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.
The National Nordic Foundation (NNF) has kicked off its annual Summer Auction, running through July 13, with a fundraising goal of $30,000 to support grassroots Nordic ski development across the country. As of this week, the auction had already raised roughly $8,700 toward that target.
The online silent auction features a mix of gear, experiences, and unique memorabilia, including a fan bib signed by Jessie Diggins, an entry into the Alley Loop 42k, a training and technique video call with Kristen Bourne, and an autographed soccer ball from Sammy Smith, among other items still open for bidding.
Proceeds support NNF’s mission of centralizing funding and energy behind Nordic sport, connecting donors with athletes and programs at every level of the pipeline. Skiing fans can browse items and place bids at www.32auctions.com/NNFSummerAuction2026 before the auction closes on July 13.
Before she was capturing Crystal Globes, Jessie Diggins was working her way up the skiing pipeline. Developing skiers across the country receive assistance from the NNF. (Photo: NordicFocus)
There’s a great scene in the 1983 classic movie epic The Right Stuff, where the test pilots are hanging out in their dank watering hole discussing the future of supersonic flight and bemoaning what they see as misplaced priorities. The press liaison throwing back a beer with Chuck Yeager and Jack Ridley seems to innocently ask, “you know what makes your rocket planes fly?” The aeronautical engineer puts down his beer and responds by beginning to recite the complexities of aerodynamics when the liaison interrupts, shaking his head at him and says, “Funding, that’s what makes your ships go up. I’ll tell you something …no bucks, no Buck Rogers.” It was a perfect synopsis with a crystal clear meaning. All of the science, bravado, and tenacity in the world didn’t matter if there wasn’t the funding to support the incremental gains needed to push human flight in supersonic speed aircraft. No bucks, no Buck Rogers. It’s that simple.
The NNF raised over $470,000 last year, helping to fill the pipeline of talented Nordic athletes. (Photo: NNF Impact Statement)
The same is true in elite level skiing. All the hard work, talent, training, and determination in the world won’t matter if there aren’t the dollars to get athletes to the World Cup, and equally important, to develop young athletes who fill the pipeline on their way to the top of their sport. In short, no cash, no Cups. The best skier in the world can’t win anything on any level, if they’re grounded in their gym in Utah.
This presents skiers with a real problem. In the United States, Nordic skiing is a low profile sport, and unlike almost every major international competitor, the U.S. cross-country squad doesn’t receive direct funding from the government. Contrast that to Norwegian skiers who really don’t have to worry about where the money will come from. Ski fast and the cash will follow. In America, it’s a different story. While the headline skiers on the United States A and B teams receive funding from U.S. Ski and Snowboard, through the U.S. cross-country team, skiers working their way up the skiing ecosystem are largely on their own financially. It takes a mix of club support, sponsorships, fundraising, and donors to keep the pipeline of young talent flowing in the ski game.
Sammy Smith after skiing to 2nd place in the skate sprint at World Junior Ski Championships Planica, Slovenia. Talented athletes like Smith have options other than cross-country. NNF helps to keep athletes like Smith in the skiing game. (Photo: Courtesy Image/Jasmine Wiley)
If you’re a talented young athlete, you also probably have other options besides skiing. Look at Sammy Smith and Sophia Laukli. Both have the talent to earn a living in other sports. To keep them in the ski game long enough to reach the A team, there needed to be a funding mechanism to help developing skiers until they reached the level of receiving national team support.
For a young skier trying to stay with the sport, the different pieces of the funding puzzle can be an economic Rubik’s cube to try and figure out. That’s where the NNF (National Nordic Foundation) comes in. It acts as the bridge in that funding gap between established U.S. cross-country team skiers, and those without full national team financial support who are chasing their World Cup dreams. It’s the bridge to where the funding is easier to acquire— being an A or B team member of the U.S. national squad— and wandering the financial wilderness of being a developing athlete.
Laura McCabe (right), former U.S. ski team member and Olympian, is the current NNF chairperson. Here she is working on skier development with her then young daughter, now U.S. team member, Novie McCabe. (Photo: Instagram @novie.mccabe)
The NNF is a non-profit funded solely by donations whose mission is to “power the opportunities that bridge the gap to World Cup and Olympic excellence for Nordic skiers from the United States.” Chairperson of the Board of directors, former Olympic cross-country skier Laura McCabe—mother of current U.S. team member Novie—states in her letter to the ski community that the NNF was “founded on the belief in supporting a development system rivaling any nation, a vision we’re proudly realizing thanks to our dedicated community.” That founding vision was a tall order considering that the other major Nordic nations don’t have to go to donors with hat in hand soliciting support.
But the NNF has been successful in fulfilling its mandate as a funding bridge. Last year, the NNF raised $470,000 to support the development of the cross-country racing ecosystem in the United States.
NNF supports summer as well as winter projects. (Photo: NNF Impact Statement)
NNF uses that money to help skiers afford the cost of winter and summer events and training. In the summer, NNF helps offset the cost of attending training camps. There are National Elite Groups, Regional Elite Groups, National U16 Camp, and international development exchanges and trips. Last year NNF provided over $88,000 in funding for these activities.
During the winter, NNF provides funding for coaching development as well as athlete funding to help attend U18 championships, Junior World/U23 championships, World Cup races, and OPA Cup racing (a second level of competition ranked just below the World Cup). There are also individual grants to athletes to help them attend World Cup events. Last year those winter projects support for event attendance was over $180,000.
The NNF is the lead sponsor for the Supertour as well as supporting other winter programs. (Photo: NNF Impact Statement)
NNF also sponsors domestic racing by being the title sponsor for the Supertour. The Supertour is the highest level of race competition in the United States and consists of a race series spread across the country. Success in the Supertour often leads to a spot on the U.S. national team or start rights in the Tour de Ski. Last year NNF subsidized the cost of the Supertour to the tune of $23,000, which covered almost 60 percent of the tour’s prize money.
One of the NNF’s other successful winter projects is its Trail to Gold program. The T2G is a coaching grant that supports developing women coaches and technicians in an historically male dominated profession. Bernie Nelson who was just hired by the U.S. team as a full time technician was a T2G funding recipient.
U.S. team coach Matt Whitcomb (left) crunching numbers with Sydney Palmer-Leger. He’s a key part of the puzzle to help the NNF design its funding disbursements. (Photo: Leann Bentley, U.S. Ski Team).
A critical piece of the puzzle for the NNF is coordinating between itself and the U.S. national team. That’s where Matt Whitcomb comes in. Whitcomb is the head coach of the U.S. ski team. He is also on the NNF Board of Directors. Whitcomb provides the Board with an invaluable overview of the needs of developing skiers, and what a successful development program looks like. “The NNF is the bridge between being a U14 athlete and being an Olympian,” said Whitcomb. “NNF picks up and assists with projects between those two things where athletes are most likely to quit because of funding challenges.”
“The NNF and national ski team are critical partners, but we’re really different puzzle pieces that just fit really well together where the NNF funds younger kids, and the U.S. ski team funds the older or more successful athletes. Our philosophy at the NNF is that all hard working athletes with big goals should be able to compete in the sport regardless of their economic status” The NNF states that there is funding which touches over 250 athletes per year, with funding from thousands of donors. “We have a three year fundraising average of raising over $500,000 a year, said Whitcomb.”
WIll Koch finished 13th in the 10K Classic at the 2022 Junior World Championships. NNF helped secure his presence. (Photo: John McColgan)
Often part of the NNF funding process is to generate individual amounts of support for certain events. For example, there might be a dollar amount set aside for the U23 championships which is then divided between different athletes. It can start out as a large pot of money, but by the time it’s divided between all the athletes and support crew, the dollar amount shrinks significantly. For example, it previously allocated over $84,000 in total to the last Junior World/U23 Championships. But after the math is done, it only comes out to several thousand dollars per athlete. It’s a big help but doesn’t cover an athlete’s entire cost. “There’s 10 wax techs alone that come to World Juniors, and around 24 athletes,” said Whitcomb.
