We'll be out getting our last kilometers of the year, but will read your emails when we're back: devon[at]fasterskier.com and nat[at]fasterskier.com. Enjoy the spring skiing.

Devon and Nat take a quick run-through of events in Sweden, Finland and Norway. We'll be back after the marathons at Holmenkollen.

Reach us at devon[at]fasterskier.com and nat[at]fasterskier.com.

We'll be back next week. Reach us in the mean time at devon[at]fasterskier.com and nat[at]fasterskier.com. We're really grateful for all the support during the Olympics — thanks for notes and encouragement.

A reminder: This is a homegrown podcast done by two guys working long hours and late nights. We're also paying real money to be here in Italy. If you can, support the show and FasterSkier's ongoing coverage with a voluntary membership. We're also offering a bonus during the Olympics: a WhatsApp group with notes on Nat's experiences in Italy, the food he's eating, interview transcripts and more. 

Send nat[at]northernjournal[dot]com a confirmation of your voluntary membership and the number he should use for WhatsApp and we'll get you signed up. You can also Venmo him directly at @nat-herz if a membership isn't for you. We're suggesting a minimum of $10, but we also won't turn anyone away who wants to join because of an inability to pay.

We'll be back after Sunday's race. Reach us at devon[at]fasterskier.com and nat[at]fasterskier.com. We're really grateful for all the support during the Olympics — thanks for notes and encouragement.

A reminder: This is a homegrown podcast done by two guys working long hours and late nights. We're also paying real money to be here in Italy. If you can, support the show and FasterSkier's ongoing coverage with a voluntary membership. We're also offering a bonus during the Olympics: a WhatsApp group with notes on Nat's experiences in Italy, the food he's eating, interview transcripts and more. 

Send nat[at]northernjournal[dot]com a confirmation of your voluntary membership and the number he should use for WhatsApp and we'll get you signed up. You can also Venmo him directly at @nat-herz if a membership isn't for you. We're suggesting a minimum of $10, but we also won't turn anyone away who wants to join because of an inability to pay.

We'll be back after Saturday's men's 50 k. Reach us at devon[at]fasterskier.com and nat[at]fasterskier.com. We're really grateful for all the support during the Olympics — thanks for notes and encouragement.

A reminder: This is a homegrown podcast done by two guys working long hours and late nights. We're also paying real money to be here in Italy. If you can, support the show and FasterSkier's ongoing coverage with a voluntary membership. We're also offering a bonus during the Olympics: a WhatsApp group with notes on Nat's experiences in Italy, the food he's eating, interview transcripts and more. 

Send nat[at]northernjournal[dot]com a confirmation of your voluntary membership and the number he should use for WhatsApp and we'll get you signed up. You can also Venmo him directly at @nat-herz if a membership isn't for you. We're suggesting a minimum of $10, but we also won't turn anyone away who wants to join because of an inability to pay.

We'll be back after that race tomorrow. Reach us at devon[at]fasterskier.com and nat[at]fasterskier.com. We're really grateful for all the support during the Olympics — thanks for notes and encouragement. And even the anti-eating-on-the-podcast messages.

A reminder: This is a homegrown podcast done by two guys working long hours and late nights. We're also paying real money to be here in Italy. If you can, support the show and FasterSkier's ongoing coverage with a voluntary membership. We're also offering a bonus during the Olympics: a WhatsApp group with notes on Nat's experiences in Italy, the food he's eating, interview transcripts and more. 

Send nat[at]northernjournal[dot]com a confirmation of your voluntary membership and the number he should use for WhatsApp and we'll get you signed up. You can also Venmo him directly at @nat-herz if a membership isn't for you. We're suggesting a minimum of $10, but we also won't turn anyone away who wants to join because of an inability to pay.

Reach us at devon[at]fasterskier.com and nat[at]fasterskier.com. We'll be back tomorrow.

A reminder: This is a homegrown podcast done by two guys working long hours and late nights. We're also paying real money to be here in Italy. If you can, support the show and FasterSkier's ongoing coverage with a voluntary membership. We're also offering a bonus during the Olympics: a WhatsApp group with notes on Nat's experiences in Italy, the food he's eating, interview transcripts and more. 

Send nat[at]northernjournal[dot]com a confirmation of your voluntary membership and the number he should use for WhatsApp and we'll get you signed up. You can also Venmo him directly at @nat-herz if a membership isn't for you. We're suggesting a minimum of $10, but we also won't turn anyone away who wants to join because of an inability to pay.

It's been surprisingly light on the hate mail recently. Reach Devon at devon[at]fasterskier.com and Nat at nat[at]fasterskier.com.

A reminder: This is a homegrown podcast done by two guys working long hours and late nights. We're also paying real money to be here in Italy. If you can, support the show and FasterSkier's ongoing coverage with a voluntary membership. We're also offering a bonus during the Olympics: a WhatsApp group with notes on Nat's experiences in Italy, the food he's eating, interview transcripts and more. 

Send nat[at]northernjournal[dot]com a confirmation of your voluntary membership and the number he should use for WhatsApp and we'll get you signed up. You can also Venmo him directly at @nat-herz if a membership isn't for you. We're suggesting a minimum of $10, but we also won't turn anyone away who wants to join because of an inability to pay.

Reach Devon at devon[at]fasterskier.com and Nat at nat[at]fasterskier.com. We'll be back with a men's 10 k recap a bit later.

It's really expensive to be here in Italy. If you can, support the show and FasterSkier's ongoing coverage with a voluntary membership. We're also offering a special bonus to our members during the Olympics: an insider's WhatsApp group featuring notes on Nat's experiences in Italy, the food he's eating, links to international coverage of cross-country skiing and more. Send nat[at]northernjournal[dot]com a confirmation of your voluntary membership and the number he should use for WhatsApp and we'll get you signed up. You can also Venmo him directly at @nat-herz if a membership isn't for you. We're suggesting a minimum of $10, but we also won't turn anyone away who wants to join because of an inability to pay.

We'll be back tomorrow after the showdown between Johannes Klaebo and Einar Hedegart in the men's race. Nat wrote a profile of Klaebo-killer Hedegart — the biggest threat to what could otherwise be a golden sweep of the Olympics by the cross-country skiing king.

Reach us at devon[at]fasterskier.com and nat[at]fasterskier.com. We'll be back tomorrow.

It's really expensive to be here in Italy. If you can, support the show and FasterSkier's ongoing coverage with a voluntary membership. We're also offering a special bonus to our members during the Olympics: an insider's WhatsApp group featuring notes on Nat's experiences in Italy, the food he's eating, links to international coverage of cross-country skiing and more. Send nat[at]northernjournal[dot]com a confirmation of your voluntary membership and the number he should use for WhatsApp and we'll get you signed up. You can also Venmo him directly at @nat-herz if a membership isn't for you. We're suggesting a minimum of $10, but we also won't turn anyone away who wants to join because of an inability to pay.

Ben Ogden won a medal today. A bunch of Scandinavians did too. We break it down. Reach us at devon[at]fasterskier.com and nat[at]fasterskier.com.

It's really expensive to be here in Italy. If you can, support the show and FasterSkier's ongoing coverage with a voluntary membership. We're also offering a special bonus to our members during the Olympics: an insider's WhatsApp group featuring notes on Nat's experiences in Italy, the food he's eating, links to international coverage of cross-country skiing and more. Send nat[at]northernjournal[dot]com a confirmation of your voluntary membership and the number he should use for WhatsApp and we'll get you signed up. You can also Venmo him directly at @nat-herz if a membership isn't for you. We're suggesting a minimum of $10, but we also won't turn anyone away who wants to join because of an inability to pay.

