SPRING SKIING IS STILL AT ITS FINEST. SOMETIMES...
We were reminded this week of the fickleness of Spring Skiing, and of a couple of the basic tenets of successful Adventure Skate trips:
1) Never assume the snow today will be just like the snow yesterday;
2) Never assume the weather 20 miles away is just like the weather at your house.
Above: Tav Streit has a blast on the slopes above Lake Aloha, Desolation Wilderness.
| Cross Country Skiing in California, Nevada, and Arizona. Presented by the Far West Nordic Ski Education Association (a recognized 501(c)(3) organization). Last Updated |
THE FAR WEST NORDIC SKI EDUCATION ASSOCIATION
|
GREAT SPRING SKIING IN THE SIERRA! |
|
UPCOMING MEETINGS
|
|
NEXT FAR WEST NORDIC BOARD MEETING All Members Welcome and Encouraged to Attend! Monday, May 19th, 2008, at 7 pm @ John Gerbino's Home (Email for Directions) |
| SPRINGTIME IN NORWAY Far West Juniors Travel to the Nordic Homeland, by Alex Taylor Instead of flocking to the tropics to participate in the ubiquitous MTV swimsuit parties and Girls Gone Wild shenanigans, the members of the Williams College ski team spent their spring break in Norway, the heartland of Nordic skiing. We traveled to Sjusjoen, a small resort town about 20 minutes outside of Lillehammer (site of the '94 Olympics and the finish town of the Norwegian Birkebeiner). We arrived the day after the Birkie, so the trails were still full of strapping Nordic enthusiasts of all ages and abilities. (Tor Arne Hetland came ripping past me doing intervals on one of my morning skis.) Our 12 day trip was a whirlwind, yet I still managed to ski about 500km, including an epic 9 hour, 95km ski on the Birkebeiner route and around Lillehammer. Trailside cafes abounded in Sjusjoen, staffed with cute Norwegian girls eager to serve heart-shaped "vaffles" with jam and cream to hungry American students. (I think Royal Gorge and Tahoe Donner could take a hint from the Norwegians here. ;) All told, the trip was a blast and now it's time to settle back into the post-spring break/pre-summer grind. Now all I have to do is convince my parents to take a family ski vacation to Sjusjoen next spring break. |
|||
SOMETIMES, WE TAKE CERTAIN SKILLS WE'VE DEVELOPED FOR GRANTED |
|||
FISCHER CUP, SIERRA SKI CHASE & MASTERS TEAMS WINNER ANNOUNCED Sierra Ski Chase: It was a clean-sweep by the Reids this year, with Beth winning for the women and Russell for the men. CLICK HERE for Results. In this year's Masters Team Competition, a total of 23 racers of all ages made the grade. CLICK HERE for full results and a team listing. |
|||
NEW WINTER BIATHLON RACE IN MAMMOTH & 10th MOUNTAIN BIATHLON AT AUBURN SKI CLUB Also, the Auburn Ski Club will be hosting the annual 10th Mountain Division Biathlon on April 13th at 10am. There are 3km and 9km options. For people who are new to the sport there is an introductory clinic on April 6th at 1pm. Preregistration for the clinic and the race are each $20 for adults, $15 for juniors (20 and under). Registration the day of the race is $30 adults / $15 juniors. Mandatory safety clinic on race day at 9am. For questions or to register please check www.auburnskiclub.org |
|||
| CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH A WINTER EXPERIENCE! New Course, Snow and Wind Combine for Challenging Racing Zack Simons, one of the top U.S. skiers and winner of the 2007 American Birkebeiner, broke up the field and cruised to victory in the 28th Annual California Gold Rush at Royal Gorge, beating former Far West junior Ian Case. In the women's event, multi-World Master medalist Beth Reid dueled to the finish with former Olympian Rebecca Dussault, coming down to the final sprint to take the win. Over 265 racers braved the cold and win to check out the new course for California's biggest ski Marathon event. For results, CLICK HERE. For a great write-up by second place finisher Case, CLICK HERE. |
|||
| JUNIOR OLYMPICS 2008! Check out Recaps and Photos from Alaska Follow the fortunes of our Junior athletes in Anchorage, Alaska for the 2008 Junior Olympics competition at Kincaid Park. We have results, blogs, and pictures, with more photos being posted. For more info, CLICK HERE. |
