The aerial skiers of the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team are well underway in their summer training program at Official Training Site Utah Olympic Park (UOP). During an off-season that has been anything but “normal,” watching athletes launch and twist themselves into the pool is a welcome sight. Thanks to the efforts of U.S. Ski & Snowboard and UOP staff, specific COVID-19 protocols have been developed and implemented in order to make training possible. 

The U.S. Aerials Team was originally scheduled to begin training together at the beginning of May with a two-week bungee and trampoline camp before hitting the water. However, plans pivoted and athletes had to continue to train from home until mid-June when limited, group training became possible. “We were hoping to fit in more prep work before hitting the pools,” explained U.S. Ski & Snowboard Head Aerials Coach Vladimir (Vlad) Lebedev. “Our plan was to work on visualization and preparing for landing impacts. However, due to timing implications of getting camps running meant we just ran straight into the water.”

Not having consistent access to a gym or trampoline created a challenge for athletes getting back into their usual groove on the water ramps. Compressing the return period intensified the process of wiping out the cobwebs from time away from jumping, which was longer than usual. 

“We had a later start than we were hoping for, but we have been making steady progress,” said Megan Smallhouse. “The transition out of quarantine and back into training was challenging because we didn’t have access to a gym, or trampoline before we started ramping. Instead of working out with weights, and training on the trampoline before water ramping, our process got cut short, and we went straight into water ramping. It took my body a while to adapt to regular training again, but now I am back on track!”

The excitement of getting back to flying high helped the athletes to push past getting the fundamentals back under their belts so they could grind out working on progression and technique for the rest of the summer. 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feels good to get upside down. @usskiteam #skiing #flips 📸 @mitchell_michelle

A post shared by Ashley Caldwell (@ashleyskis93) on Jun 27, 2020 at 1:20pm PDT

“As a winter sport athlete, our springtime is usually filled with a lot of downtime after a long competition season, so parts of quarantine didn’t feel too different than a normal Spring,” said 2017 World Champion Ashley Caldwell. “After a while home workouts became a little difficult to get motivated for but I think the team was really well prepared when we did start jumping into the pool at the Utah Olympic Park. I think the long-awaited excitement and anticipation of jumping at the pool made the entire team very motivated.  I’ve seen a lot of hard work and progress from the entire team and while other nations began training before us I think we are still on track for a great season.”

Vlad reports that are looking good across the board, some are even further into their progression plans than the same time last summer. Chris Lillis, who finished the 2020 season ranked 6th in the world, is consistently jumping quintuples - yes, that’s FIVE twists in three backflips. 

Veterans Eric Loughran and Jon Lillis are putting in the work and Justin Schoenfeld is fine-tuning his quads. Quinn Dehlinger, new to the team last season, is showing great talent and progress, consistently jumping double full full and double full double full, as well as hitting the triple jump.

Megan Nick has joined Ashley in jumping off of the triple, a historically male-dominated jump, pushing the U.S. team’s competitive edge. Winter added a new trick, double full full, to her repertoire. Kaila Kuhn is finding her groove again, as is Madison Varmette, and newest addition to the team, Dani Loeb, is enjoying getting integrated into the team’s processes. 

Although the past few months have seen bumps along the road to returning to training, Vlad is grateful to watch the team come together with a renewed commitment to their craft. “We are maximizing our time each day we’re able to train on the water and at the COE,” said Vlad.

The U.S. Aerials Freestyle Ski Team makes the UOP their summer home, and thankfully this summer will be no exception as the focus remains on upping the Team’s overall degree of difficulty and executing consistent, quality jumps.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A whole lot of stairs to start climbing again after just a couple seconds in the air. #aerialskiing

A post shared by Winter Vinecki (@wintervinecki) on Jul 18, 2020 at 7:19pm PDT

U.S. Ski & Snowboard sanctioned training camp attendance is optional. U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes and staff should not feel pressure to travel to train. All sanctioned training camp policies and protocols are subject to change based on local, state, and federal public health orders, updated guidance from the USOPC, or updated U.S. Ski & Snowboard policies.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard alumni Jeremy Bloom, Bode Miller, Shaun White, and the late Jeret “Speedy” Peterson, through his mother, Linda, will be featured in HBO’s The Weight of Gold, premiering Wednesday, at 9:00 p.m. EDT. The documentary film explores the mental health challenges that Olympic athletes often face in deeply personal detail. 

