQueen uses her personal experience to reach out to juniors in the program she grew up with. “I was shy as a kid, and I think that going through the process of overcoming my shyness and insecurities helps me se how fear and insecurity affects some of the athletes I work with,” she wrote.

    Another accomplished junior and world-class nordic athlete, Hall also cites her mentors as contributing to her passion for skiing and coaching. “I have been influenced my whole life by so many great coaches,” she explained. “Of course, Torbjorn Karlsen probably had the biggest role, and also Martha Rockwell. Laura McCabe encouraged me to be involved and I have drawn from [sister] Cami’s experiences at Dartmouth.”

    Some coaches have stumbled into their passion for coaching. Such is the case with Caterinichio, who was returning from college and skiing on her own when she got “the call.” She volunteered at Chugiak High School, where her younger brother Gus and sister Nina were on the team.

    “When all the coaches quit the program I was left with a team of 50 athletes. I took over the team and never stopped coaching,” she explained. Caterinichio ran with her opportunity, literally all the way to the USSA Nordic Program Director job. On the way, she doubled the size of the high school program, which eventually became Alaska Nordic Racing.

    Not all respected coaches come straight out of long ski careers beginning with the Bill Koch league or have ever raced on the World Cup circuit. A diverse background can lend itself well to coaching – case in point, Janice Sibilia, competitive programs director for New England Nordic Ski Association. Sibilia has a competitive background in several sports. She was an equestrian and national-level cyclist and didn’t get into skiing until she began cross training for cycling.

    An injury brought Sibilia to ski coaching. “During my downtime from racing a local high school asked me to help out,” she explained. “It was a big group of over 50 high school skiers and a lot of fun. I learned a lot (being an athlete is very different than coaching!) and was grateful for the opportunity. It really sparked my interest in coaching and since then I have worked really hard to improve my coaching skills and knowledge.”

    Sibilia became a student of nordic skiing by going to every clinic she could find. She shadowed other coaches at camps and training sessions and cites the USSA L100 certification as an important building block in her education. Besides drawing on her background as a cyclist, Sibilia has learned invaluable lessons about communication from a favorite equestrian clinician. She says, “I think you can learn things in places you least expect it.”

    Ford Sayre coach Scottie Eliassen debriefing with her athletes post-race. (Photo: Midge Eliassen)
    Ford Sayre coach Scottie Eliassen debriefing with her athletes post-race. (Photo: Midge Eliassen)

    Eliasson got started in her coaching career by volunteering to help with the local Bill Koch League (BKL) program “to share the sport with others.” Eliasson was a BKL participant herself, and continued racing through college. Like Sibilia, Eliasson has drawn from other sports, such as rowing, to develop her coaching style.

    “My experiences coxing girls in high school and men in college helped shape who I am as a coach today,” Eliasson wrote. “My high school crew coaches remain some of my most important coaching mentors.”

    The biathlon head coach at Methow Valley, Smith started as an alpine skier and racer, then jumped into nordic coaching.

    “When our son was 9 years old we wanted to keep him [cross-country] skiing so we started a biathlon program to complement our local nordic team and I have been coaching that now for 11 years,” she explained. “I hope to be a great junior coach. I hope to develop a biathlon program here that is a model for other Nordic programs in the US on how to incorporate biathlon into their xc teams.”

    It’s All About Balance

    “I wish there was at least one female coach on the US [Ski] Team because I think it would actually help all the coaches. Women bring a whole different set of strengths and perspectives to the table and I think that would help both the coaches and the athletes. I guess I’d say women are not on par (with men), but I think they are getting there. It will take time.” — Boswell

    Stratton Mountain School coach Poppet Boswell with her son Russell, who won 2012 Silver Fox Trot in Hanover, N.H., at age 12. (Courtesy photo)
    Stratton Mountain School coach Poppet Boswell with her son Russell, who won 2012 Silver Fox Trot in Hanover, N.H., at age 12. (Courtesy photo)

    Co-ed coaching can be especially challenging, as boys and girls bring different personalities, quirks, and styles to any ski program. Each gender has its own special needs and methods during a group workout, before a race, and just messing around after practice. Coaches see this and work to take care of everyone and to create team balance.

    In coaching, men and women generate different kinds of energy as well. “Gosh, the two male coaches I work with would be bored out of their skulls if it was just the two of them working together as guys,” Boswell wrote. “Life is so much more fun with a mix of sexes bringing different ideas and styles to the table.”

    She pointed out that balance on the coaching staff is necessary to effectively deal with both genders. For example, a female coach can be helpful when a specific “girly” question or situation comes up. Often, girls feel more comfortable confiding in a female mentor.

    There are times when male coaches can’t do what females can. For instance, a 200-pound male coach may not be the best kick-wax tester for a 100-pound female athlete. According to Hall, “it is important to have strong female role models for those young ladies out there. Also for wax testing, we often find that we can pick a kick wax more accurately for the girls than the male coaches can.”

    “It’s important for all athletes (girls and boys) to see men and women in all manner of coaching roles, and to have same- and opposite-sex role models,” wrote Eliasson.

    Times are changing!

    All the female coaches who participated in this discussion are in agreement that women are slowly making headway into the world of ski coaching.

    “In my first decade of coaching, there were certainly times/places in which I felt less valued/respected than the male coaches with similar experience – and there were JN trips on which I was the only female coach,” Eliasson wrote. “In my second decade of coaching, as more and more women have entered the regional and national coaching ranks, I haven’t felt discrimination from other coaches.”

    While women are not dropping their jobs as mothers or professionals in other fields to coach on the World Cup circuit, they are very present at the club level. They’re in the trenches, working with the adolescent skiers who might become the next generation of Olympic champions. They are working with the athletes who could become the next generation of coaches.

