Anchorage, AK's Kikkan Randall took 2nd place today at the World Nordic Ski Championships today in Liberec, CZH. Randall was fast throughout the competition, qualifying in 7th and winning her semi-final heat. The silver medal for Kikkan marks her first medal at a major tournament and sends a strong message for 2010.......WATCH OUT FOR KIKKAN IN VANCOUVER!! Andy Newell was also fast throughout the day in the men's competition, however he ran into trouble in the semis and failed to qualify for the finals. Newell finished 6th in the B final to end up 12th overall.
Historically Kikkan's silver is the first American medal since Bill Koch in 1982 in Oslo, NOR and the first ever for an American woman at the World or Olympic Championship level.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
FREEBIRD 4TH AT WORLD'S!!
Congratulations to America's best cross country skier, Kris Freeman, who finished 4th today in the 15k classic at the World Nordic Championships in Liberec, CZH. The 15k classic is one of the most traditional of all nordic events. The roots of the event date back nearly 100 years and the 18km was included at the first Olympic Winter Games in Chamonix in 1924 and was won by Thorleif Haug of Norway. Perhaps the greatest cross country race of all time was the 15km from Lake Placid in 1980 when Thomas Wassberg defeated Juha Mieto of Finland by 1/100th of a second. Since that day the cross country officials only time to the 1/10ths.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Nordic industry rolls out the latest gimicks
The cross country ski industry, led by giants Fischer, Salomon, Rossignol and Atomic, have long been addicted to gimicky hype rather than actual product development. Witness the "Cobra Cut" from Rossi, the "Canoe Padal" grips from Swix, the "SkateCut" from Fischer and the "Dual Cap" concept from Atomic. These are all "innovations" which proved to be more hype and gimmick than actual development.
The Nordic industry is again set to roll out the latest "improvements" which are nothing more than hype. Fischer is producing a new ski for the 2010 Olympics that has a hole in the tip to provide a lighter swingweight. I seem to remember plenty of downhill racing skis with holes in the tips some time ago, and as you can see, they rarely exist anymore, if at all. Fischer claims that the ski now provides 100% swing weight efficiency resulting in energy savings. However, the claims of - direct quote from Fischer
"The Nordic Hole Ski also optimizes the skating angle of each skating stride. The reduction of weight in the tip means that the angle of each skating ski is virtually identical on each skating stroke providing the best power transfer for each stride and faster speeds."
- this statement is nothing more than drivel. The skier is still responsible for how well they ski and how consistent their "angle" is, whatever that is. Remeber that this is the company that brought the infamous "skatecut" which was rejected by the World Cup racers as soon as it came out. What happens when you ski the Birkie on fresh, ungroomed snow and all that powder is coming through the tip instead of under the ski?
Salomon also is producing more hype than actual improvements. Their new Equipe 10 Lab Skate promises new, All Wheel Drive for their skis. These claims now say that their new design puts 50% of the skiers weight to the rear of the skis and 50% to the front of the skis. This is another ridiculous statement that, while it may be true, it is also true of every other ski on the market. When a person stands on a ski, presumably in the center of that ski, half of the person's weight is distributed to the rear and half is distributed to the front. Why do these companies continue to spend on marketing and hype rather than actual development? This reminds me of the recent Mac and Windows commercials. Instead of fixing Vista, Microsoft has chosen to advertise more.
If you're looking for the Mac of skis, stick to the smaller companies that still make their skis at their home factories in Finland, Norway and Italy. I'm talking about Peltonen, Madshus and SkiTrab. These smaller factories still make their skis by hand in small batches, they have extremely high quality control and match their skis better than the "big guys". Ski development is still all about the flex and camber, not gimmicks. Flex and camber design absolutely dictate how a ski will perform, not the endless hours and money devoted to hype. If you want a ski with a long, arcing camber, and a smooth flex with no "dead spots", stick to the small guys.
The Nordic industry is again set to roll out the latest "improvements" which are nothing more than hype. Fischer is producing a new ski for the 2010 Olympics that has a hole in the tip to provide a lighter swingweight. I seem to remember plenty of downhill racing skis with holes in the tips some time ago, and as you can see, they rarely exist anymore, if at all. Fischer claims that the ski now provides 100% swing weight efficiency resulting in energy savings. However, the claims of - direct quote from Fischer
"The Nordic Hole Ski also optimizes the skating angle of each skating stride. The reduction of weight in the tip means that the angle of each skating ski is virtually identical on each skating stroke providing the best power transfer for each stride and faster speeds."
