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.
Rosie Brennan, left, and Jessie Diggins talk after the first stage of the 2021 Tour de Ski, in Switzerland. (NordicFocus)
PLANICA, SLOVENIA — Anyone who knows Rosie Brennan, and the ups and downs of her professional cross-country ski racing career, can relate to her mother’s experience at the World Championships here.
Walking among the crowds in U.S.-themed clothing, Wiggy Brennan heard the same thing, over and over, from European fans: “We love Jessie Diggins!” — a reference to Rosie Brennan’s gold-medal winning teammate.
“And I say, ‘Okay. But what about Rosie?’” Wiggy said.
That question — what about Rosie? — has never been more relevant than in Planica, where Brennan and Diggins both skied to standout results, in ways that highlighted the profound differences between them.
Diggins, now 31, is a superstar. She started winning medals a decade ago, and after earning two more here, she now owns nine of them from the Olympics and World Championships. Her bubbly personality and results have earned her national endorsement deals and a huge fan base, and her teammates sometimes call her the “sparkle chipmunk.”
Brennan, 34, is not a sparkle chipmunk — she’s a self-described introvert. And her success was never assured: She was twice cut from the U.S. Ski Team, and her first international World Cup podium didn’t come until late in her career, just two seasons ago.
Brennan has also come heartbreakingly close, but has never achieved, the big-time results on Diggins’ resumé. In the past 13 months, Brennan has placed fourth, fifth and sixth in individual events at the Olympics and World Championships — two seconds, five seconds and three-and-a-half seconds from the podium.
Rosie Brennan skis in the 30 k classic event Saturday at World Championships. Brennan finished fifth; the woman in red, Norway’s Anne Kjersti Kalvaa, won the silver medal, and Frida Karlsson, to the right of Brennan, won bronze. (NordicFocus)
In Saturday’s 30-kilometer event in Slovenia, Brennan skied nearly the entire race in a tiny chase pack that was gunning for the silver and bronze. After leading the group for a significant chunk of the race, Brennan faded on the homestretch — leaving her supporters simultaneously thrilled by her proximity to the medals and a little devastated by the result.
Brennan’s friends and fans have nothing but praise for Diggins. But they also don’t want Brennan to go unnoticed.
“It’s a story where I’m like, ‘Gosh, I wish this could just catch fire.’ Because every human can relate,’” said Sadie Bjornsen, a close friend and former teammate of Brennan’s. “Ninety-nine percent of the time you’re fourth. That’s just the reality of life. And the way you keep coming back from that is what is really inspiring.”
Diggins, after winning two medals at World Championships, left Slovenia early to prepare for an upcoming race in Norway this weekend. But in an Instagram post after Saturday’s race, she called Brennan “my hero” and sent an audio message to FasterSkier in which she joined the chorus of people celebrating her.
Diggins said she wants to make sure that people know about work Brennan does behind the scenes — mentoring young athletes, working with a program that teaches kids to ski in rural Alaska and serving as an athlete representative to the U.S. Ski Team’s parent organization. She also described Brennan’s effort in Saturday’s 30-kilometer race as “one of the most inspiring, gutsy things ever.”
“It’s up to her to decide how she feels. And we just get to be proud of her and cheer for her,” Diggins said. “That was hero skiing out there, and I think everyone saw that.”
Brennan, for her part, said that Diggins’ best performances lift her up, too.
“It is inspiring to me to see her reach those levels,” she said in an interview. “And I hope that we can still learn from each other, and take little pieces that fit into how we do things, and make us both better.”
The frequent presence of both Diggins and Brennan in the lead pack of top-level races nonetheless invites questions about whether there are tensions between them.
The two aren’t best friends — ”I think they aren’t two peas in a pod,” said Tyler Kornfield, Brennan’s boyfriend — but coaches, teammates, and others close to them say they’ve developed a working relationship that elevates them both.
In January, Jessie Diggins, right, and Rosie Brennan raced up the alpine ski hill that serves as the final stage of the Tour de Ski. (NordicFocus).
“I’m sure, over the years, they’ve had their heated thoughts. But when I see them together — when I see the entire team together — it’s professional. It works really, really well,” said Kornfield, who’s also a professional skier, in a phone interview. “They come together every day to make the team stronger.”
One example was after the team sprint at World Championships.
American coaches chose to start Diggins and another American, Julia Kern, instead of Brennan, who paired with Diggins to place fifth in the same event at the Beijing Olympics.
After Diggins and Kern won a bronze medal, with Brennan on the bench, Matt Whitcomb, the U.S. Ski Team’s head coach, said he watched Brennan knock on Diggins’ door and congratulate her. Diggins, meanwhile, sent Whitcomb a text aimed at Brennan and her three teammates Saturday, just after their hard-fought finishes: “So proud of you girls for an absolutely gutsy, courageous race out there.”
“They have an immense amount of respect for each other,” Bjornsen said. “Which I think is really cool. Because they are so different — like, probably the most different you could be and successfully be teammates.”
Asked about those differences, Brennan said she wishes she had more championship medals, like the ones in Diggins’ trophy case. But Brennan and those around her said she also benefits from having Diggins as a teammate.
Rosie Brennan, right, and Jessie Diggins pose for a photo after a race in Switzerland earlier this year. (Nordic Focus)
“Maybe it’s clichéd to say Jessie is Rosie’s biggest motivator,” Kornfield said. “But anxiety is a powerful tool, and when one of your teammates is working incredibly hard across the country, and you know about it and hear about it every single day, it’s going to make you double down and focus more.”
Brennan said she hopes the successes that she and Diggins have each achieved, coming from two different backgrounds, makes them models for younger athletes.
“They can take little bits and pieces of both of us and find themselves,” Brennan said. “We are such opposites, and we’re both still making it work. And I hope, anyway, that that provides two solid examples for all the younger girls on the team of just being different and still having success — even if Jessie’s success is, like, through the moon.”
Brennan’s teammates confirmed that they look up to her, as well as to Diggins. Julia Kern, 25, said Brennan’s success late in her career was on her mind in the middle of Saturday’s 30-kilometer race — a 90-minute effort in which Kern finished 27th.
“I was literally thinking about that when I was charging up the hills, and I saw her charging at the front,” Kern said. “I was like, ‘This is training for maybe, hopefully, skiing like Rosie one day.’”
Julia Kern races in Italy earlier this year. (NordicFocus)
Bjornsen, Brennan’s friend and old teammate, said she and other ex-racers she knows were crying as they watched Saturday’s race.
Those near-podium finishes, Bjornsen said, highlight how Brennan is still trying after so many so-closes.
“It’s such a theme of Rosie’s story: Knock me down, I’ll bend. But I don’t break,” Bjornsen said.
The value of patience and persistence in cross-country skiing was one of the big take-home messages from the World Championships in Slovenia.
Beyond Brennan’s performances, there was Norwegian skier Pål Golberg, who endured some excruciating failures and highs and lows over his career before a resurgence this year.
Goldberg first raced at a World Championships in 2013. But he didn’t win an individual medal until he got two in Slovenia this year — including a stunning gold in Sunday’s 50-kilometer marathon.
Pål Golberg celebrates Saturday after winning his first-ever gold medal in an individual World Championships race. (NordicFocus)
“In these endurance sports, often, you need to go through some years. You need to have the patience and the stamina to just push on. And that’s hard,” Eirik Myhr Nossum, one of the Norwegian coaches in Slovenia, said in an interview. “To do this year after year, to have the financial means, to have the motivation to do the work, to travel — of course, that’s hard. And for most, it doesn’t pay off.”
Brennan’s supporters want to see her keep racing and think she still has room to grow. Whitcomb, the U.S. coach, said he told her immediately after Saturday’s race that he wants to see her at the next world championships, in Norway in 2025, and at the 2026 Olympics.
“We want that medal for her so badly. Just, validation,” he said.
Brennan’s coach back in Alaska, Erik Flora, said that her skiing is still changing every year — like her technique and her skills on downhills.
“Can there be more technical development? I think yes,” Flora said. “Physically, can there be changes? I think so, too.”
Brennan has changed her training and racing framework in the past few seasons to make the months she spends in Europe each year more sustainable and stable.
She’s developed a good relationship with her wax technician, Bjørn Heimdal, and is working more closely with her ski sponsor, Rossignol. And Kornfield lived in Europe this winter, racing ski marathons out of a home base in Italy, instead of back in the U.S.
“The same time zone is huge,” Kornfield said. “It helps a lot.”
Flora, Brennan’s coach, is still 10 time zones away in Alaska, however. Asked after Saturday’s race if she would be back at the next world championships, Brennan didn’t have an answer.
“I have no idea. It’s been too much to think about during the season,” she said. “I’m going to take some time in the spring and think about it.”
But Brennan also acknowledged that coming so close to the podium gives her a little extra motivation to stick around. “God,” she said. “I definitely want a medal.”
We’ve promised. And promised and promised. Now, it’s finally time for us to deliver: Answers to dozens of questions that came in from our dozens of listeners. Sadie Bjornsen Maubet, the World Championships medalist from Alaska, joins Devon and Nat to lend her insights into international cross-country ski racing.
We’ll be back as World Championships get started in Slovenia next week; Nat will be on scene. Reach us at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com.
Julia Kern prepares for her Olympic debut on the tracks in Zhangjiakou, CNH. (Photo: NordicFocus)
FasterSkier recently shared a press release on behalf of the US Nordic Olympic Women (US NOW) announcing Julia Kern as the 2022 recipient of the fourth annual Gold Rush Award. The release included comments from 2021 winner Jessie Diggins on the qualities that she, along with the other past winners, recognized made Kern deserving of this year’s award, but it became clear that there was a gap in FasterSkier’s coverage on the history of US NOW and the evolution of the award.
To learn more, FasterSkier connected with the spark that launched Gold Rush Award into existence: recent U.S. Ski & Snowboard hall of fame inductee and early groundbreaker for American women’s skiing, Alison Owen-Bradley. It was Owen-Bradley who planted the seeds to bring together the generations of women who have represented United States in cross-country skiing at an Olympic Games, bringing US NOW into fruition.
According to Owen-Bradley, US NOW filled a gaping hole in connection among the women who helped set the foundation for what is now one of the most successful women’s ski programs in the world. Though each of the 53 women Olympians had played a role in propelling the next generation forward, opportunity for connection between the generations had been lacking. With individual efforts, a network amongst these women slowly began to connect sooner, but when the World Cup swung through Quebec City in March 2019, it provided an ideal opportunity to reunite as a collective.
“We ended up having quite a few Olympic women there,” recalled Owen-Bradley in a call. “And it was fun because we wore our vintage clothing to the race, so we had all kinds of different eras of Olympic clothes. It was so congruent because we were really cheering on the latest, greatest women racing but we were also together with our teammates from the past, and it kind of just kind of grew from there.”
An intergenerational collective of Olympic women reunite at the 2019 World Cup Finals in Quebec City. (Photo: Peggy Shinn)
Having been teammates long before the era of Facebook – in fact, some well before the internet – it had been hard for these women to feel connected and maintain ties after careers ended. Owen-Bradley said that before the reunion, she didn’t have contact information for many of these women, and consequently didn’t feel the relationships had been sufficiently developed among the various generations.
With some word-smithing to nail a catchy acronym, the energy and camaraderie established at this reunion evolved into US NOW. But there’s much more to the name than meets the eye.
“US NOW – being retired from ski racing, who are we now? What have we learned? There’s so much gold in that for mining, in a metaphoric way. All these women, what have they learned? What have they gone on to do? How was it good and bad in their lives to devote their time to this? I don’t think we’ve even come close to exploring that and getting the nuggets [of wisdom] out of what women went through and and got from those experiences. But also, how hard was that? And was it worth it? And what would have made it more worth it? And then to just go forward in a way that uses that wisdom.”
And so, the organization was built by Olympic women and for future generations of Olympic women.
The first Women’s cross-country Olympic Team. The 1972 Games were held in Sapporo, Japan. Bottom row—Gloria Chadwick, pseudo Chaperone, Margie Mahoney, Alison Owen Top Row—Marty Hall, Trina Hosmer, Barbara Britch, Martha Rockwell. (Photo: courtesy Alison Owen-Bradley)
When the coach of the first women’s Olympic team, Marty Hall, was inducted into the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame in the spring of 2018, he invited Owen-Bradley to attend the ceremony, having been one of his original athletes. While traveling through Norway to race at World Masters, a print inspired by the Birkebeiner story caught her eye; instead of the image she was familiar with, which depicted two warriors valiantly carrying Prince Haakon to safety on their trek through the mountains, it was an image of Prince Haakon’s mother, Queen Inga. She too had made the arduous journey on skis to save her son, and yet, Owen-Bradley had never seen her included in the story’s artwork.
Finding it symbolic of the emergence of women’s cross-country skiing in the US over the last 50 years, Owen-Bradley purchased the print, and decided it would be a fitting gift to honor Hall at the ceremony. “He had been the first Olympic coach for women and had kind of gotten us on the map.”
However, the piece of artwork was large. She laughed as she recalled giving it to him, but also telling him it did not need to take up a wall in his home.
“We decided that it would be a traveling picture, and we would pick someone every year to give it to, and so out of that came this idea [for the award].”
In 2019, following the World Cup, the Inga Award was presented to its first recipient: Rosie Brennan. Having rebounded from a season impaired by the effects of the mononucleosis virus, Brennan was selected based on the “courage, fortitude, grit, determination and raw talent [it took] to achieve an extremely high level of success on the international ski racing circuit [that] season.”
Over the next year, however, Owen-Bradley began to dwell on why the image of a Norwegian woman should be the symbol for the efforts of the women in the American cross-country program. She began looking for inspiration closer to home, eventually finding an equally strong, noteworthy, and under-recognized alternative.
“I changed it to the Gold Rush award because in the High Sierras during the Gold Rush era, women were nordic racing. Not on the same levels that we do it [now], but they had cross country races that that women raced in… So I thought, ‘Oh, what a cool thing — the Gold Rush.’”
She also noted the ties between racing for gold medals at the Olympics, which Kikkan Randall and Jessie Diggins achieved in 2018. Working with artist Andy Rogers, a new image was created, superimposing the image of a woman on skis in the High Sierra on the bust and profile of a determined and modern-looking woman in a race headband and sport sunglasses. In 2019, this image was presented to co-recipients Sadie Maubet Bjornsen and Sophie Caldwell Hamilton.
Gold Rush Award: (Artist Andy Rogers)
While each of the women mentioned to this point have unquestionably racked up an impressive resume of results, the award is not meant to recognize what happens on the race course directly. Rather, Owen-Bradley explained a recipient is selected for the award by “exemplifying and showing the grit and the grace that it takes to be successful.” It’s what happened behind the scenes to get the result, not the result itself.
“An example would be Sophie whose mother died [in 2019] and she still went on with such grace and was so successful through all of that. And Sadie because of all the injuries she worked through and kept going… So, to me, it’s been about the grit and the grace of what it takes to be a woman nordic ski racer at that level.”
Approaching the 50-year mark of her own Olympic debut and now focusing more of her time and energy on her small farm in Idaho rather than the cross-country ski world, Owen-Bradley explained that this year, she felt less directly connected to the potential recipients for the Gold Rush award. She decided the decision should be made collectively amongst the four previous winners, to which she would add a fifth vote. After some discussion, the group voted unanimously for Julia Kern.
Jessie Diggins and Julia Kern celebrate a second-place team sprint finish in Dresden, GER in December, 2021. (Photo: NordicFocus)
A member of the U.S. Ski Team since 2017, Kern’s progression on the international level has been steady, but non-linear. Alongside leaps forward, she’s faced her fair share of injuries and setbacks. Both the 2020/2021 season and her first Olympic appearances in 2022 left her wanting more, but interjecting these lows during the 2021/22 race season were a slew of career highlights. Her top results include two individual fourth-place sprint finishes on the World Cup, a team sprint podium in Dresden, a handful of other World Cup top tens, and finishing the year winning three out of four events at the joint U.S SuperTour Finals / Canadian National Championships in Whistler, BC.
And in February 2023, she’s heading into a World Championship which will take place at the venue where she earned her first World Cup podium in December 2019: Planica, Slovenia.
Sophie Caldwell Hamilton / Julia Kern
Julia Kern / USST Coaches
Smiles and hugs all-around to celebrate Julia Kern’s first World Cup podium in Planica, Slovenia in December 2019. Kern finished third in the freestyle sprint, with Sophie Caldwell Hamilton just behind in fourth. (Photos: NordicFocus)
According to the past award recipients on the selection committee, it was the juxtaposition of these celebrations and challenges over the last few seasons that highlighted Kern’s candidacy for the award this spring.
“To me, what is special about this award, is first that it was voted on by this very incredible group of women who all share tenacity and drive to get through challenges and be better on the other side and second, that it awards just that and not results,” explained Brennan in an email. “Julia exemplifies this in her ability to be a strong teammate, no matter what the circumstances are. She holds her head high and goes out of her way to never bring people down when things are tough, aren’t going her way, or she’s faced with a challenge. When something doesn’t work out for her, she immediately jumps gears and does literally whatever she can to help her teammates have success.
“On top of that, she doesn’t lose faith in herself, she continues to fight, look for opportunity and carry an optimistic outlook towards her future. She has shown this many times after coming off a slump, injury, or some other challenge to find herself notching career bests. I think these things aren’t mutually exclusive and that we all have a lot to learn from Julia’s ability to be an exceptional teammate and in turn have that give her energy to continue chasing her own goals.”
Smooth and powerful, Julia Kern races through the heats during a classic sprint in Falun, SWE in March 2022. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Commenting on her nomination, Kern attributed her own success to the efforts of the women who came before her, including those who would present her with the award.
“I am incredibly honored to be given the Gold Rush Award by such an incredible group of women. US NOW is a group of women who have paved the way for U.S. skiing, many of whom have been personal role models and mentors to me in skiing and in life. I would not have had the opportunities, experience and knowledge without their hard work and passion for giving back to the younger generations. The past few years have been challenging for a variety of factors, and it was rewarding to come back stronger with my best season yet.”
As the list of award winners grows and US NOW builds momentum, Owen-Bradley hopes the award can be expanded to include a monetary prize in addition to the print and tribute. Acknowledging the increase in representation for women across various aspects of skiing, such as coaching and waxing, she would love to see new awards developed to recognize these important examples also.
