The USSA SuperTour Returns to Auburn Ski Club this January
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For more specific information, please check our Benefits Page on our website at www.farwestnordic.org. Far West Nordic Membership includes eligibility to compete and be scored in Far West race series: Fischer Cup, Sierra Ski Chase, Masters Challenge plus eligibility for Far West Clinics and Programs. Junior Member Benefits include eligibility to be scored in Far West Nordic Junior National Qualifier Events and the U-14 Cup Races. Far West Nordic dues may be tax deductible given the nature of benefits associated with membership and as we are a 501(c)(3) California Non-Profit Corporation. Please check IRS Publication 526 for more information or with your accountant regarding your tax deductibility.
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FAR WEST NORDIC SKI AREA DISCOUNTS Auburn Ski Club Bear Valley XC Kirkwood XC Resort @ Squaw Creek Royal Gorge XC Tahoe XC Tahoe Donner XC Tamarack Lodge
All Day Tickets at Half Day Rate $5 off Full Day Trail Pass All Day Tickets at Half Day Rate $5 Off Full Day Pass Full Day Pass for Afternoon Rate Full Day Pass for Afternoon Rate 2 for 1 Pass for NEW Far West Nordic Members All Day Tickets at Half Day Rate 20% Off Day Trail Pass
Valid Anytime: one pass per FW Card Valid Daily, Non-Holiday Only Valid Anytime Valid Anytime Valid Anytime Valid Non-Holiday Only Valid Non-Holiday Only Sunday-Friday, Non-Holiday Valid Anytime
Other Far West Nordic Benefits Include… Silver Sage Sports Performance Services: 10% Discount Cottonwood Restaurant: Buy One Entree, get 2nd Half Off 20% Off Discount at Kuzyk Acupuncture $5 Discount on Registration for the Tahoe Rim Tour and the Billy Dutton Uphill To Receive Benefits at our Supporting Merchants and Ski Areas, you MUST show your Far West Nordic Membership Card.
4 • Far West Nordic News • Winter, 2017
Welcome to “Nordic News” 2017 Come on people now, Smile on your brother. Everybody get together, try to love one another…Right now. This song was written over 50 years ago, and yet I can’t think of a better way to start this introduction to Nordic News 2017. 2016 has been a tough one, in so many ways. We’ve lost many iconic individuals throughout this year—Ali, Bowie, Prince, Wilder, and so many more. And then, well, we won’t even talk about politics. And so I think about what Nordic skiing means to many of us in the “big scheme of things,” and how our little niche sport can help solve all the world’s problems. And I come back to the lyrics above, because when it comes down to it, we are truly a community of individuals tied together by our love of one simple activity – cross country skiing. We are all brothers and sisters in sport, and you can see this in the interaction between individuals on the tracks, in the backcountry, and especially in cross country ski races. It is there that this community effect is really noticeable – long-time competitors and friends seeing each other every weekend to challenge themselves against the terrain and each other. Far West Nordic is really just an extension of that community, and our organization is proud of its role in keeping those friendships and competitions alive and thriving. We can especially see this effect on our Junior skiers. Read about Katerina Nash’s role as an incredible role model for so many of our junior athletes on page 6, along California’s Largest and Most with Hannah Halvorsen’s and Sofia Sanchez’s writings beginning on pages Complete Nordic Store 12 to illustrate just how important our sport—and Far West Nordic—is to the development of quality young adults.
XC PERFORMANCE
TRACK • BACKCOUNTRY • FAT BIKE
You hold the key to love and fear, all in your trembling hand. Just one key unlocks them both, It’s there at your command. Happy skiing, everyone. See you all on the trails.
XC SKI RACING
Skate, Classic, or Fat Bike “Your Smile Goes Here”
Mark Nadell
Nordic News Editor
NORDIC TOURING
Table of Contents Katerina Nash: Far West Nordic’s Own Olympian . . . . . . . pg. 6
by Mark Nadell & Mitch Dion
Trail Building 101: Noah Brautigam . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 10 by Spencer Eusden
A Small Pond: Growing Up Nordic Racing in Tahoe . . . . . pg. 12 by Hannah Halvorsen
How Ski Racing Has Helped Me Grow . . . . . .
pg. 15
Heart Disease and the Endurance Athlete . . . . . . . . . . .
pg. 16
Racing? Are you Crazy?: A Nordic Primer . . . . . . . .
pg. 18
by Sofia Sanchez
by Andy Pasternak, MD by Bruce Culbertson
Far West Nordic Race Series:
Sierra Ski Chase, Masters Challenge, Fischer Cup . . . . . . . . . . . .
pg.
FAT BIKES (Sales & Rentals) THE MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE and EXPERIENCED SALES STAFF
20
Super Tour: Top Level Racing at Auburn Ski Club . . . . . . . pg. 21 by Beth Ingalls/Auburn Ski Club
Nevada Nordic: Bringing Back Nevada Skiing . . . . . . . . . pg. 22 by Dave Straley
Far West’s 2016-2017 Race Schedule . . . . .
pg. 23
Cover Photo: Sadie Bjornsen, Kikkan Randall, and Liz Stephen share the podium at the 2013 USSA Super Tour Finals Classic All Photos (unless otherwise Specified) by: Mark Nadell, www.macbethgraphics.com “Nordic News” is a yearly production of the Far West Nordic Ski Education Association. Copyright © 2017. Design/typesetting is by MacBeth Graphics of Truckee. Any submissions, questions, or corrections, contact: Mark Nadell, Editor • mark@macbethgraphics.com
12047 Donner Pass Road Truckee, California • 96161 530.587.5561 • 877.532.8798 Monday–Saturday 9-6 Sunday 9–5
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Far West Nordic News • Winter, 2017 • 5
Katerina Nash Far West’s “Olympian in our Midst”
I
t wasn’t long ago that many of us endurance sports fans were glued to our TV’s, watching the Summer Olympic Games from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. And while there was quite enough gymnastics, swimming, and track & field coverage to keep a viewer occupied for days (weeks?) at a time, many of the readers of this magazine probably made a special effort to watch more “compatible” sports to our interests, such as road cycling, triathlon, and mountain biking.
