By Santi Ocariz

When asked by fellow skiers and silent sports athletes about my current place of employment, I mention The Rivers Eatery in Cable, WI as my main supporter in generating income.  However, I am often surprised that these fellow Birkie, Firehouse 50, and Fat Tire Fest enthusiasts haven’t heard about the greatest pizza restaurant in the northwoods!!   The Rivers Eatery is Located on Kavanaugh Road in downtown Cable.  It is across the street (County Rd M) from Rondeau’s Shopping Center  (attached to the Ideal Market).  The pizzeria is owned and run by the Endersbe family (Mick, Beth, and daughters Carly and Libby).  They serve a variety of flavorful pizzas to fit everyone’s taste,  from unique  pizzas like the tangy Namaji (tai) pizza to more common flavors like the Big Brook (pepperoni) pizza.  However, common is still an understatement.  The Endersbe family have worked hard to create healthy pizza recipes that are big on flavor and health (a perfect pre and post race meal.  Bjorn Daehlie ate there the night before and rushed back right after the Birkie for more!).  They use  local organic ingredients and fire the pizzas in a stone oven to bring out a  flavor far superior to even the best common pizza (I still get excited when I get to bring leftovers home!!).  They also serve salads, frozen yogurt and sundaes, wine, common soda, local root beer,  and wide variety of Wisconsin local micro-brews including several of Hayward’s own Angry Minnow beers.  I could go on and on with the details about this wonderful eatery, but I will leave it at this so you can discover all the other great details  for yourself by visiting their website http://theidealmarket.com and stopping in next time you are in the Hayward/Cable area skiing or biking!

Inside the Rivers Eatery

Pizza Menu

CXC is pleased to announce the webcast of the American Birkebeiner for the second year in a row. The webcast is available to participants, spectators and Nordic fans at no charge at http://www.birkievideo.com.

2009 Birkie Video Webcast Data:
10,335 unique plays
3,233 100% play through
Over 800 DVDs sold

CXC is the official video and DVD producer of the 2009 and 2010 American Birkebeiner. A 2-DVD Set of the race is also available at http://www.cxcstore.com.

Garrott Kuzzy

After ten days of murky, overcast Australian skies, I awoke on Saturday morning to bright sunrays streaming through the window. A vivid bluebird day was the ideal backdrop to the 2010 Kangaroo Hoppet. Three feet of fresh powder fell on Falls Creek during the week and was groomed to perfection under the Southern Cross the night before the race. Over 1000 skiers from around the world toed the line for either the 42km Hoppet, 21km Australian Birkebeiner, or the 7km Joey Hoppet.

The cannon blasted at 9:30am and we were off without a hitch. The field strung out quickly through what locals appropriately call “Sun Valley.” The front runners took turns at the lead and by the time we came through the first aid station at 7km, there was already a five man breakaway, including four-time Hoppet champ Ben Sim, Continental Cup champ Callum Watson, Australian biathlete Alex Almoukov, Swiss sprint Olympian Valerio Leccardi and yours truly.

Once we realized we had broken away from the field, the pace settled into a consistent cruise. The local resort television station had a snowmobile documenting the race, making the race feel that much more Pro. The first 10km of the 21km loop are very flat, skirting around the Rocky Valley Dam reservoir. The second half of the loop gets hilly, with a 6km constant V1 climb, dubbed “the Paralyzer.” I took the lead up the Paralyzer and was treated to untracked corduroy snaking up through the snow gum trees. Our little group stuck together over the high point and back down through the lap.

On our second lap, the race got a little more interesting as we lapped hundreds of skiers in the smaller races, darting through tiny gaps and getting cheers from the folks we passed. There was even a pair of snow bunnies who, upon getting passed, called out with their lovely Australian accents, “Hey fellas, mind stopping to give us a quick lesson?” Man, life is full of tough decisions.

Before I knew it, I was back with the pack and cruising up the Paralyzer for the second time—a little faster than the first. Leccardi laid down the hammer over the top and shattered our little group into pieces. Unfortunately, I was the caboose of the train and almost derailed on the fast descent. It was fun slaloming past the lapped skiers, but the gap between me and the leaders kept getting bigger. In the end Leccardi comfortably took the win, with Almoukov, Sim, Watson, and I rounding out the Top-5 in about 1 hour 40 minutes—over six minutes ahead of the next skier.

Skiers kept coming across the finish line for the next six hours. Among them was my dad, in Australia for the Hoppet—completing his 11^th Worldloppet marathon. We kicked back at the finish line, soaking up the warm Australian sun in t-shirts, enjoying big kangaroo burgers after an exciting day at the races.