NNF focuses on grass roots fundraising. Over 1,000 donations just for the Drive for 25 fundraiser shows its breadth. (Photo: NNF Impact Statement)
Athlete buy-in is critical to NNF’s mission. Athletes are part of the fundraising efforts and build important ties to the cross-country community. Athletes are encouraged to actively participate in the fundraising process. “We don’t cover any project completely,” said Whitcomb. “The goal is to leave some of the responsibility up to the club and the athletes. If they all do a little bit (the athletes), it will really move the needle for an organization like this.” The NNF is proud of width and breadth of its donor base, with over 1,000 individual donations for its drive for 25 fundraising effort, it demonstrates its status as a grass roots organization. “Our window is at the grass roots level. There are people that donate five dollars recurring monthly. You know what it means to those people. We’re trying to sell shares of this great journey to as many donors as possible.” You may have heard of the Drive for 25, but not really known what it was about. It’s one of the NNF’s principle fundraising efforts. Last year it raised over $122,000.
It’s not just racers who benefit from the NNF’s support. High level racing needs high level officiating. At every FIS (International Ski Federation) event there are teams of technical delegates who are the equivalent of officials or umpires. Without the technical delegates, high level racing doesn’t happen. In the U.S., these positions are volunteers, but there are significant expenses attached to being a delegate. NNF has launched a new program to offer grants to individuals trying to gain technical delegate status to help offset part of the expense. It’s part of NNF’s efforts to maintain the flow of talent and treasure which feeds the cross-country pipeline.
NNF is part of the American success at the Junior level. (Photo: NNF Impact Statement)
The NNF proudly points to athletes’ success as proof that its support continues to feed the American pipeline for world class ski talent. In the most recent Junior/U23 World Championships nine different NNF funded athletes finished in the top 10 in different events. In addition to the junior level racing, it also provided funding which contributed to 151 world cup starts. The results from that effort were over 20 top 30 World Cup finishes for NNF supported athlete. Another sign of NNF fulfilling its mission is that many previously NNF funded athletes have recently achieved United States A or B team status, including Sammy Smith, Kevin Bolger, and Will Koch.
NNF also impacts World Cup performances as it helps athletes who haven’t yet made A or B team status. (Photo: NNF Impact Statement)
Every time one of these developing athletes achieves success in competition it helps moves them along the pathway to becoming a member of the United States A or B team which is where the other side of the funding bridge is met and continues the pathway to Olympic success. “Take a look at the last Olympic team. Everyone of those athletes, earlier in their career, had received funding from NNF.”
It’s fair to say that without NNF support the pipeline of developing skiers would be limited to athletes from wealthy backgrounds or those who have the good fortune to have the marketing skills to promote themselves on GoFundMe pages or Instagram. As long as it continues to receive support from the Nordic community, NNF will continue to be the funding bridge for up and coming athletes.
US Ski Team Head Coach, Matt Whitcomb, leads a group of U16 Boys in a session at last year’s national camp in Lake Placid, NY. (Photo: Courtesy Image/Bryan Fish).
US Skiing is coming off one of the most exciting winters in recent memory. As summer approaches, the National Nordic Foundation (NNF) is excited to help continue the momentum, again sponsoring a full suite of development opportunities in partnership with US Ski and Snowboard that live up to the old adage, “fast skiers are made in the summer!”
NNF’s Pillar Projects in the summer include a full suite of Regional Elite Group Camps (REG), with top U18 and U20 skiers from each USSS Region joining up at some of America’s premier ski venues to work with top regional coaching talent, and US Ski Team Coaches Bryan Fish and Greta Anderson. The U16 National Camp, which has successfully expanded on this REG model to reach more skiers at a younger age group, brings the best young skiers in the country train together at once for the first time ever, and this year will be held at Jackson Hole, Wyoming. An International Junior Camp rounding out this summer will also be looking to expand upon an emphasis on bringing American skiers together around fun development opportunities as a national ski community.
In fact, it’s that creed, working together makes us better, that NNF fully can stress through our Pillar Projects each summer. While the successes and milestones reached by US skiers make for emotional highlights each winter, the true grassroots work – the type of development NNF was founded to support – happens each summer. NNF’s programming reaches down from the national level to the regional level. Our partner organizations at the divisional level have also expanded upon the REG model to reach younger athletes and bring more skiers from more places together. Put together, it’s a recipe for community success empowered by the community. Here’s to a happy summer of skiing!
NNF Summer Pillar Projects Schedule
National Training Group (NTG) and National Elite Group (NEG) Camps – Best U20 skiers in the country, joined together for regular training with USSS Development Coaches. Schedule: Bend, Oregon, Early May. Park City, Utah, Late October.
Regional Elite Group (REG) Camps – Top U18-U20 regional skiers working with US Ski Team Development Coaches. Schedule: Western REG in Bend, OR June 22nd-29th. Eastern REG in Burlington, VT, June 29th-July 3rd. Central REG in Cable, WI July 9th-14th. Alaska in Anchorage, AK July 15th-21st.
National U16 Elite Camp – Top U16 skiers from across the country training together with USSS Development Coaches. Schedule: Jackson Hole, WY July 29th-Aug. 4th.
International Junior Camp – US delegation of U18 skiers attends camp with top international juniors in Europe. Schedule: Location: TBD August 5th-August 16th
The Stifel U.S. Ski Team and Staff in Minneapolis, Minnesota following Gus Schumacher’s win in the 10 k skate, a highlight of the 2023-24 World Cup season. (Photo: Nordic Focus)
Asked for a reflection on the 2023-24 World Cup season, US Ski Team Head Coach Matt Whitcomb pointed straight towards one place; Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on a sunny February day, filled to the brim with 20,000 people cheering loud and clear.
“We often talk about athletes peaking for big events,” he said. “But I’d never considered that our American ski culture could peak for an event.”
The specific dynamics between performance and culture may be something Whitcomb is ongoing in noting, but his reflections on this World Cup season show a clear comfort operating in the connected space between the two. In a season of many notable triumphs for American skiers, Whitcomb can trace each individual achievement to a team philosophy shared between each US Team member, extending from their roots in ski communities across the country.
In Jessie Diggins’ Overall World Cup title, Rosie Brennan and Sophia Laukli’s World Cup podiums and victories, JC Schoonmaker and Ben Ogden’s first World Cup podiums, Junior World Championship and Youth Olympic Games medals and, yes, that special Sunday in Minneapolis for Gus Schumacher, Whitcomb sees a consistent ethos. Put together in a single sentence, it’s hard to believe that all those things happened in just the last five months, and as our conversation with Matt Whitcomb shows, this one burst of success is reliant on a consistent thoughtfulness, put into athletes, development, and for the US, a ski community spanning a continent, in which he is a clear leader.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Ben Theyerl/FasterSkier (FS): We last caught up with you ahead of the North American World Cups. I was re-reading that interview, and was struck just by how many of the through-lines you traced in the development of US Skiing and a US Team culture shone through the overwhelming success of the Minneapolis World Cups.
Things like “I want to stand along the course and see and hear what 10,000 people [feel like],” and “We made a goal this year as a team: stop taking podiums for granted. This year, you see us storm the podium and take a team photo with the one athlete who actually earned the award” look a little different when you know there were 20,000 people there, and what it looked like to celebrate Gus Schumacher winning his first World Cup at that World Cup.
How do you look back on that weekend in Minneapolis and what it meant for the US Ski Team?
Matt Whitcomb (MW): I just feel grateful and lucky, so I’d like to say thank you to everyone in the U.S. cross country ski community, and especially to those who traveled to Canmore or Minneapolis. We often talk about athletes peaking for big events, but I’d never considered that our American ski culture could peak for an event. We shocked the visiting nations, and I’m just so proud of it all. A big thanks to Claire Wilson, Doug DeBold and everyone at The Loppet Foundation, including the hundreds of delightful volunteers who ran the event of a lifetime. This World Cup was very expensive, so thanks, too, to The Loppet Foundation, U.S. Ski & Snowboard, Share Winter, the event sponsors, the vendor tents and trucks, and those who chipped in from the grassroot level when the funds were tight.
“If you build it, they will come.” And they did.
