NNF: Drive for 25 Underway, Ambassadors Needed
October 21, 2018
The annual major fundraising campaign for the National Nordic Foundation, the Drive for 25, has begun. While in the early stages, they could use your help: donate today and/or become an ambassador!

International Endeavors
October 21, 2018
Minnesota native Kris Bourne made a life changing decision after her sophmore racing season at Northern Michigan, one which lead to an incredible opportunity to further her skiing career this year. Mary Kozloski has the full story.

Blue Hills Banquet Set for Nov 3rd
October 20, 2018
The Blue Hills Trail Association is hosting their 30th annual fundraising banquet on Saturday, Nov 3rd in Rice Lake. This year's guest speaker is Richard Lett who as spent time working for the Queen of England and the Royal family, sailing solo and winning the Transatlantic Race. The evening includes a cash bar, a buffet meal, two major raffles, plus thousands of dollars in prizes offered as many silent auction items. Reservation are required, book online.

Job Board
October 20, 2018
A number of skiing related jobs are open including a full-time Trails Manager position at Snow Mountain Ranch, as well as coaching openings in the Twin Cities.

Joes: Ladies Day Tuesday
October 20, 2018
Joe's Ski Shop is featuring a Ladies Day, Tuesday, Oct 23rd with womens specific seminars, giveaways, and more. Extended store hours.

Fischer Announces Grants Program to Support Skiing Access and Engagement
October 19, 2018
Fischer Skis has announced the Fischer Grants program, an ongoing grant program aimed at promoting access and engagement to skiing in the United States. With a first-year commitment of $20,000 in support for ski programs, the Fischer Grants will focus on youth and underserved ski populations, snowmaking efforts, education and outreach.

Finn Sisu 40th Anniversary Sale
October 19, 2018
Finn Sisu is running a 40th-anniversary sale from Monday, October 22 through Sunday, October 28, with savings of up to 20% on pre-season gear.

Gear West: Alayna Sonnesyn Fundraiser
October 19, 2018
Join Gear West in support of Wayzata native Alayna Sonnesyn as she pursues her dreams in cross-country skiing with Stratton Mountain Elite Team. Sonnesyn will be on hand to lead a trail run and discuss her high school and collegiate racing experience, as well as training with Jessie Diggins at Stratton. Silent auction with great offerings too!

Birkie Tusen Takk Tour
October 18, 2018
Thanks to the generosity of thousands, Phase 2 of the ABSF's Honoring the legacy – Ensuring the Future Capital Campaign is complete! To celebrate, the ABSF invites you to join Ben Popp and team at one of the Birkie's Tusen Takk Tour gatherings as a way of saying a "thousand thanks" (Tusen Takk in Norge) to all for helping to make Birkie dreams a reality! Plus get up-to-date on all the latest Birkie news. Check out dates/locations near you.

Salomon: Sophie Caldwell Factory Tour
October 17, 2018
Olympian Sophie Caldwell recently joined the Salomon team. Prior to the 2018-2019 World Cup season, she came to Salomon Headquarters in Annecy, France to see how her skis and boots are made. Join Sophie on her first tour of the facility and find out what surprised her and what she learned about the product development process.

Web Roundup
October 15, 2018
Warm to Start - Weather Channel is predicting a warm start to winter for the Midwest.
Italian Snowfarming - Livigno, Italy, is prepping a 3.5K snow course utilizing snow saved from the previous season.
Back in Time - Vakava skier Elspeth Ronnander offers athletic advice to her high school self (and current generation).
Binge Bad - Perhaps not surprisingly, binge drinking can lead to reduced athletic performance (and its older folks harder).
Sweet Science of Wax - From last February, an in-depth look at the science behind the US Ski Team waxing.

CXC Annual Coaches Conference and Certification this Weekend
October 15, 2018
The 7th annual CXC Wayne Fish Coaches Conference and Certification workshop is this weekend, Oct 19-21, in Cable. Nearly a dozen presenters including two-time Canadian Olympian Ivan Babikov and US Development coach Bryan Fish. Level 100 and 200 certification available.

Joes: MEA Weekend Sale
October 15, 2018
Joe's Ski Shop is offering an MEA weekend sale, Thursday Oct 18 thru Sunday, Oct 21st. Save up to 25% on youth gear, up to 20% on Adult gear.

