A Father's Reflections

Halfway through his inaugural Barnebirkie ski “race” in 2002, our son Benjamin decided that being pulled in a sled by his older sister was easier than slogging through the slush of Hayward, Wisconsin’s Main Street. His motivation: finishing meant he’d be awarded treats and a shiny medal. Each and every finisher is greeted with hot chocolate, snacks, and a medal by smiling volunteers. Tens of thousands of cookies in every imaginable variety fill tabletops in the tents at the finish area. Main Street is 3-deep with spectators cheering on the many hundreds of youth participating. The “Barnie” is just one of the annual ski events in Hayward which features skijoring dog races, elite sprints, giant-ski relays, and the largest ski marathon on the Continent, the American Birkebeiner, popularly referred to as “The Birkie”. Hands down, our favorite has always been the “Barnie”. “I guess you could say the Barnie was my launching pad”, claims Ben. After all, swag and sweets were still generously given to him despite assistance from the family sled.

A few years later (after Ben completed the Barnie unassisted) we received a phone call from a man inquiring if we were the parents of Benjamin Loomis and if his photo could be featured on the cover of Silent Sports magazine. (Our initial fear that he’d misbehaved in school was quickly dispelled, and of course we consented and were excited to see the issue arrive.)

Fast forward to present day: 123 World Cup competitions, 5 World Championships, 2 Olympics, and rigorous year-round training. He’s accumulated many frequent flyer points and burned through several passports. There’s no being pulled in a sled these days.

Skiing has been part of our family for decades. In 1995, our family watched the exciting American Birkebeiner ski race, the largest cross-country ski event in North America. I signed up for the Kortelopet (“half Birkie”) the following year. Over the years, I’ve completed a number of Korties and Birkies. In reality, Ben’s older brother Adam was his true role model and inspiration for his eventual skiing profession. Skiing was the perfect activity for Adam’s youthful energy; he ultimately went on to compete for the US Nordic combined team for 7 years on the World Cup circuit and was named to represent the US in two World Championship Teams. Following Adam was just natural for Ben.

Although it’s been described as one of the most difficult winter sports, Nordic combined is theoretically “simple”: it features distance ski jumping followed by a staggered start cross-country ski race based on the jumping points. The winner of the two combined events is the first skier to cross the finish line. But the two disciplines are vastly distinct. Execution of a good jump requires precise timing and power, while cross country racing involves endurance and efficiency. Train more for one sport and the other generally suffers. Although sometimes confused with biathlon, the only guns in Nordic combined are the athletes’ biceps!

Unfortunately, many readers are at least vaguely familiar with ABC’s Wide World of Sports intro which featured the “agony of defeat”, a ski jumper shockingly coming out of the tracks and cartwheeling before the takeoff portion of the jump. Despite this dramatic video clip, ski jumping remains a very safe winter sport. Many years and thousands of jumps are spent practicing on smaller hills before an Olympic-size (90 or 120-meter jump) is even attempted. Nonetheless, people unaware of the general safety of the sport have questioned our parenting and sanity for allowing our children to launch headfirst off a jump at 55 mph. One memorable evening at the historic Eau Claire Silvermine 90-meter ski jump, a man in the crowd standing next to my wife was unaware that our 11-year-old son was the jumper he’d just watched. He loudly shouted, “What kind of F-ing mother would let their kid do that?” Though speechless at the time, later we realized that her answer should have been, “Parents that want their child to be courageous and committed, to fall down, and be resilient.” Each parent has their own level of anxiety, but it’s mostly greatest when they progress to a larger jump for the first time. Ski jumpers’ fear and exhilaration of literally flying wears off over thousands of repetitions, becoming mundane and merely technical. “It’s more excitement than fear when a new size jump is first tackled”, says Ben . Unfortunately for Ben, he’s no longer excited by roller coasters or heights.

Ben’s only substantial injury from the sport was a broken collarbone at age 5, when he rode the landing hill on summer plastic on a small jump in Madison. He forgot to sit back after reaching the grass, cartwheeling head over heels. In the summer of 2018, we received another memorable phone call from Adam, who promptly requested that I take him off speaker. He proceeded to inform me that Ben broke his collarbone again, this time mountain biking. After having it surgically repaired, he was training on a stationary bike in a few days, and he proceeded to have one of his best years. Injuries are always possible with organized athletics but statistically even more prevalent in casual activities such as sledding, skateboarding, biking, etc. Personally, we’d rather have our children participate in sports while wearing proper protective gear as opposed to being glued to a screen.

