The Weeks That Were

Tuva Bygrave

I write this from the airport in Portland, Oregon. I've become separated from my team. They're in Alaska's capitol city, Juneau. They stayed overnight there last night, after leaving Salt Lake City at the break of dawn, flying to Portland, Oregon, then Seattle, Washington, and finally northward to the rainforest of Alaska's southeast panhandle. Meanwhile, my flight out of Salt Lake City was delayed until eventually my connections back to Anchorage couldn't be made. I was rebooked on a ticket that would have had me spending four days in Portland before being able to get a seat on a plane back to Alaska. I don't mean to harsh on Portland, but spending the week here doesn't sound appealing to me. So I managed to talk my way into a more southerly routing, so that I could spend those four layover days in Southern California instead of the gray and dreary Northwest. So I spent a little time in Phoenix before moving on to the palm trees of Santa Ana, California.

Pre-race ski testing

The team spent this morning going for a run in the snow in Juneau, and then out for a mid-day brunch at Donna's restaurant. As for me, I went for a walk in a t-shirt around a sunny Santa Ana neighborhood and played a little pickup soccer with some kids until I overheated because I didn't have a pair of shorts with me and wasn't used to the summery temperatures. But Alaska Airlines told me this morning they could get me back to Alaska today if I would like to go. I have to admit I started getting buyer's remorse immediately after accepting the plane ticket they handed me. I probably ought to go back to work after almost a month away, and I probably ought to see if my house in Alaska is still there and isn't occupied by vagrants or a pack of wild family dogs. But the prospect of three more days in summery southern California sure did sound attractive. On the other hand, would Alaska Airlines still pay for my little mini-vacation, as per our original agreement, if I turned down their offer to fly home today?  Maybe not. And besides, I'd have to go shopping for a new summer outfit for the week if I'd stayed.

Ethan Eski

The last I heard from Trond, the team was on the plane again on the tarmac in Juneau for a second attempt at taking off, after taxiing out to find the runway a snow-covered sheet of ice. So they went back to the gate so the rampers could plow and sand the runway. Trond thought they were putting chains on the airplane's tires, too, but that has not been confirmed. And now the Alaska Airlines website says the plane took off fifteen minutes ago and is climbing through 24,000 feet, so presumably they'll land in Anchorage within the next hour or two.

At the team house

As for me, it's looking more and more likely that I'll also make it back to Anchorage tonight. It's been a long trip.

Storm-day skiing at Sundance between race weekends

Most of our team arrived in Utah two weeks ago. Some traveled to Utah from Anchorage, but many traveled from other places - Colorado, Germany, Canadia, California, Oregon - where they had spent Christmas. As for me, I arrived a week earlier than the team so I could get some time bashing my alpine skis into rocks at the local Utah ski areas, which didn't have much snow around Christmastime. 

We'd have skied further up this trail but it was closed due to avalanche danger.

But some of the team arrived a week later, from Quebec, where they were busy qualifying for all kinds of Canadian travel teams. Derek Deuling will represent his country at the Under-23 World Championships in Slovenia. And Garrett Siever is going to the World Junior Championships in the same location. Marlie Molinaro qualified to race in some World Cup races next month. 

Corbin Carpenter

The US National Championships took place during our first week in Utah - four races in a week. Matt Seline qualified himself for the the American team at next month's World Junior Championships. Corbin Carpenter is qualified for World Juniors as first alternate, but he won't go to Europe unless a team member has to drop our for some reason. Peter Hinds scored a third place in one of the sprint races, and is thus first alternate for the Under-23 World Championships in Slovenia. 

Astrid and Beth, relaxing between races

By the end of the two-week, six-race series, we didn't have anyone on the team who didn't have at least one good race. And most of us had several pretty good races.  At the moment, I don't think we have anyone on our team who isn't faster now than they were last year. We are improving.

Ari and Peter took us all skiing at their new favorite spot - Bonanza Flat

Matt Seline earned himself a new outfit. But he may have made a big mistake letting Tuva try on his parka. Prying it back off her shoulders will be no easy feat.

Team dinner in Salt Lake City on our way to the airport.

2VA

It was a big loss for the team last spring when Toomas Kollo ended his tenure as the Nordic Team's Graduate Assistant Coach to move on to greener pastures.  But the timing of his departure was right, as Tuva Granøien finished up her undergraduate degree last spring and was interested in pursuing a Master's of Business Administration. So Tuva's our new Graduate Assistant Coach!

But Tuva's not satisfied to just hang out in the wax room and stand beside the race trail calling out splits. Last week, she asked Trond for a half-hour leave of absence from the wax room so she could compete in the skate sprint race at US Nationals. She finished the prelim only about four seconds from qualifying for the heats! If Tuva was one of our athletes, she'd have scored points for the team.

We're really happy not to have lost Tuva to graduation last spring!

Our RMISA Racing Season is Underway

 Heber City, Utah is our home base for the next two weeks. Soldier Hollow, site of the 2002 and 2034 Olympics, is our playground. There's a lot more sun than there is in Alaska, and a lot less snow. 

Tuva Granøien has exchanged her racing bib for a coaching bib this winter. It's been a seamless transition.

Part of the job of assistant coach is learning the tools of the trade. Here's Trond, showing Tuva what skis are.

And sometimes we coaches need to wax some skis.

Pascale

King of the downhills today, Matteus Sokulsky.

Beth Granstrom, in her first-ever RMISA race this morning.

Parke Chapin. 40 meters to the finish line.

We're at the US National Championships - four races over the course of a week. These races double as RMISA college races, and they also are used a qualifying races for World Cup, Junior World Championships, and other racing opportunities. We raced our first race this morning. Ten kilometers classic for everyone. We're in our third day into this road trip, usually the toughest day for good results, and we came through today alright. It's going to be a good winter.