Sam Tarling '13 winces as he leaps off the ground onto a wooden box standing several feet high. A bead of sweat drips off the bridge of his nose. Tarling a veteran member of Dartmouth's Nordic ski team understands that being competitive in collegiate skiing requires an unwavering commitment to training.
"Cross-country skiing is a year-round sport," Tarling said. "When we're not on skis, we're roller-skiing, running, bounding, strength training anything to keep our endurance up for racing season."
Such dedication to skiing has catapulted Tarling into the elite class of American collegiate ski racers.
As a young skier, Tarling looked up to professional distance runner Ben True '08, who grew up running and skiing in Tarling's home town of Cumberland, Me.
"Ben True was a big inspiration for me," Tarling said. "He was always getting lots of attention, and I tried modeling my skiing after his."
Before following True to Dartmouth, Tarling was introduced to the world of cross-country skiing when his father brought him on his cross-country ski excursions starting at the age of two. As a five-year-old, Tarling competed in his first race. By the time he entered middle school, Tarling was committed to pursuing skiing at the highest level.
"In my school district [in Cumberland, Me.], there is a cohort of good skiers, and the local ski club is really involved," Tarling said. "I was really fortunate to have this supportive environment growing up."
For high school, Tarling attended the Burke Mountain Academy in Burke, Vt. The Burke Mountain Academy is specially tailored to competitive skiers looking to balance their studies with high-level athletic training and coaching, and has churned out top collegiate and Olympic skiers over the years.
Following a successful high school career, Tarling garnered the attention of coaches from several top collegiate skiing programs, but Dartmouth was the clear choice.
"When I was looking at schools, Dartmouth was the only school that had everything I wanted," Tarling said. "I wanted to study in a rigorous academic environment while also skiing at a high level at a college with a rich skiing tradition. Plus, it's close to home, and the D-Plan gives me flexibility with training and competition."
After a nagging injury early in his freshman season, Tarling settled into his role on the team after the Thanksgiving holiday. Some highlights included a seventh place finish in the classic event at the Dartmouth Carnival and being named to the World Junior Team along with teammate Eric Packer '12. He was also named Eastern Collegiate Rookie of the Year.
"Sam has been an integral part of the team right from the get-go," men's Nordic ski coach Ruff Patterson said. "He brings an unparalleled work ethic and inspires his teammates to push harder with his own hard work."
During his sophomore season, Tarling only built on his freshman year success.
At the Dartmouth Carnival, Tarling won both the 10-kilometer freestyle race and the 20-kilometer classic race. In addition, Tarling won the 10-kilometer freestyle race at the NCAA Skiing Championships in Stowe, Vt.
"Winning both events at the Dartmouth Carnival has been my favorite moment as a Dartmouth skier," Tarling said. "It was just so much fun to win on home snow in front of a Dartmouth crowd."
This season, Tarling hopes to build on his past success.
After missing U.S. Nationals in Rumford, Me. earlier in January due to illness, Tarling hopes to ski well on the carnival circuit before focusing on getting on the podium at the NCAA Skiing Championships, held in Winter Park, Colo., in late March.
"Personal victories are always nice," Tarling said. "But if the team skis well, that's more important."
Tarling, who is majoring in environmental studies and potentially geography, hopes to ski professionally before he calls it quits.
"Competing in the Olympics is certainly a goal of mine down the road, but I'm just focusing on one day at a time right now," Tarling said.
This weekend, the Big Green skis at Bates College Carnival in Bethel, Me. The Big Green is looking to improve on last year's second-place finish to the University of Vermont.
