Stratton Mountain School Alpine Skiing

J4 SVC GS

2012-02-14T16:45:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone,

I hope you are watching the kids at the races. Please read Mike's blog post below....it's very important.

Here are the J4's at the race this past Sunday at Stratton. Congratulations to Isabella J. and Jack A. for their victories. Great 2nd runs by Will T. (1st by 2.00 seconds) and Isabel G. (1st 2nd run). This group of kids are skiing as fast as anyone in the east! If you haven't seen them train or race....find the time. They rip!

Will T....shredding!

Tessa!
Sarah G.

J4's Rule!

Lane

DEVO Coach- Jerome

Jack go sooooo fast!

Isabella J. winning!

Isabel G. winning 2nd run!

Diego V.

Colleen V.

Qualifying

2012-02-13T03:43:00.000-08:00

Well, It is that time of year. At times it is difficult to tell who is more nervous, the athletes, the parents or the coaches! The kids are working hard and doing their best to qualify. There are dreams of the USST, US Nationals, Junior Nationals, Eastern Championships, J3 Olympics, Future Stars and Can Am's.

The kids will put an incredible amount of pressure on themselves to qualify. In the end it will come down to many factors; are they big and strong and fast enough? did they put in the conditioning work? are their skis in perfect condition? do they have the confidence to perform? did they train with focus every time they hit the snow? oh, yea, did I say LUCK? This all leads back to the pressure they will automatically be putting on themselves.

As parents, it is hard to not put pressure on your kids, often by accident, to qualify. I like to call this, passive pressure. The kids want to please the coaches, teachers and parents and we need to support them in return. The coaches and parents say, "we do not pressure them to perform", but we all do.

So, I write this for everyone to stop and think. Let's support our SMS Athletes as best we can, as there will be both excitement and disappointment. We all love these kids and want to see them succeed, and in the long run they all will. What is important right now, is that they are doing their best and we are supporting their efforts.

Mike

J3 Slalom Training

2012-02-09T11:00:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone,

The J3's have been loving the hard snow and the sunny days. They are working hard during this tough block of slalom, but....its paying off!!

I also want everyone to meet coach Cory Costello who's joined us on the J3 staff!

Welcome Cory!!

Check out the action:

Michelle

Austin

Hunter

George
'Fish'

Emily

Elisabeth

Brendan

Amanda

2012-01-29T04:31:00.000-08:00

George Steffey dominates the ERS Slalom at Whiteface, 2nd in the GS!!

The 2012 J3 Eastern Regional Series (ERS) took place at Whiteface, NY. It is a two day event that brings together the top J3 athletes from the eastern region to compete. The event is a mid-season test for the athletes and it shows them where they stand against their competitors from other clubs. SMS brought 13 athletes to this years ERS and had success. George Steffey and Nicola Katz were the standouts for the team with three podiums between the two.

Nicola Katz skied very strong in the icy and steep slalom. She was impressive and skied to 2nd place overall. Nicola also finished 13th in the GS. George Steffey came to show everyone who the best skier was, and he impressed. With some mistakes on the first run of the GS, George finished 2nd. In the second run, he came out of the start determined to put himself on the top step of the podium. Halfway down the course, a rut bounced his skies together and he went down, driving his shoulder to the ground (see photo), he recovered and slid out again on the next gate while trying to regain speed. Somehow, he still managed to power his way down and finish second on the run and second overall. Impressive.

Then, George came to the slalom on Sunday wanting redemption. George dismantled the field by 3.54 seconds overall and stood on top of the slalom podium. Congratulations to George!!

Amanda Steffey had a good slalom finishing 8th while Annika Andersson was 18th in this talented field. Brendan O’Keefe also had a good day in the GS finishing 13th Overall.

It was a good mid-season test for the SMS J3’s with lots of racing to go!!

Women's SL Podium: Katz-2nd, Steffey-8th
Men's SL Podium: Steffey-1stGeorge's 2nd run in the GS.....2nd place?!?!

Christmas Break Training Updates

2011-12-27T14:49:00.000-08:00

All athletes,

Please check your SMS email for the updated plan.

Thanks for being patient and understanding.

Hope everyone had a great holiday.

Another World Cup!!

2011-12-08T19:47:00.001-08:00

Thursday: December 8th, 2011:

Today the entire SMS J3 and J4 athletes were fortunate enough to watch the first World Cup Slalom race on American soil since the 2002 winter Olympics. It was a great opportunity to watch the best ski racers in the world compete at the highest level and learn from them how to prepare and compete on race day. The best American finisher was young Nolan Kasper who finished in fourth place. His finish was a great example for our students to show them that if they take full advantage of the opportunities provided to them by SMS that they too may be successful at the highest level of World cup.

Blogger: Brian Baritot
*Brian is new to the SMS J3 staff this season. Brian is a graduate of SMS (2003) and skied for the UVM Catamounts for 2005-2007

'Lyzee' working on her 1-skiing

Sebastian

Tyler

'Room Inspection contest' runners up

'Room inspection contest winners: Paige, Annika, Michelle, Tessa and Isabel

Tessa, Amanda, Julia Mancuso, and Leah

Jack with a nice souvenir

Inspection for 2nd run

Michelle, Zoe, Julia Mancuso, and Eliza

The team with Nolan Casper (4th in today's Slalom)

Cold but great!

2011-12-05T19:46:00.000-08:00

The cold did not stop us. We dressed warmer, waxed colder, made it out there and got our training done. We are from the East Coast. We are from SMS. We are tougher, bigger, stronger and faster.

We continued our GS progression on the upper section of the mountain with two sections of GS gate training which we eventually became one training course. The athletes continued to work hard and their progress is finally showing through. Check out their videos on Dartfish tv.

Matt Stanton

Liz

Severin
Zach

Zoe

Blogger: Matt 'Stantana'

Another great Colorado day

2011-12-04T20:00:00.000-08:00

Sunday: December 4th, 2011

SMS J3/4 Athlete Blog:

To start off the day we had a 7:30 morning run and stretching. The group then headed off to breakfast at 8:00. At 8:45 we were all on the hill and ready to ski! Some groups free skied in the morning and others ran an apex brush course at the top of Copper. By 10:30 the temperature was down to 3 degrees. When lunch came around at 11:30 people began to get cold.
After lunch took place we took apart the course from the morning and the coaches set a new course for the afternoon. Most kids took from 3-4 runs on the course. We finished at 2:30 and groups went to either dryland or video/tuning. The dryland for today was Wallyball in the athletic center which is a version of volleyball with walls. Shortly after that we headed to dinner at Endo’s. When dinner was over study hall began at 6:00 and ended at 7:30. We had a team meeting at 8:00 sharp and lights out at 9:30. This amazing blogging was brought to you by Lyzee S. and Ian L.

Sincerely, Lyzee and Ian

Liz bundled up for the cold

The new jackets are sweet....at least Tessa thinks so.

Annika

Jack

Mike S.

Austin

The 'Fish'

Amanda
Bloggers: Ian and Lyzee!

Bode wins!!

2011-12-02T14:40:00.000-08:00

What a day at the Beaver Creek Birds of Prey World Cup Downhill!! To watch Bode take a victory is as exciting as it gets. The kids had a day to remember. Lots of photos, autographs, high fives, yelling and screaming....it was too much fun.

Check out the photos:

Lots of yelling in the stands!

The Team in the finish arena
Photos with Ted Ligety

Photo with World Extreme Skiing Champion Chris Davenport

Bode on top of the podium

SMS athlete and U.S. Ski Team member Nick Krause

Huge crowds!

Super fans!

SMS high-5's!

J3/4 World Cup Camp

2011-12-01T19:49:00.000-08:00

Thursday: December 1st 2011

Welcome to the Athlete Blog.

Yesterday, the SMS group went to Loveland to ski. We worked on a lot of fundamental drills, and made much progress. It was a successful day, as we were split into our groups. The weather was great, and study hall and tuning went smoothly. Many people learned quickly about tuning, as it was their first time waxing their own skis. Today, it was colder, yet it was still a great day overall. We started with a morning run, surviving the altitude. While skiing at Copper, the snow was perfect for working on more fundamental drills. For dryland, we did quick running and stretching exercises, followed by a delicious pizza dinner. So far, people have been working hard throughout study hall, thanks to Mr. Smith and Carson. The camp has gone great, and everyone has been improving and getting use to the altitude, thanks to the outstanding coaches. Jack was sporting a very cool pink POC… A Shout-out to Payton for her sweet email she wrote to everyone at camp, inspiring us to improve and have fun!

PS, Michelle is the only one left in the Burpee Challenge… even Edry quit!

Sincerely,
Michelle
Annika

A perfect day!
Beautiful day at the summit! Lane...all smiles! Hunter working hard Austin was strong today Ian loving the morning warm up
Bloggers: Michelle and Annika

GoldRush Cup

2011-11-21T04:17:00.000-08:00

Final Results of the Goldrush cup are in:

Boys:
1st - Tanner Mottau
2nd - Danny Fowler
3rd - Brian Mangiacotti

Girls:
1st - Alice Merryweather
2nd - Chloe Daley
3rd - Whitney Hadden

Congratulations to all who raced. It was a great camp and we are all looking forward to being back home and getting on snow in the east. Happy Holidays.

Colorado Camp: Day 10

2011-11-14T20:34:00.001-08:00

We've had a ton going on the last two days on the hill because conditions have been as good as you can get this time of year.

Yesterday, we had a men's and women's GS session from 7-10 on the moderate part of the hill. Snow was terrific and everyone showed the skills they picked up in Chile. From 10-1, we had men's and women's SL on the injected SL lane on the lower part of the Golden Peak Race Arena. Training on injected snow is a little like skiing for the first time, especially for the first few runs. However, towards the end of the session, the kids really started to get the hang of it. From 1-4, we had a men's and women's SL session on the upper part of the hill which is moderately pitched. Here, the athletes were able to work on bringing what they've been feeling in their free-skiing into gates. All in all, it was a tremendously productive day.

Today, the training was just as good, but as we have seen at this camp already, the SMS kids were surrounded by great skiing. During the 7-10 GS session, we trained nearly full-length next to the French women's tech team. This team includes Marion Bertrand and 2011 World Cup GS Globe runner-up, Tessa Worley among other talented team members. During this session, it was so valuable to witness such amazing skiing on essentially the same course. During the 10-1 SL session on the lower section, the athletes had two courses to their left. On the first, the US men's WC SL team was ripping and on the course nest to ours, the Swiss women's SL team banged plastic. On the way down to our course, the athletes could stop on the Afterthough pitch and watch the best woman in the world, Lindsay Vonn training on her own personal SL course.