More than 3.6 billion people around the world tune in to watch the Olympic Games. What most of these viewers don’t know is that just like one in five Americans, many of these Olympic athletes similarly face serious mental health challenges and struggle to find the necessary support and resources, according to a press release announcing the documentary’s debut.

In The Weight of Gold, Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympic athlete of all-time, shares his account of his struggle, along with the struggles of other high-profile Olympic athletes. This documentary is premiering at a critical moment for the millions who struggle with mental health – an issue greatly exacerbated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The film seeks to inspire the discussion of mental health, encourage help-seeking behavior, and highlight the need for readily available help and support.

Tune in to witness the powerful stories of Michael, Bode, Shaun, Jeremy, Speedy, and other Olympic champions that highlight the critical role that mental health plays in sport and everyday life.

THE WEIGHT OF GOLD will be available on HBO and to stream on HBO Max. 

Mental Health Resources
United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee: www.teamusa.org/mentalhealth 
The Speedy Foundation: https://www.thespeedyfoundation.org    
Michael Phelps Foundation: https://michaelphelpsfoundation.org 
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org  
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: https://afsp.org 
Crisis Text Line: https://www.crisistextline.org  
Mental Health First Aid: https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org  

If you or someone you know is experiencing an urgent mental health issue, we encourage you to text HOME to 741741, or call (800) 273-8255 to speak to a mental health professional. In the process of helping yourself, you may be inspiring courage in others to seek help as well.

If you are a U.S. Ski & Snowboard athlete, member, or staff, and feel you need support or would like to talk, don’t hesitate to reach out to USOPC Sr. Sport Psychologist Alexander Cohen as a resource.

Alexander Cohen, Ph.D., CMPC
Sr. Sport Psychologist
United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee
alexander.cohen@usoc.org
(O) +1 719-866-3180 (M) +1 719-216-6376
 

As part of a three-blog series highlighting ELITEAM alumnus and current Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete Jimmy Krupka contributed to the ELITEAM blog with a "Day in the Life" piece highlighting his workout regimen. 

This summer we have 500 athletes following ELITEAM’s new “Dig Deep” Online Summer Training Program. With so many athletes working hard, striving to reach their goals and dreaming of the podium, we thought it fitting to give them a look behind the curtains to see what it takes to make it. Our “Summer Training Series” continues with a feature on an ELITEAM Alum recently named to the US Ski Team, Jimmy Krupka.

Jimmy will be traveling and training with the B Team this year. He generously took the time to document one full day of workouts, nutrition and mental skills training to share with us. What does a typical day look like for a top level athlete? Read on to experience “a day in the life” of a top athlete pursuing his dreams.

A DAY IN THE LIFE…
From 7:00am to 10:30pm, Jimmy takes us through a double workout day. From supersets to stretching, teammates to technique, he gives us a running commentary on his training day. It won’t take long for you to see he’s a smart, dedicated athlete, and knows how to dig deep…and enjoys it!

Check out the entire piece on the ELITEAM blog. 

Two-time Olympic champion, Land Rover Ambassador and winningest slalom skier of all-time Mikaela Shiffrin recently caught up with Mackenzie Moran from Ski Racing Media, prior to her on-snow camp at Official Training Site Timberline Lodge and Ski Resort in Mt. Hood, Ore. for a profile heading into the 2020-21 FIS Ski World Cup season.

With the global pandemic wreaking havoc on the United States, there are many unknowns for Mikaela and her fellow Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team athletes heading into the 2020-21 season, which is slated to feature the 2021 FIS Ski World Championships in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. 

In the piece, Mikaela discusses everything from COVID and quarantine to becoming her own CEO and beyond. 

Mikaela Shiffrin: winningest slalom skier of all time (43). World Cup record-holder for most wins in a single season (17). Fulfilled child prodigy on track to become the winningest female skier of all time (currently with 66). Three-time World Cup overall champion, two-time Olympic gold medalist. 

