Image Optical Sponsors Local Skier with Olympic Dreams

It has been another amazing Alaskan summer. With the arctic winters consuming a majority of our year, it seems that we Alaskans have gotten used to cramming asmany warm-weather activities into our precious sunny months as we can. This summer was no exception.

As an elite cross-country ski racer, I spend much of my time outside doing a large assortment of activities. The training that is done in the summer is actually the most important factor in a skier’s winter success, and so a lot of my time is spent with this in mind.

The early summer months were filled with bike racing and triathlons. Fairbanks has a great cycling scene, and the Tour of Fairbanks is one of, if not THE best, bike race in the state. I raced alongside my younger brother Logan against the best riders in Alaska, and out of the 4-day, 5-stage race, we were each able to come away with one stage win apiece and 5^th and 6^th overall respectively.

Triathlons are also a fun way to stay in shape. Having to do three different sports within the same race makes it extremely challenging, but it’s a blast! The Eagle River Triathlon is a super competitive event with thousands of people turning out to race; I felt really good and took 3^rd overall, setting an age group course record in the process.

By mid-summer, it was time to get serious about ski training. This means lots of running, rollerskiing, and strength training. But one of the coolest experiences of the summer was getting to ski on a glacier for two week-long on-snow training camps. The Thomas Training Center is on the Eagle Glacier, in the Chugach Mountains behind Girdwood. It is a full-service cross-country ski training center, with almost 10k of groomed trails. The weather can be gnarly, with dense clouds, howling wind, and blowing rain all possibilities. The waterproof lenses on my Oakley’s from Image Optical really showed their benefits as I skied for hours and hours through some of the most moist conditions possible. The flat light and mist made having perfect eyewear not a luxury, but a necessity. Of course, when the clouds clear and the sun comes out, it is one of the most beautiful places I have seen.

Now as we near the end of fall, I am looking forward to another season of ski racing. I hope to build on the successes of last winter, and continue to represent the United States at the highest levels of international competition. I would like to thank Image Optical for supporting me in these endeavors and my pursuit of the Olympic dream.

by Reese Hanneman