I’ve got another week here Down Under and look forward to enjoying some more sun and ideal winter conditions before heading home.

You can follow along at garrottkuzzy.com or facebook.com/cxcskiing.

Garrott Kuzzy

After ten days of murky, overcast Australian skies, I awoke on Saturday morning to bright sunrays streaming through the window. A vivid bluebird day was the ideal backdrop to the 2010 Kangaroo Hoppet. Three feet of fresh powder fell on Falls Creek during the week and was groomed to perfection under the Southern Cross the night before the race. Over 1000 skiers from around the world toed the line for either the 42km Hoppet, 21km Australian Birkebeiner, or the 7km Joey Hoppet.

The cannon blasted at 9:30am and we were off without a hitch. The field strung out quickly through what locals appropriately call “Sun Valley.” The front runners took turns at the lead and by the time we came through the first aid station at 7km, there was already a five man breakaway, including four-time Hoppet champ Ben Sim, Continental Cup champ Callum Watson, Australian biathlete Alex Almoukov, Swiss sprint Olympian Valerio Leccardi and yours truly.

Once we realized we had broken away from the field, the pace settled into a consistent cruise. The local resort television station had a snowmobile documenting the race, making the race feel that much more Pro. The first 10km of the 21km loop are very flat, skirting around the Rocky Valley Dam reservoir. The second half of the loop gets hilly, with a 6km constant V1 climb, dubbed “the Paralyzer.” I took the lead up the Paralyzer and was treated to untracked corduroy snaking up through the snow gum trees. Our little group stuck together over the high point and back down through the lap.

On our second lap, the race got a little more interesting as we lapped hundreds of skiers in the smaller races, darting through tiny gaps and getting cheers from the folks we passed. There was even a pair of snow bunnies who, upon getting passed, called out with their lovely Australian accents, “Hey fellas, mind stopping to give us a quick lesson?” Man, life is full of tough decisions.

Before I knew it, I was back with the pack and cruising up the Paralyzer for the second time—a little faster than the first. Leccardi laid down the hammer over the top and shattered our little group into pieces. Unfortunately, I was the caboose of the train and almost derailed on the fast descent. It was fun slaloming past the lapped skiers, but the gap between me and the leaders kept getting bigger. In the end Leccardi comfortably took the win, with Almoukov, Sim, Watson, and I rounding out the Top-5 in about 1 hour 40 minutes—over six minutes ahead of the next skier.

Skiers kept coming across the finish line for the next six hours. Among them was my dad, in Australia for the Hoppet—completing his 11^th Worldloppet marathon. We kicked back at the finish line, soaking up the warm Australian sun in t-shirts, enjoying big kangaroo burgers after an exciting day at the races.

I’ve got another week here Down Under and look forward to enjoying some more sun and ideal winter conditions before heading home.

You can follow along at garrottkuzzy.com or facebook.com/cxcskiing.

People occasionally ask me (as a CXC coach) what I do when our camps are not in session.  The answer is not clear cut.  My responsibilities to CXC extend beyond just the Elite Team.  For instance, I am leading a session with our Masters Team in the twin cities this weekend.  Also, I end up spending a lot of time on the computer doing various tasks.  As August rolls to an end, my obligations start to increase.  With this in mind, I figured a day of pure fun was in order.  Fortunately, last Saturday offered a perfect opportunity.

Getting up

So what does a ski coach do on a day of fun in the summer?  He goes to a skiing event (kind of) obviously.  My friend Chris Cook of Steinbock Racing had entered an event in Crandon WI, called Footstock which is the National Open Championship of bare footing.  If you have never seen bare footing, it’s very much like water skiing, except no skis!  Two contestants are pulled behind the boat at a time and they step off of their ski (or skis) in a designated zone.  After that, it’s an endurance competition and the first one to fall loses.  The boat travels in a large figure eight so the “footers” are forced over the boats wake each run.  To stay afloat on bare feet, the speed has to be VERY high.  Typical speeds are anywhere from 39-42mph!  A typical run last from 1 (rookie) to 45 (respectable) seconds.  Usually someone will fall the first time the boat hits its own wake because the waves break the consistency of the water which is tough on the legs.  It is double elimination, so you can rebound even if you lose early.  There were around 130 participants, last one standing wins!

