Managing Expectations with Hannah Halvorsen and Hailey Swirbul
The Cross Country Skier Podcast
Fresh off their Olympic debuts, U.S. Cross Country Ski Team members Hannah Halvorsen and Hailey Swirbul candidly discuss how they deal with performance pressure as elite competitors, the stress it puts on a healthy mindset and their different takes on balancing a desire to win with positive self-worth. The conversation expands on a piece Halvorsen penned for of the magazine: “Medals Matter, But They Don’t Define an Athlete.” The skiers also cover topics that range from handling “the high school hallway” of social media and why Norwegian skiers are so good to whether men approach...
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Behind the Birkie with Executive Director Ben Popp
The Cross Country Skier Podcast
The American Birkebeiner is so much more than a ski race—it provides an opportunity for Nordic skiers of all ages and abilities to unite as a community and celebrate our sport. Cross Country Skier podcast host Peter Graves talks with Birkie Executive Director Ben Popp about what it takes to put on the most iconic cross country ski race in the U.S. They also discuss race founder Tony Wise’s legacy, which included building and operating the Telemark Lodge and its associated alpine and Nordic ski trails. Following the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation’s purchase of the historic property...
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An inside look at the Olympics and more with Peter Graves
The Cross Country Skier Podcast
Veteran sportscaster Peter Graves has been the host of the Cross Country Skier Podcast, but this time we turn the tables on him for a behind-the-scenes look at what’s it like to communicate the action at some of sporting’s biggest events to a worldwide audience.
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The Adirondacks’ New Nordic Hope
The Cross Country Skier Podcast
There’s a lot happening at Paul Smith’s College. To learn what’s afoot in the Adirondacks, we speak with John Morgan, a former National Team bobsledder who is overseeing the program at Paul Smith’s; Tim Burke, who’s competed in four Olympic Winter Games and is the director of athlete development for U.S. Biathlon; and Bill Demong, Vermontville, New York’s five-time Olympian who won a gold medal in Nordic combined at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and serves as executive director of USA Nordic.
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Tom Kelly’s 50-year cross country legacy
The Cross Country Skier Podcast
Tom Kelly’s career is rooted in cross country skiing. His 30-plus year tenure as vice president of communications with the U.S. Ski Team culminated trackside with the historic Olympic gold medal of Jessie Diggins and Kikkan Randall at the PyeongChang Olympic Games. Even in retirement, he’s remained active in Olympic sport and as one of the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team’s biggest fans.
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Gus Schumacher and Ben Ogden: Champions of 2020
The Cross Country Skier Podcast
Fresh off their 2020 FIS Junior World Championships gold medal relay, Ben Ogden and Gus Schumacher join Peter to talk about their standout winter and what’s next for them and America’s other rising stars.
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Vegard Ulvang: Fluoros, COVID and a Remarkable Career
The Cross Country Skier Podcast
Peter talks with chairman of the FIS Cross Country Committee and multi-Olympic medalist Vegard Ulvang. Recognized around the world for his athletic accomplishments, the native Norwegian maintains a thoughtful, humble style that is widely respected. Ulvang goes deep on his remarkable career, the status of cross country in Norway, fluorocarbon waxes and how COVID-19 will affect this year’s World Cup.
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Chris Grover on Covid, Funding and Selects for the 2021 U.S. Cross Country Team
The Cross Country Skier Podcast
In early May, U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced its nominations for the 2021 Cross Country Ski Team. Hot on the heels of some great finishes at Junior Worlds, next year’s team is fat with young talent, including the biggest D team ever. But the team is equally notable for the absence of some great veteran skiers who didn’t meet the criteria. In this episode, Cross Country Skier’s Adam Howard is joined by Chris Grover, longtime U.S. Cross Country Ski Team head coach, to talk about all of these development
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Bill McKibben: The Future of Winter
The Cross Country Skier Podcast
Thirty years ago, environmentalist Bill McKibben wrote “The End of Nature,” the first book for a general audience on climate change. And while disappearing snows are a concern of any cross country skier, they perhaps best know McKibben’s name for another one of his titles, “Long Distance: A Year of Living Strenuously,” in which he explores the limits of endurance over a year of dedicated ski training.
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Fifty Years of Coaching with Marty Hall
The Cross Country Skier Podcast
When Bill Koch won the first-ever U.S. Olympic medal in Nordic skiing at the 1976 Innsbruck Games, Marty Hall was the coach behind the athlete. But Hall’s successes extend well before and long after Kochie’s silver medal, including having built the U.S. women’s team from the ground up beginning in 1969 with athletes like Allison Owens and Martha Rockwell and coaching the Canadian National Team.
info_outlineThere’s a lot happening at Paul Smith’s College in the Adirondacks. With new trails designed by John Morton and programs sanctioned by both USA Nordic and U.S. Biathlon, the future looks bright for athletes looking for a training base. To learn what’s afoot in the Adirondacks, we speak with John Morgan, a former National Team bobsledder who is overseeing the program at Paul Smith’s; Tim Burke, who’s competed in four Olympic Winter Games and is the director of athlete development for U.S. Biathlon; and Bill Demong, Vermontville, New York’s five-time Olympian who won a gold medal in Nordic combined at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and serves as executive director of USA Nordic.
This episode of the Cross Country Skier Podcast is possible thanks to the support of Hotel Saranac. It’s also possible thanks to support from our listeners—if you like what you hear and would like to hear more, please make a contribution.