O CT O BER 2 015 , VO L .17, N O .1 ANCHORAGE, EAGLE RIVER, FAIRBANKS, GIRDWOOD, HOMER, JUNEAU, KENAI, MAT-SU, SALCHA, SEWARD, SOLDOTNA, TALKEETNA AND VALDEZ Rolling toward winter PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIC PACKER Anchorage ............. 2 ANCHORAGE: STATEWIDE STATEWIDE Eagle River ............. 8 NSAA Jumping program Homer skier gets a CCAK, Alaskans honor Fairbanks ............. 14 flying high after summer worldly Nordic education state’s Nordic pioneers Girdwood .............. 7 Kachemak ............ 11 Mat-Su. 13 3 9 10 Statewide ............. 9 2 OCTOBER 2015 203 W. 15th Ave., #204 Anchorage, Alaska, 99501 Phone: 276-7609 Fax: 258-7609 Anchorage Nordic Skier Hotline: 248-6667 [email protected] Newsletter Of The Nordic Skiing Association Of Anchorage, Inc. anchoragenordicski.com BOARD MEMBERS Why support NSAA? PRESIDENT Jeff Scott VICE PRESIDENT It’s a good investment in our community Sara Miller SECRETARY Message from NSAA President / Jeff Scott Elizabeth Arnold Last season was a difficult one and experienced bunch. They work fitness skiers need to understand that NSAA TREASURER for the Nordic Skiing Association of year-round to bring us great cross- grooms and maintains trails and be willing Karl Garber Anchorage. We mourned the loss of country ski conditions. They improve to support NSAA. Corporate sponsors must be developed and nurtured and NSAA needs MEMBERS two good friends and outstanding dirt trails in the summer and groom Kari Skinner to grow its donor base substantially. Mike Miller leaders – Lars Spurkland and Ellen snow in winter. They maintain the Steve Beardsley Toll. We suffered terrible snow machinery required to do all of these NSAA must communicate more Josh Niva effectively with its members, Lars Flora conditions and limited snowmaking jobs, and more. Now they also have donors, advocates, staff opportunities. But in spite of the the snowmaking system at Kincaid and the general public OFFICE STAFF difficulties, NSAA had a thriving Jr. Park to operate and maintain. We Erin Beam, Business Manager n Execute a proactive communication plan Tamra Kornfield, Program Manager Amber Adams, Office Manager Nordic program and pulled off many are still working out some challenges n Utilize many various communication successful races and events, including and determining the capabilities tools and strategies to reach more skiers OPERATIONS STAFF Anchorage School District racing, of this system. We as Nordic skiers This season will be very Ben Powell, Director Ski for Women, among others. NSAA are more dependent than ever on Craig Norman important in NSAA’s goal to build a Bill Brion supporters, volunteers and staff can sophisticated and costly machines to sustainable organization. We do not Tom Ross Peter Zug be proud that we made a positive ski in Anchorage. want to reduce programs and trail Annette Brion difference in the lives of many Alaska I have been on the NSAA board of maintenance or grooming in the Matthew Pauli Ricky Prince skiers and community members by directors for more than 10 years so I future. making a Nordic season a reality. understand the challenges our staff Are you willing to support NSAA COMMITTEE CHAIRS This season we are planning face every day. Their jobs are getting with your donations? Can you recruit ADULT SKI LESSONS another full schedule of programs and more difficult as we expand programs new supporters to increase our Raye Ann Neustel events with unbridled enthusiasm! and trails. The costs to bring well- funding sources? Will you volunteer to ALASKA SKI FOR WOMEN We expect to have a much better ski groomed ski trails and high-quality help us communicate our message to Fiona Peichel season and hope you are also excited. programs continue to climb. The new members and donors? ANCHORAGE CUP RACING I am pleased to tell you that NSAA changing weather is adding more Your support of NSAA will Raye Ann Neustel has its great administrative team problems. contribute to a healthier Anchorage. Meg and Bob Stehn back to keep everything in order. This brings me to what you can You will create opportunities BACKCOUNTRY TOURS Office manager Amber Adams is in do to help us meet and overcome for winter exercise and social Patti Phillips, Mary Vavrik, Karlene Leeper, for her third season while program those challenges and be part of the networking. You will help train young Ken DePalma manager Tamra Kornfield and successful ski season. people to cross-country ski, have fun BIATHLON business manager Erin Beam are and learn that physical activity is an Co-chairs: Leslie Boughton and Mike Riesler NSAA must build stronger Eagle Eyes Coach: Tom Grenier working into their second season. relationships and partnerships important part of a healthy life. They are all talented individuals who with all of our donors You are vital to NSAA achieving its HIGH SCHOOL RACING John Christopherson are dedicated to NSAA’s mission of and members mission – to promote Nordic skiing