In today's 10 k story on FasterSkier, here's how it began: "The high pressure continued at the 2021 World Championships on Tuesday in more ways than one. Oberstdorf, Germany’s temps hovered around 50 degrees Fahrenheit for the start of the women’s 10-kilometer individual freestyle, and a rarefied number of skiers poised to step on the podium. The pressure cooker that is the individual start, with skiers setting off at 30-second intervals was on display from the first earnest pole plants out of the start."

The pressure that may  have been building for this event was released as Norway's Johaug won the race by 54 seconds over Sweden's Frida Karlsson. All things considered, even going way back to the 2000 Olympics, a relatively massive time gap to second place. And for her part, Jessie Diggins of the U.S. did not disappoint. She came within a few seconds of bronze. 

Cutting to the chase, we cover it all in the episode including a look at the American prospects in the upcoming 4 x 5 k relay. 

Thanks for listening. 

In this episode, we speak with Zach Caldwell -- Putney, Vermont ski whisperer and wax nerd at Caldwell Sport. We’ve received questions from listeners asking about the difficulty of waxing (for both skate and classic) as well as ski selection when the temperatures spike beyond the melting point for snow. That has been the case in Oberstdorf, Germany the last week, site of the 2021 Nordic Ski World Championships. 

That said, it’s a “rest day” at World Champs, so no race breakdown in this episode — just wax and ski talk.

Thanks for listening.  

In this Sunday, World Championship team sprint episode of the Devon Kershaw Show, we have a special guest from Québec , the actual Prince of Québec ... Alex Harvey. 

It has been ten short or long years since he and Kershaw won the classic team sprint at the 2011 Oslo World Championships. First off, before listening to the episode today...check out the videos posted below. 

To set the scene, this win goes down at the Holmenkollen, the Shangri La of cross-country skiing. The Holmenkollen is hallowed ground.   

Think dense fog rolling in from Oslo fjord - a hundred thousand fans lining the course and stomping in the stands - there to witness the Canadians overtake a Norwegian in the final straight to win the team sprint. Back then, Harvey and Kershaw were a decade younger but no less wise. But we’ll let them tell the story.

For now, their win in Oslo is a good spine tingle for these times. They remind us of the gift of crowds and that anything can happen when the stars and maybe a little fog align. 

Here are some solid videos to time-machine back to relive the scene:

1) The call from British Eurosport

2) The scene on the grind from former Canadian National Team athlete George Grey

Indeed, we do get to the 2021 World Championships too. Kershaw and Harvey chat about the sunny day’s racing in the freestyle team sprint won by Norway on the men’s side and Sweden for the women. 

Thanks for listening. 

The most special of special guest on the podcast today, Kristin Størmer Steira. Størmer Steira, a retired Norwegian ski star, chats it up with Devon from Lillehammer, where the two are busy raising two young daughters.

According to a 2014 FasterSkier article on the couple, evidently, Kershaw's "great smile", a legacy of his youth in Sudbury, won Størmer Steira over. 

In her own right, Størmer Steira was a Norwegian ski star. Back in 2005, Størmer Steira had a breakout in Oberstdorf at the World Champs where she placed third in the 2 x 7.5 k pursuit and won gold as a member of the 4 x 5 k Norwegian relay team. Along with accolades such as more World Champs and Olympic hardware, she's known as a salt of the earth human being. As listeners of the podcast know, the medals are stashed in a humble wooden box somewhere above the garage. 

Along with Devon, Størmer Steira provides insight into the vagaries of racing in Oberstdorf and the highlights from today when Alexander Bolshunov won his first individual championship medal as he pulled away in the closing moments of the 30 k skiathlon, and Norway's Therese Johaug steamrolled on the women's side. 

Thanks for listening to our championship coverage. 

The storylines were many during Thursday's classic sprint at the 2021 World Championships in Oberstdorf, Germany. As the backdrop for the racing -- the temps were high, the salted course began to breakdown in the final corner, and running uphill with skis on ... at lightning speed ... was mandatory.  

