Skirious problems

Skirious problems
  • 5.0 (16)
  • Sport
  • Updated weekly

Skirious Problems is your backstage pass to the brilliantly unpolished world of elite cross-country skiing. Hosted by World Cup racers Mika Vermeulen and James Clugnet, the show delivers a sharp mix of insider insight, chaotic travel tales, training drama, and the kind of brutally honest banter you only get from athletes who spend far too much time together on the road. The hosts aren’t afraid to voice strong opinions, roast each other, or poke fun at the quirks of their sport — all with a wink and a sense of humility. What truly elevates the show, though, is the lineup of prominent guests who drop in: World Cup winners, rising stars, Olympic medalists, wax technicians with cult followings, and the occasional wild-card personality from outside skiing. Their stories bring depth, humor, and a fresh range of perspectives, whether they’re unpacking tense race moments, revealing team secrets, or debating the future of the sport. With its mix of authenticity, sharp humor, and unfiltered athlete conversations, Skirious Problems offers a uniquely entertaining look at skiing life beyond the finish line — perfect for fans, athletes, and anyone who enjoys a good dose of organized chaos.

  1. 4 days ago

    Zak Ketterson: The Pressure to Finally Break Through

    Too much snow cancels a ski camp. Naturally, we end up at Zak Ketterson’s house talking about how to save skiing. Just another week on Skirious Problems. Zak joins Mika and Jimmy from somewhere approximately halfway up the atmosphere above Holmenkollen, where every session ends with a massive uphill and his wife Julie occasionally operates the rescue service. We talk moving from Minnesota to Norway, juggling three teams, and how long your partner should reasonably have to wait for that “breakthrough season.” Then we get into what actually made Zak faster. Spoiler: it wasn’t a secret Norwegian interval session. We discuss his four-day training cycle, ditching heavy gym work, and why sometimes the best thing you can do is ignore the plan. There’s also the slightly uncomfortable experience of winning a big roller-ski race and suddenly having everyone tell you that you’re definitely getting a World Cup podium this winter. No pressure, mate. Obviously, we also solve all of cross-country skiing’s problems. Why make races easy to watch when you could hide them behind an expensive subscription? Why race in front of excited American fans when you could argue about another European venue? And why spend money growing the sport when you could buy an even bigger wax truck? Some very calm, measured opinions all round. Plus: Jimmy gets his ankles broken playing basketball before a World Cup, Zak explains that people can apparently have a personality outside skiing, and Mika considers taking up golf after discovering that it involves getting angry and occasionally having a drink. Finally, Zak tells us about the Norwegian skier who introduced himself as his biggest fan—then went straight onto the podium. The admiration quickly became mutual. Training nerds, ski-politics enthusiasts and anyone waiting for Mika to find a hobby: this one’s for you. 🎧 SUBSCRIBE TO “SKIRIOUS PROBLEMS” ON:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1nVdyNDApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/no/podcastRSS Feed: https://anchor.fm/s/ed0abed0/podcast/rssYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@skiriousproblems 🤳🏼 FOLLOW US:Skirious Problems: https://www.instagram.com/skirious_problemsMika Vermeulen: https://www.instagram.com/mikaa_verJames Clugnet: https://www.instagram.com/jimmycluggz

