Cross Country

This week, we’d like to offer some new knowledge about our sport. Here is a bit of clarity on Nordic Sports in terms of verbiage:
Maybe it is the metric system, or maybe it’s the spandex onesies, but Americans have some trouble grasping the different types of Nordic skiing. It gets confusing, because “Nordic” skiing is an umbrella term for four different disciplines: cross-country, biathlon, ski jumping, and Nordic combined.
These sports do have one common denominator, and that is a free heel on the ski of choice. Telemark could be added to the family of Nordic Sports also, though it is not an Olympic sport.

Snowboarding

Last Thursday to Sunday (Sep 19-22) Sasha Nations, our new Snowboarding Junior Ability Head Coach, and I took a group of 8 athletes to Park City for our first out-of-town training camp of the season. This was the second consecutive year we’ve made this trip and after last year being one of the kids’ “favorite trips ever!!”, we weren’t sure we could produce the same hype and excitement this year. But sure enough, it turned out to be another “favorite trip ever!!”. We spent the majority of our time at the UOP utilizing the same trampolines, water ramps, and airbag that our Olympic athletes train on. When we weren’t there we explored the Trailside Bike Park and Skate Park and showed Park City how Steamboat kids bowl at the Jupiter Bowling Alley.

Our youngest 2 athletes there were Cooper Malia and Rocke Weinberg, both age 10. Their progression paralleled the older kids with Cooper mastering misty 7’s on the trampoline and sending it off the water ramps, and Rocke conquering the “much older than 10” airbag with a steezy method. The Duty brothers joined us with Braden stepping up his skateboarding skills and Johnny learning backside 1080’s into the airbag. It was Christopher Heppelmann’s first trip to PC and he approached the airbag like an old pro. Jackie Clemente started throwing Double Backside-Rodeo’s, a trick he’s been talking about since the beginning of last season. And Jesse Hamric perfected the timing, take-off and execution of a Double Backflip on the airbag. Jacy Werner was our veteran athlete returning to the UOP to work on his Double Backflips and the art of his frontside spins.

To say this trip was “one for the books” would be an understatement. Progression and growth was seen from every athlete and there was no shortage of fun. Us coaches can’t wait to see how the athletes bring their new skills to the snow this winter and share their experience with the rest of their teammates.

Written by Maddy Schaffrick, Head Freestyle Snowboard Coach