Because of his early success and passion for the sport, Noah Hoffman took a year off between high school and college to focus on his cross country skiing. Fast-forward the years and Hoffman is now a six-year veteran of the U.S. Ski Team and is poised to become the new face of U.S. distance ski racing.

The 2013 season marked a continued improvement in Hoffman’s skiing, and the results stacked up for the Aspen native. After earning a top-10 finish at the Canmore World Cup, Hoffman made a statement at his second World Championships, claiming two top-15 results in the 4x10k relay and 15k freestyle. He also finished his first Tour de Ski and won his second national title in the 15k classic pursuit.

These results came on the heels of a breakout 2012 campaign that saw Hoffman earn his first national title and a silver medal in the U23 World Championships in Turkey.

NOAH SAYS
I am excited with the clear improvement I showed during the 2012-13 season. I accomplished several goals, including finishing my first Tour de Ski, earning a spot at the World Cup Finals (by being ranked in the top 50 in the overall World Cup standings), having a top-15 result at the World Championships and earning a top-10 result in the Canadian World Cup stop.

This summer I am looking forward to taking another step towards my goal of becoming the best distance cross country skier in the world by improving my upper body strength and power and also improving my speed for short races. I hope to show the gains I’ve made by continuing to have success on the World Cup, finishing the Tour de Ski in the top-20 overall and achieving a top-10 result at the Olympic Winter Games.

FIRST TRACKS
Hoffman remembers the long drives from his childhood home in Evergreen, CO to the ski slopes and, at the age of four, having to yell at his parents to wait for him. A cross country runner in sixth grade, Hoffman decided to try out a pair of skinny skis instead, and the new sport stuck.

OFF THE SNOW
Off the snow Hoffman enjoys reading and hanging out with friends and family. He also enjoys other sports, including tennis, alpine skiing and soccer. “I try to stay as connected as possible with the outside world by reading the newspaper and listening to the radio.”