- this statement is nothing more than drivel. The skier is still responsible for how well they ski and how consistent their "angle" is, whatever that is. Remeber that this is the company that brought the infamous "skatecut" which was rejected by the World Cup racers as soon as it came out. What happens when you ski the Birkie on fresh, ungroomed snow and all that powder is coming through the tip instead of under the ski?
Salomon also is producing more hype than actual improvements. Their new Equipe 10 Lab Skate promises new, All Wheel Drive for their skis. These claims now say that their new design puts 50% of the skiers weight to the rear of the skis and 50% to the front of the skis. This is another ridiculous statement that, while it may be true, it is also true of every other ski on the market. When a person stands on a ski, presumably in the center of that ski, half of the person's weight is distributed to the rear and half is distributed to the front. Why do these companies continue to spend on marketing and hype rather than actual development? This reminds me of the recent Mac and Windows commercials. Instead of fixing Vista, Microsoft has chosen to advertise more.
If you're looking for the Mac of skis, stick to the smaller companies that still make their skis at their home factories in Finland, Norway and Italy. I'm talking about Peltonen, Madshus and SkiTrab. These smaller factories still make their skis by hand in small batches, they have extremely high quality control and match their skis better than the "big guys". Ski development is still all about the flex and camber, not gimmicks. Flex and camber design absolutely dictate how a ski will perform, not the endless hours and money devoted to hype. If you want a ski with a long, arcing camber, and a smooth flex with no "dead spots", stick to the small guys.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
CHAMPIONSHIP NIGHT PHOTOS
The Ute Crew; Justin, Becca and Sydney.
Larry Oheren and Carolyn Holland.
Gonz, Charlie and Natalie.
Casey and KDunk discuss rule changes for 2010.
Jim Finch was nearly un-defeated.
Drew and Noelle Larson cheer the season with Erik Skarvan.
Drew Larson, Salina, KS and Woody Creek, CO, 2009 Aspen Ice Bocce League Grand Champion takes a celebretory swig from the bubbly.
The 2009 Aspen Ice Bocce League.
2009 podium Drew Larson - 1st (top), Jim Finch - 2nd (left), Casey Ward - 3rd (bottom), Agustin Goba - 4th (right).
Casey Ward utilizing his curling style delivery.
Agustin Goba switched from a Mardi Gras themed pink hat to this Monty Python inspired number which brought no luck whatsoever.
Drew Larson - Ice Bocce Champion 2009
Drew Larson proved you don't have to be from ice country to be a champion in Ice Bocce. Larson, who hails from Salina, Kansas, staged a most improbable championship run, knocking out previously un-defeated and #1 ranked Casey Ward 7-2, 1-7, 7-5 and then #3 ranked Jim Finch 8-6, 7-5.
Larson, who finished the regular season 2-2 and ranked 13th, was un-flappable in the playoffs. In fact, after an initial hiccup which saw him sitting at 1-2, Larson was downright dominant. He won on the last chance qualifier night and then took out the #4 seed Natalie Ward and #7 Mike Trecker back to back. His run to the championship continued in glorious fashion on Tuesday night. Taking on the #1 ranked Casey Ward, Larson seemed to relish under the pressure while Ward succumbed for the first time. Larson took the opener 7-2, signaling to the large group of spectators that there would indeed be a challenge ahead. Ward then answered the call taking the second game 7-1, the third would decide semi number one.
Battling point for point, the two titans of the ice rolled and measured for over half an hour to tie it up 5-5. Rolling on the River Court which has some technical breaks, Ward left a small opening for Larson to score two points and close it out. Missing on the first attempt, Larson nailed the second and sent Casey to the 3rd place game. It has been an incredible run for Ward who has won the big tournament 2 out of 3 times and had never lost a match until last night.
Meanwhile, Jim (The Iceman) Finch took on the notorious Agustin Goba the #3 and #6 respectively. Finch set the tone early with his steady, rally from behind style while Goba's lucky hat proved quite the opposite, Finch 7-2 in the first. Goba then rallied just as Ward had done on the River court, taking the second 7-3. Agustin had his chances in the decisive game but once again small mistakes combined with Finch's knack for capitalizing meant no final for Goba, Finch won 7-5 to advance to the championship game and face Larson.
Goba changed hats for the 3rd place game but his luck went further down and down some more, as Casey Ward closed him out in around 20 minutes 7-0, 7-0. Just as the consolation match was finishing it's second game on the House court, the championship final was just warming up, Larson led Finch 2-1 in the first!! What a difference a championship final versus a consolation match means to the pressure and speed of the game.