Her athletic accolades continue to accumulate. But Shiffrin’s goal ahead of the 2020-21 season is not to break more records; it’s to set the record straight. For over a year, Shiffrin’s personal life has slowly unraveled into a state of turmoil. The season ended abruptly, without closure, after an attempted comeback in Are, Sweden. Then, the COVID-19 outbreak consumed the world and sent Shiffrin and the U.S. Ski Team home without a satisfying conclusion to the season. 

Rather than a return to normalcy, finding solace and escape through skiing, the 25-year-old woman became physically isolated, like most of the world, and was forced to wade through an uncharted territory of emotions in ways she’d never imagined. 

“Everybody keeps saying 2020 really stinks because of COVID. But this stay-at-home order is the only thing that’s allowing us to bring back some sanity or any kind of control over our lives.”

Mackenzie and Mikaela also touch on the logistical issues associated with the current global landscape, and how that might affect American athletes heading into the upcoming season. 

Physically getting to Europe will be a whole other battle. Travelers from the United States are currently barred from entering the European Union. Shiffrin’s passport is also nearly unusable, not because it’s about to expire, but because there isn’t a lot of room left for stamps. (And the U.S. passport office has been taking its time getting her a new one.) In light of the restrictions, Shiffrin is investigating and working toward visa exceptions, not just for her, but for her team personnel and teammates. She questions when getting to Europe will even be possible, if at all. She recently reached out to the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee to pressure the organization to find solutions sooner rather than later. FIS has not yet canceled Soelden, and October is quickly approaching. If she manages to get across the pond, returning stateside may not be an option. She’ll be in good company, as every American athlete in Europe this winter will likely face a choice: to commit and stay for seven months or remain in the U.S.

Check out the full article on SkiRacing.com. 

Each season, the New England Ski Museum presents the Golden Ski Award to the most promising male and female junior alpine racers in the eastern U.S. The awards will be presented at a reception and location to be determined at a later date. The ski museum is pleased to present this year’s award to Zoe Zimmermann and Ben Ritchie.

Zoe Zimmermann of Gilford, N.H. and Burke Mountain Academy set the tone for her 2019-20 season when she won the back-to-back early season FIS slaloms at Sunday River, Maine in early December. The rest of her season was filled with success. Some of her most notable results include: several top-10 finishes at NorAms (including two top-five finishes at the NorAm parallel slaloms at Craigleith, Canada and the National Winter Activity Center in New Jersey), top-five finishes at the Harvard and UVM Carnivals, and a fourth-place finish at the Junior Nationals super-G at Snowbasin. Despite the shortened season, Zoe proved her skill and talent, and in March she was named to the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team C Team.

This is Ben’s third Golden Ski Award. Ben Ritchie of Waitsfield, Vt. and Green Mountain Valley School started off the 2019-2020 season strong with a fourth-place finish at the NorAm slaloms in Copper Mountain. A few weeks later, he placed in the top-five of back-to-back NorAm slaloms in Nakiska, including a first-place finish in one of the two competitions. The following month, he won another NorAm at Stowe, and later went on to earn several more podium finishes on the NorAm circuit, as well as two World Cup Slalom starts in Austria and Switzerland. In March, Ben was renamed to the 2021 Alpine B Team for the second year in a row. 

The Golden Ski Award has been presented to the top junior male and female skiers in the East since 1969, the year after the modern World Cup circuit started. Many of the Golden Ski winners have gone on to World Cup and Olympic gold as well. In 1975, the Golden Ski was “lost.” In 2007, the New England Ski Museum was given some artifacts, and in that donation was the original Golden Ski. ESWA then revitalized the honor.

“The Golden Ski Award is the oldest honor given to junior alpine ski racers that exists today,” says Jim Gregory, chair of the New England Ski Museum’s Golden Ski Award Committee. “We are proud this year to honor Zoe Zimmermann and three-time winner Ben Ritchie, two extraordinary athletes. We look forward to watching them pursue their goals and set the bar even higher in the sport we all love so much.”