When Owen-Bradley began skiing as a child in the 1960’s, her only option was to join the boys program; Title IX did not pass until June 1972, at which point she was 19 and had already raced at a World Championship. As she reflected on the amount of opportunity for women in cross-country skiing now, and what the creation of US NOW and the Gold Rush Award means to Owen-Bradley personally, she expressed feelings of joy and optimism.
“For me to go from not having a place, to having these strong women’s teams – it’s just so fun.”
Alison Owen-Bradley, a pioneer of elite level women’s cross-country skiing in the U.S. (courtesy photo)
Erik Bjornsen, Sadie Bjornsen Maubet, and Rosie Brennan enjoy a very different race atmosphere at NordicX. (Photo: Eric Maurer / NordicX)
What comes to mind when you think of a cross country ski race? Depending on your location and how you choose to interact with the sport, there are likely a variety of answers to the question, but it’s likely that there are some common themes.
“Cross country events are pretty much all the same when you boil them down, you know?” said retired US Ski Team member and 2018 Olympian Reese Hanneman. “It’s a test of endurance and speed over a set course, and it’s timed, and you’re usually out there in the woods alone. And I mean, that’s what cross country [racing] always will be, but I always felt like there was room for more.”
In what he described as “living out [his] 10 year old dream”, Hanneman set out to break this mold. His dream came to fruition on April 2nd in his home of Anchorage, Alaska, as cross country skiers from the junior level to recent Olympians careened down the slopes at Hilltop Ski Area, rounding tight turns, skating uphill, and catching air – with some not-so-graceful landings – off of jumps before finishing amidst a festival atmosphere at the base. The event was NordicX, an untimed, head-to-head “nordic-cross” event where style points on the final kicker into the finish might earn you a lucky loser spot in the next round.
“I knew that there was a lot of appetite for [an event like] that because every time I coach kids, which has been quite a bit over my career, I see that same energy and excitement for hitting jumps and sessioning little whoopty-dos or tabletops. And basically, there’s no cross country event that caters to that.”
One of many kids enjoying the features on course and in the Kiddie Cross terrain park at NordicX. (Photo: Eric Maurer / NordicX)
While Hanneman wanted a non-traditional event, he was not looking to eliminate the character or skills of cross country skiing altogether. He pulled from his experience competing in the 2016 Red Bull Nordix event at Lake Louise in Alberta, where he raced against other top international skiers including Norway’s Petter Northug and his US Ski Teammate Andy Newell.
“It was so fun and it was so crazy and scary and fast. And I was like, ‘Man, I need to bring this to Alaska.’”
In creating his own event, he said he wanted to navigate the “delicate balance of new, exciting, and extreme, but also staying true to cross country skiing. It’s one thing to build a little booter next to the xc ski trail and ski ’round and ’round hitting it with your friends, and it’s another to try and package that experience into a full-on event that offers excitement for all ranges of skills and ages.”
JC Schoonmaker does a 360 into the finish at NordicX. (Photo: Eric Maurer / NordicX)
“I knew it needed the right venue,” Hanneman continued. “I wanted something ‘net downhill’ because otherwise I felt like it would be too similar to other xc races, a loop with the same start and finish meant that in order to have a huge downhill you would need a huge uphill. But I also wanted it to be ‘cross country’, so that it truly rewarded good cross country skiers, and so that cross country skis were truly the best tools for the job.”
As the course and conditions hinged on both the weather and Hilltop’s grooming, an official course map was never set. To ensure the event catered to skiers beyond the nucleus of elite skiers based in Anchorage, an A-, B-, and C-Line was established on each of the features, making air-time not requisite and allowing athletes to select a route that felt safe, at the expense of simply forgoing the fastest line, which might pay off in the end if it kept the racer upright with equipment intact.
Holding to the spirited theme of the event, Hanneman described it as “a freestyle event in both feel and in practice,” meaning there were no official course maps, no timing, and plenty of subjectivity in the results. Get sendy and try to 360 off the final kicker into the finish only to crash and stall out before the line? Style points – you just became the lucky loser and can move on. Flooded legs from the uphill sprint section cause you to catch an edge off the drop and yard sale? The crowd loved it – lucky loser spot for you also.
Not everyone stuck the landing at the finish of NordicX… (Photo: Eric Maurer / NordicX)
No official prologue seeded athletes; after a few hours where skiers could preview the course, the event simply kicked off with heats of six in the quarterfinal, splitting the 100 athletes between open and junior men’s and women’s categories. Among the field were six Olympians: alphabetically, Erik Bjornsen, Rosie Brennan, Hannah Halvorsen, Logan Hanneman, Sadie Bjornsen Maubet, and JC Schoonmaker, most of whom ended up on the podium at the end of the day. Next year, Hanneman hopes to include additional categories for parents, masters skiers, etc.
For those who weren’t up for racing or couldn’t quite match the on-ski agility of Maubet or Schoonmaker, a continuous stream of raffles offered plenty of alternative opportunities to win. A DJ fed the energy at the base, while emcees Rob Whitney and Lee Bolling kept the momentum alive between heats, announcing the winners of numerous prizes from sponsor companies like Odlo, Fischer, Oakley, Skull Candy, Toko, and more.
Emcees, director of radness, associate director of send: keeping the energy high at the base with continuous prize drawings. (Photo: Eric Maurer / NordicX)Rosie Brennan charges around a tight turn as she races through the heats at NordicX. (Photo: Russell Hood / NordicX)
Though these factors added to the festival atmosphere at the base, spectating alone was plenty exciting. In particular, the finish of the senior men’s final was one to watch.
“You couldn’t have scripted a better finish,” Hanneman laughed. “You had JC Schoonmaker, who’s one of the fastest sprinters in the world right now, and Erik Bjornsen, who was just on fire all day back from retirement. [They were] just completely sending it and just flying through this final steep slalom section, and Erik is trying to catch JC, and JC is trying to hold him off. They go to the finish, over this big table top, and everyone’s holding their breath. JC goes off it and does this massive spread-eagle.”
But he didn’t stick the landing. Landing a little too far in the backseat, Schoonmaker’s skis washed out from underneath him, leaving him sliding across the snow toward the inflated archway that marked the finish. He stalled out just before reaching the line.
“Erik is coming at Mach 50, about to beat him to the line. JC has to roll over and, like, flops [his skis] over the line.”
Erik Bjornsen sticks the landing, but JC Schoonmaker flops over the line first for the win.a (Photo: Eric Maurer / NordicX)
From a photo finish, Schoonmaker was awarded the victory, with Bjornsen narrowly taking second. U20 APU athlete Michael Earnhart skied to third, taking the final podium step.
“NordicX was one of the most fun races I’ve participated in,” wrote Schoonmaker after the event. “It took me back to middle school building jumps with my friends and seeing how far we push the skinny ski boundaries. Everyone who took part in putting the race on did a great job and with the spectators who came out, it really just had a good vibe to it. Everyone was having a great time and I’d definitely like to do it again. My highlight was watching some of the younger skiers before the race who were hitting the last jump doing 360’s and backflips and seeing how pumped up they were to be there.”
The men’s NordicX podium: JC Schoonmaker came out on top in a dramatic photo finish with Erik Bjornsen, while Michael Earnhart took third. (Photo: Ophira Group / NordicX)
In the senior women’s senior division, it was a current and former APU athlete sweep, with Sadie Bjornsen Maubet taking the win ahead of Hannah Halvorsen in second and Rosie Brennan in third.
“Nordic X was a super fun event, with a fun new twist to nordic skiing, and nordic ski spectating,” wrote Bjornsen Maubet. “Reese did an amazing job of dreaming up this super fun and social way to share our sport with our community… I relied on my thirty years of spending most of my days on nordic skis to attempt to gracefully make it down the little jump park. Though incredibly inspired by all the young kids catching tons of air, and throwing font and back flips, I figured I better save those moves for another life. The day was full of tons of laughs, cheers, and excitement. It felt special to put a bib on beside my previous teammates, and participate in the fun.
“I look forward to watching this spectator friendly event grow in the Anchorage Community. I think my husband had the most fun of us all, as he showed up with his chainsaw without the blade, some flares, and wearing a hat that said ‘Make the Bjornsen’s Great Again’. He was the cheering squad of the day, representing his French blood and the famous French Team Valoche cheering squad.”
The women’s podium at NordicX: Sadie Bjornsen Maubet took the top spot ahead of Hannah Halvorsen and Rosie Brennan. (Photo: Ophira Group / NordicX)When you can’t spray, pour. Winner Sadie Bjornsen Maubet shares a champagne celebration with third place Rosie Brennan. (Photo: Ophira Group / NordicX)
For Hanneman, there were also a number of smaller highlights he’s enjoyed looking back on. While marking the course with food coloring, he loved watching skiers riding the lift to the top of the course on their skinny skis, and seeing athletes from 13-year-olds to veteran racers sessioning the course to dial in their lines and strategize. During the heats, he watched a number of young athletes gain confidence, and perhaps some additional skills, after working through initial trepidation surrounding the new race experience.
“There were some juniors who you could see at the start of the day were pretty intimidated by the last part of the course, which was really steep and had some sharp slalom turns,” Hanneman explained. “It was definitely challenging their skill level. And by the end of the day, like they were coming through and just ripping, and they were having so much fun and you could tell they had gotten a lot better just in a couple hours.”
One of many kids enjoying the features on course and in the Kiddie Cross terrain park at NordicX. (Photo: Eric Maurer / NordicX)
For those 12 and under and too young to compete on the full course, there was a “Kiddie Cross” course, which included banked turns, tabletops, a rhythm section, and a number of other terrain park features for kids to play on and session.
“The parents love it, right? Because the parents are just sitting there in the sun, watching their little kids just love cross country skiing.”
He commented that he had friends who had been trying to sell their child on cross country skiing but felt like it was a hard sell compared to downhill skiing. “They were like, ‘Oh, man, I’ve been trying to get her out on their cross country skis all year and they don’t want to go,’ and they brought him to this event and their kids were like on their on their cross country skis just doing laps up the hill 1000 times so they could go back and hit the jumps again. So for me, that right there is like the essence of this event.”
A pair of NordicX racers ride the chairlift with their skinny skis. (Photo: Andre Horton / NordicX)
In reflecting on the event and its impact on the local cross country ski community, Hanneman felt it added “a shot of energy… I mean, there’s so many cool races out there, but this is just a little bit different. And I think it gets people excited.”
While the biggest air and most impressive skill was seen from the elite racers, Hanneman kept coming back to the youth participating in the event, highlighting that it really was his boyhood dream to see an event like this in Alaska.
“Something like this would have probably excited me for a whole year like knowing that it was coming. And I think the more people that we get excited about cross country skiing the better, because I think it can be a really fun sport, but, let’s be honest, sometimes it has this perception of being kind of slow and boring, and hard.”
He described it as the type of event that could nudge skiers with that perception to give it a try, opening their eyes to what’s possible and how fun the sport can be. While there are perhaps other locations in the US that might be a candidate to host, Hanneman also explained why Anchorage is an ideal location for NordicX.
Spectators catch the NordicX action from the base of the Hilltop Ski Area in Anchorage. (Photo: Eric Maurer / NordicX)
“We have a huge ski market here, massive participation in high school skiing, and obviously a ridiculous number of elite-level racers here.”
On all accounts, the first year of NordicX was a success, which begs the question: what are the plans for next year?
“So many people came up and were like, ‘I can’t wait for next year.’ And I’m like, ‘Oh, man, I don’t know.’ I haven’t necessarily committed, you know? This was a crazy undertaking.”
Since retiring from professional ski racing, Hanneman has been investing his time and energy in starting and serving as CEO for the PR agency, Ophira Group. He and his wife also welcomed a baby girl in March, 2021, and he’s remodeling their family home. He expressed that pulling off the inaugural event was already “pushing the limits” of what he should take on.
Balancing CEO and family life with NordicX planning, Reese Hanneman hosts the xc ski event of his childhood dreams. (Photo: Ophira Group / NordicX)
“I do want to say thank you to the team that we put together which includes Lauri Bassett (exec. administrator at Cross Country AK) and Rob Whitney, and the people at Hilltop, because without them, this absolutely would not have happened.”
As for next year, “people are too excited about it for it to not happen again.” And he wants to see it happen for a second year. To pull it off, he anticipates putting together a larger team to more evenly distribute the workload, “just so that we can all maintain a healthy NordicX-life balance.”
American cross-country skier Jessie Diggins scores another Olympic medal in Beijing, this time a silver, gutting out a strong race even though she was suffering from food poisoning. We break down the full 30 k freestyle race with Therese Johaug’s win and a furious chase for bronze. And we’re thrilled to welcome guest hosts Holly Brooks and Sadie Maubet (Bjornsen), the retired U.S. Olympians who joined us from Alaska.
We’ll be back when the World Cup resumes in Lahti next weekend. (Seriously?! So soon.) Get us at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com in the mean time.
We know we haven’t gotten to all your questions over the course of the Olympics, but we hope to catch up with a mailbag episode soon once things settle down.
Sadie Maubet (Bjornsen) and Holly Brooks snap a picture during an Olympic watch party in Anchorage. (Courtesy photo)
The scene from an exchange during the World Championship team sprint in Oberstdorf, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)
This World Championship coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and their A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage please contact info@fasterskier.com.
And now for something completely different. The skate team sprint.
Three roughly 1-kilometer loops each for 7.2 k total, relatively flat with just two brief upticks per lap, winding back and forth along the valley floor in Oberstdorf, Germany. Would the terrain be enough for one team to pull away from others or would it be an empty-the-tank last two laps, fighting for every centimeter?
From semifinal A, advanced the Swedish team of Maja Dahlqvist and Jonna Sundling, who won their heat by nearly two seconds ahead of the Russian Ski Federation (RSF), represented by Yulia Stupak and Natalia Nepryaeva, Norway, and Finland. Three teams finished within a second in Semifinal B, with Slovenia’s Eva Urevc and Anamarija Lampic edging out Rosie Brennan and Sadie Maubet Bjornsen for the U.S., and the Swiss Women, Laurien van der Graaff and Nadine Fähndrich. Germany and the Czech Republic also advanced from the second wave of semis.
Note that four teams advanced from each heat of the semifinals with the next two fastest times, a change from the usual top two teams plus six fastest times. This change was made based on the weather and conditions on the course.
Rosie Brennan marks Russia’s Yulia Stupak during the World Championship team sprint in Oberstdorf. (Photo: NordicFocus)
So far in this World Championship, Brennan had only raced the classic sprint qualifier and Maubet Bjornsen not at all, perhaps leaving them fresh for this competition. American voices could be heard shouting words of encouragement as the women toiled around the course as a large group through the first four exchanges. At the third exchange at 3.6 k, the US was sitting in fifth, 2.3 seconds behind Sweden in the lead and in contact.
Slowly, Sweden began to turn up the dial, building intensity. However, as the final laps took off, any ground Dahlqvist gained on her competitors was closed as they descended off the first roller and headed into the primary climb of the course. It was here that RSF’s Stupak began to challenge, duking it out with Dahlqvist but unable to pull away.
Sweden’s Dahlqvist leads the way in the World Championship team sprint in Oberstdorf, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)
After the final change, it was Sweden and RSF at the front, with a small gap to Norway, the U.S., and Switzerland with Slovenia a few meters back.
In the final lap, the tempo accelerated, poles whipped through the air, and any predictions of what might happen were laid wayside.
As Sundling tried to pull away, Fähndrich quickly closed the gap to the front, skiing at the Swede’s hip. Nepryaeva began to fall off the pace, and was being caught by Maubet Bjornsen and Lampic. Though Sundling and Fähndrich held ground at the front, the podium was within reach for each nation.
Rosie Brennan (USA) tails Eva Urevc (SLO) and Yulia Stupak (RSF) during the World Championship team sprint in Oberstdorf, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)
At the top of the intermediate climb and on the outside of the left-hand curve, Maubet Bjornsen ski was caught in a tangle, dropping her to her knee and stalling her momentum at an inopportune moment. The American rebounded quickly but was no longer able to fight for the top spots.
Making their way for the last time up the primary climb, Sweden and Switzerland, alone up-front, created a small gap to Nepryaeva. Meanwhile, Lampic of Slovenia was closing in and looking strong.
The final moments of the World Championship team sprint in Oberstdorf, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Sundling was first into the final lanes, with Fähndrich a ski length behind, matching but not able to overtake the Swede. The women soared to the finish with Sweden holding its ground for the win, Switzerland finishing just under a second behind for the silver medal.
Sweden’s Jonna Sundling and Maja Dahlqvist take home World Championship gold in the team sprint. (Photo: NordicFocus)
“It was so fun to race today,” Dahlqvist told FIS after the race. “But it was hard too, the conditions were a little warm. It was easier in the qualification.”
Sundling was asked whether she knew how close behind Fähndrich was in the final meters.
“I heard there was someone behind me, but I just had my focus on the finish line and to cross it first.”
Fighting for bronze, Lampic out-sprinted Nepyraeva to bring home a medal for Slovenia (+3.46), leaving RSF in fourth (+3.95).
The women’s podium at the World Championship team sprint in Oberstdorf. Sweden took the win ahead of Switzerland and Slovenia. (Photo: NordicFocus)
The women of Sweden have made their sprint prowess well known this season and were favored to win their third World Championship medal in this event, piggybacking on the 2019 World Championships in Seefeld, Austria. Dahlqvist led the team there too, with Stina Nilsson as the anchor. Both members of today’s Swedish team were coming off of strong results in the opening classic sprint, where Sundling collected a gold medal.
The winners, Sweden’s Maja Dahlqvist and Jonna Sundling, take in their team sprint victory in Oberstdorf. (Photo: NordicFocus)
However, a medal for Switzerland and Slovenia, while not unexpected, is perhaps a more novel result. The duo of Van der Graaff and Fähndrich won the team sprint in Dresden, Germany earlier this season, but this is the historic first Swiss medal in the event and the first women’s medal for Switzerland since 1987, a bronze earned by Evi Kratzer in the 5k classic.
Laurien Van Der Graaf (SUI) watches her teammate, Nadine Fähndrich, bring home a silver medal for their team. (Photo: NordicFocus)Laurien van der Graaff and Nadine Fähndrich take silver for Switzerland. (Photo: NordicFocus)
“We always said we want that medal,” Van der Graaff told the Swiss news outlet SRF. And now it’s there! No idea, the emotions are there. It’s incredible.”
Commenting on when they knew they could celebrate, Fähndrich replied, “I was only really sure when I crossed the line. She had tagged off to me in a great position, with only a little bit of a gap to [positions] one and two. Then I felt that those athletes around me tried a little to play tactical games, but I just thought no, I had to risk it because I felt good. I just knew ‘all out now’!”