It's been said before on this blog, most recently by Rolf, but it's worth mentioning again. So much is gained by actually watching the best in the world in person. Video only does the World Cup athletes so much justice. We, on video, spend a lot of time watching them win, but it tells so little of the story. Here, in Vail, we get to see what goes into those wins and the truth is, it's not any different than what goes into a win at any level of the sport.

Hello from Manor Vail

2011-11-14T07:39:00.000-08:00

Hello From Manor Vail, For the past three days there has been talk all over the mountain that snow is on it’s way! Day one rumor had eight to twelve inch predictions and yesterday ten to twenty two inches of the white stuff. As day three approaches wondering if today is the start of the storm, the kids had a great slalom session. With heavy winds throughout the day, the athletes still stripped down in there training attire and managed to post seven to eight training runs on firm to icy conditions. Following dinner as most of the kids started to walk down to the cage (tuning room), the blizzard is on its way. We will see in the morning if it will be a powder day or one tough day of training.

-Dan Pawlak

If a picture is worth a thousand words...

2011-11-11T15:11:00.001-08:00

If, as the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, what is the value of seeing the real thing right in front of you? The ski racing world convenes in Colorado at this time of year, and while there is probably no better place to be skiing right now - with the gorgeous weather and immaculately prepared trails - it is clear that the greatest value to being here is being able to watch the world's best at work. After four days of free skiing at Loveland with my group, today I went up for the first time onto Golden Peak at Vail with Zach Kinsella, who had missed some snow time in the past couple of days. Ted Ligety was training GS, and almost everyone was keeping at least one eye on the US training course hoping to catch Ted in action. The USST were training on an injected slope, and as Zach and I paused at the top of the pitch Ted came ripping down the upper flat, over the break-over and onto the pitch, and blew out of the course two turns later. It is easy to think of a guy like Ted Ligety as some sort of immortal; so seeing him do more or less the same thing that our kids do gives them a chance to realize that Ted is indeed human and capable of the same mistakes as they are.

We watched several of the Europa Cup skiers take their runs. A short time later Ted came along again, and one could almost sense that he was a little upset at his last run. On this run, it seemed that he was going twice as fast as his teammates; and not only that, he was making the injected pitch on which everyone had been struggling look like there wasn't much to it. It was fun to realize that we were watching the best GS skier in the world. Here is Ted in action:

Being in this environment, being able to watch great skiers at work and to see them going about their lives as they are in our midst is the real benefit to being here at this time. I am sure that Zach gained more from being able to watch those athletes at work than he did from anything we worked on with his skiing today. And that is the real value of being in Vail at this point in time - on 11/11/11.

Equipment Room

2011-11-10T18:18:00.000-08:00

It is Day 4 on snow and everyone has been working hard on their skiing. As a part of working hard on snow Athletes and Coaches have to make sure equipment is in perfect condition. When skis and boots are dialed in athletes can get the most out of a day of training. Athletes must make sure their skis are sharp and have been waxed for the up coming day of training. Making sure all equipment is in working order, safe, and setup properly is an important step. The equipment side of racing is not always considered when watching an athlete have a successful race run. Ask any successful racer how much time they spent on their skis the night before a race and the answer may surprise you.

11/9/11

2011-11-10T07:15:00.001-08:00

Day 3 on snow for the group, and day 7 on snow for the PG's brought great weather and great training. Days have been full of skiing, conditioning, ski tuning and video. With a group here at Vail and another at Loveland schedules have been;
PG/Vail Group:

6:30 Breakfast
8:30 lifts
8:30-10:00 Free Ski
10:00-1:00 SL training/Drill Courses
1:00 Lunch
1:00-4:00 Video/Ski tuning
4:00-5:00 Dryland
5:00-6:00 Ski Tuning
6:00 Meeting
6:30 Dinner
7:00-9:00 Ski Tuning

We have on more day on snow before a rest day, weather forecast is for sunshine and more good snow.

Ultimate Football

2011-11-10T07:13:00.000-08:00

Yesterday the girls played ultimate football in the snow. Ultimate football for those of you that don't know has the same rules as ultimate frisbee but is played with a football. It is a great game for the girls to play because it allows the girls to learn how to catch and throw a football. After ultimate football we spend a half hour doing core and mobility work. Below are some action shots from the game! We are all having a blast out here!

Emily is running to get open and Piera is running back to get on defense???

Payton getting ready to throw the ball

Day 2

2011-11-08T19:22:00.001-08:00

James, Coach Pawlak, Brent

Lara, Alice, Payton, Whitney, Hannah and Chloe all smiles at the end of the day!

Most of the group traveled to Loveland again today where we were blessed with the most amazing snow and sunny sky's. The trails were groomed to perfection and the snow was like mid January snow. We really like to start the kids at Loveland because it gives us a wide variety of terrain to choose from where we can work on our drill progression. Here we continued our free ski SL progression with an emphasis on high intensity SL turns with a good pole plant and a high block. The kids at Loveland had a great day and we left the mountain with many smiling faces.

Colorado Camp

2011-11-07T20:47:00.000-08:00

The entire group made it safe and sound. It's amazing how well these young student athletes have learned to travel. Believe me, loading up a bus with gear for 60 people, showing up at an airport with hundreds of pairs of skis and overweight bags, packing everything in vans and driving to the ultimate destination would be impossible without a crew that doesn't know what they are doing. The SMS athletes have it dialed!

The first day on snow for the group that just arrived was great. We spent the day working on balance and shortening up their arcs in congruence with the whole idea of a slalom camp. Tomorrow will be more directed free skiing for most at Loveleand, while some will stay and train on the lanes at Vail.

Stay tuned for pictures!

Loveland, CO: Day 2

2011-11-04T19:11:00.001-07:00

The PG group has been in Colorado for the past two days. The weather and the skiing has been incredible. Mild days on well covered trails has given the athletes the chance to make changes in their skiing. So far, so good.

Here are some pictures of Loveland Ski Area in fine form.

2011-2012 Chile Video

2011-11-01T13:55:00.000-07:00

                                                  You can watch the video in two parts here:

                                                  Part 1: http://vimeo.com/31444288
                                                  Part 2: http://vimeo.com/31448874

World's Stongest Man/Women Competition

2011-10-31T15:20:00.000-07:00

This is the start of a tough week for the J3's. As all the older athletes are testing and resting as they get ready for their trip to Vail this weekend, the J3's had a very hard competition...the World's Strongest Man/Women Challenge.

The group was pushed hard in 4 events to determine which of the J3's was the strongest. The four events below would test their physical and mental toughness.

The tire drag: Dragging a tire 3 lengths of a 25 yard course.

Farmers carry: Run with two 30lbs kettle bell weights for 220 yrds.

Med-ball toss: 5 consecutive tosses of a 14lbs med ball for distance.

Tire flip: Flip the tire as fast as you can over the 40 yard course.

Here are the event winners:

Tire Drag-

Dale B, Elisabeth G

Farmers' Carry-

Dale B, Elisabeth G

Med Ball Toss-

Sebastian K, Eliza S

Tire Flip-

Sebastian K, Eliza S

Overall Standings:

1. Eliza S.

2. Elisabeth G.

3. Paige L.

4. Michelle D.

1. Sebastian K.

2. Dale B.

3. Brendan O.

4. Joe D.

5. Michael F.

Mike was putting everything he had in the tire drag!

Mental toughness!

Michelle was giving it everything in the tire-flip!

Dale pushing hard with the tire-flip.
Joe in full-stride in the farmers' carry.

The J3's are working hard!! Keep it up!

Getting Ready For Colorado

2011-10-30T17:27:00.000-07:00

Getting Ready for the 2011-2012 Colorado Camp!

PG-J3 Mentoring Day

2011-10-09T15:53:00.000-07:00

The theme of the year here at SMS is mentorship. During the day the PG group went out with the J3's and had a day of skiing with them; talking about what they are working on in their skiing as well as their partners. Throughout the day every PG got to know one of the J3's and showed them what they do throughout a day of skiing. Afterward we all went into the gymnasium and played small volleyball. Below are the expereinces of the PG's with their J3 partner.

Above the net action
Connor and Spencer
Connor's write-up

Today I had the pleasure of skiing Chile’s beautiful mountains with one of the best up and coming ski racers; Spencer Smith. The original plan for the day was to train GS on the backside of the mountain, but due to some unexpected snow we switched things up a little bit. As we got ready for the day, the cloudy skies cleared up leaving us with a bluebird day of skiing powder. Although Spencer and I are both enthusiastic about our race training, this was a really nice and relaxing break. The more we conversed on lift rides throughout the morning, the more I found how similar Spencer and I are. Like myself, Spencer is a native Vermonter who raced in the Mid Vermont Council. He came out of KMS last year to join a more serious and intensive program just like I did from OMS three years ago. We are even working on similar things in our skiing; moving forward through the transition without standing up straight. However, I must admit Spencer is a far more talented skier than I was at his age. After he modestly shared his results with me I was blown away to hear how much he dominated last season. This guy won every race he was in except for two that he didn’t finish. It was a true pleasure to spend the day with Spencer, I think we both learned a lot from each other, and I’m eager to watch him grow as a ski racer throughout his upcoming years.

Michelle & Mansfield
Mansfield's write-up

Michelle is currently a J3. She grew up in Chicago, Illinois and grew up skiing in Wisconsin. Although we didn’t get to train any gates today due to the fresh snow, I learned that Michelle is working on maintaining athletic position while skiing and staying forward. Michelle and I had a great day. When it came time to play volleyball, Michelle was confidently in her element as she was captain of her home volleyball team for two years and we were optimistic about our possibility of winning the tournament. After going into the final two matches with three wins and one loss, we had the title in our sites. Unfortunately due to a bad line call in the final point, we lost. Though this loss put a small damper on the excellent day that we shared, we finished our time by having a delicious lunch. Overall it was a great day.

Kris & Michael

Kris's write-up

I had the opportunity to ski with Mike Fischer today, although we were supposed to train with our J3 partners for the full day. We had fresh snowfall over night and instead we went powder skiing for a couple hours. Mike is a first year J3, and is starting his second year at SMS. Before he came to SMS he skied out of Thunder Ridge, New York. Mike only started skiing four years ago, and began racing three years ago because his dad used to race and one of his best friends got him into the sport. His favorite thing about ski racing is the adrenaline rush from the speed. Mike is currently working on moving his hip forward into the new turn and not going too straight in courses. After skiing we went and played volleyball as a team although Mike and I did not fair too well on the court we had an awesome day and enjoyed the experience of getting to know each other.

