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DISCLAIMER:
This list might be extremely biased, ill-informed, and/or completely
irrational. But it's more fun that way.
Old Lists: 1998-99
| 1999-2000 | 2000-2001
April
8, 2002
Top
5 Places I Want To Live Next (revised)-
I'm thinking it might be time to move on to a new location. After
preliminary research, these are my top choices
- Vancouver,
British Columbia - from all I've read I can't believe that the
whole world doesn't live in Vancouver. Skiing, biking, kayaking,
hiking, all within minutes of a fairly cultural city? How do I
become Canadian?
- Anchorage,
Alaska - Has everything I would want in a city, especially ski
trails.
- Bend,
Oregon - I've always enjoyed visiting Bend and I know I would
love living there. But I'd like to be closer to sea-level.
- Portland,
Oregon - another very nice city, but maybe a bit too far from
the snow for me.
- Hawaii
- of course, in the right place I could probably do without snow
for a while
April
1, 2002
Top
5 National Parks To Visit On My Upcoming Road Trip
- after the season, my girlfriend and I are taking a road trip to
San Diego to visit my brother. Here is where I want to go along
the way.
- Capitol
Reef National Park - the only Park in Utah that I haven't been
to.
- Death
Valley National Park - what is there to do in the desert? I'm
not sure, but I want to find out.
- Great
Basin National Park - Mountains, snow, and caves in the desert
of Nevada? We'll find out.
- Joshua
Tree National Park
- Sequoia/Kings
Canyon National Park - probably still covered in snow, but there's
nothing wrong with that!
March
25, 2002
Top
5 Things On My 'Fun To Do' List After The Season Is Over
- since the second half of the season was pretty laid-back for me,
I'm not in need of a lot of rest. Good thing, because I've got plans.
- Surfing
- my brother lives in San Diego. I am going to go visit and hang
out on the beach, catching some rays and some waves.
- Crust
skiing backcountry tour - I want to do an overnight crust skiing
adventure in the Unita Mountains of Utah.
- Explore
Goblin Valley, Utah - I've never been there, but it looks like
a cool little place.
- Go
on a three day kayaking trip - I'm not sure where or when, but
I'd like to go
- Hiking
in Wyoming's Wind River Range - have to wait a while before the
snow melts up there, but I'll be ready
March
18, 2002
Top
5 Things That Went Wrong For Me At The Gold Rush
- It
snowed 2 feet the night before the race - I hate racing in soft
snow
- I
got charged an arm and a leg for the rental car
- Had
to buy chains for said rental car, which broke after one use
- Was
staying in friend's rental house along with one of the other renters
who clearly did not like having us there.
- Duke
and Mississippi State, my picks for the NCAA final, lost in the
third round
March
11, 2002
Top
5 Things I Am Going To Do Next
- I got laid off on Friday, so I guess it is time to figure some
stuff out.
- Figure
out how I am going to pay all my credit card bills from this winter
- Find
a new job
- See
how much my fluorocarbon will fetch on the black market
- Update
my resume
- See
if my girlfriend wants to support me for a few years
March
4, 2002
Top
5 Things That Went Right For Me At This Year's Great Ski Race (aside
from the food poisoning and pole mishaps)
- Won
$12.50 in the slot machines at the Reno airport
- Had
a beautiful place to stay right on Lake Tahoe, only minutes from
the race start
- Had
a beautiful ski at Tahoe-Donner after the race on Sunday
- Got
a great deal on the rental car
- Had
the most fun I have ever had in a race, screaming down through
the downhills in a paceline at 40 mph.
February
25, 2002
Top
5 Ways I Avoided Getting Over-tired and Sick During The Olympics
- Made
a few visits to Johann Muehlegg's team doctor for a little pick-me-up
- Induced
naps by watching the Curling action on TV
- Decided
not to get up at 4:00 each morning to stand in the cold for a
1/2 second of TV time with Al Roker on the Today show.