FS: There was a lot more to celebrate back in Europe at the end of the season as well. Jessie’s Crystal Globe, of course, and then also a second consecutive year taking fourth place in the Nation’s Cup, which you’ve highlighted as being a very big deal for the team in the past.
When the last ski had been waxed, and the last athlete crossed the finish line this season, what struck you initially about what made this year special for American skiing?
MW: The first thought was one of dread: The staff relay starts in five minutes! When that was finally over, and I was on my flight out of Stockholm, I was thinking about how many American athletes raced a World Cup this season. I believe the number stands at 40, and 7 of them stood on 22 podiums.
We were fourth in the world as a team, losing to Finland by a painfully small margin on the last day of the season. Our women finished the season in third, and our men finished in fifth, when we moved ahead of Italy on the final day. If you look beyond the World Cup too, it was a phenomenal season for US Skiers; we had a podium at the Youth Olympic Games, one at World Juniors, and two at U-23 Championships.
I get more excited about the reasons behind the results than I do about the results themselves, and I’m proud of the club system we’ve all built in this country. We are a decentralized national team, which means we don’t bring the athletes to live in Park City, Utah as soon as they make the team. Instead, the clubs and the national team work together to build a team around each athlete that covers the whole year. It feels good to see that working.
Rosie Brennan and US Ski Team Head Coach Matt Whitcomb embrace after Brennan skied to a second place in a 10 k Classic race in Ruka, Finland. (Photo: Nordic Focus)
FS: As you’ve had a little time to reflect, are there any other aspects of this season that have risen to top-of-mind as being clearly special? Maybe it was a specific performance, or a particular principle that really shone through about this year’s group…
MW: Take a look at our three men’s podiums. Also, re-read that sentence! In each instance, there was a special sort of human connection, which ultimately points to the fact that our success requires so much more than just good training.
JC Schoonmaker toes the line in the skate sprint final in Östersund, Sweden. Five minutes earlier, he watched his girlfriend, Emma Ribom, win the women’s race. And not only that, his brother and teammate, Ben Ogden, is in the heat with him. They have something to defend. A mission. There’s some fuel to burn, and he finishes third, Ben fourth. This was JC’s first podium, and our first men’s podium in seven years (dating back to Simi Hamilton’s 2nd place in Toblach in 2017).
Ben Ogden makes the podium in Toblach, Italy, just three weeks after watching JC break the barrier for our men’s team. There’s a different vibe now: We’ve transitioned from knowing we could do it, to doing it. Our young men’s team has come alive, and Ben is at the center of it today. He and his boys are building something together, and today, he intends to showcase it. And in the crowd, hanging over the fence at the top of the last climb, is his mom, his sisters, his girlfriend, all there to support him in what has been the hardest year of his life. He finishes third, and lands on his first career podium.
Gus Schumacher starts bib 35, and heads out on the 3.3k loop in Minneapolis, which is a tunnel of 20,000 Americans, who have essentially created a particle accelerator loop for our skiers. With a reasonably low bib number, his “race leader” splits are somewhat empty, as he knows he should be winning at this point, because the big boys are yet to start. And Gus is now the target. One by one, the rest of them start and are clear of 6.6k. Gus is still the leader, but nine men know that he is only eight seconds ahead of them, and it will be nearly impossible for him not to be overtaken…unless you were there, and you heard how American fans support their skiers. It was actually impossible for him to be beaten. If you saw Gus’s final 2k in Minneapolis, you saw something special. This wasn’t just about a lot of smart preparation and grit. You saw what inspired skiing looks like, which happens when there is something to ski for.
FS: Five monthsis a long season, so this is intentionally a kind of absurd question: is there a single moment that sticks out to you as having been an especially good distillation of this season for the US Ski Team?
MW: This jumped out immediately. One of our Trail to Gold coaches during the last part of the World Cup season, Julia Hayes Forbes, had a birthday while we were in Oslo, so we all met at the wax truck, affectionately nicknamed Yolanda, before dinner to celebrate, and basically regroup for the final week of Drammen and Falun. We were a tired staff. We had not had the best two weeks of racing, and the pressure was now very high. In Yolanda, our staff has a few trophies we pass around when someone feels like acknowledging exceptional work. I won’t get into the bylaws that govern how the primary, back-up, and secret trophies are awarded, but this night, for two hours, we sat in a camp-chair circle and took turns celebrating each other. We dug in deep for two hours, tossing the back-up trophy—which is a hockey puck—from this person to that. We laughed a lot. There were some tears, too, because we all took the chance to slow down and appreciate each other. We felt lucky, and that was it.
Two days later, Rosie hits the podium in Drammen. She was back. We were all back.
US Ski Team Staff in their wax truck, affectionally nicknamed “Yolanda” trading accolades and laughs. (Photo: Courtesy Image/Matt Whitcomb)
FS: A lot of us who work as coaches are into feeling that post-ski season haze and relief and are curious for you, What do you do to get yourself some rest after the season?Is there a point each spring where you start to get really excited about re-convening with the US Team in Bend?
MW: I always expect my first couple of weeks back from the season to be relieving and restful, but in truth, it’s a tough time of year for me. Coaches have the wonderful job of feeling purposeful, and being required to ski as a profession. We’re goal directed, and each weekend we get to test our progress against those goals. Suddenly that’s gone, and we’re supposed to decompress with time away from it all, and it’s hard for me. We do our planning in early April, and that’s when I start to get excited again. I do miss the team and our staff, and I have a lot of unaccomplished goals yet to meet, so it’s been fun to get back to work.
In terms of what I do, I spent 10 days in Austin and New Orleans with my girlfriend, Caitlin, going on ghost and gator tours, eating everything, including gator. Before Bend, I’ll get out to a Lake in Nevada with my brother, Jake, and former ski racers, Cam MacKugler, and Hunter Karnedy, for a few days of fishing.
FS: Last time we talked with you, you emphasized how “[building and maintaining a great team environment] will always be my number one focus,” and pointed to the group of US Women who really elevated US Skiing to its current run of historic results that started in the 2010s with Kikkan Randall, Holly Brooks, Liz Stephen, Jessie Diggins etc…
How have you observed that great team environment evolve over the last couple of years, especially as there’s been a couple different groups of young skiers – first Ben Ogden, JC Schoonmaker, Gus Schumacher, Luke Jager, Julia Kern, Novie McCabe, and Sophia Laukli, and now John Steel Hagenbuch, Zanden McMullen and Sammy Smith, among others, join and find World Cup success?
MW: We had some great years during the second half of the Kikkan era, and while all but Jessie and Rosie have moved on from ski racing since those days, the expectation of what it means to be a member of the U.S. Ski Team is as clear as it ever was. Each skier and staff member has a responsibility to the team. The return one gets from that investment is one of the keys to a great career. I think that’s the legacy of those skiers from 2006-2018. As we all expected, the young American men’s squad from the Goms, Oberwiesenthal, and Lahti World Junior Championships have arrived. Given the nature of their success as three-year relay medalists, we didn’t just expect to receive fast skiers, and we figured they were going to be pretty invested in the team element of cross country skiing, too. To have that is critical. We’ll go backwards if we ever lose it.
FS: Finally, well there’s still snow on the ground (even in New England!) and memories of the season are still fresh, here’s a way to early question: what hopes do you have for the Stifel U.S. Ski Team as it looks towards 2024-25?
MW: We are trying something different this year, which is to travel less in the summer. We will have big camps in Bend, Oregon in May and in Park City, Utah in October, but for June, July, August, and September, the emphasis will be on stable training at home, really leaning into the club system. We’ll have small projects inNew Zealand and Norway, and coaches will make some club visits, but most skiers will travel less, and I’m excited to test this new plan.
The goal for the next year is to have success in Trondheim at the World Championships, and those championships come very late in the winter compared to previous World Championships, February 26th-March 9th. To succeed there, we need stability. And of course, as a team we plan to break our two-year pattern of being fourth in the World. We want that top-three badly.
FS: You mentioned that April ends up being the time for “planning” for next season and beyond for you, and for all of American skiing. You also implicitly mapped out where that planning pays off – the guys that were medaling at Junior World Championships a couple of years ago worked persistently and diligently, and got the support they needed, and now JC, Ben, and Gus all have been on World Cup podiums.
