mar 20 – for picture descriptions hold your mouse over the picture

03/21/2011 | Categories: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

mar 19, 17:50 — Last race today – Sprint Classic. Great course, steep run, big jump, tough 360 and long skate. TV cameras everywhere on the course including a boom camera in the 360. Run 1 was going fine until i caught my left arm between the gate poles and thru my line off. Men’s run 2 started at 15:35 and the weather was warm so the afternoon reset course was not holding up well. It was even rough for the top 15 who started first. It turned out to be my best run of all races and with a decent time and the least amount of penalties. it was an awesome way to finish off.

03/21/2011 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

mar 19, 17:00 — this is a great pic of the town of Rjukan in the valley and Gaustablikk Mtn on the left – Rjukan does not get any sun on it for 3.5 months of the winter so the hydro company built a tram for townfolk to go up and see the sun

03/21/2011 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

mar 19, 10:30 Course inspection finished, waiting for start times, here is a pic of the course from the top, jump half way down and a pic of the jump w steep pitch after.

03/19/2011 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

mar 18, 21.45 – still waiting for a bench to tune/wax skiis…..there is a guy making authentic wooden telemark skiis for sale and to use. Hi is 5 cottages over from ours…check this out !!

03/18/2011 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

mar 18, 20:15 — Live TV coverage of SprintClassic on Saturday. Live on tv only top 10 women and top 15 men…after that on the internet See NRK and live on internet ( http://www.nrk.no/nett-tv/arkivert/93187/ ) it will also be on EuroSport2. Also check this site (http://www.myp2p.eu) then click on LiveSports then Other. We are 5 hrs ahead of EST. I am bib 56 and should be racing around 12:10 my time for race #1 and around 16:15 for race #2. There is also to be a time delay on NRK for later in the day Sat..

03/18/2011 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

mar 18, 16:37 – Day off, 8 inches of powder and sun…just awesome tree skiing. Team Captains meeting at 6 today so will have bib ## and television coverage etc…

03/18/2011 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

mar 17, 16:45 – couldn’t resist the sun setting the Xcountry skier coming up the trail. taken from the porch of what has become known as our “tree house” – which really has a lot to do with the outside access on near vertical stairs which is ever so interesting w ski boots on.

03/17/2011 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

mar 18, 00:15 – what an unbelieveable evening. I will do a full upate tomorrow as way to exhausted tonight…but here are a few highlights………full tour and dinner at Vemork Hydro Station in Rjukan, NOR..very famous in WW2….many speeches, VP of FIS (overall FIS !!) did a wonderful speech, amazing museum now…..night…

VP

03/17/2011 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

mar 17, 16:50 — quick one, more later. One member from each country has been invited to a special trip and dinner at 7pm tonight to visit the hydro plant that was the largest in the world in WW2 and was also a very significant part of WW2 when the Germans were in Norway…..more later.

03/17/2011 | Categories: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

mar 17, 08:49 –great GS races yesterday. My first race could have been better, 2nd felt good. Was a fast course. My Czech roommate from both world cups came in 5th and won 250 Euro’s…very exciting. huge awards ceremony last night following by cultural music and dance display. wait in line to tune skis then bed as we were all totally exhausted. here are some pics from yesterday. all the schools and grades picked a country to cheer for…check out my team canada cheering squad !! Huge snow drought here in 25 years….so access to race course via snowmobile. We could see forever we are so high up.

03/17/2011 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

mar 15, 22:21 – GS Race I am bib #56. Ladies run#1 start at 10am. Men run#1 start at 10:50 – I sh be between 11:50 and 12:10. Ladies run#2 start 14:00. Men run#2 start 14:50 – I sh be around 15:50 and 16:10.

