Far West Masters programs are open to all individuals over the age of 20 and offer tremendous value as they are led by top-notch XC coaches and leaders in sports performance. This year we're expanding our range of on-snow clinics and bringing you a variety of new programs.
Our masters programs and clinics serve as a key source of funding for other segments of the Far West community that really need financial support, particularly juniors, seniors, and our coaches who sacrifice so much to lead a career in coaching. ALL of the proceeds from masters programs (after direct expenses) go to fund Far West causes that need your financial support. We hope you enjoy our clinics and programs this season!
Far West Nordic's on-snow clinics cover a wide range of issues of interest to athletes that wish to compete in XC events. Intermediate and advanced-level recreational skiers can also benefit from Far West clinics. As masters age, "skiing smarter" becomes more important than ever, so our masters clinics place a significant degree of focus on developing skills to ski as efficiently as possible with a minimum level of effort.
- On-snow clinics will be led by one of Far West's will feature a lead coach and may use one or more assistant coaches depending on class size. We will limit class size for on-snow clinics so as to ensure a high quality experience for all participants. It's best to sign up early as traditionally our clinics sell out.
- On-snow clinics will be 2 hours in duration. Clinics that include video analysis will be 3 hours in duration: 2 hours on-snow and 1 hour classroom video analysis.
- Clinics will be open to non-members for a higher fee which reflects a true market price.
Please note that any individual attending a Far West Nordic program/clinic at a ski area that involves on-snow skiing will need to have a valid trail pass for the day of the clinic. Individuals are responsible for purchasing their own trail passes; the price of trail passes is NOT included in the cost of the clinic.
Far West reserves the right to cancel any clinic or program in the event of insufficient sign ups, snow conditions, or various other factors. In the event of cancellation, individuals will have the option of a full refund by check or a credit towards another Far West program.
All people participating in a Masters Clinic must sign an Adult Waiver and Release Form.
MASTERS CLINIC REFUND POLICY: Individuals who sign up for a Far West Nordic masters clinic will receive a full refund for cancellations made at least 72 hours in advance (please e-mail cancellation notice to info@farwestnordic.org as soon as you know you will not be able to attend).
MASTERS CLINIC CANCELLATION POLICY: Far West reserves the right to cancel any clinic or program in the event of insufficient sign ups, weather, or other factors beyond our control. In the event of cancellation, individuals will be notified at the earliest possible date and will receive a full refund by check.
These are the clinics we are working on for the 2011-2012 season! Please check back for details.
DOWNHILL TECHNIQUE CLINIC
- Lead Coach: Chauncey Parker
- Dates: February 5, 2012 9:00am - 3:30pm
- Location: Royal Gorge XC
- Cost: $50 Far West members; $70 non members
Chauncey is currently President of the Far West Nordic Ski Education Association. He is a long-time resident of the Tahoe/Truckee area where he has been active in Nordic racing. In addition, Chauncey is a former coach of the UNR Nordic ski team.
We will explore ways to find speed on downhills and through transitions, choosing the best line around corners, and how to carry speed on technical sections of the race course. Improve your confidence, control, speed, and fun on the downhills through this specialized clinic that provides an in-depth focus on improving your skills on downhill terrain. In this clinic we'll cover the following areas:
- body position for downhills: the correct body position is key for control
- step turns: "setting-up" for a step turn; key components of the step turn
- parallel turns: technique and weight transfer
- choosing your line in a turn; turning in slush/crud/skied out areas
- tips, tricks, and practice drills
This clinic is for intermediate to advanced skiers interested in improving their skills at the races. Prior racing experience required.
Participants should bring skating gear for this clinic. The first part of the day focuses on technique and drills and
the later part, after a lunch break, is the practical application of the technique/drills on the trails.
Remember to send in your Adult Waiver and Release Form
WOMEN'S ONLY SKATE CLINIC with Video
- Coaches: Sally Jones and Nancy Fiddler
- Dates: February 12, 2012, 10am
- Location: Auburn Ski Club
- Cost: $50 Far West members; $70 non members
This clinic is lead by 2 of the best female coaches / instructors Far West has to offer - Auburn Ski Club's Director Sally Jones and Olympian Nancy Fiddler. Both Sally and Nancy work together to train cross country ski instructors for PSIA, and are US Ski Team trained coaches. Sally has been coaching for almost 20 years. Her Nordic focus began in New Zealand, where she coached the National Junior Team. Since moving to California, Sally has developed and run the Nordic ski teams at the Auburn Ski Club, where she is currently Cross Country Skiing Program Director. As an Olympian, Nancy competed in both the Calgary and Albertville Olympic games. In addition Nancy is a US national Champion with 14 national titles.