And although NBC and their commentators largely ignored her (USA! USA! USA!), some of you may have noticed a certain familiar name from the Czech Republic in the Mountain Bike competition — Katerina Nash — mixing it up with the leaders during the race. Far West Nordic is proud to call Katerina our “Local Hero,” and while her most recent exploits have been of the two-wheeled variety, she has an extensive background in Nordic skiing and World Cup racing, and is one of the very few individuals who have competed in BOTH Summer and Winter Olympics – multiple times! We caught up with Katerina recently, and decided that this 5-time Olympian’s story is one that our readers need to know more about. Not to mention, this world-class athlete is also one of nicest, most humble, and down-to-earth role models our youth could hope to emulate….. Born Katerina Hanusova in the small town of Prachatice, Czechoslovakia (previous to the falling of the “Iron Curtain”), she grew up with a strong love of the outdoors and sports. “I wasn’t one of those kids who wanted to stay home and read a book,” she says. Even though she started off as a gymnast in the Czech “system,” (influenced heavily by the eastern European-style clubs of the time), she soon gravitated toward the outdoors. “While I didn’t enjoy the indoor sports, their structure and rigidity, I do credit that sport with helping me in everything else I have done. With gymnastics, you learn how to handle your body.” Growing up in a small town, “club sports” were available to every young athlete and were well-supported. There was great mentoring and coaching, where you could just sign up and get equipment. Back in those days, in that country, people had more time to spend on athletics. From an early age, she started Nordic skiing. “What I loved first about the Nordic club was summer training — running, biking, track and field,” she says. “I was a decent middle distance runner, but nothing special, and even competed as a high-jumper for awhile.” In the winter, we Nordic skied. “While we didn’t have tons of snow, the Club kids were cool to hang out with. Races moved from town to town, and with just one snowmobile around, we had to go pack our own trails for striding.” Clubs trained often in the local soccer stadium, on wooden skis and bamboo poles, and most often in the darkness. Soon, Katerina was picked out of the “pool” into the Eastern European structure of choosing promising talents at a young age. That led her to the nearest Ski Academy, in the mountains about an hour away from her home. Designed for teenagers from 14 to 19 years old, the academy didn’t cost anything to the families, and housing was provided for the athletes. School was only a 3 kilometer walk away, and the Academy paid for the races. These times were also an era of political upheaval for Eastern Europe, with many of the old “systems” being discarded and entirely new country boundaries being established. “I can actually say I am “Czechoslovakian,” she says, “born before the split of what is now the Czech Republic and Slovakia. As kids, we didn’t understand the politics. We were told negative things about the outside world, about the United States especially.” As 1989 approached, she could tell something was up, and then “everything changed. I’m mostly sad for my parents, who couldn’t do the things I have been able to do.” Even though her home town was only a half hour away from (West) Germany, she
6 • Far West Nordic News • Winter, 2017
had never even crossed the border until she was almost an adult. She began competing at the highest levels in Junior XC Skiing. Her most memorable race, she says, was at the 1994 Junior World Championships in Austria, where she moved her Czech relay team up from 5th place to 1st by passing other competitors one by one. Even though she began as a Nordic skier, it was cycling that propelled her into the upper echelon of sport. At age 15 (1992), she began biking, and knew that she wanted to go to the Olympics by the time she was 18 years old. Mountain Biking was just starting to boom, and she immediately got thrown into the “elite” category, even though she had just started riding. “One of the coaches at the ski academy started riding, and he said he could get us sponsored if anyone was interested. I had been saving money for a mountain bike but could never afford it, so getting a bike for free was all I needed!” It didn’t take long for Nash to utilize her childhood skills of running and skiing and transfer them to the pedals. By 1996, she competed in her first Olympic competition, the Summer Games in Atlanta, in the mountain bike division, finishing a respectable 19th place (one place behind another famous Czech Nordic-skier-turned-cyclist, Katerina Neumannova). Nash cites the benefit of cross-over skills between XC skiing and cycling, “Cycling requires a lot of strength, and there is the technical element to it, just like Nordic. I think the balance and coordination of a skier – turning on icy trails, stepping around corners – was great preparation for cycling. The sports also are similar in terms of effort because they both have climbing and descents, so the body is used to drastic changes in heart rate.” Not satisfied with just a single Olympics, Nash soon was skiing for the Czech Republic in the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, with results from 22nd to 24th place in the 3 individual races. (The Silver medalist in the 5K was none other than Katerina Neumannova). Nash believes that only 46 people have ever been to the Olympics in two
Katerina leads the break at the 2013 Great Ski Race
different sports, with Cycling to Nordic being the most common cross-over. She believes that Nordic skiing is simply a great general fitness base for just about any sport. Soon, however, Nash set her goals in a different direction – at university in the United States. After a brief spell in Boulder, she landed at the University of Nevada, Reno, becoming a four-time All-American, and establishing herself as one of the top skiers in World Pack history as a three-time NCAA champion in 2001 and 2002. And, along the way, a marriage to 9-time U.S. National XC Ski Champion Marcus Nash. In 2002, it was back to the Winter Olympics, this time close by in Salt Lake City, where her top finish was a 20th place in the 15 km. Freestyle event. By now, however, Nash’s goals were set in the cycling realm, where she com-
Far West Nordic News • Winter, 2017 • 7
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8 • Far West Nordic News • Winter, 2017
peted for the next 14 years on both the Mountain Bike and Cyclocross World Cup circuits, including multiple wins and other top finishes. She claims that it seems like the last 15 years have been mostly spent in an airplane, since 80% of the racing she does is in Europe. But she never discarded her Truckee roots, and although she currently is based in the Bay Area, she spends much of her time here in the mountains, skiing and biking the local trails. “The variety of trails around here makes this just a great training area, whether you want big climbs or super-fast cruising. On the bike, I love the Tahoe Meadows to Spooner section of the Tahoe Rim Trail. And on skis, there is nothing like I’m OK – You’re OK at Tahoe Donner Cross Country. It’s mind blowing!” But what she likes the most is just skiing out in the woods with her two Viszla companions, Ruby and Lola, even if just going out on waxless skis and enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of the outdoors. Asked how she’s sustained the highest level as a competitor for over 20 years, she says, “It just became a lifestyle. For me, training is not a sacrifice – I just love moving through the outdoors. It’s “normal” life that makes me tired.” Now that her “World Cup” status as a cyclist and skier is winding down, Nash is looking to the future for new challenges. But she believes that being a top athlete is a pretty special job, and wants to do it as long as she can. She’ll still retain her main sponsorships with Clif Bar (formerly Luna) and Fischer/Swix, and hopes to soon utilize her Bach-
elor’s degree in Marketing to start a new career. But she is definitely planning on still taking advantage of the Tahoe area for both cycling and skiing. “I’ve been all over the world, but skiing at Tahoe Donner, Royal Gorge, and the rest of the resorts around here is just the best.” And she’s also looking forward to some “retirement” competitions, such as defending her (three-time) title in the Great Ski Race every March (“I just love the sense of community, the reconnecting with friends that give that race a bigger meaning.”), and hopes to ski in the American Birkebeiner and possibly one of the longer World Loppet races such as the Jizerská 50 km. event in the Czech Republic. Long-time Far West Nordic coach Jeff Schloss says, “Having Katerina living, training, and racing here in the Tahoe area gives us all an example of how prioritizing fitness and dedicated training can lead to major success at the highest levels, and can be a lifestyle that is fulfilling and rewarding for many years.” Kara Lapoint is a former Far West Nordic Junior Skier who has become one of the world’s top professional XTERRA Triathletes, and counts Katerina as one of her most important role models. “Not only is she one of the most incredible athletes in the world, but she is just an incredible human being. Having Katerina in the community, as a former teammate, an occasional training partner and most importantly a friend, I can say that she has made a huge impact on my athletic career, and on me as a person.”
A little snow doesn’t stop her training regimen, shown here at the 2013 Super Tour Finals at Royal Gorge
Although her “base of operations” is now the Bay Area, Katerina maintains a strong presence here in Truckee, and plans to keep skiing and riding the area in the years to come. If you have a chance to take any of her Nordic Ski clinics at one of our local areas, jump at the opportunity – you won’t be disappointed.
NORDIC DEMO DAYS TRY THE NEW WINTER 2016/17 SALOMON NORDIC SKIS & BOOTS Please check the ski area below to confirm date:
Dec 27: Royal Gorge at Sugar Bowl’s Village Station Dec 28: Tahoe Donner Cross Countr y Dec 30: Royal Gorge at Summit Station Jan 7: Tahoe Cross Countr y
© credit: nordic focus
Jan 8: Tahoe Donner Cross Countr y
FW16.FAR.WEST.NORDIC.AD_final.indd 1
Far West Nordic News • Winter, 10/31/16 20179:12•AM9
Trail Building 101 A Conversation with Noah Brautigam
A
by Spencer Eusden Question & Answer session with Noah Brautigam, professional trail designer and a former member of the Far West Nordic Elite Team. Noah has moved on from his time in Far West Nordic as ASC Comp/Devo Team Coach and Royal Gorge Ski School Director, and is now a Trail Designer & GIS Analyst for Morton Trails. Noah has designed trails from here in the Far West all the way to China.
How did you become involved in designing ski trails? I grew up at a small cross country ski center—started by my parents—in the Green Mountains of Vermont. So, from a very young age I was out on the trails, grooming in the winter, clearing new trails in the summer, and walking through the woods with my dad, laying out new trails. I first became involved with Morton Trails during my Junior year at Middlebury College, where I skied for the team and studied Geography and GIS. John Morton was hired to design the new racecourse at the Rikert Touring Center at Middlebury, and I was asked to do the entire course mapping with him as a school project. At the time I thought, “Man, it would be pretty dang cool to get paid to do this!” But it wasn’t until I helped with the design of the FIS homologated racecourses at Tahoe Donner in 2012/2013 that I really embraced the idea of being a trail designer, and started to work more closely with Morton Trails.