Larson, who finished the regular season 2-2 and ranked 13th, was un-flappable in the playoffs. In fact, after an initial hiccup which saw him sitting at 1-2, Larson was downright dominant. He won on the last chance qualifier night and then took out the #4 seed Natalie Ward and #7 Mike Trecker back to back. His run to the championship continued in glorious fashion on Tuesday night. Taking on the #1 ranked Casey Ward, Larson seemed to relish under the pressure while Ward succumbed for the first time. Larson took the opener 7-2, signaling to the large group of spectators that there would indeed be a challenge ahead. Ward then answered the call taking the second game 7-1, the third would decide semi number one.
Battling point for point, the two titans of the ice rolled and measured for over half an hour to tie it up 5-5. Rolling on the River Court which has some technical breaks, Ward left a small opening for Larson to score two points and close it out. Missing on the first attempt, Larson nailed the second and sent Casey to the 3rd place game. It has been an incredible run for Ward who has won the big tournament 2 out of 3 times and had never lost a match until last night.
Meanwhile, Jim (The Iceman) Finch took on the notorious Agustin Goba the #3 and #6 respectively. Finch set the tone early with his steady, rally from behind style while Goba's lucky hat proved quite the opposite, Finch 7-2 in the first. Goba then rallied just as Ward had done on the River court, taking the second 7-3. Agustin had his chances in the decisive game but once again small mistakes combined with Finch's knack for capitalizing meant no final for Goba, Finch won 7-5 to advance to the championship game and face Larson.
Goba changed hats for the 3rd place game but his luck went further down and down some more, as Casey Ward closed him out in around 20 minutes 7-0, 7-0. Just as the consolation match was finishing it's second game on the House court, the championship final was just warming up, Larson led Finch 2-1 in the first!! What a difference a championship final versus a consolation match means to the pressure and speed of the game.
Hammer and Tong, Finch and Larson exchanged blows one point at a time to a 6-6 tie in the first. There have been some great matches this season but this championship game absolutely lived up to the hype. Larson then took advantage of the moment and closed out the first with a 2 point score to take it 8-6. Finch looked to extend to match to a third game taking a small lead in the second but it was Larson who battled this time to a 5-5 tie and then again scored twice in the last inning to win the championship 8-6, 7-5.
What a season it has been! We started before Christmas and had a total of 33 players participate in league play. We had over 20 players reach the league minimum of 4 matches played and 16 then advanced to the tournament playoffs. Championship Night saw a major party and many spectators come out to cheer or jeer, and they were rewarded with an incredible night of Bocce Fever. Thanks to everyone who made this experience a reality, it was a blast. We hope to do it again next year, but in the meantime, get ready for the summer season, I know Agustin will be priming his game early this spring, so get your lawn skills together. See ya next time.
The Commish
Mike Trecker
What a season it has been! We started before Christmas and had a total of 33 players participate in league play. We had over 20 players reach the league minimum of 4 matches played and 16 then advanced to the tournament playoffs. Championship Night saw a major party and many spectators come out to cheer or jeer, and they were rewarded with an incredible night of Bocce Fever. Thanks to everyone who made this experience a reality, it was a blast. We hope to do it again next year, but in the meantime, get ready for the summer season, I know Agustin will be priming his game early this spring, so get your lawn skills together. See ya next time.
The Commish
Mike Trecker
Saturday, February 14, 2009
International Biathlon catches 3 Russians
CHEATERS CHEAT, THAT'S WHAT THEY DO! The International Biathlon Union has caught 3 Russians doping just prior to the Biathlon World Championships, adding to the mix of sports embroiled in travesty. Cycling, cross country skiing, biathlon, soccer, baseball, swimming, American football, track and field, and the beat goes on. Why are so many sports shackled with controversy? Because there will never be an end to athletes, coaches, trainers and doctors looking for an advantage in competition, fair or not. Cheaters cheat, that's what they do. All we can do in sports is accept that this morally questionable behavior is never going to go away and thus, never give up the fight of catching the cheats.
What the cheats don't realize is that they are robbing from themselves. If the quality and popularity of a given sport goes down because of the negative publicity, the cheats themselves make less money overall. A quality mid-level athlete in a top level sport with no controversy, such as basketball, can make much more money over the long term than a top athlete in a sport roiled in controversy. Take cycling for example. Many cyclists were making pretty good money in the late 90's and early 2000's, even rivaling entry level NBA basketball salaries. However, with all of the recent hits on cycling, even the top riders are not comanding the salaries they once were, much less the mid level riders. In that mix of top riders are plenty of cheats who tax the sport heavily as they try for the microscopic victory in hopes they will get a contract next year. These facts plus the reality of these riders taking their lives in their hands every time they inject has put a major damper on the popularity of cycling and in the overall, long term, the cheats are making less and less and risking more and more. Doesn't really show the smarts of the top athletes does it?
