Searching for snow? There is a camp for you!

By Published On: June 1st, 2023Comments Off on Searching for snow? There is a camp for you!

The winter is over but where there is snow, there is skiing. Check out these incredible camps and what they can offer you in this off-season. There are opportunities for all ages and abilities in the spring, fall and summer. 

 For more information, visit our our Camp Directory

Erich Sailer’s camps have a long-established history on Mount Hood and offer many sessions.

The legacy continues. Erich Sailer pioneered summer ski racing camps at Mt. Hood in 1956 and his formula still works today: High-volume slalom and giant slalom training with motivated coaches, including top ski racer coaches that can demonstrate and explain how to be faster, including former and current Olympians, National Team members, and World Pro Ski Tour racers.

New this year – support from the World Pro Ski Tour to bring the excitement and energy of the tour to summer camp. Days include on-snow training and drills, video sessions, dryland, inspirational talks, and fun.

Famous camp alum (regulars) include Lindsey Vonn, Paula Moltzan, Julia Mancuso, Sarah Schleper-Gaxiola, Michael Ankeny, Isaiah Nelson, Resi Stiegler, Kristina Koznick, and many more!

Offering slalom and giant slalom training on Lane 1 at Mt. Hood, Oregon, in June (known for the best summer conditions) with dynamic, pacesetter coaches that demonstrate the latest techniques to level up your ski racing, this is a camp you don’t want to overlook.


Stiegler Ski Racing Camps
Mount Hood, OR
Copper Mountain, CO
Saas-Fee, Switzerland
Website

Stiegler Ski Racing Camps provide a complete summer training program tailored for ambitious U16-FIS/college-aged ski racers. Our program covers all aspects of training, including summer skiing, personalized coaching, World Cup pace athletes, video analysis, equipment set-up, and dryland training.

Stiegler Ski Racing Camp’s mission is to inspire and empower athletes to achieve their full potential in ski racing. They strive to provide a safe, supportive, and immersive learning environment that fosters a love for the sport and encourages continuous improvement. Through their experienced coaching staff, world-class training venues, and personalized instruction, they aim to instill the values of hard work, discipline, and sportsmanship in our athletes, both on and off the slopes.


Since the summer of 2006, the Ligety Weibrecht Ski Camp has been inspiring ski racers to reach their potential by learning from the best.

Ligety Weibrecht Ski Camp sets the standard with coaches like Ted Ligety, Andrew Weibrecht and world-class skiers. Names like Winters, McJames, Chodounsky, Kasper, Nyman, Biesemeyer, Tommy, Marno, Delany, McCloy, Mahre, Ballard, along with Olympic and World Cup coaches Scotty Veenis and Pete Anderson. Together they lead an ever-growing list of top athletes with ski racing skills who join experienced coaches from the club to the Olympic level.

They also know that excellent ski racing takes more than great skiing. Their coaching staff brings enthusiasm as they teach you the moves on snow and share their experiences with mental prep, equipment, fitness, nutrition, teamwork, rest, and everything else critical to being the best skier and competitor you can be.


Keely’s Camp for Girls
Mount Hood, OR; Jackson Hole, WY; Galena Lodge, ID
Website

There are five sessions at Keely’s Mount Hood Ski Racing Camp from June through July. All offer quality training, video analysis, dryland activities and inspirational speeches from notable female coaches and athletes. Both overnight and day camp options are available.  

World Cup ski racer Keely Kelleher always wished she’d had female mentors in ski racing and spent years talking with fellow teammates about the scarcity of women in these roles. In 2011, Keely founded the first all-female ski racing camp in North America, Keely’s Camp for Girls. Motivated by an overwhelmingly positive response from the ski racing campers, Keely’s Camp expanded into more outdoor adventure camps for girls worldwide, including backcountry skiing, steep skiing & ski touring, mountain biking, and whitewater kayaking.

Keely’s Camp boasts an all-star female staff of Olympians, World Cup and NCAA skiers and staff who are proud to give girls what they didn’t have growing up – female coaches.


ALTA BADIA – CORTINA – APRICA SKI ACADEMY
La Villa in Badia; Cortina; Aprica
Website

The approaches of the Alta Badia – Aprica Ski Race camps are based on the foundations of Alta Badia Ski Academy, the GB World in Aprica (Bormio).

The summer and fall are essential periods when preparing for the race season. Summer and early fall training occur on glaciers in the Alps and ice boxes (ski domes). This program combines ski training, dryland training and some early-season FIS races. The FIS races in the Alps typically begin in November. As soon as the conditions allow, training commences in Alta Badia, Cortina, Aprica, Bormio, Diavolezza, Dobbiaco, and more.

