The Devon Kershaw Show by FasterSkier – Details, episodes & analysis

Jessie Diggins should not need an introduction at this point, but for anyone who needs a quick reminder: This episode of the Devon Kershaw Show features the best American cross-country skier of all time. Diggins has three Olympic medals to her name, a gold from the last World Championships and, most recently, a crystal globe she was awarded a few days ago as the past season's overall World Cup champion. Diggins joins us for a conversation about racing and her life as a professional athlete.

A note: This episode includes some frank discussion about eating disorders. If this is something you or someone in your life is struggling with, we suggest taking a look at Project RED-S, which stands for Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport. Their site has athlete-focused information and references if you're trying to find help. The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa & Associated Disorders has a Helpline you can call at 888-375-7767 from Monday to Friday between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Central Time, and you can text HOME to 741741 if you're in a crisis. And the Alaska Eating Disorders Alliance has an informative video that features Diggins and retired Olympic cross-country skier Holly Brooks.

You can reach Devon and Nat at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com. Thanks for listening.

Reports of our demise are greatly exaggerated. Apologies for the tardiness of this episode, but we're back with a wrap from Falun, the last World Cup weekend of the season. It's just Devon and Nat kicking it old school again here, but we'll return soon with some guests. Seriously.

Send us your 2025 predictions, Russian troll comments and Gjøran Tefre memes: devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com. Thanks for hanging out with us for the whole World Cup season.

We're back, in less than 24 hours since hour last pod. Devon is burning the midnight oil in Norway to bring you this new episode recapping the excellent sprint races in Canmore today. Stay tuned for another episode after tomorrow's race and a bonus episode where Nat will interview Sweden's William Poromaa.

Email us at devon@fasterskier.com and nat@fasterskier.com with questions, comments and race predictions. We'll be back.

In this Sunday, World Championship team sprint episode of the Devon Kershaw Show, we have a special guest from Québec , the actual Prince of Québec ... Alex Harvey. 

It has been ten short or long years since he and Kershaw won the classic team sprint at the 2011 Oslo World Championships. First off, before listening to the episode today...check out the videos posted below. 

To set the scene, this win goes down at the Holmenkollen, the Shangri La of cross-country skiing. The Holmenkollen is hallowed ground.   

Think dense fog rolling in from Oslo fjord - a hundred thousand fans lining the course and stomping in the stands - there to witness the Canadians overtake a Norwegian in the final straight to win the team sprint. Back then, Harvey and Kershaw were a decade younger but no less wise. But we’ll let them tell the story.

For now, their win in Oslo is a good spine tingle for these times. They remind us of the gift of crowds and that anything can happen when the stars and maybe a little fog align. 

Here are some solid videos to time-machine back to relive the scene:

1) The call from British Eurosport

2) The scene on the grind from former Canadian National Team athlete George Grey

Indeed, we do get to the 2021 World Championships too. Kershaw and Harvey chat about the sunny day’s racing in the freestyle team sprint won by Norway on the men’s side and Sweden for the women. 

Thanks for listening. 

The most special of special guest on the podcast today, Kristin Størmer Steira. Størmer Steira, a retired Norwegian ski star, chats it up with Devon from Lillehammer, where the two are busy raising two young daughters.

According to a 2014 FasterSkier article on the couple, evidently, Kershaw's "great smile", a legacy of his youth in Sudbury, won Størmer Steira over. 

In her own right, Størmer Steira was a Norwegian ski star. Back in 2005, Størmer Steira had a breakout in Oberstdorf at the World Champs where she placed third in the 2 x 7.5 k pursuit and won gold as a member of the 4 x 5 k Norwegian relay team. Along with accolades such as more World Champs and Olympic hardware, she's known as a salt of the earth human being. As listeners of the podcast know, the medals are stashed in a humble wooden box somewhere above the garage. 

Along with Devon, Størmer Steira provides insight into the vagaries of racing in Oberstdorf and the highlights from today when Alexander Bolshunov won his first individual championship medal as he pulled away in the closing moments of the 30 k skiathlon, and Norway's Therese Johaug steamrolled on the women's side. 

Thanks for listening to our championship coverage. 

The storylines were many during Thursday's classic sprint at the 2021 World Championships in Oberstdorf, Germany. As the backdrop for the racing -- the temps were high, the salted course began to breakdown in the final corner, and running uphill with skis on ... at lightning speed ... was mandatory.  

Norway swept the men's podium with none other than classic kingpin Johannes Høsflot Klæbo taking the win. For certain, as this was on display in both the men's and women's racing, Klæbo has helped redefine classic sprinting. Stride if you must, but if you're weren't Klæbo-running, you were falling behind. 

On the women's side, Sweden took the win as Jonna Sundling won her first championship gold as she flew ahead of the competition into the final straight.

Here to help break down the day's racing, and partake in other digressions, is former Canadian National Team member Lenny Valjas. (Thank you Lenny for doing the pod.) 

The legend is set in stone: Kikkan Randall brought a new intensity and bottom-line results to the U.S. Ski Team. Three overall sprint globes to her name, five Olympics, a bronze at the 2017 Lahti World Champs in the skate sprint, a silver at the 2009 Liberec, Czech Republic World Champs skate sprint, a gold at the 2013 Val di Fiemme, Italy World Champs in the team sprint (with Diggins), and the 2018 Olympic Gold in PyeongChang's team sprint. Stellar. 

Her story is infused with her firm belief in team and the matter of fact grit she brings to life as a cancer survivor. Let's not forget she is a proud mom. She remains legend material. 

We are stoked to have her on the show. 

You can follow Kikkan on IG @kikkanimal, her website is kikkan.com  

In this episode, we chat about the weekend's racing from World Juniors and U23s. This is part two of our coverage of Worlds for the younger folks. This episode covers the relays and mass start classic races that concluded Sunday in Vuokatti, Finland. 

On the show is longtime Kershaw friend Noah Hoffman, who it turns out, beyond his cross-country skiing endurance exploits, is an investment partner with Kershaw. We hear about the weekend's racing, their experiences at Junior/U23 Worlds, and the fundamental strategic vision guiding their stock picks.   

Thanks for listening and as this winter moves into mid-February, we hope all are well. 

Devon jumps into the World Junior/U23 fray. This is part one of our coverage of Worlds for the younger folks. This episode covers the classic sprints and the individual skate races that concluded today in Vuokatti, Finland. 

The racing began on February 9 with the junior classic sprint. The U23 classic sprints were postponed on Wednesday due to the severe cold in Finland. Those sprints were held Thursday. Friday was a jam-packed race day with race officials and volunteers running four different individual skate events. 

We will be recording a second podcast on Sunday to conclude World Juniors/U23s. 

Thanks for listening. You can find detailed results from World Juniors here. 

In this episode, Devon and former Canadian National Team member Jess Cockney discuss the intricacies of Saturday's skate sprint and Sunday's team sprint in Ulricehamn, Sweden. 

The stage has been set, the first few acts are over, yet the curtain has not closed -- Jessie Diggins with a third place in Saturday's sprint brings her closer to securing the World Cup overall as the season enters it's last month and a half of racing. No other way of putting it, Diggins looks in-form and formidable. 

The men's skate sprint saw a slimmed down Norwegian squad locked out of the final and Oskar Svensson of Sweden sweep in for another win. And Sunday, that was team sprint day - we'll let Kershaw and Cockney drill down on the merits of that race. You'll hear some Yin and Yang.  

And as a bonus, we get a brief oral history of perhaps the most Canadian of things, the xc-ski air guitar. The origin myths you hold close to your heart may be dispelled.   

Thanks for listening.