Laurien van der Graaff and Nadine Fähndrich celebrate with their tech after earning a World Championship silver medal in the team sprint. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Despite the size of their team and country, the Slovenian team of Urevc and Lampic took 3rd in Dresden and won the most recent World Cup team sprint in Ulricehamn, Sweden. Slovenia also took silver in the 2019 Championships in Seefeld. Taking home her second medal of this Championship, 25-year-old Lampic also leads the overall World Cup sprint standings.
Eva Urevc and Anamarija Lampic of Slovenia bring home a World Championship bronze medal in the team sprint in Oberstdorf, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)Sadie Maubet Bjornsen helps the Americans to a 5th place finish at the World Championship team sprint. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Finishing alone, Maubet Bjornsen brought the American women home in fifth (+5.83), matching the team’s result in this event at the 2019 World Championships.
When asked if they were left wanting, Brennan gave an optimistic and grateful response:
“I’m actually really happy with it,” she said. “It’s been, quite literally, a career-long dream to do a team sprint with Sadie. She’s been a best friend and training partner for the entirety of my professional career, so I was just so happy and excited to even get this opportunity. I know that we are capable of more on any given day, but that’s ski racing — you go out there and you give it your all. Some days you win, some you don’t. But it was honestly a pretty special day for me.”
Rosie Brennan marks Russia’s Yulia Stupak during the World Championship team sprint in Oberstdorf. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Perhaps envisioning the hang-up in the last lap, Maubet Bjornsen discussed the degradation of the course between the semifinal and final. She explained that the tracks were fast, firm, and tactical in the final, becoming more dangerous as the transformed snow began to break down and accumulate on the surface. In these deeper conditions, Maubet Bjornsen explained that a skier must be aware of their equipment at all times to stay upright and powerful.
However, reflecting on their performance, she too focused on the positive, commenting on the years and hours the two have spent training and racing together throughout their careers, beginning as juniors.
Rosie Brennan and Sadie Maubet Bjornsen prepare for the World Championship team sprint in Oberstdorf, Germany. (Photo: Tom Horrocks/USST)
“I feel like we skied an awesome race,” Maubet Bjornsen said. “Unfortunately, I got stepped on the first uphill which took me out of the draft and I couldn’t quite find the gear to come back to [the group]. Which is a bummer because my skis were incredible and I feel like if I would have been with those girls over the top of the second climb it could have been a medal day, but like Rosie said, you can never count on that, but I think it’s pretty cool that my number one training buddy and me were in a fight for a medal. That’s pretty neat. If you would have asked us that at 14-years-old, beating on each other, we would have laughed at you. So I think if we brought our 14-year-old selves here, we’d be pretty darn proud.”
A trip down memory lane. (Photo: Instagram @sbjornsen)
Jessie Diggins (yellow bib) strides amidst a pack of contenders during the 10 k mass start classic in Falun, Sweden. (Photo: NordicFocus)
This World Cup coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and their A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage please contact info@fasterskier.com.
In case you missed it, yesterday’s 10-kilometer skate in Falun, Sweden was a standout day for the Americans, highlighted by a gutsy victory by Jessie Diggins. How deep into the well Diggins explored was evident in her writhing and occasionally dry heaving body at the finish as she regained enough oxygen and composure to stagger to the leader chair. She upset the prolific Norwegian distance champion Therese Johaug, whose 66 World Cup distance victories both garner immense respect and some frustrated “She won again…” comments from non-Norwegian followers.
But the story does not end there. Rosie Brennan skied to 8th and Sadie Maubet Bjornsen landed in 10th in her first World Cup race of the season. Three in the top 10 in a full field hungry to to prove their mettle before World Championship selections are solidified. Not a bad day in the office.
On the front lines, Jessie Diggins (left) and Rosie Brennan (right) take to the course during the 10 k mass start classic in Falun, Sweden. (Photo: NordicFocus)
In today’s 10 k mass start classic, the excitement builds a little differently. Versus a drawn out rise in excitement as the splits of the seeded group fly by the various checkpoints, today was head-to-head, with all eyes on what Johaug’s rebuttal would be and how the American’s (and Swedes and Russians and the remaining Norwegians, for that matter) would respond.
Mass start and classic technique, in which Johaug excels. Conversely, Diggins’ has struggled to achieve the same results in classic as skate, though she has displayed marked progress this season.
Jessie Diggins watches her finish time hold up against distance champion Therese Johaug in the 10 k skate in Falun, SWE. (Photo: NordicFocus)
In a pre-race interview, FIS phrased the question to Diggins as this. “What are you in for today?”
“Oh boy! [It’s] a very different race!” she laughed. “I’m very excited to give it my all. All you can give on race day is your own effort. I’m looking forward to crossing that finish line knowing I gave it everything I had. For me, if I can do that, then it was a good day.”
Awaiting the gun to send them off, the athletes quietly slid back and forth in the squeaky frozen tracks, keeping nerves at bay and blood flowing in the single digit Fahrenheit temps. Skiers familiar with an outing in such conditions understand the sounds that go along with these conditions. The cacophonous start sounded like a lightsaber battle.
Germany’s Katharina Hennig (center) chases Therese Johaug (NOR) with Ebba Andersson (SWE) in pursuit. (Photo: NordicFocus)
It was clear early that Johaug and her teammate Heidi Weng wanted to push the pace. They attempted to pull away from the group in the opening kilometers creating a small gap. But in the first downhill back toward the stadium, Diggins gave them something to worry about. Her skis like rockets, she overtook them in the descent, slingshotting around the curve and into the lead as they lapped through the stadium.
In fact, no one could break away. Not even the breakaway specialist Johaug. At the 5 k mark, the top-10 skiers were separated by less than two seconds, with Diggins sitting fifth, smack in the middle.
Left to right, Heidi Weng (NOR), Jessie Diggins, and Frida Karlsson (SWE) stride toward the finish of the 10 k classic in Falun, Sweden. (Photo: NordicFocus)
After a sprint bonus point opportunity at 5.8 k, which was narrowly snagged by Johaug over Sweden’s Ebba Andersson, the pace began to accelerate. At roughly the 6.5-kilometer mark, Johaug began her surge, creating a new gap of a couple seconds by the subsequent top of the climb. But the slinky phenomenon repeated itself, as Andersson, Linn Svahn, Katharina Hennig, and Weng closed the gap on the descent to the stadium. Diggins fought hard to maintain contact, tucked in behind Sweden’s Frida Karlsson just behind the leaders with a train of chasers close on their tails.
With 1 k of downhill and fast terrain to go, this pack was still tight, Svahn and Hennig pushing from the front. An ill-timed crash on a downhill curve took Anderson, who had been in 4th, out of contention, but one could not look away as five remaining women flew toward the finish.
Hammering the uphills, Johaug crested the final sustained climb in the lead, tucking as she pushed into the final sweeping downhill. Svahn stayed tight in the corner, hugging the v-board and capitalizing on her fast skis to sneak by Johaug on the inside. The Swede held herself less than a ski-length ahead of Johaug over the final rollers and into the finish lanes. At that point, it was all over; Johaug was no match for the sprint star’s closing speed.
Linn Svahn (SWE), Katharina Hennig (GER), Therese Johaug (NOR), (l-r) closing down on the finish line on Saturday. (Photo: NordicFocus)Linn Svahn (SWE), Yulia Stupak (RUS), Katharina Hennig (GER), Therese Johaug (NOR), (l-r) poling in for a tight finish. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Poles whipping in double pole fury, Svahn held her ground at the front to stop the clock at 25:57.1. Meanwhile, Russia’s Yulia Stupak sprinted past Johaug in the final meters to take second (+0.4), while Hennig forced the final podium position to be decided by photo. It was determined that Johaug held onto third (+0.9).
The women’s 10 k mass start classic podium: Yulia Stupak (RUS) second, Linn Svahn (SWE) first, and Therese Johaug (NOR) third (l-r). (Photo: NordicFocus)
“I was really looking forward to competing because I’ve been home since the Tour de Ski and I felt pretty strong the last week,” Svahn told FIS after the race. “I just tried to keep my focus on the course and do everything right. When they couldn’t get a gap on the last uphill, the hardest uphill, I thought, ‘Well, now it’s my turn to try to do my best to the finish line.’
“I felt strong and had really amazing skis,” Svahn continued. “It was a victory for the whole team, especially the waxers, because my skis were unbelievable.”
In a gutsy finish, Sweden’s Linn Svahn takes the win in the Falun 10-kilometer mass start classic. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Yana Kirpechenko (RUS) finished at the back of the tight lead group in 5th (1.9), with Norway’s Helene Fosseholm bringing in the chase pack in 6th (+7.7), Diggins 7th (+8.3), and Weng 8th (+8.8).
“Today was awesome,” wrote Diggins in an email. “We had really competitive skis, and I actually have been loving how cold it is because when it’s cold like this I feel like I can just keep pushing and pushing my body! This course had a lot of power striding, and I was just focused so hard on keeping my technique as together as I could with a flooding body. I was sending it as hard as I could the entire race, and I’m very proud of that effort. And fun to be so close to the front in a classic race!”
Jessie Diggins, filling the lungs after placing 7th on Saturday. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Sadie Maubet Bjornsen was next up for the Americans, finishing in a pack of chasers in 15th (+35.7).
“Another exciting day of racing in Falun here,” Maubet Bjornsen emailed. It is the first time in a while that I have started a ways back in a mass start, and boy, it is a different type of racing! Huge respect for all those who put together amazing races from that position! I kind of felt like I was burning matches more than I would have loved just trying to weave my way through.
“I was once again feeling encouraged by these first races. With five weeks away from hard intensity as I have worked through a back injury, my huge achievement was making it to the finish line. Classic has been particularly tough for it, so today was a real wild card. But I had some really encouraging feelings, and I look forward to working towards more exciting feelings in the weeks to come.”
Back on the World Cup, Sadie Maubet Bjornsen puts together solid back to back distance results with a 15th place finish in the 10 k classic mass start in Falun, Sweden. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Maubet Bjornsen took her first long-term absence from international skiing recently. During the pandemic, she has remained mostly in Anchorage, Alaska working and training.
“After spending 11 months away from [World Cup] racing, this weekend has been particularly fun to just kind of re-remember how this works. I haven’t yet raced without spectators, and I will say it is a different feeling. It almost feels like a super serious summer time trial. You hear your coaches cheering more than ever, which is kind of fun in a new way! It kind of takes racing back to the core, which is special.”
Outside the top-30, Rosie Brennan took 33rd (+1:15.6), followed by Katharine Ogden in 42nd (+1:49.1), Sophia Laukli 50th (+2:37.1), Caitlin Patterson in 51st (+2:41.2), and Alayna Sonnesyn in 56th (+3:33.2).
Post-Race Comments from U.S. Head Coach Matt Whitcomb.
Rosie Brennan finishes 33rd in the 10k mass start classic in Falun, Sweden. (Photo: NordicFocus)Face covered at the finish, Katharine Ogden skied to 42nd in the 10 k mass start classic in Falun, Sweden. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Leading the Canadian women with her second individual top-30 in two World Cup stops was Katharine Stewart-Jones in 17th (+36.2), her career best individual result at this level. Despite a string of wins and podiums last season, both domestically and in Opa Cup events, and a top-30 finish in the 2020 Scandinavian World Cup Ski Tour, a seemingly break-through season, Stewart-Jones was not named to the Canadian national team for 2020/2021. Another top-20 result will automatically qualify her to make the team next season.
“It was a super fun race,” Stewart-Jones wrote after the race. “The pace went out hot but I knew it was the type of course where gaps are hard to make but also hard to close so my goal was to get myself into a good position in the first lap and hold on. The techs did an awesome job with my skis which helped me relax both on the downhills and climbs.
“Overall I’m just extremely happy to be back racing and also very excited about how the team has been performing so far. Cendrine [Browne’s] result yesterday was really inspiring and I am confident that this is just the beginning for our team.”
Stride and glide: Canada’s Katharine Stewart-Jones (bib 35) and Sadie Maubet Bjornsen (bib 24) work their way toward the finish of the 10 k mass start classic in Falun, Sweden. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Cendrine Browne rounded out the Canadian finishers in 38th (+1:45.1). The race saw 60 finishers.
Sadie Maubet Bjornsen matches Astrid Jacobsen (NOR) up the climb in Oberstdorf, 2020. (Photo: NordicFocus)
The cyclic nature of the U.S. Ski Team can be described as a slow churn. The team, most often, invests considerable time and resources on developing promising skiers. Roster turnover, from year to year, is rare. Among those rarefied athletes we take for granted as nearly always being part of the elite of elite is Sadie Bjornsen. Originally from the Methow Valley and now a resident of Anchorage, Alaska where she trains with APU, the soon to be 31 year old mulled some major career moves this off-season. Her brother Erik officially retired last year from international competition. And the on-the-road life for U.S. World Cup skiers, the live out of a suitcase and hopscotch from venue to venue and hotel room to hotel room existence, became burdensome.
The backstory for Bjornsen is complex. For starters, she suffered an adverse reaction to the antibiotic Levaquine in high school. A side effect of Levaquine can be Achilles tendinopothy. Since that time, she has suffered foot related injuries. Off season training for Bjornsen entails a non-traditional look that often manifest with what we consider a traditional mark of excellence — top 10s and podiums. This, however, is not a retrospective article. There will be time for that in the future. We spoke with Bjornsen earlier this week as a basic pre-season check in.
Below is the interview with Bjornsen who has chosen not to race Period I on the World Cup. She has maintained her training, feels great, and secured a new job.
She’s pressed reset. That wasn’t as easy as it sounds. Bjornsen has known success and skiing and departing for the World Cup each November for years. This season will have a decidedly different look.
When I called, Bjornsen was finishing up a problem set for a statistics class as part of her MBA degree. The interview has been lightly edited for clarity.
***
FasterSkier: What are you up to at the moment?
Sadie Bjornsen: I haven’t been sleeping for like, basically six weeks now just because it’s totally got me hooked, all these problems. And when I can’t solve it, I stay up the whole night trying to figure it out. I’m in this MBA class. It’s modeling analysis using a statistical spreadsheet. It is by far the most difficult class I’ve ever taken, but I’m completely hooked. I’m like, I freaking hate this, but I love it at the same time.
FasterSkier: Do you have Noah Hoffman on speed dial to help you knock out some stats homework?
SB: You know who I do have on speed dial, I speed dial Scott Patterson. He’s my go to for help. We are analyzing things like different health insurance policies and electricity pricing strategies for hydro-power. Here I am trying to analyze electricity, but really, I don’t understand how electricity works in the first place. All things considered, it’s been fun.
FasterSkier: I’m going to shoot straight here. I’m coming into this relatively cold. I’ve not put feelers out to see what you’ve been up to or really been on social media at all for months. All I know is that I was told you weren’t racing Period I on the World Cup.
SB: Yep. I love that. I can relate to that. I think that that’s been something that I have been inspired by a bit too this summer. I’ve taken on a lot of things in my life and as a result of my, my time to be present on social media is a lot less. Let me fill you in. Because the last time I talked to you I wasn’t really ready to be open about what I was doing, and honestly, I did not know.
FasterSkier: OK. I mean, should I mentally prepare for a heavy conversation?
SB: Hah. Nope. Just some real life decisions. The middle of last season was hard for me. I had an awesome period I on the World Cup. I had a super great Tour de Ski, and then I had a slump in the middle of the season.
I think a lot of it was simply that I wasn’t really happy. And in ski racing, I need to be happy. And I also recognized I was really out of balance. I was investing everything in skiing. I have gotten to a really high level like that, but that’s not really who I am. The process that got me good was always a very balanced version of myself — like going to school, doing a lot of things, and not just only focusing on skiing. Then as I started having more success, I felt like I needed to focus more and more.
Nowadays, if you want to make a living out of it at all, you have to invest all your time on things like finding sponsors and being present on social media, recovering well, and doing everything by the book. And I think that I just kind of lost a lot of my greatest strengths doing that.
I got caught in that rabbit hole of feeling like this is what I need to do to be the best. And last winter between the Tour de Ski and the Ski Tour 2020 I was in a slump. Then I started feeling okay and during the first day of the Ski Tour I got the stomach bug. I could not figure out how to get out of that. I just didn’t know and that really sucked. And then with the pandemic, the whole season came to an end.
So that was it. That’s a bummer because when you can end on a good note, generally, that’s always nice.
This spring, I realized I can’t keep doing it this way. I’m not happy, and it’s not sustainable. And I wouldn’t trade what I did for anything, because I reached a really high level, but, I have to think about this a little bit differently and like, find my balance again. And so I don’t know, I guess I explored the idea of quitting skiing.
I wasn’t sure if I was ready for that. And so then I just took the opportunity to have a little bit of silence — meaning no real commitments. I just gave myself time to try to figure out what I wanted. This summer has been so amazing in that respect, and since nobody knows what’s going on in the world it was easier to have no demands. I could work through this on my own without any pressure. I didn’t have to show up at camp in Bend on May 1 and know what I wanted from my skiing.
Sadie Maubet Bjornsen gives a final push across the line for a 9th place finish at the 2019 10-kilometer skate race in Davos, Switzerland. (Photo: NordicFocus)
FasterSkier: What were some of the changes you made to find that balance?
SB: One of the main changes was that I decided to try to get a job. A big stress of mine and something that contributes to a lot of my stress is I feel like I have all my eggs in one basket. And I don’t know what any of the other baskets in my life are.
I asked myself, what do I want to do? I have an accounting non-profit management undergrad degree. I knew there were a lot of really cool avenues to go with that. But this might sound silly, but when I went to go write a resume, I thought all I could list was babysitting.
I just felt like I had nothing to write on my resume. I ended up calling one of the dads of a junior skier on our team — he has a CPA firm in town. I was thinking that since I have an accounting degree, I should go work in a CPA firm. That seemed like a good idea.
And so I called him up and asked if he would hire me? He asked if I wanted to be a CPA and I wasn’t sure. But I knew I should try to see if I like it. He agreed to take me on but he expected me to be up to date on taxes and auditing. I asked him to give me a month because we were fixing all the earthquake damage to our house this spring. Our house was torn to pieces, and we were doing tons of work. So I took that month to get situated.
I graduated from college in 2015, a full five years ago. I understood taxes and auditing, but five years ago. I took a month and studied hard. I decided I’m going to go back to school, I’m going to get a job. And I’m going to ski race.