Lilly & Elisabeth

Paige & Morgan

Takehiro & Joe

Takehiro's write-up

My partner was Joe DeMuyt. He is a second year J3. I skied with him all morning, and played volleyball with him for dryland. I did not have many opportunities to ski with J3s, because we don’t really get to train together with J3s, so this was a good time to get know them. Joe and I had a good time today. We had a conversation during the chairlift ride, and he told me he is working on hands forward, and keeping his hips level. Then, I saw his free skiing and I thought he is very good skier. Because he understands exactly what he is working on, and he tries to fix his problems which is a hard thing to do. After we finished skiing, we played volleyball together. He is also a very good volleyball player, and our team won the tournament. Joe and I had a very good time today

Keith & Sebastian
Keith's write-up

I spent the morning with Sebastian. We met just before 8 AM to ski some of the fresh snow that had fallen the previous night. We were the first on the lift so we were privileged to get fresh tracks. The skiing was awesome and we had a good time exploring what is left to ski on the mountain. We came back to the hotel and quickly played a couple games of volleyball with all of the other J3’s and PG’s. Our team was 1-3 but we still had a great time. From the second that I started skiing with Sebastian, it was clear to me that he is dedicated and loves to ski, as proved by the massive smile on his face at the bottom of each run. This positive attitude and hard work was shown during volleyball as well, a sport that Sebastian is not quite familiar with but he picked up very quickly. Overall, I had a very enjoyable day getting to know Sebastian and I hope that he learned something from me.

Sam and Brendan

Sam's write up

Brendan is currently a second-year J3 and is in his second year with Stratton as a freshman. He lives in a town in the northwestern corner of New Jersey call Mahwah. He was my partner for the J3s with PGs day and he shared with me what he is currently improving in his skiing technique: hands forward and standing on the outside ski. The original plan was to have a full day of training in which we would coach each other and point things out that would improve our skiing. However, due to an unfortunate turn in the weather, training was canceled. Despite this, we made the best of things and went out to ski the powder for a couple hours before heading over to the J3/PG volleyball game. As a part of my team, Brendon showed his skills out on the court. It was definitely a successful day.

Cole & Dale

Cole's Write-up

I learned a lot during the time I spent with Dale. He grew up skiing at Jiminy Peak and currently resides in Westport, Ct.. This morning I asked him for two things he's working on in his skiing and two things he does well and funny enough, he's working on standing hard on his outside and keeping his inside hip high, which is exactly what I'm currently working on in my skiing. Dale reminds me a lot of myself at that age. A little late here and there, constantly thinking about other things, but a talented skier and a hard worker and there's no doubt in my mind, that as he matures everything will come together, and he'll reach his full potential and be an excellent skier and great person.

See you all soon!

Valle Nevado lives up to its name or, It's Nature's way of letting you know you've trained enough

2011-10-08T10:57:00.000-07:00

The canyon Thursday evening

The canyon this morning (Saturday)

Valle Nevado (which, according to my iPhone app translates roughly to 'Snow Valley') lived up to its name last night. After a day and night of thick fog (which shortened training on Friday) we awoke this morning to 5 - 10 cm of new snow. As there was lingering fog to go with the new snow, the decision was made to forgo gate training. This has been a very productive camp despite the lack of snow, and the quality of training has been excellent - so good that some of us, with an eye on the receding snow levels and to take advantage of the great conditions, have been delaying having the athletes take a day off. The skies did clear about 8AM and some groups free skied, while other athletes were given the day off to rest, to nurse minor injuries, or to catch up on school work. Others free skied on their own for a short time. It was a welcome change of pace after a string of fairly intense training days. The extended run of beautiful weather has now given way to more unsettled conditions: despite the sunny skies from earlier today, as I write this we are once again engulfed in fog and it is snowing lightly. Barring an unforeseen heavy snowfall, we will let the groomers prepare the slopes for tomorrow and resume training where we left off yesterday. The improvement in the athletes' skiing has been impressive across the board, and we are looking to put the finishing touches on a great camp while at the same time looking forward to beginning the trip home after skiing on Monday.

Ripping turns on hard ice.

2011-10-08T06:46:00.000-07:00

This is a nice video clip of Tanner Mottau executing some high level skiing on a steep icy slope called Diablada. You can see he uses a combination of carving into the turn and stivot/steering into the turn; while being able to release the ski smoothly out of the turn and into the new one. Carving the ski into the turn with ankle flexion and movement into the apex of the new turn is critical and he does this very well. Enjoy.

Socked In Training

2011-10-07T10:58:00.000-07:00

Cloud layer rolling in

Today started out just like the past nine training days. Although the sun was shining, it was unusually cold and we found ourselves training on very challenging glacier like surfaces. Well into our sixth run the clouds below us began to form and in short time we were in the thick of it.

In between clouds

Despite the visibility, we still got in 10+ runs and the coaches are proud to report that there was some great skiing on the hill. The real excitement was getting down to the bottom in the soup like clouds. We skied as an entire group, tail to tail, like a line of elephants (Jet was our lead man) to the bottom just in time for lunch. Talk about another great day on the hill... remember there's no such thing as bad weather, just different kinds of weather.

-Dan Pawlak

Approaching the final push!

2011-10-07T10:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had another great day down in Chile. A majority of the kids took advantage of a rest day by taking a trip to Santiago. They had a a blast spending a couple hours at the mall and visiting the Artisans Market. Let's hope they bought some great gifts for friends and family. All in all, it was great for them to venture away from the mountain and experience the big city.

We also had a hand full of kids capitalize on the last day of Super G training! We had a great surface and even though the course was only 42 seconds, it will still be some of the best Super G training of the season. The kids did a great job! Another small group of kids continued to make some strong progress with their GS skiing over on Shake. Shake is a steep trail with the best snow on the mountain.

We are in the final push here at camp and spirits are high. Lets hope for a strong last few days!!

-Josh Bedard

J3's having a blast!

2011-10-06T16:44:00.000-07:00

The J3 crew has had an epic few days. They had one of the best training environments that they've ever had. Yesterday, the crew headed over to the famous trail called 'shake'. This 'wall' of a hill is the main training location for the elite skiers. The hill starts off steep, then gets rediculously steep while falling away to the left, and then finally flattens out. Did I mention the ice....? The J3 crew trains on the lower part with some great terrain and moderate pitch.

The group started off with some free skiing on the hill along with some of the SMS J1-2 Men, as well as the U.S. Ski Teams' Europa Cup group. Once all the courses were set, SMS and the U.S. Ski Team were training side by side and it was an amazing day. Andy Philips of Salt Lake City, Utah came over to ask if he could run our J3 GS drill course because he was 'working on some things'. Andy chatted with the kids, waited in line with them and asked them what they were working on in their skiing. It was exciting for the kids to have him with us for 3 or 4 runs.

Once done with an epic day on Shake, we took a great team photo and headed in for a 1pm lunch.

Today, the crew had a well deserved sleep-in and then headed to Santiago on a cultural adventure. Tomorrow we head over to train on 'Percha'....via snow cat!! Did I say the kids are LOVING IT?

J3 Pictures

The J3 Crew after a day on 'Shake' Fisch has been turning Heads!

Big Joe!!

Dale figuring it out

Things are clicking for Brendan

Spencer, Elisabeth, Dale and Fisch

Spencer, Brendan and Josh makin'em fast!

J3 skit night!!

in order of pyramid appearance

Paige

Amanda Joe

Sebastian, Brendan, Elisabeth

See you all soon!!

Pete Davis Blog's it up.

2011-10-05T01:57:00.000-07:00

Santiago-a-go-go!13 SMS Students made the trip down the mountain to Santiago, the capital and largest city in Chile, to take the SAT exam this past Saturday. The trip was quite an adventure for the students. . Juan, our driver was full of energy as he navigated his 15-passenger van down the intimidating, somewhat nauseating 49 switchbacks from Valle Nevado to the valley below. As the crow flies, Santiago is probably less than a dozen miles away. However, by switch-backed road, the trip to the hotel took nearly two hours. The soon-to-head-to-college crew stayed at the newly constructed Marriott Hotel, located on President Kennedy Boulevard, a tip of the hat to the USA and its massive financial aid programs that have been fueling the economic growth in this country. Once settled in at the Marriott, the kids enjoyed shopping, eating and relaxing at Chile’s largest indoor / outdoor mall. Live music, exhibits and street performers added to the festive atmosphere in the mall. A traveling exhibit of Egyptian artifacts was on display and included mummies and papyrus dating back to the time of the Pharaohs. An early to bed, early to rise schedule had all the SAT-takers in the van, ready to head to the International School in the “Barnechea” district by 7:15 on Saturday morning. Fortunately, in addition to calculators and # 2 pencils, the kids were allowed to bring snacks and drinks into the exam which lasted into the early afternoon. At 1:30, Juan drove the crew over to the nearby “JUMBO” (pronounced JOOM-bow) mall, where the kids purchased snacks, drinks and items unavailable at the resort. Two hours after departing JUMBO, we were back at Valle Nevado ready for another fabulous, culinary adventure at the resort. Carol, we miss you!

Sunday, the day after the SATs, afforded an amazing view of Santiago from the resort. The heavy industries that belch smog into the Chilean skies during the work week were noticeably quiet. The result of Sunday being a day off for Chilean industry, the skies were clear and the buildings of Santiago were visible from the slopes of Valle Nevado. Midweek, like clockwork, a layer of smog blankets the buildings so that by 9:00 AM, they are no longer visible. On the plus side, the particulate matter in the smog provides stunning sunsets every evening.

The vistas from the resort are absolutely breathtaking. Depending upon the direction you are facing, the view may resemble the Grand Canyon or the Himalayan Mountains. At the summit of the resort, a massive glacier sits atop the highest peak in the area, a full 6,000 vertical feet above the highest point at Valle Nevado. Stunning!

