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With the ski season at Tahoe XC now closed, us cross-country skiing addicts go through a bit of a mourning period. Eventually we rip off those black arm bands and start fantasizing about getting back out onto the trails we love on a mountain bike. But when it comes to riding the trails, it’s time to whoa nellie, and put those dirt fantasies on hold for a few weeks. There is still a lot of snow and water out there, and riding on muddy trails and through puddles creates eroded and rutted trails.

When I heard it through the grapevine that the new course for The Great Ski Race was going to be groomed on Tuesday night, I decided I needed to get up early and ski it. After doing so, I can say that while you still have to ski that bugger of a 12k uphill to the Soup Station, after that, I promise, the skiing is absolutely wonderful.

Executive Director (ED), Ben Grasseschi shares insight with you as if you’re chatting with him while he waxes your skis. In Ben’s Bench, you’ll be entertained with stories, insights, and techniques related to cross-country skiing from our own Ben Grasseschi, ED, Coach, and Wax Tech Extraordinaire. In this (first) Ben’s Bench blog, learn how Ben’s path intertwined with Tahoe XC, just how many Olympians has he helped coach, and what are his coaching/directing ethos.