For those unfamiliar, what does it take to create a nordic ski trail start to finish? That’s a good question! It really depends on whether the trail will be used primarily for recreational skiing, or whether it is planned as an FIS homologated course. The process also depends on the landowner: is it a municipality, or a private landowner? Is the trail on state or federal land? All of these things play a role. The basic process for any trail, however, follows these steps: 1) Conceptual design: I gather all of the data I can on the property (boundaries, terrain, wetlands, soils, vegetation, etc), and lay out a conceptual trail network. 2) Field work: we take the concept to the field, and oftentimes change the concept drastically to meet the conditions we find on site. Once the trail is laid out on the ground I do a GPS survey of the trail. 3) Revisions: there are always revisions! Sometime to meet environmental regulations, sometimes to reduce cost, or get that “A” climb (for race courses), etc.
An accomplished runner, Noah can appreciate trails of all kinds, whether on snow or dirt.
4) Building: this is where we step out of the scene. Building a ski trail is like a building a road, and often requires serious excavation and engineering if bridges are needed.
Has your work changed the way you ski? I don’t know if it has changed the way I ski, but it has certainly changed how I experience a given trail while skiing! I appreciate the thought and construction that went into those fun twists and turns, the ups and down. It also makes me (for better or worse) much more critical of unimaginative trails!
What is the coolest trail system you have built or worked on?
“Live Well, Ski Often”
10 • Far West Nordic News • Winter, 2017
That’s a tough one. Each project has its own objectives and challenges. If I had to pick one right now, I would have to go with the design of a World Cup-level cross country and biathlon venue we have been working on outside of Changbaishan, China. The site is about 30km north of the North Korean border, and while working over
there has been a huge challenge in some ways, I always feel lucky to experience another culture and a wildly different landscape on the job! While the trail design itself isn’t much different than jobs in the US, the food, drink, people, and landscape certainly are.
How has climate change affected trail design? Global warming has changed so much about winter-oriented trail design. For one thing, designing a new cross country ski area almost always involves a discussion about snowmaking. Beyond that, we make an effort to design ski trails on northerly aspects, and in areas that will hold snow better than others, and also design trail networks that can be multi-purpose so that when there is no snow they can be used for walking, running, mountain biking, and horseback riding.
What is different about designing trails in the Sierra Nevada? A couple of years ago I would have said that the main difference in the Sierra is that you don’t have to worry about small ground cover or rocky trails, because all the snow would cover everything up in the winter. That’s obviously not a guarantee anymore! Trails in the Sierra are generally at a pretty high altitude, and with less available oxygen it becomes important to mellow out gradients and keep climbs from being too severe. Nobody, even a World Cup athlete, wants to ski up a 20% grade for 100 meters! Besides those concerns, the soils and vegetation in the Sierra are different from
many other Nordic skiing regions in the US, which changes how trails are built, and therefore how we design them.
How does one design trails for summer and winter use? Trade secrets—have to keep a few! The important thing that a lot of people don’t realize is that it is absolutely possible to design a single trail network that will offer phenomenal opportunities for recreation in all seasons.
What is your favorite Nordic Ski trail? Of course you had to ask this. I’m going to stick with sentiment and say that my favorite trails are the one I grew up on at Camel’s Hump Nordic Ski Area, in Huntington, VT. They are narrow, sinuous, beautiful, fun, and always expanding, thank to the efforts of my dad (Dave Brautigam) and his tireless corps of volunteers. I learn more every day from the legendary John Morton, but my first teacher was my dad, and he has created one heck of an amazing trail network at Camel’s Hump.
Brautigam leads his teammate Wyatt Fereday through the scenic Euer Valley at the 2013 Valentine’s Race at Tahoe Donner XC
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Far West Nordic News • Winter, 2017 • 11
A Big Fish — in a Small Pond A Far West Nordic Junior’s Path to the U.S. Ski Team by Hannah Halvorsen
M
y name is Hannah Halvorsen and I am a cross country skier from Truckee, California. I am 18 years old and graduated from Sugar Bowl Academy last spring. This is my first year on the U.S. Cross Country Development team and I plan to pursue my goals by training with the Sugar Bowl Academy Nordic Ski Team.
I have always been proud to be a skier from Truckee, California. If I could only say one thing about being a cross-country skier born and raised in the Tahoe region, I would say that I am one of the luckiest skiers in the world. The years I have spent exploring the mountains and swimming in the lakes confirm that I live in one of the most beautiful places on earth. The funny thing
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ROSSIGNOL_FAR WEST NORDIC_2016.indd 1 12 • Far West Nordic News • Winter, 2017
10/10/16 9:59 AM
Hannah leads the pack at the 2014 Junior National Freestyle race in Stowe, VT.
across Scandinavia, and also traveled to Norway in the summer for an international training camp. It wasn’t until I had raced and trained in some of the most well-regarded nordic terrain in the country, and even the world, that I realized the TruckeeTahoe area is as awesome as it gets. However, when it comes to nordic skiing, particularly competitive racing, Truckee isn’t a widely-recognized “Nordic Hub.” Places like Vermont, Alaska, and the Midwest have a strong tradition of elite Nordic racing. The Truckee-Tahoe region is known for a different reason—its alpine skiing—and has produced some of the world’s best downhill skiers, including World Cup winners. But in cross-country skiing, Far West has always been a smaller region that has never had the depth to dominate on a National level. As I mentioned earlier, it is not location that puts Far West Nordic skiing at a disadvantage, and at a closer look, it isn’t that we lack other important assets of high level racing and training either. After training with premier ski clubs on both sides of the country, and going to National and International training camps, I can say confidently that I have received some of the best training opportunities offered to juniors in the world. My home has multiple ski areas with world-class terrain that each have more than 100k of groomed trails. I live on the Nordic trails in the Tahoe Donner neighborhood, allowing me to have year round access to running and skiing right out my backdoor. I have grown up hiking and running hundreds of miles of panoramic ridgelines and swimming in dozens of
pristine alpine lakes. That we routinely train on gorgeous terrain with bluebird skies isn’t the only thing that has made skiing such a positive and fulfilling part of my life. Since I first started skiing, I have been supported by coaches who are knowledgeable, experienced, hardworking, and passionate about cross-country ski racing. Since I began training, I have always had a well-written training plan while simultaneously being taught to be my own best coach. Throughout high school I was lucky enough to work with a structured and motivating strength program run by professional coaches. I have had access to a state-of-the-art gym, VO2 max treadmill and lactate testing, and strong physical therapy. Living here in the Sierra Nevada, I have also been lucky enough to have close access to several low-elevation dryland training sites. The point is, it’s not that we lack the potential to be a Nordic Hub. Validation of our strength can’t always be seen in numbers, but in the individual athletes we have produced that are competitive internationally. Homegrown athletes such as Russell Kennedy, Matt Gelso, and Annika Taylor have competed recently on the World Cup, and Joanne Reid has raced International Biathlon events. We’ve also had other athletes qualify for U18 (formerly J1) Trip, World Juniors, and U23 Championships. Another reason that proves the Truckee-Tahoe area to be a great training ground for high level athletes is the number of world-class athletes we have living here. Truckee has an incredible amount
Far West Nordic News • Winter, 2017 • 13
of Olympians and World Champions from all different sports. I had the opportunity to sit down with two-time Olympian and multiple-time National Champion Marcus Nash, a cross-country skier who moved to Truckee while racing at the World Cup level. When I asked what he thought of Truckee, Nash—someone who has a wealth of experience skiing and racing around the world— said, “there’s nowhere better to train.” He went on to explain the unique opportunity Truckee provides, where athletes can train at 8,000 feet in the morning and be at sea level that same afternoon. He told me a time when former Norwegian National Coach Trond Nystad skied with him in Truckee and afterwards asked, “Why isn’t this place a skiing mecca?” I asked him what he thought Truckee lacked in attracting more skiers and he explained that although Far West has great junior involvement and support, athletes beyond high school and college fear the expense of living here. He went on to say, “what senior skiers need to know is that this community would be more than happy to support them with living and jobs.” Nash also wants more skiers to take advantage of the Truckee-Tahoe training and said, “I have always envisioned there being a really strong [Elite] team”. We both agreed that coming from a smaller pond is not a disadvantage to an athlete. Nash summed it up well when he said, “You can be a world class athlete in a very small community”. When I travel around the country racing, I feel as though I am representing an underdog division
even though I have a supportive community behind me. Likewise, when I have traveled abroad and represented the United States, I have had the same feeling. Similar to growing up in California, all US skiers share a common background. We are all ultimately coming from areas where cross-country skiing is not the most popular sport, but the athletes are seeing success given the support they are receiving from coaches, teammates, family and friends. We are passionate to learn from what our best are doing and constantly improving, but we are also confident to trust our own program, given the success we are seeing on the International level. What is important is to maximize your opportunities and allow the community to support your goals. It is possible to succeed from a small region, just as it is possible to succeed from a country that is rather small when it comes to nordic skiing.
