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.
Sunday July 26, join Winter Olympians Jessie Diggins, Kikkan Randall and Caitlin Gregg for an hour of fun activities and inspiration in the Mall of America! Pick your hour, either 1-2pm or 3-4pm and come meet your heroes and make new friends!
In the Mall of America Rotunda from 5-6pm, after the Fast and Female events, Jessie will be hosting a talk about how to take that next step forward in racing. Salomon will present a talk on equipment and figuring out what’s right for you, so bring your questions! Open to skiers of all ages; boys, girls and their parents! Jessie will also be signing posters after the event.
A family snaps a photo in front of the Mall of America with “Jessie and Caitlin,” two 20-foot statues designed to honor the silver-and-bronze medal performances of Jessie Diggins and Caitlin Gregg at 2015 Nordic World Ski Championships in February. (Photo: Tara Gregg/Team Gregg)
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — Skiing has officially become mainstream. Members of Team Gregg were on site Wednesday at the official unveiling of two 20-foot statues depicting Jessie Diggins and Caitlin Gregg, American women with Midwest ties who earned silver and bronze at 2015 Nordic World Ski Championships, in front of the Mall of America.
The statues of 2015 World Championships silver medalist Jessie Diggins (at left, made of aluminum) and bronze medalist Caitlin Gregg (made of bronze/aluminum mixture) in front of the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn. (Photo: Tara Gregg/Team Gregg)
The “silver and bronze” statues, made of aluminum and a bronze-and-aluminum mixture and created by artist Tara Gregg, will be up until the end of August. Mall of America CEO Maureen Bausch, an avid cross-country skier and fan, commissioned the pieces of early last month.
“These statues are designed to honor two remarkable women, who achieved the unthinkable in treacherous conditions at World Championships,” said Bausch, referring to the wet blizzard Diggins and Gregg skated through to notch two historic medals for the U.S. in February.
“They truly embody the American dream,” she added at the morning ceremony in front of Minnesota’s biggest tourist destination.
About a dozen Midwest families woke up early to see the curtain drawn from the statues and get their picture with larger-than-life versions of Diggins, of Afton, Minn., and Gregg, who lives in Minneapolis. Neither of the skiers were present as they are recovering from a long season in undisclosed vacation destinations.
“I am so honored. The Mall is my favorite place to go between training sessions,” Gregg wrote in an email.
“As soon as these tributes were ready, we wanted — and needed — to get them out their to the public,” Bausch explained. Despite the mall’s four-level size, there was no place to store them.
“We will be having two mall officials on guard around the clock to make sure nobody tampers with Jessie or Caitlin,” Bausch said of the statues. “But I’m confident nobody will.”
![Fast and Female poster](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2015/07/Fast-and-Female-poster.jpg")
![Jessie Diggins poster](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2015/07/Jessie-Diggins-poster.jpg")
![A family snaps a photo in front of the Mall of America with "Jessie and Caitlin," two 20-foot statues designed to honor the silver-and-bronze medal performances of Jessie Diggins and Caitlin Gregg at 2015 Nordic World Ski Championships in February. (Photo: Team Gregg)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2015/04/april-fools-with-family.jpg")
![The statues of 2015 World Championships silver medalist Jessie Diggins (made of aluminum) and bronze medalist Caitlin Gregg (made of bronze/aluminum mixture) in front of the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn. (Photo: Tara Gregg/Team Gregg)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2015/04/closeup.jpg")