Ski Community News

For the next generation of Swedish World Cup racers, the upcoming winter is well underway. Make a note of these names: Edvin Anger, Måns Skoglund, Tilde Bångman, Nils Bergström, and Erik Larsson. These young racers are training hard, aiming high, and will put Sweden on the map. Anger, Skoglund and Bergström are all part of the Swedish junior national team this season, while Bångman was on the junior national team last year and is now...

This week the Worldloppet released its official race calendar for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 race seasons. On the upside, for the time being, there are opportunities for in-person Worldloppet events. All this, of course, depends on the status of the pandemic in specific countries and associated travel restrictions. As many skiers know, the loppet series is global, spanning from Southern Hemisphere races in Australia, New Zealand, and Argentina, to Northern Hemisphere races in North America,...

In a statement on social media last week, Olympic gold medalist Kikkan Randall announced that she had made the decision to step down from her position as a member of the International Olympic Committee Athletes Commission. “Unfortunate and unforeseen circumstances in my personal life have made it difficult for me to contribute the energy and attention necessary to fulfill my IOC roles at a level consistent with my values,” wrote Randall.    Members of the...

Press Release 15 June 2021: Global Athlete is pleased to announce an exciting expansion in our efforts toward athlete-driven change across the world of sport- a new athlete-led podcast seeking to broaden the conversation about power, accountability, and athlete rights in international sport. Hosted by 2x Olympian and Global Athlete startup group member Noah Hoffman and featuring guest hosts and Global Athlete members Bree Schaaf and Caradh O’Donovan, the 14-episode first season of our […]

The International Biathlon Union (IBU) remains committed to improving its online and mobile products according to a recent announcement. The IBU, along with the global app and web developer Vincit, claims the new products, “will allow fans to follow competitions in real-time, as well as provide a second-screen experience with user-friendly statistics and insights into competitions, personalized user experience, and top-notch content with images and video.” More on this in a bit. Live event […]

Durango Nordic is hiring for two exciting positions, an Executive Director and Head Coach. Visit our website at durangonordic.org to view position descriptions.  Qualified candidates are encouraged to email their resume and cover letter to [email protected] Executive Director – Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director will oversee the success of the organization and its administration, programs, partnerships, fundraising, staff, and strategic […]

Press Release   New Gloucester, Maine: US Biathlon is pleased to announce the hiring of Dana Hatton as the new National Team Assistant Coach. Dana grew up in Maine and skied with the St. Lawrence Varsity Nordic Ski Team for four years. Most recently, Dana spent two years as the Graduate Assistant Coach for the St. Lawrence Ski Team, where she completed her Masters degree in Leadership. “We are thrilled to have Dana onboard as...

Last week after winning 65 of the 119 total votes, Johan Eliasch (59), a dual citizen of Sweden and the United Kingdom, was elected the new President of the International Ski Federation (FIS). Eliasch succeeds Gian-Franco Kasper who has been in the position for 23 years. Nominated for the position by GB Snowsport, Eliasch brings a long history of business acumen as the CEO of Head Sport to FIS. Eliasch is credited with leading HEAD...

  Press Release The Davis U.S. Cross Country Team welcomes two new staff members, including Greta Anderson as Development Team Coach, and Bjørn Heimdal a member of the World Cup Service staff, for the 2021-22 season. Heimdal joins the World Cup Service staff, replacing fellow Norweigen Per-Erik Bjørnstad. He has been running ski/wax service for Norweigan regional Team Elon Nord-Norge since 2017, and has experience as both a coach and competitor. “He came highly recommended...

As far as teams go on the cross-country World Cup, Great Britain arrives at the show with perhaps the smallest team roster and staff. Somehow, they often roar when considering the results. We know British Nordic from the sharp end skiing of Andrew Musgrave, and sprinters Andrew Young and James Clugnet.  Like all teams on the circuit, the human capital behind the Lycra-clad skiers make the travel, training, and race grind happen. In this episode...