14 • Far West Nordic News • Winter, 2017
Hannah is always good for a photo “game face,” shown here at the 2015 Junior Nationals Sprint Competition at Auburn Ski Club.
How Skiing Has Helped Me Grow by Sofia Sanchez
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s a highly competitive athlete, Nordic skiing consumes most of my time and energy as a year-round endeavor. Having participated in many training camps, ski trips, races, and other events that correspond with the sport, I have often heard the question, “Why do you ski?” As simple of a query as this is, it always takes me a while to get down to the core reason of why I do, what I do.
This leads me to question myself, “Why do I train six days a week”, or “Why do I go to West Yellowstone over Thanksgiving break to ski in negative twenty degree weather?” After thoroughly thinking through all of the ups and downs of skiing, I came to the realization that the unique experiences competitive skiing have brought me have not only helped me develop within the physical disciplines of the sport, but also my mental perseverance. After years of vigorously training and traveling, skiing competitively has helped me learn the balance of how to efficiently challenge my physical and mental capabilities. My past seasons of racing consist of several results that I consider to be successful, but with these good results comes a series of bad experiences as well. After having bad races, trips, or even times during training that I didn’t feel my strongest, I came to the understanding that all of the physical limits I set for myself are completely mental. I discovered that having these negative experiences to look back on and analyze is what allows me to grow, and that without the occasional poor result, there would be no room for improvement. After having this shown to me first hand a series of times, I didn’t completely understand how important the mental side of the sport was until Junior Nationals of last year. At the beginning of last season, I began to receive some of the best results of my entire career, and carried this on throughout most of the season. About three weeks before Nationals, I began to compulsively overtrain, which only made my results plummet. I grew extremely frustrated at the thought that my performance was moving the opposite way that I wanted it to, and figured that my best option would be to seek help from a sports psychologist. Exactly one week before my departure to Nationals, I arranged a meeting with her to discuss my sudden burn-out, and how I could find a way to motivate myself before the most important races of my season. After meeting with her and discussing my problem, she helped me come up with a “Mission Statement,” which was basically a short series of sentences that I could repeat to myself
before races to remind me of why I ski. Along with re-motivating myself, and using running as cross-training to get a break from skiing, I was able to make a full recovery and have my best results at Junior Nationals. I learned that my burnout was not only due to my overtraining, but also because I lost focus of why I ski in the first place. Instead of focusing on my improvement, I was focusing on what was prohibiting me from performing, while losing the idea that I ski for the enjoyment of it. Ultimately, skiing has taught me how to look
Sofia shows off great diagonal stride form at the 2016 CNISSF Foothill Classic at Auburn Ski Club.
Left: Temporary tatoos were popular with the juniors during the 2015 Junior Nationals at Auburn Ski Club.
at some of the more complicated areas in life, and manipulate them into something positive. Having the power to do this has helped me overcome many mental barriers that were prohibiting my improvement in athletics, academics, and even in communication. I continue to ski because it allows me to be the best version of myself, it challenges me so that I can improve, and provides me with amazing opportunities to experience the unique aspects in life.
Far West Nordic News • Winter, 2017 • 15
You Gotta Have Heart Heart Disease and the Endurance Athlete… Is More Exercise Always Better? by Andy Pasternak, M.D.
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hysical inactivity is one of the most significant public health issues health care providers face. One of the early studies to demonstrate the benefit of physical activity compared drivers and conductors in London’s double decker buses. The bus drivers, who sit all day, had a higher risk of heart disease compared to the conductors who walk up and down the steps. Subsequent research has shown that physical activity is effective in the prevention and treatment of obesity, hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease, heart failure and depression. In addition, physically active people have better life expectancy and better quality of life than physically inactive people. Recently though, this question has come up: “If some exercise is good, is more necessarily better?” Is there a point at which too much exercise can be detrimental to the athlete’s heart? If more is worse, is it because of duration of exercise, intensity of exercise or cumulative effects over years? Many of the questions have come to light because there are more active older athletes and many of the endurance events are getting longer in distance and time. While the research on this topic is new, the issue is not. Perhaps one of the first noted cases of heart problems in an athlete occurred when after the epic run by the great, great, great grandfather of ultrarunning, Pheidippides of Greece. In 490 BC, Pheidippides ran about 150 miles in two days. On the third day, after running about 40 kilometers
from the Battle of Marathon, he arrived in Athens, announced the Greek victory over Persia and then collapsed and died.
Acute Effects of Exercise: Before discussing the long-term effects of exercise on the heart, let’s review what happens to the heart during exercise. When you start exercising, the muscles in your arms and legs need more oxygen. The heart, another muscle, pumps faster and pushes more blood out to respond to the demand for more oxygen. Because the heart is working harder, it also needs more oxygen. During exercise, the pressures in the heart increase, which in turn stretches the chambers of the heart. Remember, the heart is a muscle. In the same way the muscles in your arms and legs fatigue,
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16 • Far West Nordic News • Winter, 2017
after prolonged endurance exercise, the heart also shows evidence of fatigue. Increased pressures and stretching of the heart during exercise can result in persistent enlargement of the heart and reduced pumping ability after exercise. Most of those changes resolve a few days but there are concerns that with recurrent stress, the heart muscle won’t bounce back to 100% normal. An analogy would be to think of it like a balloon that has been blown up over and over. Once you let the air out, it may not return to its original shape.
Chronic Exercise and Atrial Fibrillation The top part of the heart, the atria, are supposed to contract first, pushing blood down to the lower part of the heart and the main pump, the ventricles. In some people, the electrical and muscular activity of the top part of the heart goes haywire and instead of contracting as one unit, the cardiac muscle in the heart shakes irregularly. This is known as atrial fibrillation (AF). Recent research is starting to back up what I’ve seen clinically; years of endurance exercise increases the risk of developing atrial fibrillation, primarily in athletes over the age of 50. One of the first studies to demonstrate this looked at skiers over the age of 65 doing the Norwegian Birkebeiner. Subsequent studies have demonstrated a similar trend in cross country skiers and marathon runners. Within cross country skiing population, skiers with a greater number of races and faster finishing
this may be happening and how much credence we should put in these findings. One theory is that while exercise may contribute to coronary calcium build up, the calcium build up is denser, stabilizes the plaque and results in a lower risk of getting a heart attack.
Coronary Artery Disease The issue with those previous studies is the researchers measure markers for heart disease and not outcomes. We need to turn to the epidemiology literature to see how endurance athletes fare compared to non-athletes. In this case, the best long-term studies show that exercise does decrease your risk of mortality between 30-45% with an increase of life expectancy between 3-6 years. A few studies have shown that athletes who are exercising at the highest levels have a slightly higher mortality rate than more recreational athletes but the findings aren’t consistent. For example a Swedish study looking at 73,000 skiers show that skiers had lower mortality compared to non-skiers, including lower deaths from cardiovascular disease and cancer. Similar studies show excellent morbidity and mortality benefits for Olympic athletes and Tour de France cyclists even years after their professional athletic careers. Complicating factors are athletes who use performance-enhancing drugs. Human growth hormone, erythropoietin, and anabolic steroids all have the ability to increase an athlete’s risk of coronary artery disease. Take that, cheaters!