  2. 8 Oct

    TESTED Park City Altitude 2200m... the Results Were Not What We Expected 😱

    This episode of Skirious Problems is a full preseason catch-up: altitude camps, questionable biathlon technique, brutal VO2 max testing, Russian participation, Norwegian team drama, Tour de Ski rumors, and plenty of gossip from inside the skiing world. Mika and Jimmy are finally back from the United States, but the post-camp separation is already taking its toll. After weeks of training together, they are now split between Ramsau and Lillehammer and both have somehow lost their AirPods. The breakup is real. We start with the German biathlon team training on the Ercolina in Ramsau, which leads to a passionate public-service announcement: if you are double-poling on skate roller skis, please buy classic roller skis. The boys also discuss Johan Wolfgang’s roller-ski technique advice and why even elite athletes can occasionally look ridiculous in training. Then it gets serious...or at least slightly more scientific. Mika and Jimmy break down their altitude camp in Park City, including hemoglobin mass, lactate profiles, work efficiency and VO2 max testing. Jimmy predicted he would last nine minutes on the test and then pushed all the way to 9:15, coming remarkably close to the suspected all-time record. The bigger surprise was that his VO2 max barely changed, while his time to exhaustion improved dramatically. The episode also covers the importance of interpreting performance tests correctly. A higher VO2 max is not always the most interesting result: improved efficiency, better lactate values and the ability to ski faster at the same oxygen uptake may tell a much bigger story. After discussing the excellent camps in Park City and Rice Lake—and the technical disaster that delayed the live podcast—the conversation turns to ski-world gossip: The allegations and ongoing controversy involving Kristine Stavås Skistad and her former coach.The complicated relationship between coaching, management, contracts and athlete dependency.The latest developments surrounding Russian and Belarusian athletes seeking neutral status.Whether Alexander Bolshunov will return to international racing.The Norwegian team’s altitude camp in Font-Romeu, including illness, back problems and rumors of internal separation.France hosting the opening stages of the Tour de Ski in Les Rousses.The possibility of Austria hosting a future Tour de Ski stage—with Ramsau making a very strong case.Why organizing the Tour de Ski around New Year is so difficult for race organizers and hotels.As always, expect strong opinions, questionable comparisons, political confusion, national stereotypes, and just enough sports science to make the gossip feel educational. 🎧 SUBSCRIBE TO “SKIRIOUS PROBLEMS” ON:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1nVdyNDApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/no/podcastRSS Feed: https://anchor.fm/s/ed0abed0/podcast/rssYouTube: /@skiriousproblems 🤳🏼 FOLLOW US:Skirious Problems: @skirious_problemsMika Vermeulen: @mikaa_verJames Clugnet: @jimmycluggz

  3. 28 Aug

    Alvar Alev: Park City camp update and beef

    Alvar Alev is back with Mika and Jimmy for a Park City catch-up that moves from serious skiing to completely unnecessary personal conflict.They talk about Alvar changing his training after six years, why Park City keeps bringing him back, what European skiing can learn from the American system, university teams, Soldier Hollow and Utah 2034, Will Koch’s move to biathlon, and the economics behind athlete pathways.Then Mika reveals he is still angry about pickleball. Jimmy explains why Mika is the worst person in the world to argue with. A debate about double poling becomes personal, Alvar gets a front-row seat, and nobody learns anything.This is not a polished interview. It is three elite skiers in Park City with too many opinions and enough history to say exactly what they think.

  4. 21 Aug

    SKIRIOUS Camp Live Podcast

    Mika got sick on the final day of the SKIRIOUS Park City camp, so Jimmy handed the second microphone to Norwegian coach Vetle and opened the floor to the athletes.What began as a quick camp recap became a live coaching clinic: what Norway can learn from American ski culture, why underdogs can build stronger teams, how to plan a sprint heat, when training should feel hard, whether young skiers need to peak, and how to balance skiing with other sports and school.Recorded at Soldier Hollow in Utah, future home territory of the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

  5. 10 Aug

    The Story Behind Blink: Bringing skiing to the people with Arne Idland & Morten Iversbakken

    Recorded in the middle of Blink Festival in Sandnes - with four people, three microphone cables and very tired legs - Mika and Jimmy sit down with Blink founder and sports director Arne Idland and IDT Sports' Morten Iversbakken. Morten explains why IDT brings 1,300 pairs of brand-new roller skis to Blink, whether Lysebotn Opp times can really be compared across different years, and why equal equipment, logistics and athlete safety matter. Arne tells the story of how Blink grew from an idea shared with legendary NRK commentator Kjell Kristian Rike into a free city-centre festival owned by the people of Sandnes. The conversation then gets bigger: what can World Cups learn from Blink, why does biathlon appear more willing to change than cross-country skiing, should roller skiing become part of the main World Cup, do we need more race formats - and do we even need classic technique? This one contains skiing, business, city-building, FIS versus the IBU, a proposed Norwegian Olympics and the usual amount of Skirious chaos. BLINK: https://www.blinkfestivalen.no/ IDT Sports: https://idtsports.com/

