FIS XC World Cup Season 5, Episode 1

4 years ago I was pulling up to my first world cup season amidst a world of covid tests and tiny bubbles. I was 20. I was psyched. 

Ruka 2020

I roomed with JC for all of period one. Simi Hamilton was still racing. We weren’t allowed into Norway, so we raced in Ruka then went straight to Davos for two weeks. We did a time trial with the Italian and German teams on the weekend when the Lillehammer World Cup was supposed to happen. I spent Christmas in Seefeld with Jessie Diggins, Hailey Swirbul, Katharine Ogden, and Julia Kern. There weren’t any spectators at any race. 

JC in Davos

Sprint TT with some heavy hitters!

But it was all new, and it was the first time I was living my dream of being a world cup skier! I was sharing hallways with big names like Pellegrino, Bolshunov, Halvarsson, and they were mostly really friendly!

Comparing skis with Pellegrino. Jovian Hediger on the right.

Things have changed since then. There are fans at our races, we can swap roommates all the time, the big names don’t seem as exotic, and I’ve won a world cup race! The oldest guy on the men’s team is Kevin at 31, and he acts like he’s 25. We have 3 different guys who have a podium in the last year, 1 who is knocking on the door, and several more who are ready for breakout racing. Many of us are around the same age, and we often get into all the same hobbies together. It's just a different feeling. Things aren’t as new or exciting, and that’s a good thing. We act like we belong here, and we’re able to mostly keep it cool when we see Klaebo at breakfast. 

Karel Kruuser with his world cup winning skis

All of this makes it easier to live this life together, and race faster and faster. For myself, the sense of familiarity that comes from returning to previous venues makes the extended travel easier, and allows me to focus on racing and just living my life. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to explore new places, but sometimes an entirely new place is a little overwhelming! I’m still finding new things at home in Anchorage, as well as at every staple world cup venue (Ruka, Lillehammer, Davos, etc…)

Exploring with Ben near Davos

This familiarity then also makes it easier to help guide new people. One has to be careful to remember that some people are in these places for the first time, and are therefore experiencing things differently. It’s a bit of a line to walk between awestruck and jaded, but I think that place in the middle is a nice one to be at for a long winter of intense racing. 

Enjoying northern Finland by doing intervals!

That’s where I aspire to be. Taking in the beautiful world and crazy world cup life around me for the fantastic things they are, but also living and acting like I normally do at home, because ultimately that’s where I’m the most collected and comfortable. 

I’m absolutely psyched for this season, but for different reasons than four years ago. Racing for podiums and wins is just so much fun, and knowing roughly where to go for afternoon runs is very calming. It’s gonna be a great one, and I’m over the moon to be doing it with a lot of my best friends. 

That’s a good-looking team!

If you want to watch us race, you can get all the european events (all of them this year) live and on-demand on skiandsnowboard.live. For a 10% discount you can use the code SKISNOW24.


ALSO the NNF drive for 25 ends tomorrow, and it always means a ton for me when people support that cause of getting young skiers to big races and training camps. My fundraising page is HERE

#goNNF

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