Nordic Combined Summer Grand Prix to Kick Off Soon

The FIS Nordic Combined Summer Grand Prix will kick-off soon with the start set for competitions in Germany starting August 7-8 in Oberstdorf, followed by competition in Oberwiesenthal August 13-14 in.

It appears that there will be great representation from national teams from around the world. Some nations, including the USA, will take part with development-level skiers. Norway expects to send most of their top talent including Magnus Moan and Jan Schmid along with world junior champion Ole Christian Wendel. Expect to see athletes from a host of nations, including Austria, France, Switzerland, Ukraine, Germany, Italy, Finland and the Czech Republic, Japan, Poland and Slovenia.

The Organizing Committee at Val di Fiemme in Italy, host to the final stage of the Tour de Ski, the grueling, other-wordly climb up the Alpe Cermis, will hold a special start this year for 200 skiers to experience the agony and the ecstasy of the cross country ski world’s most extreme, infamous climbs.

Saturday, January 9, 2011, will be the final day of this year’s Tour de Ski, which will see many of the world’s top cross country skiers climb the Ale Cermis lined with more than 20,000 cheering fans. Through a lottery system, some 200 skiers will be selected to challenge the course prior to the start of the elite stage. More information can be obtained by checking their web site at www.fiemme2013.com.

Peter Q. Graves