The summer and fall training programs maximize time training on snow (with 15 ski days being the average per month). Off the snow, athletes can participate in dryland, cultural tourism, and rest.

Aprica Ski Academy’s camps utilize their decades of worldwide training and racing experience to provide excellence. The small number of athletes at these camps makes for an advantageous athlete-to-coach ratio.

Camps in the summer and fall are ideal for FIS racers, but exceptions for skilled and mature U16s are sometimes possible.


OL SkiRacing School
Mount Hood, OR; Vail, CO
Website

Over the last two and a half decades, OL has consistently seen young campers grow into top national and international performers. Skiers who return year after year comment that OL advances their understanding of ski racing and their love of the sport.   

OL SkiRacing School defines its philosophy as “higher education for ski racers.” Furthermore, OL strongly focuses on the mind game of ski racing because they know it can make or break an athlete’s performance.

Some very fast skiers have attended OL camps, including numerous current US Ski Team members.

OL holds camps in Mount Hood in the summer and Vail in the fall. Their summer sessions occur in July and their fall camp is in November.


National Alpine Ski Camps (NASC)
Mount Hood, OR; Copper Mountain, CO
Website

NASC offers summer sessions at Mount Hood, Oregon, and a fall training camp at Copper Mountain, Colorado.

Endorsed by the legendary skiers Erik Schlopy and Deb Armstrong, NASC prides itself on its inclusive, fun, and productive camp culture. Their camp location in Oregon is directly on the Salmon River, an excellent place for access to activities on and off snow, including (but not limited to) mountain biking, field sports, windsurfing trips and more. Their fall Copper Mountain camp is conveniently located slopeside – a huge perk in Colorado, particularly at that time of year.

NASC keeps its camp small to ensure quality with low camper-to-coach ratios. NASC also emphasizes the importance of nutrition and provides a healthy menu for skiers. Food is fuel, but it can be hard for growing, active young athletes to get adequate nutrition, especially when they spend so much active time outdoors.


Mount Hood Summer Ski Camps have been operating on Mount Hood since 1979; their longevity confirms the organization’s quality.

MHSSC values the basics of ski racing, focusing on improving fundamentals, building speed, video analysis sessions, and quality training. They work hard to make their campers better skiers without compromising their fun.

Outside of skiing, campers get to experience the best that Oregon has to offer. This includes whitewater rafting, rock climbing, mountain biking, field sports, etc. Based in Government Camp (Govy), the campus is conveniently located, making those early mornings on the glacier seem easy.


Austria Racing Camps – Hugo Nindl
Stubai Glacier; Hintertux; Neuss; Kuhtai
Website

Austria Racing Camps offer high-quality ski training for athletes worldwide across multiple seasons and locations, including camps throughout the year at numerous venues in Austria and an indoor training facility in Germany. These camps are open to athletes from the age of seven through eighteen. 

World Cup stars like Mikaela Shiffrin have attended this camp, likely because of the quality coaching and ideal training locations. Everything the camp staff does and everywhere the camp trains supports the development concepts Austrian Racing Camps uses to succeed. The camp leaders are always looking for ways to be innovative and improve. The staff is determined to provide the best camp experience possible – on and off the snow. 

The ultimate goal is to help athletes improve and increase their speed. If you’re looking for a camp in Europe with various locations and sessions, this is one to check out. 


This June, Waterville Valley Academy (WVBBTS) is hosting a camp in Hintertux, Austria. 

This trip is a fantastic opportunity for athletes to get out of the US and experience a foreign country and its culture while improving their skills in their favorite sport. The camp’s philosophy is to develop each athlete at their pace while instilling a work ethic technically on the slopes and athletically through daily conditioning. 

Off the snow, campers will participate in dryland conditioning and video analysis. They also will have the chance to explore, hike, and even see the Kitzbuehel Streif – a historical landmark in ski racing. 

GMVS Camp Offerings
Indoor Skiing Camp – Big Snow, NJ
Holiday Race Camp – Sugarbush, VT

Website

Consider joining a GMVS Junior Development camp to make a breakthrough in your skiing before the season begins. Throughout the year, GMVS offers several camps for aspiring ski racers who want to gain important technical and tactical skills, or experience GMVS first hand. They offer a variety of opportunities throughout the year. You can visit the GMVS campus, train at their amazing facilities, and/or travel with their coaches and racers.

Share This Article

About the Author: SR Staff Report