Celebrity sighting! The 100,000,000 (that’s one hundred million…) vertical foot man is down here skiing with us at Valle Nevado. German born, Rainer Hertrich, started his quest to ski 100 million vertical feet over 8 years ago. The amazing thing about his personal challenge to establish a new world record is that he hasn’t missed a single day of skiing in over eight and a half years. That’s eight and a half years of skiing every, single day…. consecutively. On his last day at Mount Hood, he hops on the evening flight to Santiago, arrives in the morning and is on the slopes by noon. Hasn’t missed a day in over eight and a half years. Talk about dedication! http://espn.go.com/action/freeskiing/news/story?id=5545263

Spring has sprung, not only in Santiago, where flowering trees dominate the scenery, but also up at the resort. Ski conditions here in October are similar to what one would expect to find in Vermont in early to mid-April. The biggest difference is that due to the high altitude, early morning conditions are Zambonied Kevlar. Bulletproof and FAST. The “firm” snow begins to soften up around 10:30 AM and within an hour, spring snow conditions may be found on north facing slopes. Being in the Southern Hemisphere, the cold, shadowy side of the mountains face south and the warm side of the mountains face north, towards the equator. A little bit warping, but a nuance of skiing in Chile that the kids have adapted to with no problem. With nary a cloud in sight, the sunny conditions have resulted in some significant melt, but the staff at the resort have done a remarkable job moving snow around to maintain phenomenal training conditions. Although the resort closed to general public skiing last Firday, the groomers have been doing an incredible job maintaining the slopes and laying down Stratton-esque corduroy every night. The Men’s USST Europa Cup team has been training side-by-side with the SMS boys on the challenging “Shake” trail. Accessible by Poma lift, the steep terrain has provided an excellent venue for GS training. Tanner Mottau and Takehiro Watanabe joined the USST for their GS training today, a great experience for the young SMS racers.

Coaches have been doing an amazing job making sure that the kids stay hydrated, well-fed and rested for their full days of training. The day starts early with breakfast at 6:00, on-snow training until lunch at 1:00, study hall from 2:00-3:30 followed by and afternoon schedule packed with dryland training, video review, ski tuning and conditioning. Given the rock hard snow conditions the kids encounter every morning, tuning has taken on a whole new level of meaningful importance. Conditions are so dauntingly firm that even a few of the coaches have been spotted putting a hone on their edges in order to make it down the steep pitches without losing control! Dinner at 5:30 is followed by team meetings that last until 7:00 PM. Tuning and coaches meetings finish off the busy day with lights out by 9:30.

Training side-by-side with US Ski Team athletes, phenomenal training snow conditions, excellent coaching staff and beautiful, sunny, Chilean skies. What a great opportunity for the SMS kids to really get a jump on their season with this intensive two week camp, high the Andes of Chile!

Halfway There

2011-10-03T18:40:00.000-07:00

The mid point of ski camp is one of my favorite times. Gone is the panic of figuring out where to go, when to be there and how to get there. Instead everyone has settled into a nice rythm and productivity is optimal. The Men's, Women's and J3 teams have had a fantastic camp so far; the coaches are ecstatic about the progress that we've seen and look forward to some more great days on snow.

Chile on Sunday

2011-10-02T18:44:00.000-07:00

We have been very fortunate with great snow, weather and training. Today we shared our training space with the USST Men's Europa Cup Team! In the photo above, they were skiing on the right and we were on the left. One just cannot get any better access to great training than this. Year after year we end up with these incredible training opportunities for our athletes and they are really pumped to take advantage of them! Tomorrow, we will have Takehiro Watanabe and Tanner Mottau training with the USST in the same course. This is going to be a perfect opportunity to put some video together and see how they stack up against the big dogs. Using side by side video, when you are on the same course ,as these great skiers is so incredibly valuable. While the other boys will not be in the same courses, we are on the same hill and we will get to see them ski every run, this visualization is key for learning new skills and seeing such great images before our kids take to their own courses. Should be a great day!

more J3's in Chile!

2011-10-02T05:30:00.000-07:00

More J3 photos!

Sunrise over Hotel Puerto del Sol
J3's Rule!

Elisabeth

The 'village' of Valle Nevado

Dale

Amanda

Keep watching!

J3's in Chile!

2011-10-01T15:33:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

Valle Nevado is sweet and the skiing and training has been amazing. The eleven J3's that made the journey south have been working hard and getting the most from their camp. The group just finished 4 days in a row of 7am-1pm ski days. If you're looking for lots of volume, 6 hours of skiing will give you plenty!

We divide each day into specific parts.

7-8:30am Warm up/free ski review
8:45-11:30am Specific training plans in primary groups
11:45-1:00pm Free ski skills (1 ski skiing, turn shape on steeps, etc)
1:00pm Lunch

The rest of the day is filled with study hall, video review, tuning sessions, conditioning, and team meetings. These are busy days and we have some tired J3's!

Below is a few shots of the crew.

Always smiling!

Sebastian Spencer Olympic Lifting

Day Three in Chile

2011-09-30T14:39:00.000-07:00

Its day three on snow and conditions are perfect for training. Early in the morning the snow is as hard as any FIS injected race trail. Around 10:30 when the Sun starts to beat down on the slopes the snow turns to a nice edge able surfacing. This creates a combination of conditions found mid winter right through spring skiing and makes a great environment for all our athletes to improve their skiing technique. This helps with overall free skiing form and gate training as well. Today we worked on apex slalom gate drills. It is amazing how well everyone is skiing after just three days on snow. So early on in the camp many athletes are skiing at a high level that would be expected of most competitors much later into the racing season.

Getting to Chile

2011-09-29T15:45:00.000-07:00

As always, it is an adventure coming to Chile. Our travel was easy, we got moved in and got right down to business. We have already had two days of free ski drills and tomorrow, some of the groups will move into GS Apex work with brush gates.

The kids have been awesome, working hard all day and are in bed by 9:30pm. We hit the lifts early and you cannot count the number runs and vertical the kids have skied each day. They are all working in small groups with their primary coach and the improvement comes quickly!

Enjoy the photo’s - Mike

Valle Nevado

2011-09-29T02:51:00.000-07:00

Arrival in Valle Nevado was seamless and we all got on snow yesterday. While the snow is less than in years past we are still going to have some great training opportunities here. Stay tuned for some photo's this afternoon as we get everything organized here. Our days are packed, each group operates independently, so it is like we have 3 different camps going on at once. Here is a sample of our schedule.

6am breakfast

7am lifts

9am group up for drills

11:30-12pm lunch

12:30-1:30pm skiing drills

2-3:30pm study hall

4-5pm conditioning

5-6pm ski tuning or video

6-6:30 dinner

6:30 team meetings

7-8:30 ski tuning

9:30 lights out

Chile Skis

2011-09-22T07:59:00.000-07:00

When a ski arrives to SMS from the factory, it gets a lot of love and attention well before it hits the snow. In the weeks leading up to our Chile camp, a core group of coaches have been getting skis prepped and ready to be skied on. Dan, Harlow and Josh with help from the rest of the coaching staff have logged countless hours getting skis ready for Chile. Here's what they've been up to:

Harlow removing sidewall

All new skis are scraped of the factory wax and inspected for flatness and base bevel. Used skis also get inspected and are tuned with the Tri-One. Some skis are sent to be ground where they receive base structure and base bevel, then returned to us.

Charlie checking the base bevel

Once we get the skis back, the top sheet is shaped- to allow for a side bevel and then "Tri-Oned," a precise tune that adds side bevel and an unbelievably sharp and consistent edge. Bindings and plates are mounted then given to the athletes who are responsible for getting lots of wax into the ski.

Mounting plates


Dan- Quality control

Trevor Lennox - Tumble Time

2011-09-19T09:03:00.000-07:00

We have been working on our basic gymnastics and it is getting better. Although the boys are often reluctant, we push them to try and improve their skills. The basics are where we focus; so lots of front rolls, back rolls, cartwheels, and hand springs. Enjoy the SloMotion video of Trevor.

Olympic Lifting Snatch Practice

2011-09-14T12:12:00.000-07:00

Today, PG Coach Matt Prendergast presented an Olympic lifting technique session to the Alpine, Nordic and Snowboarding staff. Matt shared a great warm up called the "Burgener Warm-up," which is a progression based set of exercises that promote good lifting technique. Check out the slo-mo video of Matt performing a full snatch and see if you can pick out the different components of the Burgener Warm-up.

"Burgener Warm-Up"

1. Dip Drive- From a standing position the knees are bent then straightened and the hips are extended. This movement goes straight up and down.

2. Dip Drive + Shrug- In the shrug the arms remain straight and both shoulders "shrug" toward your ears.

3. Dip Drive + Shrug + High Pull- The bar is raised toward your chin by pulling your elbows high and outside.

4. Dip Drive + Shrug + High Pull + Muscle Snatch - In the muscle snatch the bar travels up overhead in the same plane. Arms lock out at the top with external rotation.

5. Trap Door- The feet move from their pulling position to a wider squat stance. This is a quick repositioning of the feet, there should be no vertical movement.

6. Trap Door + Deep Squat - Once the feet are in a deep squat stance, perform a full range of motion deep squat.

7. Full Snatch - Once you've mastered the first 6 steps you're ready for the full snatch!

Wingate test & Tuning room update

2011-09-12T17:25:00.000-07:00

Today we finished up the testing for the women with the Wingate test, which is done on the Monarc bike in the sports science lab. We take a percentage of the athletes weight and add that weight to a basket on the bike to increase the resistance. It is then an all out effort for 30 seconds on the bike. I know you may be reading this and thinking to yourself that doesn't seem very hard, but ask any of the senior girls who did the test today. It is probably one of the hardest tests we administer here at school. There is usually at least one that loses their breakfast. I only wish I had some pictures from today.

On another note there has been a lot of busy beavers in the coaches tuning room; mounting, prepping and getting all the skis ready for Chile. Which if you have lost track is now less than 2 weeks away! There is a lot of work that goes into making sure all of the skis are mounted, prepped and tuned correctly before they are given to the athletes. Dan, Eric, Josh, and Jet have been doing an amazing job keeping up with all of the work.

The Beep Test

2011-09-05T11:57:00.000-07:00

Today the grueling Beep Test was administered as part of fitness testing for the start of the school year. This test is used to find athlete's aerobic endurance levels. To complete this test students must run back and forth between two lines. The test starts with a beep and then the other line must be reached before the second beep. If the second line is not reached before the second beep the athlete is given a warning, and if they do not make it back to the first line they started on then the test is over for that particular student. The timing between beeps gradually gets shorter and shorter making it much harder to make it to the line before the beep. All of the alpine athletes did well today making a good showing, and proving that many of them have been working in the summer on their aerobic fitness levels.

