US Paralympics Nordic Multisport Athletes Shine in Tokyo Games

By Nicholas Michaud, Coach for U.S. Paralympics Nordic Skiing Development Team

The U.S. Paralympics Nordic Skiing program (USPN), who’s made Crosscut Mountain Sports Center their home training base, has multiple athletes compete in the Winter and Summer Paralympic Games. The Games, featuring athletes with an impairment, take place shortly after every Olympic Games in the same host city. 

With the wave of Covid-19 slapping everyone hard in 2020, several USPN multisport athletes had to wait a year for the Tokyo Games to commence.  The pause on Tokyo 2020, and cancelling of most races during the winter, meant learning to be comfortable with uncertainty. No easy task, the program pounced on this opportunity by spending more time on education for athletes and coaches, as well as building more relationships with local professionals. Trust that everything needed for progress can be found around the corner was built--especially in the abundant Bozeman community.

So when USPN summer athletes hit the ground in Tokyo, it was no surprise they filled their backpacks with hardware. On brand with the Nordic skier mindset, USPN athletes performed with gritty confidence and a commitment to a balanced process. Kendall closed a 4 minute gap to win Team USA’s first women’s Gold in Triathlon. Oksana, floored by early spring health issues, remained patient and brought her unrivaled fighting mentality to two powerful victories, earning Gold in the Road Cycling Time Trial and Road Race. Dani, with the pressure of her potential first two Games experiences in sight (Tokyo and Beijing), built the capacity to perform on any stage with consistent performances all season in Women’s 400m Track. Liza Corso, an emerging Nordic skier, showed her prowess on the track with a gutsy last lap in the 1500 for a Silver medal. And Aaron Pike, making multiple Track Cycling starts, showcased a 6th place in the Marathon. 

For our entire community, we confidently smile, knowing that’s how Nordic skiers manage anything they want to find success in. They bring people together, crank the dial on grit, and commit to the smaller, systematic chunking process of achieving big goals. Say hi to this group as they prepare at Crosscut for a range of Cross Country and Biathlon races at the Beijing Games this coming winter!

Results:

• Oksana Masters, USPN National Team and Crosscut Elite: Gold in Women’s H4-5 Road Cycling Time Trial and Gold in Women’s H5 Road Cycling Race

• Kendall Gretsch, USPN National Team and Crosscut Elite: Gold in Women’s Triathlon PTWC2

• Danielle Aravich, USPN Development Team and Crosscut Elite: 5th in Women’s Heat 1 T47 400m Track

• Aaron Pike, USPN National Team and Crosscut Elite: 6th in Men’s T54 Marathon Track Cycling; 5th in Men’s Heat 2 T54 5000m Track Cycling; 3rd in Men’s Heat 1 T54 800m Track Cycling

• Liza Corso, USPN Emerging Athlete: Silver Women’s T13 1500m
  

Link for results: https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/paralympic-games/en/results/all-sports/paralympic-schedule.htm

Teammate and National Team member, Ruslan Reiter helping Dani prep for the 400 at the MSU track

Mikayla Maier's IBU Cupdate!

In this crazy time that we currently live in, I felt extremely fortunate to get called up to represent the USA in IBU Cups 3 & 4 in Orsiblie, Slovakia. Luke (Crosscut Elite team member), Carsen (a new Team USA athlete), and I took to the friendly skies on February 1st to meet up with the rest of the team in Germany for a mini training camp before the next races. Fast forward many travel hours later and we arrived in Arber, Germany and reunited with the team, which included a couple of our fellow Team Crosscut athletes: “Slucy” Lucy and “Fully Engaged” Vincent! Our team worked hard this past off-season with great team chemistry and supportive coaches, and the results have shown it! 

First ski in rainy Arber, Germany!