Summary The benefits of exercise for cardiac and overall health far outweigh the risks to the heart. We need to continue to promote exercise for all of its benefits in all ages. At the upper levels of exercise, athletes may put themselves at a higher risk of atrial fibrillation but it’s unclear if that is a result of the duration of exercise, the intensity of exercise, the cumulative years of exercise or some combination thereof. There may be a small chance of increased risk of developing coronary artery disease in the highest intensity athletes but the research on that is still unclear.
The good doctor and author shows he has a lot of heart at some of the races last season.
times seem to be at a higher risk for developing AF. Exactly why this happens in unclear but we think it may be due to stretching of the atrium, remodeling, inflammation and scarring. Fortunately, a new study demonstrated that while endurance athletes are at a higher risk of AF, they tolerate AF much better than non-athletes and are able to continue to be physically active, albeit maybe not at the same level.
Cutting-edge sports science for every athlete.
Chronic Exercise and Coronary Artery Disease Markers
Promoting health and wellness in our community.
A more controversial issue addresses recent studies suggesting that endurance runners have a higher risk of having a heart attack due to plaque formation in the arteries. When some of these studies hit the media, we often see headlines like “Exercise is Bad for You!!” In general, while these studies have caused to me to pause and think, they haven’t changed how much I exercise or what I recommend for my patients. One of the first studies that caused alarm compared 50 men who had run at least one marathon per year for 25 consecutive years and compared them to a group of sedentary men. The runners did have higher coronary calcium scores (a marker for plaque build up in the arteries performed by CT scan) despite having better blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Another study showed that runners had more fibrosis in the heart than nonrunners, as measured by cardiac MRI scanning. There have been a number of theories about why
Andrew Pasternak, MD, MS Teresa Angermann, DO Darin Olde, APN Julie Young, Lab Director • VO2 max, lactate threshold, metabolic efficiency & body fat testing • Return to sport & injury prevention • Endurance coaching • Strength conditioning & performance training
10467 Double R Blvd. Reno · 775.853.9394 silversagecenter.com
Far West Nordic News • Winter, 2017 • 17
Me? Race? Are You Crazy? A Nordic Ski Racing Beginner’s Primer… by Bruce Culbertson
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uppose you are new to Nordic skiing and are eager to hone your skills. Or maybe you’ve enjoyed skiing for a while and are wondering how to bump your skiing technique up a notch. You might feel completely ill-prepared and even intimidated to enter a ski race, yet racing could very well be the fastest way to improve your skiing ability and increase your satisfaction and enjoyment. Nordic ski racing has a wonderful tradition of encouraging skiers of all ages and abilities to participate. The Great Ski Race, from Tahoe to Truckee, has had as many as 1,100 skiers — and most of them wouldn’t be considered “serious” racers. Wisconsin’s American Birkebeiner race has had almost ten thousand and several European races routinely exceed that number. Only a tiny fraction of those skiers have even the slightest hope of climbing onto the winner’s podium at the finish. So, why do so many people enter these races? There are a number of good reasons. Racing is the fastest way to improve your skiing. Just a few minutes into a race, you’ll find yourself among other skiers with abilities similar to your own. This is the perfect time to experiment and discover adjustments to your technique that will make you ski a little faster—or better yet, ski the same speed with less effort. As you push yourself over many kilometers, your skiing will become smoother and more efficient. Watching those other skiers, you’ll pick up new tricks – and maybe even spot a few pitfalls to avoid! Besides improving your skiing, there are other reasons to race. It can be incredibly satisfying to finish your first race, or race a distance that is a stretch for you, or to catch another racer whose skiing
It’s above all the rest with a base elevation of 7,800 feet and up to 80 kilometers of machine groomed track. • FAR WEST MEMBERS: Receive a discount on a daily trail pass. • SEASON PASS CONNECTION: Pass holders of other Nordic resorts ski for a discount at Kirkwood Cross Country. Call for details.
KIRKWOOD CROSS COUNTRY Kirkwood, CA (209) 258-7248 KIRKWOOD.COM
18 • Far West Nordic News • Winter, 2017
The author styling in the new Far West Masters race suit at the 2016 California Gold Rush.
you’ve admired. A race is a terrific workout, and an upcoming race is great motivation to train a little more and a little faster, even when you are not racing. The same logic can lead you to be more active during the summer in anticipation of the next season. Soon, you’ll be more healthy and fit. After several races, you’ll get to know other skiers in your part of the pack. These people make great ski partners, and just might become some of your best friends. Let’s suppose we’ve convinced you to give it a try—here are a few tips for your first race. A “mass start,” “freestyle” race is probably easiest for your first event. Mass Start means everyone lines up and starts off at one time (or at least in “waves” by gender or expected time of finish). Freestyle means that most people will use skating technique (although you can diagonal stride if you want.) If possible, try to ski the course before race day so you’ll know what to expect. Most of the rules are pretty self-evident: don’t start before the gun goes off, don’t bump into other people or ski over their skis or poles, and so forth. You’ll want to warm up a little before the race starts, and don’t
line up at the start so early that you completely cool off again. Race starts are high energy and adrenaline-inducing, so try to stay calm and avoid the inevitable urge to start too fast. Olympian Nancy Fiddler likes to remind skiers that races are not won at the start—but you could lose it there. You’ll probably be instructed to double pole for the first hundred yards or so of the race to reduce congestion. While it’s congested, keep a narrow profile so you don’t cause a crash. Soon the crowd will thin and then the skiing will be much more comfortable. Before you know it, you’ll cross the finish line. Congratulations! Classic races are more complicated. In these, skating is not allowed or, more precisely, your skis are only allowed to glide if they are parallel to each other. So, the techniques you’ll use are diagonal stride, double pole, and herringbone. Be sure your skis do not glide when herringboning. Classic races often have interval starts – in other words, skiers start one at a time in a pre-assigned order. For a nice summary of the rules for both classic and freestyle racing, see www.farwestnordic.org/racing/ xc-race-rules-101. But don’t let them overwhelm you – people are very sympathetic to newcomers. Also, look for the Far West Nordic tent at most Sierra races. There you’ll receive a friendly welcome, expert advice and answers to all your questions. There are many resources available to people who want to improve their Nordic skiing and stay informed about skiing events. The Far West Nordic
All speeds and abilities can enjoy ski racing, such as during the 2016 California Gold Rush at Royal Gorge.
website is the source for up-to-the-minute information about everything related to Nordic skiing in the Sierra, including news, the race schedule (which also appears in the back of this magazine), same-day race results, and links to our region’s ski areas and clubs. For Juniors (19 years old and younger), there are superb programs at many Sierra Nevada high schools and middle schools, and nearly all ski areas and ski clubs. For adults, there are training groups at Auburn Ski Club and at other XC resorts. Nearly all our ski areas and clubs host
occasional technique and waxing clinics and most offer ski lessons. The Sierra Ski Chase is a wonderful motivator for new racers and even seasoned veterans. Finish five Sierra races, or just three for first-time racers, and you’ll earn a participation prize. Wear it with pride! See farwestnordic.org for details. So, give some thought to ski racing. If it improves your skiing, makes you more fit and healthy, and helps you make a bunch of new friends, then you’ll be a winner, no matter where you finish!
Far West Nordic News • Winter, 2017 • 19
Far West Race Series Sierra Ski Chase • Masters Challenge • Fischer Cup Far West Has a Race Series for Every Skier Far West Nordic sponsors two major Race Series for cross country ski racers—the Masters Challenge and the Sierra Ski Chase — in addition to helping coordinate the Fischer Cup series. These races are the perfect way to compete over a full season against your peers in the sport. The Masters Challenge pits racers against the best in their Age groups, while the Sierra Ski Chase is a more low-key, fun-oriented series that uses an Age Handicap system to determine the winners.