Previous Golden Ski Award Winners:
1969: Tyler Palmer, Karen Middleton
1970: Charles Bent, Karen Middleton
1971: Rod Taylor, Judy McNealus
1972: Laurent Gaudin, Jody Palmer 
1973: Jerry McNealus, No female winner
1974: No award
1975: Scott Light, Holly Flanders
1976-2007: Award Lost
2008: Bump Heldman, Julia Ford
2009: Nolan Kasper, Julia Ford
2010: Ryan Cochran-Siegle, Julia Ford
2011: Ryan Cochran-Siegle, Mikaela Shiffrin
2012: Ryan Cochran-Siegle, Mikaela Shiffrin
2013: Kieffer Christianson, Mikaela Shiffrin
2014: Sam Morse, Alice Merryweather
2015: Drew Duffy, Nina O’Brien
2016: Ben Ritchie, Cecily Decker
2017: George Steffey, Patricia Mangan
2018: Jimmy Krupka, Abigail Jewett
2019: Ben Ritchie, Claire Thomas

Release courtesy of New England Ski Museum.

For cross country athletes, summer is the time to build base fitness and enjoy the opportunity to add new elements to their training regimes. It’s also the time for camps and getting to know your new teammates. But, unfortunately, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, this summer has been anything but normal.

The athletes of the Davis U.S. Cross Country Team have yet to get together as a team in a training camp setting. However, having the opportunity to train with their club programs or in small groups has provided a sense of stability and competition as they push each other throughout the summer. 

“Obviously, we're living in a weird time right now,” said 2018 Olympic gold medallist Jessie Diggins following a workout with her Stratton Mountain School Elite Team teammates recently. “It's been hard to make plans, and we can't really count on camps happening, but I feel so fortunate to be part of this training group because I feel like we have a very solid group of individuals who are really committed to each other and everyone brings so many cool strengths to table.”

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13,000 calories, 22 liters of @skratchlabs, and 1 full container of Gold Bond powder later. That was a weirdly good time! Thanks @sophiecaldwell @williamtcarroll @pat_o_brien @fullytorched and @katharineogden for the candy, burritos, long pulls, and fresh chamois!

A post shared by Simi Hamilton (@simihamilton) on Jun 27, 2020 at 5:23pm PDT

Between the mountain trail runs, rollerski sessions and gym workouts, the Stratton Mountain School crew have also ventured into new training territory too. 

“I’ve been on the mountain bike a lot. I’ve been on the gravel bike a ton,” said two-time Olympian Simi Hamilton, who along with his wife Sophie, has also been living and training in the mountains of Central Vermont with the Stratton Mountain School Elite Team. “I went on a 210-miler, and then another 110-miler just exploring the backyard and a lot of roads I've never been on before. So it's been awesome!”

New Englander Julia Kern, who took her first World Cup podium this past season, is also staying close to home this summer. After chasing the last bit of snow throughout the mountains of Northern New England and wrapping up a semester of classes at Dartmouth, she is back in Stratton mixing up her training with mountain biking too.

“Summer has been really good back in Stratton training with the team,” Julia said. “For some of us it’s really nice because of the consistency, staying local and keeping things simple is really easy. But at the same time, we want to make sure we’re mixing it up and keeping (training) exciting.”

But at the same time, Julia - and all of her teammates - are really missing the snow. “It’s been really hot and humid here and I don’t do well in the heat,” she said. “I’m definitely going to be missing New Zealand camp (Snow Farm) this year and getting on snow.”

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recovery going a looooong way these days 😴 📦 #sleepyszn

A post shared by Gus (@gus.schumacher) on Jul 21, 2020 at 11:13am PDT

Meanwhile, on the other side of the country up in Alaska where summer snow is usually accessible on the Eagle Glacier - but not this year due to the pandemic - Sadie Maubet Bjornsen has found interesting ways to turn yard work into a workout.

“I have been a firm believer that challenge often brings new opportunities, so I am remaining positive about what this change in training could bring,” Sadie said. “I have been doing a lot of the same activities with exception to strength. My new way of strength is very "grassroots" where I am using my husband’s woodpile, and objects in our yard to get strong. This brings almost a playful aspect to my goals, which I have really enjoyed this summer.”