Devon is still out of commission, but you can reach us at devon[at]fasterskier.com and nat[at]fasterskier.com. We'll be back Tuesday.

It's really expensive to be here in Italy. If you can, support the show and FasterSkier's ongoing coverage with a voluntary membership. We're also offering a special bonus to our members during the Olympics: an insider's WhatsApp group featuring notes on Nat's experiences in Italy, the food he's eating, links to international coverage of cross-country skiing and more. Send nat[at]northernjournal[dot]com a confirmation of your voluntary membership and the number he should use for WhatsApp and we'll get you signed up. You can also Venmo him directly at @nat-herz if a membership isn't for you. We're suggesting a minimum of $10, but we also won't turn anyone away who wants to join because of an inability to pay.

Alaskan Holly Brooks, the retired Olympic World Cup racer, joins us after watching the race in person. We hope to get proof of life from Devon soon.

In the mean time, reach us at devon[at]fasterskier.com and nat[at]fasterskier.com. We'll be back tomorrow.

It's really expensive to be here in Italy. If you can, support the show and FasterSkier's ongoing coverage with a voluntary membership. We're also offering a special bonus to our members during the Olympics: an insider's WhatsApp group featuring notes on Nat's experiences in Italy, the food he's eating, links to international coverage of cross-country skiing and more. Send nat[at]northernjournal[dot]com a confirmation of your voluntary membership and the number he should use for WhatsApp and we'll get you signed up. You can also Venmo him directly at @nat-herz if a membership isn't for you. We're suggesting a minimum of $10, but we also won't turn anyone away who wants to join because of an inability to pay.

It's really expensive to be here in Italy. If you can, support the show and FasterSkier's ongoing coverage with a voluntary membership. We're also offering a special bonus to our members during the Olympics: an insider's WhatsApp group featuring notes on Nat's experiences in Italy, the food he's eating, links to international coverage of cross-country skiing and more. Send nat[at]northernjournal[dot]com a confirmation of your voluntary membership and the number he should use for WhatsApp and we'll get you signed up. You can also Venmo him directly at @nat-herz if a membership isn't for you. We're suggesting a minimum of $10, but we also won't turn anyone away who wants to join because of an inability to pay.

Get at us at devon[at]fasterskier.com and nat[at]fasterskier.com. See you after Goms next weekend.

We'll back back after this weekend's World Cup races in Oberhof. Stay tuned. As always, reach us by email: devon[at]fasterskier.com and nat[at]fasterskier.com

You can reach us at devon[at]fasterskier.com and nat[at]fasterskier.com. We appreciate all the feedback we've been getting — happy new year!

Keep the questions and feedback coming; also, we've gotten surprisingly little hate mail this year...just saying. Reach us at devon[at]fasterskier.com and nat[at]fasterskier.com.

Questions? Comments? Hit us up at devon[at]fasterskier.com and nat[at]fasterskier.com. For those of you who have become voluntary FasterSkier supporters, we're really grateful.

Devon is still off for Christmas, but he'll back back soon for a Tour de Ski preview. Reach us with feedback, ideas and hate mail at devon[at]fasterskier.com and nat[at]fasterskier.com. Thanks for listening, and for your support.

Speaking of financial obligations: We're really trying to pump up our fundraising with just over one month before Nat heads to the Olympics — an event we're really looking forward to but one that also comes with significant expense. You can become a voluntary member at here. If you're already a member, thank you.

We'll be back soon. Reach us at devon[at]fasterskier.com and nat[at]fasterskier.com. Thanks for listening.

We're hoping to land some interviews before the Tour de Ski kicks off, and we'll be back with more recaps once racing resumes. Reach us at devon[at]fasterskier.com and nat[at]fasterskier.com. 

We'll have more after the World Cup swings to Switzerland this weekend. Reach us at devon[at]fasterskier.com and nat[at]fasterskier.com, and if you're interested in supporting the podcast, visit fasterskier.com/support and email matthew[at]fasterskier.com with inquiries about ads or sponsorship. 

Contact us with fan mail, hate mail and everything in between: devon[at]fasterskier.com and nat[at]fasterskier.com. We're looking for title and other sponsors for our Olympic coverage; email matthew[at]fasterskier.com with inquiries.

Devon and Nat are back with recaps from Beitostolen and Gallivare, plus notes on early season conditions and Devon's lonely but filling med student dinner in Oslo. Reach us at devon[at]fasterskier.com and nat[at]fasterskier.com. We're also looking for presenting sponsors for the season and for our on-site coverage of the Olympics — if you're interested in exploring that, please contact matthew[at]fasterskier.com.

Questions? Feedback? Suggestions for guests? Email us: devon[at]fasterskier.com and nat[at]fasterskier.com.

The Olympic season is nearing, and we'll hear from a few more athletes before it kicks off. Got anyone you want to hear from? Drop us a line with your requests and feedback: devon[at]fasterskier.com and nat[at]fasterskier.com. We'll be back soon.

In all seriousness, we're excited to be back for a big year. In this episode, we check in with Vermonter Ben Ogden, a bona fide American Olympic medal hopeful at age 25. Ben catches us up on his summer training, his Olympic vibe and his World Cup facial hair hot takes.

Comments? Complaints? Guest requests? You know where to find us: devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com. Stay tuned.

We do really think we'll be back for a couple of postseason episodes. Sorry we haven't answered many of your questions but we've got a list and plan to tackle 'em soon. Thanks so much for following along this season — more soon. Reach us at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com in the mean time.

We made it to the end; we're going to take a few days off from podcasting, but feel free to send us love notes only to devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com. See you soon.

A full week into World Championships and we're starting to get a little punchy, but keep the emails coming. We'll be back tomorrow. We're at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com.

Devon and Nat are back from the hotel to recap Thursday's men's relay and preview the women's race. Nat says he's sorry for snacking on the air, but not that sorry, because a guy's gotta eat. Send complaints to devon@fasterskier.com. We'll be back tomorrow.

Norwegian marathon skier and TV commentator Petter Soleng Skinstad joins us for the recap. We'll back back tomorrow; as always, Devon's email is nat@fasterskier.com.

Devon and Nat return with the full recap. We'll be back tomorrow after the team sprint. Write us emotional support letters to get us through the next day of precipitation: nat@fasterskier.com and devon@fasterskier.com.

Reach us by email at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com. We'll be back after Tuesday's the individual start races.

We'll be back Sunday or Monday with a recap of what we're expecting to be an awesome women's skiathlon, as well. Get at us at nat@fasterskier.com and devon@fasterskier.com.

We promise, we really still are hoping to schedule a live show around our packed schedules here. Send us your notes, feedback and hate mail to devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com.

Here's a quick dispatch from the scene before racing kicks off here. We'll be back after the sprint tomorrow. We are definitely aiming to do a live show at some point during the championships though, semi-seriously, we need an event planner to help us pull it off, not to mention still a venue.

Ideas? Feedback? Get us at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com.

Get at us at nat@fasterskier.com and devon@fasterskier.com. Thanks for listening.

We'll be back after Falun and on scene, both of us, in Trondheim. Reach us at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com.

Fan mail to devon@fasterskier.com; hate mail to nat@fasterskier.com. We'll be back soon.

We'll be back after next weekend in Switzerland. Send your diss tracks and letters of appreciation to devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com.

Nat needed a break after covering U.S. Nationals, so Jess Cockney jumps on to guest co-host with Devon. Send us your feedback at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com. We'll be back soon.