SIERRA SKI CHASE The Sierra Ski Chase is a low-key race series, now in its 22nd season. It’s open to cross-country skiers of all ages and abilities. The purpose of the Chase is to promote greater participation in XC ski race events, from top-level athletes to recreational skiers who complete courses at their own pace. Whether you want to race, push yourself a bit, or take on a Ski Chase event as a “tour” is up to you! There are two ways Far West members can participate in the Sierra Ski Chase: PARTICIPATION or RACING COMPETITION
Far West Nordic Board President (and Sierra Ski Chase Czar) Peter Hanson dukes it out with 2016 Sierra Ski Chase winner Peter Mayfield at the finish of the 2016 Bjornloppet Freestyle 20K in Bear Valley.
FISCHER CUP
MASTERS CHALLENGE
The Fischer Cup is the PREMIER Nordic race series in the Far West Division, offering prizes for the fastest overall skiers in 3 Age Divisions:
This is the race series to see how you stack up competitively against your age group peers. Ski in 5 of the 11 chosen races throughtout the Nordic racing season and be eligible to be in the Masters Challenge! This is a great way to show speed, consistency, and skill.
• 20-34 Men’s and Women’s • 35-49 Men’s and Women’s • 50 + Men’s and Women’s Winners receive a Swix CARBON Jacket with the Fischer Cup logo and Far West Logo. Skiers must have a Far West Nordic Racing Membership to be eligible for the Cup. Racers must use at least One Classic race in the year-end total score. Fischer Cup Races include: Snowshoe Thompson Classic @ Auburn Ski Club December 18, 2016 Sierra Skogsloppet @ Tahoe Donner XC January 16, 2017 Tahoe Rim Tour Classic @ North Tahoe HS January 29, 2017 • Alpenglow Freestyle Race @ Tahoe XC February 26, 2017 The Great Ski Race @ Tahoe XC March 5, 2017 California Gold Rush @ Royal Gorge March 19, 2017
Age groups will be divided every 5 years (including a Seniors group 20-29); racers need to compete in 5 of the master’s challenge races and the scoring rules are 5 points for 1st place, 4 for 2nd, etc — the total score is based on your BEST five races). Skiers must compete in one classic race to be eligible for awards and must have a racing or supporting membership. Cumulative score will be the best 5 races for each individual skier In the case of any ties, your score in your 6th best race will be used as a tie breaker (if it’s still tied, we’ll move to the 7th race, 8th race, etc). The Masters Challenge will recognize the top THREE skiers in each age category with awards with a special award for first place in your age category. Deadline: You must have renewed your Far West membership by 1/16/2017. For more information, go to the Far West Nordic website and click the Masters Challenge link under contact “MASTERS,” or Andy Pasternak at avpiv711@sbcglobal.net.
20 • Far West Nordic News • Winter, 2017
PARTICIPATION is all about completing a series of races – many participants like having such a goal for their ski season. RACING COMPETITION is an age-handicapped competition in which points are awarded based how you place at each race in which you complete. Competitors are scored throughout the season, and Ski Chase Racing standings are updated as races are completed. ALL ages are eligible for Basic Participation. Any XC ski race that’s at least 5K counts towards Basic Participation. The Deadline for inclusion in this year’s Sierra Ski Chase is January 16th, 2017
SIERRA SKI CHASE PARTICIPATION Participation Prizes! All Far West members who complete a minimum of 5 eligible XC races this season are eligible to receive the 2017 season commemorative Participation Prize. If you’re a first-time Far West member this season, you’re eligible to receive a bonus prize after your first 3 qualifying races. The list of races in the Far West region can be found on our Race Schedule. Great Raffle Prizes: all participants ages 20 and over who complete a minimum of 5 races will be eligible for raffle prizes donated by our sponsors (in addition to the participation prize). You must be present to win a raffle prize at the prize awards ceremony (see below), and you must complete 5 races by the date of the awards ceremony to qualify for a raffle prize.
RACING COMPETITION You MUST be a Far West Nordic member age 20 or over to be scored in the Sierra Ski Chase Racing Competition, and have designated you want to be scored as a “Racing Member.” Juniors are not eligible for the Sierra Ski Chase Racing Competition. For all the rules and information, and current standings, go to www.farwestnordic.org/racing/sierra-ski-chase/ or contact Peter Hanson at phansonmd@hotmail.com.
SUPER TOUR! The Top USSA Competition Comes to Auburn Ski Club Next January The fastest cross country athletes from across America (and more) will converge at ASC Training Center on January 21 and 22nd for the fourth stop on the USSA’s annual SuperTour, which kicks off in December in Bozeman, MT. The SuperTour is a series of International Ski Federation (FIS) sanctioned cross country ski races taking place across the U.S., produced by the USSA, together with its divisions and clubs. It’s a vital piece of the USSA’s development program and a proving ground for athletes with aspirations of making it to the U.S. Ski Team and competing on the FIS World Cup tour and in the Olympic Winter Games. “As the top cross country racing venue in the Western U.S., we’ve already played host to a lot of high level events and national championships over the years, including a SuperTour Finals in 2013. This summer we built out a new FIS homologated 5km course which makes us an even more desirable venue for world class races such as this,” said ASC Training Center’s Executive Director Bill Clark. Athletes also vie for points during the SuperTour to earn Continental Cup leader starts and World Cup starts. There will also be spots available for the 2017 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships Feb. 22 – March 5 in Lahti, Finland. Those spots will be awarded after the conclusion of the U.S. Cross Country Championships in January.
Above: The start of the Women’s Classic 30K Classic event at the 2013 SuperTour competition at Royal Gorge. Above Right: U.S. Ski Team’s Kris “Bird” Freeman shows just how hard the Hill Climb competition was in 2013.
Auburn Ski Club
TRAINING CENTER Cross Country Ski Area
“Bringing high level races to our area shows the U.S. and the world what a prime location the Truckee Tahoe area is for Nordic skiing. It provides our young athletes with the opportunity to compete with some of the best skiers in the world, and is a fabulous way to showcase our talent and our region as a destination,” Event Chair Maggie Shane commented. The SuperTour stop at ASC Training Center will bring hundreds of athletes and support staff into the area for the weekend of January 21-22. Saturday’s race will feature the CLASSIC SPRINT competition, a 1.25 km. event with two distinct modes. First comes the Preliminary competition, a 1.25 time trial to determine who advances into the Championship Round. Then come a series of 6-person heats, head-to-head competitions to crown the day’s winners. Sunday is the FREESTYLE DISTANCE 10 kilometer competition on the tough trails at Auburn Ski Club. For sponsorship and volunteer information call the ASC Training Center at 530-426-3313 or email Beth Ingalls at bingalls@inc.auburnskiclub.com.
25KM XC trail system New trails for 2017 Season and daily passes Youth programs in XC, Biathlon Alpine and Snowboarding Equipment rentals Coming to ASCTC XC instruction January 21-22, 2017 Interstate 80, Castle Peak exit -- www.auburnskiclub.org 530-426-3313, info@assoc.auburnskiclub.org Far West Nordic News • Winter, 2017 • 21
Nevada Nordic is Back! Working to Bring XC Skiing back to the Silver State by Dave Straley The winters of 2012/13 and 2013/14 were among the driest Tahoe has ever experienced. Cross country (XC) skiers and snow-shoers in particular struggled to find groomed terrain with enough snow coverage. There was plenty of snow in those dry years in the Incline Lake area off of Mt Rose Highway, thanks largely to its high elevation (7,500 - 8,500 feet). There just wasn’t an XC operation with groomed trails. Based on its history, this area could support groomed ski trails from December to April every year, making it possible for skiers to get in a whopping 140 ski days per season. It has the potential to be an XC skier’s paradise. And, the Incline Village General Improvement District (IVGID) owns five acres along the highway, where a lodge could be built and grooming equipment stored. This little known fact is what inspired a few enthusiastic and community oriented XC skiers to launch NEVADA NORDIC, a non-profit dedicated to establishing a community-supported, cross country ski and multi-use venue in the Mt. Rose area and make community XC ski and multi-use trails more accessible on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe. While the USFS permitting process delayed Nevada Nordic’s first objective last year, the founding team—a group of volunteers—decided to keep up the initial momentum and find another way to bring XC ski trails to Nevada. They managed to do so through a great partnership with the Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park. In its first season, Nevada Nordic groomed 10 kms of trails which were open to the public for 58 days at Spooner Lake State Park under the Nevada Volunteers in Parks program. This year, Nevada Nordic plans to groom at Spooner again and hopes to groom 7-8 kms at the Incline Village Championship Golf Course under a similar partnership with IVGID.