promoting this great sport. n Racer/elite skiers and training groups as a healthy activity and improve our HUTS The NSAA Operations crew is need to recognize the cost for heavy trail use quality of life in Anchorage. Thank Call NSAA office for reservations also a highly skilled, committed and event prep and be willing to increase you. their financial support to NSAA. Fun/ JUMPING Karen Compton Vivienne Murray Mike Jokela, Coach These events are being hosted by the Alaska Biathlon JUNIOR NORDIC NSAA Biathlon program Association and supported by the entire Anchorage Nordic Eric Egeland, Chair skiing community. LANDS COMMITTEE offers season packed with If you are new to the sport and looking for classes, Gordon Wetzel the NSAA Eagle Eyes program offers instructions for MIDDLE SCHOOL RACING opportunities to learn, excel ages 10 and up. Program information can be found at Dave Blanchet Anchorage has a very active Biathlon community with anchoragenordicski.com/biathlon_lessons_coaching.htm. RACE CHAIRMAN the NSAA Eagle Eyes Program and the Skiku Biathlon If you would like to jump right in, the first step is to take Tim Stone Program, providing training and promoting the sport in a Biathlon Safety Class. Classes take about 90 minutes Anchorage and statewide. Anchorage has a world-class and are held about once a month. A schedule of upcoming SCHOLARSHIPS Dan Rosenberg biathlon facility at Kincaid Park, operated by the NSAA, classes can be at anchoragenordicski.com/biathlon_ consisting of a 30-lane range and loops with snowmaking safety_clinics.htm. Once you have a safety class and SKI 4 KIDS Alice Knapp capability. receive a United States Biathlon Association membership The NSAA Biathlon Club is proud to announce its 2015- (required for all U.S. biathlon competitions and also SKI TRAIN 16 racing season. We welcome all levels of competitors provides valuable insurance when competing in USBA- Sean Bolender at our six races this season, including the year-end state sanctioned races and training), you are ready to go to the TRAILS championships in March. Races will take place on Sunday, range. Opening times can be found at brownbearsw.com/ Mike Miller December 6; Sunday, December 13; Thursday, December freecal/NSAABiathlon and range fees and ammunition TOUR OF ANCHORAGE 17; Sunday, January 4; Sunday, February 14; and the state prices are at anchoragenordicski.com/biathlon_fees. Raye Ann Neustel championships Saturday-Sunday, March 4-5. Learn more htm. Information on the race calendar, range opening NSAA OFFICE HOURS and register online at anchoragenordicski.com/biathlon_ times, and links to the USBA website can be found at 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday races.htm. anchoragenordicski.com/biathlon.html. BOARD MEETINGS Major biathlon events happening in Anchorage in winter If you would like to try out this challenging and fast- Fourth Thursday of the month, 2015-2016 include the USA Youth and Junior Biathlon growing sport, Anchorage is the place to do it. Hope to see 6:15 P.M. at BP Energy Center or NSAA office. Open to all. World Championship Team Trials from December 26-30, you on the range this winter! and the Arctic Winter Games trials January 23 and 24. the ALKAS A nordic skier OCTOBER 2015 ANCHORAGE 3 Summer work turns nordicthe ALASKA skier Anchorage jumps into year- EDITOR round launching pad for skiers Josh Niva [email protected] BY KAREN COMPTON It’s hard to miss the hard work and big changes that LAYOUT have transformed the Karl Eid Ski Jumps over the Kevin Powell summer. The project will make it possible to ski jump [email protected] year-round and was mostly funded by a legislative grant from the State of Alaska. AD REPRESENTATIVE Work started in April with steel track installed on the Christina Cober jump towers, followed by outdoor carpet. Then concrete [email protected] footings were poured at the top of the landing hills and old conveyor belting was pulled up and secured to hold the LOCAL EDITORS hills in place. Layers of geotextile (landscaping fabric), foam matting, and a plastic grid cover the belting and form ANCHORAGE the base for the green plastic artificial ski surface you can Josh Niva now see in place. [email protected] The best part is that the work was led by the NSAA EAGLE RIVER Jumping program, using nearly all volunteer labor. Work Ros Singleton is complete on the 20-meter and 40-meter landing hills. [email protected] The 65-meter hill will be completed early next summer. Also this summer, Team AK jumpers and Nordic FAIRBANKS Eric Troyer Combiners traveled to camps in Chicago, Park City and PHOTOS BY KAREN COMPTON [email protected] Calgary. Alaskans swept the U-18 Nordic Combined Check out the cool 20-meter and 40-meter landing hills at the Karl Eid Ski Jumps at Hillside! podium at the 17th annual Springer Tournee in Park City HOMER Marylou Burton with Ryan Brubaker, Nathan Shuttleworth and Hugo Compton roller-skiing to victory at Soldier Hollow in Heber City, Utah.