US Ski Team athletes and coaches on a ski tunnel training session last year. (Photo: Courtesy Image/Matt Whitcomb)
When you look at translating the developmental success US Skiing had this year into that next generation of World Cup podiums, where are you looking?
MW: I don’t think most people realize that we are the only team in the top-10 in the World who doesn’t receive government funding. That’s why you hear us asking for money every year. Each year, the U.S. Ski Team invests over a million dollars in our cross country program. That money comes from sponsors and partnerships, and from private donations. It is spent largely on our A and B Team athletes, and the coaches and techs that run the team. The National Nordic Foundation, on whose board I serve, raises money exclusively from private donations. We invest in the athletes below the A and B Team level, down to the U-16 level, to ameliorate the financial barriers of our development system. While that amount invested in our younger athletes varies from year to year, it has hovered around $350,000 for each of the last three years. Every development camp in the U.S., including U-16, REG, NEG, and NTG are subsidized to the tune of about 70k by these funds. We invest 23k in the SuperTour hosts, so they can afford to organize the races, and 28k in our Trail to Gold women’s coaching grant, to close the gender gap disparity in elite coaching. 47k has just been sent to the 26 World Cup athletes who are not A or B Team athletes, but who still earned World Cup starts.
So, when you hear about the NNF’s online auction in July, or our Drive for 25 in November, or some scheme to sell athlete bibs or hats for an event, this is why. We truly need your help. We are working hard for the athletes, so they can afford to participate in our great sport. There are over 2,000 people who donated to the NNF in some way last year, and I’d like to end this interview as it began, with a thank you.
US Ski Team skiers sporting their very own US Ski Team Staff NNF Fan Bibs in the wax truck in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo: Courtesy Image/Matt Whitcomb)
Head Coach, Matt Whitcomb, was all smiles during a successful Tour de Ski for the Stifel U.S. Ski Team. (Photo: Nordic Focus)
Watching the Stifel U.S. Ski Team during the first half of the 2023-24 World Cup season has, at points, been a sublime experience. That feeling of overwhelming exhilaration when looking out from the mountain top has been something literal for American athletes on top of podiums—and literal Alpes too—as they’ve traveled week-to-week, race-to-race, across Europe this winter. From Jessie Diggins’ Overall World Cup lead and Tour de Ski win, to career firsts way into her career for Rosie Brennan, and a generation of young American men coming of age as they’ve stormed to their first podiums, sprint finals, and more, there’s been one evident truth: where the Americans have gone this year, they’ve gone together.
That “team-first” philosophy is a complex idea that may be easier to feel than to understand, but if anyone can come close to providing a definition, it’s Head Coach, Matt Whitcomb. Whitcomb has been a fixture on the World Cup for Team USA for over a decade, and in his current role as Head Coach since 2020. His tenure has seen transformative athletes, but more than that, as he stresses, a transformation in how the US ski community looks at itself. “I don’t think the [performance boost in US Skiing over the last decade] is because of one or two athletes, or one or two club,” Whitcomb said. “I think the difference is that our secret weapon as a nation is that we work together.” He prefers to view things holistically in order to understand the whole of the success he and the team he now leads has had.
For Whitcomb, the chance to show off the holistic system that powers US skiing is just a month away: the Loppet Cup, Minneapolis’ World Cup, Feb 17-19. This represents not only the first time American World Cup competitors have had a home race in 20 years, but also one massive homecoming for those athletes in front of the American ski-community that supports them everyday. Whitcomb confirmed that the Stifel U.S. Ski Team is really that excited about bringing it all back home. “It feels like we’re hosting our own little Olympics,” he said.”
FasterSkier caught up with him during his team’s post-Tour retreat in Livigno, Italy. In a Question and Answer session, Whitcomb recapped his feelings on the US Team’s early-season World Cup success, and discussed the ways that the Minneapolis World Cups could provide a springboard for the future of American Skiing. He also delved into his other big role in US Skiing: bolstering the ski community’s sport development as part of the National Nordic Foundation, and the opportunity for American skiing fans to show their support for the organization through a World Cup Fan Bib fundraiser in Minneapolis.
Stifel U.S. Ski Team head coach, Matt Whitcomb (right), and Julia Kern course-side during the 4 x 5 k mixed relay at the 2021-2022 World Cup Finals in Falun, SWE. (Photo: NordicFocus)
FasterSkier (FS): What’s the report from the US camp in Italy after the Tour de Ski? How’s the skiing? How’s everyone feeling?
Matt Whitcomb (MW): Extra Blue. That probably describes it best! We place a high value on building a post Tour de Ski recovery camp option for athletes and staff that includes a lot of living space, mellow trails, and great food cooked by one of our chefs. Most other teams go home and get this naturally, and we know our typical hotel room and buffet is inadequate when it comes to Tour de Ski recovery. We need a mid-season uplift, and this is it. The house we have in Livigno, Italy allows us to live like a family, and experience a lot of the values one would find at home. All this is to say that recovery has gone well, and we’ve resumed training carefully. I should note, too, that as we recover after the Tour, we often try to sneak in a bit of altitude. Livigno is at 6,100ft (1859m). I know it seems like sea-level would be the smarter choice, but we’ve found that this additional commitment to altitude living pays dividends in Period 3 and 4.
The Season Thus Far
FS: Success is subjective, but this season has certainly felt like a very successful one for American skiers. From your place in the middle it all, does that ring true?
MW: If we have 15 athletes on the road and only one of them is winning the Olympics or the Tour de Ski or the World Cup Overall, we are not successful. There is no chance for legacy when only one person succeeds. Look at post-Justyna Kowalczyk Poland; she won it all, and then retired and left a hole that was exactly as large as the sum of her accomplishments. A team is successful when it is no longer defined by its one or two star athletes. We have depth now, and that’s what creates hard-to-stop momentum. That’s why Ben gets his first podium not long after JC’s first podium. Then Gus gets fourth, three days later. The success of many athletes creates a vibe—a wind—and we get swept up in it. Zoom out a bit. How do we get the professional athletes and young kids back home swept up in that vibe? It doesn’t happen if we have a few jerks and prima donnas succeeding on the World Cup. We need our team to consist of tangible, accessible, inspirational role models, who create a powerful draft that the next level can slip into. I think that’s how it works. I think that’s why it’s working.
FS: A lot of American athletes this season have hit milestones that they’ve had trajectories towards, and worked for, for years – first podiums, first World Cup victories etc…Curious about the means to those ends. What characteristics can you point to that have allowed this Team to reach the results it has this season?
MW: We can have the best talent in the world come through our team, but if they quit before age 23, like most American skiers do, we’ll never know how good they could’ve been at the World Cup level. We try to create a positive team environment for one reason: we need our athletes and staff to enjoy longer careers.
Look at the women’s team of 2012-2018. We strived for a great team environment, and consequently, to name a few, you saw Kikkan [Randall], Holly [Brooks], Liz [Stephen], Ida [Sargent], Sophie [Caldwell-Hamilton] , and Sadie [Bjornsen] all ski into their 30’s, each retiring with World Cup podiums. Jessie [Diggins] and Rosie [Brennan], who are ranked first and third in the world, are in their 30’s. None of this history is written if we don’t build and maintain a great team environment. This will always be my number one focus, and I will say, it’s a very difficult target—especially for Americans—to hit, given how up in each other’s space we are for so many months in a row. Even at our best, this goal will always be a struggle, and it will always be our answer.
FS: You’ve said in the past that “[nordic skiing] is becoming a team sport.” Are there any particular moments over the past month and a half of racing where that core belief in each other really shone through?
MW: We made a goal this year as a team: stop taking podiums for granted. This year, you see us storm the podium and take a team photo with the one athlete who actually earned the award. No one of us is as strong as all of us, and that’s what we are celebrating. If you see that photo, that’s the message we are trying to send to you. We are recruiting you.
Rosie Brennan (USA) and Stifel U.S. Ski Team Head Coach Matt Whitcomb embrace after Brennan skied to second place in a 10 k Classic race in Ruka, Finland. (Photo: Nordic Focus)
World Cup Period 3, and the Future of US Skiing
FS: How are you and the Team feeling now that the North American World Cups are really starting to come into view?