During the 2 hours of "on snow" we will review various aspects of how you skate ski, help you correct bad habits, and identify opportunities for improving your skiing. The emphasis of this clinic will be technique improvement for women! - specifically balance and body position and how it makes skiing easier.
Learn how to relax on skis, use less effort and develop more grace and power. The on snow instruction will be followed by 30 minutes of video review. Great for a season tune-up
This clinic is for intermediate to advanced skiers.
All participants must have a valid trail pass for the day - non-ASC members may purchase a $10 trail pass from Auburn Ski Club.
Remember to send in your Adult Waiver and Release Form
SKATING TECHNIQUE VIDEO CLINIC
- Coaches: Andrea Miller and Peter Mayfield
- Dates: February 19, 2012 9:00am
- Location: Auburn Ski Club
- Cost: $50 Far West members; $70 non members
This clinic will focus on analyzing and improving your skating technique and improving performance in skate races such as the upcoming Great Ski Race. This clinic will include 2 hours of "on snow" time where coaches will review various aspects of how you skate ski, help you correct bad habits, and identify opportunities for improving your skiing. After two hours of on-snow instruction, we will spend an hour reviewing video -where you will learn from analysis of your technique and in comparison to the technique of others. This clinic is geared towards intermediate and advanced skate skiers.
All participants must have a valid trail pass for the day - non-ASC members may purchase a $10 trail pass from Auburn Ski Club.
Remember to send in your Adult Waiver and Release Form
COMPLETED CLINICS
TRAINING PRINCIPLES PRESENTATION
- Coach: Jeff Schloss and Andy Pasternak
- Date: November 6, 2011, 1:00pm
- Location: Truckee Rec Center
- Cost: $15 Far West members; $20 non members; $5 Juniors
This season's presentation on cross-country training principles will feature Jeff Schloss and Andy Pasternak. The goal of this presentation is to provide a medical and experience-based understanding of training principles that can be used as a foundation for individual training during the entire season. The presentation will be helpful to cross-country skiers of all ability levels, ranging from recreational skiers who want to optimize their fitness based on limited time availability to beginning and experienced racers who want to improve their performance and their endurance. It will be valuable to skiers of all ages from juniors to masters. The presentation will be conducted jointly by two of the area's leading sports physiologists and coaches:
- Andy Pasternak is a board certified family practice physician who is also director of Silver Sage Sports Performance. Andy is an accomplished cross-country skier, runner, and cyclist. He is a member of the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Association of Cycling Team Doctors. He has covered numerous races as a physician and has done extensive exercise testing on a wide range of athletes.
- Jeff Schloss has been coaching cross-country ski racing for over 20 years. He has been the head Nordic coach at UNR, Auburn Ski Club, and Far West Nordic and is currently the head Nordic coach at Sugar Bowl Academy. He has been a US Ski team coach for the World Junior Championships and for the US Under 23 World Championship team.
For the presentation, Andy will address the physiology and nutritional dimensions of training and Jeff will address how to translate the body's response to training into training priorities, training methods, and illustrative training plans. Examples of the types of topics that will be addressed during Andy's and Jeff's presentation are the following:
- How the body responds to training - how much training is appropriate
- The cardiovascular system and the impact of strengthening the system on fitness and performance
- Energy systems and how the body uses the energy it generates
- How the body uses carbohydrates, fats, and protein to generate energy
- The role of nutrition in maximizing sources and availability of energy
- How intensity and duration of exercise impact the availability of energy
- Aerobic threshold, anaerobic threshold, lactate threshold, VO2 Max
- Hydration
- Training priorities and the training pyramid
- Types of training; the importance of recovery
- Intensity zones
- Heart rate monitors and how to use them to enhance the benefits of training
- The roles of interval training, over-distance training, and strength training. How technique fits in
- Illustrative training plans and the progression of those plans during the season; how to create your own training plan
- Race training and strategy; mental training; peaking for a specific race or races
This year there will be a focus on endurance training for masters and what happens as you get older.
