As natural snowfall remains scarce across much of Europe this November, only a few fortunate regions benefit from snow farming.

Olos/Muonio is one such location, where reliable snow farming ensures consistent early-season conditions. This reliable snow reserve makes Olos a prime destination for athletes, both Finnish and international, marking the start of an exciting winter racing season.

The Green Racing Project (GRP) team amongst many other elite teams, are gearing up for an exciting weekend of racing in Olos. This three week long training camp and race weekend marks an essential step for the athletes as they prepare to transition from off-season training to full-speed racing.

Read more: Olos/Muonio Ski Race Weekend: Complete Program & Where to Watch 

Braden Becker, a core member of the GRP, shared his anticipation for the upcoming races:
“We arrived in Muonio on the first or second of November, and it’s been great to get some time on snow before the competitions. The plan has been to ease back into training on skis, building intensity as we get closer to race day. We’re about halfway through our three-week camp, and the Olos races are a perfect opportunity to test ourselves against an international field.”

A Crucial Preparation Phase

This weekend’s competition won’t just be another training exercise. The GRP athletes will go head-to-head with some of Europe’s top cross-country skiers, including the Norwegian and Finnish national teams. For many European athletes, these early races are critical for World Cup qualifications, meaning the level of competition will be high and intense.

For the weekend, the GRP has mapped out strategic race plans. Braden will focus on the two distance events, aiming to clear away the cobwebs from the summer training block and measure his early season form. Meanwhile, his teammates, John Schwinghammer and Joe Lynch, will focus on the classic sprint, which plays to their strengths as accomplished sprinters. Joining them will be biathlete Tim Cunningham, adding a mix of talent to the team’s lineup.

“For us, this is more about getting back on snow, getting some race efforts under a belt, and just getting to compete against an international field, especially this early in the season“, Braden explained. “We’ll be using this to kind of tune up, to train on snow, and then our most important races are going to be after this back in the US.“

The team’s collective goal is to take the lessons from this high-level exposure and bring that experience back to the US, where the season’s biggest opportunities await. While racing in Europe can be daunting for those outside of Europe, it’s an invaluable experience for US athletes looking to step up their performance and refine their tactics.

“This is a good wake up race, and then just a fun opportunity to compete against some athletes that we don’t often get to race against domestically.”

WATCH HERE ON SC PLAY!

The event weekend starts on Friday, November 15, with a sprint race in classic technique. On Saturday, November 16, a 10km classic technique event awaits. And on Sunday, November 17, the weekend ends with a 10km freestyle race.

Watch the complete weekend live streamed on SC Play, with exclusive rights in all countries except Finland. You can follow the events live on SC Play every race day from 8:45 CET with English commentaries from Kjell-Erik Kristiansen and Katerina Paul on Friday and Teemu Virtanen and Katerina Paul on Saturday and Sunday!

SC Play is included in Proxcskiing.com, Langd.se, Langrenn.com, Maastohiihto.com, and Bezky.net memberships.