It’s been 14 years since I became an Olympian, competing as a cross country skier in the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver. Since then, it hasn’t been easy to get to the Olympics as a spectator. The Winter Games have been in Sochi, Pyeongchang and Beijing, while the summer games have been in Rio and Tokyo, with an interruption by the Covid pandemic. The Paris Games were finally an opportunity for me to attend my...
On Saturday, June 29, the best cyclists will set off from Florence, Italy for the first stage of the 2024 Tour de France. For the next three weeks, they’ll be riding around 200 km of often hilly or mountainous terrain every day. This devilishly grueling stage race serves as a model for the winter equivalent – Tour de Ski – where cross-country skiers are pushed to their infernal limits day after day. This seems like...
Calling all Parents & Adult Children: Ski in Europe together in 2025 (plus savings from Mother’s Day to Father’s Day!) Leading up to Mother’s Day, we’re taking an opportunity to reflect on the special time that adult children and parents can spend together on a ski vacation. In a world with busy work schedules and obligations, time together is often squeezed into a meal, a weekend or the holidays. Recently, we have found that Lumi...
With so much attention focused on the sky as many places in North America prepare for the upcoming total solar eclipse, it seems like a great time to highlight another solar phenomenon. One of my favorite ways to extend the ski season is to travel north in the early spring, an ideal time to see the aurora borealis or northern lights. Lumi’s ski season comes to an end next week in Iceland’s Westfjords region for...
Did you know that “Lumi” is the Estonian and Finnish word for snow? I am thrilled to announce the new Lumi Experiences Tartu & Finlandia trip for February 2025! Experience the unique winter cultures in Estonia and Finland on Lumi’s special namesake trip. The trip starts in the medieval city of Tartu, home to the Worldloppet ski marathon with the same name. It’s also where the Worldloppet Headquarters is based. Discover Estonia’s ski culture by...
Most Birkie skiers are familiar with the legendary story of the original Norwegian Birkebeiners and how that inspired the famous cross country ski race in Norway, from Rena to Lillehammer; which in turn inspired the American Birkebeiner from Cable to Hayward. But what is the Norwegian Birkebeiner like today? I skied my first American and Norwegian Birkies last year and took away many impressions. “Wait, what?!” you ask. “Garrott, you lived in Hayward for 5...
Story originally written by Karen Bossick of “Eye on Sun Valley” newspaper, abridged story below. Photos courtesy of Muffy Ritz and Lumi Experiences. Lumi Experiences guest Muffy Ritz from Sun Valley, Idaho traveled on the Marcialonga & König Ludwig Lauf Trip to Worldloppet events in Italy, Germany and Austria. Read on to learn about her adventures! By Karen Bossick: While others were trying to will the snow away this winter, Muffy Ritz was doing what...
Lumi Experiences guest Ron Sawdey from Salt Lake City, Utah took time to reflect on his 2023 trip to the Marcialonga & König Ludwig Lauf Worldloppet events in Italy, Germany and Austria. Ron’s reflections share some insider insights for both the uninitiated and Worldloppet Masters alike. Read on to learn more about the trip. – – – – – – – – – – For the uninitiated, you may have heard the words, “World Loppet”,...
(Plus! Which 3 passports does Julia carry with her in the winter?!) Lumi Experiences is excited to support athletes on the US Ski Team like Julia Kern. Julia won a bronze medal in the Team Sprint at the World Championships last winter, and she is also a great representative off the race course. Like several of the top-US racers who hold dual-citizenship (Jessie Diggins: US/Canadian, Sophia Laukli: US/Norwegian), Julia Kern holds US/German citizenship and speaks...
Happy holidays! Lucky for us skiers that the start of ski season coincides with the start of the holiday season. Holiday markets around Europe are bustling, the Alps are covered with a blanket of snow and the mulled wine is flowing. With gift giving on the mind, here are some of Lumi Experiences’ favorite gift ideas from our favorite brands for your favorite skiers this winter: Hot Stuff US skier Julia Kern’s new Skida...