Training in Arber

The first few days I spent some time settling in, COVID testing (the team is tested every 3–4 days), and getting in some real foggy, rainy skis. The following week was spent with some quality time on the range in Arber along with some intensity sessions to “wake” the body back up. After eight days in Arber it was off to Slovakia — an eight-hour drive away. After some “adventures” at the Austrian border, we all made it into Osrblie on a very snowy night. Our hotel was right at the venue and we arrived with the Swedes (STINA!) along with several other counties. With this being my first IBU Cup and international race debut, it was all a bit of a whirlwind the first few days (I can’t wear my Crosscut neck buff, but whhhhy!?!) but I got it all sorted and started things off with a Sprint Race. I shot well and actually skied decently so I made the Pursuit in my first international race. Can’t ask for much more than that! The following races didn’t go quite as well as my first race and I could slowly feel myself getting into a hole from the not-so-nutritious Slovakian food. I would have loved to have something else besides potatoes with my potatoes, but such is life in Slovakia!

First Pursuit race!

Maddie placed 3rd in the Short Individual!

After the final races in Osrblie we headed over to Vienna, Austria, where some teammates were heading home and some to World Juniors (Go Vincent and Ari!!). The rest of us piled — and I mean PILED — into a single van and headed to Antholz, Italy for a two-week training camp while we awaited word on what the final IBU Cup team would look like. I had high expectations for Antholz and let me tell you that it has lived up to them and then some! The skiing is seriously gorgeous and the Biathlon venue is literally world class. (And future Olympic site!) The first week some of the USA World Cup team was also training in Antholz after the World Championships so we all had some really good quality training sessions. I was pushed way beyond my comfort zone in both skiing and shooting, but what great training it was! This past week has consisted of some really great focused training and shooting along with plenty of stunning long skis.

Antholz Biathlon venue

Luke and I on a beautiful ski in Dolomiti di Sesto

The final IBU Cup races have been moved to Obertilliach, Austria, where I’m happy to say that I have been named to the USA team as well! It’s a full week of racing so I’m looking forward to ending the season on a high note before finally heading back home to Bozeman! 

Christian Gostout with a Strong Case of Birkie Fever

“You now tap into the strength of the original Birch Legged warriors. May you ski with the wind, may you attack off the pack, and may you lunge for the win. But most of all, may you be the one that awakens ready to give your all.”

-Luke Brown, Crosscut Elite Team Member, Birkie Eve, 2021

Myself and several other members of the Crosscut Elite team recently headed to the midwest to take part in the excitement of the great American Birkebeiner ski race. This successful experience for the team began a week before the Birkie, with Ingrid and I travelling back to our home state of Minnesota to hop in on a local CXC Super Cup series race weekend. Ingrid’s coaches from high school with Loppet Nordic Racing kindly offered to support us for the weekend’s races. They gave us fast skis, and we had great races! It was good Birkie prep, and left me more excited for more low altitude racing in Wisconsin.

10k skate at Wirth

Over the week before the race, Ingrid, Scott, Felicia and I all made it safely to the Hayward area. Our coaches, Seth and Cully, arrived before us, and spent an enormous amount of time driving around rural roads to ski every part of the course, testing skis, waxes, and structures all week. Despite it being the coaches’ first Birkie experience, by the time everyone arrived in the area, we were receiving strategic advice on the course from the likes of seasoned Birkie veterans. Our ski testing and pre-race days flew by in anticipation, and before we knew it, it was Birkie day (the first).

The men’s race went off at a competitive pace, driven by a collective desire to escape the threat of broken poles, and a sprint bonus payout 2.5k from the start. I had no sights on either of the two bonus sprints set in the race. Longer races have always been my specialty, and I was in it to prove that by hanging on to the finish.

As we skied through the Wisconsin forests, athletes progressively dropped from the lead pack. In the aftermath of the OO midpoint sprint bonus, the lead pack had slimmed down to fewer than 10 skiers. Last spring I had set a top 10 Birkie finish as one of my season goals, so I knew that if I could do no more than just stay with the pack, I could meet that goal. I felt good though, and was setting my sights higher in the moment. As the remaining kilometers decreased, and the intensity of the race increased, I tried to focus on keeping my technique together and my thoughts calm. 

