HOIGAARD'S X-C STAFF - OVER 2 CENTURIES OF NORDIC EXPERIENCE!

With a combined total of well over 200 years of x-c skiing experience and over 130 years of x-c sales experience, Hoigaard's staff can talk on your level, understand your needs, and provide the technical expertise to help you make smart choices when shopping for x-c gear. To introduce you to our x-c sales team, we've included here a short "nordic bio":

• Andy Turnbull Started skiing in '72. First Birke in '81.Seven years of high school coaching experience. MN Valley Masters and Minneapolis Ski Club Thanksgiving coach. 20 years of ski retail experience.

• Loren Johnson Our resident high-tech x-c gear guy. If it's new, Loren owns it. Active x-c racer and mountain biker. Want the lowdown on wax? Ask Loren.

• Dan Amundson Started skiing in '71. First x-c race in '76. Attended Junior Nationals 6 times. ''85 - second in state, '86 - top 20 in short Mora, '87 - top 100 in Birke.

• Jim Lind Nordic skiing since early '70's. Competed in 3 Birke's. Winter ski camper. Member of the Trak Telemark Team in the '80's (telemark skiing). Fitting and selling x-c skis for 27 years.

• Doc Drone Nordic skiing since 1980. Competed in Mora and Birke. Winter ski camper. Nordic sales since '82.

• Jay Berne Started selling x-c skis the first year they were sold at Hoigaard's -1968. (50 pair of Madshus skis!) Began x-c skiing in 1968. Has worked as a factory rep in the x-c ski industry. Enjoys ski camping.

• Benjamin Menk First time on skis, age 4, began racing at age 13. Multiple races: last year - Seely, Sawtooth, Mora (18th in 45k), Birke (155th). Taught ski classes for College of Cont. Education at U of M.

• Chris Thorson Started skiing at age 6. Moved to Aspen in '91 to snowboard, ended up backcountry skiing in the Elk Mtns. Returned in '93 and began skate and classic racing. 5 Birkes, 6 Moras. 6 yrs. in x-c sales.

• Lara Etnier Skied for Hopkins. Junior Olympic skier. Northern MI University ski team. Nordic coach at Bloomington Kennedy/Jefferson. Head coach at Kennedy for 2 years. Asst. coach last year in Chaska, this year head coach. MN Valley coach. Junior Olympic coach. Multiple x-c races.

• Chris Mommsen Skis for St. Louis Park High School. 2002 state meet qualifier.

• Charlie Webber Skis for St. Louis Park High School. Awesome results at the 2002 Mesabi Invitational.

• Paul Noss Paul's expertise is winter ski camping. Want to build an igloo? Talk to Paul.

• Jim Farrell A Master Skier. Jim has raced in Europe and skied all over the U.S. A real equipment pro.

• Mike Garity Hoigaard's wax instructor for years, Mike is a master skier and demon in-line skate racer. In ski retailing for a decade.

• Nigel Kinney Skis for Eden Prairie High School. State meet qualifier in 2002.

• Josh Paulson X-C skiing since the age of 5. Raced in high school. Resident expert in dog mushing and skijjoring.