I knew I could be good at that, that I would be able to focus. I decided I was going to divide my attention instead of putting it all in one place. I think it was this new found balance that helped me not stress about all the unknowns— like would we be racing or not.
So I got this job this summer, and it was awesome. My boss allowed me to start work at noon each day. That way I could get a quality morning session in. I then worked until five or so and could work out again in the afternoon. It worked out well.
I got really into it. I am so glad that I did that. What I learned is that while I am a specialist in one field, that would be skiing, I’m such a beginner in the other world. It was really good emotionally for me and for my personal development to go back to being like a minnow. Just simply knowing nothing and having to admit that I didn’t know anything.
In ski racing, you get to a level where you’re supposed to be the expert and you don’t ask questions. It’s just a different position when you’re supposedly the expert and then you go into a new environment and you have to be okay with asking questions and okay with not knowing and okay with asking similar questions maybe 10 times.
I would say the experience almost balanced me more in skiing at the same time, too. Because it is really like there is no such thing as an expert. You can always learn. I think that’s what I was falling into; thinking like, there is only one way to do it at the highest level. You know — commit your whole heart and being to it. And that’s not who I am.
I just need some balance to keep me happy.
FasterSkier: How long have you felt that the eggs in one basket approach might not be so healthy for you?
SB: Actually, for the majority of my career, I have had school. And I would say until the Olympics in 2018, that’s when I started putting all my focus into ski racing. So it’s only really been maybe two years that I haven’t been quite as balanced.
In 2018 there was enough distraction, like all the Olympic buzz and everything you have to do leading into the Olympics. I think I was able to keep myself busy and it didn’t leave a ton of time to think about perfecting everything.
But then the year after that, in 2019, I think that’s when things started being challenging. For me, I’ve always had injuries and so that provides a different challenge. Dealing with injuries diverts attention, makes me think about getting fit using non-traditional methods. So in that sense there’s kind of a little bit of balance. I would say that has been a savior in a way because it takes the pressure off of being perfect all the time. I’ve always had to find what works for me.
I would say the first eight years of my career I always had school going on, and it was always somewhat stressful. And I recall thinking this is borderline taking away from skiing, but I need it. I know now that it – the schooling – was contributing, not taking away.
That’s what I realized this summer. You know I’ve had this job. It’s been awesome. And then as soon as the end of the summer came, I started studying for the CPA exam, which is what I’m doing right now.
It has all been super intense and I’m going to school on top of that. I’m taking my first CPA exam in mid-December.
FasterSkier: Like I said, I’m coming into this conversation with no intel. So you are still planning to not racing Period I on the World Cup? I mean, recently, Period I has been kind to you in terms of results.
SB: That is the plan. I’m not racing Period I. I can imagine it’s gonna be really hard to not race Period I. But you know, like those feelings I had last summer or last winter were just like, I’m just burnt out on living in a hotel room every single day and just being around the same scene constantly and not being able to mentally recover.
I’m just teaching myself that there’s nothing wrong with doing a little bit less and focusing more. It’s not any different than the way I train: I routinely train with fewer hours than all my competitors. And because I’ve been injured, I’ve always had to do things differently. That doesn’t mean that I race any slower, it just means that I focus those hours, not better per se, but for me, it’s better.
Like it’d be better for me to do fewer hours and have them extremely focused than to try to do a ton of hours and not be as focused. So I guess I would say I’m chasing the same approach to winter racing, but just trying to find a little bit of sustainability with it.
And that means spending Christmas with my family, which I haven’t done for nine years. And experiencing a U.S. Christmas with my husband and my family and then going over to Europe and showing up a little bit later in the season with the same excitement that I always show up in Kuusamo, Finland at the start of the season with.
I think I race the beginning of the year really well because I’m so full of energy, and I love what I’m doing. And then I get burnt out on it. And I think that this will allow me to keep that high energy in the middle of the season for events like the World Championships.
My whole family is now back in the Methow Valley – my brother and his wife, and my sister’s family. That’s been difficult to not be there because my whole family is together, and especially during COVID when you’re not supposed to see anybody. It’d be nice to have my family around.
FasterSkier: That’s right, Erik and his wife, Marine, moved from Anchorage back to the Methow.
SB: I miss Erik and Marine a lot. And honestly, Erik and Marine are my favorite training partners. I used to workout with Marine every afternoon and, of course, Erik would kind of run laps around us, but it’s been really hard because they’re also the two people that make me believe in myself – more than any anybody else.
They both have been super encouraging about doing it my way, and just being confident about it and not having any shame. Because it’s like anything, when you do things differently, at first you’re ashamed because you think you’re doing less than the best.
I actually would love to just be a symbol of making people realize that there’s no one way to do it. And I think that Americans learn that more and more every year. We are constantly having these moments of, ‘wait a minute, we don’t have to do this just because we can do this’, we can constantly become more and more open to new ideas.
The coaches have been so awesome with me. They’re simply telling me you have got to figure out what works for you. And they’ve been supportive and Flora here in Anchorage has been incredibly supportive.
I also have been pretty injured this summer. So it also makes sense to start the season a little bit later.
FasterSkier: Your injuries are the usual issues with your feet?
SB: Yeah, it’s the same thing I usually have going on, it’s just been this foot and back combination. As a result, I spent a lot of July and August walking, which is not the end of the world. But that’s not the training you do to be a world-class skier. So I’m good at finding ways to make non-traditional training methods really useful. For example, when I say I walk, l am probably walking the speed that most people run, so I have gotten good at making things work.
That can also get frustrating. You just feel like you’re just biting yourself all the time and you’re just continuously injured, but at the same time, I am now constantly reminded it’s not the end of the world. In a time like this when COVID is going on, and people are losing their jobs and businesses and their lives, it gives you a lot of perspective. It really is not the end of the world.
And on top of that having all these other things I’m focusing on right now, it’s been like therapy for me. I don’t get as bummed out as I would have, like during the last two years when I have had everything invested. It’s like, OK, well, if this isn’t working, I’m going to dive into this crazy statistics question that’s going to keep me awake the entire night because other great things are going on. There are other ways to challenge myself.
FasterSkier: I’ll take a deep breath here. And considering the complexity of the world and your own life changes, this will sound superficial, but I’ll ask it – how is your fitness?
SB: From a fitness perspective, I will say it is crazy, but I feel fitter than I ever have. And I don’t know if “fit” is the right word, but I feel more open to going fast than I ever have. Because I just feel super balanced and excited every time I get an opportunity to go out and ski. It doesn’t feel like as much of a chore as it has in the last couple years. It feels like an opportunity. And so, I mean, in the event that I do get to race this season, which, who knows what’s going to happen, I look forward to showing myself what I’m capable of when it’s fun and balanced and it all fits in with my life rather than dictating my life.
FasterSkier: Good for you. You do sound like you are in a good place. So off to the Methow for Christmas?
SB: I haven’t shared my plan a whole lot. But I do plan on going home somehow for Christmas. And then Joe, my husband, who is from France, he and I will move over to France at that point for the season. I plan to actually live with him in France and then just travel for the weekends of racing and live more like my European competitors.
FasterSkier:Yeah, so how is the French? Joe is from France as is Erik’s wife, Marine.
SB: So I’ve also been really serious about learning French. But you could say, I’m still learning.
I’ve been in school the whole time. I haven’t had a whole lot of extra time minus these last few years, but the thing that people don’t always realize is trying to make a career out of ski racing takes so much time — just like trying to find sponsors and managing sponsors and managing all of the pieces that go into it. It’s a full-time job. And it hasn’t left me with a ton of mental energy left to challenge myself. I would say that you just live in a constant state of exhaustion in our sport. So it’s easy to just not find the time and find the extra ways to mentally challenge yourself.
And so that’s always been the thing: I’ve had other things going on, so I haven’t learned it. And on top of that, I spend a maximum of seven days a year in France, and Joe speaks perfect English. So honestly, I’ve never had the true motivation to do it until this year when I decided I want to go live in France in between ski races.
And I want to be present when in France. I want to know the other half of my husband. So I have been learning French this summer. And by no means am I fluent yet. But my goal is just to have a base good, enough to be able to participate over there. Because, I think as soon as you get immersed in it, then that’s when the learning really starts.
The plan is to over after Christmas and, of course, now France is shut down. So I’m not sure if that’s going to happen. Well, there’s a lot that we don’t know. But that’s the plan.
FasterSkier: You didn’t speak French with Marine during those training sessions?
SB: No, I think she’s kind of lost hope. And Erik and I, I’ve known all along that if one of us starts it, the other one will — Erik and I are both competitive. I know if Erik becomes more fluent, then that would be the thing that gets me going. And so at Christmas time, it’s my goal to interact with my family in French a little bit so that Erik cannot understand. And then Erik, I know it’ll start the engine in him. And so maybe we can both get our French going.
In bib 4- the U.S Ski Team’s Sadie Bjornsen is locked on during the women’s 2019 4 x 5 k relay in Ulricehamn, Sweden.( Photo: Fischer/Nordic Focus)
The U.S. women (l-r Kikkan Randall, Holly Brooks, Jessie Diggins, and Liz Stephen) after their first ever World Cup relay podium in November 2012. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
ANCHORAGE — The U.S. women’s epochal third-place relay finish at the World Cup stop in Gällivare, Sweden, in November 2012 is justly hailed as an inflection point for American skiing: For the first time in American nordic history, this country had four athletes who were all strong enough on the same day to challenge the traditional Scandinavian powers at their own game. The race begins Peggy Shinn’s historical treatment, World Class: The Making of the U.S. Women’s Cross-Country Ski Team, and features prominently in Jessie Diggins’s recent memoir. Although American ski fans may have subsequently become somewhat inured to success, it was a really big deal at the time – contemporary headlines on this website included phrases like “U.S. Women Shock the World” and “Historic U.S. Performance.”
The first two legs that day in Gällivare were Holly Brooks on the scramble leg, then Kikkan Randall on the second classic leg. (Liz Stephen and Jessie Diggins, who had the skate legs, were obviously of equal importance, but this article is pursuing a selective focus on just three Alaskan athletes in order to introduce a specific op-ed.) When the team did it again a year later, taking third once more at the Lillehammer World Cup stop in December 2013, it was now Randall handing off to Sadie Bjornsen (then Stephen and Diggins once more for the skate legs).
Seven years later, those classic-leg skiers – longtime friends and teammates, for Alaska Pacific University domestically and the U.S. Ski Team internationally – are teaming up once more in support of the ski program at the University of Alaska Anchorage, or UAA.
Flyer for local rally in support of UAA Ski Team. (photo: screenshot from SkiAK email)
In a powerful opinion piece published in Wednesday’s Anchorage Daily News, the three athletes, who have a combined nine Winter Olympics between them, write “on behalf of all the young aspiring athletes in the Anchorage community and the state of Alaska, a place we are proud to hail from.” Brooks, Randall, and Maubet Bjornsen continue, “The [UAA ski] team is an important institution in our community and demonstrates everything that is good about hard work, healthy lifestyles and what you can achieve when you put your mind to it.”
There’s much more. The entire article is worth your time.
Other articles in today’s local paper include a eulogy for UAA hockey – which, like chivalry in the late Middle Ages, seems to have always been in decline – and an opposing opinion piece titled, “Restructuring UAA Athletics creates a foundation for stronger, more sustainable future.”
Next steps
Ski team supporters have launched a petition, which may be found here. Anchorage supporters are planning a short-notice, socially distanced rally for Thursday afternoon at Hilltop Ski Area (see flyer at right). Public comments may be submitted to the University of Alaska Board of Regents at ua-bor@alaska.edu, cc’ing uaa_feedback@alaska.edu.
The Board of Regents will hear public testimony from 4-5 p.m. next Monday, August 31, in advance of its upcoming Board meeting on September 10-11 at which it is scheduled to vote on the chancellor’s proposal to eliminate skiing, men’s hockey, and women’s gymnastics.
Erik Bjornsen on his way to second at 2011 NCAAs in Stowe, Vt., while a freshman at UAA.
ANCHORAGE — It’s déjà vu all over again for alumni and supporters of the University of Alaska Anchorage ski team, following the recent announcement that, for the second time in four years, university administration wishes to cut the team for budgetary reasons. A common theme in their current responses is their concern that this time, the cut may stick.
To start with, consider what Adam Verrier wrote on his blog four years ago, in November 2016. Verrier, who skied for the University of Wyoming in the late 1980s and early 1990s, was a member of the 1994 Olympic team for cross-country skiing. He’s also, by this point, the closest thing that the UAA nordic team has to institutional memory – since the last time the team was threatened to be cut, all athletes and both nordic coaches have completely rolled over.
Then, as now, Verrier wrote solely in his personal capacity. Verrier, who describes himself on his blog profile as “The UAA Nordic Team’s crazy uncle,” has never been on the UAA ski team staff; he has instead served as a volunteer assistant coach for many years. He has no official professional affiliation with the school.
All that said, here’s an excerpt from what Verrier wrote four years ago this fall:
Alaska is sometimes referred to as a “resource extraction state”. For centuries, people have been coming from other parts of the world to Alaska to get their paws on something valuable and bring it back “home” with them. The Russians came to fetch animal pelts and furs. Thousands showed up 120 years ago to dig a bunch of gold out of the ground and cart it back to the mainland. Folks came from the Pacific Northwest to catch salmon in Bristol Bay and cut down trees in Southeast. College students from around the USA come for summer jobs in the tourism industry. And Texans and Okies showed up in the ’70’s and ’80’s for oil, and they’re still here. None of these groups have been particularly concerned with building infrastructure and amenities here in Alaska – the things that enrich our lives, our culture, our cities and towns – because their goal has been to amass wealth and take it back “home”.
I see it all the time at my “day job”, flying around the state and appraising the homes of people who are getting their kit together for their migration back “home” after “putting in their time” in Alaska. I frequently sit next to people on airplanes who say things along the lines of, “I figure I’ve got just a few more years up here and then I should have enough saved and I’ll move the family back to ________. I’ve already bought a parcel of land down there. It’s been a good run, but of course there’s nothing to do up here during the miserable winters.” And I hear the same thing from people selling their homes to move “back home”. Do you think these people want to pay taxes in Alaska and invest in local amenities like libraries, city parks, elementary education, and the state university system? Of course not. They’re extracting resources. They’re extracting wealth. Their priorities lie elsewhere.
The full blog post may be found here. It’s worth your time (and shorter than this fine work, which makes similar points). Verrier’s observations on the historical relationship between Alaska and Outside, and on residents’ views of state spending in a state with no income tax and where residents are literally paid annually just for living here, remain trenchant and applicable today. (More on Verrier later in this article.)
Hailey Swirbul
University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves skiers Hailey Swirbul (l) and Casey Wright (r), photographed on the UAA campus in Anchorage, Alaska, in October 2016. (Photo: Gavin Kentch)
Four years ago, Hailey Swirbul was 18, a college freshman, recently arrived at UAA from Colorado and living on her own for the first time. She spoke with FasterSkier in October 2016 about the recent announcement that University of Alaska administrators wanted to cut the ski team after the 2016/2017 season. Before the three World Juniors medals, before the three (and counting) national championships, before the four (and counting) World Cup top-30 finishes, Swirbul sat in the Alaska Airlines Center next to teammate Casey Wright and told this reporter, somewhat presciently:
I don’t think we were necessarily singled out. But I can’t understand why they would cut skiing in Alaska. I don’t understand that. And I don’t think they understand why they cut us. I don’t know. … Were we singled out? No. Are we some of the best academic and hard-working people at UAA? Yes. And I don’t think they would purposefully single out those types of people to remove.
…
I would never wish this upon anyone else, and I can’t say that I would rather have the gymnastics be cut, or the hockey be cut – because this sucks. And I don’t want anyone to go through this.
Fast forward to 2020, and Swirbul is now a professional skier with Alaska Pacific University, or APU, literally just down the street in midtown Anchorage. Over the weekend, she took a break from training to write to FasterSkier as follows:
Well, it sure is frustrating to say the least. I almost feel a preemptive sense of defeat after going through this process a few years back. I’m afraid that the board is going to do it “right” this time – in their eyes, at least.
To those trying to cut the ski team at UAA, only 20 or so lives would be impacted directly. But they aren’t seeing the bigger picture. Cutting teams that actually have a presence on the collegiate circuit, like UAA, opens a gateway to risk losing skiing as a collegiate sport entirely, in my opinion. Less participants, less viewers/fans, less income. I’ve heard rumors that cutting UAA Alpine and Nordic might make the current RMISA system fail due to too few teams competing.
We all know that skiing is already not the most lucrative of sports, but in my view, it is unmatched in non-monetary benefits. Endurance sport instills a work ethic and drive that you don’t find just anywhere. As far as I know, the UAA Ski Team has been one of, if not THE, top team at UAA academically for years!! These hard-working, involved, dedicated people are the kinds of people I want in my community, and those are the kinds of people that skiing brings to Anchorage. I’m bummed about this announcement, but I can’t say I’m surprised after the way it was left a few years ago. I figured this might happen, and I’m ready to do my part to keep skiing at UAA. I just hope it’s enough.
(As Swirbul accurately notes, members of the UAA ski team have historically been strong students as well as strong athletes. At the 2019 NCAA Championships, for example, Swirbul’s former teammate and 2018 Australian Olympian, Casey Wright, won the Elite 90 Award, presented to the skier at NCAAs with the highest grade point average. Following the 2019/2020 ski season, UAA tied for third nationwide in total selections to the National Collegiate All-Academic Ski Team.)
Sadie and Erik Bjornsen
Sadie Maubet Bjornsen is now known as a longtime member of the U.S. Ski Team, and as a student and athlete at APU. But before the national team nominations, the national championships, the two Olympic teams, the World Championships medal, and the 11 World Cup medals, Sadie was a freshman skier for UAA. (And a pretty good one, too; she finished in the top five in five out of eight races her freshman year on the RMISA circuit, including third overall in the classic race at NCAAs.)
Although she spent just one year at UAA before moving over to APU, Sadie continues to place great value on that year as a stepping stone on her path to the national team. Here’s Sadie (at the time just Sadie Bjornsen, no Maubet yet), in an email to FasterSkier from October 2016:
My year as a Seawolf was one of the most important “steps” of my life. I would have never been drawn to AK fresh out of high school, and discovered this incredible state. I see skiing as a big family with many functioning parts. By eliminating one integral part of the ski community, we are cutting off a strong piece of the family!
