Camp Fuwa

In recent years, many Seawolves have spent time training at the UAA Ski Team's satellite training facility and European Headquarters in the heart of the Germany's Black Forest.  Raphael Wunderle and Laura Rombach honed their skills there during the summers in preparation for the grueling winter college circuit. Toby Schwoerer developed his incredible climbing skills doing laps up and down Feldberg. There are reported Lutz Klausmann sightings from time to time in the deepest, darkest, remotest parts of the Black Forest. Davis Dunlap made a trip there last summer to test the Schwarzwälder training venues and found them to be satisfactory. This year, "Camp Fuwa" is in session once again, as Lasse and Viktor have made the trip south from Scandinavia to run, rollerski and bike with Lukas around Schwarzwald's hills and valleys.

Three men, three goals, same training. Viktor's trying to work his way up through Sweden's national team program, Lasse's hoping to ski in the 2014 Olympics, and Lukas would sure love to win NCAA's next year.

Meanwhile, here in Anchorage, life is good:

European Vacation

I can't be everywhere.  I can't know everything. 

That's why I rely on my minions to send me dribs and drabs of information; little gems of knowledge and insight that I can't get while kicking around southcentral Alaska in this glorious summery sunshine.  And from time to time, my minions send me something notable and relevant.  Something interesting and compelling.  Something blogworthy.

For example: 

I already knew that Vicki and Lucky traveled long distances earlier this week to reunite with each other, crossing several international borders to do so.  They wanted to do some ski training together, they wanted to witness the Tour de France's epic 2xAlpe d'Huez stage in person, and they wanted to visit Marine in her native habitat in the Haute Savoie.  I had seen this picture on the interweb - a picture that leaves nobody feeling shamed or inadequate.  Just two guys sitting on the couch in Marine's living room:

Question:  Why would anyone hesitate to put a picture like this on the interweb?
Answer: They wouldn't.  It's a very nice picture.

On the other hand, there are some pictures that don't make it on the interweb so easily.  Maybe the people in the picture don't want these kinds of pictures floating around in cyberspace for all to see. Maybe they don't even know that certain photos were taken in the first place. And this is where my minions come in handy.  They send me these pictures so that I can keep you, the loyal UAA Team Blog reader, updated with the information you need to keep current on all the latest UAA Ski Team news.  For example, the picture below - a picture which was taken just hours ago.  If you know anything about the UAA Ski Team, or even if you don't know much about the team but have been keeping up with the blog, you will immediately understand what's going on in this picture.  If you don't understand what's going on in this picture then maybe you need to start paying a little closer attention:

 

Summertime Rolls (Part 2)

For the past couple of weeks, I've wracked my brain for a UAA Ski Team blog topic, but there's just.... nothing.  When most of the team are out of town and the remaining athletes are training with their respective summer training groups here in town - Alaska Winter Stars and Alaska Nordic Racing - and even the head coach goes on vacation to Colorado, there's not much left but sunshine, sunshine, warm weather and more sunshine here in Alaska.

So I'll post a few pictures for now.  But between now and late August, the blog posts will likely be few and far between because there's not much UAA Ski Team news for me to report on when everybody's doing their own thing for the summer.

Here are some photos I found on Facebook:

Andrew spent the weekend at the Fireweed 400 bike race between Sheep Mountain and Valdez.

A typical scene from the road.  I think this is probably Richardson Glacier.



It's my understanding that Davis is the proud new owner of this airplane. And yes, he does keep it in his driveway at home.

Davis in his element.

The Black Knight.  "It's just a flesh wound!"

There's only been about one rainy day this summer and this was it, so here's a picture of it.  Hiking near Anchorage.

Scenes from the trail...

Chugach rock is notoriously rotten.

When it's sunny I just can't bring myself to go in the office for work, so I set up my office on my deck.  I've spent a lot of time this summer at my "deck office".

And finally, the craziest of all:  When I finished "serious racing" a couple of decades ago, I was so happy that I'd NEVER have to go rollerskiing again.  And I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I'm actually beginning to like it again.  I've gone rollerskiing three times already this summer, and it's only July 15! I might even go again next week!  Here's a scene from the rollerski trail along Turngain Arm.  What's not to like?