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Enter the Skier | General | ASI Reports | States
The first skiers from Kenya
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On January 2, the Australian cross country ski team travelled up to Åsarna, Sweden, for some Scandinavian Cup races. Normally the Australian team provoke a bit of interest when they rock up to races in Europe. However, on this occasion, the Australians were upstaged by a country even less known for producing skiers. The Kenyan ski team was in town.
Hold on here! The Aussies are meant to get all the attention! Kenya doesn't have snow - at least not any skiable snow. There is no history of Kenyans skiing in the Kiandra gold fields, Kenyan teams at the World Championships, Kenyans travelling the worldloppet circuit, Kenyans trying to pick up at the Vasastugan. This begs the question; How did Kenya come to have a cross country ski team? Finn Marsland and Jessica Hart set out to find out just what was going on.
Phillip Boit and Henry Bitok were found lounging in their hotel room in downtown Åsarna. They seemed pretty laid back sort of guys, friendly and easy to talk to. It comes as no surprise that they were accomplished runners back in Kenya.
"There has been an exchange between Kenya and Finland for many years," says Phillip. "Finnish runners and coaches come down to train in Kenya. One of their coaches asked if anyone would like to try cross country skiing."
"To see if Kenya can produce some skiers; That is something different," adds Henry. "There are many good runners in Kenya. We thought, why not? It is a good opportunity."
Phillip Boit and Henry Bitok hail from the towns of Eldoret and Kabsabet in Kenya. They first saw snow when they travelled to Finland two years ago, and now stay there all year round, based in Nastola, near Lahti. They travel home only now and then, 'for shopping', says Henry. They were home for a week over Christmas; the first time in three months. Back in Kenya, Henry has a wife and three children, one girl and twin boys. Phillip, well, while home for Christmas he got married, spent three days with his new wife and returned to Finland. The next time they'll be back in Kenya will be in March.
Both Phillip and Henry are from the Nandi tribe - there are 42 different tribes in Kenya and most of the good runners come from the Nandi. " We believe in running," said Henry. "Other tribes play football, but we are runners. We grow up running to school, running home, running everywhere." Hmm. Can there be some connection here? Norwegian children grow up skiing... Ahh, it must just be a coincedence. Otherwise Australians would be really good at swimming, cricket and football. But will Kenya now start to take an interest in skiing?
"Most of the people now are watching us," says Henry. "Before they didn't know anything about skiing.
"Some people think we are crazy," cuts in Phillip. "They say, you are doing a very risky sport. But this is because they don't show any cross country skiing on television, only slalom and ski jumping. So they think this is what we are doing. 'Its a very dangerous sport', they say, 'you are risking your lives'."
For the record, here are some of Henry and Phillip's personal best running times:
Obviously Henry and Phillip are pretty talented athletes. There was probably no-one else entered in the Åsarna races who would threaten their times on the track, maybe with the exception of Norwegian Anders Aukland over the longer distances. So why aren't they up with the pace on the ski track?
Henry Bitok Phillip Boit 3,000m
3,000m steeple
5,000m
10,000m
half marathon7:50
8:18
13:48
29:00
65 min100m
200m
400m
800m
1500m10.49
21.07
46.54
1:47.07
3:45The first thing that springs to mind is technique. To be a competitive skier of course you need to able to ski and you need to be able to ski efficiently. With only a year and half of skiing behind them, Phillip and Henry must be climbing a pretty steep learning curve. Considering this short history, their technique is not too bad. Sure, there's a lot to work on, but the basics are already there. However, downhill technique in particular is one area where the Kenyans may be able to make up a lot of time. On the race course in Åsarna, there was one section where the track dropped off unexpectedly, almost like a jump, and even when you were ready for it, it was hard to keep your skis on the snow. This caused some problems.
"We only skied the 5km loop before the race," described Phillip. "I didn't know the course. So I was polling hard , head down, polling polling, then I was in the air. I screamed."
