25May 2017 by DS News Team
Our Test: EPB, Device You ( Really) Want to Have

Our Test: EPB, Device You ( Really) Want to Have

Gear News, Newsfeed
What it is: an emergency pole back-holder, to be used primarily for ski marathons where the chance of breaking the pole at the start is, sadly, pretty high. Short resume: A brilliant, timely idea; the device works as-is, but needs some fine-tuning. Get it when it becomes available on the market. That's the short version of it; read the longer version for details and pictures. The Swedish company StaffanStaven is known primarily for their shock-absorbing ski pole inserts that are steadily gaining in popularity - especially with the rollerskiing crowd. Staffan Larsson and Gunnar Winroth, two people behind the StaffanStaven, are obviosly thinking of expanding their offerings. Last week they kindly sent us a pre-production version of the Emergency Pole Backholder (EPB) that they have developed. ...We love ski marathons,…
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24May 2017 by DS News Team
Ustiugov Might Run All Six Races in PyeongChang, Says Vyalbe

Ustiugov Might Run All Six Races in PyeongChang, Says Vyalbe

Leaders, Newsfeed
Yelena Vyalbe, president of the Russian Cross Country Ski Federation has unveiled qualification criteria for making it to the Russian team for the Winter Olympic Games of 2018 [caption id="attachment_3632" align="alignnone" width="854" class="center"] Courtesy of Russian Ski Federation[/caption] There are some 60 ( sixty!) candidates with a realistic chance of going to Pyeongchang, according to Vyalbe, quoted by the TASS news agency, – possibly, the biggest pool of aspirants outside the Norwegian team The final list, however, would include only 10 women and 10 men. The Russian selection is complicated by the suspension of five leading skiers ( there are six – but one since retired). The Olympic champion of Sochi Alexander Legkov, world champion of Falun-2015 Maxim Vylegzhanin, as well as Evgeny Belov, Alexei Petukhov and Evgnenia Shapovalova are…
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23May 2017 by DS News Team
Rollerskis Of Tomorrow? Well, We’ll See

Rollerskis Of Tomorrow? Well, We’ll See

Gear News, Newsfeed
Here, test your knowledge of rollerskis: Who makes these? Perhaps a wider shot would help? It's actually called Snowwing, and is produced by Weihai Snowwing Outdoor Equipment Co., ltd., which was "established in 2010 and located in a beautiful seashore city - Weihai, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China." ( that's a quote from their website) They are just one example of the many Chinese companies that have lately been trying to expand into the cross country skiing market – aggressively. Quality? Well, we don't know – there's not exactly a Snowwing dealer in our neighbourhood that can give it for a test. And our efforts to reach Weihai Snowwing Outdoor directly were less than successful due to a bit of a language barrier. But the price – wait for…
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22May 2017 by DS News Team
Yes, You Could Ski in October. Thanks To Snowfarming, That Is

Yes, You Could Ski in October. Thanks To Snowfarming, That Is

Newsfeed, Training & Outfitting, Travel & Mass Sport
..It's the month of October, and the area outside of Lapland Hotel Olos is the site of a veritable ski pilgrimage. A dozen tongues are spoken simultaneously as platoon after platoon of sportsmen and women clip their skis on and disappear into the forest. There's hardly a snowflake on the ground, but the skiing trail looks picture-perfect. Welcome to Muonio, mid-Autumn capital of cross-country skiing. An estimated 20+ locations around the world are now farming snow for the next season; Beitostølen and Trysil in Norway, Lahti and Ruka in Finland, Davos and La Clusaz in the Alps, and Canmore in Canada to name but a few. Still, many national cross-country ski teams keep on returning to relatively remote Muonio where trails are the longest – and, some say the best…
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18May 2017 by DS News Team
Ski-Perfect Stomach, Spring Edition

Ski-Perfect Stomach, Spring Edition

Newsfeed, Trivia
It's springtime, officially, which means the world skiing elites are wrapping up their holidays and returning to the tracks. Mostly, snow tracks, wherever they can be found mid-May. Some, like A Norwegian Lahti golden medalist in relay, Niklas Dyrhaug, however, appear to be combining work and pleasure, by improving their balance and upper core muscles. There's a visible abundance of the latter in this photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/BT5-oU9htOZ Team Sweden's Sofia Henriksson expects the viewers to comment on both her V1 and V2 skating technique. A well deserved Instagram Like from us, Sofia! https://www.instagram.com/p/BUFe_nFB1Fi Meanwhile, a fellow Swede and a member of all-female Team Ski Pro Am, Hedda Bangman, firmly believes that the bikini is the most weather-appropriate training outfit for the May snow in Åre. https://www.instagram.com/p/BUEfVefFQR1 Lovise Heimdal, Norway U23 team…
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