- Tried
to avoid spending too much time in the Budweiser pavilion
- Spent
one day each week either in bed or on the couch, catching up on
sleep.
February
18, 2002
Top
5 Observations From The Olympics
- Vegard
Ulvang seems like the kind of guy you'd want to hang out with
- maybe have a beer or go on a camping trip
- These
skiers are fast, but not THAT fast -we can catch them
- Beckie
Scott is not the next Bill Koch - She is the first Beckie Scott
- This
is the perfect time to go downhill skiing - no one is on the mountain
- Suddenly
I have a lot of friends who want to visit
February
11, 2002
Top
5 Favorite Winter Olympians Prior To This Year
- Vegard
Ulvang
- Bjorn
Daehlie
- Dan
Jansen
- Kristi
Yamaguchi
- Gustav
Vader - simply because he has the coolest name. There is no way
anyone can beat a bobsled driver named Gustav Vader
February
4, 2002
Top
5 Observations From Training in Sun Valley This Week With Olympic
Teams
- Johann
Muehlegg is disturbingly fast, even when he is training.
- The
Norwegians have as many coaches as they do athletes.
- The
Norwegians always congregate on the most remote part of the trail,
as if to avoid giving away secrets.
- From
what I've seen, Thomas Alsgaard does more socializing on the trail
than skiing (to be fair, I only saw him during two sessions, but
each time he was standing around talking).
- They
all love Sun Valley.
January
28, 2002
Top
5 Coolest Things About The Wasatch Overland Race, held last weekend.
- There
is a start line and a finish line, how you get from one to the
other is your business (FYI: Even driving isn't faster than skiing,
although snowmobiling probably is). Participants use everything
from skis to snowboards to snowshoes to ski-bikes.
- There
is about 9K of continuous downhill - with a vertical drop of about
3000 feet.
- You
get to pass downhill skiers and snowboarders on the downhill
- It
is quite possibly the only cross country ski race where glide
wax doesn't matter at all. You'll go as fast as you can handle,
no matter what you have on.
- The
apres-race party
January
21, 2002
Top
5 Things I Want To Do More Of Now That The Olympic Trials Are Over
- Start
counting the days until "Attack of the Clones" opens
- Go
see "Crossroads"
- Watch
Spongbob Squarepants
- Sleep
in
- Eating
waffles for breakfast (instead of oatmeal)
January
21, 2002
Top
5
- Royal
Gorge & Tahoe Donner XC, California
- Bretton
Woods, NH
- Kincaid
Park, AK
- Bohart
Ranch, Montana
- Winter
Park, Colorado
- Jackson
Ski Touring Foundation, NH
January
14, 2002
Top
6 Most Scenic X-C Ski Resorts In The United States
- Royal
Gorge & Tahoe Donner XC, California
- Bretton
Woods, NH
- Kincaid
Park, AK
- Bohart
Ranch, Montana
- Winter
Park, Colorado
- Jackson
Ski Touring Foundation, NH
January
7 , 2002
Top
5 Places I Would Like To Live After I Am Done Ski Racing
As
I travel around the country for races, I evaluate all the towns
as to whether I would like to live there. My ideal place to live
has: Some ski trails out my back door (with lots more within an
hour of driving), mountains and hiking/running trails nearby, lakes
all around and an ocean less than two hours away. A nice small town
feel with a cultural center like a University or decent city with
30 minutes. (From that description, I guess its obvious that I grew
up in New England). I have yet to find a place that meets all these
criteria, but these come close:
- Jackson,
NH
- Anchorage,
AK
- Bend,
OR
- Burlington,
VT
- Queenstown,
New Zealand
Honorable
Mention: Bozeman,MT, Lake Placid,NY Park City,UT, Truckee,CA
December
31, 2001
Top
5 Things That Have Improved My Ski Racing Lifestyle
- The
Internet - want to register for a race in Alaska, or see if its
snowing in New Hampshire, or book a ticket to Canada, or read
about some wanna-be skier's life on the road? It's all there.