Cook, pre run

The day started in Marquette, in the clouds and the rain.  A quick weather check said the clouds would part in Crandon around noon.  We proceeded with cautious optimism.  But sure enough around noon, the clouds parted and the burn was on.  Rolling into Footstock is a surreal scene.  There is a crane brought in for the sole reason of supporting a gigantic American flag.  Yeah ‘merica!  The crowd was a mix of wetsuits, sunburns, and jean shorts.  Music played and libations flowed.  We were there for one reason (ok two, if you count escaping Mqt), to watch Chris and he did not disappoint.  His first run, he dominated a rookie chump who was so nervous he peed his wetsuit (probably).  In Chris’s second run he was paired with an old man, easy right?  Not so fast, experience won out this time (to be fair, this old man had mad skillz).  However, Chris “footed” well enough to advance to the second day.  While I was unable to watch, I am told he completed two full figure eights on one run and ended up top 16!  Congrats Chris!!  Below is a link to the championship run.  These guys are crazy good.

The day wound down with a lethargic drive back to Mqt and one stop for fish fry at a renovated caboose diner, classic.  I’d like to thank Bublicious (grape flavor) for making the long drive manageable.  I was fortunate enough to finish second (out of two) in the bubble blowing contest.  That night I hit the bed like a sack of potatoes, exhausted from the day’s activities.  This is going to have to turn into an annual event for me.  Top 10 next year Chris!!

Blowing a winner!

Sorry for the crappy pics, I ran out of battery.

So not cool

Garrott Kuzzy

Winter greetings from snowy Falls Creek, Australia—home of the Kangaroo Hoppet Worldloppet Ski Marathon. Less than a week into my first trip to the Southern Hemisphere, I am beginning to settle into life Down Under at Australia’s highest ski resort.

To say that things in Australia are “backwards” may be a little harsh; perhaps “upside-down” might be a better description. Why, for example, is the resort town atop the mountain where I am staying called Falls Creek, while the village in the valley below is called Mount Beauty? I knew that water drains counter-clockwise Down Under, but I had no idea that light switches get flipped down to turn on. Always. My favorite example though, is that Australia gets snow in the middle of our summer—and that’s the real reason why I am here.

Australia National Team skier Ewan Watson

My adventure started a month ago with an invitation from Australian National Team coach, Finn Marsland, to join the Aussie Team for their National Championships and help improve the FIS points at the races. I get the impression that he was looking for skiers with better points than me, but fortunately for me, I was one of the few international athletes to take him up on the invitation! Other internationals here for the races include Olympic Gold Medal biathlete Anastasia Kuznetsova, Swiss National Team skier Valerio Leccardi, and the entire Korean Junior National Team.

En Route to Falls Creek

Travel to Australia was much easier than expected. During the 15 hour flight, I caught up on all the latest new releases, including a disappointing Avatar. Upon arrival, the bus ride from Mt Beauty up to Falls Creek was spectacular. The bus climbed on the left side of the road through an exotic forest of gum trees—second tallest trees in the world, only to the California Redwoods. Beyond the gum tree forest, the view extended to the Kiewa Valley, one of Australia’s famous wine regions. The surroundings were so surreal, I almost expected to see blue people to come flying out of the clouds. Instead, we were the ones who drove into the clouds and into a big snowstorm. It’s been a week since I arrived and the snow is still falling. The only time the sun peaked through the clouds was during the Australian National Championship last Sunday, August 22.

Australian Nationals 15km Skate

The course for the 15km Skate National Championship was challenging—reminiscent of Soldier Hollow in Utah. The trails included plenty of climbing, open views with few trees, and more altitude than I was expecting. Fortunately, I used Toko Jetstream to prep some fast skis, helping to compensate for my lack of off-season fitness. Australian Olympian Ben Sim caught me from 30 seconds back and we worked together for much of the race before I made a few seconds back close to the finish. In the end, I came in second at the championships, giving Salomon skis a 1-2 podium.

Podium at the Birkebeiner Ski Club

Be careful what you wish for. I came to Australia looking for snow. It’s fallen everyday so far and the forecast is for more snow this week—40cm in the next two days! That should make great conditions for the Hoppet this Saturday, August 28. Stay tuned!

By: Matt Liebsch

Thank you Renee and Dave

This weekend the family and I packed up and went to Madison for the second annual Run for Snow. This run benefits the CXC adopt an athlete program and I am Madison’s adopted athlete. I must admit I was a little nervous bringing a 2 year old and 13 month old for a 5 hour car ride (each way) however, they did amazingly well. Grant even did his first race, well sort of. Once he saw Marybeth he wanted to run to her. However, I think a few more training sessions with the old man and he’ll be able to finish. I did the 14.5K race and ran a time of 52:50, I think. There was a great turnout and our family had a fun weekend!