Send your notes to devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com. We'll be back from the top of the Alpe Cermis.

Send feedback, hate mail and love letters to devon@fasterskier.com. You can send love letters to nat@fasterskier.com. See you in a couple of days.

Questions, comments, want us to use less (or more) profanity? Reach us at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com.

Got questions for us? New meme accounts we should follow? nat@fasterskier.com and devon@fasterskier.com. We'll be back soon.

Send us your questions, comments, fan mail and hate mail: nat@fasterskier.com and devon@fasterskier.com. We'll be back after Lillehammer.

It's also the time of year when we remind you that we need your help to keep this podcast running. Please consider a voluntary membership — options available here.

Devon and Nat return with a soft launch into the 2025 winter season. We cover off-season developments and other hijinks, from the still-missing Russians to Therese Johaug's return. Read here and here if you want to understand wth the references are in the show title.

We'll be back soon. Hit us up at nat@fasterskier.com and devon@fasterskier.com; we're psyched to be back.

A note: This episode includes some frank discussion about eating disorders. If this is something you or someone in your life is struggling with, we suggest taking a look at Project RED-S, which stands for Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport. Their site has athlete-focused information and references if you're trying to find help. The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa & Associated Disorders has a Helpline you can call at 888-375-7767 from Monday to Friday between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Central Time, and you can text HOME to 741741 if you're in a crisis. And the Alaska Eating Disorders Alliance has an informative video that features Diggins and retired Olympic cross-country skier Holly Brooks.

You can reach Devon and Nat at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com. Thanks for listening.

Send us your 2025 predictions, Russian troll comments and Gjøran Tefre memes: devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com. Thanks for hanging out with us for the whole World Cup season.

We're sprinting to the finish of the 2024 podcast season. Send your long-shot requests for off-season content to devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com. We'll be back in a few days.

Nat and Devon will be back with a recap after the races in Lahti this weekend. Send us your questions, comments and feedback at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com. Catch you soon.

The audio quality from this episode is.....mixed, but it seems to be workable. Thanks for sticking with us all season — we'll be back with some bonus episodes in the next week before the World Cup resumes. Email us at nat@fasterskier.com and devon@fasterskier.com.

We'll have more podcasts this weekend. We also set a time for our live show: Come hear us and join in at Utepils Brewing, 225 Thomas Ave N #700 in Minneapolis. It's at 4 p.m. Sunday, after the last race of the day. Spread the word and see you there.

We'll be back with more action from Minneapolis, including a show with a live audience late Sunday afternoon at Utepils Brewing near the World Cup venue, after the last race of the day is over. You're invited. We'll have more details in the next day or two. Questions? Comments? Hate mail? Email nat@fasterskier.com and devon@fasterskier.com. See you soon.

We'll be back with another episode after the last race in Canmore. To keep you from podcast withdrawal later in the week, we'll roll out some interviews we did with a couple of international athletes here. Then we'll be back again from Minneapolis this weekend.

Speaking of Minneapolis, if you'll be there in person, we're hosting a live show where we'll be taping Sunday's episode in front of an audience — though we'll need all 12 listeners to show up for it to really be an actual audience. More details soon — the event is at Utepils Brewery near the venue, with an exact time to be determined, but it will be after the last race of the day.

Questions? Comments? Email us: devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com. Thanks so much for listening.

Email us at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com with questions, comments and race predictions. We'll be back.

Questions? Comments? nat@fasterskier.com and devon@fasterskier.com.

We'll be posting episodes frequently over the next couple of weeks, with Nat on the ground and Devon following closely from afar. We're also excited to announce that we've locked in a live recording at Utepils Brewery in Minneapolis next weekend, after the race on Sunday, Feb. 18. Stay tuned for more details. In the mean time, send us your feedback and which World Cup athletes you want us to try interview while they're here: devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com.

We really went above and beyond the call of duty this week — we've got sounds from the side of the trail and even a profanity-laced tirade from Devon if you stick it out to the end of the show. We'll be on scene at the next round of World Cups, which are in a couple of weeks in Canmore, Alberta.

A sincere thank you to everyone who's generously pitched in to support us over the past few weeks. Email us at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com. We'll be back soon.

Let us know what you think: We're at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com. We'll be back after another weekend of racing in Switzerland before the World Cup circuit heads to North America.

These are among the many questions Devon and Nat fielded during the 2024 edition of the show's yearly mailbag episode. We had fun with your submissions; we hope you enjoy our answers. Email us more questions and feedback at nat@fasterskier.com and devon@fasterskier.com. We'll be back after this weekend's races.

Wait, sorry, we got confused. This is still a cross-country skiing podcast. But this is, in fact, the crossover skiing-politics content you've been waiting for. Epstein, a new friend of the pod who really is a political correspondent for the New York Times, interviewed Jessie Diggins a few days ago to get her perspective on finishing second place when it's really gosh darn cold — which, apparently, is an appropriate analogy for the big story from this year's Republican Iowa caucuses. So, since we couldn't get Diggins on the podcast this week, we thought it would be fun to hear from Epstein, instead.

If you hate this, or hate us now, we're sorry, but we actually think this was pretty fun. We're posting a mailbag episode at the same time for those of you who want vanilla ski racing content. Send us your hate mail, race predictions (World Cup or GOP primary) and feedback at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com.

Next week, during the break from the World Cup, we'll have a mailbag episode. Send us your questions at nat@fasterskier.com and devon@fasterskier.com. Have a great week.

Get at us at nat@fasterskier.com and devon@fasterskier.com. We'll be back once the athletes hit the top of the Alpe Cermis.

Send us your questions and feedback: devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com. We'll be back in a couple days.

The World Cup takes a break next weekend before the Tour de Ski, but we may try to squeeze in a mailbag episode. Send us questions if you've got 'em. Reach us at nat@fasterskier.com and devon@fasterskier.com.

Reach us with your questions, comments and feedback at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com. We'll be back next week after Trondheim.

Reach us at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com. We'll be back after this weekend's races.

Keep the feedback and questions coming: nat@fasterskier.com and devon@fasterskier.com. We'll see you next week.

Erik Bråten, a Norwegian who coaches the Swiss ski team, joins Devon and Nat to recap and share his experiences across a range of international ski cultures. Send us questions, feedback and anti-vax screeds to: devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com — we've already got some questions stacking up for a mailbag episode in a few weeks. We'll be back in a few days after the next World Cup weekend in Sweden.

Devon and Nat go old-school, no guests to recap a bevy of interesting results so far. Send us your comments, questions and criticism: devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com. We'll be back next week.

The two of them, during an altitude camp in Utah last month, joined Nat for a joint interview.

We'll be back as the World Cup season kicks off in a few weeks. Send your questions, comments and hate mail to devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com.

Join us to hear an interview with the five-time Olympic champion from Norway about his time in the U.S., his training and his schism with the Norwegian national team. You can read Nat's first written story from his visit with Klæbo here, as well: https://fasterskier.com/2023/09/that-guy-rollerskiing-around-utah-by-himself-yeah-its-5x-olympic-champ-klaebo/

We'll be back soon with more material from Utah. Send your questions, comments and hate mail to devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com.

Anyway: We're excited to bring you this episode with Jostein Vinjerui, one of the coaches with Team Aker Daehlie, the international squad that boasts athletes from Great Britain, Latvia and, for the first time this upcoming season, the U.S., in Sophia Laukli.

