When you participate in a niche sport, you can expect to unearth a small cadre of hardcore participants. Because more is sometimes better, especially when it comes to competition, and because enthusiasm likes to spread, people involved in fringier endeavors tend to proselytize, to seek to bring new members into their fold. Unlike with professional [...]
Steep & Deep
February 12, 2012 By 6 Comments
A confession: I live in Jackson, Wyoming and am not an awesome skier. I am far from awesome, in fact. Not really starting to ski until moving here at the ripe age of 21, then skiing in the backcountry 99% of the time — where you have to first climb up something before you can [...]
Alley Loop
March 5, 2010 By 3 Comments
by Janelle Smiley, Featured Athlete | This is my first year in the position of the Director of Events for the Crested Butte Nordic Council. We host several events, but the largest is the Alley Loop. This is a great event that draws everyone from the casual recreational to the elite athlete. It requires planning and planning, and is also the largest race that runs through this small town…
Holly Brooks IS An Olympian
January 28, 2010 By 3 Comments
Since declaring “I Want To Be An Olympian” Holly Brooks has wowed us with her determination. But after winning the SuperTour races and ranking high in the US Nationals, she was not one of the initial selections for Team USA. Still, hope remained as the system for allocating spots on the Olympic team allowed for the re-allocation of unused slots from other countries…
Après-Ski Asana
January 26, 2010 By 4 Comments
by Margaret Burns Vap, Big Sky Yoga Retreats | The return of ski season means sore muscles that are trying to remember all the right moves (you want me to do what?!). Many other activities emphasize the importance of what you do to warm-up, and while I’m not negating that for skiing, I’ve found that what you do après-ski is even more important in terms of managing soreness and maintaining flexibility…
Ski With Holly
January 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment
by Holly Brooks, Nordic Ski Instructor | Thank you so much for your comments on my 17 Reasons to Cross Country Ski article! I’ve been impressed and inspired by your reasons to ski and I hope that others have too. If you still haven’t tried xc skiing, I urge you – don’t wait any longer! If you’ve been waiting to try it because you don’t know where to start I have your answer…
17 Reasons to Cross Country Ski
January 4, 2010 By 22 Comments
by Holly Brooks, Nordic Ski Coach | At times, I feel like my sport has a bad rap. People often think that Cross Country skiing is “nerdy” or for those that are “too scared or timid” to downhill ski. I would like to disseminate some of those myths by providing you with a list of 17 reasons why I think YOU should try Cross Country skiing if you haven’t already…
Life Inside a Sweaty Sports Bra
November 2, 2009 By 7 Comments
by Holly Brooks, Nordic Ski Coach
My days usually go something like this: Wake up, feed the cat, hug my husband and drink LOTS of coffee before packing and repacking for the day ahead of me. I usually train (myself) in the mornings, then change out of my sweaty sporty bra in a parking lot (when I hope no one is looking), race to my office for office work, then coach adult athletes at noon, change out of another sweaty sports bra at a red light…
I Want To Be An Olympian
September 23, 2009 By 11 Comments
by Holly Brooks, Nordic Ski Coach & Competitor
There, I said it. I’ve been avoiding the “O” word for such a long time. It’s taken me months to come out and say it but there it is, plain, clear, and simple for all the Internet universe to see. As a professional full-time coach for a private program, my personal racing has always taken a backseat to my job. This year, as I prepare to make the 2010 Winter Olympic Cross Country Ski team…