Cross-Country Ski Instruction
October 14, 2018
Ride and Glide Bike and Ski Club will be offering XC ski instruction for beginners and those looking to improve their technique. Sessions are held Tuesday evenings, starting Nov 13th.

Fast Wax Slick Kit Announced
October 13, 2018
Fast Wax has bundled some of their most popular paste waxes into a Slick Kit which includes three varieties of wax along with three applicators.

LNR Time Trial Coverage
October 13, 2018
LNR Juniors along with some guests from up north, as well as Jake Brown back from out East, participated in a brisk rollerski time trial on Saturday on the roads near Afton. Jake Brown bested the mens field with the only sub-20 minute time on the 8K course, Alex Nemeth led the junior men with Sarah Olson topping the womens field.
Related:
Photoset from Chris Harvey: 7 photos
Results: 8K Freestyle

Urban Portage Coverage
October 13, 2018
A unique event debuted Saturday with the Urban Portage, a padding and long distance portaging event from Cedar Lake all the way up to the Trailhead at Theodore Wirth. Participants had to haul their boats along some long trail segments including south Wirth and a long golf course climb on the north end, as well as navigating winding Bassett Creek segments.
Related:
Photoset: 167 photos
Photoset: Top Picks (high res)
Results: Urban Portage

CXC: Bike Raffle, Adaptive Skier Profile
October 12, 2018
CXC's latest newsletter highlights Brenden Ojibway, an adaptive skier, and the raffle for a custom Bingham Built bicycle.

NNF: Trip to Nordic World Championships in Austria
October 12, 2018
The National Nordic Foundation and Lumi Experiences are partnering to offer two trips to the 2019 Nordic Ski World Championships in Seefeld, Austria in February. Space has been filling up and there are now less than eight openings left!

Womens Focus on Training Fitness Weekend, Oct 26-28
October 12, 2018
Riverbrook and Gear West are hosting a women's training weekend in late October all will feature Caitlin Gregg, Allison Bradley, Cindy Swift & Jan Guenther, Kate Ellis and Karen Bebchuk!

Finn Sisu: Kikkan Poles for Breast Cancer Fundraising
October 11, 2018
Finn Sisu is fundraising for Kikkan Randall in her fight again cancer by donating 50% of the sales price of any pair of Kikkan pink Yoko poles to her breast cancer charity of choice, Boarding for Breast Cancer. If they sell them all, it'll mean nearly $10K for breast cancer education and prevention.

Midwest MTB Report
October 10, 2018
This weeks Midwest MTB Report by Jay Richards includes an in-depth recap from the Oz Trails Festival, highlights from the Wisconsin Cycling Season, a couple of interesting mountain bike related items and a look ahead to a few events near the end of the month.

Borah Teamwear Partners with 906 Adventure Team
October 10, 2018
Borah Teamwear is proud to announce their strategic partnership with 906 Adventure Team. Per the agreement, Borah Teamwear will be the exclusive apparel provider for the Marji Gesick, Polar Roll, HAMR, 906 Composite NICA Team, and Adventure Bike Club. In

Minnesota Coaches Association Meeting this Saturday
October 9, 2018
The Minnesota High School Nordic Ski Coaches Association annual Fall Meeting is this Saturday, Oct 13th, at the Vasaloppet Nordic Center in Mora, MN. There will be a vendor fair before the meeting, and a post-meeting lunch.

Web Roundup
October 9, 2018
NZ Recap - Alayna Sonnesyn recaps her skiing adventure in New Zealand last month.
El Nino? - Are we ahead for a El Nino winter with mild weather?
Down to 3 - There are three candidates still in the running for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Indicted - US indicts 7 Russians for hacking related to the Olympic doping scandal.
Stand or Sit - Hype around standing desks not living up to scientific studies.
TCM 6th - Twin Cities high school cross-country star finishes 6th in the Twin Cities Marathon!
Eliud Pace - Watch Chicago marathon participants attempt to run 2 hour pace for just 200 meters.
Out West - Snow is picking up out West, with some areas scoring as much as two feet.
Snow Day - A teaser video promoting World Snow Day.