- Having
a garage to store all my gear.
- MP3's
- instead of having to choose which 12 CD's to bring on each trip,
I can now take my whole music collection everywhere.
- Windblock
Long Underwear
- Cell
phone - as much as I hate the idea of having one, it makes working
and keeping in touch with family and friends while on the road
much easier.
December
24, 2001
Top
5 Things On My Wishlist For Christmas This Year
- Apple
Titanium Powerbook G4
- Apple
iPod MP3 player - to go with said Powerbook
- A
super-bright headlamp for skiing
- Ultimate
Direction Rampage fastpack
- Someone
to buy 273 ski racing videos
December
17, 2001
Top
5 Most Weather Dependant Sports
- Sailing
- we can make snow (sometimes) but can they make wind?
- Ice
Fishing - we could ski on rocks and grass if we really wanted
to, but I'd like to see someone pull a bobhouse out onto an unfrozen
lake.
- Downhill
Skiing/Snowboarding - more dependant than xc because of increased
risk from cold temperatures, wind, avalanche danger, etc.
- Baseball
- those sissies don't even play when its raining.
- Cross
Country Skiing - see we don't have it so bad do we?
December
17, 2001
Top
5 Reasons I Can't Wait For The Lord Of The Rings movie
- 'Cause
it looks damn cool
- To
see what the Ents look like
- So
I can stop seeing those annoying Burger King ads
- To
see what Gollum look like
- So
people will stop talking about Harry Potter
December
10, 2001
Top
Five things I want to do to the idiots that scheduled important
races in the Midwest before December 15th:
This list was submitted by another skier, though I think his sentiments
are being echoed widely.
- Make THEM pay $500 for airplane tickets, then force them to
cancel, pay exchange fees and then rebook tickets with 3 days
notice. All to go to a rainy, ice-covered !@#$ place where they
spend hours and hours going around in tiny circles.
- Kill them because they are stupid and obviously a severe danger
to the rest of us and themselves.
- Make them compete in duathlon for the rest of their lives.
- Plant little voice recorders that say "I told you so" everywhere
they go.
- Bill them for all of the stone grinding that will take place
after these races.
December
3, 2001
Top
five reasons Cory flew to Minnesota with three feet of snow in Park
City:
A much-needed
bit of humor submitted by Chris Humbert
- Snow
is too cold... Cory prefers the warmth of Minnesota!
- When
it's 25 degrees and sunny, with the right wax, skis can be very
slippery and hence, dangerous... Cory prefers the safety and predictability
of pavement!
- Why
settle for the merely perfect kick you get with Blue hard wax
when you can have the bomber kick only a ratchet provides... Cory
prefers rollerskiing!
- When
you're skiing in an inch-an-hour snowstorm in Park City, your
clothes can get really wet... Cory prefers to ski where there's
no snow!
- When
tucking a fast downhill at Soldier Hollow, your skis can get caught
in the perfect corduroy and really throw you... Cory prefers the
stability of pavement!
November
26, 2001
Top
5 Ideas For The Ski Duathlon
- Require
a mandatory three minutes in the exchange zone, this will allow
plenty of time for changing equipment and, more importantly, trash
talking.
- Since
they want to include other aspects of skiing - such as putting
on your boots and skis - in a person's race time, why not take
it a step further. Time racers from the time they wake up. The
race will include getting dressed to ski, eating breakfast, waxing
skis, getting your bib (or do you sleep with the bib on?), racing,
doing your warm down, and standing around talking about how your
race was (of course you won't really know how it was since it
won't be over yet)..
- Make
racers change everything - including all clothes - in the change
zone. Now that will increase attendance - or maybe not.
- I
am going to start selling a new ski video - "How To Put Your
Boots On Faster with Per Elofsson"
- Make
the Germans who came up with this idea organize and run the first
event. See if they still think it's a good idea.
November
19, 2001
Top
5 Favorite Spices/Condiments/Cooking Ingredients
- We eat a ton of pasta during the ski season - here is what I like
to put on my pasta, and almost anything else.
