MTB Season Finale, Carl Swenson Interview

by Jay Richards
December 6, 2005

It's hard to believe that 10 days ago I rode a lap of the Laddies Loppet course with my mountain bike. There was a little bit of snow to ski on some sections of trails but I figured I better get one last ride in before the snow started to fall. The ground was frozen and the sightlines were good making for a fun ride. However, as a skier, I was anxiously looking forward to getting on snow and "knocking out the k's". Sure enough a storm came through the Midwest last week leaving most everyone in the Midwest, including Iowa, with a beautiful blanket of white and temps more commonly seen in January. The ski season is off to a great start which is what the sport needs after some challenging winters snow wise.

The Midwest mountain bike season unofficially ended for the year with the Iceman Cometh race in Traverse City WI back on November 5th. Part of the unofficial "Midwest Triple Crown" (Ore to Shore and Chequemegon the other races), the race this year saw one of the most competitive battles in years with local fast guys Tristan Schouten, Doug Swanson, Jeff Hall and Brian Matter doing battle with seasoned NORBA pros Adam Craig, Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski and Travis Brown. Doug and Tristan made the podium but Adam Craigs bike handling seemed to notch the win as he took top honors.
   Iceman Cometh results

If I was to award a particular person as "rider of the year", it would have to be Tristan Schouten. He hit the full plate of NORBA nationals, having a great season. Although didn't win one of the coveted "Triple Crown" races, he was right up there in each of them. Tristan is still going great guns racing out east in UCI cyclocross races.  For this unofficial award, I will be sending Tristan a pound of venison jerkey from our own backyard.
  Tristan's Blog

If you are a biker and the cold weather and snow came too quickly after a warmer than usual autumn, this might be the year to learn how to ski with so many areas sporting good skiing conditions. There are many Nordic centers in the Midwest that can help get you going. Nordic skiing is a great activity to keep the fitness during the off season. The major muscle groups used for both sports are similar and more importantly, it keeps the mind fresh and the body motivated for year-round training. To me biking in temps in the mid 20's is much colder then skiing in below 0 temps so having the ski option on the colder days is nice.

There are many cyclists that use Nordic skiing for training during the off season but Carl Swenson is hands down the master of these two great sports. I first met Carl when I lived in Essex, MT, while working at the Izaak Walton Inn. He was doing some fall hiking with friends in Glacier National Park. Even though this was back in the 90's, I was an admiring fan as he was able to compete at the highest level in both disciplines. I was even more impressed the year he won the first NORBA national not more than a month after the ski season. Readers of skinnyski will remember the year he won the Birkie on the shortened course in record speeds (almost 30kmph average!!). I had the opportunity to race against Carl on the mountain bike side of things a few times and remember gazing at his legs thinking that he would give any flyweight body builder a run for his money.

I dropped a note to Carl before he went to Norway to visit some friends, train and hit the early World Cup races and asked him some mountain bike and ski questions. This is what he had to say earlier this week as he was preparing for the World Cups at Silver Star this weekend:

1. 

   This is the first year you have really scaled back racing mountain bikes on the National level and also the World Cup level. What factors made the decision to focus more on the ski season and the 2006 Olympics? If so, how has your training changed? Have you been able to have more on snow time during the summer or this fall?
   Swenson: When the RLX mt bike team ceased to exist the decision to focus on skiing was easy. I have to admit now that spending the extra time training for skiing has made a difference. Without the races and travel all summer I was able to relax more and begin the hard fall training well prepared. Being able to slowly build my weight training and rollerski hours throughout the summer was something I had never done before. I also benefited from the on-snow camp in New Zealand in August.
2. Do you plan on a return to national or World Cup mountain bike racing?
   Swenson: No, I think that I have raced my last serious bike race.
3. Last ski season you were hit with some sickbug. Things going better this year so far? Any adjustments in diet etc?
   Swenson: No major changes, these things just happen. I have been fortunate in the past, injury free and training through most minor illnesses. So far I have been remarkably healthy, that is until now. I picked up a cold traveling back from Norway this week and it looks like I am going to have to take a couple of days off and hope it passes before the world cup here in Silver Star.
4. You have stated before that racing mountain bikes is more "lucrative", if you will. With your recent success on the Nordic side of things, particularly in 2003, has this changed at all? Do you ever see it changing?
   Swenson: For the past nine years I was very fortunate to be picked up by pro mt bike teams that could afford to pay a respectable salary. Cross-country skiing does not attract the same sponsorship interests from outside the ski industry. I think a successful US xc skier could do very well but that kind of success would mean winning Olympic medals. I would be surprised if US xc skiing doesn’t reach that level soon. We have all the skiers, skiing, support, and experience necessary. It’ll happen.
5. Nordic terrain parks and trick skiing on nord boards has received some good press lately. Do you feel this will have any affect attracting new kids coming into the sport like freeriding has done to mountain biking or will it be more current nords trying their luck on some rails and back flips off a huge kicker?
   Swenson: Any new interest or methods of nordic skiing can only help but it’s impossible to predict where it will come from.
6. Most of the readers of skinnyski.com live and breath the American Birkie, gearing their training on the year for this event. Any plans to ever return and derail this Italian train?
   Swenson: I would love to do that. Birkie fever never goes away.
7. I read you are a big fan of chocolate malts. In your worldly travels, any place in particular that has stuck out more than others?
   Swenson: Utah for some reason has some great old fashioned roadside places to get a burger, fries and shake—my favorite order. One memorable place is south of Provo, American Fork I think, a couple of miles off the interstate just before you enter the canyon heading towards Price and Moab.

Thanks to everyone who made it a great mountain bike season, the racers, the promoters and the sponsors of the sport. Have a great winter and hope to see you on the snow!! Keep the wheels moving!!