Nordiq Canada announced earlier this week a reorganization of its high-performance team in the run-up to the 2022 Paralympic and Olympic Games. Kate Boyd, who had been hired as Nordiq Canada’s high-performance director in September 2020, will become the high-performance director of the Para-Nordic team. “Looking at the critical year ahead, and the expectations placed on our Paralympic athletes to not only repeat our success from 2018, but to also ensure the tradition of excellence with […]

Following the FIS Cross-Country committee meetings in May, the FIS Council approved the race calendar for the upcoming season. On the list of events is the newly approved Mixed Relay (4x5km) and Mixed Team sprint, both to debut Sunday, March 13th, 2022 in Falun Sweden. The Swedish Ski Federation and the “Svenska Skidspelen” organizers conducted a study on the feasibility of these formats before approval. At last year’s Swedish senior national competition in Falun, they...

Time to get in shape for the skiing season! Even though it’s summer, many resorts cater skiing enthusiasts during this season. However, hitting the slopes right away without exercising enough leaves you with sore muscles screaming in pain the following day. Therefore, you must take your muscles through a thorough training program before you slip into your skiing boots. You would be wise not to wait until the last moment and avoid achy muscles performing...

  Gian-Franco Kasper, the President of FIS for the past 23 years, will step down after a new candidate is elected at the FIS virtual FIS Congress on Friday, June 4th. The new President will be only the fifth person to hold that role since the inception of FIS in 1924. The elections come at an inflection point within the organization as it looks to navigate the ski sports under its governance into a new, post-pandemic...

  Yesterday the International Biathlon Union announced their modified fluoro ban for the 2021-2022 season. The brief: C8 fluoros are banned, while C6 fluoros are permitted. The International Ski Federation (FIS) announced on Tuesday they too are moving in a similar direction. “FIS has prohibited any products containing C8 fluorocarbons/PFOA at all FIS events from season 2021/2022 onwards, in line with the EU Regulation 2019/1021 (“POP-regulation”) and EC Regulation 1907/2006 […]

No two bodies are alike. This holds true for athletes and non-athletes. As activewear becomes an increasingly popular outfit choice, the clothing market has seen a proliferation of brands — from Lululemon to Athleta, to Girlfriend, the options seem endless. In spite of the availability of activewear, it is perhaps not always designed with a spectrum of athletic body types in mind. Enter Indura Athletic, a small-business startup run by nordic skier Abby Drach. Her...

With time to spare before the 2021-2022 race season, the International Biathlon Union clarified on Monday their fluoro wax policy. In a press release titled “IBU bans harmful fluor products from biathlon events,” the sport governing body banned the use of C8 fluorinated products. C8 compounds, also known as PFOAs, are eight chain fluorocarbons that have historically been used to enhance ski speed in certain conditions. The IBU’s stance brings it into compliance with current...

Medical conditions pose one of the biggest stumbling blocks travellers face when it comes to buying travel insurance.   According to the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), more than 14 million people with underlying health conditions try to purchase travel insurance every year – a significant percentage of the overall market.   Of these, an estimated one in 10 end up travelling with insurance that is not appropriate for them, leaving them exposed to sky-high...

Yarmouth High School seeks a head Nordic ski coach for the 2021-2021 season to continue its 30+ year legacy as one of Maine’s premier public school racing programs. This team is well-funded by an active parent-booster program that perennially produces some of the top athletes in the Western Maine Class B Conference and the state. Candidates for this paid position should have USSA-level coaching experience and racing experience, as well as a high level of...

Whether cycling, rollerskiing, or apparently spring skate skiing, road rash is almost inevitable. Maybe more annoying than painful, but definitely damaging to the ego, road rash is not necessarily difficult to treat. Contrary to popular belief, it acts much more like a burn than an abrasion. Also, contrary to popular belief, treatment should not attempt to dry it out. Step 1. Cleaning Make sure your hands are clean or gloved. Clean the area with water. If...