FasterSkier

Tag: Marc Gilbertson

  • Gilbertson Joins Craftsbury Nordic Ski Club as Assistant

    The Craftsbury Nordic Ski Club is pleased to announce the hiring of a new assistant coach, Marc Gilbertson. A resident of Vermont since childhood, Marc has been a teacher at Lamoille Union High School since he graduated from Colby College in 1991.

    Marc enjoyed a long and illustrious career as a racer. At Colby, surprised D-I skiing by qualifying for NCAA’s out of a D-II program. He continued skiing after college, even while working full-time as a teacher, and became a marathon specialist, finishing 2nd in the 50k at Nationals a few years later. He took a year-long sabatical to train for the 2008 Olympics, which he qualified for by winning a 30K Gold Cup Race in Lake Placid. Other highlights of Marc’s career include being the top U.S. skier at the 2004 American Birkebeiner, just 10 seconds out of the win. He still competes in New England when he has time.

    The Craftsbury club is excited to work with Marc, who besides having been a very fast skier, is an excellent coach.  He will be helping out with the Bill Koch team, the junior racing team, and the Green Racing Project athletes. Head coach Pepa Miloucheva is excited to have such a capable coach to look after the younger skiers when she travels with the GRP and the high school athletes, as well as an extra pair of hands to help with waxing on race day.

    So far, Marc has helped out with a few workouts, including riding his bike alongside GRP athletes during interval and threshold pieces. GRP member Ollie Burruss said after a few workouts with Marc, “His coaching style really complements Pepa’s, and his ability to give us real-time feedback is great.”

    The feeling is mutual. Marc says, “It’s a real honor to work with Pepa, the GRP, and Craftsbury in general. I’ve known Pepa for a long time – she has a vast knowledge of physiology, coaching and most impressively, a genuine interest and caring all the athletes she works with.  Her dedication to Craftsbury and those involved in the program is amazing.

    “It has been a real pleasure to to work with the athletes in Craftsbury’s progams.   From the youngest BKL skiers to the most gifted Green Teamer, they work hard and they are fascinating people.  I look forward to contributing what I can to the programs and seeing the programs continue their success.”

    Source: Craftsbury Nordic Ski Club

  • Olympians Ready for Ski to the Clouds

    Pinkham Notch, NH— On Sunday March 8, 2009, Great Glen Trails will host Ski to the Clouds: North America’s Toughest 10k presented by Maxiglide. This year’s race will feature Olympians and last year’s champions.

    In 2008, Olympians and top college skiers took on the challenge of Ski to the Clouds, and the same is true in 2009. Last year’s overall winner and 2006 Olympian, Justin Freeman of New Hampton, NH and The Factory Team will return to defend his title. Kelsey Allen of NENSC and Franconia, NH, 2008’s women’s champion, will also return to defend her title.

    Other top athletes scheduled to race include: 1998 Olympian Marc Gilbertson of Rossignol and Hyde Park, VT; 1992 and 1994 Olympic biathlete Duncan Douglas from Honeoye Falls, NY, representing the New York Ski Educational Foundation; and current U.S. Biathlon team member and Army World Class Athlete Program racer Jesse Downs of Jericho Center, VT.

    Last year was also the first year of the race’s new incarnation, which included 4k of racing on the trail system at Great Glen Trails before the climb up the Mt. Washington Auto Road. The 2009 race will be contested on the same 10-kilometer course making it the toughest 10k in North America. The race will finish at the site of the historic Halfway House on the Mt. Washington Auto Road, just below 4000 feet above sea level. Ski to the Clouds is true freestyle event: skiers can use either skating or classic technique in this mass start race. There will not be separate categories for each discipline.

    Thanks to generous support from Maxiglide, Ski to the Clouds will offer prize money for the top performers. With a total prize purse of $1400, cash prizes will be awarded to the fastest male and female competitors and to the fastest male and female over the age of 40. Great Glen Trails will also offer a prize raffle.

    For more information and to register for Ski to the Clouds, go to www.SkiToTheClouds.com.

    Great Glen Trails is open daily for cross country skiing and snowshoeing with 40km. SnowCoach tours up the Mt. Washington Auto Road are also running daily. Complete details and snow conditions available at 603.466.2333 or www.GreatGlenTrails.com.

    Ski to the Clouds