First XCSki Star Biopic Is Nearly There  – Teaser Is Out

First XCSki Star Biopic Is Nearly There – Teaser Is Out

Leaders, Newsfeed
The true measure of athlete is not about the amount of medals she or he won. It's about lasting legacy - and yes, recognition factor. You could win all you like, ten times over - but if you are shy or somehow despise the attention of media and fans, you are not a true star. On a contrary, a charismatic athlete remains a face of a particular sport long after she/ hung her gear. Yelena Vyalbe was a major star on the ski tracks (and outside of the tracks) in 1990s. Some 20 years after she's still a household name in Russia, a much bigger media figure than any of her current and recent champions. Country's main television channels literally fight to have her in their studios - often to…
Read More
New  ( Fancy) Poles In Town

New ( Fancy) Poles In Town

Gear News, Newsfeed
"...Johnny-come-lately The new kid in town Everybody loves you So don't let them down.." We are not entirely sure Don Henley was singing about Nordic ski poles - but he might as well, because it's rather fitting. Two established gear makers have overcome their lingering doubts and are putting on the market true-race ski poles this season. Bones Sport is a text-book story of a company that cut its teeth in mass-market segment and now steadiiy increases quality (and pricetag) of its offerings. Earlier this year the Spanish producer presented Graphene rollerskis - a fantastic piece of engineering with a jaw-dropping price tag (and very difficult to lay your hands on). With Ultron Bolskan the company from Huesca is making another claim to the slice of the premium, race market.…
Read More
Gjerdalen Takes Over Long-distance Team, Two Maverick Skiers To Assist Him

Gjerdalen Takes Over Long-distance Team, Two Maverick Skiers To Assist Him

Leaders, Money & Finance, Newsfeed
Tord Asle Gjerdalen is back in the saddle - and he's got two major names to assist him. A 37 year old Norwegian who, among other achievements, won Marcialonga three years in a row , in 2015, 2016 and 2017, but who was made redundant by Team Ragde Eiendom in April this year has announced his arrival to the long-distance ski outfit "Team XPND Fuel of Norway" It clear that Gejerdalen will be the driving force and the main sponsors ' attraction ( we don't know if Ray Ban has signed but they totally should! ) of the Team XPND. Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen and Eirik Brandsdal are presented as new "mentors" of the team. Not sure what sort of mentoring they could deliver but presence of such freshly retired household…
Read More
Engadin Refuses To Give Up!

Engadin Refuses To Give Up!

Leaders, Newsfeed
Here's the latest from Engadin Ski Race organizers" "...the second Corona wave is completely mixing up our planning and organization. The current ban on events with more than 50 people calls into question the implementation of the Engadin Skimarathon 2021. That is why we have temporarily closed the registration for all events of the Engadin Skimarathon Week until the beginning of next year. We will decide by January 6th at the latest whether and in what form we can organize the events in March 2021." Well, at least there is still hope. The organisers of Vasaloppet have already cancelled the main event, offering to " spread " participants over several days instead.
Read More
Peter Schlickenrieder: There Is No Way This System Can Continue. Big Changes Need To Happen

Peter Schlickenrieder: There Is No Way This System Can Continue. Big Changes Need To Happen

Leaders, Newsfeed
The tensions that were/are simmering in the top-level international skiing seemed to have reached the boiling point. Late on Friday, Peter Schlickenrieder has thrown the gauntlet, publishing the Instagram post in which he openly calls for "Big changes" Earlier the same day Yelena Vyalbe has threatened to withdraw the Russian squad from the World Cup should the authorities somewhere try to quarantine an entire team if one team member gets a positive Covid test - apparently, that happened to the Russian Alpine skiers earlier this month when a waxer got corona-positive: everyone was ordered to stay indoors for over a week & not allowed to compete. Both Schlickenrieder and Vyalbe are far bigger personas in their home countries than the actual sport of cross-country skiing. Schlickenrieder, a very successful businessman,…
Read More