We actually will be back soon, with at least one episode on our schedule for recording in the next week. Send us your questions, comments and hate mail to devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com.

Sorry about the audio quality and the frequent interjections from Nat, but this was not originally intended as podcast-quality material — turn it off if you must. And, full disclosure: if profanity isn't for you, skip the 30 seconds between 9:30 and 10:00. (But if profanity is for you, by all means let it ride.)

Devon and Nat will be back soon — we promise. Hit us with questions or feedback at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com.

We're taking a little break after this but, we promise: We won't leave you hanging for the whole off-season. Stay tuned for more regular episodes over the course of the spring and summer, and we'll be back in a few weeks for a 2023 season recap. Tell us your favorite memories from this year — get at us at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com.

We'll be back for one more recap after the Lahti Ski Games in Finland this weekend. Devon is at devon@fasterskier.com and Nat is at nat@fasterskier.com.

We'll be back after Tuesday's city sprint in Tallinn, Estonia. Get at us at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com

We'll be back next week. Reach us at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com.

Get at us at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com. We'll be back after the first-ever women's 50 k, with both Devon and Nat on scene in Oslo.

Thanks for your support. Reach us at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com.

We'll be back tonight with a recap of the women's 30 k. Stay with us. You can reach us at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com.

Get at us at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com. Ten races down, two to go.

Nine races down, three to go. You can reach us at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com.

Reach us at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com. Seven days down, four to go.

We'll be back later today with coverage from the 15-kilometer men's race. Stay tuned, and email us at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com.

Kristin Størmer Steira and some guy that's married to her, Devon Kershaw, join Nat for a recap. Get at us at nat@fasterskier.com and devon@fasterskier.com.

The championships is rolling along; email your notes and questions to devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com.

We'll back back with more after Sunday's team sprint. Send us your questions at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com.

We'll be back tomorrow. Send your questions to devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com.

We'll be podcasting after each race day in Slovenia. Get at us with questions at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com.

We'll be back as World Championships get started in Slovenia next week; Nat will be on scene. Reach us at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com.

We break down the sprint and two distance races held at the festive French venue in Les Rousses. And we promise, we'll get you a mailbag episode before World Championships starts in a few weeks. Get at us at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com.

Devon and Nat break down the individual and team sprints from the Italian Alps, including some strong American performances. We're still planning a mailbag episode in the not-too-distant future, so keep those questions coming: devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com. We'll be back soon.

The World Cup circuit is taking a break, so we'll try to have a mailbag episode in the next week. Email us questions and comments at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com.

We're at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com; we'll be back Sunday.

We'll be back in a few days once the racers summit the Alpe Cermis. Get at us at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com.

We've got full breakdowns of flashy performances by Johannes Høsflot Klæbo and a Jessie Diggins debacle in the opening sprint race. We'll be back with another episode mid-week as the tour rolls on; hit us with questions or emails at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com

As always, we're at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com if you've got questions or feedback.

We're at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com if you've got questions or feedback. See you next week.

We're at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com if you've got questions or feedback. See you next week.

As always, get ahold of us at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com. We'll be back next week.

You can email us at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com.

You can email us at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com.

You can email us at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com.

You can email us at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com. We’ll catch up with a mailbag episode in the next few weeks.

You can email us at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com. We’re still hoping to catch up with an Olympic mailbag episode soon once things settle down.

You can email us at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com. We’re still hoping to catch up with an Olympic mailbag episode soon once things settle down.

We also cover results from the World Junior Championships in the early part of the podcast, and finish with a brief discussion of how cross-country skiing is handling Russian participation on the World Cup circuit given the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

You can email us at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com. We’re still hoping to catch up with an Olympic mailbag episode soon once things settle down.

American cross-country skier Jessie Diggins scores another Olympic medal in Beijing, this time a silver, gutting out a strong race even though she was suffering from food poisoning. We break down the full 30 k freestyle race with Therese Johaug's win and a furious chase for bronze. And we're thrilled to welcome guest hosts Holly Brooks and Sadie Maubet (Bjornsen), the retired U.S. Olympians who joined us from Alaska.

We'll be back when the World Cup resumes in Lahti next weekend. (Seriously?! So soon.) Get us at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com in the mean time. 

We know we haven't gotten to all your questions over the course of the Olympics, but we hope to catch up with a mailbag episode soon once things settle down.

Alaska's Scott Patterson threw down the best Olympic result for a U.S. man in nearly a half-century, too. We break that down, plus the Russians and Norwegians on the podium, and we'll have one last Olympic podcast after the women's 30 k skate tomorrow.

Get us at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com in the mean time.

Thanks to everyone for sending in questions and feedback — we're trying to keep our heads above water on the homestretch here, but you can be sure Devon will still have plenty to say post-Games. In the meantime, you can get us at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com.

Send questions and feedback to devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com. We'll be back Wednesday.

Related reading:
“Burmania”: Swedish xc skier’s snack-sampling video goes viral in China
The Chinese Ski Team’s Path to Beijing (Part 1)

Devon and Nat are back to break down an epic finish to the women's Olympic relay, with some details on the Russian victory, the surprise German silver and Jonna Sundling helping to deliver a bronze for Sweden. Plus some notes on the Americans in sixth. 

Send questions and feedback to devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com. We'll be back tomorrow.

We break down Therese Johaug of Norway's nail-biting win over Finland's Kerttu Niskanen and another nail-biting race for third between Finland's Krista Pärmäkoski and Russia's Natalia Nepryaeva. And we discuss questions about the U.S. team selection for the upcoming women's relay, and the pressure cooker environment of the championships.

We'll be back after tomorrow's men's 15 k.

Here's Nat and Devon breaking down (and celebrating) an historic day for the U.S. A bronze medal for Jessie Diggins stands as the highlight - she's the first American woman to win an individual medal - but there were several other steps taken forward by the men and women wearing stars and stripes.

In particular, Rosie Brennan popped the second fast time in qualification. Overcoming a bad pole plant-induced fall in her quarterfinal, she powered through to take second (to the eventual winner), building momentum each round to finish 4th, just meters behind Diggins .

And you've got all four American men - also a record - in the Top-30, and Ben Ogden skiing into the semis to finish one second behind Pellegrino and Klæbo, landing in 12th as the top American men's sprint finish in history.

So much more. We're here for it, and we're glad you are too. Thanks for listening.

We'll be back periodically during the Olympics — send questions and comments to devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com.

And read a Russian news story about a politician calling for the revocation of Nat's press credential here:
https://www.sport-express.ru/olympics/beijing2022/skiing/news/v-gosdume-nazvali-oskorbi[…]os-amerikanskogo-zhurnalista-bolshunovu-o-dopinge-1888108/

Stay tuned for regular updates and race breakdowns over the course of the Games! Thanks for listening.

We'll be back periodically during the Olympics — send questions and comments to devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com. And you can follow Nat's journey to Beijing here on FasterSkier, or on Twitter and Instagram at @nat_herz.

You can find a host of resources from Zach on skis, wax, and grinds that might more-directly apply to your own skiing and racing at CaldwellSport.com.

We’ll be back with an episode on Olympic team selection next week. Send questions and feedback to devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com.

We’re finally here with a long-promised mailbag episode for you this week. Devon takes us through questions from more than a dozen listeners; we cover World Cup competition formats, tactics, training, broadcasting and a bunch of other random fun stuff. We’ll be back soon with coverage of Olympic team selection and hopefully some more intel on the Olympic venue in Beijing.

Send us questions and feedback to devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com.

We’re planning a mailbag episode in the next few days; send your questions to devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com. We’ll be back soon!