03/15/2011 | Categories: Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

mar 15, 22:17 — Live TV coverage of GS (Wed), Classic (Thur), SprintClassic (Sat) on NRK and live on internet ( http://www.nrk.no/nett-tv/arkivert/93187/ ) it will also be on EuroSport2. Also check this site (http://www.myp2p.eu) then click on LiveSports then Other. We are 5 hrs ahead of EST

03/15/2011 | Categories: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

mar 15, 22:00 — What a long day. Just got back from tuning skis. Gate training in the am. Jump training on GS and Classic course run in the pm. Team Captain and bib draw meeting from 345 to 515. Try to get into ski tuning rooms. Get dressed etc for opening ceremony and flag ceremony for each country. Big dinner and speeches and norwegian culture and telemark history. Finish tuning and waxing skis. i’m exhausted. Hope you enjoy a few of the pics from today.

03/15/2011 | Categories: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

mar 15, 13:25 — Just quick update, all races this week are going to be televised by norwegian tv. I will send all links etc later this evening and my bib ##.

03/15/2011 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

mar 14– this is where team canada is staying in Gaustablikk Skisenter, Rjukan !!!

03/14/2011 | Categories: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

mar 14 — arrived in rjukan, NOR at 1am last night. What an amazing place. People moving all about on Xcountry equip’t….yup in nordic land!! Very large and amazing looking ski hill. Most athletes took today off for much needed recovery. The ski hill is actually high above the town of rjukan. Some pics are from town today towards the back side of the ski hill. The road up is much like the road to Norquay, Banff with many tight switchbacks and dropoffs…..just a lot bigger though!! cheers

03/14/2011 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

mar 12 — what an amazing day in Hafjell. Sprint Classic Day! Started training at 730am, no sun yet, -11C…felt colder. Inspections started at 845 and jump test at 9. Both morning and afternoon courses had super tight 2nd gate after the jump landing gate. The 360 wrap at the end was super tight, which if taken properly shot you into the sprint skate section (i got it in run #1, but missed in #2). The skate section was pretty nice although easier in the am with more energy!! The sun shone the entire day and it got to about -2C but the courses held up very well. Enjoy some pics!! Tomorrow brings the classic – I have already reached the conclusion it’s a death race!!! It’s much longer than the GS, with 2 360 wraps, mandatory jump and 2 skate sections – the last one being about 45 seconds long.

03/12/2011 | Categories: Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

mar 11 — GS Day is finished. it was a nice -11C sunny morning. really fast snow, great course. I was running #94 overall…had a great start but lost my edge and blew a ski in a choppy rut heading into a pitch. sucked. but i did get to watch to pro’s in run #2 coming off the jump…just amazing. tomorrow is the sprint classic race: GS gates, a 360 degree wrap and a hard fast skate finish – 2 runs. Should be a lot of fun. i’m now # 104 of 110 and will be focusing a lot harder on the ruts !!

03/11/2011 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

Mar 10 — super busy day. official jump training in the am. quick lunch & met a ton of athletes from other countries, gate training in the afternoon w 2 gs courses to chose from, back for Team Captain meeting, Flag carrying ceremony, Bib # draw, dinner, tune skis and sleep.

03/10/2011 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

Mar 9 — some pics of the jump. we were testing this again today….very cool as have to really jump up and push out much like the ski jump flyers!! it’s such a cool feeling drifting down the slope and landing tele.

03/09/2011 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »

Mar 8 — Contest time !! I will buy the beer for whoever guesses closest to the length of these babies !!

Took a few tries to get these in the frame...very nice skis!!

03/08/2011 | Categories: Uncategorized | 5 Comments »

Mar 8 — what awesome day ripping the runs at Hafjell with some of the US Telemark team. Round 2 tomorrow. Last night the groomers setup the jump to use for all 3 telemark races (GS, Sprint Classic, Classic). Holy crap…looks like the jump line to clear (to avoid a 3 second penalty for being short) is going to be 50 to 60 feet down the pitch and then into a really hard right turn. Yeehaw!!

03/08/2011 | Categories: Uncategorized | 3 Comments »