  6. 23 Jul

    Øyvind Sandbakk - There is NO norwegian method

    Does the famous “Norwegian training method” actually exist? Professor Øyvind Sandbakk joins Mika and Jimmy for a deep conversation about what has really made Norway so successful—not only in cross-country skiing, but across endurance sport. We discuss Norway’s wealth, sporting culture, club system and willingness to share knowledge; why copying individual Norwegian sessions often misses the bigger picture; and whether many athletes would develop better by staying home instead of chasing altitude camps. The conversation then turns to how cross-country skiers are actually built: technique versus physiology, volume versus intensity, training at 14, 18 and 22, learning through failure, and why testing should be viewed as facing reality—not sitting an exam. Topics include: •⁠ ⁠Is there really a Norwegian method? •⁠ ⁠What can countries with fewer resources realistically copy? •⁠ ⁠Is altitude training overrated? •⁠ ⁠Running versus roller skiing •⁠ ⁠How training should develop from junior to senior level •⁠ ⁠When more volume becomes valuable •⁠ ⁠Why athletes need room to make mistakes •⁠ ⁠What “talent” actually means in cross-country skiing •⁠ ⁠Mika’s own training development and recent struggles This is not a conversation about finding one perfect training programme. It is about understanding why different athletes need different routes—and why the environment around the training may matter just as much as the sessions themselves. Subscribe to Skirious Problems for more honest conversations from inside cross-country skiing. #CrossCountrySkiing #EnduranceTraining #NorwegianMethod

  7. 11 Jul

    Johannes Rydzek: « Nordic Combined is in big trouble »

    Jimmy and Mika are back with your No. 1 Nordic podcast, and this time they’re joined by Johannes Rydzek for an in-depth conversation about one of the biggest stories in winter sports: the removal of Nordic Combined from the Olympic program. Johannes shares his perspective on what the decision means for athletes, the future of the sport, and why he believes Nordic Combined still deserves its place on the biggest stage. We discuss how the news has affected the community, what can be done to grow the sport, and the challenges athletes now face as they look beyond the next Olympic cycle. Of course, it wouldn’t be Skirious Problems without plenty of laughs along the way. From behind-the-scenes stories on the World Cup to the usual banter between Jimmy and Mika, this episode has a bit of everything. Fresh episodes every two weeks, plus behind-the-scenes training VLOGs coming soon.

  8. 5 Jul

    Sophia Laukli - My toughest year: What really happened

    Jimmy and Mika are back with your No. 1 Nordic podcast, and this time they're joined by American ski star Sophia Laukli for an honest conversation about one of the toughest seasons of her career. After stepping away from racing to deal with ongoing health challenges, Sophia opens up about what it was really like to put skiing on hold, the physical and mental battles behind the scenes, and how she's worked her way back toward the World Cup. We talk about rebuilding fitness from scratch, learning to trust the process again, balancing ski racing with trail running, and what motivates her as she returns to competition. Sophia also shares insights into life on the U.S. team, training, racing, and what she's hoping to achieve this winter. Of course, it wouldn't be Skirious Problems without plenty of laughs along the way. From training stories and travel chaos to the usual banter between Jimmy and Mika, this episode has a bit of everything. 🎧 SUBSCRIBE TO “SKIRIOUS PROBLEMS” ON: Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/1nVdyND... Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/no/podcast... YouTube: ⁠⁠   / @skiriousproblems  ⁠⁠🤳🏼 FOLLOW US: Skirious Problems: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?even... ⁠

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
16 Ratings

About

Skirious Problems is your backstage pass to the brilliantly unpolished world of elite cross-country skiing. Hosted by World Cup racers Mika Vermeulen and James Clugnet, the show delivers a sharp mix of insider insight, chaotic travel tales, training drama, and the kind of brutally honest banter you only get from athletes who spend far too much time together on the road. The hosts aren’t afraid to voice strong opinions, roast each other, or poke fun at the quirks of their sport — all with a wink and a sense of humility. What truly elevates the show, though, is the lineup of prominent guests who drop in: World Cup winners, rising stars, Olympic medalists, wax technicians with cult followings, and the occasional wild-card personality from outside skiing. Their stories bring depth, humor, and a fresh range of perspectives, whether they’re unpacking tense race moments, revealing team secrets, or debating the future of the sport. With its mix of authenticity, sharp humor, and unfiltered athlete conversations, Skirious Problems offers a uniquely entertaining look at skiing life beyond the finish line — perfect for fans, athletes, and anyone who enjoys a good dose of organized chaos.

Information

  • Creator
    Skirious problems
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    104
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Skirious problems
  • Show Website
    Skirious problems

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