Off-season ski camps expected to be in full swing

By Published On: April 19th, 2021Comments Off on Off-season ski camps expected to be in full swing

There is a lot to celebrate for many academies, clubs, and private programs this year. First, there was a successful race season domestically and internationally, and now we are fortunate to welcome back an abundance off-season ski camps.

In an unconventional ski season, lifts will continue to run May to November, from Mt. Hood’s Timberline Ski Area in Oregon to Stelvio Pass in Italy. These areas will welcome a committed community of ski camps doing their diligence to make summer training possible. Here is a roundup of some of the most notable and successful ski racing camps offered throughout various locations in the upcoming months. 

Camps at Mt. Hood, Oregon

Mt. Hood’s Timberline Ski Area was one of the first to welcome back skiers and racers after a county shutdown prematurely ended the 2019-20 ski season last May. The question at the time was if Mt. Hood would even open. The question now is not if camps will happen, but what will they look like?

Ski camps such as Erich Sailer Ski Camp, Keely’s Camp for Girls, and Ligety Weibrecht Ski Camp will return with similar camp structures as last year. One big caveat: the Oregon Health Authority still has strict requirements for overnight camps. While it’s possible that could be changed, many ski camps that would typically operate as overnight camps are choosing to forgo the option and return as day-camp offerings.

To comply with state rules on how many kids can be together in a single camp, many camps have reduced capacity creating a smaller coach-to-athlete ratio. For those offering overnight options, such as Mt. Hood Summer Ski Camps, capacity restrictions, bed distances, limiting outside visitors are all additional restrictions that have been put in place.

With the hope that the state will revise the rules on social distancing, capacity limitations could change for summer camps and Timberline’s operations. In addition to Timberline’s social distancing and capacity guidelines, camps must continue to operate under the Oregon Healthy Authority’s guidelines for day camps. 

Cardigan Mountain School Summer Ski Camp

Cardigan Mountain School will return to the West Coast on July 19 for a seven-day GS and slalom camp for U12 through U16 athletes. Cardigan camps focus on fundamentals while increasing ski mileage and gate training volume through repetition on the Palmer Glacier. Their goal is simple: gain more ski mileage while focusing on key technique adjustments for athletes to prepare for the next season. Joining the coaching staff as camp director is notable U.S. Ski Team alumni Julia Ford. The coaching staff challenges athletes to think about their skiing and work on their individual needs while understanding and honing their strengths all in a small athlete to coach ratio. 

There is no shortage of fun incorporated in the camp structure. Cardigan knows that student-athletes ski better when they have fun on and off the hill. Off snow, Cardigan amplifies its repetition through ski-specific dryland training combined with adventurous games and swimming at the local watering hole. The camp structure is high volume, high energy, and high amounts of fun. Masks and social distancing will be required, as well as a negative COVID-19 test result three days within the arrival at camp. 

Carrabassett Valley Academy

Carrabassett Valley Academy (CVA) will invite their athletes back to two Mt. Hood summer camps this year. Kicking off June 12 for 11 days at Timberline, CVA will amplify athletes current skills while building new ones in their comprehensive ski camps for ages 14 through 18 year olds. CVA is closely monitoring COVID-19 precautions for Maine, Oregon, and CVA. While CVA will have their own requirements in place, they are prepared to pivot to any changes needed. 

CVA will offer two camps at Mt. Hood, one in June and one in August. Attending a CVA camp allows student-athletes to gain extra time on snow, train on world class courses and conditions, and experience the CVA campus life. 

The full-year traditional ski academy is home to U.S. Ski Team member Sam Morse and U.S. alumni Bode Miller. While calling Sugarloaf their home, CVA utilizes best in the world training venues to offer their summer camps to athletes across the country while teaching life skills about goal setting, teamwork, time management, and commitment. CVA strives to provide an environment and academic program that develops independent thinks who can successfully balance academics and athletics with being constructive members of their community. 