Along with Sadie, Rosie Brennan, Gus Schumacher, Luke Jager, and Noel Keefe are all in Alaska either training with their Alaska Pacific University program or in small groups.

“I have been lucky to have a small group of women that I have been training with all summer,” Sadie said. “We have created our own small bubble that we do our best to keep some distance between ourselves as we ski down the roads or trails - but also recognize we are not avoiding ‘risk’ altogether. I am lucky in the fact that we all have similar goals, so we all take the risk equally seriously.”

“I've been doing a lot of training with Luke Jager...and Noel Keeffe just arrived in Alaska so I've had the opportunity to do some sessions with him,” Gus said. “Luke and I have been training more together than we ever have in the past and it's been really nice. We have a good mix of skills to push one another.”

As July rolls into August, the World Cup season - currently slated to kick off in November - is  just four months away, and everyone is excited to get together in some type of a team atmosphere. But for now, weekly team video calls will have to suffice. 

“For now, I feel really happy with how my own training has been going,” said Jessie, who has added Pilates into her training program to improve her core strength. “But, it would be amazing to connect to the whole team so we can get to know all our new, younger team members in person, and we will at some point.” Hopefully, that opportunity will come in October when the Davis U.S. Cross Country Team plans to get together in Park City, Utah.

Addaday, a world leader in injury prevention and recovery technology, announced today it has been selected as the Official Handheld Recovery Equipment Partner of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the Olympic National Governing Body (NGB) of skiing and snowboarding. 

The new multi-year partnership brings Addaday’s award-winning technology to help U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team athletes recover from their demanding training and provide them with a competitive edge. Addaday’s advanced and comprehensive range of recovery tools will be available to athletes in the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Center of Excellence in Park City, Utah, and on the road when athletes compete at events.
 

“We went through extensive testing of handheld recovery tools to ensure that our elite athletes have access to the very best technology and Addaday stood out to meet the demands and unique challenges of our sports,” said Troy Taylor, High Performance Director at U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “Few other brands are innovating as fast as Addaday nor offer as expansive a range of high-quality recovery products that we need to give our athletes the edge as we embark on the journey to 2022.”

“For an organization like U.S. Ski & Snowboard to entrust the recovery needs of its elite athletes in Addaday is a great honor and a testament to how far we’ve come in developing the best technology on the market,” said Hugh Williams, President of Addaday. “We look forward to working with U.S. Ski & Snowboard to continue fueling our innovation and helping its athletes move, train and compete at their fullest.”

Introducing the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Special Edition BioZoom™

Among the many Addaday tools that will help athletes stay in peak condition is the new U.S. Ski & Snowboard Special Edition Bluetooth-Enabled BioZoom Percussion Device. The much-enhanced replacement for Addaday’s current BioZoom can help decrease muscle soreness and pain, enhance blood flow and circulation, accelerate warm-up and recovery and increase range of motion.

The enhanced version of Addaday’s popular BioZoom features Bluetooth technology for added functionality that will be introduced this fall and a patented ergonomic, rubber-coated long-reach handle to help users easily access those hard-to-reach aches and pains – even for those with smaller hands. Among the quietest percussion devices on the market, the BioZoom has variable speed settings (intensity range between 20-52Hz) and five unique myofascial specific attachments to help users fully customize their therapies. The removable battery has a life of one hour at maximum intensity or three hours at the lowest intensity. Each device comes with a U.S. Ski & Snowboard branded protective carrying case.

The U.S. Ski & Snowboard Special Edition BioZoom is now available for pre-order (while stocks last) at Addaday.com at a special introductory price of just $199, making it truly one of the best value percussion devices on the market today. Customers will receive their orders by September 15, 2020.

“Percussion devices don’t need to be a luxury item, providing relief to the few who can afford it,” said Hugh Williams, President of Addaday. “We’re excited to make a best-in-class, connected massage therapy product available to everyone to keep them moving at their peak level.”

U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s partnership with Addaday underscores the brand’s status as a world leader in recovery technology. Already, the brand is the Official Recovery Partner of USA Climbing, The Basketball Tournament and the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run. It is also the Official Massage Chair of IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 U.S. Series. In addition, many teams and professional athletes at the highest levels of football, baseball, hockey and Olympic sports now use Addaday’s products for their recovery needs.