We’ll be taping a mailbag episode next week — send us your questions at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com. And happy new year.

Have a question you want answered? Send them to Devon at devon@fasterskier.com and to Nat at nat@fasterskier.com. 

We’ll be back in a few days after the next two stages of the Tour de Ski, a 10/15k mass start skate and classic sprint, in Oberstdorf, Germany. Thanks for listening. 

Brennan hails from Utah; she’s a graduate of Dartmouth College and currently trains with the Alaska Pacific University elite team. We’re grateful she was willing to join us.

Have a question you want answered? Send them Devon at devon@fasterskier.com and to Nat at nat@fasterskier.com.

We’ll be back once the Tour de Ski kicks off.

The breakdown includes solid American results and a tragic crash for a Canadian sprinter, plus some Kremlinology about Alexander Bolshunov and the Russian Ski Federation, discussion about the internal dynamics of the Swedish sprinters and a reminder about how you’re lucky to live outside Norway if you want to go to the Olympics for cross-country skiing.

Send your questions to Devon at devon@fasterskier.com and to Nat at nat@fasterskier.com.

We’ll see you for another episode with a special guest later this week.

Devon Kershaw and FasterSkier’s Nat Herz take us through the results with special guest Eirik Brandsdal, the longtime, now-retired Norwegian World Cup sprint racer.

Have questions for Devon or Nat? Send them  devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com to have them answered. We’ll be back soon.

Devon and FasterSkier’s Nat Herz break down the World Cup’s exciting season-opening weekend of racing in Finland, along with a special guest: U.S. Olympian Sadie Maubet Bjornsen, who retired in the spring.

The trio breaks down Ruka’s frigid temperatures, legit results from North American racers, Frida Karlsson’s surprising victory over Therese Johaug, and some Russian men’s distance domination — with the inevitable aside about doping. We hope you find the conversation anything but numbing.

This week, Devon takes a break from medical school to break down the first big tune-up races of the season in Muonio, Finland. Joining him are the show’s new co-host, former FasterSkier reporter Nat Herz, along with Canadian athlete Russell Kennedy, who popped a huge result in one of the races in Finland.

Russell catches us up on the European circuit; we also discuss Charlotte Kalla’s recently awarded honorary doctorate degree, disgraced former Estonian racer Andrus Veerpalu’s son’s presence in Finland, and impressive results by 43-year-old Finnish skier Riita-Liisa Roponen.

Muonio results: https://www.fis-ski.com/DB/general/event-details.html?sectorcode=CC&eventid=50257&seasoncode=2022
Kalla’s honorary degree: https://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/a/G36A69/har-hyllas-kalla--ny-hedersdoktor
Veerpalu’s son’s Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/andersveerpalu
A FasterSkier Q+A with Roponen: https://fasterskier.com/2020/02/transitions-training-and-birkie-preparation-a-qa-with-riitta-liisa-roponen/

Last season, during one of our conversations with Zach, we discussed some ideas we’d like to see in terms of an enhanced broadcast from FIS for their cross-country World Cup coverage. Zach came up with some interesting concepts — you’ll have to listen to the episode to learn more.

But to start things off, we catch up on summertime adventures and the news that Devon has begun medical school in Norway. It will be a few years, but we’re paging Doctor Kershaw. 

Thanks for listening. 

Sandbakk was the PI, or principle investigator on that paper, in what serves as a meta-analysis detailing the best practices for nordic athletes preparing for the 2020 Beijing Olympics. The paper is relevant as it serves as a basic template for racing at the 2022 Beijing Olympics where the race course is situated at roughly 1700m. Even more, the scholars dig into how best to adjust for Beijing’s time zone and expected cold dry air.

As Canada looks for a new National Team Coach, in this episode Kershaw explores his relationship with the national team. He explains that some years it was plug and play. Other years, it was about finding normalcy with a new coach, a new set of norms, and a positive direction to remain motivated.

Thanks for listening.

We discuss the racing in Engadin, Switzerland which consisted of mass start classic races on Saturday and fun point to point skate races on Sunday to close out the season. 

And on the podcast to discuss the racing, Diggins, the retirements of Sophie Caldwell and Simi Hamilton, and all the other myriad topics is longtime cross-country skier, climate activist, and writer Bill McKibben. (Bill knows well the whimsical nature of the podcast.)

We are shameless subscribers to The New Yorker. However, if you are not, and still have a free article to burn through this month, check out McKibben's piece titled, The Cross-Country Skier Jessie Diggins Makes History In A Year Of Covid-19 And Climate Change. 

Thanks for listening. 

Such is life and such is racing. This 50 k classic monster came down to the wire as Russia's Alexander Bolshunov and Norway's Johannes Høsflot Klæbo flowed into the final straight.

Here's the replay from today's race report:

The rest, as they say, is recent history. Klæbo is DQ'd, Iversen wins and on and on. And if you still need video evidence to prove or disprove your respective point of view, head to our Facebook page where several people have posted replay videos.

Thanks for listening to the podcast and we appreciate you taking the time out of your day to check in with our World Championship coverage.

What the World Cup field has historically known is a Johaug in shape. Outright, she's likely the best distance skier of all-time. What the field of skiers witnessed today was Johaug as clutch as ever. She soloed off the front early in the race, padded her lead with even more time, she won by 2:34. 2 over teammate Heidi Weng, as she remains untouchable as the championships closed out for the women. She raced three individual events in the 15 k skiathlon, 10 k skate, and 30 k mass start classic. She leaves Oberstdorf with three golds. 

In this 60 minute episode, we chat about Johaug, how it all played out, and what happened behind her during the 30 k grind. 

Thanks for listening - one more World Champs race to go. 

This 4 x 10 k relay provided a wealth of storyline threads to consider. There are good skis and bad skis. Good legs and some not-so-good legs. Teams with no matches to burn, others with one match to rule them all. Over 1:52:39 minutes, viewers were witness to much that is great about the sport. We were treated to pure drag racing and chess match tactics that concluded with Norway winning gold. 

Here is to breaking down the 2021 World Championship relay on the podcast. 

Over 20 k of racing came down to the final straight when Krista Pärmäkoski and Jessie Diggins drag raced. Pärmäkoski crossed first securing third for Finland, while the U.S. settled for fourth. In this episode: 45 minutes of all you can take 4 x 5 k relay.  

Hans Christer Holund took the win. And even a flash-to-his-past Martin Johnsrud Sunday (NOR) put on a show placing seventh. 

You can read up on the full-race report here. In the meantime, on the podcast today is American distance ski legend Kris Freeman. He's here to fill us in on the sufferfest that is the 15 k and provide some perspective on this marquee event. 

Thanks for listening. 

The pressure that may  have been building for this event was released as Norway's Johaug won the race by 54 seconds over Sweden's Frida Karlsson. All things considered, even going way back to the 2000 Olympics, a relatively massive time gap to second place. And for her part, Jessie Diggins of the U.S. did not disappoint. She came within a few seconds of bronze. 

Cutting to the chase, we cover it all in the episode including a look at the American prospects in the upcoming 4 x 5 k relay. 

Thanks for listening. 

That said, it’s a “rest day” at World Champs, so no race breakdown in this episode — just wax and ski talk.

Thanks for listening.  

It has been ten short or long years since he and Kershaw won the classic team sprint at the 2011 Oslo World Championships. First off, before listening to the episode today...check out the videos posted below. 

To set the scene, this win goes down at the Holmenkollen, the Shangri La of cross-country skiing. The Holmenkollen is hallowed ground.   

