National Nordic Foundation launches D25 on Oct. 1

By Published On: September 30th, 2014Comments Off on National Nordic Foundation launches D25 on Oct. 1
Rosie Frankowski depended on D25 funds to make it to her first international races in Europe.

Rosie Frankowski depended on D25 funds to make it to her first international races in Europe.

Autumn has officially begun, and with it comes cooler temperatures, changing landscapes and slew of signs that winter is approaching. Fall also brings big months in the year for ski racing: fundraising season. The National Nordic Foundation (NNF) will launch a renewed version of its token Drive for 25 (D25), a crowdfunding campaign with the goal of taking the financial stress out of racing.

From Oct. 1 to Nov. 15, the D25 will consist of six weeks of photos, images and stories representing each level of development in the U.S. Nordic pipeline, from U18 trips to the World Cup.

“We’re interested in tying together as many disparate parts of the skiing country as possible through the NNF,” said Dave Knoop, executive director of the NNF.

“As an athlete who has spent almost his entire ski career riding the divide between being on the national team and not, funding has been one of the biggest hurdles I have had to deal with,” said Reese Hanneman, a professional athlete at Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Club (APUNSC). His is a common story: balancing on the bubble between domestic and world racing, knowing that making the jump to the upper echelon of racing could take as much of a financial as a physical toll.

“This is where the NNF has been so huge,” he added, “covering even just a small portion of those expenses, and the expenses of the staff that are essential to me even having a chance.”

In order to do so, the D25 will be done in less time than past years, but with more energy. “Shorter. More driven.” Public representative Andrew Gardner described the new layout, noting the focus of the campaign on the paths of its supported athletes.

“Every skier on the U.S. team with the exception of Andy Newell (who supports us regardless) received NNF funds as they were developing into the skiers they are now,” said Gardner.

Last year, the D25 raised over $516,000 for both Nordic Combined and Cross-Country development structures. The funds paid for coaching, Junior Worlds, U18 and B-team costs, supporting 44 athletes competing internationally, 237 races starts and 14 support staff. This year, with the addition of D-team funds and World Championships, the NNF hopes to do even more, for which it will completely depend on the energy of its participants.

“I think it’s important to note that the NNF started as the ski world’s equivalent of a bake sale,” said Gardner, noting how Reid Lutter began the organization selling calendars. The D25 evolved from U.S. Ski Team coaches Pete Vordenberg and Matt Whitcomb, who created the then one-day event to ask every member of the ski community to contribute $25 to support racing. It has since grown far beyond one day or one effort, but is still closely connected to and reliant upon small donations and community involvement.

USST development coach Bryan Fish at World Juniors pre-camp in Italy.

USST development coach Bryan Fish at World Juniors pre-camp in Toblach, Italy.

“Through U16 Camp, Regional Elite Camps, and National Training groups, I have met dedicated skiers of all ages, including members of the U.S. Ski Team, and hearing the stories of others is really inspirational,” said Hailey Swirbul, a junior skier and beneficiary of D25 pillar projects. “I proudly wear my NNF shirts and hats knowing that I am helping to promote such an awesome organization!”

As for the name, Gardner added, “I like to think that now the 25 in D25 stands for the number of Olympic Gold medals, World Champions and Overall winners we’re hoping to develop from the U.S. Seems like a good goal.”

One of the community members who got involved in the NNF early is Steve Fuller, of Flying Point Road photography, who has taken thousands of racing images of NNF-supported athletes and used them to connect donors to the stories fueled by NNF support. The entirety of the proceeds from his images, 100 percent, go to support the NNF.

“Skiing is a beautiful sport and deserves to be shown that way,” said Fuller, who has traveled to photograph national championships, World Juniors and World Cup races. “I hope to reflect that through my photography and give back to the sport that has given me so much.”

Fuller’s images have been used alongside the stories of supported athletes to elucidate the impact the organization has had on racing. It’s those athletes, though, that have always been at the center of the NNF and have taken the initiative to make it theirs. Through blogs, sponsorship patches and social media, the organization has given its beneficiaries a sense of ownership, setting it apart from other non-profits.

Last year, the hashtag #gonnf debuted alongside the LiveNNF site, which connects athletes through Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, creating a national team-oriented culture within an individual sport.

“Through its work to support U.S. Nordic skiing and its development into a nationwide community, NNF provides all athletes, regardless of skill or results, increased opportunities. Nordic skiing, although a small sport, is a huge community,” said Rosie Frankowski, NCAA All-American turned professional skier at APUNSC.

“This is the culture NNF helps create in the United States, a community of support, dedication and friendship. This is the culture that will bring the United States increased international success and this is the culture other countries envy us for,” added Frankowski who attributes her success in skiing to the support she received from the D25 funds, which made it possible for her to travel to her first U23 World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy last January.

Donations will be taken for the D25 starting Oct. 1 here

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