Tony Percha (lead) and Cyril Grum getting in an early morning rollerski at Kensington Metropark on Island Drive. (Yes, besides a nice bike path, Kensington has a couple quieter roads...)
Team CXC's Jessie Diggins (Afton, MN) completed a perfect sweep Sunday, winning her fourth gold at the U.S. Cross Country Chamionships in Rumford.
Kikkan Randall (Anchorage) capped the 11-day, 9-stage Tour de Ski with a strong finish up the towering Alpe Cermis hillclimb to finish tenth in the Tour - a big jump from last year's 21st place finish.
Hanson Hills managed to put on a fun 6 hour relay Saturday, despite somewhat marginal snow in spots. Fortunately, the recent storm allowed the race to run, the first since the Nordic Fest sprint race on October 22, 2011.
Kikkan Randall (Anchorage) showed her continuing growth as a distance skier finishing 12th in the 10k classic in stage eight at the Tour de Ski.
Team CXC's Jessie Diggins continued her dominance at the U.S. Cross Country Championships winning the women's 20k classic mass start for her fourth career victory. Noah Hoffman had a breakthrough gold, taking the men's 30k by nearly a minute.
Team Birkie Elite Skier and Olympic Hopeful Matthew Edward Liebsch of Orono, Minnesota, placed second at the U.S. Cross Country Ski Championships in Rumford, Maine, today, January 5, 2012
Jessie Diggins (Afton, MN) of Team CXC picked up her second title of the week while Ski and Snowboard Club Vail's Tad Elliott (Durango, CO) took a third career U.S. gold in day two of the U.S. Cross Country Ski Championships.
Response was overwhelming for our first time effort - 45 kids signed up! We had to really scramble to get enough instructors to make sure the kids had fun and learned.
American Kikkan Randall turned in another strong performance finishing fifth in the women's 15k pursuit in stage seven of the Tour de Ski.
For topcoats, we tested many varieties including something less traditional. The less traditional won - our winner was a mix of JetStream Blue and XCold powder (for the topcoat!).
After two days of racing in Rumford for the 2012 U.S. Championships, overall results are as follows...
UPDATED Wax recommendations from the major wax companies (Swix, Toko, Fast Wax, Solda) for the weekend cross country ski races.
Team NordicSkiRacer Rollerski or Ski Workout
Kensington Metropark, Milford, MI
Cross Country Ski Headquarters Thanksgiving Weekend Sale
Cross Country Ski Headquarters, 9435 N. Cut Rd., Roscommon, MI 48653 (800-832-2663)