The presentation will be approximately two and a half hours long with plenty of opportunity for questions. A written handout summarizing Andy and Jeff's remarks will be provided to all attendees.
LACTATE TESTING
- Coach/Presenter: Andy Pasternak, M.D.
- Coaches: Ben Grasseschi and Julie Young (additional $25 for 30 minute phone consultation)
- Dates:
- Location: Tahoe XC, Tahoe City
- Cost: $125 Far West members; $150 non-members (regular price is $225)
Silver Sage has generously offered to conduct this clinic at their cost for testing supplies. Proceeds will go to Far West Junior and Senior programs.
- Sign-up deadline:
Back by popular demand, Silver Sage Sports Performance is sponsoring lactate testing for Far West Masters.
Dr. Pasternak is head of Silver Sage and an avid Far West Nordic racer. This year's clinic will also offer optional coaching support to help participants determine what to do with their lactate test results.
Lactate threshold testing is widely considered to be the gold standard used to determine optimal training plans and is regarded by some as preferable to VO2 max testing in terms of setting target heart rate zones for training plans. The key in training and racing is to exercise at the proper balance between lactate production and lactate absorption. While much of VO2 Max is genetically determined, your lactate threshold and your lactate threshold as a percentage of your VO2 Max is very responsive to the proper training. One big advantage to on-snow lactate testing is that the results are specific to your XC skiing and can be used to map out XC ski-specific heart zone training plans.
The process for conducting the test is as follows: skiers will ski a pre-set course at varying levels of intensity; after each lap skiers will have a small sample of blood drawn (a few drops will be drawn from the earlobe, an area that's usually not very sensitive for most people); skiers pulses will also be taken at the time blood draws are conducted. Lactate results will be analyzed immediately and we will meet as a group to review your results and how to use results to determine heart rate zones for your training plans. This clinic can be conducted with either skate or classic ski gear. Skiers participating in this clinic should wear their own heart rate monitors.
Note: participants will NOT be required to purchase a Tahoe XC trail pass for lactate testing. Participants that wish to ski at Tahoe XC either before or after lactate testing will need to have a valid trail pass for the day -- Far West members are eligible to buy a full day pass at the half day rate with their Far West Nordic membership card.
Coaching support to help interpret the lactate testing results and to suggest how the results can be used to improve the skier's training program and racing performance will be provided by a combination of Ben Grasseschi, Far West Nordic Head Coach, and Julie Young, director of the Northstar Nordic Center. The support will be provided via a 30 min phone consultation for an additional fee of $25. The lactate test results will be provided to whichever coach the skier selects and the skier will contact the coach and arrange a mutually convenient time for the phone consultation. The coach's contact details will be provided to the skier after completion of the lactate testing clinic.
Remember to send in your Adult Waiver and Release Form
WAXING |
LOCAL RACE WAX RECOMMENDATIONS
FROM THE PROS
(click logos) |
FAR WEST NORDIC WAX CLINIC
- Presenters: Glenn Jobe, Ralph Johnson
- Date: December 10, 2011, 1:00pm
- Location: Auburn Ski Club in the green wax building
- Cost: $15 Far West members; $20 non members
Far West Nordic is conducting a comprehensive waxing clinic. The clinic will be conducted by two of the area’s foremost wax gurus: Glenn Jobe and Ralph Johnson.
Glenn Jobe is an Olympic Biathlete who competed in the 1980 Olympic Games, was the 1981 National Biathlon 20 km champion, and a former Far West Nordic head coach. He founded both Kirkwood and Tahoe Donner Nordic centers and has been coaching Far West juniors since 1977. Throughout his career Glenn has done his own waxing.
Ralph Johnson has been an avid master ski racer for nearly 30 years and is an experienced wax technician and tester. He has competed in numerous world and national masters championships and has completed over 50 ski marathons.
Glenn and Ralph decades of experience testing various kick and glide wax products from most manufacturers. The Tahoe area experiences challenging waxing conditions due to wide fluctuations in temperature, humidity, and the water content of the snow not only during the course of a season, but during the course of an individual race.