Erich Sailer Ski Racing Camps, Inc. 

Lindsey Vonn, Julia Mancuso, Paula Moltzan: all notable names that share more than one commonality of being U.S. Ski Team stars. These three women are among the long list of alumni from Erich Sailer’s Ski Racing Camps. 

Erich Sailer Ski Racing Camps offer intense training for serious racers of all abilities and ages. The world-class experience and excellent on and off-snow training are paired with unparalleled coaching staff to offer athletes’ action-packed days that challenge and fulfill their athletic needs. The slalom and GS camp is emphasized through drills and courses from 7 am until 12:30 pm followed by afternoons of rest, recovery, and analysis. 

Sailer’s camps are known for their rich feedback through video analysis and tight-knit coach to athlete relationships. His coaching philosophy is based on demonstration, technique, practice, and natural motion and sequence of movements reinforced by repetition. For parents hoping to keep up with their athlete’s journey, Sailer’s team adds video analysis to Sprongo for remote connection. 

Erich Sailer’s camp returns to Mt. Hood for two sessions in June, both six days in length, starting June 13 and June 20. The camp is open to athletes age 8 through adult years and will follow all local COVID-19 guidelines in place. U.S. Ski Hall of Famer Erich Sailer is joined by Olympians Resi Steigler who just won the 2021 National Championship Slalom Title, Sarah Schleper, David Ketterer other current and former World Cup racers. Joining the coaching staff as a demonstrator is U.S. Ski Team up and comer Isaiah Nelson along with esteemed coach Uros Pavlovcic.

Keely’s Camp for Girls

Every girl deserves a female coach, at least that is the motto behind Keely’s Camp for Girls. 

World Cup ski racer Keely Kelleher always wished she had female mentors in ski racing growing up. She spent years conversing with teammates about the scarcity of women in the mentor and coaching roles. Kelleher took on the role herself and founded the first all-female ski racing camps in North America in 2011. Since foundation, Keely’s Camp has expanded into more outdoor adventure camps for girls all over the world coaching hundreds of girls, including alumni and current U.S. Ski Team up-and-comer Katie Hensien. 

“Keely’s Camp has been instrumental in my success both as an individual and ski racer,” said Hensien. “It is an honor to be able to return as a coach to support a camp that has given so much to me.”

As a staff of past Olympians, World Cup Racers, U.S. Ski Team members, and world class instructors, Keely’s Camp is dedicated to empower, inspire, educate, and connect the next generation of women in the outdoors through a fun and a positive female environment. This camp provides the unique opportunity to not only be coached by the best female athletes in the sport, but also have access to the best role models and mentors. With continued support and positive response for ski racing camps, Keely’s Camp will bring back additional outdoor camps for girls this season including backcountry skiing, ski mountaineering, and whitewater kayaking.

Keely’s Mt. Hood Ski Racing Camp for Girls normally runs as an overnight camp, but due to COVID-19 restrictions, will once again run as a day camp for all camps through summer 2021. Athletes from age 8 through 18 can expect a 5:1 athlete to coach ratio and to join all off-snow activities, including video analysis, dry-land activities, and inspirational talks with notable female mentors via ZOOM. Keely’s Camp has six sessions this summer beginning mid-June through late July.

Ligety Weibrecht Ski Camp

Since the summer of 2006, Ligety Weibrecht Ski Camp has inspired ski racers to reach their potential by learning from the best. Like the name signifies, top U.S. skiers Ted Ligety and Andrew Weibrecht are amongst the long list of reclaimed coaches who dedicate their time and talent to advance the next generation of skiers. From American Downhiller Steve Nyman, ripping ladies Megan McJames and Anna Marno, and iconic legends Phil and Steve Mahre, Ligety Weibrecht Ski Camp is all about experiencing and learning from the very best. 