Like his older brother, Ben joined the “Kickin’ Kids” youth ski league in Eau Claire, WI, led by Chris Gorzek and volunteer parent coaches. While the other children were swishing down the groomed ski tracks at Tower Ridge Recreation Center, Ben was incessantly looking for bumps and jumps in the woods. He eventually found some sweet ones at the Mt. Washington Ski Center, where Adam was practicing ski jumping.
Our sons’ journeys were not all structured teams and events. We spent every holiday vacation at our log cabin near Hayward and built snow forts, ski trails, and jumps on the property. Ben demolished a couple of pairs of his Fischer twin-tip trick skis and eventually (somewhat reluctantly) traded them for some lighter and skinnier racing ones. Low snow years provided the opportunity to shovel the lake, skate, and play hockey while our dog chased pucks…and relocated them. Some of our fondest memories include other Eau Claire families joining us at the cabin for the “Barnie”, Junior Birkie, and Birkie sharing food and later recounting stories of the races. (Often, the latter tales were a bit embellished and exaggerated.) Thankfully, there was only one trip to the Hayward Emergency Room for stitches.

It was evident that Ben had some aptitude for skiing at a young age. Much of Ben’s early success frankly relates to his having fun and NOT thinking too much. After a good jump when he was about 12 years old, the coach asked him what was going through his mind right before he took his jump. Ben replied, “Legos”. Some have likened skiing and particularly ski jumping to golf— the more one thinks and tries harder, the worse the end result. Similarly, when Ben was 13 and attending his first Junior Olympic competition in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, he had no pressure nor expectations……and ended up winning the ski jumping Championship. Although we were elated at the time, we soon realized that our family may be active in the sport for many years. As Ben achieved early success, he started to focus gradually more on skiing over other sports, although he continued to play a variety of them. Following brother Adam’s footsteps, Ben eventually began traveling nationally to other ski jumping facilities for training and competitions. It was challenging to balance the two separate sports of ski jumping and cross country skiing, since there was no integrated Nordic combined program in our hometown. Ben joined the youth and high school XC team, Chippewa Valley Nordic, with enthusiastic coaching by Ted Theyerl. We were struck with the supportive and relaxed culture of the sport, a refreshing change from other youth sports environments we’d experienced.

The family commitment was not to be underestimated. In his early days of competing, he’d be shuttled by Karyl from cross country sessions directly to ski jumping practice, eating his dinner en route. At the time, the largest jump at Eau Claire’s Mt. Washington facility was only a 40-meter jump, so weekday practices in Minneapolis and Madison meant 1.5 and 3-hour drives for Karyl while Ben did homework in the car. Winter weekends started to become filled with traveling within the Central Division (Wisconsin, Michigan’s UP, Minnesota, and Illinois), mostly tagging along with Adam’s competitions.
As he progressed in the sport, the inconsistency of Nordic combined coaching in our region became more evident. As parents with no prior knowledge of the sport, we were unsure of finding the balance between encouragement and support of his talent and wanting him to experience a carefree and joyous childhood. We were getting advice bordering on pressure from national coaches to move to a larger training center such as Steamboat Springs, CO, or Park City, UT. Ultimately, after his freshman year, Ben stated that he wanted to move to Park City and apply to the Winter Sports School. This unique school operates from April to November and thus allows young athletes to train, compete, and travel in the winter months.

We were initially reluctant because we knew he’d be forgoing extracurricular activities and many social opportunities. But he insisted that he truly understood the commitment. The family sacrifices were once again substantial, since Karyl lived with him in the early years at a small rental apartment in Park City. His initial transition was emotionally difficult and he had few local friends. In 2016, his decision to move was rewarded when he qualified for the lone male US Nordic combined athlete to compete in the Youth Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. This was a true Olympic event replete with Opening and Closing Ceremonies, fireworks, and Norwegian royals and ski legend Bjorn Daehlie present. My wife, daughter, and I were able to see him win the silver medal; hearing the national anthem during the Award Ceremony brought tears of pride to our eyes. Beyond the success he achieved, we could see he was maturing as a young man. Ben’s exposure to athletes from all corners of the world and a diversity of cultures was an education not attainable in a traditional school. Ben says, “it kind of gave me a taste of what the actual Olympics would be like and how everything went.”

Similarly, when he qualified for the World Junior Championships in Kandersteg, Switzerland, in 2018, we were able to accompany him and began nurturing relationships with parents from the US and other nations that we still consider friends. He won bronze there, which was the highest US ranking at that level in many years. As they say, success breeds success, and his passion for the sport was solidifying.
One of the greatest challenges to families in the sport is the financial burden and uncertainty. Most Americans are surprised to hear that for decades; the US Nordic Combined Team has received no direct funding or support from the US Ski Team. Due to the funding shortages, coaching has been inconsistent, and resources for travel, equipment, and training are sparse. Despite these hurdles, Ben showed determination, ultimately qualifying for the 2018 and 2022 Olympic Games.