From dealing with these challenging conditions, Glenn and Ralph have found that the products of some wax manufacturers work well in certain conditions, while the products of other wax companies work best in other conditions. Their learnings will be shared as well as their know how of how best to apply which types of waxes and how to decide which base structure is best under which conditions.
The clinic will cover both kick and glide waxing, but there will be somewhat more focus on kick waxing. Topics such as those listed below will be addressed:
- Ski selection
- Kick and glide wax selection under varying conditions; binders and base waxes
- Demos of the application of both kick and glide waxes; how to tell when a kick wax is working well and how to make adjustments before the race
- Base structure – how much and what type of pattern
- Keeping skate and classic ski bases in tip top condition during the season
- No-wax classic skis; ‘hairies’ / ‘zeros’
There will be lots of opportunity for questions and discussion.
Online registration is now closed. Walk ins welcome.
Waxing can have a big impact on the enjoyment of your skiing, but to many it’s an intimidating and complicated topic. As a result, Far West has undertaken some initiatives to make it easier for you.
Although waxing may not be the most important thing in terms of how a cross-country ski performs, if you have the “right” ski, waxing can significantly improve its performance. Experts believe that the fit of a ski, in particular how well the flex of the ski distributes the pressure of your weight along the ski, is the most important factor influencing ski performance. After fit/flex, “structure” of the base of the ski and wax come next in terms of impact on ski performance. The combination of structure and waxing basically addresses properties of the snow that might slow the ski down.
“Structure” is a term that describes very fine patterns cut into the base of the ski that help reduce friction between the ski and the snow. Because the ski glides on a thin film of water, suction between the water and the ski can be created and the ski slows. Structure helps minimize this suction. Structure patterns are ground into the ski when it’s manufactured but these patterns can be modified using special hand tools (rillers) to better match the day’s snow conditions.
In skate skiing, the goal of waxing is to reduce the friction between the ski and the film of water it glides on. In classic skiing with waxable skis, the kick wax you apply to the wax pocket creates friction when you weight the ski and allows the traction you need to move yourself up a hill. The sections in front of and behind the wax pocket (or the pattern area on a no-wax ski) are the areas the ski glides on and need to have glide wax, just like a skate ski does.
For most everyone, waxing is more art than science. Numerous factors, such as temperature, humidity, snow granulation, dirt/debris in the snow, etc, affect the development of the film of water the ski glides on. Different base materials, the way the skier’s weight is distributed along the ski also impact the effectiveness of the selected wax. As a result, wax selection and application can be an intimidating process, but it can also be part of the fun of the sport. Additionally, most of these factors vary from day to day. Skiers with their own waxing capabilities at home can more easily adjust to these variations than those without their own waxing equipment. For weekend skiers and racers without their own equipment, adjusting is more problematic.
Fortunately, there are several readily available services that can greatly simplify wax selection, the process of applying the wax to the ski, and making sure the structure of the base is appropriate for the conditions. Many of the ski areas offer waxing services – give them your skis a short time before you’re ready to go out on the trails and they’ll select the most appropriate wax for those conditions and apply it to the ski for you. For those more interested in how the whole process works and in approaches for selecting and applying both glide waxes and kick waxes, the ski areas and the wax manufacturers, such as Toko and Swix, offer waxing clinics during the season. Most if not all of these clinics are free, although some may require a trail pass at the ski area.
Just because waxing may seem intimidating, don't let it detract from your skiing enjoyment and race performance – experts are available to help and their services are readily accessible. Far West sponsors one waxing clinic early in the season with an emphasis on kick waxing. In addition, Far West masters classic clinics often include a "kick wax" portion of the clinic up-front to help participants wax appropriately for the clinic's snow conditions and the coaches for any Far West clinic are more than happy to address any kick or glide waxing questions you may have. Toko and Swix generally conduct their own wax clinics periodically during the season in the Tahoe and Mammoth areas, and the Articles section of the Far West website has references to several waxing articles and manuals that you may find helpful.
Links to various wax manufacturer’s websites are listed below. Some have helpful articles on waxing in addition to descriptions of their wax products:
Toko
Swix
Star
Rode
Holmenkol
Solda
Start
Fast Wax