Ligety Weibrecht Ski Camp knows that great ski racing takes more than great skiing. Combining experienced coaches that teach technique on snow with mental prep, fitness routines, nutrition knowledge, and teamwork off the hill are critical components for athletes to reach their fullest potential. In addition to on-snow time following all state and local COVID-19 guidelines, athletes should expect small group ratios with their coach and Zoom video analysis and in-person outdoor activities such as hiking and swimming following the completion of each day. 

The camp is open to athletes U10 through masters and encourages parents of U8 or younger to contact directly for camp inquiry. Ligety Weibrecht Ski Camp will offer 4 sessions starting mid-June and finishing the second week of July. 

Mt. Hood Summer Ski Camp

Mt. Hood’s longest-running ski camp returns this May to offer training over three months of high-quality skiing at the Mt. Hood Timberline Palmer Glacier.  Mt. Hood Summer Ski Camp (MHSSC) have been fine tuning their summer camp experience for over forty years. Every aspect of the camps have been built from scratch to enhance the entire experience that has notable results with some of the most iconic ski racers in history. From Ted Ligety and Darren Rahlves, to Julia Mancuso and young gun Ben Ritchie, MHSSC has perfected the balance between the highest-quality training on the Palmer Glacier to rejuvenating and engaging afternoon activities on their 12 acre campus located in the Mt. Hood National Forest, just five miles from Government Camp. 

Athletes rave about MHSSC. From their multi discipline offering including alpine skiing, moguls, and freestyle, to the food and multi-offering lodging, MHSSC’s unique year-round offering has coaches and athletes returning year after year. In addition to owning all their own facilities, including 13 dorm rooms, a commercial kitchen, and tuning room, MHSSC’s staff will bring an additional sense of security to the camp by being COVID-19 vaccinated. Mask, social distancing, daily temperature checks, and reduced interactions with outside camp individuals will be included in the camp protocols. 

MHSSC’s philosophy is bound in having as much fun in the afternoons as is spent in the mornings on snow doing activities that may not be available at home. Instead of having a strength and training centric dryland focus, MHSSC offers fun alternatives for the afternoons including white water faring, trampolines, cliff jumping, paintballing, unicycling, and a unique challenge course. From age 9 through 19, every athlete has the opportunity to develop their ski skills on the hill while experiencing a new adventure at the MHSSC campus during their stay. 

MHSSC will offer overnight camps to ages 9 through 19, with adults having their own session August 22-28. Under the Oregon Health Authority’s statewide reopening guidance for youth programs, MHSSC is carefully adhering to all requirements necessary to operate overnight camps, including verifying campers and staff are symptom free during the 14-day period prior to arrival at camp. Kids under the age of 9 are encouraged to attend as a day camp attendee. 

National Alpine Ski Camp

River-side views, home cooked meals, and a hot tub sound like your ideal version of a ski camp? National Alpine SKi Camp (NASC) offers pristine 10-day ski camps at Mt. Hood guaranteeing all this plus improvements and fun.

NASC has operated world-class ski race training camps for nearly four decades including the most comprehensive ski camp on Mt. Hood training over 10,000 athletes. NASC believes in making a positive difference in people’s lives by sharing their passion for skiing and respect for the mountain through some of the best ski coaches in the country. NASC coaches understand how to utilize terrain to develop modern efficient movement patterns. In conjunction with the Timberline snowcat operators, NASC builds a custom wave track each summer that helps facilitate movement patterns and timing for running GS and slalom courses. Their Terrain Based Learning (TBL) challenges athletes’ balance and tactics by running gates and free-skiing in the calculated terrain built – plus, it’s FUN. 

NASC coaches have been trained to quickly identify each athlete’s motivation, level of understanding, and movements. The coaches take this athlete-centered mindset and customize a program for each athlete’s individual needs by using body-part-specific and skill-specific feedback. The success with their athletes is based upon clear and simple communication from a coaching staff that cares about each individual. By offering a 10-day program, coaches build confidence and balance needed to improve athlete fundamental skills on and off the hill. 