|||
WORLD MASTERS YIELDS MEDALS FOR FAR WEST SKIERS |
|||
| MOLLY ZURN WINS 24 HOURS OF SUNLIGHT RACE Far West Board Member Sets New Women's Record of 33,000 ft. In Colorado The Third Annual, 24 Hours of Sunlight is an endurance race challenging teams of all ages and abilities to hike up the mountain and ski, board, and/or snowshoe down, for an entire 24 hour period. Our intrepid Ultra-Marathoner Molly traveled to the Sunlight Mountain Resort in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, for this zany but grueling race that requires hiking/skiing up the mountain and skiing/boarding back down. And she WON the Solo Women's Division, representing all of Far West Nordic and the Sierra Nevada nordic ski scene. Congratulations, Molly! (We think it was the Far West Nordic logo stickers she had on her Atomic Mountaincross skis that made her go so fast). CLICK HERE to read more about the race. |
|||
| HIGH SCHOOL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS Kennedy Dominates Throughout, Freshman Taylor Wins Girls Varsity He won just about every race that counted this year, and when he pulled away to a 15 second victory in Friday's first leg of the 2-part Pursuit for the State Championship title, Truckee High's Russell Kennedy became the odds-on favorite to become this year's Boys Varsity State Champion. He backed that up with the fastest time of the day in the Freestyle Pursuit event, making him an easy winner over Daniel Gelso. In the girls event, Truckee High's freshman sensation Annika Taylor capped an impressive come-from-behind effort to take the Girls Varsity crown over second place Dayna Stimson of Mammoth High. For full results, CLICK HERE. |
|||
| FAR WEST NORDIC ANNOUNCES LOCAL U-25 CHALLENGE GRANT $1,000 Targeted To Be Raised by Local Division For NCCSEF Program A local donor has stoked the fire on announcing a Challenge Grant for the National Cross Country Ski Education Foundation (NCCSEF) to benefit ski racers from the age of 20-25 years old (see original article below). In an attempt to raise an immediate $1,000 for young adults, Far West is asking members to donate to the NCCSEF program by either sending them a check directly, or sending money to Far West Nordic noted specifically for the "Stanley Grant." When our division reaches $500, this donor will match that amount for a total of $1,000. To donate to this program, please mail in a check to P.O. Box 10046, Truckee, CA 96162. Note that it is for NCCSEF. To donate via our website, CLICK HERE. |
|||
| FAR WEST JUNIOR OLYMPIC TEAM NAMED 34 Athletes Scheduled to Travel to Anchorage, Alaska in March After a grueling season of 4 Junior Olympic Qualifier races, the Far West JO Team is set. Congratulations to the team. J2 BOYS: Andrew Cobourn, Alex Hamilton, Miles Heapes, Carson Lindsay, Austin Meng, Justin Ondry, Will Stimson, and David Wise. J2 GIRLS: Sophie Aaron, Robyn Bath-Rosenfeld, Michelle Cahill, Rachell Nadell, Joanne Reid, Annika Taylor. J1 BOYS: Stefan Benier, Drew Deurlington, Joey Griffo, Heith Jones, Russell Kennedy, Tom McElravey, Andrew Pado, Matthew Picken, Bryce Tiernan, Adam Wright. J1 GIRLS: Erika Cornell, Kelsey Dion, Veronica Holmes, Bernie Nelson, Morgan Paulson, Angela Raso, Laura Rodrigues, Dayna Stimson. OJ BOYS: Spencer Wood, Tyler Wright. CLICK HERE for more information on the 2008 Junior National/Junior Olympics Team. |
|||
| FAR WEST SKIERS SHINE AT BOULDER MOUNTAIN TOUR Sun Valley Race Is Popular with the Sierra Set Over 25 racers from California & Nevada, including 16 Far West Nordic members, traveled to VERY chilly Idaho for the 700+ racer Boulder Mountain Tour, a 32 kilometer event from Galena Lodge to Ketchum. Led by division-winners June Lane and Jack Wilson, other notable results included Otis Kantz (3rd), Ralph Johnson (4th), Nick Sterling (5th, 15th overall), Zach Violett (6th, 8th overall). Others placing in the top-ten in their age divisions included Sandy Hill (7), Thomas Stokes (7), Peter Werbel (8), Tav Streit (6), and Molly Zurn (9). Other Far West members racing included Steve Axt, Martha Bellisle, Bruce Eisner, Cara Streit, David Adams and Rick Reynolds. |
|||