Rest, Recovery and Aid

2011-09-03T05:22:00.000-07:00

Getting back into the act of balancing homework and tough workouts, while adjusting to a new schedule is why this first week of school usually tends to be the toughest for the athletes. The kids are resilient and everyone made it through brilliantly. Across the board, in the weight room, kids were pushing themselves harder in hopes of making a new personal record or, better yet, the overall record. Please check out the conditioning photos below! The first round of physical testing is half complete and the rest (including the infamous beep test) is yet to come this week.

In addition to the usual rest/recovery and homework planned for the weekend, many of the alpine kids are headed to Wilmington to help out with the flood relief. As the saying goes, "Many hands make light work." Athletes at SMS are eager to help out wherever they can, which is awesome.

The boys starting their warm up stretches, while the girls take a warm lap around the field.

Some warm up "burpees".

The PGs doing a crossfit involving cleans and burpees with a jump over the bar

A tough one for sure.

Showing some good "clean" technique!

Catching Up and McGill Beach Camp Wrap-Up

2011-09-02T06:08:00.000-07:00

The report from up here on campus is very positive. The athletes have worked hard this week getting themselves reintegrated into life here at SMS. The first week of school always seems like the toughest as they are being rushed from one event to the next, unsure whether or not they will be able to keep up. But by the middle of next week, everyone will be in a groove and the rest of the year will fly by.

Thanks to those who were able to participate in the McGill Beach Camp. It gave the returning girls a chance to catch up before the start of school and it gave some of the new girls a chance to familiarize themselves with new faces. For your information, the cost of the camp was $160. I am still missing a couple of checks, so please help your daughter get them to me as soon as possible.

Some families have asked for Dave and Mimi’s address:
Dave and Mimi McGill
55 Eddy Road
Barkhamstead, CT
06063

Good news from down there, the cottage miraculously made it through the storm! Thanks again to Dave and Mimi for another very special time down on the RI shore. I know everyone is really looking forward to next year!

Testing Begins

2011-09-01T07:05:00.000-07:00

Physical Testing Evaluations begin today at SMS for the Alpine Program. Today we will look at Vision, Height and Weight, BMI, Sit and Reach, Movement Analysis Video, and Ab Strength Endurance. We will be completing the testing on Monday with our more physical tests, including the beep test and 60 second box jumps.

After the testing is complete, we will load the data into our system and evaluate where each group is. This will allow us to tailor the fall conditioning program to the needs of each individual group.

We are looking for big improvements and 100% effort from all the athletes here at SMS!

We're Back!

2011-08-30T12:12:00.000-07:00

In the wake of Sunday's visit from Hurricane Irene, SMS is back into the swing of things. Despite the cancellation of classes on Monday, the boarding students had a productive day; beginning with a hike up Stratton followed by a squat technique session lead by Conditioning Coach, Matt Prendergast in the afternoon.

The SMS community sends out best wishes to everyone along the eastern seaboard that were not as lucky as we were and hope for a speedy recovery.

McGill Beach Conditioning Camp: Day 3

2011-08-24T08:32:00.000-07:00

The last day at Beach Camp was short and bittersweet. Breakfast was omelets cheffed up by Dave, homemade granola baked by Mimi and some fresh fruit and yoghurt.

The final session was short but tough and the tents came down almost as quickly as they went up. The logs and the cones were deposited back into the pick-up and the bags were stacked up in the back of the van.

We've been doing this for three years and each year, it gets better. Dave and Mimi are to thank for the legwork that goes into this camp. All I do is send the email and collect the checks. They plan it and they work tirelessly before durnig and after to assure the camp's success.

A HUGE THANKS to Dave and Mimi!

It's always hard to leave, but we look forward to Beach Camp 4.0!

McGill Beach Conditioning Camp: Day 2 (Continued)

2011-08-24T05:01:00.000-07:00

Here are some more pictures from the second beach session on Day 2.

McGill Beach Conditioning Camp: Reminder!

2011-08-22T12:33:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to follow us on Twitter. (SMSWomensAlpine)

That's us. We are posting pictures regularly to this site as well.

McGill Beach Conditioning Camp: Day 2

2011-08-22T12:08:00.000-07:00

The second day started off damp and a little tired, but the girls rallied into the morning session. Dave’s signature blueberry pancakes were offered up and promptly devoured. Shortly after that, we were off to the beach.

The morning warm up was two games, one each of soccer and football. We split the girls up into four teams of four to push the action to all members of the team. It was spirited if not totally skilled. (We’re going to have to work on the new kids’ football skills.) The log session, was tough, but contained a little too much sympathy. I admit it, I just felt sort of bad for them about last night. It was still difficult, we just didn’t bury them very badly. In other words, Jamie still has some meat left on the bone for the afternoon session. (Now underway!)

Enjoy the pictures below of the games, the log work and some of the jumping and running.

McGill Beach Conditioning Camp: Day 1

2011-08-22T11:44:00.000-07:00

We arrived in RI beneath overcast skies with hearts full of optimism. It’s wasn’t actually going to rain on us, was it?

We made it through a rousing game of handball, setting up three tents on the beach, a wonderful hamburger dinner spread, getting to know your sleeping buddy game, the as yet unnamed name game and bedtime, before the deluge set in. At 1am sharp, the rains and wind rudely came to shore like an uninvited guest and sent the group scrambling. Up over the dunes they came, desperate for shelter. Luckily, the McGill’s next door neighbors, the Taylor’s, had already stepped up and offered their basement up in case of the worst. Bob and Jane met the girls at the door and offered air mattresses, pillows, dry towels and a roof over their heads. It was an act of kindness and warmth the girls will not soon forget.

Big THANKS to the Taylor’s for Sunday night!!

Pictured below are the McGill’s cottage (501 Atlantic Ave!) the sleeping buddies (they were told to take a walk on the beach and determine their buddy’s hometown, birth date, former school, and World’s Hottest Guy. Then, they were asked to introduce their buddy to the group before dinner) and the morning after the storm in Bob and Jane’s garage.

NZ: Day 18 Update

2011-08-15T18:48:00.000-07:00

Flights are leaving the ground in Christchurch. There have been many delays over the last day and a half, but at the moment, things appear to be returning to normal. The roads have cleared thanks to some rain, so things are looking up.

NZ: Day 17 and 18

2011-08-15T16:15:00.000-07:00

Yes, as you may have heard, the Canterbury region of New Zealand has been subjected to some pretty heavy snow over the last day and a half. Further south, in Queenstown, the airport is closed. However, snow is being cleared off of the runways in Christchurch and there has been some movement on the ground today, if not in the air quite yet.

As with any situation that has the potential to worry people about their little bundles of joy that are so far away from home, we all just need to be patient and try not to worry too much. We were in a much tighter spot last year when we all had to spend the night on the mountain. Here in Methven, we are keeping the athletes busy, in fact, they are at the local gym right now. Yesterday, they worked out twice here in the hotel.

We will see how the day plays out at the airport and we will eventually have to make a call about what time to leave for the airport early tomorrow morning. Roads are not great, but they are getting better. My feeling is that things will change enough by tomorrow morning so that we will be able to leave on-time from Christchurch.

I urge everyone to keep an eye on our flight from CHC to Brisbane. This is the important one, because if we can get to Brisbane, then it should be smooth sailing from there.

Bottom line: We will make the safest decisions for the group going forward and let the Airlines and Mother Nature duke it out on their own.

See you all soon!

NZ: Day 16

2011-08-13T15:44:00.000-07:00

Today was our third off day, so this morning we had breakfast at 8am, conditioning at 9am (it was a team crossfit workout and the pictures are below) and departing for Ashburton for lunch at 11am.

The afternoon is scheduled as follows: some will head to Wakanui Beach with wine and chocolate for our friends Molly and Al and some will head back to Methven where there is a craft fair until 4pm. At 4pm, we will have our normal tuning and video times leading up to a team meeting at 6:45 and dinner at 7pm. Heavy snow is expected tonight and into tomorrow, so for the first time all camp, a training day is in jeopardy. Good thing we've had an amazing camp already with incredible training!

NZ: Day 15

2011-08-13T00:58:00.000-07:00

Today, we set three sections of slalom courses. The upper section of ten gates was relatively difficult because the hill has some pitch and the course was pretty turny. The lower section of 14 gates had a brush above the gate to show the athletes where their focus should be coming out of the turn above. Next to this course, we set brushes in the same rhythm so the athletes could get the feeling of moving inside the brush and really attacking the course, as some are reluctant to do so in the longer gates. We saw a ton of progress. The training session was over four hours long, so everyone took breaks when they needed them. It was, after all, our sixth day on snow in a row. Matt and I have been impressed by the athletes’ ability to handle the volume that we have thrown at them each day.

In the afternoon, we took in part of a Rugby match played here in Methven. Normally, the game would have taken place in a stadium in Ashburton, but because the field is being preserved for the Rugby World Cup early next month, we got the chance to see the game played live. Watching the game on TV just doesn’t do it justice. It’s a brutal game played by some very tough dudes. After that we played “Fri-gby” and we were joined by 5 American guys who are here with Mike Wommack including current Middlebury Panther, Brian Shpall and UNH Wildcat, Sam Coffey. They added an extra dash of intensity to the game. Fun was had by all.

Finally, last night we said a difficult goodbye to three of the camp’s most fabulous participants. Early this morning, Tony Digangi, Carolyn Beckedorff and their 8 year old son, Harrison, left Methven for Christchurch bound for LA and then Boston. The send off was grand, including a Dance contest on the resort's dance floor and a birthday cake to celebrate both Keith and Harrison's birthdays. (Pics Below)

To say the Digangi-Beckedorff contingent was a huge part of this trip would be grossly understating the truth. The bottom line is: this camp would not have been nearly what it was without them. Their passion for ski racing is infectious. Their knowledge of training, fitness, nutrition, skiing and life in general was a big part of this trip. We are all hoping that we will see more of them this winter starting in Chile, moving to Colorado and hopefully the girls will be able to convince Carolyn to come and race at the Stratton Women’s Eastern Cups, January 3-6. As an SMS Alum, North American was her home hill throughout her high school experience. She probably remembers a thing or two about training and racing there.

NZ: Day 14

2011-08-11T21:09:00.000-07:00

We had a solid second day of SL on some terrific snow. There was a cloud across varying levels of the SL track, but it didn't faze the group one bit. We ran two sections of long gates and beside the second section, we set up a brush course for those who were still struggling with the block / plant / get to the new ski at the gate. All in all, it was a very productive day. Tough to get still photos today with the fog and the heavy course maintenance load. Hopefully, the clouds will lift and the gates will stay in tomorrow.