    Deines-Sehnert is a great example of female coaches making a difference. Male and female coaches are singing the same song, it just sounds better with the different voices and reaches more ears.

    “I am a cog in the wheel,” she wrote. “I think the most important thing that each of us can do is make our programs the best that they can, raising the bar locally will only help us grow nationally.”

    As Caterinichio sums it up, “It is extremely important to have female coaches. I look around and am excited to see more and more female faces.”

    “I am not sure we will ever have the same numbers as men,” she added. “It is hard to juggle career, motherhood, and coaching, but it is important that we try. (We must support) women in coaching roles, officiating roles, leadership roles.”

  • Saab Salomon Factory Team Talk Birkie Fever!

    Saab Salomon Factory Team

    The Saab Salomon Factory Team has plenty of experiences with the American Birkie. It has been the focal point for our team for the past 15 years.  With a new sponsor and new flashy black suit [they] have Birkie veterans and rookies coming to throw down on Saturday.  Here is an inside look at what’s on the mind of Saab Salomon Factory Team members in the days leading up to the race.


    Andy Gerlach- What is your all time favorite Birkie moment on and off the race course?

    My favorite moment is every year when the race is over and I can say “The skis ran well, the feeds went as planned, no poles were broken and we won!”

    Chad Giese- You grew up in the heart of Birkie country and raced the course numerous times. What is the key part of the course to execute perfectly on Saturday?

    The start.  If you miss the break, you are stuck in the group you are with for the rest of the race.  Be in position to make the break.  That is the key to a good Birke.


    Evelyn Dong- Do we refer to you as the Birkie King or Queen? What did it mean to win the Birkie last year and your thoughts on a repeat?

    I don’t think I’m referred to as the Birkie Queen. I hope not.  Winning the Birkie was a huge boost for me last year. I’ve been known as a distance specialist and winning the Birkie legitimized everything. I’d love to repeat this year but I’m definitely up against tougher competition. Plus I’ve been injured and sick more than usual this year.

    Kristina Standberg- For being a dominant classic skier, would you like to see the Birkie Elite Wave be classic?  After watching you win the last five Supertours, will your skate demons be put to rest come Saturday by winning the ultimate North American Skate Race?

    I would love to race a classic Birkie! Not only because it would be better for me personally, but also since the “original Birkie” (the Norwegian Birkiebeiner) is a classic race. Some of the marathons in Europe are raced classic and skate on alternating years and I think that’s a pretty good system.  I’ve been working hard with my skate technique and I think I’m finally starting to see some results. It would be a fantastic feeling to be the first lady across the finish line on Main Street in Hayward!


    Fabien “The Wax Tech” After participating in the Birkie for the first time last year, what is the most important part of the course to wax for?  Is it key for the wax team to eat the Blondeau’s family Fondu the night before the Birkie?  I here it brings good luck to the team.

    To me, it’s important to wax for the second half of the race! In February, the days are getting warmer by 10:00am, it’s important to have good skis for the second half with a lot of flat and downhill! So I would advise to wax for the second half with something colder and harder underneath.

    I think it is important to feed well before a long and hard 50k like the Birkie. So a fondue with good French cheese is one of the best way to get energy for a full race! Of course, it is always nice to have a nice dinner together and hopefully this will give us a good luck to have great results on Saturday.


    Tad Elliot- Following in the footsteps of Carl Swenson as a pro mtn biker and skier, how does your background prepare you for your first Birkie and who is your pick for the Tour of California win?

    My mountain bike back ground will hopefully help me with my fist Birkie because I will be more comfortable at racing for around two hours and in a pack. I don’t have too much experience at long distance racing on skis so I am going to prepare for the Birkie just like a Mountain Bike Race…hopefully it works.

    My pick for the tour of California race is, Durango Home Boy, Now Boulder Home Boy, Thomas Danielson. I will also be watching Christian Vande Velde! Hopefully Garmin Chipotle will take home the win.


    Mike Sinnott- As a first time Birkie entrant, what are your thoughts going into the biggest race in America?   Have you ever tried a pickled turkey gizards and are you thinking of breaking the record?   I mean total pickled turkey gizs post birkie night?

    I’m pretty excited, and surprisingly not very nervous- although that will no doubt build as the people begin to show up.  I’ve been slowly attending larger and larger events, and each time it’s cool to see the enthusiasm of the Nordic Community.  So, shockingly, I’m looking forward to the chaos and whatever other whirlwind that comes.  It should be fun.  I think someday I’d like to comeback and ski from the middle of the 10th wave, just to experience the swarms of humanity. But, that’s before I have seen it in action, so… What?  Gizzard is my favorite dish!! Even though wild turkey gizzard is a little gamy, I can still put back my fare share.

    I was lying before. Don’t make me eat one of those.


    Laura McCabe- Describe your first experience or memory with the Birkie?

    My first Birkie was in 1991 or 92, I was in in awe from the start, with the excitement of the big crowds, the singing of the National anthem and the energy surrounding me. I remember being astonished with all the spectators and the funny costumes you skied by on Bitch hill. I remember the struggle in passing trains of men, but also the positive reactions that always came from their mouths. The lake was grueling and there was a big head wind though the pain was quickly diminished as you turned down Main Street to the roar of the crowd. I cannot remember what my place I was that year but it was an experience that will not be forgotten.


    Rebecca Dussault-  Here is a simple bet.  If you win the Birkie you will make a comeback for the 2010 Olympics?  Will you take it?

    Bet? You Bet. I already have the wheels all moving in that direction regardless of what goes down at the Birkie.  We’ve been praying about it as a family and trying to search our hearts and see if this is where God wants us to be.  Right now, considering that Sharbel is totally healthy it seems more likely than not.  If I don’t hit any unforeseen roadblocks then I’ll be there, will you?

    See you on Saturday.