| ALLAN BARD MEMORIAL CLASSIC CANCELED, FINAL JOQ POSTPONED CNISSF Kirkwood Classic Designated Final Junior Olympic Qualifier Because of the Allan Bard Memorial Classic in Mammoth Lakes being canceled because of impossible racing conditions, the final Far West Nordic Junior Olympic Qualifier has been postponed until Friday's CNISSF Classic Event at Kirkwood Cross Country on February 8th. For complete information, CLICK HERE. |
|||
|
|||
|
BIG HOLIDAY RACING WEEKEND AHEAD Truckee Sprints, ASC Classic Sprints, and TDXC Skogsloppet Highlight the Docket Sign up online for Monday's 2008 SKOGSLOPPET at Tahoe Donner Cross Country. CLICK HERE to save time and effort by registering using our own Sign-Up form. (Note: You will still need to bring a check or cash to pay at Bib Pick-up on Monday morning at TDXC, as we can't run payments for Tahoe Donner through our system.) |
|||
| FAR WEST'S ZACH VIOLETT NAMED TO U.S. WORLD CUP TEAM Head Coach Ben Grasseschi also attending Canmore World Cup Races as a Wax Technician Zach Violett, formerly of Brownsville, California and now residing in Bend, Oregon, has been named to the United States contingent for the World Cup races to be held later this month in Canmore, Canada. Our own Head Coach Ben Grasseschi is also going as a Wax Technician for the U.S. Team, so Far West Nordic will be well represented. CLICK HERE for a Team Today article on the naming of the team. |
|||
| FAR WEST NORDIC SKIERS AT U.S. SENIOR NATIONALS Local Racers Wind Up Week in Houghton, Michigan A crew of 5 Far West Nordic athletes and coaches, plus some former juniors from around the country, headed to Houghton, Michigan for the 2008 U.S. Nationals on the trails at Michigan Tech. Led by coaches Ben Grasseschi and Martin Benes, Russell Kennedy, Dayna Stimson and Angela Raso raced against the best in the country. Also on hand were FW alumni Matthew Gelso, Zach Violett, Dom Henriques, Phil Violett, Kara LaPoint, and Ian Case. At stake for some were spots on the Scandinavian Cup, World Juniors, and U-23 USSA Teams. After 2 races, Gelso led all Junior boys for the World Junior team. Stay tuned for more results, or go to www.ussa.org for updates. |
|||
| NCCSEF ANNOUNCES MATCHING GRANT FOR DIVISIONS $100,000 Challenge Designed to Aid 20-25 Year Old Racers A Matching Grant from a generous donor (one who has supported Far West Nordic for years as well) has been announced by the National Cross Country Ski Education Foundation (NCCSEF) to benefit ski racers from the age of 20-25 years old. Far West Nordic has recognized the need to keep these former juniors ski racing at high levels, and this "Stanley Grant" from NCCSEF is a great start. If $50,000 is raised from NCCSEF to match the grant, there will be $100,000 available for top skiers in each region starting in 2008. For more information on this exciting program, CLICK HERE. |
|||
| RACE PHOTOS AVAILABLE IN OUR PHOTO GALLERY Utah SuperTour, Sierra Nordic Duathlon, Paco's Race Competitor Shots Looking for some fun race photos from December? Check out the Far West Nordic Photo Gallery Pages for lots of new pics. CLICK HERE to go to the Photo Gallery. |
|||
|
BIG RACE SUNDAY AT AUBURN SKI CLUB Paco's "Fun" Race Gets More than 160 Competitors Nordic racing seems to be alive and well, especially up at Auburn Ski Club, where over 160 racers enjoyed perfect snow conditions and beautiful weather for the annual Paco's Fun Race 10 kilometer event. Since it was the first event in the Junior Olympic Qualifier series, over 60 junior racers were on hand to test their mettle against the best in the Far West. The overall event was won by Joaquin Goodpaster of the University of Colorado, along with Beth Reid of Palo Alto for the women's 10 K division. For full results, CLICK HERE. For Junior Olympic Qualifying information, CLICK HERE. For a Write-Up on the race, CLICK HERE. |
|||
|
|||
| WAX TIPS FROM THE PROS Toko & Swix Wax Recommendations for Far West Nordic Races Take advantage of the experts by getting the latest, up-to-date wax recommendations from both TOKO and SWIX Technical Representatives. Go to the RACE SCHEDULE page and click on the logo of your choice at the top. |
|||