In their own two acres of riverfront property on the Salmon River at the Salmon River Reserve, NASC enhances athlete experience off snow in the rich outdoor environment in their backdoor including rock climbing, paddle boarding, mountain biking, and white water rafting. As the leader of fun, the campus offers privacy, safety, and seclusion among a 27-hole golf course in Welches, Oregon. 

In order to maintain a safe training environment, NASC has set guidelines on their website that must be strictly adhered to. Bring your own snacks and sunscreen, as those items can’t be shared. NASC offers five sessions from June through early August at Mt. Hood for athletes age 8 through 18. 

NASC offers a fall camp option at Copper Mountain, Colo. from November 20-27.

Speedy’s Ski Camps

Rounding out the offerings at Mt. Hood is Speedy’s Ski Camps, who will add a camp project in Kabdalis, Sweden to their offering this year. 

Camp Director Mark Archer, aka Speedy, moto’s is simple: Making champions in sport and life one training camp at a time on Mt. Hood since 1979. Speedy’s camps have been home to countless names on and off the U.S. Ski Team roster, including current member AJ Hurt who just had the most notable season of her career in scoring points across four World Cup disciplines. Speedy creates a training environment where athletes get a tailored training and coaching support best suited for the individual. 

Through many years of coaching, Speedy learned to understand the importance of off-season ski camps to develop skiers from a technical and tactical standpoint. By conditioning the skier’s mind and body in preparation for the upcoming season, Speedy’s high-level and proven training program has worked. His camp is not your average one size fits all, but rather a customized session for each athlete’s ability level. Each athlete has their own private coach directed to their ability level and focused on their training progression through drills and gate sessions. The staff is made up of experience, certified, and seasoned professional coaches that coach full-time, year-round, at some of the most prestigious ski academies, clubs, and programs in North America. In addition to on-snow time, athletes will be given ski tuning, nutrition, mental, and physical coaching. 

On the hill the camp will follow COVID-19 protocol to safety deliver the traditional ski camp offering. On slope video, private salted GS and slalom courses, and personalized 1:1 afternoon ZOOM calls with athletes will still be included. Ski camp capacity is capped at 25 athletes, making quality hill time with coaches and a maximum 6 athletes to one coach ratio. 

Speedy’s Mt. Hood camps will begin in June and extend through July with four different sessions offered over the two month period. Collegiate men and women are invited to attend the specified camps for U21, post graduates, and senior racers. U19 athletes are also eligible to attend.

Camps based in Colorado

Colorado is well-seasoned when it comes to hosting successful training projects and races in the COVID environment. After opening the season with U.S. Nationals at Copper Mountain, two NCAA series, World Pro Tour circuit, and the U16 National championships, Colorado has led the way. The state will once again extend its spring and summer offerings to ski racers at Loveland and Copper for those looking to develop and progress their skills prior to the 2021-22 season. While following all state regulations, ski camps will also be responsible to follow local mountain and county COVID-19 restrictions that are in place.

June Ski Camp at Loveland 

Loveland Ski Area is home to one of the latest and earliest snowfalls in the continental United States. Loveland Ski Club will host two camps this summer for athletes ages U10 through U21 over a short three day period, from June 1-3 and June 7-10. 

Loveland Ski Area will be closed to the public and offer terrain to a few select race teams to share the private chairlift and race arena. Designed for the athlete looking for that extra summer training boost, Loveland Ski Club will offer private mountain access, small group sizes, and a technical fundamental focus to exponentially increase the athlete’s ability in the short three-day camp. By limiting the number of athletes on snow, athletes will have higher quality and quantity training in the small six athlete to one coach ratio. 

Team Summit Alpine Spring/Summer Camps

Team Summit will return to Copper Mountain for their spring and summer camps in May and June. One cavaiate, this camp is for Team Summit members only. 