With 6k to go, we hit a substantial climb, there was a big group shuffle, and suddenly Johnny Hagenbuch was several meters ahead of everyone. The race had begun. I was in a good enough position to respond to the attack with a few other skiers. A moment later, we had assertively separated the top 6 group. Five of us skied together in hot pursuit of Johnny for the rest of the race. We all knew we were in the prize payout, a success in itself, but it would be a tight race to earn a spot on the podium, and anyone could do it. We constantly shuffled the lead, making attacks and responses over every remaining hill and transition. 

With just under 2k to go, I was leading the pack. I’d rather bet on my grit and fitness than my sprint speed any day, so I took the chance for an early break. I had all the willpower I needed to do it - a level of motivation I haven’t found yet this season - so I went all in. I didn’t know if my move was going well or not, but I do know that we hit a small incline, and suddenly I felt the entire line of core muscles from my triceps to my quads cramp up. Maybe my body had actually hit its absolute limit. Maybe I panicked at the thought of cramping. Either way, I went from second to sixth place in an instant, and lost a meter or so off of the back. I fought to regain the pack for as long as I could, thinking I might get lucky and have a second wind in the finish sprint, but I didn’t regain connection with the pack in time. By the time I could see the finish line, my fate was sealed. Nobody was behind me, I knew I was walking home with some cash and a season goal checked off the list. I skied the last couple hundred meters easy, knowing I had to do it all again the next day. Scott came in not long after me, and Ingrid and Felicia both finished competitively soon after!

I spent the rest of the day trying my best to recover for the next race. We found a sauna, jumped in a frozen lake, and went to bed nearly immediately after dinner. I went to bed knowing I did the best I could to prepare for round 2, but feeling like I was a little in over my head.

I woke up the next day feeling the effort of the day before, but ready and excited for a different kind of challenge from the day before. I figured a competitive finish would be a nice thing, but I ultimately just wanted to ski well and stick to a plan. The race went out hot! It did not take long for me to recognize that sticking with the lead was not sustainable for me. I then dropped my bottle containing my main carbohydrate source, and had to carry on with the knowledge that those sugars would come back to haunt me later in the race. They did. I skied most of the race as well as I had hoped to, working together with Brian Gregg, one of the most experienced skiers in the elite field. Eventually, once my lack of caloric intake set in, I was left alone. Did I mention it was snowing heavily the whole time? With under 20k to go, about 5” had accumulated. I bonked hard, and spent the rest of the race walking through the snow at a painfully slow pace, bonking harder, and getting colder. I did snag a nice bonus place on the finishing results in the last kilometer by passing another skier that had somehow managed to bonk harder than me, but to be honest, it wasn’t really even a race anymore by then. It had become a survival event. One that really set the participant/finisher medals they gave out into perspective for me. 

I’ve spent the week since recovering, keeping my training easy and fun. I’m not sure what’s next for the season. Possibly some races in Sun Valley, and possibly nothing! If it’s over, I will be happy with the way it ended on the Birkie trail for myself and the team. If there are more races to come, I’m sure one of my inspiring teammates and friends will be back here to recount the successes we’re sure to have in them.

Scott Lacy: Mid-Season Reflection on How I Got Here

Written by Scott Lacy, Crosscut Elite Team

With the current break in races perfectly timed for powder skiing the Tetons, I have been taking some time to reflect back on the season so far.  Three months ago there wasn’t a clear idea of what the race season would be, if it happened at all. Now I have driven to Soldier Hollow twice, spent a race weekend in Sun Valley, gone down to West Yellowstone more times than I can count on one hand and raced two days here in Bozeman - totaling 15 races and 2 team time trials.  Plus spending the holidays with family down in Colorado.  Needless to say, it’s been busy in the best way.  