Below see some photos I took of the Kea birds up at the mountain. They are very smart, as you can see.

"Finding food where ever they can..."

"Found it and took it out of the bag..."

"Still hungry..."

NZ: Day 13

2011-08-11T00:22:00.000-07:00

Our four day SL block got off to a terrific start today. We were on the lifts at 8:30, freeskiied until around 10:30 and then trained until about 12:00. The freeskiing was dedicated to finding balance over the outside ski, using the knees and ankles effectively and showing a proper pole position and plant. When we got into the courses, we ran three brush apex sections, two with 6 turns and one with 10. We focused on pressure at the top brush and release at the second brush.

There were a handful of girls who took today off and it was a good move. Some are on their way back from injury and some were just plain fatigued. It's been an unbelievable camp in terms of sheer volume and losing a day in order to finish the camp strong will work out just fine.

All's well here. Another word about the food here at the Methven Resort because we all find that it can't be said enough: it's the best food we've ever had at a ski camp.

All for now. We'll get some photos up tomorrow.

NZ: Day 12

2011-08-09T22:26:00.000-07:00

We had incredible conditions today to wrap up our GS block. The snow was rock solid and the sky was blue bird. Again, we had two sections, one on top and one on bottom and training could not have been better. We have skied so much this camp, it's not really possible to put a number on turns or runs. The turn around on both the 6 pack and the quad is around 6 minutes. This combined with the mountain's policy of letting us stay on the training lanes as long as we want has made for an unprecedented number of training runs.

Tomorrow, we move into our SL block. Our plan is to free-ski for about 2 hours, working on the drills that started the camp. It will be an exercise to see how well everyone has maintained the changes they've made and to show how far they've come. After the free-ski session, we will move into short apex drill courses of about 6-8 turns per course. This allows everyone the chance to make a clear evaluation of their skiing and not get bogged down in thinking back on too many turns. It's easy to remember the 6-8 turns you just made. Then, with a course below you, the instant feedback can be either reinforced or corrected depending how the skiing was on the course above.

Here are some pictures from the last day of our GS block:

NZ: Day 11

2011-08-08T19:55:00.000-07:00

Although the snow firmed up a little more again today, the training on the upper section was difficult. However, with another early start, the group had plenty of time to sort it out. We ran two courses from 7:30 until 10:00 and then we reset the lower course and ran it until about 11:30. It was a very good day and the athletes got a ton of runs. The lower section, after the reset, afforded everyone a chance to feel what they’ve been working on in their skiing. As tough as the early morning was up top, the later morning on the bottom was just as good if not better. Everyone left feeling great about their skiing as we move into our final day of GS. Tomorrow, we will be on a more regular schedule as we will only be able to get on the lift at 8:30 instead of 7:15 but with the ability to stay out and train until noon, volume will not be an issue.

NZ: Day 10 (Pics as promised)

2011-08-07T21:44:00.001-07:00

NZ: Day 10

2011-08-07T20:00:00.001-07:00

The wind and the light snowfall through the weekend helped make the snow hard and grippy. We had an early start this morning and the lifts started spinning at 7am. Having two sections allowed us to leave the courses up all morning until lunch.

Today’s course on the upper mountain was a little faster than the course on Friday, so some struggled to have success in the conditions up there and we had that course pulled around 10am. But, we also had a GS on the lower mountain and the group ripped it all day. As with our previous training session, we are doing a modified apex drill in order to keep the apex of the turn above the gate and the feet off of the gate.

The longer training session is such an advantage, because it gives people a chance to take breaks when needed so they don’t feel like they are rushing to get training in. Most people were done around 11:30, but a few took runs until noon. The breaks are important because the athletes need to stay focused on what they are working on while they are training. We’ve been calling them “focused reps.” When it looks like their focus is gone, it usually means that particular athlete is done for the day.

No pictures from the mountain today, at least not from me. I will track some down of the sunrise and maybe a couple more from Akaroa. Check back in a bit.

NZ: Day 9, Trip to Akaroa

2011-08-06T23:47:00.000-07:00

Our plan to ski 7 days in a row and then take the weekend off really worked out. The weather was bad yesterday and today the road was closed. We had breakfast at 8, played football at 9 and departed for the town of Akaroa at 10:15. We reserved space on a harbor cruise at 1:30, but the wind was so heavy that they had to cancel the trip. So, we walked through town a bit, had lunch at Ma Maison and toured the Akaroa Museum which included a 24 minute movie about the Banks Peninsula's volcanic beginnings to it's current state. It's not possible for me to do this beautiful place justice. I'm going to post a few pics I took, but if you really want to get a feel for what we saw today, look this place up on line. It's amazing.

NZ: Day 8

2011-08-06T13:48:00.000-07:00

Well, we rested on the 8th day and it couldn't have come at a better time. The lifts on the mountain were on hold for most of the day and the wind speed was around 170 km/hour.

Breakfast was served at 8, followed by conditioning at 9:30. We had lunch in Ashburton and then headed to see our new/old friends, Molly and Al Blain. We met Molly and Al last year on Wakanui Beach on an off day. They showed us around the beach, talked to us about the history of the area and answered any and all questions. This year, Izzy Lynch took the opportunity to be in touch with Molly and Al so this time, they were ready for us!

In addition to a history, archaeology, and geology lesson, as they did last year, Molly and Al invited us to their home. They live in a beautiful house bus 50 meters from the beach. They have an amazing garden area which is pictured in one of the photos. It's really cool to see how the kids respond to meeting two incredible people who are so happy living so simply. It's very powerful and we are so thankful that Molly and Al invited us onto their home. It's a day that the athletes will not soon forget.

After stopping for groceries in Ashburton on the way home, we had another feast courtesy of the Methven Resort. Later, some kids joined the Masters ski group on the third floor to watch the All-Blacks play the Wallabies. It's such a terrific rivalry and people in NZ get so into their Rugby. In fact, this year they are preparing to host the Rugby World Cup. As one local reminded us last night, "The games start on 30 days!"

NZ: Day 7, Another Photo day

2011-08-04T21:27:00.000-07:00

NZ: Day 6 Photos

2011-08-04T02:36:00.000-07:00

NZ: Day 6

2011-08-04T00:08:00.001-07:00

The weather has been unbelievable here. While they haven't had anywhere close to their usual snow fall, the snow that Mt. Hutt does have is just right. It can turn quickly, as anyone who was here last year on this trip knows, but right now, we are riding an impressive string of perfect days. Hard to believe we're six days in and we haven't had a day off-snow yet. I guess we've maybe already had too many days off-snow this summer...

The athletes have been nothing short of amazing. Their level of effort and focus shows how mature they have become. Improvement continues to be made every run. We ski so much here and that combined with the motivation of the group is a recipe for success.

Today's Blog is dedicated to our daily schedule. It's not easy to appreciate how busy a ski camp can be even in the summer months. What makes this camp even busier is the fact that we don't have to stop skiing. Ever. We could ski right until the mountain closes everyday, the snow is that good. Still, we do have to come off of the hill eventually and here's what our typical day looks like:

6:30am - Breakfast (Food at the Methven Resort is the best food at a ski camp. Bar none.)
7:30 - Departure to Mt. Hutt
8:05 - Arrival at Mt. Hutt
8:30 - Lifts
9:30 - 12:00pm - Training
12 - 12:45pm - Lunch
12:45 - 2 - Free-ski in groups
2 - Depart Mt. Hutt
3 - Conditioning
4 - 5:30 - Individual Video
5:30 - 6:30 - Serviceman Harlow in Ski Room
6:30 - Coaches Meeting
6:45 - Athlete Meeting
7 - Dinner
8 - 9 - Lights Out (This varies by room/athlete but I can say with confidence that most are asleep before 9pm.)

That's our day in a nutshell. Soon we will be hitting the mountain earlier for the early lifts. That's a 7am load and that's a story for another day.

NZ: Day 5 (Photo Day)

2011-08-03T01:29:00.001-07:00

NZ: Day 5 (Photo Day)

2011-08-03T01:25:00.000-07:00

NZ: Day 5 (Photo Day)

2011-08-03T01:20:00.000-07:00

NZ: Day 5 (Photo Day)

2011-08-03T01:12:00.000-07:00

NZ: Day 5 (Photo Day)

2011-08-03T01:08:00.000-07:00

NZ: Day 5 (Photo Day)

2011-08-03T00:47:00.001-07:00

NZ: Day 4

2011-08-02T01:52:00.000-07:00

The following is a post from PG Coach, Matt Prendergast. Matt brings a wealth of knowledge back with him to SMS and in addition to coaching the PG group, he is also running the conditioning program here in NZ. Take it away Matt:

"Dryland in Methven has been awesome! We have access to two full soccer fields and we have been able to take full advantage. Every day we have been able to work on movements then a 15-20 minute workout and then play a game. Yesterday we had a great game of soccer which came down to the wire with Morgan Klein scoring the winning goal. Today we had relay races which included; buddy carries, lunge walks, bear crawls and sprinting as well as burpees thrown in after every minute passed. After the relays we were able to get a good 20 minute stretching and recovery session in.

Going hand in hand with dryland has been nutrition talks. Each night at the team meeting we have had discussion of what is "good food" and what is not. We had a few instances of campers not making good decisions at lunch which may effect their afternoon session. We have been talking about eating lean proteins, veggies, fresh fruit, nuts and seeds. It can be tough down here to make the right choice with food, the kids however are for the most part doing a good job with it. We will continue to talk nutrition and field questions about it on almost an hourly basis. Eat well everyone!!"

All for now. The pictures didn't come out exactly as planned, but we will try again tomorrow. In the meantime, enjoy the pictures we DO have!!

NZ: Day 3

2011-07-31T20:22:00.000-07:00

It was another epic day on the slopes of Mt. Hutt. With the exception of the funky theme day, yesterday’s checklist was still completely intact.

Today we moved into drill courses. Our goal was to bring the proper movement from the free-skiing into shorter apex drill courses. We had three courses, two with only 5 turns and the final one with 8 turns. This really helps the athletes break it down and understand what is going right and what they are struggling with. Because things were so empty today after a very busy weekend, management let us train outside of the typical hours. We called training at noon, broke for lunch and then had a short free-ski session to reinforce what we’ve been working on. I lost track of how many runs the group got, but it was quite a few.