“Active therapy can help everyone from elite athletes to people with sedentary lifestyles keep moving at their best. Treating both professional and amateur athletes every day, I have found that reducing lower extremity swelling and inflammation can be the difference between competing and being on the sidelines,” said Dr. Michael Venezia DC, CSCS, Addaday’s Head of Bioanalytics and Mechanics. “The BioZoom delivers deeper penetrating vibratory relief to your tissue, decreases pain sensitivity and reduces swelling and inflammation.”

For more information on Addaday, visit www.addaday.com. Follow the brand on social media at @addadayrecovery.

###

About Addaday
Addaday is a connected fitness company focused on pre-and post-exercise recovery to help people move better and live their fullest. Its devices deliver targeted therapies and techniques used by professionals to prime the body for exercise, speed recovery and treat or prevent injury. Addaday is the Official Handheld Recovery Equipment Partner of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the Official Recovery Partner of USA Climbing, The Basketball Tournament, Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run and provider of other leading sports organizations. It is also the Official Massage Chair of IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 U.S. Series. In addition, many teams and professional athletes at the highest levels of football, baseball, hockey and Olympic sports now use Addaday’s products for their recovery needs. For more information, visit www.addaday.com.

About U.S. Ski & Snowboard
U.S. Ski & Snowboard is the Olympic National Governing Body (NGB) of ski and snowboard sports in the USA, based in Park City, Utah. Tracing its roots directly back to 1905, the organization represents nearly 200 elite skiers and snowboarders in 2020, competing in seven teams; alpine, cross country, freeski, freestyle, snowboard, nordic combined and ski jumping. In addition to the elite teams, U.S. Ski & Snowboard also provides leadership and direction for tens of thousands of young skiers and snowboarders across the USA, encouraging and supporting them in achieving excellence. By empowering national teams, clubs, coaches, parents, officials, volunteers and fans, U.S. Ski & Snowboard is committed to the progression of its sports, athlete success and the value of team. For more information, visit www.usskiandsnowboard.org.

Olympic champion and U.S. Alpine Ski Team alumnus Bode Miller recently caught up with Pat Graham of the Associated Press to talk shop and announce Bode's new winter sports academy. 

Bode has partnered with the Institute for Civic Leadership Academy (ICL) to launch the Bode Miller winter sports academy, with the goal of opening a physical school location near Big Sky, Mont., where he and his family live in the winter. Bode told the Associated Press that the program itself is a flexible online learning program tailored to ski racers, snowboarders, cross country skiers and other outdoor sports enthusiasts in grades 7-12.

As Pat wrote, 

The plan is for Bode to will communicate with students, create video content, workouts and webinars to help local club coaches better work with their athletes. "At least, that's the bluprint in this time of the COVID-19 pandemic," the article says. Bode has been friends with ICL Academy founder Kirk Spahn for years, and while he has plans to open a physical school in the future, he figured with the current COVID landscape, there was no time like the present to act. 

In this model, one live online class per day will be required. Then, students balance the rest of the classload around their area of interest, whether it’s snowboarding, skiing or hockey.

Also, the classes integrate personal interests into the teaching methods. For instance, a skier/snowboarder may learn the physics behind the power generated out of a turn or the principles of edge angulation.

“It’s not going to be blatant all the time and in-your-face because I don’t think that would really help them,” Miller said. “But there are undercurrents of the sport that they’re involved in, woven through the entire academic curriculum.”

Growing up, Miller was a regular at a tennis camp started by his grandparents. He saw firsthand how many would return year after year because of their positive memories.

He hopes to cultivate a similar experience with this winter sports academy. Maybe even someday produce athletes who will be the stars of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team.

“We want to create a superstar — superstar kids, superstar people who are involved in the community,” Miller said. “That may sound idealistic, but it’s really an authentic part of our vision, and the DNA of the whole thing.”

Bode says about 100 students have expressed interested in the recently launched program. Costs will be around $13,000, with financial aid available.

Read the full article on APNews.com. 