Norway swept the men's podium with none other than classic kingpin Johannes Høsflot Klæbo taking the win. For certain, as this was on display in both the men's and women's racing, Klæbo has helped redefine classic sprinting. Stride if you must, but if you're weren't Klæbo-running, you were falling behind. 

On the women's side, Sweden took the win as Jonna Sundling won her first championship gold as she flew ahead of the competition into the final straight.

Here to help break down the day's racing, and partake in other digressions, is former Canadian National Team member Lenny Valjas. (Thank you Lenny for doing the pod.) 

The legend is set in stone: Kikkan Randall brought a new intensity and bottom-line results to the U.S. Ski Team. Three overall sprint globes to her name, five Olympics, a bronze at the 2017 Lahti World Champs in the skate sprint, a silver at the 2009 Liberec, Czech Republic World Champs skate sprint, a gold at the 2013 Val di Fiemme, Italy World Champs in the team sprint (with Diggins), and the 2018 Olympic Gold in PyeongChang's team sprint. Stellar. 

Her story is infused with her firm belief in team and the matter of fact grit she brings to life as a cancer survivor. Let's not forget she is a proud mom. She remains legend material. 

We are stoked to have her on the show. 

You can follow Kikkan on IG @kikkanimal, her website is kikkan.com  

In this episode, we chat about the weekend's racing from World Juniors and U23s. This is part two of our coverage of Worlds for the younger folks. This episode covers the relays and mass start classic races that concluded Sunday in Vuokatti, Finland. 

On the show is longtime Kershaw friend Noah Hoffman, who it turns out, beyond his cross-country skiing endurance exploits, is an investment partner with Kershaw. We hear about the weekend's racing, their experiences at Junior/U23 Worlds, and the fundamental strategic vision guiding their stock picks.   

Thanks for listening and as this winter moves into mid-February, we hope all are well. 

Devon jumps into the World Junior/U23 fray. This is part one of our coverage of Worlds for the younger folks. This episode covers the classic sprints and the individual skate races that concluded today in Vuokatti, Finland. 

The racing began on February 9 with the junior classic sprint. The U23 classic sprints were postponed on Wednesday due to the severe cold in Finland. Those sprints were held Thursday. Friday was a jam-packed race day with race officials and volunteers running four different individual skate events. 

We will be recording a second podcast on Sunday to conclude World Juniors/U23s. 

Thanks for listening. You can find detailed results from World Juniors here. 

In this episode, Devon and former Canadian National Team member Jess Cockney discuss the intricacies of Saturday's skate sprint and Sunday's team sprint in Ulricehamn, Sweden. 

The stage has been set, the first few acts are over, yet the curtain has not closed -- Jessie Diggins with a third place in Saturday's sprint brings her closer to securing the World Cup overall as the season enters it's last month and a half of racing. No other way of putting it, Diggins looks in-form and formidable. 

The men's skate sprint saw a slimmed down Norwegian squad locked out of the final and Oskar Svensson of Sweden sweep in for another win. And Sunday, that was team sprint day - we'll let Kershaw and Cockney drill down on the merits of that race. You'll hear some Yin and Yang.  

And as a bonus, we get a brief oral history of perhaps the most Canadian of things, the xc-ski air guitar. The origin myths you hold close to your heart may be dispelled.   

Thanks for listening. 

The second weekend with Norway back on the scene was a reveal. Therese Johaug, arguably the second greatest cross-country skier of all time, was bested by an in form and dialed in Jessie Diggins. Interval starts, for what its worth, most often do not command a television or streaming audience. This show is a must watch. It may just be Diggins' best career race. 

So we chat a ton about Diggins. But we also dive in head first and discuss some other stout race performances - Schumacher's 9th place, Bolshunov's double-win weekend, Linn Svahn's supremacy on the sprint course, and the dicey nature of Saturday's mass start racing. 

As we inch closer to the World Championships at the end of February, it's time to start thinking about who might bring home some hardware. The Falun three race series gave us a glimpse into who's star might shine in Obertsdorf.