The day after in the 30km, Anthony Evans came sliding round a sharp corner to find one of the Kenyans facing back towards him from the other side of the rut.
But is it just technique that restricts a distance runner from easily switching to cross country skiing. At first glance they seem similar, both endurance sports, with comparable distances. However, there is another difference that becomes readily apparent when you try to ski fast up hills. As Phillip put it, "We have endurance, but we don't have the power. So what can we do with our endurance. You need both endurance and power." Upper body strength is also lacking in most runners, and many minutes can be lost in straight double polling if you are weak.
The Olympic selection criteria for the Kenyans is different from most nations. To qualify, each has to complete 5 international races, with 5 or more countries competing. Phillip had already reached this requirement after the first race in Åsarna; Henry completed his 5th race with the 30km skate the next day.
At the Olympics, they will have a manager and their Finnish coach, Jussi Lehtinen. The problem of choosing a flag bearer? "We'll toss a coin to see who carries the flag," laughs Henry, "That's what we've been suggesting."
There are four individual races in Nagano, 10, 15, 30 and 50 km. The two Kenyans indicated they will probably only ski in the 10 and the 15. As Phillip said, "It was so surprising when they told me I'd be skiing 10, 15, 30km races. I said hey, I've just been running 1500m, are you crazy?"
But while Phillip and Henry were both confident of going to Nagano after satisfying the criteria, according to FIS rules only one skier may participate from a country if they have no skiers under 100 FIS points. So bearing the flag may not be the only thing they have to toss a coin for.
"After our races in Japan, we will cheer for Finland," said Henry. "We have been training with the Finnish team; Myllylae and Isometsae, they are good friends."
"We have to cheer for Finland," adds Phillip. "Otherwise, when we come back they might say 'Go that way'." He points as if they were being shown out of the country.
It is said that one of the most important physiological requirements of cross country skiers is their maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 Max). On the question of physiological testing (the rumour on the ski tracks is that the Kenyans have VO2's of 90ml/kgmin), Phillip dismisses its importance.
"In Kenya, we just run. We don't have these things. In Finland they do this testing all the time. Many Europeans, they wear these heart rate bands when they train, and go faster or slower from what the pulse says. They worry too much about what the pulse says. Without these bands, you can relax, don't worry about the pulse and just run. Some people collapse at the end of a training session.
"If you're a runner then you are healthy. You don't need to have these tests. You just have to worry about your health, and if you have your health then you can run."
One and a half years of skiing is not long. There is so much to learn in technique and in teaching the muscles how to ski that finishing the races may be all they will be able to achieve in Nagano. Both Kenyans realise that to make any mark in cross country skiing they will have to keep skiing for quite a few more seasons. The question of skiing beyond Nagano brings up the subject of sponsors. Sponsorship is a big thing. Nike is paying for everything, including a wage, down to the obligatory merchandise - bags, clothes, slippers, watches. There is some uncertainty as to whether the sponsorship will continue after Nagano.
"We hope to keep skiing beyind Nagano. But we still run every day. If the sponsors stop, we cant afford to keep skiing. We will have to go back to running."
As an Australian skier, it may be hard sometimes to consider that it is possible to bridge the gap, to see youself winning World Cup races. These two Kenyan skiers are nearly ten minutes behind the best Australian skiers over ten kilometres, but talking to them you get the feeling that their only concern is if the money runs out, they cannot continue. Otherwise, there are no limits to how far they can go.
"I look at the television and I see Björn Daehlie, Mika Myllylae, winning races," says Phillip. "I ask myself, why can I not be a champion as well. Anything is possible, if you make it happen. We've only been skiing for one and a half years, what about in two more years, in four more years"
"I dream of standing on the podium, winning a gold medal at the Olympics or World Championships."
XC is the official website of the Skiing Australia Cross Country Committee. It is produced with the assistance of the Australian Sports Commission, the Australian Ski Institute and the Kangaroo Hoppet. The editor can be contacted via hoppet@netc.net.au.