“You are one with your skis and nature. This is something that develops not only the body but the soul as well, and it has a deeper meaning for a people than most of us perceive.” — Fridtjof Nansen (1861-1930) Norwegian explorer, scientist, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, champion cross country skier
Cross country skiing has evolved over thousands of years, starting as a practical means of travel over snow covered terrain in Scandinavia and China and becoming a universal recreational winter activity and competitive sport.
Men’s cross country debuted at the first Winter Olympic Games in Chamonix, France in 1924. The women’s cross country event debuted at the 1952 Oslo Games. Today, competitive international cross country skiing includes six racing events (sprint, team sprint, individual start, pursuit, mass start and relay), and is governed by the Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS).
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The US CROSS COUNTRY SKI SUPERTOUR is a vital component of the US Ski & Snowboard development program, providing top-level racing competition for athletes with aspirations of qualifying for the US Ski Team and competing on the FIS World Cup tour and in the Olympics.
During the 2018-19 SuperTour winter season, top US cross country athletes will race in seven cities across North America in a series of FIS sanctioned cross country events. Livestreaming of the 2018-19 SuperTour starts Saturday, December 1, 2018 and continues during each season event. If you miss a live stream broadcast, you can watch video recordings of previous events by selecting from video posts located on the media player below↓
Here’s the 2018-19 SuperTour schedule:
December 1-2, 2018
West Yellowstone, Montana
Men: sprint freestyle, 15k freestyle
Women: sprint freestyle, 10k freestyle
December 8-9, 2018
Silverstar, British Columbia
Men: sprint freestyle, 15k classic
Women: sprint freestyle, 10k classic
January 3-8, 2019
Craftsbury Common, Vermont
Men: 15k classic, sprint classic, 30k freestyle Mst, sprint freestyle
Women: 10k classic, sprint classic, 20k freestyle Mst, spring freestyle
January 25-27, 2019
Lake Placid, New York
Men: 10k freestyle, 15k classic Mst, sprint classic
Women: 5k freestyle, 10k classic Mst, sprint classic
February 15-17, 2019
Minneapolis Saint-Paul, Minnesota
Men: sprint freestyle, 20k classic Mst, 10k freestyle
Women: sprint freestyle, 15k classic Mst, 5k freestyle
February 23, 2019
American Birkebeiner
Hayward, Wisconsin
Men: 50k freestyle Marathon Mst
Women: 50k freestyle Marathon Mst
March 28 – April 2
SuperTour Finals
Presque Isle, Maine
Men: sprint freestyle, 15k classic Mst, relay, 20k freestyle, 50k classic Mst
Women: sprint freestyle, 10k classic Mst, relay, 15k freestyle, 30k freestyle Mst
Programming Note: Sometimes it happens — scheduling changes, breaks in competition, or technical interruptions in the live broadcast. Please check back for live action updates, and take a look at the Live Stream Program Guide for more On2In2™ streaming info.
Information/Resources:
Nansen Ski Club – the oldest continuously-operating skiing club in North America
Cross Country US Ski Team
US SuperTour 2018-19 (official website)
Cross Country Skiing (information, tips & technique, including ‘Beginners Survival Guide’)
Eva Sars Nansen in 1889 by Ludvic Szacinski CC BY 2.0 – National Library of Norway
Celebrated Norwegian opera singer and ski pioneer, Eva Sars Nansen (1858 – 1907), was an influential 19thcentury advocate for the right of women to participate in winter sports on equal terms with men. She is believed to be the first woman to cross the Hardangervidda mountain plateau on skis, when she did so with her husband Fridtjof Nansen in 1892 wearing an unconventional ski costume designed by her husband and made by her with a skirt reaching only slightly below the knees.
Telemark skiing combines Alpine and Nordic skiing techniques, including cross-country, slalom and ski jumping, and has become an international sport sanctioned by the FIS with competitions involving several race formats.
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Feature photo is courtesy of Flickr user Guillaume Baviere CC BY-SA 2.0
