Switzerland Update
December 9, 2007

Today we raced 10km classic once again.  Although conditions had been great all week, this morning we encountered the classic waxing condition that is dreaded the most – right at freezing and fresh snow.  Luckily for the women’s race, the snow tapered off for our three laps and the kick wax/klister mix I had on my skis worked fairly well. I started off conservatively, a little distracted with a loose binding, and then worked my way up into the race.  By the third lap I was finally finding my stride. More...

Zug Sprint
December 6, 2007

The World Cup moved to Central Europe this week, Davos, Switzerland.  We had a great few days of training under sunny skies and nice tracks.  Thursday the other sprinters and I, along with a couple coaches, traveled over to Zug for a city sprint.  Snow had been trucked in and laid in a park next to a large lake.  The conditions were a bit slushy but it was a fun race. More...

The 2008 Race Season begins...
December 1, 2007

The 2008 season begins! Today I competed in the 1.2km classic sprint in Kuusamo, Finland. It was solid World Cup action! I was pleased to ski a very solid 12th place in the qualifying round and advance to the quarterfinals. In my first round I skied a close race, in second for most of the way, only to get out double-poled in the last several meters. My final result 16th place. Tomorrow I will hit the distance track for a 10km classic. Read more

Skiing in the Sun - Eagle Glacier, Alaska
August 2007

Up in Alaska we are quite fortunate to have access to summer glacier skiing. A facility built in the 1980's by the US Ski Team allows us to spend a week at a time training on snow during the summer. Read More.

National Team Camp in Bend, OR
May 17, 2007

After a nice spring break in Alaska, (where I have skied up until last week) I have rejoined with my US Ski Team buddies for an on-snow camp in Bend, OR. We began the camp by banding together to make two teams for the Pole, Pedal, Paddle race. Each member of the team completed one of the legs that included alpine skiing, nordic skiing, road biking, running, paddling and a final sprint. Both the men's and women's team took home the team titles and it was a great team bonding event. The rest of the week resumes with lots of training. Only seven months till race season!

Victory at the Heart Run
April 30, 2007

I have been competing in the Anchorage Daily News Heart Run since the age of 8, and it only took me 16 years to finally achieve victory! After finishing as runner-up in several previous races, I ran a solid pace and surprised myself in setting a new PR. I finally broke 18 minutes with a winning time of 17:59. It was a fun day out there being fit with my fellow Alaskans. Remember, LIVE FIT!

New Partnership with Continental Auto Group!
April 15, 2007

I am excited to announce a new partnership with Continental Auto Group, a true Alaskan brand. There is no doubt that having a reliable vehicle is essential to world class performance. I must be able to get to all training venues no matter what the weather, and now that I have a trusty 2007 Subaru Outback there are no worries. They picked out the color gold, a premonition for the future I hope! Continental Auto Group is committed to providing reliable vehicles and top level service and I am proud to have them on my team. Stop by Continental to check out their fleet!

A preview of the future...
February 4, 2007

This weekend I teammed up with fellow US girls Liz Stephens, Morgan Arritola and Taz Mannix for a 4x5km World Cup relay in Davos. I skied the opening leg, and despite being knocked down twice, I came in strong and tagged off to Liz 30 seconds out of the lead. This was the first time this team has raced together and I am really looking forward to our chances over the next few years. Look out 2010! Click the title to hear the whole story.

New Subway Commercials
January 24, 2007

Check out the new commercials for Subway. Do you want to be a Kikkan Krazy?

WORLD CUP PODIUM!
January 21, 2007

Back on the World Cup tour. Traveled to Rybinsk, Russia to compete in the rescheduled skate sprint from Cogne in December (one of only two skate sprints on my schedule for the whole year!). Started bib #1 in the qualifying round and skied fast enough for ninth position heading into the heats. Finished second in my quarterfinal, but won my semi-final and made it to my first ever A-final in a World Cup. Skied aggressive and came on strong in the final 50m to lunge for third place, one inch from second! Bronze medal! Got to stand on the podium in front of a spirited Russian crowd. A dream come true! See the VIDEO !

