Pro team athletes competed in Cable, Wisconsin for the first Supertour stop of the season. In below zero temperatures on firm fast racing conditions the team performed well agains the top skiers in the nation. In a four-race series the BSF Pro Team had a podium finish in every event including career best finishes by Nina Seeman, Amma Albrecht, and Graham Houtsma.
"The first races of the season are always exciting. It's rewarding as coach to see the hard work these athletes put in during the off-season pay off. This was our strongest start to the supertour season yet and it feels like the team is in a good place going into Nationals at the beginning of the new year." Reports coach Andy
Newell.
Emma reflects on her career best results:
"This past week, I made it onto my first Supertour podium. It’s something I’ve worked toward for years and always believed I could do. But, setting big goals can be intimidating and so it was very exciting to be standing on that podium.
This weekend made me think back to my first Supertour race in 2019. The race was at Theodore Wirth in Minneapolis during my senior year of high school. My mom let me skip school to compete, which was exciting on its own. I think I only beat one person that day.
There’s one moment from that weekend in 2019 that I still think about. I was sitting in the chalet when Erika Flowers walked in and sat down next to me. She was one of the fastest women in the country, and definitely someone I looked up to and followed on social media. We didn’t talk—she had no idea who I was—but just seeing her sitting there, doing the same pre-race things I was doing, made me realize that the people I looked up to are still just regular people. Really fast people, sure, but they weren’t all that different from me.
Looking back now, it’s moments like that that stick with me. Racing is fun, and it’s rewarding to see yourself improve, but what really stands out are the small things: It’s about the people who inspire you, the process of putting yourself out there, and the small moments of growth that push you closer to your goals. "
Going into US Nationals in Anchorage, Alaska Pro Team members rank well in the national rankings. Nina Seeman is currently the Supertour leader for women and earned World Cup Tour de Ski starts that she has declined to focus on 23 world championship qualification. Graham Houtsma is currently sitting in 3rd position in the men's national ranking.
