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Monday, 25 January 2016 Written by WSA Race Data Category: RD Blog EN Hits: 2481

Larry will represent New Zealand for the second time at WSA World Championships. In order to participate in Frauenwald 2016 he travels 18.800km.

 Unlike last time, Larry will travel without his dog Novaya and will therefore compete with a dog of a different team. And it’s easy to understand why. Imagine the cost for transporting a dog – a mere $5.000 each way – and the stresses and strains a journey like this puts on a dog. Add to this the huge logistical effort that is required and the fact that there would be little time for the dog to acclimatize.

As before in Kandersteg, the WSA is supporting Larry once again in finding the right dog, accommodation and registering his WDL. Prior to the World Championships he will train in Germany on snow in order for him and the dog to get used to each other and he’ll possibly compete at the race in Inzell. But don’t mistake Larry as the underdog from the land of the hobbits – he is the six-time WSDF Skijor Winner (1-dog) and two-time NZFSS Single Dog Snow Champion.

Larry, we’re delighted that you’re coming!


Report Kandersteg 2014

The first story starts in July 2013 when the WSA received a letter from New Zealand by a certain Larry Nichvolodov telling us that he intended to come especially for the World Championships to Kandersteg. Indeed,

New Zealand is just around the corner from Switzerland, only a mere 18.800 km away. Of course, we would help him in any way we could, we would even provide a dog if necessary. No, came the answer, he would bring his own dog, Novaya. But there was one thing we could help with: An official letter to the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) asking for a variation in MPI transport procedures to make Novaya’s return trip less costly. We were able to help and in early February Larry and Novaya arrived in Milan. From there he went onto Livigno for some on-snow training and then to Davos where he met the parents of Irene Valenkamp (Member GBR). Upon his departure Irene’s mother gave him two large Toblerones for the journey - little was left of them by the time he arrived in Kandersteg.

And there he was, without a room a scarce 19.000 km from home. But Robert Schiesser hadn’t forgotten our request and had booked him (and Novaya of course) into a triple room with the race judges. On his first evening staying with the WSA he also received his first WSA souvenir - a WSA cap which otherwise is exclusively available to the WSA Board. And to top it all, Larry draped in the New Zealand flag and with his dog and country panel was selected to speak the athletes’ oath a the opening ceremony.

A great little story, which we believe is worth telling back home as well. For all of us who felt it was expensive to travel to Kandersteg, let’s think again. Larry had to spend $ 5.000 just for Novaya’s return flight – we would have travelled first class for that amount. Inspirational to see the effort this man is prepared to make to compete outside New Zealand and to raise the profile of the sport at home.