The U.S. Freeski Halfpipe Team recently completed their first on-snow camp of the off-season at Official Training Site Timberline Resort & Ski Area in Mt. Hood, Ore. June 29-July 15. 

Attending athletes included back-to-back FIS World Champion Aaron Blunck, two-time X Games gold medalist Alex Ferreira, and Olympic bronze medalist Brita Sigourney, along with a slew of motivated U.S. Freeski team athletes hungry to hit the slopes after their 2019-20 season was cut short.

However, the process of getting back on snow did not look the same as years past. Setting up training camps amidst a global pandemic is no easy feat, but thanks to significant time spent creating COVID-19 mitigation strategies and protocols, led by U.S. Ski & Snowboard High-Performance Director Troy Taylor and Lead Physical Therapist Gillian Bower, along with team managers, staff, and beyond, freeski halfpipe athletes were able to get on snow with safety on the top of mind. 

“Our goals as a coaching staff were first and foremost to keep the athletes and staff safe,” said U.S. Freeski Halfpipe Pro Team Head Coach Mike Riddle. “With the crazy world we are living in, this was something on our minds constantly. That aside, we wanted to give the athletes the best opportunity to progress their skiing. We were very fortunate to have access to the best training facility in the world at this time of year when several other national team programs were unable to train at all.”

Alex also shared his thoughts on the opportunity to train at Timberline. 

 “I feel like we are so fortunate as a team to be able to train and progress, especially during such a hectic time in the world,” he said. “Being able to learn new tricks is just a cherry on top.”

And progress they did! By taking an individual breakout approach, athletes were able to focus on their own goals and dial in custom approaches to camp in a near-perfect summer halfpipe, thanks to long time expert pipe builder Frank Wells. The pipe was so good that athletes achieved greater gains than anticipated, including a never-been-done switch double cork 1440 by Aaron.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It needs some improvement for sure but hyped to bring this to feet. #switchdub14 🎥: @britasig @alexferreiraski @birkirving

A post shared by Aaron Blunck (@aaronblunck) on Jul 14, 2020 at 4:33pm PDT

The progression and hard work did not stop with Aaron. All of the athletes made major strides in their skiing that will benefit their performance this coming season, including Brita, who successfully skied last season after recovering from a tib-fib spiral fracture. But getting back on snow this off-season offered a unique challenge for her. 

“I had the hardware taken out of my leg about four weeks ago, so this camp was a bit of an experiment for me,” she said. “I’m really happy with how it worked out. I definitely am still navigating pain in my ski boots, but that has forced me to work on my switch skiing. I’m optimistic my leg is getting better and I’m grateful for the opportunity just to get some time on skis right now.”

For some, the training camp wasn’t only unique due to the COVID-19 mitigation policies in place, but also because they have never experienced a U.S. Ski & Snowboard sanctioned training camp or Timberline Resort & Ski Area. Rookie team member Riley Jacobs was one of these athletes.

“My first time hanging with the rookie team has been so much fun,” said Riley as she reflected after a long day on snow. “The pipe has been super sick and the weather has also been beautiful. This was also my first time to Timberline and I can say I am stoked to come back again!”

To no surprise, skiing just wasn’t enough for the high-energy U.S. Freeski Team crew. Athletes, coaches, and staff also had the opportunity to enjoy activities off the snow. 

“Being isolated to a team bubble sounded scary at the start, but feedback from everyone has shown this was our strongest team cohesion we've ever had,” said U.S. Freeski Team Halfpipe Pro Team Coach Jeremie Livingston. “On the hill, everyone was amping each other up and feeding off the energy of being back on snow. Off the hill, we really bonded over golf, biking, and having a good ol' Bubble'd team July Fourth BBQ. There were also several river cold bath sessions enjoyed by many athletes and coaches alike.”One common theme from athletes that can’t be ignored when speaking about Timberline Camp was the overwhelming gratitude towards staff, medical professionals, and official Training Site partners at Timberline who made this camp possible. 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard sanctioned training camp attendance is optional. U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes and staff should not feel pressure to travel to train. All sanctioned training camp policies and protocols are subject to change based on local, state, and federal public health orders, updated guidance from the USOPC, or updated U.S. Ski & Snowboard policies.
 