Third time's a charm!
January 6, 2007

After being the second place queen in the previous two races, it was time for my best event, the sprint, and a chance at victory! I skied a solid qualifying round, leading the women's field by two seconds. In the afternoon heats I lead my quarterfinal and semifinal heats from the front to advance. In the A-final I took the lead from the gun, broke up the pack on the first turn and headed down to the bottom of the course with Laura Valaas on my tails. On my way back up the hill, I was able to ski away from Laura to win by 6 seconds, earning my first classic sprint national title. Finally a victory! Click on title to hear the whole story. See the video

Another tight finish...
January 4, 2007

Race number two at the national short distance championships. This time, 2 laps around the 5km course. Warm conditions made for an exciting race. Skied a solid race and ended up second again, by nine seconds, again! Dough! This time it was Alexa Turzian of Sun Valley with the win. Getting stronger every race! Click on title to hear the whole story!

Opening Race of the New Year
January 3, 2007

And so the new year begins. We start off with a 5km classic race at the 2007 US National Championships in Houghton, MI. Despite low snow conditions, the racing has been top notch. In the women's race today I skied an aggressive race, faded a little bit in the final kilometer and finished in second place, nine seconds out of the lead. My fellow Olympian, Lindsey Weier won the race. Click on title to hear the whole story!

Good Days and Bad Days...
November 26, 2006

It's amazing how two races less than 24 hours apart can have totally different outcomes. After a good result on day one in Kuusamo, I wanted to have a solid distance performance to compliment my sprint. But instead I got a good beating! The conditions were tough, with rain falling throughout the day and very wet snow on the course. I tried hard but struggled to kick up the hills and only managed a 68th place. It was a good lesson for me to see that skiing well against a distance field on the World Cup takes a grueling pace and solid experience, two areas that will take some time and hardwork to achieve. Click on title to hear the whole story!

A Fine Finish in a Classic Sprint
November 25, 2006

Next stop on the world cup tour, Kuusamo, Finland, this time a classic sprint. I had never advanced to the quarterfinals in a world cup classic sprint before, but qualified 18th and made it through to the heats. Skied well in my quarterfinal, attacking on the big climb and coming into the stadium in a tight race for second place. Got edged out on the final turn and couldnÕt quite catch the leaders. Finished third, 0.4 seconds back, and 0.2 seconds from advancing to the semi-finals. Final place - 12th. Wahoo! Click on title to hear the whole story!

World Cup Relay in Gallivare, Sweden
November 19, 2006

Race #2 of the new season, a 4x5km relay in Gallivare, Sweden. Sarah Konrad and I teamed up with fellow North Americans Dasha Gaiazova and Chandra Crawford. I skied anchor leg. Strategy was to go out hard and see how long I could hang on. Had the fire out on the course and skied well. Passed three teams on the way to the finish and almost caught a forth. Click on title to hear the whole story!

First Race of the '07 Season
November 18, 2006

After a good break from competition over the summer and fall, it was time to get back into action. My first race of the season was a 10km skate race in Sweden. The world cup field was strong. I skied a conservative first 5km but finally got going in the final 2km to finish in 63rd place. It was a good start and a great warmup for the relay the following day. Click the title to hear the whole story!

August Glacier Camp Update
August 20, 2006

There are only a handful of summer skiing facilities in the world, and we Alaskans are extremely lucky to have one right in our backyard--the Thomas Training Center on Eagle Glacier. Just thirty minutes south of Anchorage by car and a short ten-minute helicopter flight, the Thomas Training Center (TTC) is a great place to log dozens of kilometers and keep touch with the snow during summer months.

US Ski Team July Camp
July 20, 2006

Back to Park City for another round of testing, great training and a lot of team building! We were fortunate to have Olympic gold medalist Beckie Scott of Canada at our camp to share some of her perspectives on what it takes to be a successful North American ski racer. We also had the chance to work with our new nordic team uniform sponsor Speedo to design new racing suits that are sure to be one of a kind. The team did several quality workouts at Soldier Hollow and despite the hot temperatures, no one got burned!

US Ski Team May Camp
May 20, 2006

A new season begins! I am very excited to be nominated to the 2006-2007 US National Cross-country Ski Team. The other nominees and I joined the new staff of the USST XC Ski Team in Park City for a 10 day camp. The goals of the camp included team building and testing. Everyone came together to forge a great atmosphere of positive energy! The testing went well, a fun new experience for me and we got in some great training. I will join the group again in July for our next camp!

A Few More Wins at Spring Series!
March 28, 2006

On my way back to Alaska following the conclusion of the world cup season, I made a stop in Presque Isle, Maine to race the 2006 International Spring Series. The weather conditions were challenging but the spirit of the race organizers was unstoppable! I raced five races in seven days. I won the opening show sprint and the individual sprint and posted two other podium finishes in the 10km classic and 5k skate races. The week finished off with a grueling 30km class race in which I survived placing sixth overall. A great finish to an unbelievable season!