The season has also held many opportunities for learning more about racing and why I race.  With an international pandemic up-ending everything we used to do, there have been ample reasons to bail out, to complain, to be frustrated with changes made or wanting the way it was in years past.  And I have found all of this ultimately fortifying my drive to train, to race, to improve on something every session.  I love this strange sport, I love skiing, I love to push myself; growing my physical and mental limits.  And no pandemic changes my ability to grow, and yes, it changes the methods and fashion of achieving those goals, but that actually aids in the achievement.  

Ski testing in Anchorage, AK where I stopped denying my drive to race again.

Further reflection brings me back to why I came to elite racing after so many years off.  In fact, graduating college had me nailing closed the coffin on my race skis the week after NCAA’s senior year, to much surprise including my own.  That was spring 2013.  Then following a winding and wonderful path, I found myself ski testing for the Intermountain Junior National Ski Team in Anchorage, Alaska late winter 2019 and with a 5 year tenure coaching for Jackson Hole Ski Club under my belt.  Skiing former World Cup trails on fast skis, about as fit as a coach gets, huge grin on my face and feeling the Nordic fire burning strong in my gut I accepted the truth:  I wasn’t done racing, I wanted to race, I love this sport and I want to be the best skier I can be; no more denying it.  In the bitterest of sweet, I gave my two weeks notice that evening.  Coaching had truly touched my heart and the athletes I rose through the program with became true friends, leaving them was right for me and painful. 

Coaching athletes in Jackson 

The next 12 months became the foundation of my elite skiing career.  I climbed the sand dune of training and racing as an independent athlete being seeded with the glorious 990 USSA points one has with no national ranking. Racing as an independent taught me more about myself, training, competing and the Nordic community than I had ever learned before.  I raced into multiple top 20 Super Tour finishes and an overall ranking of 34th on the USSA list before the season abruptly ended in mid March.  I must admit, I was proud of the result after making my own training plan, coordinating with 6 different teams for waxing throughout the circuit and fundraising to cover the season expenses. Being an independent racer is a tough approach to success.   

It must have been day 323 or maybe 216 of quarantine in April when The Luke Brown of Crosscut’s inaugural team sent me a link to apply to the Crosscut team of today.  With the bass turned down on my phone, I talked to Seth about kayaking for an hour and applied to the team.  A few weeks later I drove to Bozeman to run the M time trial and decided this team was going to be home for the remainder of my ski career.  

Lapping those roller ski roads

This past summer of Triple Tree and Mountain Project showed the true power of a team, regular coaching, and skin donations to the pavement we pound. I was feeling the strongest I have ever been with positive karmic debt to the ski gods and had my best results to date in the first 10km of the season in West Yellowstone at the end of November with a top 5.  The season kept on rolling with mixed results and I continued learning how to best prepare for races, warm-up, recover and more.  Mid January held a huge learning opportunity for me when I was hoping to have my best results and be eyed for a pick to Europe in both biathlon and FIS skiing but instead had my worst results of the season.  Transforming disappointment and frustration into motivation and lessons learned, I ended January with my best races of the season: A win and second place for our home USSA races!!!

One of the offerings to the Roller Ski Gods

The experience of the last two years has been incredible.  Going back to racing has been incredibly gratifying, like answering a call that just kept ringing, but when finally hitting the green circle instead of the red, it wasn’t a robo call this time.  The last two years have shown me my time off has not held me back, my age doesn’t mean I can’t be fast and fit, that sewing my oats after college with everything outside of skiing has allowed me to now focus everything I’ve got on ski racing without distraction.  It has shown me a pure love of this sport and passion for skiing is truly powerful.  The last two years have stoked that Nordic fire in my gut into a raging bonfire, providing endless motivation to keep at it and it is paying off.  With eyes set on the Birkie in 2 weeks, it’s time to end the reflection on races past, focus forward and ski fast!