I have always considered Alaska to be the best training for a cross country skier in the US. We have the perfect environment for training, including early snow in the fall, and late snow in the spring. I now race professionally, and am a student at Alaska Pacific University while racing World Cup. I see APU as providing the very best opportunity in the world for myself, but, I know this level is not designed for everyone. It is important to have options, and varied levels so that skiers can choose where they want to go, and have a path to where they are looking to reach. I would never give back that year of racing NCAA at UAA, a year that taught me so many lessons! It saddens me to know that won’t be available for everyone anymore!
Erik Bjornsen followed a similar path as his older sister, Sadie: grow up in Mazama, Washington, skiing in the Methow; come to Anchorage to ski for UAA; make a national championship podium as a freshman (Erik was second at the 2011 NCAAs); move to APU to pursue professional skiing outside the NCAA context; become a longtime member of the U.S. Ski Team; marry an athletic French person. (Because American nordic skiing is often just one very small family, Erik’s wife, Marine Dusser-Bjornsen, was an athlete at UAA from 2012–2014, and was interim head coach there for the 2019/2020 season. She was named the RMISA Nordic Coach of the Year for last season before amiably moving on from UAA as she and Erik moved back to Washington.) Erik would go on to ski at two Olympics and log dozens of World Cup top-30s before retiring from professional skiing earlier this year.
Erik took time out from his first post-skiing job, working 12-hour days on construction sites in the Methow, to talk with FasterSkier by phone this weekend.
Much like Sadie, Erik talked about the significance of his time at UAA as the start of his adult life. “It’s not only been an important part of my ski career,” Erik said, “but also it’s where I went after high school; it was the first place I lived away from my parents. I definitely made some of my best friends there. Three of my groomsmen, my best man, were guys that I met at UAA. … It’ll always be a big part of my life, the year I spent there. I’m just thankful that I was able to have that opportunity with the team there, and I’m disappointed that other kids won’t have that same opportunity.”
Marine Dusser was named RMISA Nordic Coach of the Year in her first year leading the UAA Seawolves. (Photo: Adam Verrier)
As someone who raced both within the NCAA system, at UAA, and outside of it, at APU and internationally, Erik shared his perspective on the significance of college skiing to American nordic skiing as a whole: “It’s an important part of the whole system that we have here in the U.S. It’s a smaller part, maybe, but it’s an important part. Alaska is one of the strongest cross-country ski regions in the U.S., and having an NCAA program in that region is quite important. APU does a great job with more of the – in Alaska, I think people think of it as more of the elite, more professional team – but it’s important to have an NCAA program in town, that younger, high school athletes that maybe aren’t quite ready to race on the World Cup can go to UAA. The school just came off one of their best years in a while; they have the second-best, nearly the best men’s team in the U.S.”
(As Erik correctly noted, the UAA men were second among men’s nordic teams at the one-off nordic race that was the 2020 NCAA Championships. The UAA women were fourth in the women’s nordic standings.)
Erik continued, “I’ve always been a big supporter of NCAA skiing. I think it’s an important thing to have in the system. Although I didn’t use it for all five years like some others did, I was definitely able to benefit from UAA, and it was an important part of my development to have it there. I think the whole U.S., especially Alaska, is going to really miss having it.”
Finally, Erik noted, “It’s disappointing to see cross-country skiing going in that direction in Anchorage, when it just seems like, in the U.S., everything else is headed in the right direction for cross-country skiing in this nation. So to be losing one pretty important nordic team in the U.S. is disappointing to see, for sure. … I really thought we were kind of past the point of cutting the team. I hadn’t heard this most recent news, but before Marine had finished at UAA, it sounded like it was in a good position. So I was very shocked when I saw the news.”
Adam Verrier
And finally, back to Adam Verrier, the volunteer assistant coach who, though officially unaffiliated with the school, has unofficially been with the program longer than anyone currently on the nordic side of the UAA ski team. Here are Verrier’s thoughts on the current situation, from a recent email to FasterSkier, as drawn from over 30 years’ experience with NCAA skiing:
We went through this in 2016 here at UAA. And during my involvement with NCAA skiing over the past 33 years, I’ve seen this scenario play out at the University of Nevada-Reno, Western State College, Montana State and University of New Mexico. And twice on my own team when I was at University of Wyoming. We got cut at the end of my freshman year, in 1988, but were reinstated about a month later and survived four more years until finally being cut (for good this time) in 1992 at the end of my senior year. So I’m no stranger to this game. As a long-time observer of these kinds of things, it’s been interesting to see how often the team gets reinstated sooner or later. University of Denver got cut in 1984, but then was reinstated in 1992 when my University of Wyoming team got cut, so most of our team just moved a couple hours’ drive down the road to Denver, and they were immediately successful and have been so ever since. The Montana State team was cut in the mid-1980’s, but their program was reinstated 20 years later and lives on today.
The 2014 UAA alpine and nordic teams on the Kincaid sand dunes in Anchorage. (photo: Adam Verrier)
And many of the teams that didn’t get resurrected as NCAA programs have put together their own kind of ski team or university club racing program, like University of Wyoming and Western State College. It goes to show that there is a community desire for competitive college ski racing programs. These programs are often the anchor for these college-towns’ winter recreation programs, providing trail grooming and maintenance and local ski events for area residents.
I think the proposal to cut the Ski Team is shortsighted. Not only is Anchorage full of Olympic skiers past, present and (hopefully) future, but it’s also a city in which a significant number of residents regularly commute to work on skis during the winter months. With our interconnected ski trail networks and our groomed multiuse corridors connecting residential neighborhoods to commerce centers like the hospitals, University, and downtown and midtown business districts, this is one of the few places in the USA where skiing is a mode of transportation that residents regularly use for practical purposes like getting to the office in the morning.
Skiing is a practical sport here in Alaska, and a valuable skill to have. It’s important enough that organizations like NANA (Northwest Arctic Native Association) and Skiku have been putting lots of time, money and energy for many years to bring skis and ski instructors to remote villages to teach skiing as a practical skill and a way to get outdoors during the winter. Our Alaska high school ski races put hundreds of kids on the starting line every weekend, and several of our Anchorage high school ski teams have close to a hundred kids on the team. And if you want to sign your youngster up for Junior Nordic, you’d better be quick because the hundreds of available spots fill up super fast every year. Skiing is a really big deal in this state. And the University of Alaska Ski Team, along with APU, are the elite flagship programs. Many of America’s most successful World Cup skiers in recent years developed through the UAA program, with some of them moving from UAA directly across the street to APU to continue their post-collegiate ski racing.
I haven’t had a chance yet to look too closely at the details of the proposed cuts or the budget numbers that we’re talking about, but clearly this problem is rolling downhill from the legislature’s choices and decisions regarding the Alaska state budget. This is a state which has sixty-one billion dollars’ worth of savings in the bank, a state which levies no state income tax, not statewide sales tax, no broad-based personal taxes of any kind, and a state which mails a check of around a thousand dollars or so to every resident, every year, just for breathing. But yet, we claim to be “broke” and we claim to be “overtaxed”.
Marine Dusser (l) and Adam Verrier (r) prepare fast skis. (Photo: courtesy Adam Verrier)
The legislature’s decision to cut state funding for the University by $34 million seems to me like poor policy. And the proposed cut of the Ski Team also seems to me like poor policy. This team has consistently provided a place for Alaska-grown skiers to take their athletic ambitions to the next level, and at the same time has attracted a steady stream of high-achieving, smart people who come to Alaska from other places to be a Seawolf, but wind up getting hooked and staying here for life. And these athletes – both the Alaska-grown ones and the ones who come here from elsewhere – have contributed enormously to the talent pool in the Alaska workforce today. They’ve brought tremendous benefit in their roles as research economists, CFOs of the state’s largest Native-owned corporations, as oilfield geologists, just to name a few specific examples that come immediately to mind.
I would estimate that these high-achievers, who were lured to the state, or were enticed to stay in-state by the Ski Team have contributed far more value to the local economy in terms intellectual capital during their careers here than the cost of the athletic programs which brought them or kept them here in the first place. If one of the University’s goals is to foster intelligent dialogue between people of various experiences and viewpoints, and to provide a rich and fertile environment in which our best brains can develop, then it’s clear that our ski team serves that mission. To propose cutting the team seems to me to be diametrically opposed to this goal.
Next steps
Cathy Sandeen, the UAA Chancellor, will hear public comments at an online town hall from 5-6 p.m. Alaska time this Wednesday, August 26. Zoom information will be published here.
The University of Alaska Board of Regents will hear public testimony from 4-5 p.m. next Monday, August 31, in advance of its upcoming Board meeting on September 10-11 at which it is scheduled to vote on Sandeen’s proposal.
Finally, ski team supporters are encouraging advocates to submit written comments to the Board of Regents at ua-bor@alaska.edu, cc’ing uaa_feedback@alaska.edu.
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This article has been edited to reflect the fact that Adam Verrier competed for the University of Wyoming only in nordic skiing, not in alpine skiing as well.
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.
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)
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Norwegian men showed up on form for today’s freestyle sprints in Konnerud, just outside the city of Drammen. As the venue was used for the Norwegian National championship at the end of January, most of the team has already had a dress rehearsal racing on the windy course.
Johannes Høsflot Klæbo of Norway, where he is found most often: winning down the stretch. (Photo: NordicFocus)
It seems that Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, who sat out the national championships, did not need a dress rehearsal. He won the qualifier by a margin of nearly four seconds, continuing easily through the rounds to win the overall. This is Klæbo’s eighth sprint win of the season, matching last year’s record, and his 14th career World Cup freestyle sprint victory, the most of any male athlete.
Racing in the final with Klæbo were four of his teammates: Håvard Solås Taugbøl, Eirik Brandsdal, Sindre Bjørnestad Skar, and Erik Valnes, each of whom also raced in the national championship final on January 31st (and finished in a very similar order). Interrupting the all-Norwegian field was Alexander Bolshunov of Russia.
In the final, Klæbo hovered in the middle of the pack marking his teammates, with Taugbøl in the lead. When Brandsdal took control on the primary climb of the course, Klæbo swung outside of the group to move into second before tucking into the last downhill. As they passed under the arch and headed into the final straightaway, Klæbo engaged his unmatchable top gear, with Taugbøl and Brandsdal chasing.
After crossing in a photo finish, Taugbøl was deemed second (+0.65) — a World Cup career best individual result — with Brandsdal third (+0.69). Skar took fourth (+0.94), followed by Bolshunov in fifth (+1.92) and Valnes a late arriving sixth (+12.79).
Simi Hamilton (bib 24) during his quarterfinal in Konnerud. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Simi Hamilton was the only American sprinter racing in Konnerud. He qualified in 24th and raced in the fourth heat of the quarterfinals, where he finished fifth, ending his day ranked the same in the overall as in his qualifier.
The looping sprint course around the ol’ church in Drammen, Norway will have to wait another year, or at least until sufficient snow: the iconic city sprint was moved to Konnerud due to insuffient snow in Drammen. Winter, please, pretty please, return to places such as Drammen.
Powering home for the Konnerud win: Jonna Sundling of Sweden. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Although deep in Norway, but not so far from Sweden as the planes fly, Sweden took the win and third place in the World Cup’s relocated 1.2 k skate sprint in Konnerud. Jonna Sundling won the final in 2:38.41 — a toe and perhaps the tail of a ski ahead of Switzerland’s Nadine Faehndrich in second (+0.24). It was a photo finish for second through fourth. Linn Svahn, a U23 skier forgoing those championships, placed third (+0.39). Norway’s U23 Kristine Stavaas Skistad was fourth (+0.97), Sweden’s Maja Dahlqvist placed fifth (+5.70), and Anamarija Lampic of Slovenia sixth (+26.04).
Sundling powered down the final sraight outpacing Faehndrich in the final 100 meters. Sundling advanced to the finals as a lucky loser in the semis.
Sadie Bjornsen (bib 4) during her quarterfinal heat in Konnerud. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Sadie Bjornsen of the U.S. was the top American in 16th overall. Bjornsen qualified in fourth, 1.2seconds behind the top qualifier, Katja Visnar of Slovenia. Bjornsen placed fourth in the second quarterfinal and did not advance.
Jessie Diggins was the only other American to qualify.After qualifying in 12th , she placed sixth in the first quarterfinal, to end her day ranked 27th. Also for the U.S., Kaitlynn Miller placed 50th, and Becca Rorabaugh 54th.
Jessie Diggins sprinting in Konnerud. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Of note, Swedish sprinter, Hanna Falk, who suffered a back injust prior to the season, started her first World Cup of the year. She finished in 30th.
Racing continues Saturday with the women’s 30 k classic mass start. The men race a 50 k in Oslo on Sunday.
Therese Johaug (yellow bib) with enough time at the finish to gather skis and watch 2nd, 3rd, and 4th come across the line. (NordicFocus)
The early evening show, under the lights of Östersund, Sweden’s ski stadium, Stage 2 of the Ski Tour 2020 – a 10-kilometer classic pursuit – got underway as the plentiful moisture falling from the sky transitioned from steady rain to big snowflakes.
This was a 10 k race with three discrete tales. First, the story with the least tension.
That would be Norway’s Therese Johuag’s 10 k effort. Which, despite the pursuit format, was a solo time trial affair. She set herself up for that narrative by winning Stage 1’s 10 k individual skate by 45.6 seconds. No skier on the World Cup could fathom closing that gap to a generational distance skier.
Johaug won in 27:29.0 minutes. Her effort gained her even more time in the Ski Tour overall as teammates Heidi Weng placed second (+57.4), and Ingvild Flugstad Østberg third (+57.8). Sweden’s Ebba Andersson lost out on third in the closing meters, as she placed fourth (+58.6).
Therese Johaug for a clean no-one-in-site win. (NordicFocus)
This was Joahug’s 13th World Cup distance win of the season and according to FIS, this brings her closer to a hallowed record. Marit Bjørgen, a legend from Norway holds the World Cup distance win record with 62 victories. Sunday’s win brings Johaug’s total to 59.
Let’s be frank: with a 45.6 second lead on the second starter Weng, 47.3 seconds on Østberg in bib 3, and 53.1 ticks ahead of Andersson in bib 4, this was as much a sure thing as sunrise and sunset.
Ebba Andersson leads Heidi Weng and Ingvild Flugstad Østberg during the Stage 2 10 k classic pursuit. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Behind Johaug, the tactic for the three closest chasers — Weng, Østberg, and Andersson was clear: cede no ground to the All-Star list of skiers starting roughly 20 seconds further back. For much of the race, the threesome kept a tidy buffer of 30 seconds on those in fifth to 16th place. At times Andersson took pulls up front, motivated by chants of “Ebba” from the home-nation fans. Østberg and Weng too remained motivated to secure a potential podium as they burned their matches prudently but with enough gusto to keep the masses at bay.
Taking her turn pacing the premier chase group, Heidi Weng (bib 2), followed by Ingvild Flugstad Østberg and Ebba Andersson. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Heidi Weng (bib) taking second in Stage 2 of the Ski Tour 2020. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Weng led the charge into the final straight. Østberg slotted in behind Weng using her as a double-poling pace machine. Weng and Østberg gained a precious few meters on Andersson to take second and third, respectively.
Johaug leads the Ski Tour 2020 after two stages with a total time of 49:18. Weng is second at 0:57, and Østberg is third overall with the same time back. Andersson sits one second further back in fourth overall.
The race behind the top-four had a different vibe. It was less about fending off a potential chase, and more about how a large group of skiers would coalesce, who would lead, and who would sit back and take advantage of the more skied in tracks.
Jessie Diggins skiing to 11th overall during the Ski Tour 2020 Stage 2 10 k classic pursuit. (Photo: NordicFocus)
American Jessie Diggins, in bib 8, pulled the group through the 3.3 k mark 1:25.2 behind Johaug. In contact with Diggins, and coming through in this order were Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen, Ragnhild Haga, Rosie Brennan, Krista Pärmäkoski, Frida Karlsson, and Natalia Nepryaeva. The group from fifth to Austria’s Therese Stadlober in 16th place was separated by 11 seconds.
Brennan took her turn up front though the 4.9 k mark, as did Karlsson later in the race. By the finish, the collective group did not gain time on those ahead, they ceded a few more seconds to the top four. But we would be remiss to make note of Brennan’s determination. You could see it in yesterday’s 10 k skate, and it was evident today; she’s got moxie and now the confidence to take pulls, as she did with Karlsson today, and try to break the pack. In a post-race interview (audio posted below), Brennan noted she had in fact been keen on making a move during the pursuit.
Grit: Rosie Brennan during Stage 2 of the Ski Tour 2020. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Post-race interview with Rosie Brennan
Slovenia’s Anamarija Lampic ended up fifth overall (+1:38.7), as the first finisher of the third group out on course. Brennan ended her day in 10th (+1:43.3), and Diggins in 11th (+1:43.6).
“It was a pretty crazy day out there!” Diggins wrote. “I was actually super stoked about the rain while warming up because klister skiing in the rain is such amazing kick and really fun getting up all the hills on. The snow right before the start made it a really strange race because the one track became exponentially faster as it got skied in, which led to massive packs (for a girls race, anyway) forming. Huge thanks to the tech team because my skis stayed competitive and were kicking well even in the rapidly changing conditions!
“I’m excited for the rest of the tour – the next two races are formats we’ve never done before, so I’m ready to go give it my very best shot!”
Sadie Maubet Bjornsen, who began in bib 22, 1:51.4 behind the first starter Johaug, placed 19th (+2:12.5).
“After recovering from a mild tummy bug or a form of food poisoning that visited the night before the start of this tour, I am feeling thankful and hopeful after the second stage of the tour today,” Maubet Bjornsen emailed. “With a snow/rain downpour, I was feeling right at home strapping classic skis on my feet and heading out in the misery. I have spent plenty of days in this exact condition during summer training up on Eagle Glacier, so I was trying to channel every bit of internal strength I could find. The fact that I was able to work my way up to 19th today, and had encouraging feelings in a somewhat depleted version of myself is something I will take and run with!
“I am excited to have a day to recover and fill up my tank, and take on this tour in the same way I did the last. An imperfect start will just fuel me with the extra fight for the days to come!
“Thanks to the tech team for putting wonderful skis together given the absolute craziness coming out of the sky!”
In speaking to U.S. World Cup Head Coach Matt Whitcomb after the race, he explained that skiers in the back of the field were able to take advantage of the considerably faster skied in tracks. Again, heavy wet snow fell during the race.
Post-race interview with Matt Whitcomb
U.S. skier Hailey Swirbul in bib 36 moved into the points on Sunday to place 24th (+2:20.2). Her trajectory in the standings aligned with her 13th fastest time of day. Along those lines, Julia Kern of the U.S. Ski Team skied from 50th to finish 36th (+2:43.8). Her on course time was the sixth-fastest of the day.