| FIRST RACES OF THE SEASON ARE PICTURE-PERFECT Auburn Ski Club Hosted the CNISSF Relays and Sierra Nordic Duathlon On 2 beautiful days for ski racing, Auburn Ski Club hosted the CNISSF Relays for both High School and Middle School on Friday, plus the Sierra Nordic Duathlon on Sunday. Great snow, exceptional competition, and a lot of fun. Check out the results by CLICKING HERE. |
|||
| FAR WEST SKIERS AT UTAH SUPERTOUR 10 Athletes, 3 Coaches In Soldier Hollow Some of the top XC athletes in the country were in Soldier Hollow, Utah for the Super Tour race series on December 15th and 16th. Russell Kennedy, Stefan Benier, Tom McElravey, Alex Hamilton, Carson Lindsay, Justin Ondry, Daniel Gelso, Sophie Aaron, Dayna Stimson, and Kelsey Dion joined alumni Nick Sterling, Zach Violett and Ian Case, along with coaches Jeff Schloss, Elyah Gordon and Martin Benes. On Saturday, both Stimson and Aaron made it to the "A" finals of the junior division, while Kelsey won the "B" final division. In the boys, Gelso advanced to the finals of the juniors, while Case and Violett made it into the Quarterfinals of the Senior division. For full results, CLICK HERE. For Photos by Elyah Gordon, CLICK HERE. |
|||
|
2 GREAT MASTER CLINICS SET FOR JANUARY Classic with Glenn Jobe, Skate with Jeff Schloss On The Schedule January 6th marks the date for the Classic Clinic at Tahoe Cross Country, with January 19th the date for the Skate Clinic at Auburn Ski Club. Check out the MASTERS PAGE for all the details and how to sign up. |
|||
| RACING SEASON STARTS THIS WEEKEND! CNISSF Relays, Sierra Nordic Duathlon, and the Tamarack Lodge Tannenbaum Highlight Docket With great (but thin) snow still blanketing the trails, all systems are go for the 2 races at Auburn Ski Club and the re-scheduled classic race in Mammoth Lakes. We also have placed links to both the TOKO and SWIX wax recommendation pages on our Race Schedule Page. Check these for up-to-date wax tips for most of the local races. |
|||
| JUNIOR CAMP SIGNUPS FOR WINTER! U.S. Senior Nationals and Mt. Shasta Trip Ready for Signups Go to our Junior Camp Page for full information |
|||
|
RACE POSTPONEMENTS/CANCELLATIONS FOR DECEMBER Kirkwood, Tamarack Races Update Our dry Autumn has caused our first two casualties of the race season. The Kirkwood 10K scheduled for December 2nd, has been canceled, and there will not be a replacement date. The Tannenbaum Classic Race at Tamarack Lodge in Mammoth Lakes has been POSTPONED until December 16th. With this new snow, it looks like the Tannenbaum is a GO. |
|||
| ANOTHER RECORD FUNDRAISER FOR FAR WEST NORDIC! Sugar Bowl's Mt. Judah Lodge Site of a Great Party Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, donors, bidders, raffle ticket buyers, and, of course, our great volunteers, the Far West Nordic Fundraiser on November 3rd was a huge success. How huge? Stay tuned for the numbers, as we compile the bids and amounts. We have a complete list of Prizes and Winners on our AUCTION PAGE. |
|||
| 2007 DONNER LAKE TURKEY TROT RESULTS AVAILABLE Lots of Far West Nordic Members, Juniors at Auburn Ski Club Fundraiser The 2007 Turkey Trot at Donner Lake had a great representation of Far West Nordic skiers, as the event was a fundraiser for the Auburn Ski Club Junior Nordic teams. Top results by Jakub Benes, Martin Benes, Jeff Schloss, Peter Taylor, Kristin Krone and more, with a healthy dose of Nordic Juniors as well. CLICK HERE to check out the results. For a Photo Gallery from the race (photos available for purchase), CLICK HERE to go to www.macbethgraphics.com. |
|||
|
|||
|
|||
|
|||
|
JOIN FAR WEST NOW! Get ahead of the game by signing up NOW for the upcoming Far West Nordic Ski Season. Go to our Membership Page for more information and downloadable forms. Updated information on discounts at most of the California/Nevada XC Ski Areas is also on our Membership Page. We need your membership to keep our great programs running. Please sign up today! |
|||
 Meetings are held the second Monday of every month throughout the year, except when otherwise noted. Write for Info. To contact Far West Nordic you can email us at info@farwestnordic.org, FWNSEA | P.O. Box 10046 | Truckee, CA | 96162 |
|||
