Summer Scene: Duke, Kelleher go to German boot camp

It took some time, but U.S. alpine ski teamers Hailey Duke and Keely Kelleher now know German. Though traveling through Europe and hearing German isn’t unusual for the duo, retaining it is. So they entered boot camp. 
    Thanks to the support of Judy Hoyt, ski team athletes have been able to attend The Hoyt Dartmouth Language Program offered by The Rassias Foundation ALPS in Hanover, N.H. for a long, long time. So off Duke and Kelleher go: Ten days, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. from July 5-15. Ski Racing caught up with Duke for a quick synopsis of the camp.
IT TOOK SOME TIME, but U.S. alpine ski teamers Hailey Duke and Keely Kelleher now know German. Though traveling through Europe and hearing German isn’t unusual for the duo, retaining it is. So they entered boot camp.
    “I’m pretty lost when I get to Europe with the whole language difference,” says Duke via a phone interview on July 22 from Mt. Hood where she’s training. “I can get along with Spanish, but the German’s off. … I’d like to know what I’m ordering.”
    Kelleher agreed: “All I could say going into camp was, ‘Where is the bathroom?’ ‘Can I get a beer?’ and ‘How are you?’ So as you can see I definitely couldn’t speak the language which, in my opinion, is sad because I’ve been traveling to Europe since I was 16 and I still can’t communicate with the people.”
    Thanks to the support of Judy Hoyt, ski team athletes have been able to attend The Hoyt Dartmouth Language Program offered by The Rassias Foundation ALPS in Hanover, N.H. for a long, long time. So off Duke and Kelleher go: Ten days, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. from July 5-15. Ski Racing caught up with Duke for a quick synopsis of the camp.

Ski Racing: So did you have fun?
Hailey Duke: Ja

SR: Did you learn a lot?
HD: Ja

OK, Duke and Kelleher learned a lot more than “yes” at camp, which was mostly taught in a drill-sergeant manner. “The drill sessions were the most intriguing part for me because the way they teach you to speak is just by listening to the drill teacher and then repeating the words,” Kelleher says.
    “The master classes were all taught in German,” she continues. “Our teacher Jere would make us laugh so hard in class. His acting skills were in full force the first couple of days because we had no clue what he was saying. So he would act out what he was saying and most of the time it would leave us rolling on the ground laughing.”
    Duke loved it: “I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time. They are drilling you, and you’re going to make a mistake [eventually] so some stuff that came out unintentionally was just hilarious. And everyone had their shining moment.”
    For example: “I was supposed to say headache one time and I said crotch ache,” Duke says.
    Mr. Potato Head also got involved in the teaching process. The women learned body parts thanks to him. “I know all of the body parts now,” Duke says.
    Even with such long, fun hours, the athletes got in two workouts a day. They would wake up at 5:30 a.m., warm up while waiting for the gym to open and then get to work. Around dinnertime they did the same and finished the evening with more class.
    Was it worth the effort? “I have a much better idea of what’s going on, and now I’ve just got to practice,” Duke says about the boot camp.
    She plans to practice a lot.
    “I’m going to tie people to chairs and make them talk to me. Just kidding,” she says, having a good laugh. “I will try to pull it out whenever I can. I already am. I probably sound like a little kindergartener, but that’s OK. I can say, ‘the weather is nice, ‘the sky is blue,’ ‘the grass is green’ and ‘I have a crotch ache.’ ”
    At least they know the basics.  

For a funny video about their experience, go to YouTube . For more on Kelleher’s experience, go to her blog at www.keelykelleher.com . Check out Duke’s site at www.haileyduke.com .