Interview: Joe Sem

 

Section 5 Championships (Photo: Adam Kocinski)

Armstrong's Joe Sem: Not a name on top of anyone's list for Minnesota High School skiing after last season. While Sem qualified for State, he finished more than four minutes back of winner Garrett Heath, at 46th in the pursuit results. At sections in 2003, Sem was a minute and a half back in the classical race, and nearly a minute back in the freestyle.

Boom! It's 2004 and Sem is suddenly on everyone's list. He's currently ranked #2 in the State. At sections, competing against nearly the same top skiers as last year, he toasted the field, winning the classic crown by almost 30 seconds and the freestyle race by nearly a minute.

Stay tuned for the next chapter, to be written Friday at the State Meet...

We interviewed Sem by e-mail on Saturday, February 7th.

• Skinnyski: You've had a whale of a season! You're frequently beating skiers that just last season were beating you by large margins. What do you credit for making the biggest difference this season?

  Sem: I basically kept skiing after State last year, and haven�t stopped since. I think that focusing on skiing in the off season and actually training helped the most. But I also developed some high goals after State, and knew that if I didn�t relent in the off season, I would have a chance to be competitive with some of the top skiers this year. I knew that I couldn�t be shy when I made my goals either. I wasn�t focusing on being in the middle of the pack this year � I wanted to be at the top.

• Skinnyski: How many years have you been skiing?

  Sem: This is my third year skiing.

• Skinnyski: What got you interested in trying cross-country skiing?

  Sem: Nothing really drew me to cross-country skiing. I had only skied once before my sophomore year, when I was about four years old, so I really didn�t know what I was getting into. I joined the team kind of on a whim and decided to stick it out because I spent a lot of money on gear. Now, I�m glad I stuck with it.

• Skinnyski: What is your off-season training like?

  Sem: I was never really serious about any sports before last winter, when I became enthusiastic about skiing. So in previous off seasons, I didn�t really train at all for anything ever. Last summer, though, I joined White Noise/Minnesota Valley and trained with the 5 day a week program. I was on rollerskis 3 to 5 days a week in the summer, and the other days were pole hikes or hill bounding or something. In the fall, I trained with Minnesota Valley three days a week, which really prepared me for the winter. It was important to follow up my summer training with good fall training leading into the ski season.

• Skinnyski: Any family background in sports?

  Sem: My parents were never really into sports (endurance or mainstream) while growing up, and neither were my siblings. My mom was the arm-wrestling champion of her county in the 70�s, I guess. That probably required some stamina.

• Getting ready to start at US Nationals (Photo: Randy Gibbs)

  Skinnyski: Is there anyone you'd give strong credit to for helping you be a better skier?

    Sem: I think the coaches of Minnesota Valley and White Noise deserve a lot of credit (Reid Lutter and Randy Gibbs, respectively). They didn�t really know who I was this summer or fall, or what my goals were, but their knowledgeable training and support kept me focused on the ski season. They have continued to stay in touch with me and have helped a lot with JOQs, too.

• Skinnyski: Winona's Garrett Heath has dominated most competitions over the last two years. How do you feel about the State Meet next week -- do you have any specific goals?

  Sem: I�m really looking forward to State next week. The race will be a celebration of almost a year of training. My goal is to beat Garrett, of course. That should be everyone�s goal! But I�ve had a fun enough season that I�ll be proud of whatever happens at State.

• Skinnyski: Any plans for skiing after high school?

  Sem: I�m going to see how far I can ride out this skiing thing. I haven�t really decided on a college, but I am definitely going somewhere where I can still improve and be competitive.

• Skinnyski: Any recommendations for other aspiring skiers who may be hoping to make a big performance jump for next season?

  Sem: Don�t be afraid to make lofty goals. Never tell yourself you can�t do something. This all sounded clich� to me, too, until I tried it.