- Garlic
- Butter
- Olive
Oil
- Parmesan
Cheese
- Pesto
November
12, 2001
Top
5 Favorite Popular Songs Of 2001
- Tool
- Schism
- R.E.M.
- Imitation Of Life
- Nickelback
- Too Bad
- Lifehouse
- Hanging By A Moment
- Enya
- Only Time
November
5, 2001
Top
5 Favorite Supporting Characters in Popular Movies
- Stifler
- American Pie: When he comes on the screen, I just instictively
start laughing
- Darth
Vader: The epitome of evil
- Steve
Buschemi's character in Desperado - one of the most under-rated
movies of all time
- Mini-Me
- Austin Power's 2: He is the only thing that saved that movie
from being a total flop
- The
stoner guy in Dazed and Confused
October
29, 2001
Top 5 TV
Programs I Watch In Fairbanks
- VH1's
Top 40 Hair Bands Of All-Time
- Blind
Date
- Street
Smarts
- VH1's
Behind The Music - 1999
- Home
Invasion - on Lifetime:Television for Women
October
22, 2001
Top 5 Playoff Teams
I Want to Win The World Series
- Red
Sox - What's that? They didn't make the playoffs you say? Are
you sure? I refuse to believe it.
- Anyone
but the Yankees
- Cleveland
Indians - poor guys have been good for so long and never win.
- Atlanta
Braves - see above
- Seattle
Mariners - If you win 114 games, you deserve to win the Series.
October
15, 2001
My Top 5 Ways I Know
It Is Time To Get On Snow
- I have just spent
thousands of dollars on plane tickets and lodging for upcoming
race trips.
- When
I rollerski, I fall flat on my face because my pole tips can't
penetrate the ice cold pavement.
- I wake up at 7 am
to train and it is still dark out.
- The Dallas Cowboys
finally win a game.
- My excitment for
dryland intervals goes from minimal to non-existant.
October 8, 2001
Top 5 Impressions
of the Grand Canyon
- aaaa,
its not all that big really.
- If
only 5% of the people who visit the Canyon hike below the rim,
what percent run from one side to the other in 6 hours?
- Its
a bit frustrating to look at because you can never get your eyes
around the whole thing at once.
- Having
a snack bar at the bottom takes away from the "wild"
feeling.
- Next
time - over AND back.
September 24, 2001
Top 5 Thoughts On
The New TV Season
- Thank
god The Family Guy is back.
- Will
Friends PLEASE stop using that Enya song in its promos
(the song deserves better)!
- One
more Seinfeld alum flops pathetically.
- The
Simpsons is still the best show on TV. I will not argue this.
- Bring
back Norm!
September 17, 2001
Top
5 reasons why it sucks that xcskiracer.com hasn't been updated in
a month
Submitted by Jeff Lewis
- Every
morning office workers around the world arrive at work, their
hopes naively buoyant, click open their Favourites window, and
collectively hold their breath as xcskiracer.com flashes onto
the screen. Only to have their hopes and spirits dashed again
and again.....and again. This of course has led directly to the
current economic downturn.
- It
is well known that Julija Tchepalova, coy girl that she is, recently
checked out the site to figure out a way to make a move on Cory.
However, upon seeing that the website hasn't been updated in a
month, she lost all interest. Well, it serves the bum right.
- Thomas
Alsgaard updates HIS site nearly every day. Or at least has a
lackey to do it for him.
- Biathlon
Canada - whom until recently still listed the selection criteria
for the 99-00 season on their website - are starting to look good
by comparison.
- Several
people have reported severe eye strain and carpal tunnel syndrome
from playing with the 360 degree view of Soldier Hollow for hours
on end, for a lack of anything better to do on the site.
September 3, 2001
My Top 5 Signs Fall
Is On The Way
- It actually rained
in Utah for the first time in months.
- Leaves are starting
to turn.