Think dense fog rolling in from Oslo fjord - a hundred thousand fans lining the course and stomping in the stands - there to witness the Canadians overtake a Norwegian in the final straight to win the team sprint. Back then, Harvey and Kershaw were a decade younger but no less wise. But we’ll let them tell the story.

For now, their win in Oslo is a good spine tingle for these times. They remind us of the gift of crowds and that anything can happen when the stars and maybe a little fog align. 

Here are some solid videos to time-machine back to relive the scene:

1) The call from British Eurosport

2) The scene on the grind from former Canadian National Team athlete George Grey

Indeed, we do get to the 2021 World Championships too. Kershaw and Harvey chat about the sunny day’s racing in the freestyle team sprint won by Norway on the men’s side and Sweden for the women. 

Thanks for listening. 

According to a 2014 FasterSkier article on the couple, evidently, Kershaw's "great smile", a legacy of his youth in Sudbury, won Størmer Steira over. 

In her own right, Størmer Steira was a Norwegian ski star. Back in 2005, Størmer Steira had a breakout in Oberstdorf at the World Champs where she placed third in the 2 x 7.5 k pursuit and won gold as a member of the 4 x 5 k Norwegian relay team. Along with accolades such as more World Champs and Olympic hardware, she's known as a salt of the earth human being. As listeners of the podcast know, the medals are stashed in a humble wooden box somewhere above the garage. 

Along with Devon, Størmer Steira provides insight into the vagaries of racing in Oberstdorf and the highlights from today when Alexander Bolshunov won his first individual championship medal as he pulled away in the closing moments of the 30 k skiathlon, and Norway's Therese Johaug steamrolled on the women's side. 

Thanks for listening to our championship coverage. 

Norway swept the men's podium with none other than classic kingpin Johannes Høsflot Klæbo taking the win. For certain, as this was on display in both the men's and women's racing, Klæbo has helped redefine classic sprinting. Stride if you must, but if you're weren't Klæbo-running, you were falling behind. 

On the women's side, Sweden took the win as Jonna Sundling won her first championship gold as she flew ahead of the competition into the final straight.

Here to help break down the day's racing, and partake in other digressions, is former Canadian National Team member Lenny Valjas. (Thank you Lenny for doing the pod.) 

Her story is infused with her firm belief in team and the matter of fact grit she brings to life as a cancer survivor. Let's not forget she is a proud mom. She remains legend material. 

We are stoked to have her on the show. 

You can follow Kikkan on IG @kikkanimal, her website is kikkan.com  

On the show is longtime Kershaw friend Noah Hoffman, who it turns out, beyond his cross-country skiing endurance exploits, is an investment partner with Kershaw. We hear about the weekend's racing, their experiences at Junior/U23 Worlds, and the fundamental strategic vision guiding their stock picks.   

Thanks for listening and as this winter moves into mid-February, we hope all are well. 

The racing began on February 9 with the junior classic sprint. The U23 classic sprints were postponed on Wednesday due to the severe cold in Finland. Those sprints were held Thursday. Friday was a jam-packed race day with race officials and volunteers running four different individual skate events. 

We will be recording a second podcast on Sunday to conclude World Juniors/U23s. 

Thanks for listening. You can find detailed results from World Juniors here. 

The stage has been set, the first few acts are over, yet the curtain has not closed -- Jessie Diggins with a third place in Saturday's sprint brings her closer to securing the World Cup overall as the season enters it's last month and a half of racing. No other way of putting it, Diggins looks in-form and formidable. 

The men's skate sprint saw a slimmed down Norwegian squad locked out of the final and Oskar Svensson of Sweden sweep in for another win. And Sunday, that was team sprint day - we'll let Kershaw and Cockney drill down on the merits of that race. You'll hear some Yin and Yang.  

And as a bonus, we get a brief oral history of perhaps the most Canadian of things, the xc-ski air guitar. The origin myths you hold close to your heart may be dispelled.   

Thanks for listening. 

So we chat a ton about Diggins. But we also dive in head first and discuss some other stout race performances - Schumacher's 9th place, Bolshunov's double-win weekend, Linn Svahn's supremacy on the sprint course, and the dicey nature of Saturday's mass start racing. 

As we inch closer to the World Championships at the end of February, it's time to start thinking about who might bring home some hardware. The Falun three race series gave us a glimpse into who's star might shine in Obertsdorf. 

Down the final straight, Joni Mæki from Finland went wide, closing off a charging Bolshunov - the two were battling for second and third place in the men's relay. Call it an aggressive move by Mæki or a wise tactical speed check on the incoming Bolshunov, either way, the Russian lost his cool. He swung a pole at the Finn and shortly after crossing the finish line with full steam momentum, he tackled Mæki. The Russian team was disqualified, the Finns took second place, and the podcast had an easy intro. 

The takeaway - be kind and be fair when things don't go your way. And also, we are thankful you are here to listen. 

We also answer some listener questions and discuss how we deal emotionally with less than desirable outcomes. So yeah, there's an unofficial therapy session of sorts. 

Thanks for listening and feel free to send questions to devon@fasterskier.com and jason@fasterskier.com. 

Thanks for listening along for our eight-episode series breaking down each stage. 
 

And with most of Russia's men's roster in the top-8, the boys in red Lycra control the standings. A bright note for men's U.S. skiing, Gus Schumacher put together a top-15 worthy effort on the day.  

The Stage 4 breakdown on the podcast.

Here to discuss a late arriving email regarding the podcast's soft coverage of U.S. men's skiing and the day's racing is Nat Herz. Nat led the charge at FasterSkier several years ago and now is a reporter for Alaska Public Media based in Anchorage. 

Thanks again for listening. 

Take a look, because we'll get into this pretty deep in the episode. And .... we'll chat the racing of the day, Stage 2 of the 2021 Tour de ski - all mass start classic racing. 

The Race on the men's side shook out with a big Bolshunov win, while the women had a surprise winner of sorts with Swede Linn Svahn, known for her sprinting, won the day. Two American women in Jessie Diggins and Rosie Brennan remain in the hunt for the overall. 

We talk about children and car seats, obstruction on the sprint course, and where it goes from here with six stages to go. 

Kershaw brings us into the action and susses out the trends. One major trend coming into the day, Rosie Brennan in the yellow bib  as the overall leader of the World Cup. One major trend coming out of the day, Jessie Diggins trending into her podium-form. The Swedes are back in the action and Simi Hamilton popped the fourth fastest qualifying time. Some good things to like about the day. 

For now it is onward. Seven stages to go. 

On a day when Devon's began his 39th trip around the sun -  it was his birthday on December 20th - the discourse shimmied to a full spectrum of topics - most of which directly tie into sliding on snow. (For the most part.)

There's the chat about backcountry skiing and the lovely video edits from Norwegian big-mountain ski phenom Nikolai Schirmer. Devon has lost some time to the wormhole that is Schirmer's video series documenting his ascents and descents in Norway's Lyngen Alps. (Honestly, if you are looking for an escape, this could be a good indoor choice.)

In this episode, we also devaite and talk spicy food in Norway, and, by his own admission, Devon's relative intolerance for serious spiciness. And yes, there is talk of the weekend's sprinting in Dresden, Germany. The World Cup appears to have pulled it off, a no-fans city-sprint affair along the Elbe River in what was a sunny and spring-like Dresden.

