The Cross Country Skier Podcast

Cross Country Skier

4.7 (16)
SPORTS

The Cross Country Skier Magazine podcast is an extension of stories from the Nordic skiing world that go beyond our print and web features. In this new medium, we'll continue our conversations with athletes, coaches, touring center operators and other experts in the field, bringing fresh material to our audience.

03/21/2022

Managing Expectations with Hannah Halvorsen and Hailey Swirbul

Fresh off their Olympic debuts, U.S. Cross Country Ski Team members Hannah Halvorsen and Hailey Swirbul candidly discuss how they deal with performance pressure as elite competitors, the stress it puts on a healthy mindset and their different takes on balancing a desire to win with positive self-worth. The conversation expands on a piece Halvorsen penned for Issue 41.3 of the magazine: "Medals Matter, But They Don't Define an Athlete." The skiers also cover topics that range from handling "the high school hallway" of social media and why Norwegian skiers are so good to whether men approach pressure differently and the evolution of team dynamics and role modeling among the U.S. women. This episode of the Cross Country Skier Podcast is possible thanks to the support of Madshus Nordic Skis. It's also possible thanks to support from our listeners—if you like what you hear and would like to hear more, please make a contribution.

1h 4m
02/22/2022

Behind the Birkie with Executive Director Ben Popp

The American Birkebeiner is so much more than a ski race—it provides an opportunity for Nordic skiers of all ages and abilities to unite as a community and celebrate our sport. Cross Country Skier podcast host Peter Graves talks with Birkie Executive Director Ben Popp about what it takes to put on the most iconic cross country ski race in the U.S. They also discuss race founder Tony Wise's legacy, which included building and operating the Telemark Lodge and its associated alpine and Nordic ski trails. Following the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation's purchase of the historic property last year, Popp fills us in about the exciting plans for its revival, including the possibility of a World Cup race in 2024. This episode of the Cross Country Skier Podcast is possible thanks to the support of Madshus Nordic Skis. It's also possible thanks to support from our listeners—if you like what you hear and would like to hear more, please make a contribution.

46 min
01/12/2022

An inside look at the Olympics and more with Peter Graves

Veteran sportscaster Peter Graves has been the host of the Cross Country Skier Podcast, but this time we turn the tables on him for a behind-the-scenes look at what's it like to communicate the action at some of sporting's biggest events to a worldwide audience. New editor-in-chief Cindy Hirschfeld interviews Graves about his Olympic memories—he's worked at 13 Winter and Summer Games in both the broadcast booth and in the stadium—plus what attending an Olympics during the pandemic entails and whom we should keep an eye on at the upcoming Beijing Games. We also hear about Graves's longtime experience announcing another signature event, the American Birkebeiner, and his recent election to the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame. This episode of the Cross Country Skier Podcast is possible thanks to the support of Madshus Nordic Skis. It's also possible thanks to support from our listeners—if you like what you hear and would like to hear more, please make a contribution.

39 min
03/04/2021

The Adirondacks' New Nordic Hope

There's a lot happening at Paul Smith's College in the Adirondacks. With new trails designed by John Morton and programs sanctioned by both USA Nordic and U.S. Biathlon, the future looks bright for athletes looking for a training base. To learn what's afoot in the Adirondacks, we speak with John Morgan, a former National Team bobsledder who is overseeing the program at Paul Smith's; Tim Burke, who's competed in four Olympic Winter Games and is the director of athlete development for U.S. Biathlon; and Bill Demong, Vermontville, New York's five-time Olympian who won a gold medal in Nordic combined at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and serves as executive director of USA Nordic. This episode of the Cross Country Skier Podcast is possible thanks to the support of Hotel Saranac. It's also possible thanks to support from our listeners—if you like what you hear and would like to hear more, please make a contribution.

34 min
02/25/2021

Tom Kelly's 50-year cross country legacy

Tom Kelly's career is rooted in cross country skiing. After covering ski jumping, Kelly found himself working for entrepreneur Tony Wise in the mid '70s, promoting the American Birkebeiner and World Cup cross country races in Telemark, Wisconsin. Kelly's 30-plus year tenure as vice president of communications with the U.S. Ski Team culminated trackside with the historic Olympic gold medal of Jessie Diggins and Kikkan Randall at the PyeongChang Olympic Games. That year, he retired from the U.S. Ski Team and was recognized by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee with its Building Dreams Award before being inducted into the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame in 2019. Even in retirement, he's remained active in Olympic sport and as one of the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team's biggest fans. This episode of the Cross Country Skier Podcast is possible thanks to the support of Madshus Nordic Skis. It's also possible thanks to support from our listeners—if you like what you hear and would like to hear more, please make a contribution.

51 min
12/22/2020

Gus Schumacher and Ben Ogden: Champions of 2020

Fresh off their 2020 FIS Junior World Championships gold medal relay, Ben Ogden and Gus Schumacher join Peter to talk about their standout winter and what's next for them and America's other rising stars. Anchorage, Alaska's Schumacher, from the Alaska Winter Stars program and a Service High School graduate, anchored the gold-medal-winning World Juniors' relay and also captured a win in the men's 10km classic. Vermonter Ben Ogden, Schumacher's World Juniors teammate, closed out his season with a victory for the University of Vermont in the 2020 NCAA Championship men's 10km. This episode of the Cross Country Skier Podcast is possible thanks to the support of Craft.

37 min
12/11/2020

Vegard Ulvang: Fluoros, COVID and a Remarkable Career

Peter talks with chairman of the FIS Cross Country Committee and multi-Olympic medalist Vegard Ulvang. Recognized around the world for his athletic accomplishments, the native Norwegian maintains a thoughtful, humble style that is widely respected. Ulvang goes deep on his remarkable career, the status of cross country in Norway, fluorocarbon waxes and how COVID-19 will affect this year's World Cup. This episode of the Cross Country Skier Podcast is possible thanks to the support of Craft.

30 min
05/22/2020

Chris Grover on Covid, Funding and Selects for the 2021 U.S. Cross Country Team

In early May, U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced its nominations for the 2021 Cross Country Ski Team. As always, we found the selections notable for many reasons. Hot on the heels of some great finishes at Junior Worlds, next year's team is fat with young talent, including the biggest D team ever. But the team is equally notable for the absence of some great veteran skiers who didn't meet the criteria. And some may have noticed these selections were announced as the "Davis U.S. National Cross Country Team Program." Did the team pick up a new sponsor? In this episode, Cross Country Skier's Adam Howard is joined by Chris Grover, longtime U.S. Cross Country Ski Team head coach, to talk about all of these developments. [Photo] U.S. Ski & Snowboard. This episode of the Cross Country Skier Podcast is made possible by you. If you like what you hear and would like to hear more, please visit crosscountryskier.com/podcast where you can make a contribution. While you're there, consider subscribing to the only English language magazine covering the sport we love.

38 min

4.7

out of 5

16 Ratings

The Cross Country Skier Magazine podcast is an extension of stories from the Nordic skiing world that go beyond our print and web features. In this new medium, we'll continue our conversations with athletes, coaches, touring center operators and other experts in the field, bringing fresh material to our audience.

Creator

Cross Country Skier
Years Active

2019 - 2022
Episodes

14
Rating

Clean
Show Website

The Cross Country Skier Podcast