30Aug 2020 by DS News Team
Spine That Does Things Differently (But Finally Launches Its Website)

Spine That Does Things Differently (But Finally Launches Its Website)

Leaders, Newsfeed
Spine Sports is perhaps the oddest company there is in the whole of the xcski industry. Yet their market strategy seems to be working as more and more athletes and serious amateurs are being seen in Spine's marquee lapis-lazuli boots. [caption id="attachment_16860" align="alignnone" width="616"] Company is often defined by its boss - and Spine Sports offers proof of that postulate: Dmitry Vargin, Spine's co-founder and CEO, is mercurial and ambitious. As a man who built a multimillion dollar company from total scratch would be expected to be [/caption] Here's what makes them so different: - They are the world biggest cross-country boots producer by volume, churn out hundreds of thousands of them every year and operate large and well equipped factory in outskirts of the city of Yaroslavl in Russia…
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28Aug 2020 by DS News Team
Finland, Norway Start Closing Borders Again. Will There Be Season?

Finland, Norway Start Closing Borders Again. Will There Be Season?

Newsfeed, Travel & Mass Sport
This week on Wednesday Norway announced that it's tightening cross-border admissions policy - again... ...Two days earlier Finland went even further, bringing back travel restrictions in the form of quarantine for several countries , including Germany and, ironically, Norway. The COVID-19 is officially back to Europe. Not that it ever got open this year to either the North American or Russian skiers who traditionally train in Europe, at least part time. To remind you,the first stage of the FIS World Cup is supposed to be held in Ruka, Finland in three months with Lillehammer, Norway to follow. So, back to question we put in headline: will there be the international race season in cross country skiing? Nobody would tell for sure, but if you asks us the prospects for a…
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27Aug 2020 by DS News Team
Toppidrettsveka’s Aure Sprint Breaks Viewership Record On TV

Toppidrettsveka’s Aure Sprint Breaks Viewership Record On TV

Money & Finance, Newsfeed
Toppidrettsveka's Aure Sprint last Friday was watched by some 451.000 viewers on NRK, national public television channel. That's an absolutely whopping figure for the country with 4.2 million of adult population in 2020, with television viewership on decline everywhere in the world. And the new record for Toppidrettsveka. "The sprint in Aure was the beginning of Toppidrettsveka back in 2005: 13 athletes and 10 volunteers with a total budget of some 9000 NOK or about 800 Euros", says Harald Fladseth, the event organizer. Factors that worked in favor of Aure: cancellation of the Olympics and coveted Friday prime-time slot in broadcast schedule ( but that was done on purpose by the organizers & NRK, clearly) The three-leg competition in and around Trondheim is, along with Blinkfestivalen, a premier event of…
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25Aug 2020 by DS News Team
Nejc Brodar: Slovenians Are Sporty Nation. People Put Heart Into It

Nejc Brodar: Slovenians Are Sporty Nation. People Put Heart Into It

Leaders, Newsfeed
Petra Majdič, Vesna Fabjan, Katja Višnar, Anamarija Lampič...how does the nation of two million people, where national sports are football, basketball and Alpine skiing, keeps on producing not just world-class xcskiers - but regularly medals in the most important races? We went to Pokljuka, where the country's national teams are summer-training and talked to the head coach Nejc Brodar: How does Slovenia manage to have not just one, but a steady supply of world class skiers? We are one sporty nation. People put heart into whatever sport they chose to practice. On the other hand, expectations are high. You qualified for the Olympics? It's not something you would brag about. Came strong 20th. or something? People back home would not care, media wouldn't even mention that. You have to be…
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23Aug 2020 by DS News Team
One Small Step For Apparel Maker, One Giant Leap For Mankind

One Small Step For Apparel Maker, One Giant Leap For Mankind

Gear News, Newsfeed
In 2020 the most important piece of gear for cross country skier is...not skis - smartphone! Assume you all agree that's an axiom and thus doesn't need proving: enough to look at the strength/ speed with which hitherto dead-tired young men and women rush for their phones once their race or training session is over. Sure, there a sect within the community that believes that skiing time IS the time to unwind and take a break from that "connected life" - but its numbers are rapidly dwindling. The masses roar:"Nothing gets between me and my smartphone - ever!" Jokes aside, unless you happened to be a world class skier who is nearly always accompanied by coach/ support personnel on car/ bike, you do need a smartphone - to play your…
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