USSA selects Randall, Flora for top honors

"Frankly," said Tom Kelly, vice president of USSA, "it was a no-brainer."

After all, they're both repeat winners -- though Flora was named top domestic coach last time. They both contributed to Randall's historic silver medal performance at the Nordic World Championships in the Czech Republic this winter.

That medal was no doubt delicious. "We want medals, we all want medals," acknowledged Kelly. "It's a validation."

But equally tasty, particularly for Flora, are the more subtle signs of the success and growth he's nurtured at APU.

"I was quite flattered," said Flora, in his third season as program director of the APU Nordic Ski Center. "And it's always easy to watch Kikkan when she's skiing so well. But we had between nine and 10 athletes compete on the World Cup level. That's up from six or seven a year ago and maybe four the year before."

That's not all.

• APU's James Southam of Anchorage had what Kelly called "some eye-opening moments at the world championships" including finishing 33rd -- his best ever -- in the 30-K pursuit. And he won national championships in the 10-kilometer classical and 50-K classical events, positioning himself well for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

• Palmer's Kate Fitzgerald moved up from the juniors program, taking "phenomenal leaps last year to make herself competitive nationally," Flora said. Fitzgerald capped her season with three top-18 performances at the national championships.

• The APU program expanded to some 220 skiers, ranging from kids to masters as old as 79. That's up from fewer than 100 skiers three years ago. Twenty-two of them -- including some of America's best -- are on the senior elite team. Among that group are Taz Mannix, 22, of Talkeetna, and Laura Valaas, 25, of Wenatchee, Wash., who joined Randall on the U.S. Ski Team.

• Even the APU coaches turned heads in competition. Coach Holly Brooks was less than a second from winning America's biggest cross-country ski race, Wisconsin's American Birkebeiner, in February. She captured her second straight Tour of Anchorage crown a month later. "One of the good side effects of coaching a group of talented athletes," Flora said, ''is that coaches have to step up as well."

When Flora, a former Tour of Anchorage champion, stepped back from competition, he knew "this is exactly the type of system I wanted to work in. I always aspired to be an international competitor, and I think you need a stable environment like we have here."

Brooks said APU's ability to guide skiers through various stages of development is critical.

"Look at Kikkan," Brooks said. "She started as a junior here. She learned how to ski better, got on the national team and reached the world championship podium -- all in the same program."

APU President Doug North is among those who have noticed.

"All of this is extremely well deserved," he said. "Erik has put so many hard hours into the program and developing the individual athletes. Now it's a mecca for the high-quality skier."

Before the nordic world championships began in February, Flora lobbied North to find some funds so he could coach -- and help wax skis -- for Randall.

"He twisted our arms and heart strings both," North recalled. "We got him over there."

Where Flora was dwarfed.

"Little APU and we're competing against the Norwegian national team with their multimillion budget and 20 wax technicians," said Brooks.

But this time, the Norwegians had a little more company on the medals podium.

Reach reporter Mike Campbell at mcampbell@adn.com or 257-4329.