Also for the U.S., Caitlin Patterson was 41st (+2:54.1), Sophie Caldwell 51st (+3:07.0), Alayna Sonnesyn 54th (+3:55.7), Katharine Ogden 55th (+4:03.8), and Rosie Frankowski 62nd (+4:59.7).
For Canada, Katherine Stewart-Jones placed 32nd (+2:37.5) and skied the ninth fastest time of day. Cendrine Browne was 39th (+2:45.9), and Emily Nishikawa 44th (+2:59.8).
Katherine Stewart-Jones (CAN) during Stage 2 of the Ski Tour 2020. (Photo: NordicFocus)
As far as the overall standings and how times are calculated, time of day is used to determine a skier’s time for Stage 2.
From October 2010: Kikkan Randall modeling the U.S. Ski Team suit for the 2010-2011 season. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association.
A national team uniform for cross-country skiing has to do a lot of things. At the most utilitarian level, it has to wick sweat and aid performance while an athlete pursues one of the world’s most demanding sports at temperatures between –4 F and 40, in steady snow or driving rain or anything in between. At the functional level, it has to let spectators and coaches identify where their athlete is out on the course, while distinguishing them from athletes from other countries. And at the symbolic level, it lets the athlete know that he or she is competing on behalf of their country, for everything that that means. Ask a skier who has represented the United States in international competition what it meant to them to pull on a national uniform for the first time. They’ll probably be able to tell you.
(And if they ever forget, this detailing from Craft and L.L. Bean on the American uniforms, ca. 2015/2016, is there to remind them. “You are representing the United States of America,” a slogan intones, above a martial-looking eagle, with a U.S. Ski Team master mark for its aegis, gripping an olive branch (?) in its dexter claw and a skis and ski poles fasces in its sinister. “Pretty fun to be representing an American brand with our American uniforms!,” wrote Sadie Bjornsen in a blog post describing the uniforming process.)
For whatever reason, the period roughly one decade ago represented the highwater mark for domestic and global coverage of ski uniforms on this website. There was “US Ski Team Brings Suit Consistency,” from Jan. 2009 (lede: “After years of a remarkable level of wardrobe schizophrenia, the US Ski Team has ushered in a new era of racing suit consistency that should make it easier to follow our favorite US athletes on the race course.”); “The costume disciplinarian speaks: Is it better to look good than to ski fast?” from July 2009; “The Best and Worst (Suits) of the Olympics,” from Feb. 2010; and “USST Goes Black for 2010-2011,” from Oct. 2010 (lede: “In the sport of cross-country skiing, most people would agree that competing with New Zealand is probably smarter than picking a fight with Norway.”).
So it seems to have been nearly 10 years since the last sustained attention to the uniforms of the Davis U.S. Cross Country National Team Program (néeU.S. Ski Team). To fill that gap, FasterSkier hereby presents A Visual History of the United States Ski Team National Team Uniform, 2008–2019.
(Why 2008 for the starting point? Mostly for the simple logistical reason that the image library in the current FasterSkier content management system, WordPress, only goes back to 2008, so this article can be written while using only images that FasterSkier may legitimately post on this site. To go back to closer to the start of this century would require a lot of external links to Getty Images and not that many photos to actually look at on this website. That said, this piece from 2009 has a nice visual roundup of the plethora of different USST designs worn from 2006–2008, which takes you back two more years. Before that, well, just imagine Kikkan Randall and a lot of other skiers you probably haven’t thought about for a while — Wendy Wagner, anyone? Rebecca Dussault? Sarah Konrad? — wearing various iterations of early-aughts red and black.)
2008/2009 World Cup season: Red
January 2009: No question who is from the US here… Kikkan Randall in the women’s Team Sprint in Whistler
January 2009: Kris Freeman preferred the orange to silver in the men’s pursuit
As a contemporary uniform article explained, “There are currently two suit variations being used by US Ski Team athletes, and athletes racing for the US in international events. They are so similar, that for practical purposes (identifying US skiers in a race) they may as well be the same. Both suits are predominantly red, with one version having patches of orange, and the other silver.” Both were manufactured by Norwegian company Bjørn Dæhlie.
There appears to have been no change to the basic World Cup design for the 2009 World Championships in Liberec, Czech Republic:
Freeman at the 2009 World Championships in Liberec. (Photo: Swix Sport)
2009/2010: Still red Bjørn Dæhlie
November 2009: Tazlina Mannix (APU, USST) racing in West Yellowstone.
November 2009: A very young Noah Hoffman (USST) racing to 3rd in a distance race in West Yellowstone.
Honorable mention, domestic suits division:
November 2009: This is a very orange suit. Kevin Hochtl (Rossignol) – 32nd – leads Anders Haugen (APU) – 7th – to the finish in a West Yellowstone race.
November 2009: This is one hell of an ibex. Chris Cook (Steinbock Racing) – 12th – sporting the new Steinbock Racing uniform
2010 Winter Olympics, Vancouver: Red and silver
For the Olympics, the Americans appear to have taken their World Cup template – Bjørn Dæhlie suit, largely red – but have changed it by, inter alia, lightening the shade of red, adding “USA” on the right arm and left leg, adding silver accents, and of course removing all sponsor logos. Kikkan, already skiing in her third Olympics, coordinated with a red headband, red gloves, and her famous pink highlights. Andy Newell went with the red hat (he may not have had a choice), but was otherwise somewhat less vermilion.
Feb. 2010: Kikkan RandallFeb. 2010: Andy Newell on the big climb during the men’s 4 x 10 k relay.
There was a lot of red in Vancouver. For example, here’s Andy Newell (far left, bib no. 13-2) tagging Korin Koos for the U.S. in the team sprint, while Petter Northug (far right, bib no. 2-2) tags Øystein Pettersen (middle right, bib no. 2-1) for Norway. (An entire standalone article could likely be written on the Canadians’ infamous kit (bib no. 4, back right).)
Newell tags Koos (left) and Northug tags Pettersen (right) at the 2010 Vancoulver Olympics.
Or here’s Newell in the middle, between Switzerland’s Dario Cologna (bib no. 12) and Yuichi Onda of Japan (bib no. 18):
Newell in the semis of the skate sprint: 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
Finally, Poland (shown here: Sylwia Jaśkowiec, bib no. 6) was just red:
Poland 2, 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
2010/2011: The black era begins
Perhaps as a natural reaction to the dominance of a single color across multiple nations, the U.S. made a significant shift for the 2010/2011 World Cup season: black. The color does not appear on the national flag or in other common American iconography, but it is certainly distinctive. Bjørn Dæhlie remained the suit manufacturer.
Or, as then-FasterSkier reporter Nat Herz wrote in fall 2010, “After any number of years of being drowned out by a sea of Norwegian crimson, U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association Nordic Director John Farra said that the USST will be ‘distinctly not red’ for the 2010-2011 season—including at World Championships in Oslo. ‘We went in a very different direction, in part from our experience in Oslo, where they [Norway] have a nation’s group of ten, and we can barely see our athletes in the group,’ he said.”
January 2011: A 21-year-old Sadie Bjornsen races to 17th at U23 World Championships in Otepää, Estonia.
January 2011: Jessie Diggins, then aged 19, races to 7th at Junior World Championships in Otepää.
January 2011: Noah Hoffman at a SuperTour race in Lake Placid.
February 2011: No change for World Champs: Kikkan Randall racing at 2011 World Championships in Oslo.
2011/2012: Still black Bjørn Dæhlie
December 2011: Kikkan Randall sprinting during the Tour de Ski.
March 2012: Kris Freeman (SSCV/USST) on his way to claiming the US Distance Nationals 50 k freestyle title on Saturday morning in Craftsbury.
2012/2013: Still black
December 2012: Noah Hoffman in the Tour de Ski.
December 2012: Kikkan Randall blasting to victory in the Tour de Ski opening prologue on Saturday. She skied to 14th in the pursuit on Sunday and is leading the U.S. women in the Tour de Ski standings after two stages. Photo: Marcel Hilger.
February 2013: Diggins and Randall won gold in the team sprint at 2013 World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy, which was awesome, but, for purposes of this article, mostly relevant for the addition of the epochal relay socks but otherwise no change to the standard World Cup uniform.
2013/2014: Yup, still black
December 2013: Liz Stephen (U.S. Ski Team) on her way to 34th in Saturday’s 3 k freestyle prologue at the first stage of the Tour de Ski in Oberhof, Germany. (Photo: Marcel Hilger)
December 2013: Andy Newell (U.S. Ski Team) qualified 12th and finished 10th overall in Sunday’s freestyle sprint. (Photo: Marcel Hilger)
2014 Winter Olympics, Sochi: Stars and stripes
The 2014 Winter Olympics, in Sochi, Russia, were known at the time for Kikkan Randall’s disappointing result in the individual skate sprint, and after the fact for the revelation that Russia was engaged in a massive state-sponsored doping scheme and cover-up. They were also significant for a change in uniforms: stars and stripes on the right arm and left leg, and a large “USA” on the right leg. The left arm was relatively plain. Also, several of the U.S. women drew attention for racing sleeveless in warm temperatures. Bjørn Dæhlie continued to be the brand logo featured on the upper right quad. (Pictured below: Noah Hoffman, in a solo race, and Sadie Bjornsen, in the women’s relay.)
2014/2015: Stars and stripes redux
Athletes took to the trails next season with a slightly modified version of the recent Olympics uniform: Larger stars on the left upper quad, with a deeper blue background. The stripes on the left leg became more pronounced and stretched farther up the race suit, to above the knee. Also, once the non-commercial period of the Olympics had passed, there was space for sponsor patches on the arms and legs.
December 2014: Caitlin Gregg (Team Gregg) skiing to 56th place in the Davos World Cup 10 k classic, Dec. 13. (Photo: Toko)
USST’s Sadie Bjornsen racing to 29th in the Davos World Cup 10 freestyle, Dec. 20, 2014. (Photo: Fischer/Nordic Focus)
World Championships, in Falun, Sweden, brought a mostly-white version of the uniform, helpful for the warm temperatures and soupy conditions that characterized many of the races. Here’s Sadie Bjornsen in Falun in February 2015:
2015/2016: Red, white, and blue
By fall 2015, the move away from black, and towards red, white, and blue, was complete. Athletes now had the option of being attired in a predominantly white color scheme, which would aid in preventing overheating on warm days, while thankfully solving the transparency issues that had plagued recent all-white suits for Sweden or Italy. An alternate version had roughly the same patterning, but with blue as the primary color. Notably, the Americans also moved to a race suit manufactured by the Swedish company Craft for the first time in this survey.
December 2015: Sadie Bjornsen (U.S. Ski Team) racing to her best-ever sprint qualifier in sixth at the World Cup freestyle sprint in Toblach, Italy. She went on to make the semifinals and place 10th overall. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
December 2015: Simi Hamilton (U.S. Ski Team) racing to his first non-stage World Cup podium on Saturday in Toblach, Italy, where he placed second in the freestyle sprint. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
December 2015: American Andy Newell (r) and Great Britain’s Andrew Young (c) trail Norway’s Håvard Solås Taugbøl (2) in the quarterfinal at the Davos World Cup freestyle sprint on Sunday in Switzerland. Taugbøl won the heat, Young placed third, and Newell was fifth after missing out on a photo finish for fourth. Newell finished the day 23rd overall. (Photo: Marcel Hilger)
January 2016: Ida Sargent (U.S. Ski Team) teamed up with Sophie Caldwell (not shown) to place fifth in the 6 x 1.2 k freestyle team sprint at the World Cup in Planica, Slovenia. (Photo: Madshus/NordicFocus)
Honorable mention: Trending towards “purple cobras” for American biathlon but not there yet.
American Claire Waichler started 58th and finished 33rd in the youth women’s pursuit on Sunday at IBU Youth/Junior World Championships in Cheile Gradistei, Romania. (Photo: IBU YJWCH Cheile Gradistei 2016/Facebook)
2016/2017: More red, white, and blue
An interpretation of red, white, and blue, still on a Craft suit, remained in place for the 2016/2017 World Cup season, which was marked within the team by Randall and her husband, Jeff Ellis, traveling the European race circuit with a newborn in tow. The changes to the USST uniform were less dramatic than Randall’s familial status: Still red, white, and blue, though now with blue as the dominant color. The entire left leg, and the bottom half of the right leg, had markings, somewhere between subtle striations and full-on stripes, that evoked the stripes of the American flag. (Let’s put aside for the moment the fact that the stripes on the actual flag are white and red, not white and blue.) The pattern was repeated on the lower right arm. An understated evocation of blue or white stars marked both lower legs, with more pronounced stars scattered around the bottom of the torso (possibly the top as well, but nearly all of one’s torso is typically covered by the standard race bib). The left arm and left leg both proclaimed “USA” in red lettering.
The vehicular logo on the legs remained that of Audi, as it had been since the start of this history.
There appears to have been no change for the 2017 World Championships. At least to the uniforms; on the race course, the Americans won an unprecedented three medals.
December 2016: Jessie Diggins (U.S. Ski Team) racing to ninth in Saturday’s 1.5 k freestyle sprint qualifier in Val Müstair, Switzerland. Diggins went on to place sixth in the final. (Photo: Salomon/NordicFocus)
January 2017: Sophie Caldwell (U.S. Ski Team) racing to third in the qualifier of Saturday’s 1.4 k freestyle sprint in Falun, Sweden. She went on to finish 16th overall (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
February 2017: Kikkan Randall (U.S. Ski Team) racing to 26th in the women’s 10-kilometer classic individual start at the 2017 Nordic World Championships on Tuesday in Lahti, Finland (Photo: John Lazenby/Lazenbyphoto.com)
Meanwhile, biathlon saw the advent of the beloved “purple cobras” era:
US Biathlon’s Susan Dunklee on her way to finishing third in the women’s sprint at the IBU World Cup in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic. It was the third podium of her career. (Photo: IBU)
2017/2018: Red, white, and blue redux
There appears to have been no change for the 2017/2018 World Cup season: still red, white, and blue, but mostly blue, on a Craft suit. The most notable change may have been to the car sponsor… for the first time since at least the scope of this article, a Toyota logo was on the leg, not Audi. Nichts ist unmöglich (“Nothing is impossible”), as the company’s European slogan proclaims.
American Andy Newell racing the men’s 1.5 k freestyle-sprint qualifier at Stage 1 of the Tour de Ski on Saturday in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. He qualified 20th and went on to finish 19th overall. (Photo: Fischer/Nordic Focus)
Caitlin Patterson (Craftsbury Green Racing Project) racing to 52nd in the freestyle sprint qualifier at the last World Cup on Jan. 27 in Seefeld, Austria. The next day, she placed 23rd in the 10 k freestyle mass start. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
2018 Winter Olympics, Pyeonchang: Red, white, and blue, and a lot of stripes
There is a somewhat famous picture from the 2018 Winter Olympics that you may already be familiar with. In the picture, Jessie Diggins, on the lefthand side of the frame, stretches her left foot across the finish line to secure an historic Olympic gold medal for the United States. Her left arm mirrors the gesture, punching the air above her in what is presumably an instinctual counterbalance to the lunge but also appears, in a frozen moment in time, to be a triumphant fist-pump. In the middle, her face is rent in a rictus of exertion and triumph. On the righthand side of the frame, Stina Nilsson of Sweden lunges as well, 0.19 seconds behind Diggins. Mute V-boards and still flags fill in the background of the image, as Maiken Caspersen Falla of Norway appears to stand up and stop skiing in order to watch the finish unfold.
It was a few seconds before 7:16 p.m. in Pyeongchang, 4:16 a.m. in Afton, Minnesota, and 1:16 a.m. in Anchorage, Alaska. If you’re reading this website, you may remember where you were at that moment.
February 2018: Jessie Diggins (14) edges Sweden’s Stina Nilsson (r) for gold, while Norway’s Maiken Caspersen Falla (far left) races to bronze, in the women’s freestyle team sprint final at the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea. (Photo: Noah Hoffman)
But let’s talk about the uniform. Another Craft product, the dominant impression is once again blue; in the photo above, taken at whatever distance from the finish Noah Hoffman was allowed to stand while there was a race on, there is a whole lot of blue approaching the finish line between the American suit and the Swedish one. Some white stripes are visible around the knee of Diggins’s suit, trending down the lower leg, though they are soon subsumed by The Relay Socks.
On closer inspection, however (see next picture, below), there are a lot of stripes going on in this uniform. The entire legs are striped, with stronger white stripes on the sides of the torso fading to fainter stripes at the top of the leg. The knees have white stripes on a blue background, with the width of the white stripes gradually decreasing and the extent of the blue interstices gradually increasing across the course of the knee. As shown in more detail here, the patterning gives way to thin red stripes against a blue background, on the lower right leg, and a bold white “USA,” on the lower left.
The right arm has white splotches, potentially stellar in nature, against a blue background. The left arm has red and white stripes to midway down the biceps, which then transition to blue and red stripes.
The torso has a subtle blue and black patterning perhaps best described as “Swedish forest camo.”
Finally, although it is not apparent in either picture, “USA” was written in white letters against a blue background on both the right arm and lower left leg, as shown in the images available here (lettering on arm) and here (lettering on leg).
February 2018: Jessie Diggins (l) and Kikkan Randall soak up their win in the women’s freestyle team sprint on Wednesday at the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea. (Photo: FIS Cross Country/Twitter)
Here is another fine picture of Diggins and Randall from the evening of February 21, 2018. This one does not show the famous American relay socks, but does show the equally renowned facepaint and glitter. As Diggins has written, in what is both a pro-glitter cri de cœur and “a brief message for [the] high school officials” who harshed on her glitter as a junior racer, “Putting on glitter before my race is a salute to the little girl who just wants to ‘go super speed!!!’ It’s a promise to myself that I will race my absolute hardest that day. It’s a ritual that gets me in the right mindset to get out of the start gate and give it everything I have. It’s harmless, doesn’t negatively impact anyone, but to me it’s a huge part of my race morning. . . . And on relay days? Oh man. I get so excited about relay days. I get to paint the flag, ‘USA’ and stars on the faces of my teammates, and one of them will paint it on me as well. Then I put glitter over everything! It’s a special time when everyone is nervous, and excited, to be representing our country and we get together early in the morning to help each other get ready and deal with our pre-race nerves. It’s a little bit like our special striped relay socks…it’s part of what we do, as a team.”
