Forest Lake

Preparing to defend a state title "When most people think of nordic skiing they think of cold winter days and fresh powdery snow. The Forest Lake High School nordic ski team on the other hand thinks of sweltering heat and hard blacktop. After the boys team won the state title with Ben Fick also winning the individual state title and the girls team taking third, the program as a whole knows every team in the state will be gunning for them. Knowing every race is going to be a challenge, the Rangers nordic teams are putting in long hours this summer to ensure they stay atop the awards stand when the state meet comes around. Rangers nordic ski coach Deno Johnson has the team working out five nights a week and expects the athletes to work out on their own at least once over the weekend. “It (nordic skiing) is a lifestyle as much as it is a sport and in order to be good, the kids have to be focused 12 months out of the year,” Johnson said. A typical week has the Rangers classical skiing on roller skies on Monday nights out in New Scandia, working on their skating technique on the Hardwood Trail in Hugo on Tuesday nights, doing dry land exercises at the high school on Wednesdays, running at Battlecreek Park in St. Paul on Thursdays and skiing a time trial on Fridays. “The roller skiing is very similar to skiing on the snow and it’s a great way to work on the kids technique,” Johnson said. “They can really make strides in the hot summer months for the winter season because it takes a lot of discipline to ski in the hot weather just as it does in the cold.” Each day’s workout isn’t a relaxing ride on a nature trail or along the side of the road. The skiers are giving it everything they have for an hour and a half to two hours each day. “Nordic skiing is a sport of extremes where we have some races get canceled because it is too cold,” Johnson said. “Skiing in the heat helps the kids become mentally tougher.” The workouts pay off. After the 2003/04 season Ted Steiner was 78th at the state meet, but after a summer of training with Johnson he leaped up to fourth place. Zack Clark was another skier who made a huge improvement going from 85th to 17th. “Ted was totally committed and Zack decided he was going to buckle down and he ended up being All-State after being out in the sticks the year before,” Johnson said. As the nordic ski team recruits new members, Johnson says it is sometimes hard to convince them to train in the summer time. “It can be kind of tough to get new skiers out at first in the summer time, but they see the older kids and how fast they ski and how technically well they ski,” Johnson said. “With a little encouragement they come out and once they’re out here they’re hooked. Once a new skier participates in the summer training they make huge leaps in their skills.” Open to others Johnson works with the Rangers and other local nordic skiers through the Nordicwerks Ski Klubb. “This is open to skiing enthusiasts,” Johnson said. “We’re open to all and our kids (FLHS skiers) can choose to participate or not. It’s totally up to them.” This summer’s program has nordic skiers from Forest Lake, Stillwater and Mora. Nordicwerks itself is now in its fourth summer.“Ever since we started this we’ve seen our results go up,” Johnson said. The Nordicwerks program is not the only one in the state. There are a small handful of nordic ski summer programs, but the Nordicwerks one has the defending boys state championship team so they’re obviously doing something right." This was in the Forest Lake Times. We shall see what we shall see come February. Don't kid yourself-we're out there every day running and skiing just like they are. I've even created a picture of their star, good ol' Ben Fick. Any body else that reads this too--don't think you are safe...my candid shots will be up here soon. Just thought I'd add that little bit about Forest Lake since we have our sights set on them, and they are the ones that need to keep checking over their shoulders...have a good night...sleep tight...and don't fuck with DE Nordic.