A sponsor of FasterSkier, Lumi Experiences is the world’s premier cross-country ski travel company. As an official tour operator for the Worldloppet, a series of 20 international ski marathons, Lumi is celebrating their partnership by gifting a trip to two lucky skiers for the 2024 France-Transju trip, valued at over $10,000. We invite you to enter the trip raffle! Registration deadline is Wednesday, December 13. The winners will enjoy eight days of skiing through...
A lot has changed since the first time I skied in Planica at an OPA Cup event in 2007. For US skiing, it’s a special venue. Tazlina Mannix won that 2007 event: an indication for many US skiers that winning in Europe is possible. In 2019, Julia Kern scored her first World Cup podium in Planica. At World Championships this week, a bronze in the Team Sprint for Kern and Jessie Diggins, and a gold...
LUMI TRIP GIVEAWAY! As the world’s premier cross country ski travel company, Lumi Experiences is excited to announce their continued partnership with the Worldloppet international ski marathon series as an official tour operator. You can travel to 8 different Worldloppet events on Lumi trips, including support from local trip leaders, race waxing, transportation, accommodation and meals that reflect the tastes of the region where you’re traveling. To celebrate, Lumi is giving away a trip for...
“Passport, prosim.” The dense fog on top of the pass hung over the border crossing as night settled. A bright spotlight illuminated passengers in the small van as the border control agent matched passport photos with faces. “Whitcomb, Matt. Casey, Pat. Stephen, Liz, …” Our passports disappeared with the agent into the small hut. A few minutes later, a stack of freshly stamped passports was returned. “Welcome to Slovenia.” After driving all day from Oberstdorf,...
Ready to travel again? Germany, Austria, Slovenia, and Italy are now open to vaccinated US & Canadian travelers! You can visit all four countries THIS SUMMER on the Lumi Experiences Ski Picking Trip, August 30 – September 5, 2021. This unique trip is a skier’s dream: behind-the-scenes tours of the Fischer, Salomon & Atomic ski factories in Austria with Birkie Champion Matt Liebsch, owner of Pioneer Midwest. Skiing on the Dachstein Glacier above Ramsau. Skiing in...
Sponsored Content Chances are, if you are reading articles on FasterSkier, you are part of the small world of Nordic skiing. We all enjoy the routine of putting on our boots, clicking into the bindings, and feeling the sensation of gliding on snow in the beautiful outdoors. The differences we experience while skiing are based on the locations, techniques, and intentions of the day. In March 2019, I had the opportunity to travel to Switzerland...
Happy 4th of July! To celebrate, Lumi Experiences is announcing a special trip to the Minneapolis World Cup, the first World Cup in the United States in almost 20 years. The events are being hosted at Wirth Park, one of the largest urban parks in the country. The Loppet Foundation has grown cross country skiing in Minneapolis for close to 20 years, hosting events such as the City of Lakes Loppet, which brings in...
The Lumi Experiences trip to the 2020 Dolomitenlauf & Marcialonga is filling fast. The deadline for guaranteed entry into the Marcialonga is March 31, 2019. Email info@lumiexperiences to receive a detailed itinerary or to put your name on the list. Later sign-ups are only possible if space is available and may not include a Marcialonga event entry. The Dolomitenlauf and Marcialonga are two of the original and most popular Worldloppet events in Tyrol, Austria...
Lumi Experiences is excited to announce the launch of its 2020 cross country ski vacations. First on the line-up Dresden to the Dolomites, an 11-day vacation in Germany, Italy and Austria. 2020 is an exciting winter on the World Cup. There are no World Championships or Olympics, so athlete focus is 100% on the overall World Cup title. 2020 is also the first World Cup in the US since Soldier Hollow in 2001. To celebrate...
(Press release) Lumi Experiences and the info@lumiexperiences.com for detailed information.