Sponsored Skiers

 

Adam Loomis Blog

Congratulations to Adam Loomis on being selected to the Nordic Combined National B Team. Adam will continue his training in Park City UT

Adam is a Nordic Combined Skier from Eau Claire, WI competing in Nordic Combined as a member of the US National Training Group

Adam has competed around the US and Europe in a number of events including the Continental Cup

Follow Adam on his Blog as he continues training with the National B Team

Andy Schakel

Andy was first introduced to Nordic skiing when he was 9 years old after moving to MN from Missouri.
Andy's first race was through the Bill Koch Youth Ski league and after that . . . he was hooked. Andy was one of the lucky people to ski for Stillwater High School under Bill Simpson and then onto the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
Andy currently enjoys competing at local citizen ski races, and gets support from Atomic and Fast Wax, and Andy trains with the Vakava Race Team through Finn SiSu.
New goal this year is to get their son on his first set of skis! Andy is happily married and glad to be in MN with family and friends

Brian Smith

Brian Smith skis for Fast Wax out of Gunnison CO. and as one of the many hard core CB skiers Brian competes in several skiing disciplines.
Press Release Brian Smith Wins the 2010, 42Km Alley Loop! …and Go Packers!
New team member Brian Smith was first overall in the pinnacle race of the Nordic season in Crested Butte.  Skiing on a Fast Wax combo of Extreme White & HSF-10 Green Brian was able to hold off some outstanding athletes and win his first ever 42K Alley Loop.  Hopefully he can keep this great form up for when he travels over to Europe for the Winter World Tri Champs in Finland.

Bonnie Weiskopf-Albrecht

Most significant skiing accomplishment(s) from entire career:
National Collegiate Cross-Country Skiing Champion (NCSA) 7 times from 1987-1990 (includes freestyle, classic, and relay titles).
World University Games team 1991.
Olympic Trials 1992 & 1994 (multiple top 10 finishes).
Great American Ski Chase 1st overall female 1993, 2nd overall female 1994.
number of years skiing: 29

Most significant skiing accomplishment(s) from last year/this year so far:
2011 was my first year returning to ski racing after 17 years off. 20th woman overall in the 2011 Birkebeiner. 2nd in the 2012 Twin Cities Championships pursuit.
Current Involvement in ski promotion:
Vakava Racing team member. Minnesota Youth Ski League (MYSL) coach 2002-present. East Metro Skiwerx leader/coach.

Brian Vander Baan

Top Snowboarder by age group in MESS (Middle Earth Snow Series) for the last 2 years for Slope Style and Boarder Cross. The two years before that I was top rider in boarder cross and Slope style for my age class in Huck Finn snow series
Competed successfully at national level ( 2 times), qualified 4 times
Experience at most hills in Michigan, four in summit county, Northstar in Tahoe, and Shanghai, China
Become number one in the state for HS Boarder Cross.
Compete at nationals in Boarder Cross, and Slope Style and place top 15.

Ride at Marquette Super Park Competition

Compete at DECA

Clay Moseley

Southwest Nordic Ski Club (www.swnordicski.org)
Los Alamos, NM

Background: I was an Alpine skier and bike racer as a kid, growing up in Ruidoso, NM. Skied for two years in college then switched to cycling full-time. I picked up cross-country skiing for cross training in college, from one of the Norwegian xc skiers on the team. I began skiing more often after ending professional cycling in 1999, and began participating in races in 2003. I currently serve as the president of the Southwest Nordic Ski Club. I have competed in numerous xc ski events all over the USA, plus the Norwegian Birkebeiner, which is the biggest xc ski experience I've ever had. Other events I've done include the American Birkebeiner, the Boulder Mountain Tour, the Craftsbury Marathon, the 90 km North Routt Coureur des Bois, the Master's World Cup, and several AXCS Master's Championships. It's very hard to say which would be my favorite, but the Norwegian Birkebeiner is definitely the crown jewel of my ski experiences and everyone should try to put that one on the list. Career Highlights:
2x USA Cycling National Champion
1995 Pan American Games Gold Medal - Individual Time Trial
100+ career wins in cycling
2007 USA Triathlon Sprint Championship Silver Medal
2007 Best of the USA Triathlon Championship - 7th Overall
7x NM Triathlon State Champion
2007 ITU Winter Triathlon Pan American Championship - 12th Overall
2003 AXCS Master's Championship (M1) 3rd Classic, 1st Relay
2006 AXCS Master's Championship (M2) 2nd Classic, 3rd Pursuit
2008 Master's World Cup (M2) 3rd Relay
2009 AXCS Master's Championship (M2) 3rd Freestyle
8x NM XC Ski Cup Champion

David Cahill

Skis for Fast Wax out of Vermont

Dave, age 30, works as a Vermont state prosecutor by day and skis by night. He advises would-be criminals to not even think about trying to get away on skis, especially with the wrong wax. He is married but isn't thinking about kids just yet. (He took it as a sign when he couldn't keep the potted cactus in his office alive for longer than six months.) Dave and his wife, Janet, typically ski 8-10 marathon races a year. In 2009 he won the Lake Placid Loppet 50km race on the 1980 Olympic course, and he managed a 37th place finish in the Birkie.

Dave Christopherson

Number of years skiing: More than you

Most significant skiing accomplishment(s) from last year: Watching Vakava skiers pick up 18 horses at Mora.