Team Summit athletes ages 10 through 20 are welcome to join the notable coaching staff, including Aldo Radamus and Tina Bucceister, for an extended season of home-hill training prior to the summer season. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Team Summit will only offer camps to current members and require masks, social distancing, daily symptom checks and a maximum 2-per-chairlift quota. 

By offering a camp right at home at Copper Mountain, Team Summit offers their collective more on-snow at-home training more than any other club in Colorado while working diligently with athletes to perfect technique and maximize training opportunity prior to the upcoming season. For athletes in the full-time academy, Team Summit offers a strength and conditions program throughout the entire summer with their Director of Human Performance. 

Camps Based in Europe

Many countries continue to evolve their guidelines and modify regulations for travel between countries and within the ski area. For those camps operating in Europe, rigorous attention to local guidelines is included in the camp operations. 

Alta Badia Ski Academy Camps

Alta Badia will return to the Stelvio Glacier this summer for their multi-month ski academy offering for U16 to FIS level athletes. In a unique and intensive training program, Alta Badia works to get athletes in top racing shape and lower FIS points to prepare for the next season. The program combines training on local glaciers with dryland training before entering the first FIS races in South Tyrol in November. The ski academy camps provide a small athlete to coach ratio and therefore are highly selective in accepting athletes into the academy camps to prioritize the highest quality. The Academy Ski Camps have two offerings, one from mid-July through mid-August, and a second from September to November. U16 athletes are able to join the camp only if accepted into the Alta Badia Ski Academy. 

Alta Badia had successful operations in Italy during the 2020-21 season. For the summer and fall camps, COVID tests and masks will be required in addition to creating a team bubble. After a season without any infections from their staff and athletes, the camps will implement measures that made training and racing during the winter possible.

Apex2100 Free-Ride Camp

Are you an experienced skier ready to explore the mountain while developing your skiing technique beside world class coaches? Apex2100 Free-Ride Camp focuses on improving each athlete’s skiing level while experiencing new terrain in a fun, supportive environment. Learn free-skiing technique, terrain changes, line choice, turn style, and aerial skills in this camp designed for skiers looking to elevate their skills off piste. 

Wendy Fisher, two-time World Extreme ski champion, joins the coaching roster this year. Every day skiers are taught a new skill while simultaneously discussing mountain awareness and big mountain etiquette. When off snow, athletes should expect strength training, yoga, avalanche education, video analysis, and team games. Apex2100 has developed a program that provides individualized development for every athlete that will translate far outside of their free skiing capabilities. The camp is open to ages 12 through 18 and will be hosted at their facilities in Tignes, France in mid-December.

Austria Racing Camps

Austria Racing Camps (ARC) are seasoned veterans when hosting off-season camps. During their 45 years of operations, ARC has developed a system that promotes camaraderie and technical advancement across their international team. Home to some notable alumni, including Mikaela Shiffrin, ARC prides themselves on their elite camp structure offering more individual, intense, and professional experiences then any other training camp offered. 

To guarantee their elite and individualized structure, a maximum of six athletes are paired with their coach who provides personal mentoring on snow, individual video analysis, and physical training. In addition to four-star accommodations, a training journal, and professional ski tuning, athletes should expect short three-day camps packed with mental and physical progression daily. With the Stubai Glacier announcing its temporary closure this summer, ARC will move its training camps Hintertux for five training sessions beginning early-May through June and offers summer camps in Hintertux, Indoor camps in Germany in August and fall camps begin at Hintertux in September until winter camps at Kühtai, Austria begin in December.

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About the Author: Karina Schwartznau

Born and raised in Bonney Lake, Washington, Karina grew up ski racing for Crystal Mountain and PNSA. She competed for 14 years across the world until settling in Salt Lake City, where she attended the University of Utah and achieved degrees in Marketing and Entrepreneurship. She currently resides in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.