KVITFJELL, Norway (April 13, 2016) – Resorts are closing, racers are putting summer wax on their skis and bikes are emerging into the warming weather, but the U.S. Ski Team isn’t done with winter yet.
Sun Valley’s U.S. Alpine Championships weren’t the end of the season for the World Cup and Europa Cup guys, who have landed in Norway for a spring camp. And not only are they training on a great track, they’ll be training with the talented Norwegian ski team.
“Last summer, we partnered with the Norwegians for a couple of reasons,” shared Head Men’s Coach Sasha Rearick. “We split resources in speed events—video positions, course reports—and share training venues. But more so, the guys feed off of each other. It increases training quality to have a sparring partner like that.”
This means that American World Cup stars like Steven Nyman (Sundance, UT) and Tim Jitloff (Reno, NV) are training with podium frequenters Kjetil Jansrud, Henrik Kristoffersen and Aleksander Aamodt Kilde.
“The Norwegians are clearly the fastest guys right now,” said Rearick. “It’s helping to train with them in that we know we’re going the right way in our direction. It gives us confidence.”
New skis are also out at this camp, with all athletes testing shiny new equipment from their sponsors. This is the time to dial it all in, so they’re ready for summer training and the impending World Cup season. Also important at this camp? Fundamental skills. The guys are still at race-level fitness, meaning they can add intensity to their already honed timing and rhythm.
Plus, many of the guys are working on expanding their second and third events. So keep an eye on your favorite athletes’ social media to see which speed skiers are skiing tech courses and if any slalom skiers are ripping super G runs.