End of the 2017/2018 season: Farewell tour
Honorable mention for the 2017/2018 season, World Cup edition: Randall and Liz Stephen’s outfits for their final World Cup race (standard Craft base, but with a whole lot of flair):
March 2018: The last-race outfits worn by Kikkan Randall and Liz Stephen for Sunday’s World Cup Finals pursuit. (Photo: Kikkan Randall/Instagram)
Honorable mention, domestic edition: Randall’s bespoke pink and blue Craft USST/APU suit (essentially the Olympics suit but with different patterning) that she wore for her final race as a professional skier, at Spring Series in Craftsbury. The suit said “USA” on the right arm and left leg, “APU” (for Alaska Pacific University, her club team of 19 years) on the left arm, and “Kikkan” on the left arm and right upper leg.
March 2018: Kikkan Randall (3) racing for third place in the women’s 30 k classic mass start at 2018 U.S. Distance Nationals in Craftsbury, Vt., ahead of Sophie Caldwell (second from l), Ida Sargent (second from r), and Rosie Frankowski (r). (Photo: John Lazenby/Lazenbyphoto.com)
Honorable mention, face paint edition: This remarkable evocation of Randall and Stephen on Diggins’s left cheek at Spring Series.
March 2018: Jessie Diggins with a photo of her retiring U.S. Ski Team teammates Kikkan Randall and Liz Stephen on her cheek at 2018 U.S. Distance Nationals in Craftsbury, Vt. (Photo: John Lazenby/Lazenbyphoto.com)
2018/2019: Red, white, and blue, but with larger color blocks. Also, a move to Swix.
Randall retired. Stephen retired. Randall got breast cancer. Randall was treated for breast cancer. Diggins worked hard to — successfully — bring a World Cup ski race to Minneapolis. And the Americans kept racing in red, white, and blue, albeit now with a move from Craft to Swix for the suit manufacturer. This year’s interpretation of the theme brought a shift to white as the dominant color, with blue through the torso and upper legs, as well as on the arms. Red was the least-pronounced color this year, limited to accents alongside the larger blocks of blue.
While the Americans continued their perhaps now-accustomed success at the World Cup level, American juniors served notice at World Juniors that they were a force to be reckoned with, taking a gold in the men’s relay, a fourth in the women’s relay, two fourths in classic distance races, and multiple other top-tens. Here are two shots from a frigid Lahti:
January 2019: Luke Jager (middle left, hands in air) after tagging off to Ben Ogden (bib 2, middle right, pink hat) in the U20 men’s 4 x 5 k relay at Junior Worlds in Lahti, Finland. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
January 2019: Kendall Kramer on her way to fourth place in the U20 15 k classic mass start at World Juniors in Lahti, Finland. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
Back to the World Cup (where senior athletes wore the same uniform shown above on the juniors for the regular season), 2019 World Championships, in Seefeld, Austria, brought something new. The dominant hue in the race suit was now blue instead of white, and the large color blocks of the 2018/2019 World Cup regular season were gone. White stars were added to the lower left leg, making the evocation of the American flag far more apparent. Red and white stripes, on the right arm, continued the vexillological theme. While the four sponsor logos on the legs remained the same (Bose, Xfinity, Visa, and Toyota), the Swix logo shifted from the lowest position on the left leg to the middle position on the right.
A Swix press release about the new suits advised: “Featuring bold stars and sharp American colors, the focus was on visibility in mass start events and an iconic look.”
February 2019: Rosie Brennan races in Seefeld.
Honorable mention: Bare arms and cutoffs. It was hot in Seefeld. Like, over 50° F hot. Erik Bjornsen raced the 15 k classic with nothing underneath his race bib (sun’s out…), attire typically befitting Eagle Glacier in July more so than Austria in February. Brennan raced the relay with only a t-shirt on top, and no gloves. And Jessie Diggins drew widespread attention for her DIY cutoff look for the relay (which still featured the iconic relay socks, albeit rolled down so they wouldn’t counteract the shorts by covering most of her lower leg).
As Diggins later wrote on her blog a month after World Champs: “Let me start by saying this; no, I was not cold racing in shorts and short sleeves, yes, you should try it sometime, and yes, it was refreshing to have the cold slush hitting my legs! Somehow, the sight of me racing in a short suit was more interesting and befuddling to most reporters than the actual race itself. Clearly, they haven’t ever experienced a Minnesota cold snap. Now THAT is cold weather! … Honestly, it’s hard to describe the amount of distress overheating puts me in, but let me put it this way; racing is already one of the most painful things you can do. If I have to deal with being incredibly uncomfortable, dizzy, and feeling my body start to shut down because I’m way too hot, it becomes even harder to continue pushing my body to the limit, because it’s already that much closer to the limit! And besides, everyone needed the laughs by the time we got to the end of the races.”
Erik Bjornsen of the U.S. skiing to 17th overall during the 15 k classic at the 2019 World Championships in Seefeld, Austria. (Photo: John Lazenby/lazenbyphoto.com)
Rosie Brennan of the U.S. during the third leg of the 2019 World Championship 4 x 5 k relay in Seefeld, Austria. (Photo: John Lazenby/lazenbyphoto.com)
Custom race suit for Jessie Diggins of the U.S. She anchored the fifth place U.S. team during the 2019 World Championship 4 x 5 k relay in Seefeld, Austria. (Photo: John Lazenby/lazenbyphoto.com)
2019/2020: Candy cane stripes!
Finally, the start of this season brought the dawn of what has variously been called the “candy cane stripes” or “barber pole stripes” suit (#wellactually a barber’s pole historically has alternating red and blue stripes, not just red stripes as on the current U.S. suit). The left leg features red and white stripes, in a color-appropriate rendition of the American flag. The right leg has white stars on a blue background, again in patterning true to the actual flag. The stars are repeated on the left arm, and the stripes are briefly evoked on the right.
The car sponsor has once again changed, this time to Land Rover.
Here’s Kelley Roche, Soft Goods Product Manager for Swix Sport US, explaining the backstory for this year’s suit design in an email to FasterSkier: “Swix worked with Garen Riedel who owns his own design firm, Riedel Creative in New York. Garen worked closely with the athletes to design a suit that graphically works and they were excited to compete in. The goal is to design a suit that you can pick out of the pack and immediately and know it is a US athlete! This is important for the fan but really important for the coaches who support the athlete during the race. We ended up going with an asymmetric design, a continuation of the Seefeld suit design from 2019 and a retro reference to some of the suits of old, leveraging the iconic and patriotic American flag color palette with a slight color fade across the body.”
Roche added that the suit itself is made out of mesh, which in addition to being flexible and breathable “acts likedimples on a golf ball, balancing the lift and drag of the athlete.”
December 2019: Erik Bjornsen during the skate leg of the 2019 30 k skiathlon in Lillehammer, Norway. (Photo: NordicFocus)
December 2019: Lillehammer, Norway (NOR): Rosie Brennan (USA). (Photo: NordicFocus)
If you have read this far: For one, congratulations. For another, there is a wealth of historical material available in the FasterSkier archives. If you would have any interest in future compilations with a different focus — American biathlon, say, or best and worst of domestic American race suits over the past decade — please comment below, or email the author directly: gavin (at) fasterskier (dot) com. Thanks, and thanks for reading.
Sadie Maubet Bjornsen (bib 2) in speedy form during the 2019 Ruka, Finland classic sprint. (Photo: NordicFocus)
A big day for Sadie Maubet Bjornsen of the U.S. Ski Team (USST) in Ruka, Finland. She placed third overall in the women’s 1.4-kilometer classic sprint.
Italy’s Lucia Scardoni established the time to beat in the qualifier, 3:03.01. Maubet Bjornsen played her fitness cards early as she qualified in second, 1:15 seconds back.
“It has been an interesting fall battling through some frustrating tendinitis in my feet that didn’t allow me to run or ski a whole lot for three months, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect coming into this season,” Maubet Bjornsen emailed to several outlets. “I knew I had strengthened my brain, but it is hard to know what to expect when you are doing less than ideal training to try to survive. I also have a new wax technician, so I was excited to see what we could put together in our short ten days of working together. But all the stars aligned, and I had an incredible day!”
Sadie Maubet Bjornsen on her way to qualifying in second place during the 2019 Ruka, Finland classic sprint. (Photo: Nordic Focus)
Post-race interview with the U.S. Ski Team’s World Cup Coach Matt Whitcomb and his comments on Maubet Bjornsen.
Bjornsen’s route to the finals included a second place in her semi. The final was dominated by the eventual winner Maiken Caspersen Falla from Norway. Up and over the final striding hill, she was gone and untouchable for the win in 3:07.09. Sweden’s Jonna Sundling placed second (+2.33).
Maiken Caspersen Falla of Norway takes the win in the 2019 Ruka, Finland classic sprint. (Photo: NordicFocus)
For her part, Maubet Bjornsen’s double poling kept her in it down the stretch — she out sprinted Norway’s Ane Appelkvist in a photo finish for third place. This was not an uncharacteristic early season result for Maubet Bjornsen, she placed second here in 2017’s classic sprint.
“The quarterfinals and semifinals went through perfectly. I managed to slip into the right places, and run up that hill with my own lane,” Maubet Bjornsen wrote. “When the finals arrived, I found myself in trouble at the halfway point. Some tangling at the corner left me kind of stuck. I’m not sure if my ski or my pole was stuck under someone… but I tried to just be patient and let them get off without breaking any equipment. When I finally got to go, I was ready to fight with every bit! Rounding the final corner, I was still in fourth place, but confident I could find one more gear change right at the end… and that is what I did. As I lunged, I knew I had given it all. Which amounted to a third place, which was super exciting. In a perfect world, I would have loved to fight for the win without the tangle, but the season is very young, and there a tons more races to come!
“Enormous shout out to our team, and my new wax tech, Per Erik Bjornstad, for some amazing skis!! I couldn’t have run up that hill the way I did today without those! And also impressive to see my teammates fighting today as well! There is a fun season ahead!”
Sophie Caldwell advanced after qualifying fourth (+2.61). Jessie Diggins (USST) and Rosie Brennan (USST) qualified 12th and 29th respectively. In the final results, Caldwell ranked 11th, Diggins 17th, and Brennan 25th.
Caldwell moved on to the first semi-final where she was in the mix until the final climb. She eventually faded to place sixth.
“I was happy with today,” Caldwell emailed to FasterSkier. “I’ve only made the semis one other time in Kuusamo (I think), so any day I can do that here is a good day. I felt great in my qualifier and went very hard in my 1/4 and was definitely still. Feeling it in my semi. It’s a short, but very tough course, so you can go backwards pretty quickly once you get tired. So overall a pretty good day and I was happy with my skis!”
Sophie Caldwell during the 2019 Ruka, Finland classic sprint qualifier. She qualified fourth and placed 11th on the day. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Post-race interview with the U.S. Ski Team’s World Cup Coach Matt Whitcomb and his comments on Caldwell.
Diggins and Brennan both contested the fourth quarterfinal where they were knocked out. Diggins placed fourth (+1.13) and Brennan fifth (+2.94). Sweden’s Sundling won that fast heat in 3:05.68.
“As for the sprint today: Due to some illness and challenging weather conditions in AK, I was unable to get any sprint time trials or simulations in this year so I really had close to no expectations for today’s race,” Brennan wrote in an email to several outlets. “Being a little more on the slow twitch side of things, I am very satisfied with the race today. I was particularly happy with how I was skiing and felt my fitness was good. My speed was not quite there, but I believe that will come in time. We are also adapting to new regulations from the FIS on course access and given all the changes, I was really happy with the process and skis that our staff put together today. I’m looking forward to getting a few more races under my belt this weekend.”
Rosie Brennan during the 2019 Ruka, Finland classic sprint qualifier. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Post-race interview with the U.S. Ski Team’s World Cup Coach Matt Whitcomb and his comments on Brennan.
Jessie Diggins during the 2019 classic sprint qualifier in Ruka, Finland. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Post-race interview with the U.S. Ski Team’s World Cup Coach Matt Whitcomb and his comments on Jessie Diggins and the hunt for the World Cup overall.
Also for the U.S., Julia Kern (USST) placed 43rd, Hailey Swirbul (USST) 60th, Caitlin Patterson (USST) 82nd, and Rosie Frankowski (APU) 83rd.
Racing continues tomorrow in Ruka with a 10 k classic for the women and a 15 k classic for the men.
Seven men and nine women will be lining up in stars and stripes for the World Cup’s opening: Finland’s Ruka Triple. Three race series features a classic sprint followed by a two-day distance pursuit.
Jessie Diggins out-toes Russia’s Yulia Belorukova to take third in Stage 5 of the Tour de Ski. (Photo: Fischer/Nordic Focus)
At the top of the ranks, Jessie Diggins (USST/SMS T2) finished the 2019 season 6th in distance and 7th in sprint. It was a year of navigating the life of a gold medalist whose training time was suddenly competing with travel, media attention, and collaborating with sponsors. According to her blog, she packed in 25 events in the first 50 days after the Olympics. Diggins admitted this swell of opportunities also left her feeling mentally and physically fatigued during the season.
That said, you know American women’s skiing has come a long way when feeling flat leads to finishing 6th overall in the World Cup Standings. Diggins won the freestyle sprint in Cogne, Italy and took 3rd in the 10 k skate in Falun, Sweden. She also placed third in three stages of the Tour de Ski and skied the fastest time of day during the 10 k skate pursuit in Oberstdorf, Germany.
Presuming Diggins achieved her goal of finding a work-life balance that allowed her to better recover and absorb training, we can expect her to consistently remain one of the top athletes on the World Cup.
One thing is certain: The Minneapolis World Cup race on March 17th features a freestyle sprint, and Diggins will be racing in front of a home crowd amidst a cacophony of cowbell.
Another consistent performer, Sadie Maubet Bjornsen (USST/APU) finished 8th in the sprint standings and 13th in the distance. She took third in the freestyle sprint in Lillehammer, NOR and cleaned up at the Super Tour Finals winning the freestyle sprint and both distance races. Another testament to how high the standard has been set for the American women, Maubet Bjornsen’s season was not particularly novel, despite consistently measuring up as one of the best all-around skiers in the world. We have come to expect her to perform, and she continues to meet our expectations. This year we expect no less.
Leading the American women on the short track, Sophie Caldwell (USST/SMS T2) finished the season ranked 4th in the overall sprint standings. Caldwell took second place in Davos, Val Muestair, and Lahti, and landed inside the top ten an additional three times. After posting the second fastest qualifying time in the World Championships in Seefeld, AUT, Caldwell was eliminated in the quarterfinals after throwing her boot across the line a three-way photo finish. Because the heat was slow and she was deemed third, she was unable to advance.
Julia Kern (L) and Sophie Caldwell after finishing fourth place in the team sprint (Photo: Garrott Kuzzy / LumiExperiences.com)
Julia Kern (USST/ earned her first Period 1 starts as the overall SuperTour leader in 2019. The 22-year-old also displayed her readiness to race at the World Cup level by scoring points in five events. Her best individual performance came during the freestyle sprint in Cogne, ITA where she finished 11th. She also battled for a gritty fourth place result while racing with Caldwell during the Dresden team sprint, and shone at US Nationals earning two sprint podiums.
Racing fearlessly with the best in the world, Kern cracked the top-20 in the skiathlon in Seefeld, finishing 19th. She also finished 23rd in the freestyle sprint two days prior. With another year of training and experience under her belt, Kern will certainly be worth following.
After recovering from mono, Rosie Brennan rebounded with a phenomenal season in 2019 and consequently was nominated once more to the U.S. Ski Team. Last year, Brennan blew through Period 1 with a vengeance, placing inside the top 30 and mostly within the top 15 in all of the distance races she entered. She cracked the top-10 in the 10 k skate in Davos, with a career best sixth place, and again in the skiathlon when the competition was at its peak in Seefeld.
The remainder of the women starting in Ruka who earned discretionary selection includes: Caitlin Patterson (USST B Team/CGRP) who landed inside the top 30 in the 10 k skate in both Lillhammer and Ulricehamn, SWE, Hailey Swirbul (USST B Team/APU) who stood on the podium after three Opa Cup distance races and landed inside the top 10 at U23 World Championships, and Rosie Frankowski (APU) who finished 24th during the skiathlon at the World Ski Championships in Seefeld.
The second weekend of racing in Lillehammer features a distance pursuit, followed by two sprint events in Davos, SUI and Planica, SLO. These women will be able to focus on the races that best suit their strengths in Period 1.
Before heading to the American men’s field, FasterSkier sends well-wishes to Hannah Halvorsen who was slated to contest the Period 1 sprint races. Halvorsen was struck by a car while crossing a street in Anchorage on November 1st, fracturing her skull and badly injuring her left leg and knee. According to her father who posted information on Facebook, Halvorsen will have a long road ahead of her, but doctors are optimistic that full recovery will be possible. FasterSkier wants to respect the privacy of the Halvorsen family, but will report when they are ready to share further information.
The U.S. women’s relay after taking a historic third in the 4 x 3.3 k relay at 2017 Junior World Championships on Sunday at Soldier Hollow in Midway Utah, with (from left to right) Hailey Swirbul, Julia Kern, Hannah Halvorsen, and Katharine Ogden. (Photo: U.S. Ski Team/Tom Kelly)
Deep breath. Back to the World Cup.
Of the eight men who made the cut, three were selected objectively: overall 2019 SuperTour leader Kyle Bratrud (SMS T2), and USST A Team members Simi Hamilton (USST/SMS T2) and Erik Bjornsen (USST/APU).
Returning with a wealth of World Cup experience, Hamilton is a consummate contender in sprint races. His most noteworthy performance was aptly timed at the World Championships in Seefeld where he finished ninth. Hamilton advanced from the quarters in a lightning fast heat, then got hung up with another skier in the semi, losing both his momentum and contact with the leaders. On home turf, Hamilton also won the freestyle sprint during the SuperTour finals.
American Simi Hamilton (r) leading Great Britain’s Andrew Young during the 6 x 1.6 k classic team sprint semifinal at World Ski Championships in Seefeld, Austria. (Photo: John Lazenby/lazenbyphoto.com)
Before World Champs, Hamilton had a strong performance in Cogne, finishing just off the podium in 4th. Displaying the agility and sure-footedness for which he is known, Hamilton dodged a crash in both the quarter and semifinals. This race marked a turning point in his season as crashes and illness prevented him from capitalizing on the fitness he felt confident he possessed. When the pieces come together, Hamilton is both a force to be reckoned with and a thrill to watch.
