November 20, 2025
Snow has not yet fallen on every hill, but the stories are piling up like skis in a wax cabin. First, a bow of the wool cap to Jessie Diggins, who announced this will be her last lap around the World Cup stadiums. She’s promised to race full‑gas to the finish, which, given her habit of smiling while sprinting up walls, means the rest of the field should continue hydrating. If you want the goosebumps straight from the source, her farewell notes are here: Confirmed: Jessie Diggins will retire after this season and also here, because one retirement newsflash deserves an encore: Olympic champion Jessie Diggins announces retirement at season’s end.
Meanwhile in Norway, innovation arrived wearing a pole strap. Eirik Mysen turned up to Beitostølen with ski poles that—depending on whom you ask—either extend your push or your luck. The handle’s secret sauce lets the functional length grow during the stroke, which has officials squinting at the rulebook like it’s a wax chart in April. The whole ingenious kerfuffle is here: Mysen’s ‘revolutionary’ pole grip and the looming rules debate.
The ski-jumping world, still unpacking last season’s suitcase of suit drama, starts in Lillehammer with fresh rules, firmer inspections, and—no kidding—undercover equipment controllers lurking like moles in a snowbank. If you feel watched on the landing hill, you might be. Details here: FIS deploys undercover “spies” to spot suit manipulation. The Austrians say bygones, the Germans say not so fast: Stefan Kraft’s conciliatory reset and Andreas Wellinger’s lingering doubts. Either way, the tape measures are warmed up and ready.
Back on the tracks, Norway’s depth chart winced: injury concerns for Martin Løwstrøm Nyenget and Astrid Øyre Slind. Slind, undeterred, has an Olympic to‑do list written in permanent marker, critics be darned: her 10 km skate manifesto is fueled by stubbornness, sunshine, and just enough Achilles grumble to skip classic for a bit.
Also in the Swedish camp: Frida Karlsson might add Olympic sprinting to her menu—because why not order dessert?—as she tests speed in Gällivare: Frida is “keen” on the sprint. And in a different Swedish headline, a sponsorship with a weight‑loss drug maker prompted a Nordic ethics seminar at 100 decibels: Therese Johaug’s sharp critique.
Finally, we tip our hats to a legend who skied from one era into the next on two planks of history. Magne Myrmo has passed at 82—the last world champion on wooden skis. If you need a reminder that simple gear and a fierce heart can still win the day, it’s here: Magne Myrmo’s obituary.
Weekend Forecast (for Drama)
- Lillehammer jumps: rules tight, suits tighter, tempers… we’ll see. Start line primer: World Cup opens, Stoch’s farewell begins.
- Wisła snow scramble: FIS says snow or no show—bring the snow guns and coffee: Wisła must be on snow.
- German jumpers eye medals and mending credibility: Men’s preview and Women’s preview.
So there you have it: one farewell tour, one stretchy idea, several very serious tailors, and the eternal question—will there be enough snow where we need it, right when we need it? Tune in; the season’s just clipping into the start gate. ❄️