What the cheats don't realize is that they are robbing from themselves. If the quality and popularity of a given sport goes down because of the negative publicity, the cheats themselves make less money overall. A quality mid-level athlete in a top level sport with no controversy, such as basketball, can make much more money over the long term than a top athlete in a sport roiled in controversy. Take cycling for example. Many cyclists were making pretty good money in the late 90's and early 2000's, even rivaling entry level NBA basketball salaries. However, with all of the recent hits on cycling, even the top riders are not comanding the salaries they once were, much less the mid level riders. In that mix of top riders are plenty of cheats who tax the sport heavily as they try for the microscopic victory in hopes they will get a contract next year. These facts plus the reality of these riders taking their lives in their hands every time they inject has put a major damper on the popularity of cycling and in the overall, long term, the cheats are making less and less and risking more and more. Doesn't really show the smarts of the top athletes does it?
CHAMPIONSHIP NIGHT set for Tuesday
Tuesday night is the Grand Finale of the Aspen Ice Bocce League 2009. We have had a total of 33 players participate in league matches, 16 players then qualified for the playoffs and we're now down to 4. Casey Ward, the top favorite at 6-0 +50, will face the upstart Drew Larson while Agustin Goba will take on the #3 Jim Finch. The winners will then square off while the losers will play for 3rd and 4th. The court should be ready to go around 5:30 for Open Bocce and for the semi finalists to warm up their games. Semi finals should begin between 7 and 7:30.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Jim Finch advances to the semis after Clement loses 6-0 lead
The storm blew in just as the players were taking the court and subsided just as they were leaving. The epic weather provided a fitting backdrop to the storm that Jim Finch brought to the playoffs. Finch, 6-0, put paid to Erik Skarvan's championship hopes 7-5, 7-3 and then took on Tim Clement. Clement was a top favorite having knocked out the #5 seed Alena Gauba in the first round, and he appeared to be on the way to the semis as he took a 6-0 lead in the opening game. But Finch re-focused his energies and rallied, unbelievably, to an 8-6 win. Clement then jumped to a 4-0 lead in the second trying to extend the match, but he couldn't close the deal and Finch rallied once again 7-5 to take out the match and move into a showdown against Agustin Goba in the semi-finals.
Championship night is set and looks to be either Tuesday or Thursday of next week. Casey Ward is the big favorite ala the N.E. Patriots from last season. He has never lost a winter Bocce match in 3 seasons and currently holds a 6-0 record with a +50 points differential. Stay tuned.
Playoff scores from last night:
1st round, J. Finch d. E. Skarvan 7-5, 7-3
1/4 finals, J. Finch d. T. Clement 8-6, 7-5
Semi-finals:
#1 Casey Ward (6-0) vs. #13 Drew Larson (4-2)
#3 Jim Finch (6-0) vs. #6 Agustin Goba (6-1)
Championship night is set and looks to be either Tuesday or Thursday of next week. Casey Ward is the big favorite ala the N.E. Patriots from last season. He has never lost a winter Bocce match in 3 seasons and currently holds a 6-0 record with a +50 points differential. Stay tuned.
Playoff scores from last night:
1st round, J. Finch d. E. Skarvan 7-5, 7-3
1/4 finals, J. Finch d. T. Clement 8-6, 7-5
Semi-finals:
#1 Casey Ward (6-0) vs. #13 Drew Larson (4-2)
#3 Jim Finch (6-0) vs. #6 Agustin Goba (6-1)
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Net tightens around Valverde/ Italians link blood from '08 Tour, Operation Puerto
News has broken this morning of the Italian Olympic Commitee summoning reigning Spanish Champion Alejandro Valverde for quesioning in regards to the Operation Puerto drugs investigation. The Italians obtained blood samples from Valverde at last year's Tour de France which passed through Italy on Stage 20 and have subsequently linked the samples with blood from the 2006 Operation Puerto in bags marked in code as Piti and 18. This could spell disaster for Valverde who has had an amazing career marked with classics and stage race victories. Definitive proof is something that has eluded authorities in the Puerto case but with DNA matching Valverde and two seperate bags of blood that match, conviction and suspension could be just around the corner.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Photos from the Ice Bocce League
Here a few shots from the season so far.
Top seeds from the left, Jim Ward, Jim Finch and Casey Ward, get ready for some heated action. Sarah Schmidt and Lori Woodring spectate from the cheap seats.
Christian Crannell keeps score from press box/VIP section. Natalie Ward concentrates on an early round match against Tim Clement.
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