After popping the third fastest time of day during the 15 k classic pursuit in Lillehammer, Bjornsen has been promoted to the USST A-Team. Last season, Bjornsen whittled his way up the results list, particularly in distance racing. He finished 16th the 15 k classic Cogne, followed by a 17th place finish in the same event in Seefeld. Are you noticing a theme here?
Once again in the 15 k classic in Quebec City, Bjornsen finished 18th followed by a second top 20 (19th fastest time of day) in the subsequent 15 k skate pursuit. At the SuperTour finals, Bjornsen took the win in both the distance races and finished second in the freestyle sprint, demonstrating his versatility as an athlete.
Bratrud’s lead in the SuperTour was primarily garnered through strong results in distance skiing, which also translated to encouraging results on the World Cup. The Minnesota native stood on the podium six times in NorAm and SuperTour distance races, taking the top spot in four of them. At US Nationals, he won the the 15 k classic and took second in the 30 k skate. During his mid-winter international stint, Bratrud landed inside the points in the 15 k classic in Cogne. This will be his first season racing on the World Cup in Period 1.
The remainder of the men to watch in Period 1 include Scott Patterson (USST/APU) and David Norris (APU), who will be focusing on distance racing, and Kevin Bolger (USST/SVSEF) and Logan Hanneman (APU) who will focus on sprint events. Hanneman will not start in Ruka, but plans to compete in both Davos and Planica.
The men’s podium from the 30 k skate mass start at U.S. Nationals in Craftsbury, VT. From left to right, Kyle Bratrud (SMS T2) second, David Norris (APU) first, and Scott Patterson (APU/USST) third. (Photo: John Lazenby)
Several athletes who were offered starts in Period 1 declined to focus on the SuperTour. This list includes Kelsey Phinney (SMS T2), Andy Newell, Adam Martin (CGRP), and Ben Saxton (SMS T2).
Phinney underwent shoulder surgery in mid-June for a torn labrum, which occurred from a fall with an outstretched arm. He doctors estimated a six to twelve month recovery process. Phinney spent six-weeks in a shoulder sling, then began to slowly reintroduce strength training and outdoor activities. So far, she has done some no-pole and one-pole skiing.
“My biggest priority is making sure my shoulder heals properly and gets back full range of motion,” wrote Phinney in an email on her return to competition. “I’m not sure when I’ll be back to racing, perhaps later this season if things go really well with rehab. In the meantime, I’m enjoying time at home in Boulder – it’s been nice to see friends and family here, and to explore life outside of the bubble of training and racing. And then in a couple weeks, I‘ll be at the first SuperTour races of the year to help my SMST2 team out with ski testing, driving around, and cheering very loudly! I’m hoping to start using two poles in the next few weeks, and ideally I’ll be able to ski quite a bit in Canmore and Sun Valley and see where I can go from there!”
Canada
Overall in Nations Cup Last Year: 11th
Women’s Ranking 2018/2019: 15th
Men’s Ranking 2018/2019: 9th
Canadians to Watch:
Alex Harvey takes in the cheers after placing second in the men’s 15 k classic in Québec City. (Photo: John Lazenby/lazenbyphoto.com)
Canada’s top skier, Alex Harvey, retired at the end of the 2019 season. He ended his career on a high note. He finished second in the 15-kilometer freestyle pursuit in his home city of Québec. Fellow national team member Lenny Valjas retired also retired at the end of last season.
Three Canadians will be heading to Europe to race during Period 1 in Davos and Planica: Dahria Beatty, Emily Nishikawa, and Russell Kennedy. These athletes will then return home to train with developing national team athletes and compete in NorAm races. Canada will not be contesting the Tour de Ski. Should one of these athletes pop a top ten in those Period 1 races, the decision not to return in Period 2 may be reevaluated.
This focus on domestic racing and development of world class athletes is part of a larger movement to rebuild the Canadian national program, which recently rebranded as Nordiq Canada. You can find more information on this here.
Beatty posted strong results in 2019. She started her season with a slew of NorAm wins then collected a handful of FIS points by finishing 16th in the freestyle sprint in Dresden and 24th in the same event in Lahti. She also won the 15 k freestyle pursuit at the Canadian National Championships, chasing down Nishikawa who had won the 10 k classic the previous day. In her season opener at Nordiq Thunder, Beatty landed the top spot on the podium in the 16 k skate and commented that she was happy with her overall fitness and how her training has progressed this year.
Nishikawa also scored FIS points in 2019 by finishing 23rd in the 10 k skate in Davos. She also placed 25th in last season’s Tour de Ski.
Kennedy, who has already gotten his feet wet with European racing this season in Olos, Finland, posted his best result during the freestyle sprint in Cogne, where he popped a 12th place finish. Domestically, he landed on the podium in five NorAm races.
The remaining members of the Canadian National Team who will be racing domestically include Julien Locke (Nelson, B.C.), Katherine Stewart-Jones (Chelsea, Que.), Graham Ritchie (Parry Sound, Ont.), Antoine Cyr (Gatineau, Que.), Sam Hendry (Canmore, Alta.), and Julien Smith (Thunder Bay, Ont.).
“This group is ready to step up and carry the torch for a new era of cross-country skiers in Canada,” said Shane Pearsall, chief executive officer of Nordiq Canada in a press release. “They are equally as fierce and determined to deliver medal winning performances as their heroes before them. We are going to work with our sport and funding partners to deliver this dynamic group of athletes the tools they require to succeed on the road to 2022 and beyond.” The site https://x100casino.com contains the best 100 online casinos in the world
Dahria Beatty on course during the 10-kilometer skate in Ulricehamn, Sweden. (Photo: Fischer/Nordic Focus)
On Friday in Norway athletes gathered for a double-header day of rollerski races at the Toppidrettsveka festival. First up was a 25-kilometer skate race for both the men and women that concluded with a 1.5 k classic sprint in Aure. Below are the sprint race results.
Women’s heats
The U.S. Ski Team’s (USST) Sadie Bjornsen placed seventh overall, while Sophie Caldwell (USST) was 13th. Katie Feldman of the SVSEF Gold Team placed 27th overall.
In the men’s sprint, after qualifying in third, Norway’s Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo took the win. Simi Hamilton (USST) was the only U.S. skier advancing to the heats. Andy Newell (Salomon) was 44th, Erik Bjornsen (USST) 46th, and Kevin Bolger (USST) 48th. Also from the U.S., Peter Holmes (SVSEF Gold Team) was 58th, and Sam Woods (SVSEF Gold Team) placed 78th.
Saturday featured a 12 k (four times around a 3 k loop) women’s classic pursuit race in Trondheim. Norway’s Tiril Udnes Weng won in a time of 33:53.6 minutes. Sadie Bjornsen was 5th in Saturday’s stage (+26.9), Caldwell placed 13th (+39.7), Feldman was 31st (+4:43.2)
Women’s 12 k classic pursuit top-20
For the women’s winner of the day results, Sweden’s Frida Karlsson had the fastest time of 33:12.5. Bjornsen was second in 33:17.5, while Caldwell had the seventh fastest time of day.
For the men, Russia’s Alexander Bolshunov won the 15 k classic pursuit (five laps of the 3 k course) in a time of 37:29.4 minutes. Klæbo placed second (+2.1).
For the U.S., Hamilton was 10th overall (+10.3), Bornsen 22nd (+26.7), Bolger 23rd (+27.2), Newell 40th (+54.2), Holmes 43rd (+1:13.2), and Wood 89th (+4:25.6).
Ricardo Izquierdo-Bernier of Canada was 32nd (+39.8).
Men’s 15 k classic pursuit overall results.
In the winner of the day category, Hamilton posted the fourth fastest time, while Bolger and Bjornsen raced the 11th and 13th fastest times respectively.
The women’s podium from the 25 k skate rollerski race in Aure, Norway: day 2 of the Toppidrettsveka festival. Sadie Bjornsen (center) of the U.S. Ski Team placed first, Anna Comerella (left) of Italy second, and Marte Skaanes (right) of Norway third. (Photo: Toppidrettsveka FB page.)
Day two of the Toppidrettsveka rollerski races began in Aure, Norway with a 25-kilometer skate race.
U.S. Ski Team (USST) athlete Sadie Bjornsen won the women’s race in 1:10:12.4 hours. Katie Feldman of the SVSEF Gold Team finshed in 25th (+8:08.8). Thirty-one women finished the race.
According to a translated article from Norway’s NRK, several athletes used faulty rollerskis. As a result, race favorite Fridda Karlsson crashed and did not finish.
Simi Hamilton on the new skate skis in Oberhof, Germany. (Photo: Matt Whitcomb)
By the time you read this piece, some skiers from the U.S. Ski Team (USST) will be settling in Trondheim, Norway for a two and a half week training camp. In total, five are making the journey from the U.S. The sixth skier, Kevin Bolger, no stranger to training in the region, has been in Trondheim for nearly a month. Bolger’s experience in Trondheim goes deep. He has trained there in the off season for many years.
It’s true, the Oberhof ski tunnel does resemble a commemorative ribbon. (Photo: https://www.oberhof-skisporthalle.de)
“In terms of having a guide upon arrival, we are pretty well plugged in.” U.S. coach Matt Whitcomb said in a call.
Bolger will be the local guide for Sadie and Erik Bjornsen, Simi Hamilton, Sophie Caldwell and Andy Newell (former USST member). The skiers will be joined by U.S. head coach Chris Grove, Whitcomb, and physiotherapist Zuzana Rodgers.
Hamilton and Whitcomb will hop a flight from Germany to Trondheim. The pair spent four days last week in the Oberhof ski tunnel. If you are imagining a simple oval where Hamilton becomes dizzy going round and round, the tunnel is a bit more complex. Whitcomb relayed that Hamilton describes the tunnel as “a loop with two out and backs, like a commemorative ribbon”.
The indoor-skiing provides Hamilton an opportunity for on-snow training and to become accustomed to his new ski fleet. After a career spent on Fischer skis, Hamilton has switched to Salomon skis and boots this season.
Simi Hamilton driving the new fleet of classic skis in the Oberhohf ski tunnel. (Photo: Matt Whitcomb)
“It was a good opportunity with Salomon this year because we have Jessie [Diggins] and Sophie [Caldwell] on them among the various brands in our truck,” Whitcomb said. “And we have an exceptional amount of service because they have few athletes on the World Cup. It was time for a change for Simi and this time around in Oberhof it is more about getting used to the product instead of actually testing the skis. We will do a little bit of testing but the main purpose is simply to get used to skiing on the new brand.”
The Oberhof ski tunnel was reserved by several elite groups twice each day for four days.
“Our goal is to not really push it too hard it is just to get in as much quality skiing as we can under the expected jet lag to go to Norway both well trained but also not buried,” said Whitcomb.
The camp in and around Trondheim will involve joint training sessions between the U.S. contingent and skiers from Italy’s National Team. Federico Pellegrino, Francesco De Fabiani, and Dietmar Nöckler are scheduled to attend. In addition to training with the Italians, the six U.S. skiers will race the Toppidrettsveka rollerski events from August 22-24.
“The number one goal is to get some race experience in the summer against some of our World Cup competitors and just get that summertime competitive vibe going that you cannot get in the U.S. without going to the best,” said Whitcomb. “That is the number one goal. And the secondary goal is to a little bit of training with some of the local Norwegians in Trondheim. Some that are showing up early for the races and also with the Italians who we have been talking with for the last four or five months about wanting to do something together
Hamilton was not alone in Oberhof. The Russians were there to join the ski tunnel fun. (Photo: Matt Whitcomb)
In years past, the U.S. team has flown to New Zealand for a major on-snow camp. This year with no World Championships and the Olympics three winters away, the coaches offered athletes the possibility of a new routine. Jessie Diggins, Julia Kern, and coach Jason Cork will return to New Zealand’s Snow Farm.
“The number one reason is just for some change,” said Whitcomb of the smaller contingent headed to New Zealand. “It wasn’t anything that we believe so firmly in that we were opposed when Julia and Jessie wanted to go, it was no big deal. It was more of a let’s bring this to the athletes and see what they want to do. As you might imagine, it is quite a big time commitment for some of us who don’t get to see a lot of summer, or one of the best parts of the summer, and it’s exchanging that for winter. You are giving up a bit there. It is something will miss as Simi and I were both just talking about because it is a reprieve from the heat of August. It is just for the purpose of changing things up a little bit and it is a non-championship year. Later on, we can perhaps assess whether or not it provides us with what we think it does.”
We are trying to stay slightly ahead of the overuse injury and poor air quality curves. You may be midway through your summer training schedule and dealing with a bum ankle. Or you live in a place like much of the Western U.S. that has been or will be affected by poor air quality due to wildfires.
Whatever the causation, skiers can find themselves in make-do mode. If the air quality index (AQI) is high where you live, or a bum ankle precludes running or roller skiing, you have training options. And to remain optimistic, what you might think of as a compromise, can, in fact, benefit you in the short and long term.
Talk to most elite athletes who have trained abroad, and they will tell you that double pole specific workouts are the norm. Double pole capacity remains one mandatory piece of results success. This is where a Ski-Erg and upper body specific strength programs come in handy.
Many athletes are lucky to have access to a ski-erg. If you don’t, please don’t stress. According to a study published in 2017 that compared the effects of strength training and specific ski-erg training on junior cross-country athletes, both groups made double poling gains.
The researchers examined double-poling gross efficiency, maximal speed (V max), and peak oxygen uptake (VO2 max).
No ah-hah moments in terms of an either-or. “No between-group differences were found for any of the investigated variables,” was a key conclusion.
Sadie Bjornsen of the U.S. during the second leg of the 2019 World Championship 4 x 5 k relay in Seefeld, Austria. (Photo: John Lazenby/lazenbyphoto.com)
For those with access to a ski-erg, here’s a 2017 Wednesday Workout from a newly married Sadie Bjornsen. (Congrats!) If your local air quality is sub-par, we’re hoping the ski-erg is located indoors. (If you have a bum ankle, grab a chair, sit down in front of the ski-erg, and begin pulling.
The Start: “I start my workout with a fifteen-minute warm up. During this time, I often shut my eyes, and visualize skiing. This helps bring in true ski form, and feel my movements, rather than just fall into a ‘SkiErg-specific technique.’”
Getting Speedy: “During this time, I will do some little ten-second increases in power to warm up my back and arms, and get ready to go hard.”
The Workout: “After fifteen minutes, I begin the workout known as 30-30’s. This means 30 seconds of intervals followed by 30 seconds of recovery, then repeat for 30 minutes. What may feel easy at first, quickly catches up after 10 minutes, so I always start this workout more conservative than feels appropriate.”
Keeping It Going: “After about five minutes of 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off, I start to see a common number of watts I am exerting during the 30 seconds. This is where I set a goal. Maybe it’s 190 watts I am hitting, I want to continue to reach that level or more for the next 25 minutes of this workout. This becomes increasingly hard around 20 minutes, and requires a certain amount of mental power. The 30 seconds of rest begins to pass too quickly, and I find myself becoming really focused in my own little world… forgetting where I am (maybe a garage, maybe a gym).”
Finishing Up: “By the end of 30 minutes of 30-30’s, I am pretty worked, and feel like I have just done a race out on the snow. This is when I bring myself back to my surroundings, and finish with a fifteen minute easy warm down to help flush my arms out.”
Final Thoughts: “Not only does this one hour pass really fast, but it is a really focused workout that feels like it truly helps build specific power. I always make sure I finish this workout with a little five minute walk. This helps flush all my muscles, but also helps make sure my back goes back to moving naturally after a pretty intense workout.”
The Workout: Solo, high-focus, double-pole distance session
Erik Bjornsen of the U.S. skiing to 17th overall during the 15 k classic at the 2019 World Championships in Seefeld, Austria. (Photo: John Lazenby/lazenbyphoto.com)
Find suitable terrain and timing: “I choose the terrain based on how hard I want the workout to be. I try to fit this workout in mid-week between intervals sessions,” he wrote in an email. “The point is to get the biggest benefit without fatiguing the body too much.
“Most often I head up Campbell airstrip road. It’s a five-mile-long road, with a majority of the terrain measuring out at a gentle 5% incline,” Bjornsen continued. “There’s one steeper climb in the middle that’s about 500 meters long. For this workout, I go out and back twice.”
Warmup: 15-minute easy Level 1 (roller)ski to the start.
Go-time: Typically takes him 1 hour and 20 minutes to rollerski the 5-mile section twice.
“The steep 500-meter section is VERY hard to double pole — that portion of the road is something you would for sure stride in a race. During this workout, I try to spend an hour at L2 [Level 2] and end up bumping up to L3 [Level 3] only when double poling up that steep segment (2 X 5min in L3). I like having the two short but demanding double pole sections in this workout.
“The important part of this training session is not the 2 x 5-minute L3 sections, it’s the time before and after that L3 effort. You have to figure out how to get the muscles to recover from the hill while still double poling and determine what gear/tempo to use while still applying power efficiently — and recover at the same time.”
Cool down: 15-minute easy ski home.
Notes:
“The idea is to work specifically on double pole and upper body strength. You get an opportunity to work on all gears, from long double pole to very quick choppy double pole up the steep section.
“You can gain a lot from just focusing on two intensity sessions a week throughout the summer. This is a way I find I’m able to gain quite a bit from specific double pole training. But ideally, you don’t fatigue the body so much that it takes energy away from the true intensity sessions.”
Lastly, here’s the strength protocol from the 2017 study we mentioned up top. After a specified warm-up, here is what the researchers prescribed for the non-ski-erg test group.
(1) for different training days, the participant was allowed to alternate between five repetitions maximum (RM) of snatches, squats or deadlifts at 60–85% of body mass,
(2) 8 RM sit-ups or vertical sit-ups,
(3) 6 RM pull-downs, chin-ups or seal row
(4) 6 RM of pushdowns, bar-dips or narrow bench press
(5) 6 RM of belly-backs with or without dumbbells.
“All five exercises were conducted with two sets per exercise and 1-min rest between sets. Thereafter, the participants completed 5–10 min with different core-stability exercises, which were followed by 90 s of cable crunches, 60 s of pulldowns with a rope, and 30 s of triceps pushdowns with a rope without rest between exercises. After 1-min rest, these three exercises were repeated once. Finally, 3 sets of 45 s of medicine-ball slams (3–5 kg) with 15-s rest between sets were conducted. After the group-specific training session, the [strength] group performed 20 min of roller skiing using the double-poling technique in the heart-rate intensity zone MIT”