The 2018 Games were quite bittersweet for our family. With insufficient World Cup points, Adam didn’t qualify despite placing second at the Olympic Trials. Although excited for Ben’s nomination, tears were shed for Adam not being named to Team USA. We were devastated since it was likely his last attempt at qualifying, being six years older than Ben. We even debated not attending the Olympics. Ben was the youngest one on the Olympic team and had no expectations. After deliberation, we realized it was an opportunity not to be missed and were so glad we traveled to South Korea. Ben found it exhilarating to be surrounded by the top athletes of all winter sports disciplines.

Contact with Olympians during the games is limited. Families aren’t allowed into the Olympic village. However, my wife, Ben, and I had the good fortune of attending the historic women’s relay in which Kikkan Randall and Jesse Diggins secured the gold medal with an exciting sprint finish. Although I missed the now famous, “Here comes Diggins!” TV commentary by Chad Salmella, I will never forget the energy in the stadium that night. We sat beside a local Korean couple and following the event were invited to a delightful dinner at their nearby apartment. This was exemplary of the warmth of the Korean people who were clearly proud of their country hosting the Games.

The 2022 Games in Beijing occurred in the wake of the COVID pandemic, and no foreign spectators were allowed to attend. It was a much different atmosphere surrounded by strict health and security protocols. Athletes weren’t allowed to leave the Village, and the entire environment was a stark contrast to South Korea. Fortunately, the USOPC (US Olympic and Paralympic Committee) flew athletes’ parents to Park City, Utah, for “watch parties” and other events, so at least we felt like we were cheering, albeit virtually.
Typical training for Nordic Combined includes a focus on a large volume of aerobic exercise, mostly in the form of cross-country roller skiing, during the off-season. The truism is that, “skiers are made in summer”. Long, tedious training sessions help to build that aerobic base, and it’s not glamorous in the slightest. “The most difficult part of training is summer when I question why I’m getting out of bed to do intervals”, says Ben . Summer ski jump training occurs on plastic over existing jumps, watered by sprinklers to reduce friction and simulate winter jumping. The same equipment is used, and the same suits are worn regardless of whether it’s -10F or +90F. Weights and gym sessions round out the off-season training with an emphasis on strength, balance, and explosive movements. Like all elite sports, nutrition and sports psychology are critical components for success.
Since World Cup competitions occur in a different country most weekends, there is limited opportunity to train during the competitive winter season. Generally, the winter season starts each November in the northern climes of Finland and Norway, then moves south to central Europe. Weekend competitions typically occur in Finland, Norway, Germany, Austria, France, Italy, and Estonia.

Friends and family have wondered how Ben supports himself financially. He learned about a unique opportunity called the World Class Athlete Program (WCAP), enlisted in the Army in 2019, and has advanced to the rank of Sergeant in the US Army. Like all soldiers, he was required to attend Basic Training / boot camp. He made it most of the way through before his Drill Sergeant learned Ben was an Olympian. Ben’s job is essentially to represent the Army as an athlete, citizen, and role model. “My job is to be the best athlete possible and represent the Army even though I don’t wear a uniform”, states Ben. In addition to the pride of representing the US, WCAP also provides him with educational and health benefits. He will finish his Electrical Engineering degree online in 2026 thanks to this unique opportunity.

Although part of the Olympic Winter Games since 1924, the future of Nordic combined is tenuous. There is no women’s Nordic combined in the Olympics. It remains the only winter Olympic sport without gender equity, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has stated that the entire discipline may be eliminated from future Games if adequate participation and viewership is not demonstrated in the 2026 Winter Games. What can be done to prevent this cancellation? First, become informed about Nordic combined by checking out the links below and follow the sport on social media. Second, mark your calendars for February 11, 17, and 19 and watch Nordic combined in Milano-Cortina, Italy! Your viewership could keep the sport alive!

Despite the relative obscurity of the sport in the US, Nordic combined has taught Ben determination, self-reliance, and courage. It’s not been an easy sled ride with free cookies at each finish, but he’s had quite an unforgettable journey. “It’s been an opportunity I never believed was possible”, he states. Ben trains in Park City, UT, yet his Midwest roots are strong, and he still proudly displays his framed Silent Sports Barnebirkie photo in his office.