MW: It feels like we are hosting our own little Olympics. This is our chance for the U.S. ski community to show off what we have built together. It’s our chance to recruit kids to our sport. Look at the recruiting advantage Norway has; in just this World Cup season alone, they get to ski in front of their fans in Trondheim, Drammen, and Oslo, followed next season by World Championships, and several World Cups. Of course their kids grow up wanting to be skiers. We are about to see this benefit to our nation for the first time in a quarter of a century. And yet, we are succeeding anyway. Just imagine; this success we are experiencing now, if we continue to work together as a skiing nation, is just the beginning.
FS: What are you most looking forward to about having the US ski community in one place?
MW: We can write about and tout our strength as a nation, but it’s a different thing to looking being able to really feel it. I want to stand along the course and see and hear what 10,000 people—including my family—who surround that race course in support of our team really feels like.
FS: There’s probably very few Americans that know more about what a World Cup “atmosphere” looks like than you. What kinds of things are you looking forward to seeing brought over from the World Cup circuit to North America for these World Cups?
MW: Our European competitors are very excited to come race in the United States. They’ve heard it’s going to be huge. These days, the whole world is being affected by the onslaught of indoor culture. Even in Europe, it’s hard to get people outdoors to watch a live cross country event when they can watch it instead on their phones and TV’s. You don’t have to look farther than Trondheim, with a population of over 200,000 people. It’s the hometown of Johannes, and yet the crowds were disappointing. This is what Minneapolis will bring: a culture that doesn’t take the World Cup circuit coming to its doorstep for granted.
I’m also very excited about a project we have going on with the National Nordic Foundation (NNF) (note: Whitcomb serves on the NNF Board of Directors) which is to put as many American skier fan bibs on our spectators as is possible. I want to look out at the crowd and see our stars and stripes on hundreds of people, and on others, the smiling faces of our athletes. This is a cool project that was pitched to us by one of our friends, Oumar Cherif, who’s an avid skier in the Minneapolis area and involved with the Loppet Cup. I believe it was a creation by he and his girlfriend, with the idea of celebrating our strength as a nation by uniting us with fan bibs. Oumar reached out to the National Nordic Foundation and pitched the idea, and said he thought it could be a successful fundraiser. I think he was right. We have a variety of designs being produced by local Midwestern companies Borah Teamwear and Podiumwear. They’ve each cut us a great deal, and I think we’re offering a lot of fun and loud options for our fans.
The big thing to highlight is that this is a real way to see skier development works in the US. At Minneapolis, any skier that qualifies for a World Cup start, who is not already fully funded by the US Ski Team, is receiving funding. That’s championing competitive equity in our ski community, and it’s possible because of our ski community and what they give to NNF.
FS: With this being the first World Cup in America in over 20 years, there’s a unique circumstance where a veteran group of American skiers—Jessie Diggins, Rosie Brennan, etc.—will be getting the same experience as a younger group of skiers that grew up watching them race: racing in front of a home crowd for the first time. Having now gotten to observe the sweep of a couple of generations of American skiers building off the successes of the ones before them, what are your thoughts on getting to see that cross-over happen at these North American World Cups?
MW: That’s a great question. We’ll have Olympic and World Championship medalists—athletes with over 100 World Cup starts—as well as first-time starters on the World Cup, all toeing the line on the same day. I think this shared enthusiasm will be uniting. I can’t wait to see it.
FS: You spoke briefly about NNF, which you’re involved in as a Board Member. How does that organization play a role in something like the Minneapolis World Cup?
I have two jobs that fit together a bit like puzzle pieces. As the head coach for the U.S. Ski Team, I get to help coach the top level of racing in the U.S. And it’s well-supported. U.S. Ski & Snowboard fully funds camp and racing expenses for any athlete who qualifies for the A or B teams. But that funding falls away steeply between the B and D team (we have no C team), and that’s where NNF begins its financial support. That support starts with these World Cups, and includes U-23 and World Junior Championships, summer athlete training grants, OPA winter race trips, the U-18 winter race trip, REG and National U-16 camps, SuperTour title sponsor funding, and the Trail to Gold coaching grant program.
We disburse nearly $250,000 per year into American skiing, with the goal of reducing the number of developing skiers who leave the sport because of funding stress. We are a fundraising organization that powers the opportunities that lead to World Cup and Olympic excellence for cross country skiers from the United States. Our philosophy is special. We won’t fully-fund a project for an athlete, but will instead team up with that athlete, their family, and their club, to make it affordable.
FS: So something like the World Cup Fan Bibs is a way to lay a foundation to empower future skiers while the ones that inspire them in the sport are out chasing success today?
Exactly. These fan bibs should improve our brand recognition for the future, and for now, they will help pay for the NNF’s Pillar Projects. The big hope, however, is that people will see these bibs, or read this interview, and will become an NNF supporter. We need help. Our board works very hard, and our community is responsive to our needs, but we want to expand! For three years, we’ve raised $500,000 per year, and we have aspirations to increase that to $1,000,000, as we work towards endowing our Pillar Projects.
FS: With a nod towards the future, what makes you excited about American skiing in the near-term this season, and what makes you excited as you look way beyond it?
MW: In the near-term, pretty simple: Minneapolis. It really is that exciting for us all to be coming home. I can’t stress the idea of using this opportunity to literally turn the ski world more towards North America. Create the atmosphere that shows everyone that we’re excited—that we’ve always been excited—about World Cup skiing. Buy a fan bib, come cheer, give everything!
For Minneapolis to have long-term impact, what must happen is that our next American World Cup venue is inspired to host. We have to have the World Cup come back to the U.S. We need the desire from that next venue to be loud, and urgent. We can’t wait even another five years. Minneapolis again? Great. Lake Placid? Alaska? Soldier Hollow? Central Park? All just great!
The Stifel U.S. Ski Team celebrates on top of Alpe Cermis earlier this month. Jessie Diggins took the Tour de Ski Overall, and Sophia Laukli won her first World Cup race. (Photo: Nordic Focus)
The National Nordic Foundation’s (NNF) annual online summer auction is open! NNF’s summer auction is an opportunity for skiers and supporters across the country to contribute to US Skiing’s success while taking a piece of it home. The auction runs this week until Friday, July 14th at 8pm EST.
All proceeds from the NNF summer auction go directly towards funding Pillar Projects next winter, including Junior World Championships, the U18 Nordic Nation’s Cup, and the Trail to Gold Fellowship. Last year’s summer auction raised over $20,000 towards a successful winter in 2022-23 that saw milestones for US skiers, and we are confident that the US ski community can come together again around lifting our developing athletes up to their full potential next winter!
Marquee items in this year’s auction include:
Apparel: Worn and signed US Ski Team jackets, shirts, and hats from your favorite Olympians and World Cup athletes.
Skiing experiences: A chance to book your trip to some of the best nordic destinations in the country, including the Carrabassett Valley in Maine, Northeast Kingdom in Vermont, the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho, and the Methow Valley in Washington.
Creative work: Artwork and sculptures from US Ski Team athletes, and the talented creatives in the US ski community.
Skis: Handpicked race skis by US Olympian Ben Ogden.
Originally launched in 2012, the NNF Cup celebrates club excellence in America’s premier domestic ski competition by tallying performance of club teams across the SuperTour season. The NNF Cup was awarded to Alaska Pacific University last season.
The recent success of the US on the World Cup and at the Olympic level has been fueled by a renewed commitment by US ski clubs to provide a club structure that supports athletes from their time as Juniors through to post-college senior professional racing. With the NNF CUP, the National Nordic Foundation wants to celebrate the spirit and creativity at play in providing US skiers with structured programs for their continued development, and nod to the competitive nature of these programs by adding a club-wide aspect to their performance-oriented goals.
NNF Board Chairman Yuriy Gustev says that, “Not only do the clubs create a positive learning and skill development environment for the youth, but they also provide essential support to develop athletes and surround themselves with high-level coaches and race service staff. The NNF Cup is a way we can recognize the efforts of our clubs, and our Board of Directors is happy to sponsor it again this season.”