Nevada Nordic’s ultimate goal, however, is to establish a multi-season, multi-use lodge built on the IVGID-owned parcel of land just above Incline Lake. For community ski trails, Nevada Nordic envisions grooming 15 kms of trails on the north, Incline Lake side of the highway with an eventual tie-in to the 50 to 60 kms of trails formerly groomed by Diamond Peak XC on the south side of Mt. Rose Highway. This project would bring more economic activity to the Incline Village area, offer a new forum for youth clubs and teams, and provide all community members with the opportunity to recreate and enjoy our local natural history and environment. This will be a very challenging project. It relies on coordination and cooperation among multiple government agencies, some of which include the US Forest Service, Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT), IVGID, TRPA, and Washoe County. In order to operate, Nevada Nordic also relies on the local community of supporters through 1) private donations and 2) enthusiastic, resourceful volunteers. Nevada Nordic is seeking your help in both of these areas. If you want to enjoy an XC – multiuse community center in the Mt Rose area, please share your opinion with the US Forest Service. You can email or write to the LTBMU and express your support for XC trails off Mt. Rose Highway in the Incline Lake and former Diamond Peak XC area. If emailing, please address your comments to Jeff Marsolais, U.S. Forest Service LTBMU at: comments-pacificsouthwest-ltbmu@fs.fed.us
The views at the old Spooner Lake Cross Country area were epic. Photo courtesy of Max Jones
Subject: “OSVUM.” If writing by mail, please address your comments to: U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit ATTN: Jeff Marsolais 35 College Drive South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150 Nevada Nordic also needs volunteers to set the trails at Spooner and Incline using a snowmobile and a Yellowstone Ginzu groomer. The organization seeks to train enthusiastic volunteers who can commit to the winter grooming schedule. Nevada Nordic is also looking for Volunteer XC Ski Reporters to sign up to post news and updates about grooming and ski conditions to the website, mail list, social media, and local press. Finally, Nevada Nordic needs funding. While it is an all-volunteer organization, Nevada Nordic does have some expenses that are necessary to operate. The largest annual expense is contract grooming. After each snow fall, Nevada Nordic hires an operator to pack and level the trails with a Snow Cat. At each location, this winds up costing between $300 to $500 after each storm. Visit the website at www.nevadanordic.org or Facebook page to become part of Nevada Nordic. After all, a cross country skier’s paradise only happens if skiers participate.
22 • Far West Nordic News • Winter, 2017
DECEMBER
JANUARY
December 11, 2016 Tannenbaum 10K Classic
10 am • Sunday • Tamarack Lodge XC 10 km. Classic (Juniors & Norice: 5 km. or Youth 2 km.) Online Signup: $29 • In person Signup: $35 • Juniors: $8/$15 Start at Packstation • DIAGONAL STRIDE ONLY Fundraiser for Eastern Sierra Nordic Skiing www.tamaracklodge.com • (760) 934-2442
JQ
10 am • Saturday • ASC Training Center 1.25 km. Sprint Course (1 km. <U14) • Interval Starts + Heats $30 by 12/14 (Jrs: $25 • Youth 12 and under: $15) $40 Late (Jrs: $35 • Youth: $20) • ASC Members $5 Discount Race Day: $50/$45/$25 • $10 Extra for USSA Scoring Points www.auburnskiclub.org • (530) 426-3313
December 18, 2016 MC FC JQ Snowshoe Thompson Classic 10 am • Sunday • Auburn Ski Club
10 km. Men/U20/U18 Boys • 5 km. Women • 5 km. Jr. • 2 km. Youth $30 by 12/14 (Jrs: $25 • Youth: $15) • USSA Scoring: Add $10 $40 Late Reg (Jrs: $35 • Youth: $20) • ASC Members $5 Discount Race Day: $50/$45/$25 • USSA Sanctioned • JN Pre-reg Required DIAGONAL STRIDE ONLY • Interval Starts www.auburnskiclub.org • (530) 426-3313
JANUARY January 1, 2017 Paco’s Freestyle Race
March 11, 2017 JQ January 22, 2017 SUPERTOUR Freestyle Distance Bjornloppet Freestyle
10:30 am • Saturday • Bear Valley XC
Sunday • Auburn Ski Club
10 km. Men • 5 km. Women • $45 for one race • $80 for both races Registration closes on Thursday, January 19th at 4 pm • No Late Reg. FIS & USSA Sanctioned www.auburnskiclub.org • (530) 426-3313
December 17, 2016 Tahoe mountain sports Holiday SPRINTs
MC
MC January 29, 2017 Tahoe Rim Tour & Race
FC
Sunday • North Tahoe HS to Northstar Classic: 9:00 am • Freestyle: 9:30 am 26 km. • $50 ($20 Juniors) postmarked 1/23 • Online by 6pm 1/28 Late Reg: $60 ($25 Jrs.) • $5 FW Member Discount • Buses available Lunch and Awards at Northstar XC • Pre-Ski the course on Wed. 1/26 Far West Nordic Junior Programs Fundraiser www.tahoerimtour.com • (530) 852-0879
FEBRUARY JQ MC February 5, 2017 Allan Bard Memorial Classic
10 am • Sunday • Tamarack Lodge
20 km. (U20/U18 Boys/Girls: 10 km. • U16 Boys/Girls: 5km) • Youth 2 km. Online Signup: $29 • In person Signup: $35 • Juniors: $8/$15 DIAGONAL STRIDE ONLY
www.tamaracklodge.com • (760) 934-2442
February 11-12, 2017 TAHOE MOUNTAIN SPORTS/ Chuck Lyda Biathlon Weekend 10 am • Sat/Sun • Auburn Ski Club
20 km or 10 Km • $45 by 2/24 (Jrs: $30) • Late Reg: $50/$35 Includes T-Shirt, Party, Prizes, Food and Music www.bearvalleyxc.com • (209) 753-2834
March 12, 2017 Bjornloppet Classic
10:00 am • Sunday • Bear Valley XC 10 km./5 km. • $30 by 2/24 • $35 Late Registration DIAGONAL STRIDE ONLY www.bearvalleyxc.com • (209) 753-2834
March 18, 2017 Royal Gorge 10K Classic
10 km. or 5 km.• $45 by 3/10 • $60 Late Registration Free Kids Obstacle Course Race at 9:30 am www.royalgorge.com • (530) 426-3871
March 19, 2017 California Gold Rush
APRIL April 1, 2017 Tom’s 10K Classic Race
10 am • Saturday • Bear Valley XC
10 km. • $30 by 3/17 • $35 Late Reg • DIAGONAL STRIDE ONLY www.bearvalleyxc.com • (209) 753-2834
January 8, 2017 Lakes Basin 15 k
February 12, 2017 Tahoe donner Challenge
April 9, 2017 Billy Dutton Uphill
Tour or Race! Pick your own course to Checkpoints at TDXC Pre-Reg by 2/11: $30 Adult • Jrs. $20 Race Day: $40 • Jr: $30 • Includes Lunch and Awards www.tdxc.com • (530) 587-9484
