The Daily Skier

05Dec 2023 by The Daily Skier Editorial

ISPO tour of xcski related stuff

For those who missed fhe message: Swedish Bliz has just been acquired by Essilor Luxottica, the global mastodon with annual revenue of some 25 billion dollars. More importantly for xcskiers, Luxottica owns Oakley too. One can argue about shapes and colors, but Oakley lenses are leagues ahead of competitors when it comes to snow tracks. That's why most athletes free of contracts habitually choose them. Bliz has its fans for the comfort of their frames. Therefore, the question the day is “ would Bliz get access to Oakley lens technology now?” Hestra, part of the Scandinavian Outdoor Group, that also owns such xcski- related brands as Alfa ( remember the boots?!), Halti and Thule, had Johannes Klaebo-branded gloves. Might be a new color - the model is the same…

30Nov 2023 by The Daily Skier Editorial

Hello from the first real post-Covid ISPO Muhich!

Gear News

For those uninitiated or those who forgot: ISPO is the world's most important trade fair and industry event for everything & anything to do with winter sports. That's where bulk buyers, retail chain managers meet manufacturers and brands while brands meet future suppliers. In the last couple of years ISPO has been trying to make a pivot from being strictly B-to-B to modern B-to-С, but more on that later. ISPO is huge and you hear a hundred different languages spoken there at once. It's the only place where an owner of some uber-fancy Swiss ski shop could shake hands and chat with a padding maker from Myanmar. ISPO is different this year - for one thing, it was moved from traditional January to November last year, the organizers say “…

26Jul 2023 by The Daily Skier Editorial

FIS makes major announcement. How would it affect international xcskiing

Leaders, Money & Finance

FIS knows its business well - it has decided to make a major announcement about the future right in the middle of summer holidays, when the interest in snow sports is at a minimum and most of the reporters/ analysts are on holiday Enjoy, relax, we've got you covered - and shall explain the significance of the moment. From FIS press release: International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) and Infront have agreed terms for an exclusive agency agreement for the distribution of the international media rights to FIS World Cup events for all platforms starting in the 2026/27 season and covering eight seasons until and including 2033/34. Until and including the 2025/26 season, Infront will continue to implement the existing collective media rights distribution approach based on…

13Jun 2023 by The Daily Skier Editorial

The Shoreline Sprints & Distance, America’s fastest growing rollerski event

Leaders, Newsfeed, Travel & Mass Sport

On July 7th & 8th Rice Lake, Wi. will host this year's edition The Shoreline Sprints & Distance. The Shoreline rollerski competition is a brainchild of Kris and Bjorn Hanson, who ownOut There Nordic, a pro-xcski store & ski preps facility at Rice Lake. As the name suggests, the races will take place on a shore of the local lake that attracts quite a few tourists in the summer. At least the Sprints will - distance race will be held more inland, on roads without traffic. The level of competition? Well, both last year's men races were won by the Canadian Olympian Graham Ritchie. Half a year later Ritchie went to become a part of the relay team at the World Championship in Planica, Slovenia where the Canadians ( quite…

21Feb 2023 by The Daily Skier Editorial

Norway puts its economic might on display in Planica to dismay of other nations

Leaders, Money & Finance

"...at the entrance to the ( Planica ski) stadium, the Norwegian Skiing Association has left its mark on the arena by parking a large trailer that will delight the association's VIP guests during the championship…" Have to give a credit to Nettavisen & the rest of the Norwegian media: they didn't skip on the most interesting story of the world championships so far. The reaction of the rest of the xcski world was pretty much summed up by the Slovenian xcski legend Petra Majdic: " What the hell is Norway doing? Does Norway need to make smaller ski nations even smaller? Fair enough that they can afford to pay 6,000 euros to park here for their sponsors, but the cross-country skiing needs now more than ever that there…

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