Cross Country Skier Winter 2017

FEATURES 2017 LIGHT TOURING GEAR What sort of ski do you need when you're setting your own track on ungroomed, untracked terrain? What if your thing is climbing a mountain to Telemark down through bottomless powder? Our editors called in a few dozen pairs of skis, boots and bindings and, thanks to an ample, early-season snowpack in Northern Vermont, put them through the paces. WAX WARS: ON THE WORLD CUP CIRCUIT, AMERICA IS DAVID Last winter, Hansi Johnson followed the US Women's Cross Country team to Lahti, Finland. While he watched a lot of racing, he discovered that, though the American team is outspent by Norway and others as much as 14 to one on waxing, the Yanks can more than hold their own. CALM IN CHAOS: HOW 9/11 CHANGED AMERICAN BIATHLON On September 11th, 2001, everything changed. The American Biathlon program, long supported by the US Army and National Guard, was no exception. So, we had writer Matt Crawford make some calls to the who's who of the sport. What he learned might