January 15, 2017 10 th Mt. Division Biathlon 10 am • Sunday • Auburn Ski Club
Pro: 10 km. Men • 7.5 km. Women • 5 km. Novice/Jr. • Youth: 2 km. Pre-Reg: 1/12: Adult: $60 • Jrs: $45 • Youth: $25 Late Reg by 1/14: $75/$60/$35 • Day of Reg: $85/$70/$45 Mandatory Safety Clinic • ASC Members receive $5 discount. www.auburnskiclub.org • (530) 426-3313
January 16, 2017 Sierra Skogsloppet
MC
FC
10 am • Monday • Tahoe Donner XC 15 km. Adults • Junior: 5K • 2 km. Youth Pre-reg by 1/15: $30 • Jr. $20 • Youth: $10 • $40/$30/$20 Race Day Lunch and Raffle included (Adult Reg.) • Euer Valley 15 km. Course ACMS & Truckee High Fundraiser • Wave Starts www.tdxc.com • (530) 587-9484
January 21, 2017 SUPERTOUR CLASSIC SPRINT
10:00 am • Sunday • Tahoe Donner XC
JQ
Saturday • Auburn Ski Club
1.25 Sprint Course • $45 for one race • $80 for both races Registration closes on Thursday, January 19th at 4 pm • No Late Reg. Classic Technique Only • FIS & USSA Sanctioned www.auburnskiclub.org • (530) 426-3313
JQ
10 am • Monday • Auburn Ski Club 15 km. Adults • U20/U18 Boys: 7.5 km. • U16: 3.75 km. • 2k Youth Pre-Reg by 2/15 midnight: $30 • Jr: $25 • Youth 12 & Under: $15 Late by 4 pm: $40 • Jr: $35 • Youth: $20 • ASC members $5 Discount Race Day Registration: $50 • Jr: $45 • Youth: $25 • USSA Scoring: $10 Pre-registration required for USSA & JNQ Scoring www.auburnskiclub.org • (530) 426-3313
MC FC February 26, 2017 Alpenglow 20K Ski & Fat Bike
10 am • Sunday • Tahoe XC
20 km. (Jrs/Youth: 5 km) • Fundraiser for Tahoe XC Ski Education Donation: Adult (13 and older): $25 • Jrs. (12 and under): $10 Suggest Donation for both races: $25 • Includes light lunch Fundraiser for the Tahoe XC Jr. Development Team www.tahoexc.org • (530) 583-5475
Freestyle
MIXED RACE
CLASSIC
BIATHLON
FC
MC
JQ
FISCHER CUP
Master CHALLENGE
JN Qualifier
9 am • Sunday • Tamarack Lodge XC
42 km. or 21 km. (Juniors: 10 km. • Youth: 3 km. & 1.5 km.) Online Signup: $69 • In-person: $79 • Juniors: $29/$39 • Kids: $16/20 Entry includes T-Shirt, Banquet & Raffle www.tamaracklodge.com • (760) 934-2442
8 am • Sunday • Squaw Valley U.S.A.
2017 MASTERS CHALLENGE December 18, 2016.... Snowshoe Thompson Classic January 1, 2017......... Paco’s Freestyle January 16, 2017. . ...... Sierra Skogsloppet January 29, 2017. . ...... Tahoe Rim Tour February 5, 2017.. ...... Allan Bard Memorial Classic February 20, 2017. . .... President’s Day Cup February 26, 2017. . .... Alpenglow Freestyle March 5, 2017. . .......... Great Ski Race March 16, 2017.......... Royal Gorge 10K Classic March 19, 2017.......... Gold Rush (Silver & Bronze) April 1, 2017.. ............ Mammoth Marathon (42/21K)
See farwestnordic.org/racing/masters-challenge/ for more details on the 2016-2017 Masters Challenge
CNISSF SCHOOL RACES
MARCH MC
FC
9 am • Sunday • Tahoe XC to Truckee
RACE LEGEND
MC
3.2 miles Uphill • Pre-Reg: $25 by 6 pm Saturday • Day of Race: $30 $5 Off Far West Members • Register Online or by 7 am day-of-race Fundraiser for the Far West Nordic Junior Program www.billyduttonuphill.com • (530) 587-852-0879
February 20, 2017 MC TMS Presidents’ Cup Race
March 5, 2017 The Great Ski Race
FC
45 km. Gold • 30 km. Silver • 15 km. Bronze • $45 by 3/10 $60 Late Registration • No Race Day Registration • Wave Starts www.royalgorge.com • (530) 426-3871
April 2, 2017 Mammoth Marathon
15 km. (Juniors 5 km. (11-17) • Youth: 2 km. (10 and under) Online Signup: $29 • In person Signup: $35 • Juniors: $8/$15 www.tamaracklodge.com • (760) 934-2442
MC
9 am • Sunday • Royal Gorge XC
10 km. (5 km. Juniors & Short Course • Youth 2km.) • Freestyle Pre-Reg (by Midnight, 12/28): Adult $30 • Jrs. $25 • Youth $15 Late Reg by 4pm on Dec 31: $40 ($35 Juniors/$20 Youth) Day of Race: $50/$45/$25 • ASC members $5 Off www.auburnskiclub.org • (530) 426-3313
10 am • Sunday • Tamarack Lodge XC
MC
10 am • Saturday • Royal Gorge XC
Saturday Sprint 7.5k Men • 6k Women • 4.5 Novice/Jr. • 2k Youth Sun. Pursuit: 12.5k Men • 10k Women • 7.5 km. Novice • 2k Youth 2-Day: Pre-Reg by midnight 2/8: $100 • Late: $120 • Day of: $140 2-Day Junior.: Pre-Reg: $80 • Late: $95 • Day of Reg: $110 2-Day Youth.: Pre-Reg: $40 • Late: $55 • Day of Reg: $70 1-Day Pricing: $60/$75/$85 • $45/$60/$70 • $25/$35/$45 www.auburnskiclub.org • (530) 426-3313
10 am • Sunday • Auburn Ski Club
•
MARCH
30 km. • $60 by 2/19 • Late: $70 by 3/4 • $110 Race Day Under 18: $25 • WAVE STARTS • Party & T-Shirt • Morning Bus: $3 Benefit for Tahoe Nordic Search & Rescue Team www.thegreatskirace.com • (530) 583-5475
2017 SIERRA SKI CHASE All Races Over 5 Kilometers with over 40 Adult Racers qualify for the Sierra Ski Chase Go to farwestnordic.org/racing/sierra-ski-chase/
December 21, 2016 Scott Hudson Memorial Kirkwood Relays January 6, 2017 Auburn Ski Club Foothill Classic January 13, 2017 Sugar Bowl Freestyle January 27, 2017 Truckee Sprints February 3, 2017 Mammoth Classic February 10, 2017 North Tahoe Pursuit February 18, 2017 CNISSF State Championships @ ASC
Far West Nordic News • Winter, 2017 • 23
T H E L O C A L’ S FAVO R I T E VOTED ONE OF THE TOP 3 CROSS COUNTRY SKI AREAS IN THE NATION 100+ KM GROOMED DAILY FOR SKATING AND STRIDING TERRAIN FOR ALL LEVELS OF SKIERS FROM BEGINNER TO EXPERT BEAUTIFUL MEADOWS AND SPECTACULAR VIEWS 4 WARMING HUTS PSIA SKI SCHOOL TOP OF THE LINE RENTAL FLEET PUBLIC WAX ROOM AND FULL SERVICE WAXING DELICIOUS, HEALTHY FOOD AND GREAT VIBE
SEE TAHOEDONNER.COM/CROSS-COUNTRY FOR DETAILS ABOUT: • • •
EXTRA BENEFITS OF BUYING A SEASON PASS MULTI-DAY TICKETS AND DAILY RATES MULTI-WEEK PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS & KIDS
•
SEASON PASSHOLDER “BRING A FRIEND” DAYS (DEC 3-16) NATIONAL LEARN-TO-SKI MONTH DISCOUNTS (JANUARY)
• •
EVENING SNOWSHOE TOURS
•
EXPANDED DOG AND FAT BIKE FRIENDLY TRAILS
• •
DEMO DAYS AND WAX CLINICS FUN SKI RACES AND TOURS JAN. 19, FEB. 12 AND MARCH 26
Tahoe Donner Cross Country Ski Area 15275 Alder Creek Rd., Truckee, CA 96161 tahoedonner.com/cross-country xc@tahoedonner.com 530-587-9484