- Way too many back
to school sales everywhere.
- I had a flashback
to Fairbanks the other day.
- I have to put on
a sweatsirt when I go out in the morning.
August 27, 2001
Top 5 Movies I want(ed)
to See this summer but never got to, because I am too damn busy.
- Jay and Silent Bob
Strike Back
- American Pie 2
- A.I.
- Scary Movie 2
- Hedwig and the Angry
Inch
August 20, 2001
My Top 5 Things I
Broke or Hurt Last Week:
- My heart (when I
found out the Poison concert was canceled)
- My Skate rollerski
poles
- My classic rollerski
poles (though it could have been much worse considering I was
trying to get a bee out of my shorts when it happened).
- Pulled a muscle
in my neck - I had a great view of my shoes for a day or so.
- Pulled muscle in
my back -probably because I was overcompensating for my neck.
August 13, 2001
My Top 5 Favorite
Non-Athletic Interests or Things I Never Have Time To Do
- Sailing
- Being a Computer
Geek
- Collecting Maps
of Places I Have Been/Trained
- Taking Photographs
(though I am no good)
- Napping
August 6, 2001
Top 5 Most Miserable
Workouts I Have Experienced Without Doing Major Physical Harm To
Myself
- Rollerskiing Through
Slush and 35 degree weather.
- Losing the trail
on a long run and bushwacking through stinging nettles.
- Skiing in a torential
downpour at 38 degrees without a rain jacket.
- Running a 6K time
trial in 95/95 weather. (95 degrees/95% humidity)
- Skiing in temperatures
so far below zero that the thermometer didn't register it.
July 30, 2001
Top 5 Songs I Set
My CD Player To Wake Up To In The Morning
- Get Up - R.E.M.
- Nice Guys Finish
Last - Green Day
- Ray Of Light - Madonna
- Sleep Now In The
Fire - Rage Against The Machine
- Serial Thrilla -
The Prodigy
July 23, 2001
Top 5 Reasons That
Training with a Team is Better Than Alone
- Teammates. They
push you, they make the time pass quicker, and it beats being
out there alone.
- You can't back out
of a workout just because you are a little tired.
- You have a coach
to give you tips and suggestions during workouts.
- The training schedule
is made up for you by a real coach.
- It is easier to
guage your progress relative to other skiers.
July 16, 2001
Top 5 Longest Workouts
I've Ever Done (Not including normal (i.e. slow) day hikes)
- Vermont Bike Ride.
July 1, 2001 Total Time: 12 hours
- Running From Hanover,
NH to Mount Moosilauke on the Appalachian Trail. October 1993.
11 hours 55 minutes.
- Running from Pinkham
Notch, NH to Crawford Notch, NH on the Appalachian Trail over
the Presidential Range. September 1998. 11 hours.
- The Bike Ride Of
Death, Utah. July 16, 2001. 9 hours.
- Running up King's
Peak, the highest peak in Utah. October 1999. 8 and a half hours.
July 2, 2001
Top 5 Craving During
a Super Long Workout
- Something to drink
besides water and sports drink, like a Coke.
- Ice Cream.
- Pepperoni and Cheese.
- French Fries.
- A hot tub and a
bed.
June 25, 2001
Top 5 Ways To Ease
The Pain of Travelling With Ski Equipment
- Use curbside check-in.
Not only is it easier, but you also avoid the risk of getting
charged for oversized baggage at the Ticket Counter. Paying a
few bucks for a tip is much better than $75 for too many pairs
of skis.
- Get a wheeled duffel
bag. Just got one myself and it is so nice. Just put the ski bag
on top of the duffel and wheel them both with ease. No carrying
at all.
- Pack your ski clothes
around your skis. Not only does this free up more space in the
duffel, but it protects the skis too.
- Get a pole tube.
Poles break easier than skis. You can always duct tape it to the
outside of your ski bag if you need to.
- Don't bother with
a full wax box. Just throw the waxes and tools you need in your
bag.
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