Disclosure: We are shooting a ton of video here, but you won’t be seeing it on Dartfish TV. For one, the connection speed is very slow here, but even more than that, our uploads and downloads are monitored and the video clips are too big to not be noticed. Internet here isn’t free or cheap and the more you upload, the more you have to pay. Rest assured the athletes are getting plenty of video and review.

Disclosure #2: Mike is an incredible action photographer. I am not. BUT, I’m going to get some action skiing shots to put on the blog. Please be understanding of the difference between the photos Mike takes and the ones that I take. I am merely a novice…

Nonetheless, tomorrow, I take that challenge.

NZ: Day 2

2011-07-30T23:15:00.000-07:00

It can’t get much better as far as camp days go, but let me run you through my personal checklist:

Perfect Weather: (CHECK) We woke up a beautiful sunrise followed by bright blue skies. The temperature was right at freezing when we got to the hill and hovered between 5 and 10 degrees Celsius the entire day. Last night was plenty cold enough to give the snow a chance to tighten up.

Perfect Snow: (CHECK) See above. Yesterday’s cloud put some moisture in the snow, then it moved away and the temps dropped. Hero snow.

Perfect Road Conditions: (CHECK) No chains required for the second day in a row.

Motivated Athletes: (CHECK) They were on the lift a little before they were allowed to be. They stayed incredibly focused through two 90 minute drill sessions, one before and one after lunch. They were charging.

Skilled Athletes: (CHECK) Changes were made at an impressive rate. Already, plenty of kids are skiing better than they did at any time last season.

Funky Theme Day: (CHECK) Today was “Country Day” at Mt. Hutt. The staff was dressed up like Cowboys (one dressed like a carrot, never did get the answer to that one), the country tunes were jamming, faces were painted in the base lodge and the electric bull* was throwing.

*That’s right: Electric Bull. Best ride: Elly Berge

NZ: Day 1

2011-07-29T23:02:00.001-07:00

Here are some pics from the dryland session. The morning session on the hill was in and out of the clouds. amazing photos will follow, trust me.

Today, the group free-skied off of the quad while the coaches took it all in. Everybody received some solid feedback and the plan was to split into groups after a short break at noon. Unfortunately, Mt. Hutt’s unpredictability struck and we were forced to wait out the heavy fog that had rolled in. Rime ice was forming on the athlete’s clothes and goggles, so we waited and eventually called it a day at about 1:15.

In spite of this setback, today was still very productive. First of all, everyone got back on their skis and regained their balance. Last night, during our meeting, the athletes determined two things they wanted to work on today. Armed with this focus, the free-ski session was a success. The coaches had a chance to chat with every athlete about their focus and now have a good idea what will help going forward.

This afternoon, the plan is conditioning, followed by video sessions in small groups, followed by coach assisted tuning, followed by a team meeting, followed by dinner. Yes, we keep them pretty busy down here. At 7:30 tonight, the NZ All-Blacks are playing the South African Springboks in a Rugby WC tune-up event. Hopefully everyone will get a chance to tune into part of the game before they head off to dreamland.

New Zealand: Arrival

2011-07-29T03:44:00.000-07:00

We made it.

It was a long trip. A long day... a long three days as Tony keeps reminding me, but we are here, we have all of our gear and we are fired up to ski tomorrow. It was touch and go for a little while there, but they've gotten a ton of snow recently and the reviews are tremendous.

Stay tuned for pictures and updates from Day 1 on snow.

Thanks for checking in!

MT HOOD-Last Day!

2011-07-12T14:27:00.000-07:00

The last day was beautiful once again. We've had one of the best camps in a long time. Great snow every day, great weather everyday, and a very strong and energetic group of athletes. We are privileged to have had such a great group of kids at our camp. They all worked very hard and made noticeable progress. I'm looking forward to seeing you all again soon, and for those heading to SMS this fall.....conditioning program starts Monday!!

See you soon!

Edry

Mt Hood 2011

MT HOOD-Day 8 It just keeps getting better!

2011-07-10T19:40:00.000-07:00

Athlete Blog Report: July 10th

Sunday, July 10, 2011…….. This was a verrrrrryyyyyyyyyyyyy interesting and fulfilling day. Our day started out with a bet made between George S. and Michelle D. about a phase. So he was tested to see if he could last a day without saying it. He failed by 7am. Michelle won a loaf of bread and an Arnold Palmer. During the skiing part of the day, we worked a lot on slide turns and then ran an apex course. Also, ‘Team Edry’ intertwined with Tommy Ford (USST), and Amanda S. had the privilege of the riding up the chairlift with him and his friends….. HOW EXCITING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Then we had dryland… volleyball and speed ball. To end the legit day, the camp held a small talent show. Paige, Liz, Olivia, B, and Ian sang the song ‘Super Bass’ for us, Michelle and Amanda performed their own version of the song ‘Look at Me Now’, and George, Paige, Zach, Amanda, and Michelle performed a…… performance. Of the three contestants, by far Michelle and Amanda took home the victory and a jar of Spicy Pub Mix. And then there was video.

The quote of the day: “Look at me now…”

Submitted by: Michelle D. and Amanda S.

Zach ripping it up at the 'talent' show
Amanda and Michelle impressed

Zach, George, Michelle, Amanda, Paige 'singing'

Elisabeth, Olivia, Ian, Paige & Bea put on a great show

Derek and Rob excited about the 'talent' show

Joes

Ian nailing his solo

Derek & Jack

Bea & Olivia

Austin & George
Bloggers: Amanda S. & Michelle D.

MT HOOD-Day 7 The Final Chapters

2011-07-09T20:38:00.000-07:00

Athlete Blog Report: July 9th

Hello parents! Today varied slightly from the norm. It started out as an average day - 5:00 am wake-up. When we arrived at the mountain, it was a little on the chilly. However, it warmed up as the day went on. It was our first day on GS skies and we continued to work in apex courses, using both brush and tall gates. After skiing, we were surprised with a fun trip to Hood River and a day off from dryland. We had about an hour and a half to walk around town and then had a fun pizza dinner. We drove back and arrived at the hotel around about 6:45 pm. Currently, we are finishing up the day with video and tuning. I think we speak for everyone when we say that today was another fabulous day!

The quote of the day: “foreign exchange students from Canada”

Submitted by: Beatrice E. and Olivia B.

Camp Pic
Paige

Geoge...ooops.

Dale

Amanda

Bloggers: Olivia and Beatrice

MT HOOD-Day 6

2011-07-08T19:40:00.000-07:00

Athlete Blog Report: July 8th

Today we arrived at Mount Hood in the morning it was a little colder than usual, but the snow stayed hard most of the day. After taking are four usual runs on the mile we skied apex drills with brushes and GS gates. They also filmed us so we could watch are selves ski on the TV later so we could see what we needed to improve on. Once we finished skiing went for are usual trip to Government Camp. Once we returned back from the mountain we had a small break and then did are dryland training session with Carson and headed to dinner and that’s the end of are day. Another good day!!

The quote of the day: “Jump on it!”

Submitted by: Trent R. and Rob G.

Joe D.
Morning Run

Sarah

Jack

Top of the lane

'D-Rock' (aka: Derek B.)

Austin

Bloggers: Rob G. and Trent R.

REST DAY-White Water Rafting!

2011-07-07T19:57:00.001-07:00

Athlete Blog Report: July 6th. White Water Rafting.

To top of the beautiful hike yesterday to the waterfall, we headed out at 8:30 to Maupin (the middle of nowhere....really). Get pumped. We are going on a white water rafting adventure to see who can withstand mother natures 'rapid' mood swings. Personally, we were not ready for this thrilling experience, but it was defiantly worth while. When we arrived in the middle of Maupin at 10am, we got life jackets on, and headed to the Deschutes river. After we had been in the water, 'world war-3' began. Left and right kids were dodging in and out, diving in water…falling in water, shooting water guns at anyone close enough to spray, and doing back flips to only land were you began, on your seat (Fish). As we drifted down the river we went threw some intense rapids. One in particular was quite terrifying, basically we went full speed (power paddling) into a hole of rushing water that then shot us back out, it was named Oak Springs. It was a experience we will never forget.

The quote of the day: “Are there any dolphins in this river?”

Submitted by: Elisabeth G. and Paige L.

Here are links to some very exciting photos taken on the river:

The first 13 photos on the page are SMS (counting left to right. Press page 1 at bottom of page):
http://www.photoreflect.com/store/ThumbPage.aspx?e=8109579&g=0FW700NG00

The first 18 photos on the page are SMS (counting left to right. Press page 1 at bottom of page):
http://www.photoreflect.com/store/ThumbPage.aspx?e=8109579&g=0FW700NG0G

Photos 36-43 on the page are SMS:
http://www.photoreflect.com/store/ThumbPage.aspx?e=8109579&g=0FW700NG08

Photos 34-40 on the page are SMS:
http://www.photoreflect.com/store/ThumbPage.aspx?e=8109579&g=0FW700NG08

Photos 15-21 on the page are SMS:
http://www.photoreflect.com/store/ThumbPage.aspx?e=8109579&g=0FW700NG08

Hood off in the distance from the high desert

Bloggers: Paige and Elisabeth

MT HOOD-Day 4 Wow!!

2011-07-06T19:16:00.000-07:00

Athlete Blog Report: July 6th

Today was another perfect day at Mt. Hood. We all had trouble waking up to another early morning and are excited for the break day. Today we did brushes on the upper and bottom lanes working on slide turns. The drills today were tiring and long but they really paid off in the end. For a workout this afternoon we took a hike to a waterfall. We were able to go under the falls and there was an amazing view. Joe and Joe turned it into a long race on the hike back by out-running everyone by 10 minutes. We had a nice dinner of steak and baked potatoes. We are all really excited for white water rafting tomorrow and had a great day overall.

The quote of the day: “Is that a man-made waterfall?”

Submitted by: Joe G. and Ian L.

RuthiePaige & Amanda
Olivia
Jack & Bea

JackRob, Fish, I-Man

Behind Tamanawas Falls

Rob & Ian

Tamanawas Falls

Bloggers: Ian L. & Joe G.

HOOD-Day 3 Even more sun!