How do you find future Olympians and develop a cross country and national team culture during a pandemic? Virtually, of course!

We’re not talking video games here, but video chats and real-life data pulled from athletes participating in four, six-day Regional Elite Group (REG) camps across the country in cooperation with the National Nordic Foundation (NNF) and regional clubs. “We’re able to provide the same experience with standards and expectations as a normal (in-person camp) given the uniqueness of the situation,” said Davis U.S. Cross Country Team Development Coach Kate Barton. 

Each day of the REG camps features detailed training plans that include both morning and afternoon workouts, followed by nightly GoToMeeting presentations focused on topics such as “How to be a Resilient Athlete” and “How to Deal with Training in the Current Times.” By presenting detailed training plans and videos that the athletes could watch the morning of each session, the staff was able to provide virtual cues and visual ideas with the setup of each workout, how the workout is to be performed, and the workout goals. “An athlete training completely alone would have the same amount of information as an athlete who has full club and coach support,” Kate said.  

The camps also utilize some “old school” training tactics that haven’t been used in a number of years, including a 1,000-meter SkiErg test, 3,000-meter track run, and the Canadian Strength Test. The individual results provide Kate and U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross Country Sport Development Manager Bryan Fish the opportunity to create a database of national information to compare athletes from all across the country. 

“We implemented this across the regions, kids across the nation can see how they stack up against one another,” Bryan said. “There is a great deal of data out there that can be of value for comparison purposes.  For example, one can look up World Cup athletes from Bjørn Dæhlie to Theresa Johaug, to many Swedish Cross Country skiers that have run a 3,000-meter on the track.

Indeed, general testing and time trials need to be framed and evaluated with the appropriate perspective as no single general test outlines ski success. However certain general tests and time trials can outline specific individual strengths and opportunities for improvement. 

“One of our goals is to develop well-rounded athletes that are fit, strong, agile, mentally resilient, and emotionally prepared.”
    – U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross Country Sport Development Manager Bryan Fish 

“The foundation of a successful skier is a strong and well balanced general athletic background.” These general tests can provide guidance to the athletes as to where their personal strengths currently exist and where there is further opportunity for growth. Secondly, it is important for the athletes to practice competition. One needs to practice the mental, emotional, and physical challenges that only a race, time trial, or test can create. By doing this in the summer in a camp setting, this allows for rehearsal for the winter.”

Although everyone would prefer in-person camps, the virtual camps do provide broader community participation, especially for coaches. “[Coaches] are the ‘boots on the ground’ and the ones that have really made this project work,” Kate said. “Bryan and I did a lot of leg work and preparation for this camp in the lead up, but the regional coaches have really stepped up to support that plan and to help the kids carry it out on an individual basis in a productive way.”

A few years ago the Cross Country Team created the Retired Stars Mentorship Program as a way for alumni, and current Davis U.S. Cross Country Team members, to give back to the sport and inspire the next generation of athletes. Past regional and national development camps have included Retired Stars participants such as Liz Stephens and Ida Sargent. This year’s camps have featured Andy Newell, and current team members Halley Swirbul and Hannah Halvorsen. 

“They share their motivation, passion and experience with the kids whether in person or virtual. It certainly enhances the environment of learning and definitely captivates the athletes’ attention to have these current and former U.S. Ski Team members share their personal knowledge and insight,” Bryan said. 

These current and former athletes also help drive home the message of cross country culture here in the United States. “Developing a strong national cross country skiing culture is a primary goal,” Bryan said, “and we have three steps in that process: developing a passion for outdoor endurance sport; a culture of training; and a culture or performance.”

Bottom line is whether training in a camp setting, with their club, or by themselves and then gathering nightly, the athletes participating in the REG camps are not only pushing themselves, but raising the level of training preparation and competition across the country for U.S. athletes to compete on the world stage. “I miss seeing the kids, and I love working with them in person...I love the energy!” Kate said. “But I think we’re doing the best we can (based on the current situation) and I certainly left the first camp more energized than when it started, and I hope it had the same impact on the athletes.”