The U.S. men placed four skiers in the top-15 with Simi Hamilton in  fifth, Kevin Bolger in sixth, Logan Hanneman in 12th, and JC Schoonmaker in 14th. A very good day at the sprint office. Caldwell Hamilton and Jessie Diggins went second and fourth, respectively, for the U.S. women, with Julia Kern in 12th, and Hannah Halvorsen earning her first World Cup points in 23rd. 

Have a good holiday season. 

Yet on Saturday, there was Brennan, streaming ahead on the final straight with enough composure and a time gap to celebrate across the finish line. Pure joy. And fun to watch. The following day, in cross-country skiing's race of truth, Brennan smashed ahead on the decidedly old-school Davos 5 k loop and won the race with half a minute to spare. A clean-sweep-weekend for Brennan earns her the overall lead in the World Cup after five races and the honor of wearing the yellow bib. 

Sure we talk most things that transpired in Davos: some misses for the U.S. men, a solid performance by Scott Patterson in the 15 k skate, a slew of Americans stoutly qualifying in the sprint, (think JC Schoonmaker and Kevin Bolger), and Hailey Swirbul's most excellent third place in the women's 10 k. 

The race series moves on to Dresden, Germany next week, where the city is under strict lockdown orders due to Covid-19. It's onward for the World Cup, we hope it's upward. 

The cracks began to appear shortly after the racing in Finland concluded. Several of Norway's star skiers independently withdrew from World Cup racing through December - they were the first to go. Then three major World Cup players, Norway, Sweden, and Finland collectively opted out. As we reported on the FasterSkier website, these teams felt the safety protocols and fidelity to those Covid-19 prevention measures in Ruka were insufficient. 

We all know that race day is race day - you compete against those who wear the bibs. That said, we also know a World Cup race without Norway, Sweden, and Finland is like the Bulls without Jordan, a slalom race without Shiffrin, grooming with no classic tracks set. 

Devon breaks it down and provides his thoughts on where this all goes from here. 

Thanks for listening and here's the disclaimer, this episode contains some unbeeped potty words.  

The racing in Finland transpired as the globe wrestles with a pandemic. As it should be, we discuss all the racing - the Norwegians, the Swedes, the U.S. team, the Russians - and how the pandemic has impacted the scene. 

Take an hour of your day, allow yourself to unwind and let Devon be your World Cup escape. This is sixty minutes jam packed with classic, skate, sprint and distance bliss. 

Thanks for listening and if you have any questions please send them to jason@fasterskier.com and devon@fasterskier.com.

Devon also lets us know he was unimpressed by the members of the Swedish men's national team in Bruksvallarna. That may be nothing new to listeners of the podcast, but it's a reminder that while the women's program in Sweden remains on par with Norway's top-level talent, the men's squad might be poised for another let down on the World Cup.  

This much is true: the World Cup begins this Friday in Ruka, Finland with a three-race series starting with a classic sprint. Every athlete, regardless of talent, sponsor dollars, or pedigree, will have to deal with racing during a pandemic. There's no need to dwell on what that means, besides the extra caution stakeholders and athletes must take to remain healthy. This will be a season with ups and downs, some unforeseen some predictable. 

In this preseason pod, Devon revs up for a race season rife with unknowns galore as the cross-country skiing world descends on Finland to kick it all off. 

Not so unexpected, the postponement of the FIS fluoro ban which was announced in November 2019. Originally, FIS and the associated stakeholders were to outlaw fluorinated wax products, across all disciplines, beginning this season. A noble task considering the documented adverse health and environmental impacts related to long-chain fluorocarbons, yet one notably tough to execute. Put simply, the testing mechanism for detecting flours on ski bases was flawed. As we reported earlier, FIS stated: “Despite the accuracy of the device measurement technology, testing also indicated that there were potential sources of measurement error related to other aspects of the testing system that require further testing and design adjustments to ensure absolutely fair and consistent results for all competitors.”

So...fluoros are fair game this season on the World Cup. 

That and a bit more on the show. Thanks for listening and if you have questions for Devon, you can email them to Devon@fasterskier.com or Jason@fasterskier.com. 

His Sweat Science pieces unravel the latest research exploring human performance and distills the findings into lively reading. 

We spoke to Hutchinson about his book, his recent Sweat Science piece "Why Altitude Training Helps Some but Not Others - A new analysis casts doubt on the idea that people are born as "responders" or "non-responders" for training in thin air," and this one time Kershaw bested Hutchinson's friends in a running race. For those new to Hutchinson and his work, he remains as adept running the roads as he is with the pen. In other words, he's speedy and keen.

And for those on Twitter and interested in the fusion of sport and science, you can find his musings @sweatscience.

From Oslo, Norway Devon chats about the time that was and the time that will be as we lurch into fall and then winter. In other words, it's about time we rebooted this project.

On the list of topics discussed, staying put when the air quality is grim, a brief discussion of doping, altitude training, and the prospects for a World Cup season.

Thanks for catching up with the podcast and as always, if you have questions for Devon, you can send them to devon@fasterskier.com or jason@fasterskier.com.

(The U.S. Ski Team's Erik Bjornsen also announced his retirement via Instagram. That news broke after we recorded the show.)

Thanks for listening and we hope all of you are doing ok out there.

We spoke with Kershaw when he was six days into a 14-day quarantine. Kershaw had been in Germany for World Juniors and upon his return to Norway, was part of a general quarantine for individuals who had traveled abroad since Feb. 27. 

Kershaw spoke to us from a snowed-in cabin in Sjusjøen, Norway. But it's not exactly paradise. True fact, Kershaw was running low on food: Johaug to the rescue. And as for velvet corduroy skiing (while keeping social-distance) in the Lillehammer area, grooming has been suspended. 

Be safe and healthy out there. 

We do discuss the World Cup sprints from this past Wednesday...but not a big discussion.

In this episode, Kershaw also mentions a video interview published by Norwegian broadcaster NRK, in which Jessie Diggins discusses her new book and her challenges with an eating disorder. You can find that video link here. 

And yeah, the women's 4 x 5 k  and the men's 4 x 7.5 k relays played out at Lahti's World Cup on Sunday.  It wasn't  exactly a yawner, but simply put, the relays, this late in a jam packed season, lacked consequence. Like we note, some interesting racing went down (yeah Finland's women for second place), it just simply seemed to lack some shine. 

That said, evidently, according to Kershaw, the sun was out in Oberweisenthal, Germany for maybe the first time in 27 years today. That seems excessive. Come out more often sun. 

This was good solid racing in the 10 k and 15 k, respectively. Devon, by the way, is in Oberwiesenthal, Germany for the 2020 Junior/U23 Worlds. He's there helping out the younger generation of Canadian athletes. So, needless to say, we take a dive into Junior World's coverage as well -- today's race was a skate sprint for the juniors.

The weather was all over the place. As Devon has said several times, the weather in Trøndelag can be a mix of everything unpleasant. And that's the way it was. Big flakes of snow fell during the men's race. Let's just say that the klister on the Russian's skis didn't synch with the precipitation.  

Good on Johaug for her near clean sweep, she won five of six stages, and Pål Golberg and his wax techs scored a big one for the home crowd in Trondheim. 

One more day, a Stage 6 15 k/ 30 k classic pursuit to go. 

We discuss the unstoppable Johaug and an Alexander Bolshunov who sent it ... and stuck it, as he made a one-skier-show of the front of the race. 

Of course, there's some chit chat in there too. Thanks for listening. 

Thanks for listening. 

For the women, Johaug did her thing, but the racing was gritty. A chase pack of three and a speedy group from fifth through sixteenth made the 10 k affair a fun watch.