NNF Cup standings will be updated weekly on our website. The full SuperTour schedule can be found here. Individual SuperTour standings can be found here.
You can read full recaps of each race from FasterSkier: including the Classic Sprint, Skate Mass Start 10 k, and Skate Sprint. The SuperTour heads to Sun Valley, Idaho this Saturday, and Sunday to continue its round around the West during Period 1.
Score top 3 club skiers who finish in the top 10 using Continental Cup scoring in each event.
Scoring for making camps
15 points for athletes qualifying for U16 Camp. No limit per club.
30 points per athlete qualifying for camps. No limit per club.
There will be three team standings: Male, Female and Overall
Overall winner will win the NNF Cup and be awarded a traveling trophy.
NNF Cup Standings After Sovereign Lakes, British Columbia Races
The first round of races in British Columbia this past week saw a strong start for a number of college teams, while defending NNF Cup champions APU also got off to a strong start – narrowly missing the top 3 in the week’s overall standings.
Overall
1st. University of Utah – 323 points.
2nd. University of Colorado – 285 points.
3rd. Bridger Ski Foundation Pro Team – 260 points.
The National Nordic Foundation (NNF) would like to extend a sincere thank you for the astounding display of generosity and belief in supporting a world-class skiing development system during last week’s Drive for 25. We are humbled, and incredibly grateful, to be part of a grassroots movement propelling our sport forward in this country. This year’s Drive for 25 further demonstrated that our American ski community is a rare one where all of its members are working for good of this sport that we all love, and not for ourselves.
Between mail, online, and general donations, the US nordic community raised $110,609 from 1211 during last week’s Drive for 25. Crossing the threshold of raising $100,000, and the threshold of 1,000 donations, unlocked a pair of matching grants worth $100,000 apiece, or $200,000 total. With those goals achieved, the total raised from our Drive for 25 totaled $310,609, making it the largest Drive for 25 in our organization’s 20+ year history.
To have our biggest fundraiser ever in a non-Olympic year is impressive. To do it in a single week is a dizzying accomplishment. That is what the US nordic community stepped up to do last week; demonstrating an ongoing commitment to building a nordic skiing program that can compete with any in the world. With this funding, the National Nordic Foundation has a strong base from which to bolster its financial health, support our pillar projects this season, and fund innovative and forward-thinking approaches to sport development for some of the most promising skiers in the world. We want to thank everyone who donated, our ambassadors who fundraised, and the entire ski community from coast-to-coast for making this year’s Drive for 25 a special moment in our sport that will have a lasting legacy stretching out from here into the future.
Sincerely,
The National Nordic Foundation
Yuriy Gusev (Board Chairman), Matt Whitcomb, Joey Caterinichio, Sophie Caldwell Hamilton, Laura McCabe, Kikkan Randall, Erika Flowers, Reese Brown, Ben Theyerl
The National Nordic Foundation (NNF) today is announcing a new virtual speaker series, and invites skiers, coaches, and supporters from across the country to attend its first offering with renowned American physiologist Dr. Stephen Seiler on Friday, November 11th at 1:00pm EST.
This inaugural lecture will be free to attend, with a recommended $25 donation going directly to NNF to support our Pillar Projects this winter, and beyond. Donation and registration for Dr. Seiler’s talk on November 11th at 1:00pm EST can be found here and here. Limited to the first three-hundred participants.
The NNF virtual lecture series serves a dual-purpose in benefitting the American ski community; offering an exceptional sport education opportunity while helping power the grassroots movement to bring the latest ideas in training and developmental philosophy to US skiing’s program. By doing so virtually, NNF has committed to making the latest knowledge in nordic skiing accessible to all those parties interested in pushing our sport, and community, forward.
Dr. Stephen Seiler. (Photo: Courtesy Image).
Friday, November 11th with Dr. Stephen Seiler – Dr. Stephen Seiler is a renowned American physiologist who currently serves as Professor in Sport Science at the University of Agder in Kristiansand, Norway. He is a leader in the field of endurance training processes, and a lecturer who has been featured around the world. A compelling storyteller, Dr. Seiler uses his scientific expertise alongside an understanding of both American and European sport cultures to impart endurance training principles within their cultural context. His work on polarized training has helped develop the “5 training zone” (L1, L2, L3, L4, L5) and “80-20” aerobic-intensity rules that are common nomenclature in ski training in United States skiing today. With his background in American sport and intricate knowledge of endurance, Dr. Seiler presents on the latest thinking in an ever-evolving field crucial to success for skiers and coaches at all levels.
This unique, 7-day trip features grandstand seating for the first week of World Championships, including the classic sprints, skiathlon and skate team sprints – some of the best medal events for the US (the full schedule can be found here). When you’re not trailside cheering on your favorite athletes, the trip features a variety of cultural activities, hallmarks of a Lumi Experiences trip: daily skiing within a short walk from your hotel in Italy, a boat ride on Slovenia’s picturesque Lake Bled, a World War I walk through the mountain trenches led by your hotel’s historian, and sledding and lunch at a trailside hut above Italy’s emerald green Lago di Fusine. And of course, daily ski waxing, plus support and insights from your local trip leaders to make the most out of some of southern Europe’s best ski venues. All the transportation, tickets, lodging and logistics are taken care of so you can enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime trip with your travel companions.
The best part? Proceeds from this trip will help provide the financial platform to continue the Trail to Gold Fellowship (T2G), inaugurated this year to provide talented US women coaches with World Cup coaching experience.
(Photo: Lumi Experiences).
The trip was developed by Lumi Experiences founder and Olympian Garrott Kuzzy. Learn why Planica is one of Garrott’s favorite nordic ski venues.
1988 & 1992 Olympian Nancy Fiddler, one of the authors of the Trail to Gold book, traveled with her husband Claude on the Lumi trip to the 2019 World Championships:
“We loved all the excitement surrounding the event, skiing every day, meeting a fun group and getting to know our trip leaders. Lumi did all the planning, so all we had to do was have fun! Plus the food and guides were great. Europe at its best!” – Nancy & Claude Fiddler
The NNF Online Summer Auction is open until July 15th at 10:00pm EST.
With 24 hours to go, supporters of US Nordic skiing still have the chance to help build the foundation for next winter’s successes while taking a unique piece of US skiing home by participating here: https://www.32auctions.com/NNF2022
A sampling of some of the items up for sale in the NNF auction
The NNF Summer Auction is a crucial component in setting up all of US Nordic Skiing for a successful winter. By participating, supporters make individual dreams possible, help create an equitable environment for competitive skiing on the highest level in the United States, and make long-term development initiatives for the sport possible on a national scale.
Auction items still available:
Meet and Greets with US Olympians: The perfect way to support the US Ski Team while motivating the next generation of skiers and dreamers. Win a virtual meet and greet for your local ski club or youth team with Olympians including Kevin Bolger and Gus Schumacher, and kick the season off with stories of lofty goals being set and achieved.
US Ski Team Apparel: Suits, hats, jackets, mittens and more. With apparel to fit any size and budget, you can wear your pride for US Skiing the same way the pros do!
Original Artwork: Done by skiers about the sport we all love. Including prints by renowned ski photographer Steve Fuller, the great painter Sean McCabe, and even US Ski Team member Ben Ogden. Pieces that will fit any Nordic-centered home, office, or chalet.
Athletic excellence emerges through rigors of training, unwavering commitment, and often subsequent successes, setbacks, and revisions, that athletes experience along the way. We recognize in our past and current champions the attitudes, drive, commitment, work ethic and determination that got them there. While one athlete may be enjoying a rising trajectory, simultaneously an equally committed and talented athlete may be facing adversity on their pathway to the top. Our goal is the help keep both athletes on a track to future success.
The NNF Athlete Support Grant intends to boost committed athletes who exhibit or have exhibited a propensity for international racing success as a Nordic athlete, who faces circumstances critical to that mission that require financial support beyond categories captured in our pillar projects.
Strong applicants will exhibit a clear understanding of where they stand developmentally in context to international competitive excellence and how this grant will directly increase the likelihood of their personal international success.
2021/22 Grant Program is open now. The application deadline is July 15.