APU invited me to their summer home, the Thomas Training Center on the Eagle Glacier.   The training center alone is a remarkable facility nestled on the ridge 5,500 feet above Girdwood, Ak about 40 minutes south of Anchorage.  The real gem however, is the 7.5km loop of skiing meters outside the door.

Mikey and I super excited for our first helicopter ride.

Day 1: Awesome

Several Sun Valley skier: Mike Sinnot, Colin Rogers, and Nicole Deyong and I joined up with the APU team.  It was really fun to catch up on everyones summer training and endeavors.  Through years of training and racing together we are all good friends.  I think I spent a bit too much time reading the trashy Cosmos laying around the Thomas Training Center (yes 30 minutes is too much time). In addition to staying in tough with the feeling of snow one of my main motivations for this camp was to train with the many strong athletes who make up the APU and SVSEF elite teams.

Most mornings I drank my tea outside and enjoy being surrounded by mountains

The beautiful days are burned into my memory, but 75% of the time the weather was more akin to this. We might not have had good weather, but we had great skiing ever day.

The drying room, important to staying comfortable and staying healthy. Most of the time the APU skiers were smiling, I am not sure what Becca is doing

We had beautiful days for our first and last skis of camp

Is that a Thule rack?

Last season I felt I made a big jump in my ski racing.  There were a number of factors contributing to that but I felt getting on snow in the summertime was huge for me.  Last year Matt and I went to the Haig glacier.  Classic striding has been a focus of mine and skiing on snow in the middle of the dry land season has helped me make some major efficiency improvements.

It was a challenging decision for me to miss the first 10 days of the CXC Team Vertical Limit camp in Ironwood, MI.  Especially when the glacier camp cost about $1,000.  It is an investment in my ski racing which I hope to regain this season.  I did make it back for a few days of August camp.  There is a V1 roller ski climb in Ironwood which is worth flying in from Alaska for.  This climb was

Go Training! Classic Intervals in Afton before heading up to Ironwood. We don't have a lot of big climbs in the Midwest be we have some and they are good.

Thank you to APU: Erik and Casey, and all the athletes for inviting me as a guest to your camp.  I had a great time and am a better skier because of it.

By: Bryan Cook

Hey everybody, I wanted to let you know what I have been up to lately.  Summer always flies by so fast, but I have been able to get in a lot of diverse training.  My training has been going really well, and I am back living in Wisconsin!  Yup, I just moved down to Delafield, WI, and I am really excited for the upcoming Fall down there!

As you can see, I have been pretty busy!  I also have to thank Tom and Susan Brian of Farmer Q’s Market in Marquette, MI for the last four years of putting up with my crazy work schedule there.  If you are ever in town you have to stop there for the best produce around!

By Melissa Schwartz

The benefits of Garlic have been exploited since ancient time for varying reasons that range from warding off vampires to treating aliment such as influenza and fungal infections.  The old tale that garlic fends off vampires is questionable, but I can attest that it does keep urban deer at bay if eaten raw and in a large quantity.

Last night I made a Middle Eastern inspired meal of lamb, flatbread, and hummus.  Since I had never made Hummus, I decide to try my hand at it.  I started by using my pestle to crush several garlic cloves in the mortar.  I intended to put some of the garlic in the goat yogurt, but forgot and just proceeded to add the chickpeas, lemon, and salt.  I had just finished a long strength routine before I began cooking, so when the flat bread came out of the oven, I immediately dipped it into the hummus and had a bite.  Wow, was I surprised! It reminded me of the first time I had eaten a whole raw garlic clove in an attempt to fend off a cold.  Two issues can be traced to the overwhelming potency of the mixture.  One, the obvious, I had not taken the extra cloves out.  And two, I remembered I had bought organic garlic, which in this case was much stronger then the garlic I usually buy.

This morning, I immediately noticed the affects of last night’s dinner as I was preparing for my workout.  The smell of garlic on my skin and in my mouth was overwhelming.  I work out early, so there were no worries of meeting anyone on the street other than the usual urban deer. However, as I finished up my specific strength workout, I realized that the deer were also absent from the streets.  Usually, I have at least one incident of a deer darting out from behind a car in front of me.  Furthermore, last fall I had a close call with a deranged buck during the seasonal rut.  I don’t know what he thought I was, but he chased after me down the street.  I was forced to double poled as fast as I could and I finally dove behind a fence in a last ditch effort to escape him.  So this morning, I was happy the deer were keeping their distance even if I did stink of garlic.

The lessons learned from my cooking adventure are three fold.  One, Middle Eastern food taste great and is really healthy, but does not always make you smell the nicest.  Two, when using raw garlic (especially organic) a little goes a long way.  And three, deer really don’t like garlic.