Most significant skiing accomplishment(s) from entire career: Helping coach Vakava skiers to too-many-to-count overall and age-group victories, while getting a good number of National Masters Championship wins myself.
Occupation and other interests: Environmental Researcher at Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Biking, hiking, lots of kinds of music.

Dave Nelson

David Nelson took his non-standard training practices to a new level this summer. In addition to repeatedly climbing the stairs of their new home while working on the interior, he also started doing long-distance, high-speed roller skiing. After training weekly with Josie, her sister Siri and husband Ben, they all completed the 50 mile bike tour in Mora. Josie was quick to remind Dave that he didn't technically complete the event, since he wasn't on a bike. Dave is confident this will be his best season ever, since their garden produced a record crop of potatoes, his favorite fuel for training and racing

 

 

 

Don Pollari

Started skiing at the age of 4, spending his most enjoyable winter days at Mont du Lac ski area outside of Duluth. He alpine raced competitively through college at the University of Minnesota Duluth and the University of Montana. After moving back to the Midwest from Montana he took up cross country skiing and now only occasionally, if ever, rides a ski lift. In 1996 he moved to Salt Lake City and on to Boise and (flatlander that he is) is still striving to fully adapt to high altitude Nordic racing. A perennial highlight is making the Birkebeiner pilgrimage. With a beautiful new daughter in the household Don is soon to make a planned transition from career to stay-at-home Dad. Many kilometers will be put on the child chariot next ski season.

Elaine Nelson

Although Elaine will forever be a distance runner, her husband (Grant Nelson) is slowly turning her into a Nordic skier.
Two years ago, Grant bought wooden roller skis, complete with a brake. The first time out, Elaine was pretty hesitant, but quickly grew to love these roller skis and has been working hard on her skate technique during the summer/fall months. She has also been doing hill bounding and pole running, especially with her two high-energy dogs. The summer training program included plenty of running, canoeing and some mountain biking. She and her husband also competed in running races and a few triathlons (canoe, mountain bike, run). During the winter, she enjoys volunteering with one of the local high school Nordic ski teams. This year, Elaine is excited to improve her technique (in both classical and skate) as well as increase her skills as a ski racer.

Very talented and determined from beginner to elite race is 2 years -- What's next? The list of victories is growing including the
2012 Birkie Age Group Champion

Grant Nelson

Grant is an athlete & dentist from Duluth, MN. During the non-skiing months, Grant enjoys lots of variety in his training including, canoeing, hiking, running, kayaking, roller skiing, house-building, ... The house-building activity has been interfering recently with some of his other passions & often times provides very little ski specific training. With winter, however, skiing tends to take priority over most other things. Grant competes in most of the large local ski races, but likes the idea of racing to train, rather than training to race.

John Stamm

Avid skier and cyclist, is my training partner
Skied more Birkies than most of us can count, member of the
Birkie 35 Club

Jerome Kuntz

http://www.jibbingwithjerome.com/

I ride a snowboard, I do some Fun things on my board, some very cool companies support my riding like Fast Wax, Rossignol, Proof, Banshee Bungee, & Hidden.

 

 

 

Josie Nelson

If you have met Josie on the ski trails, you will probably agree that she is one of the friendliest, most exuberant skiers you'll find. If you haven't met her, listen for her chatting, encouraging others, or just singing as she skis. Josie prefers the classical technique, because she finds it "easier to ski next to someone." This year Josie is looking forward to skiing in the Holmenkollen Marsjen classical marathon in Norway, where there will be thousands of new skiers to meet. Hope you're working on your Norwegian, Josie!

 

 

 

 

Ken Dawson

1st Michigan Cup age class – 60-69

• 8th overall – combining best 5 races
• 6th overall in classic division
• 8th overall in freestyle division
• 10th overall in combined division - includes marathon, classic and freestyle
• 3rd place US master in 10k freestyle – Masters World Cup
• 1st place age class in Noque . 55k classic

Mike Wolters

Skis for Fast Wax out of Ketchum ID

Nate Porath

Nate didn't start cross country skiing until his freshman year at Mounds View High School, but he was immediately hooked. He went on to ski collegiately for Gustavus Adolphus College, and then joined Finn Sisu's Vakava Racing while in dental school at the University of
Minnesota. He is now a dentist at Midwest Dental in Faribault, MN, and continues to train and race with the Vakava crew. He lives in Northfield, MN with his wife Nichole, an accomplished runner who qualified for the 2012 Olympic trials in the marathon, and their Vizsla and skijoring buddy Mesa.

Nate was the Minnesota Skinnyski Series 25-29 year old age group champ in 2009, 2010, and 2011. He is the two-time defending champ of the MN Vasaloppet 35k skate, and has finished as high as 28th in the Birkie 50k skate."

Paulette Niemi -- Ironwood, MI

Paulette is the Transition Services Coordinator for the Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School District. She is a member of the Skinnyski.com race team and is sponsored by Atomic skis and Fast Wax.

Paulette is an avid x-c skier and racier along with her husband, Ray, and two sons, Nick (9) and Anthony (7). Paulette is the coordinator of the Gogebic Range Youth X-C Program which introduces cross-country skiing to local youth ages 7-11 and she is also a member of the Sisu Ski Fest Race Committee. In the off-season, Paulette competes in 10K road races and enjoys swimming, waterskiing, wakesurfing, biking, hiking and traveling with family.

Randy Larson

Skis for Fast Wax out of Spooner WI.
Randy is the long time Nordic ski coach at Spooner and is responsible for developing the Spooner Ski Program