Lumi Experiences and the National Nordic Foundation (NNF) are partnering for the second consecutive year to offer a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the 2019 Nordic Ski World Championships in Seefeld, Austria. Last winter, guests on the trip cheered on Sophie Caldwell and Jessie Diggins on their way to the top of the podium at the Seefeld World Cup races, along with other memorable experiences like skiing on some of Seefeld’s 200 km of trails. The trip raised over $10,000 in support of the NNF, supporting grass-roots skiing in the United States.
Dates: Monday, February 25 – Monday, March 4, 2019
HURRY! We can only accept bookings on this trip until October 15, 2018.
Only 6 more spots available.
The trip includes tickets in the A-Grandstand to all events, including the 10 & 15km classic races, 4 x 5 km & 4 x 10 km relays and 30 km & 50 km marathon events. These tickets can no longer be purchased anywhere else.
The trip is led by Olympian’s Holly Brooks and Garrott Kuzzy. Holly is a two-time Olympian and played a huge role in bringing US skiing to the highest levels; one of the pivotal personalities in the book “World Class.” Innsbruck has been Garrott’s home for the past two years. He has picked out his favorite activities of the region to showcase on this trip.
After exploring the trails and cheering on your favorite athletes, relax in the sauna, pool and spa at Hotel St Peter, located directly at the trailhead in Seefeld and raise a glass to Team USA.
August 14, 2018 —The National Nordic Foundation, known as NNF, is pleased to announce the addition of Kikkan Randall to the Board of Directors. Kikkan, a 2018 U.S. Nordic Skiing Olympic gold medalist, joins Billy Demong, U.S. Nordic Combined Olympic gold medalist, and the NNF Board to lead the development of the next generation of U.S. nordic athletes and future gold medalists.
“I can’t think of a better person to add to our Board,” said NNF President, Joey Caterinichio. “Kikkan is the epitome of community success in our nation. Kikkan developed from her community to the top of the world with support from the NNF along the way and gives back so much.”
“I am thrilled to be joining the NNF Board,” said Kikkan Randall, “NNF’s support early in my career was crucial for getting access to international experience. Now I look forward to sharing my experience with the NNF Board to support our upcoming nordic champions!”
About the NNF
The mission of the National Nordic Foundation is to support athletic excellence in developing nordic skiing at all levels in the United States. The NNF has funded over one million dollars to U.S. nordic skiing development initiatives through our Pillar Projects. More details on our programs can be found on our website: www.nnf.ski. Through the outstanding fundraising efforts of individual donors, clubs and among skiing communities, the NNF bridges financial barriers to increases access and development that otherwise wouldn’t exist for our top U.S. athletes. NNF funding directly supports athletes and training programs across the entire nation, clubs and divisions. Board Members include: Joey Caterinichio, Craig Ward, Billy Demong, Jenny Barba, Reid Lutter, Gunther Kern, Yuriy Guzev and Kikkan Randall.
Travel to the 2019 Nordic World Championships in Seefeld, Austria,
with Lumi Experiences to Benefit the NNF
The NNF and Lumi Experiences are building on their partnership to offer two trips to the 2019 Nordic Ski World Championships in Seefeld, Austria.
On each of these 8-day trips, guests will be able to cheer on their favorite athletes at the World Championships, ski in- and around Seefeld, and relax in the four-star, trail side Hotel St. Peter. Proceeds from the trip go to funding NNF programming.
World Championships Trip 1 is scheduled for February 18 – 25, 2019.
World Championships Trip 2 is scheduled for February 25 – March 4, 2019.
Each trip is limited to 18 guests. Save $300 on the trip price, if reserved before March 31, 2018. For more information and to sign up, go to: www.lumiexperiences.com.
You can check out more photos and insights from this year’s adventures on Facebook and Instagram: @lumiexperiences or #lumiexp
“The trip had an exceptionally talented group of trip leaders. It was well planned and full of fun surprises that enhanced the experience. Skiing right from our hotel was awesome. I love the Dolomites and the Tyrol. Austrian curling was a blast. First class care and attention to detail made this a trip of a lifetime for us.” – Jane & Michael Mandli
“We skied in a gorgeous part of the world. Guides were excellent and fun. It was an incredible experience watching the World Cup racing in Seefeld and meeting the athletes.” – Molly Martinez
The founder of Lumi Experiences, Garrott Kuzzy, is an Olympian and past US Ski Team athlete. He has over five years of experience developing skiing, biking, and hiking tours throughout Europe. He currently lives in Innsbruck, Austria and has developed this trip in his new backyard. As a former US Ski Team athlete, Kuzzy is partnering with the NNF to benefit developing US athletes.
The National Nordic Foundation is a non-profit organization that’s mission is to help aid in the development of skiers in the USA both national and internationally, by creating an independent funding source to aid athletes with the high cost of the sport.
The NNF’s goal is to remove financial barriers that hinder our US athletes, due to the lack of funding available. World Cup athletes, World Junior/U23 Teams, U18 Teams, REG Camps, Junior National Teams, Coaches, Clubs and Officials receive funding annually from the NNF. Campaigns such as the Drive for 25, online Auctions and general donations pay for these efforts.
Recently a new partnership has emerged. More stars behind our stars supporting our athletes, helping achieve top results such as with our World Cup Teams, our recent World Junior star Hailey Swirbul and many many athletes. To brighten things up, the NNF has Partnered with Olympian, Garrott Kuzzy owner of Lumi Experiences. Kuzzy and his guests are giving back to the sport by donating a portion of each trip to the NNF. These trips include front line experiences in Europe, cross country skiing, sight seeing, attending races and interacting first hand with the US Ski Team and World Cup Athletes. Read about the most recent trip in Seefeld, Austria and learn about the upcoming trip, attending the World Championships! You don’t want to miss out!
— Joey Caterinichio/NNF
(Press release)
SEEFELD, Austria — The 2018 Lumi Experiences Trip to Tyrol, benefitting the National Nordic Foundation (NNF), wrapped up 10 days in Tyrol, Austria & Italy cheering on the US Ski Team to a double-victory weekend in Seefeld.
In March 2017, the NNF announced a cross country ski trip to the 2018 Dolomitenlauf Worldloppet and the Seefeld World Cup races. By April, all 16 spots on the trip had been filled.
Proceeds of the trip, hosted by Lumi Experiences, totalled over $10,000 and will go to support NNF programming. Lumi Experiences was founded by Garrott Kuzzy. After traveling the world as a member of the US Ski Team and competing in the Vancouver Olympic Games, Garrott has spent the past decade sharing his favorite destinations and experiences through active travel.
The guests on the Trip to Tyrol were supported by two local trip leaders, offering insights into Austrian and Italian culture.
The Dolomitenlauf weekend kicked off with guests taking part in either 42km or 20km events. Some opted instead to watch the Hahnenkamm downhill on Eurosport in a mountain-top bar surrounded by screaming Austrian ski fans. Those who skied the Dolomitenlauf had the luxury of getting their skis waxed for them with HF and powder. A couple of women on the trip skied to age-group podium finishes…a precursor to what they would witness on the World Cup later in the week.
Stop two was Toblach, Italy. Crossing the border beneath Dolomite spires, the group was treated to sunny skies as they perfected their hop-skate technique over the iconic Toblach Nordic Arena. It was hard leaving the Italian cuisine in South Tyrol, but the Seefeld World Cup was calling.
Guests were treated to a brief stop in Kuzzy’s new hometown, Innsbruck, before taking a train to the snow-globe village of Seefeld for the final five nights of the trip. Guests had barely departed the train when they ran into Sophie Caldwell and Matt Whitcomb, out for an evening jog.
The Hotel St Peter, located at the trailhead, offered easy access to the 3+ feet of new snow Seefeld had received in the previous week. Highlights of the first days in Seefeld included a trip to the trailside hut that Andy Newell affectionately refers to as the “Wild Moose.” A trough of schnapps and tray of apple strudel greets visitors.