Skating to the win in Bozeman 10 km

Diving into Nordic Ski Racing with Dani Aravich

Written by Dani Aravich, Team Crosscut and USA Paralympic Athlete

Dani racing at Soldier Hollow this January

Racing can be intimidating.  Racing in a sport that you only started a year ago is more intimidating. And being new to a sport at the age of 24 is overwhelming.

But lucky for me, I have Team Crosscut.

I arrived at Soldier Hollow Nordic Center on January 1, parked my car, and walked into the stadium feeling completely and utterly disoriented and out of place.  There were so many people testing skis, club teams taking jogs around the parking lot, and dozens of wax benches set up.  I looked around in a panic hoping to find Coach Seth.  After spotting his silver truck, I hustled over and felt relief as I asked him and the other Crosscut members a million questions.

“What is the course for tomorrow?”

“Do I leave my skis with you or should I take them with me?”

“What type of wax are you putting on?”

“What is a technique zone?”

“How early do I need to be here before the race?”

“What is a ‘feed’?”

“Am I going to finish last in this race?!”

Let me give some background as to why I am clueless in this nordic ski world.  I am a Paralympic hopeful track & field runner suddenly turned nordic skier.  As a former college cross country and track athlete, I started training full-time to compete in Paralympic sport a year and a half ago.  As I was training for track & field, a Team USA Paralympic Nordic ski coach invited me to try out the sport at a developmental camp in Breckenridge, Colorado last winter.  I stepped on those narrow little Fischer skis and was hooked.

Now just a year later, I am training at Crosscut Mountain Center and with the Paralympic National Nordic Ski team.  I was not able to ski a lot last winter due to my track & field season and then the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Nordic skiing is a lot to process, and it is a very technical sport.  There are two different techniques to learn, there is a significant amount of equipment involved, and a lot of maintenance/care for said equipment. 

I am still learning.  But luckily, I have some incredible individuals between Team Crosscut and the US Paralympic Nordic staff helping me through the learning process.  

Over the race weekend at Soldier Hollow, fellow teammates Felicia, Ingrid, and Anna previewed the course with me, explaining what their race plan would be at certain turns or hills.  Coaches Seth and Cully answered my one million questions.

This was my third ski race EVER, and the first time without the Paralympic staff and athletes there.  I had never raced able-bodied athletes, let alone some of the best collegiate and pro skiers in the country.  And guess what?  I did get last in my sprint race.  And that is okay.  Because I am new, I am learning.  Without the support of Team Crosscut, I may not have showed up the following day for the distance race.  I was provided valuable feedback and encouraged, and guess what? I beat someone in the distance race on Sunday!

Beating a single person in a race of 80 people may not seem like much, but it was something.  I am so appreciative to have the opportunity to learn and grow in this crazy sport of Nordic skiing with the support of Team Crosscut.  

Vincent Bonnaci Checks In With an IBU Cupdate (cup-update!)

Written by Vincent Bonnaci, Team Crosscut Athlete

This December, I was selected to race on the IBU Cup for the US Biathlon Team, and I just wrapped up the first two rounds of racing in Arber, Germany. This year, the participation quota for IBU Cups was increased so each country could send more athletes to the races, making these some of the biggest races I have ever done; some of the races have more than 160 competitors, making the experience that much more fun. I have been focusing on learning as much as possible from each race, and slowly trying to make improvements from day to day. I was incredibly happy to cap off my time in Arber with my best sprint race to date, hitting 8/10 targets and skiing smoothly, but I still know I can definitely improve in some areas which gets me excited for the races to come. 

The next round of racing is the Open European Championships in Duszniki, Poland, and so far I am loving the course and range here. The snow is fast, the terrain skis very well, and everyone is psyched to be here.  The first race is the 20k individual, which is by far the longest biathlon race I have done, but I am going into it with no expectations and just a few simple focuses and I will see how it goes.

If anybody has any questions they would like to ask me about biathlon, I can be reached easily through my social media channels, ig: @vbonacc, or just Vincent Bonacci on Facebook.