Two Generations of Gold
Contributed By Andrew Gardner(Reprinted with the permission of the author and Silent Sports magazine for exclusive use on the Web by xcskiworld.com.)
Foreward: The following is a article written during a midwest Masters clinic during the summer of 1999 with multiple World and Olympic Champion Vladimir Smirnov and his former USSR coach Nikolai Anikin.
An amazingly popular skier throughout the nineties, Smirnov (aka "Smirre" or "Big Bad Vlad, The One Man Kazakstan Band") proved to be one of the few consistent challengers to the Scandinavian juggernaut. Most interestingly, while many former Soviet republic skiers struggled in the post-Cold War meltdown, Smirnov found new life as a free-lance man of the world. On paper he raced for his native Kazakstan but nearly 100% of his financial backing came from Swedish companies where he has maintained a year-round home to this day.
Nikolai Anikin, a former World and Olympic Champion in his own right, coached during the heyday of the Soviet sports system and worked with dozens of major international stars during that time. Moving to the U.S. with his family during the advent of Glasnost, Anikin has put in time with both the U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Olympic Education Center and Team Gitchi Gummi based in Duluth, Minnesota.
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"Thank you for coming. I am guessing only question for you ez, after this camp, who of you will train to be in Salt Lake City?" Nikolai Anikin's broken English echoed off the nearby trees of Chester Bowl. On a Saturday morning in July, the faces of twenty-five Master skiers chuckled in awe. Two generations of Gold Medal winners introduced themselves and began the business of a day-long ski clinic. The Gitchi Gummi Sport Association had brought one of the most dominant skiers of the nineties to Duluth, MN for a reunion with his coach, a week long junior camp, and this a day long Master's clinic.
Bruce Bauer, Gitchi Gummi director and organizer of the weeklong Smirnov camp had started the Master's morning with some background: Anikin won a pair of Bronze medals at the 1960 Olympic Games held in Squaw Valley. Following his return to Russia, he announced his retirement from ski racing and was quickly offered the position of coach. In this position he stayed coaching and being simultaneously educated at the finest Russian ski academies, for better than twenty years watching carefully over a powerful skiing program. Vladimir Smirnov entered this program at a young age. "He was very young." Anikin continued to the star struck group of Masters "But he was very strong."
With that, Nikolai grabbed his star pupil in a sort of hug and introduction. Vladimir Smirnov looks as large in real life as he does on Scandinavian television. Side by side the two skiing stars 
were separated by eleven inches and thirty years. Abbot and Costello. Mutt and Jeff. Vladimir and Nikolai.
"I am happy to bee heeyar." Smirnoff spoke evenly to the Americans. "This is an opportunity for me to see the United States, to see American skiers, and to see Nikolai." His words flowed with a kind of clipped half Russian, half Swedish accent. He spoke of his results, his decision to move to Sweden after the collapse of the Soviet Union, his subsequent solo training effort. "I feel like dedication ez the most important aspect of training...it ez deefference. Let's see the deefference we can make today."
The Master's were ready. Fifty eager legs, young in spite of their age, took to the well worn Chester Path. Nikolai led a stretching routine then a brief introduction to dryland technique. Smirre stood at attention, aiding those with confused coordination, heads too high, or other muddled aspects of technique. Nikolai led. Vladimir cleaned up. So went most of the morning until Nikolai introduced the other coaches for the day, John Bauer and Amy Jeffrey.
"Now we will bee in tree groups." Nikolai rounded up three clusters of skiers and divvied them between himself, John and Amy, and Vladimir. The non-Vladimir groups appeared sullen for a bit until it was announced that the groups would rotate after forty five minutes. Small groups meant lots of coaching and the coaches didn't let up. "Longer, longer with foot! Down truck (upper body.) Sharper knee." The skiers soaked it up, most were intensely focused and unintimidated by their teachers; a feat in itself when the results from the Russians are considered.
In addition to Anikin's two Olympics and three medals, Smirnov has amassed quite a collection of victories. There was Silver and Bronze in Calgary, a narrow defeat by a crafty Bjorn Dahlie in the 1993 Falun Worlds, gold in the Lilihammer 50k (as well as silver and bronze in the 15k and 10k), domination in the 1995 Thunder Bay World Championships, and a bronze just last year in the Nagano 15k. Smirre is fast. Mad fast. His results were on the minds of most at the camp. In this a country of pizza and beer, Nordic heroes are few and far between. Thus, when a Nordic hero emerges, we try to make him feel American. We offered him pizza and beer. The clinic broke after an afternoon rollerski and reconvened on Canal Park in teenybopper-popular Grandma's Sports Garden. GGSA brokered out their Russian resources to a roomful stuffed with well over one hundred young American skiers. Smirre signed t-shirts and smiled for endless pictures until the pizza was gone and the crowd settled.
A question and answer session ended the evening. Scott Wilson, local coach and course controller for the ski courses at the upcoming Olympics in Salt Lake City mediated the questions. Nikolai and Vladimir volleyed answers back to the crowd. Bruce Bauer (fluent in Swedish) lent language help when applicable to the larger Russian.
"For me it was very easy," began Smirnov in response to the difficulty of his training regime. "Breakfast. First training at eight. Lunch. Zome 
zleeping. Second training at four. Dinner at seven and then repeat." His hands came down to visually break up his day. "It was routine. It was eh.. job!" Murmurs from the crowd.
Scott rises with another question. "Nikolai this is a question for you. What was your most difficult race?" Scott sat and Nikolai rose with a smile.
"I remember this race very well. It was 1960 Olympic games in Squaw Valley. It was relay and I was very nervous." At this Nikolai rubbed his hands together as if to warm them. "I was final leg and Russia was in third place with Sweden very close. But you remember this skier Sixten Jernburg? Very strong and he is skiing final leg for Sweden. It was very difficult. I am pushing and pushing and just before finish I am feeling my head going up." Nik pulled his hands high "And I am thinking who is doing this? What is happening? I felt my head lifting from my shoulders and it was very strange but I am still skiing very hard and finishing in front of the Swede." The room laughs. Nikolai beams a smile of gold teeth.
The room was patient with a constant stream of questions. What can we do for American skiing? What is next for you, Vladimir? for Nikolai? for Gitchi Gummi? The answers come slowly. Dedication is need for American skiing. "Professional coaching for all programs," advised Nikolai, "Write to your government. Ask for help." Vladimir talks of his dedication, his future plans. He will ski the Swedish Vassaloppet...Vladimir has stated that his bib is hanging above his bed and that old friend and rival Vegard Ulvang is looking forward to competing with him. He will market a line of formal wear clothing-"Smirre". He has been named as the athlete representative to the IOC, the governing body for the Olympic games and must travel often subsequently. He will spend time with his children. He will spend time with his wife.
As the night drew to a close, Nikolai voiced the anxiety the silent crowd was feeling that this would all be over too soon. With the dinner eaten, the questions answered, the room was remarkably quiet. In the week following this dinner, Vladimir would split his time evenly between the weeklong junior campers and the year round Gitchi Gummi elite team. Those involved with Smirnov at either level would have the same feelings to report- an incredible experience. Nikolai with raised hands, silenced the crowd and spoke up, "And let us all hope he returns for a camp again this time NEXT YEAR!" Nikolai then turned, one gold medallist to another, and hugged his pupil. The crowd chuckled, applauded and hoped that Nikolai's request wasn't completely in jest.