Guests were also treated to a tour of the new US Ski Team wax truck. US Women’s Team head coach Matt Whitcomb and wax techs shared insights into the new, rolling facility, as well as a few insider wax tips. One unexpected surprise, was the opportunity to forerun the races. Skiers experienced the challenging courses that cannot be captured by simply watching the races from the sidelines. Erik Bjornson chatted with the skiers after his sprint qualifier and thanked them for cheering, saying it’s rare that there are so many US fans on the trail at European World Cups.
The real highlight of the trip was cheering on skiers in the Seefeld World Cup, as Sophie Caldwell skied to victory in the Skate Sprint and Jessie Diggins took the 10km Mass Start Skate win. Guests had the opportunity to share high fives and get photos with skiers afterward the race.
Seeing the US team skiers atop the podium was particularly meaningful, as it represented the results of the hard-work put in by athletes and their coaches. It also represented what the help from the NNF has helped skiers from the US achieve. There were more than one set of watery eyes at the end of the trip, when guests received copies of the new book: World Class: The Making of the U.S. Women’s Cross-Country Ski Team by Peggy Shinn, personalized and signed by the women on the US Ski Team as a thank you to guests on the trip.
The Seefeld World Cup was the last big race before the Olympic Games next month in Korea. In 2019, Seefeld will host the Nordic World Championships. Once again, Lumi Experiences will be on site for the 2019 World Championships, hosting two more trips to benefit the NNF. You can sign up to receive information about the World Championships and other cross country ski vacations at: www.lumiexperiences.com. Check out more photos and insights from this year’s adventures on Facebook and Instagram: @lumiexperiences or #lumiexp
“The trip had an exceptionally talented group of trip leaders. It was well planned and full of fun surprises that enhanced the experience. Sledding was a hoot, and skiing to our hotel afterwards was awesome. I love the Dolomites and the Tyrol. Austrian curling was a blast. First class care and attention to detail made this a trip of a lifetime for us.” – Jane & Michael Mandli
“We skied in a gorgeous part of the world. Guides were excellent and fun. It was an incredible experience watching the World Cup racing in Seefeld and meeting the athletes.” – Molly Martinez
It’s that time again! Every year the U.S. Nordic Skiing community comes together to support the National Nordic Foundation’s (NNF) largest fundraising efforts of the season. It is time to become a part of the annual NNF Drive for 25. Please join us in the 2017 D-25 campaign beginning October 23rd and help us raise money for skiing development for Cross Country, Nordic Combined and Ski Jumping. The NNF: Supporting Tomorrow’s Nordic Stars Today!
The National Nordic Foundation is the country’s premier grassroots sport fundraising organization. With over $200,000 in the 2016-2017 season alone allocated to “pillar projects”, key events to help capitalize on the talent and drive of developing skiers, the NNF is creating a cultural change in the way skiers approach international competition.
Where do the NNF Funds go? The NNF supports all levels of development. Past funding ranges from World Cup Starts with Podium winners such as Kikkan Randall, Jessie Diggins, Sadie Bjornsen, Taylor and Bryan Fletcher, Caitlin Gregg and Simi Hamilton, and will now aid new budding stars such as Patrick Caldwell, Scott Patterson, Julia Kern, Katherine Ogden, Hannah Halverson, Adam Loomis, Kevin Bickner and so many others.
The NNF has been funding development for years. Every year the NNF funds a large portion of the US World Junior and U23 teams helping athletes across the nation, The NNF also gives money to every US Divisional Junior National Team and gives myriads of grants to Clubs, Coaches and Officials at the community level. The NNF is an integral part of our Nation’s building blocks and success. Furthermore, the NNF, through its annual fundraising efforts, the Drive for 25 and the NNF Auction, catalyzes the skiing community to come together.
Become a part of the National Nordic Foundation. Participate in this year’s “Drive for 25” beginning October 23, 2017 and help us spread the word on skiing, help our grassroots mission and help us get more racers to start line and to the top of the results. The Theme of this year’s campaign is “We Will”. We Will “Drive for 25” and We Will Win!
To donate and become an ambassador for the Drive for 25, please go to
The National Nordic Foundation (NNF) is a non-profit organization that aids in the development of Nordic Skiers, Coaches, Officials, and venues lending financial support to both elite and grass roots programs in order to develop athletes within the Nordic Sports nationwide.
Every year the NNF donates thousands of dollars to the development of Cross Country Skiing, Nordic Combined and Ski Jumping.
Our Mission is to support athletic excellence in developing Nordic Athletes in the United States.
The NNF Executive Director/Director of Operations will have a strong background in non-profit organizations along with strong fundraising and networking skills.
These positions will work directly with the Board of Directors and manage the day-to-day operations of the NNF.
Responsibilities to include but not limited:
Responsibility for and direction of NNF’s pillar projects.
Manage NNF fundraising projects.
Manage the vision and mission of the organization.
Manage the NNF finances and budget.
Marketing, production, and communication.
Increase fundraising campaigns and donor networking.
Direct grassroots fundraising campaigns.
Liaison between USST, USSA, USA Nordic and other partners of the NNF.
Community, national and club outreach.
Develop and maintain NNF website.
Some travel required.
For more information and a full detailed job description regarding the NNF ED please visit: www.nationalnordicfoundation.org. Interested applicants please send resume and letter of interest to NNF board of Directors at nnfsearch@gmail.com.
The National Nordic Foundation (NNF) is excited to announce the election of a new Chairman of the Board, Peter Ashley. Peter succeeds former Executive Director and long-time Board Chair, David Knoop who is moving into an unofficial advisory role with the organization. Over the past eight years, Knoop transformed the nearly-defunct National Cross Country Ski Education Foundation (NCCSEF) into a fundraising powerhouse that has contributed in excess of $1 million to developing nordic athletes since 2010.
“I can look back to eight years ago,” says Knoop, “and there was a real need for an organization to fill in the gaps between what the clubs were capable of and what the U.S.S.A./U.S. Ski Team was doing. We had a few bright spots like Kikkan Randall and Andy Newell, but overall, the ‘Development Pipeline’ was more theory than practice. The NNF arose out of a need to create funding and a sustained budget for development programs.” David, further reflecting on the subsequent eight years: “The NNF is a success story that I’m very grateful to have been a part of and enjoy with so many of you. I know that the NNF will continue to be successful with your support and I wish everyone all the best and hope to see you around enjoying the sport and lifestyle that we love.”
Peter Ashley, who has been on the NNF Board of Directors for the past two years brings a wealth of experience and connections from a lifetime in the skiing community. Among his many accomplishments, the Jackson, Wyo., native, spent nine seasons as a U.S. Ski Team coach before working over 20 years with Fischer Sports as National Sales and Marketing Manager for their Nordic Division.
“This is an exciting time to be involved with the NNF,” says Peter. “The past years’ results are a testament to the hard work of the nordic community over the last 20 years. I look forward to working with all the nordic clubs, coaches, athletes and the entire nordic community to continue and improve on the past years’ success. Soon we’ll announce the NNF funding of summer projects in 2017!”
Executive Director, Hennie Kashiwa’s role remains unchanged. “I am very excited for the NNF to have Peter’s wealth of experience both in skiing and as a leader,” says Kashiwa. “As we transition, however, it is critical to recognize the work that Dave Knoop put into the NNF. Without Dave, the NNF would simply not exist as it does today. Both personally and as a member of the skiing community, I’d like to thank Dave for the monumental impact he’s had on our sport.”
February 2 — In the first three days of competition, the National Nordic Foundation’s (NNF) broadcast of the USANA FIS Nordic Junior & U23 World Championships has generated nearly 2,000 unique views from around the world; and that number is growing. With live coverage and on-demand replays of all cross-country, ski jumping and nordic combined events through their web channel, NNF TV, the NNF will use proceeds generated by the video coverage to support athletic funding for developing U.S. nordic athletes.
Viewership in Norway and Sweden top the list, at 462 and 389 respectively. Fans from the U.S. are in third place in overall global viewership with 193.
With American athletes showing nearly unprecedented results every day on their home turf, the last four days of the Championships are sure to be exciting for fans across the U.S.; and now it’s possible to support American athletes and cheer them on at the same time! Pay-per-view access for live viewing and on-demand replays of every event is at www.nnf.ski/tv.
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