2011-07-05T19:30:00.000-07:00

Athlete Blog Report: July 5th

Slept like a baby, but that’s what happens when you work this hard. We leave Cooper Spur at 6:00am and the drive has now become a routine. Today, once we worked through the drills, we were able to continue our progression in the brush gates. Even working hard on the hill is not enough as we come back and jump into a fun but challenging ‘Crossfit’ style workout. The food has been good quality and varied. Today we had a traditional hamburger and hot dog dinner. After dinner, a competition broke out between George and Austin to see who could eat the most watermelon…they ate more than 25 slices. George took the win by 3 slices. Good times. We look forward to the rest of our camp.

The quote of the day: “E=MC2”

Submitted by: Derek B. and Dale B.

The view from the top of our lane
George, Austin, Amanda, Michelle, Zach

.....?

It must be goofy photo day

George

The Fish

Elisabeth

Cole-Team Canada

The Watermelon eating battle

AustinBloggers: Dale & Derek

HOOD-Day 2: More sun!

2011-07-04T20:31:00.000-07:00

Athlete Blog Report: July 4th!!

Today was the fourth of July we had a great sunny day on the hill! We all worked on the body position throughout the turn with many different drills. After lunch we went for a run but a couple people were not able to participate because of “lost” shoes. After the run, we worked on Frisbee and football skills. We had a great dinner consisting of spaghetti and meatballs and we met a dog named “L” (a Siberian husky).

The quote of the day: “Wow, am I really that good looking?” – Carson Thurber

Submitted by: Cole (Paul) R. and Jack B.

Bea with a 'diving' catch

A lot of intensity in Georges face!

Austin never giving up on the catch

Ruthie making it look easy

Interesting technique

Bloggers: Jack & Cole

SMS J3/4 Hood Camp-Day 1

2011-07-03T18:37:00.000-07:00

Athlete Blog Report:

The first day skiing at Mount Hood was “Awesome” (Ian Lynch). The group free skied in the morning for a while and then split into groups and worked on some free ski drills later in the day. We had lunch on the top of the ski lanes in the sun. After lunch, we went to ‘Govey’ (Government Camp) and then came back to the cabins to stretch and attend an EASY (not) Crossfit. Then we ate a delicious dinner and the girls cooked us cookies.

The quote of the day: “the sun never sets on awesome”

Submitted by: George S. and Austin L.

A few notes: Today is the start of the 'no-phone' period! If you need anything, feel free to give me a call as the kids won't have their phones.

The group at the top of Palmer Ian, Trent, Cole
Dale, Amanda, Jack
Elisabeth, Paige Bloggers: Austin & George

J3/4 Mt HOOD CAMP-Arrival Day

2011-07-02T19:19:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

In case your son or daughter has yet to call home (as asked), we have made it to Cooper Spur Resort after a long day of travelling.

Everyone’s bag’s made it. We loaded the vans and then made the trip to the resort. The kids were treated to spectacular views of Mt Hood from the plane on the approach to Portland and then again on the drive to Cooper Spur. Sunny and 85 degrees at the airport….perfect!

Lots of luggage to move!

more to move....

Wow!

Carson finally relaxingAlissa's pumped for Hood!

Keith Schuman on the Wind Gate Test

2011-06-10T08:56:00.000-07:00

Keith made a great test this morning with the second highest power number recorded at SMS; ahead of Warner Nickerson, but behind Nordica's Ethan Korpi! This test is very demanding, requiring the athlete to put in a 100% effort over 30 seconds. The information we get from this tests includes Peak Power, Power Drop and Average Power. We will take this information and design Keith's program for the summer taking into account his on snow camps at Mammoth Mtn, CA and Mt Hutt, NZ.

Keith hammers the Wind Gate

2011-06-10T07:53:00.001-07:00

Keith did a great job this morning, with one of our best tests ever.

Spring Conditioning

2011-04-29T13:34:00.000-07:00

Spring has arrived in Stratton! With the snow gone and the field clear, Spring conditioning is in full effect.

Morning sport workout is dominated by Morning Sport Championships- Athletes are split into teams and compete head to head to gain the coveted title of Morning Sport Champion and have their name added to the Morning Sport Championship Trophy. The events; soccer, ultimate frisbee, football, tire flip, van push, are a test of strength, agility, aerobic fitness and teamwork... and of course, it's a ton of fun.

Afternoon sport is spent in the weight room or outside. Two days a week athletes are involved with team sports, options include; Golf, Lacrosse, Cycling team, Tennis and Skateboard Team.

Enjoy a few pictures of SMS athletes hard at work.

Whistler Cup: SG

2011-04-08T21:19:00.000-07:00

Bluebird skies were on order in Whistler, BC and the Whistler Cup Championship got started with a bang.

Working with the Kiwi Team has been a ton of fun and today, they had their most successful day ever. In fact, after one day of competition, the New Zealand Alpine team trails only the Canadians and the US Team in the Whistler Cup standings. Not bad for such a small nation!

In the K1 (J4) Combi race, two Kiwi gents stepped up huge. Jackson Wells and Oscar Halliwell had big days. Oscar managed a 13th place and Jackson smoked the entire field for the win. It was the first ever victory for New Zealand at the Whistler Cup.

In the K2 (J3) SG race, Piera Hudson came through for Team Enzed. Even with two huge mistakes, one on a flat, Piera skied well enough to place fourth. The skiing was there, but the two tactical errors did her in at the end. She's certainly skiing well enough to end up on the podium in the GS, so stay tuned!

Mission Ridge Freeski Day

2011-04-07T14:46:00.000-07:00

Mission Ridge Western Region Spring Series begins tomorrow with the Men's Super-G. We took today to freeski the race hill and explore the mountain. There is quite a bit of terrain up there and with a light dusting of new snow over the past couple days the skiing was really fun.

"Bomber Ridge"

In 1944 a B-24 bomber crashed on this ridge flying a night training mission in fog and rain. A piece of the wing is still visible on top.

Krause lining up Chute #4, Bomber Ridge

Nick's Eastern freeskiing skills showing off! Don't worry, he shook it off...

More SG Day pics from Kyle

2011-04-02T15:43:00.001-07:00

Thanks Kyle!

US Nationals - Men

2011-04-02T15:29:00.000-07:00

The Eastern Region athletes have been doing an awesome job in Winter Park. Both the Men and Women have multiple top-10 finishes in the SG and GS. Here they are representing the East in the parade yesterday afternoon.

Today in SG Tommy Ford took advantage of running bib # 1 on some very soft snow, setting a time of 1:10:10 that would not be bested. The Eastern guys in the back of the pack did their best to move up in the soft conditions. On a turny course the racers had to work hard to find a good fast line. Nick Krause has gotten some great experience that last couple days skiing from deep in the pack and on snow that is completely new to him. He is learning that he needs to adjust his tactics for the given conditions. Today in the Super-G he tried to take a line that would have been really sweet if we were racing on hard Eastern ice, but unfortunately the skis just take longer to turn on the warm "peely" Colorado snow and Nick's time was not what he wanted it to be. Next time he will know better! The good thing is that Nick is excited for the Slalom tomorrow. He got some SL training in yesterday and was feeling fast and confident.

Congrats to Libby Gibson for her execution today in the tough ladies SG race!

US Nationals SG - Women

2011-04-02T14:45:00.000-07:00

Today's Super G race was a tough one. Good technical skiing and good execution carried the day and many of the women in the field struggled with either or.

No matter the trouble, the US Women's World Cup speed team left their mark on the first four spots. Trust me, the first four girls have scored a ton of World Cup points between them and are veterans of the World Cup tour. Leading the charge was Julia Mancuso and she was followed by teammates Leanne Smith, Stacey Cook and Laurenne Ross.

Popping onto the first page from bib 39, much to the delight of the crowd, was Libby Gibson. Her solid skiing and near perfect execution in the trouble spots, allowed her to jump into tenth place and she would stay there for the rest of the race. As well, she was second for juniors and got to stand on the stage after the race with the other juniors on the podium, Katie Ryan from Aspen on the top step and Kiwi Taylor Rapley from Ski Club Vail on the third step.

Morgan Klein had a great run going and was turning heads as well until she came to the final corner where a mistake cost her a spot in the top fifteen. After the race, Morgan was right back out on her SL skis making some final tweaks before tomorrow's SL. She was happy to find that everything she needed was there and ready for tomorrow.

Kyle Darling took the above photo of Morgan firing out of the start. Thanks Kyle!

US Nationals GS - Women

2011-04-02T14:42:00.000-07:00

(The Blog application on my phone is not working correctly and I just figured it out. My apologies. I wrote the post below last night...)

It's hard to believe that Julia Mancuso made up a close to 1.5 second deficit to win today, but she did it. What's even more impressive is that it was her 12th national title, next closest is Andrea Mead Lawrence with 9 and that was 55 years ago! Wow!

Today was also a big day for the SMS Women's program. Conditions were gnarly on one of the toughest GS hills in the country. Recent heavy snow fall and warm temps produced a surface that was not ideal for ski racing. The Norwegian pitch claimed more than it's fair share of athletes, including Morgan Klein on the first run.

However, running bib 38, Libby Gibson fought her way to 30th place and struck on the second run. Her 18th place second run landed her between US D Team veteran Devin Delaney and uber-phenom Mikaela Shiffrin. It also placed her in 23rd overall and 10th for juniors in the nation. It was an epic day!

Tomorrow, the girls suit up for the SG and will again get to test themselves against some of the best in the world!

Alyeska Spring FIS Series

2011-03-30T17:16:00.000-07:00

Girdwood, AK: Coaches Matt Maloney and Josh Bedard arrived last evening in Girdwood, Alaska with athletes Cole Gibson, Keith Schuman, Blake Pendleton, Thomas Grant, Connor Davis, Takehiro Watanabe, and Prescott Mcglaughlin for a four day tech series at Alyeska Resort. After leaving campus at 2:00 AM we settled into the condos and enjoyed a great dinner at Chair 5 and finally some much needed rest.

We awoke this morning to overcast skies and some wet fresh snow at the higher elevations. The boys free-skied in the deep stuff for a while, and then took some runs on the lower mountain in preperation for the upcoming races. Matt and Josh spend the morning helping Alyeska Ski Club throw salt on the race hill to make sure a great surface for racing. It has been a record low snowfall this year in Girdwood, the locals say it has been sunny and dry since we left in December, I say I brought all the snow with me back to the East!

Here are a few pictures from the trip so far. I will be sure to keep you updated with results and highlights!

View from the top of Chair 6

Josh helps the boys with groceries for the week. Man these boys can eat!

Photo from the boys condo, thanks Cole! An amazing place!