FIFTH PLACE in Borlange World Cup!
March 7, 2006

World Cup Sprint racing on a horse track! 750m! High speed! I started off the night with a fourteenth place in the qualifying round. In my quarterfinal I took the lead halfway through the course and qualified for the semi-finals. In the semi-finals I couldn't find a way to the front but I managed to qualify for the B Final where I made a great move to take the lead and win! I ended up Fifth place, the best US women's world cup result of the modern era!

Kikkan Makes History! 9th at the Olympics!
February 22, 2006

After three tough races and the onset of a head cold, I was unsure of how I would feel going into the 1.2km freestyle sprint at the 2006 Olympics. My goal was a top 20 finish. Once I got out on the course, I ended up feeling great. I skied the best qualifying round that I ever have, feeling so relaxed and powerful. I was surprised to see that I finished in 10th place! I had a good break and then warmed up for the heats. In my quarterfinal I came from behind on the final 100m to finish second and advance to the semi-finals. I led my semi-final out of the stadium and tried to make a move coming off the downhill. Unfortunately I got shut-out and had to drop into fifth. I kept fighting to the line but was unable to advance any further. It was my first time skiing in the semi-finals and my eventual ninth place finish was the best ever by an American woman!

Ready for Torino with Red, Blonde and Blue Hair
February 08, 2006

Go USA! I'm ready to head to Europe to prepare for the 2006 Winter Olympics now that I have my red, blonde and blue hair! I thought it would be fun, and might add a little speed! With two weeks to go until opening ceremonies, hopefully it will last! Wish me luck!

A Tie in the 5km, Another National Championship

The first tie ever in US National Championship history! After five kilometers of tough racing, I tied for the National Championship win with up and coming Liz Stephen of Burke Mountain Academy. We were glad to share the win and it was all smiles on the podium!

Kikkan Wins First Distance National Championship

For a while I've been considered a sprint specialist. However, I have not committed to training solely for sprinting as I have always felt that I have an engine for distance racing too. This year, at the 2006 US National Championships at Soldier Hollow, I finally confirmed that I can hang in the distance events! I won the 10km classic race on a day when conditions were challenging.

Big Victory in the Sprint at 2006 US Nationals

After finishing a disappointing fourth place in last years' US Nationals sprint, I was hungry for victory this time around. It was a beautiful sunny day, perfect for sprint racing, and I took advantage of the top conditions. I placed second in the qualifying round but rallied to win my quarterfinal, semifinal and final heats. I went out hard and led from the front. In the final I even had enough time to smile across the finish line!

Kikkan Travels the World With BlackBerry Handheld & Alaska Telecom

Thanks to my new BlackBerry Handheld from Alaska Telecom, I can now stay in touch with friends, family, coaches and supporters, no matter where I am in the world! I can manage my calendar, address book, cell phone and email, all from one device. I'm totally addicted!

Kikkan Runs with Moose Pass & Hope Kids!

Recently I was invited to run and play with kids at the Moose Pass K-12 School and the Hope track team. I demonstrated how to do an Olympic warm-up and discussed the importance of being active and healthy. The kids were very energetic and worked hard. It was a very fun day! (Click picture to enlarge).

Kikkan's Got Milk!

Two falls ago I was speaking to a master's level marketing class at Alaska Pacific University about the importance of sponsorship for elite athletes. I made a joke that I would know I had "made it" when I had my own Got Milk? add. Little did I know that two months later I would begin a partnership with Alaska's local dairy Matanuska Maid and would soon have my very own Got Milk? poster. Check out the poster

Fast Sprint at 2005 World Championships

2005 World Championships in Oberstdorf, Germany. The first time a classic sprint has been contested at a world championships. I went out bib #5 and skied my heart out around the 1.2km course. When I crossed the finish line I had the fastest time. I stayed in the top position until bib #13 came in and then began to fall down the list. My time held strong for 30th place when all was said and done. An exciting day! (Click on picture to enlarge)

Kikkan Crowned National Sprint Champion in 2004

After three tough races at the 2004 US National Championships, I was hungry for a victory in the sprint. Cold temperatures almost canceled the race and the wind was howling, but I was ready to go fast. I had a great opening race, winning the qualifying round by more than a second, and gained confidence for the afternoon heats. My skis ran fast and I continued to feel strong as I powered my way through the quarterfinals and semifinals. In the final heat I took the lead from the start and never looked back, winning by several meters. It was my second national sprint title in three years. Want to hear more? Click here