Like usual we dig into the day. We also diverge a bit and celebrate Susan Dunklee and her silver medal at the 2020 IBU World Champs, and we also discuss some of the latest doping news surrounding Russia and a few of their biathletes.

Thanks for taking the time to listen and we'll be back on Tuesday after Stage 3.

Here's the debrief from Devon: post 15 k/ 10 k interval start skate.  

We are not eaxctly all over the map in this episode, but we cover some ground: from the lack of national diversity in the men's top 10, to how soon is too soon for athlete's not meeting a national team's health standards to be back on the World Cup. Today was the Swedish phenom Frida Karlsson's first World Cups of the season since the opening weekend in Ruka, Finland. She had been held from elite competiton by the national team, for health reasons. She showed early signs of her former speed and endurance in her first race back. (Karlsson took the ski scene by storm last year, when she won three medals as a nineteen year old at the 2019 World Championships.)

As always, thanks for listening. If you have questions for Devon, please send them to devon@fasterskier.com or info@fasterskier.com.

Really, it was an event, despite the region's low snow, that was a highlight. (We are biased towards these championship level courses on the sprint circuit.)

In between the racing, there's some banter about Klæbo's broken fingers, and some chatter about the new baby in Lillehammer, Norway. 

Thanks for listening.  

What does it all mean? Well, Klæbo still crushed it. However, the Statistical Skier's analysis helped put some things into perspective.

"This is one of the problems with measuring performance based on only the winner," Elias wrote in the Statistical Skier. "Devon talked (correctly, I think) in the podcast about how if you’re 15 seconds back from the winner in qualification that’s a pretty good signal that you’re not going to win. But, it is a potentially quite misleading signal about how you skied relative to your own performance history!"

Jump on in head first.

You can find more great material from the Statistical Skier here.

(This might be one of those occasions when it helps to have a computer open to the Statistical Skier piece when listening.)

There's also the highlight of the day for Kershaw - three American women in the top-10. Just 24 hours prior, the U.S. women looked uncharacteristically flat. With a quick reset, the classic sprint was a home-run for the team. 

Lastly, we look into the big time gaps in the men's qualifier in which Johannes Høsflot Klæbo of Norway destroyed the field. And of course we include some analysis of Klæbo's run away win. 

Thanks for listening.

In today's episode, we cover all the striding, all the gliding, and the ski-exchanges in between. Bolshunov remains on form after the TdS, while two notable Norwegians, Johannes Høsflot Klæbo and Emil Iversen appear to be in a distance funk: both posted a DNF today as they pulled from the race. More pleasant news, father time has smiled on Martin Johnsrud Sundby who missed the podium by a fraction and Dario Cologna who raced to a top-ten.

For the women, well, it was Johaug. But not by much. The top end of the field kept her within sight. It was good chase-them-down skiing on the women's side. And yeah, we discuss the down day for the Americans who have us conditioned for podium expectations.

Thanks for listening.

This week's post-racing recap will be posted on Monday following the weekend's racing in Nové Město.  

Chanavat took the men's win and Svahn the women's victory. 

Dresden is calling.

And there was the racing. Johaug. Weng. Diggins and Brennan in form today on the Alpe, and Sadie Maubet Bjornsen in seventh overall. For the men .... Johannes Høsflot Klæbo faded on the Alpe while Alexander Bolshunov came into his own.

We could digress. But we'll leave that for the podcast. Ciao.

For the men, Johannes Høsflot Klæbo ran away with the win. But the Alpe Cermis on Stage 7 could crush the young man -- or maybe just the pace set by Sergey Ustiugov and Alexander Bolshunov will be enough. For sure it will be a showdown.
The Stage 6 rundown is ready for your listening pleasure.

And thanks for sticking with us this entire Tour.

Have a listen. And...we get a bit sidetracked at the end. If you like climbing books, you'll get a few good recommendations.

Onward.

Kershaw lays it out and discusses the winners and the faders from the day's stage. The Tour takes a rest day tomorrow as Val di Fiemme awaits for the last three stages. 

In this episode, we talk racing, attendance at cross-country World Cups, the upcoming Tour de Ski, and yes, the weekend's sprint races.

If you have questions, send them to info@fasterskier.com or devon@fasterskier.com

Russia never tip-toed around its desire to dope on an industrial scale. That much has been documented in an Academy Award winning documentary and the more academic reports cataloging Russian doping misdeeds. 

Many have claimed Russia suffered a mere hand slap from WADA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for its transgressions. When RUSADA was reinstated as compliant in September 2018, the world of clean sport made a collective eye roll. At that point, RUSADA and the Russian sport authorities had yet to comply with the conditions set forth by WADA for reinstatement. 

The primary unmet condition was the handing over of the Moscow anti-doping lab’s raw data. WADA eventually received the lab’s data in April 2019.

In a report leaked several weeks ago, and then subsequently made public by WADA, it was determined the data had been manipulated. Additionally, it was determined that internal communications had been fabricated to help push blame onto actors like Grigory Rodchenkov, the former lab head who became a whistle blower. The communications were to make it appear that a few rogue individuals were at the core of the doping program.

This brings us back to today’s vote which made effective a four-year ban — what WADA calls a “period of non-compliance for the Russian Anti-Doping Agency.” 

Many consequences were laid out in Monday’s press release. In some ways, Russia’s skin will be taken out of the international sporting game. The most publicized penalty remains a ban on Russian Government officials, representatives, and athletes from major international sport events including the 2020 and 2022 Olympics and Paralympics and World Championship events.

Like in 2018 when the Russian Federation was banned from the Winter Olympics, Russian athletes cleared of any wrongdoing, however, will be allowed to compete at these “Major Events” during the four year sanction. Athletes will do so under a yet undetermined neutral flag. During the PyeyongChang Olympics, Russian athletes were allowed to compete under the IOC umbrella as an “Olympic Athlete from Russia” or OAR. 

It also appears Russian athletes will be allowed to compete under the Russian flag in such events like the European Football Championships – Euro 2020 – as this is not considered a major event.

Not all believe justice has been served.

“Today the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has robbed athletes worldwide of their right to clean sport due to their inability to enforce the strongest possible sanctions on Russia,” claimed the Global Athlete, an athlete centered advocacy group dedicated to clean sport. “Strong sanctions which would include a complete ban of Russia and Russian athletes at all international competitions including the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

As a counter, Johnathan Taylor, the chair of WADA’s Compliance Review Committee that recommended the penalties, said innocent Russian athletes and athletes at large are protected. 

“Today, the ExCo has delivered a strong and unequivocal decision. While being tough on the authorities, this recommendation avoids punishing the innocent and instead stands up for the rights of clean athletes everywhere. If an athlete from Russia can prove that they were not involved in the institutionalized doping program, that their data were not part of the manipulation, that they were subject to adequate testing prior to the event in question, and that they fulfil any other strict conditions to be determined, they will be allowed to compete.”

Taylor is quoted as saying WADA possesses the names of 145 athletes who are the “most suspicious” despite the manipulated, and in some cases deleted, data set.  

Russia has 21 days to appeal the decision to the Court for Arbitration of Sport (CAS).

We'll be releasing a mid-week episode where we chat about last week's WADA decision to ban Russia from major international competitions for four years.

Thanks and you can find The Devon Kershaw Show on iTines and Google Play. The link to subscribe is on the embedded audio player below.

Have a listen as we discuss Lillehammer's infamous climb, waxing, ski selection, and yes, coffee in the Norwegian wax truck.

If you have any questions, send them to devon@fasterskier.com or info@fasterskier.com.