Even the most casual observer of the Olympic Games is aware that there is increased television coverage of Nordic skiing, especially cross country and biathlon. In Vancouver, the Nordic Combined events generated special excitement because a trio of experienced, American competitors were, after years of dedicated effort, finally poised to win medals. If anything, they exceeded the pre-Games hype.

The increased television exposure is not an accident. It was recognized by the governing bodies of several sports, some time ago, that increased TV time translated into increased popularity with corporate sponsors, which generated increased funding, in turn facilitating enhanced athlete development programs, additional training camps, greater representation at world caliber competitions, and ultimately, increased international success.

Biathlon had a jump start on television-friendly events since competitors return frequently to the shooting range where the lead in the race often changes dramatically, making for very exciting TV viewing. Cross country had more of a challenge since most of their events featured athletes starting at 30 second intervals, striding out of the stadium to disappear into the woods, only to reappear hours later, collapsing across the finish line.

An additional issue for cross country is the effort to balance the two skiing techniques, classic (traditional kick and glide) and skating. Biathlon and Nordic Combined both adopted skating as their designated technique years ago. Thanks to improvements in course preparation, ski equipment and the capabilities of the athletes, what were previously considered grueling, endurance events, are now reflecting the characteristics of sprints.

Biathlon and cross country both responded to the demands of television by reconfiguring the race courses so that the athletes would return, at least within sight of the stadium, multiple times within a competition. While the 50 kilometer event at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics consisted of one 25k loop skied twice, the Vancouver course was comprised of two 5 k loops, each skied five times, which brought the athletes through the stadium 11 times!

In addition to shorter loops, the three Nordic skiing disciplines have moved away from interval starts, which make it difficult for spectators to determine who is doing well during the competition. Instead, more pursuit start and mass start formats are being used, so that spectators can determine at a glance who is winning.

So how has the evolution of the sport inspired changes in course design, at least at the Olympic level? Perhaps most notable is the current width of the competition trails. Many of us remember two packed, ski tracks through the deep snow, threading through the trees and across windblown pastures. Those days are long gone. Thanks to mass starts and the skating technique, elite level race courses are typically 9 meters (almost 30') wide to minimize obstruction between competitors.

Interestingly, these competition highways and the mass start formats have given rise to an unintended consequence, pack racing and drafting the leader, strategies that have been common in bicycle racing for decades. In an attempt to minimize this type of racing, the courses at Whistler Olympic Park were intentionally designed with challenging, technical descents and an abundance of sharp turns, an effort to minimize the opportunities for drafting. The Olympic men's 50 kilometer event suggests the course design was only marginally successful since many of the competitors skied the majority of the event in a tight pack, and the race was won by a dramatic sprint at the finish line.

For most Olympic sites an important motivation for hosting the Games is to create a lasting legacy of world class facilities to benefit residents and visitors to the region, for decades to come. The demand for increasingly challenging Nordic trails at the Games has, sadly, made former Olympic venues less attractive to recreational outdoor enthusiasts. Whistler Olympic Park solved this dilemma by constructing a minimalist competition network for the Games, (two 5 kilometer loops for cross country and Nordic combined, one 4 kilometer loop for biathlon), and creating a separate, extensive recreational trail network, capitalizing on the scenic beauty of the Callahan Valley.

The Vancouver Olympics provided an excellent opportunity to observe how Nordic skiing is evolving thanks to improved equipment and trail grooming as well as a concerted effort to make the sport more spectator (and television) friendly. The trick will be to embrace that evolution without abandoning the traditional aspects of Nordic skiing which have made it so appealing for hundreds of years.