Whistler Summer Training (2.0)

Just about to finish my 4th day of skiing here in beautiful British Columbia, and my 8th day in Canada as a whole. Whistler, as always, is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been (pictures to come soon), between the snow-capped mountains, green forests and crystal clear water I could stay here for much longer than a week. The skiing has been interesting, obviously the glacier has seen a lot of wear and tear since the last time I was here a year ago, but even so it is deteriorating even quicker than I would have imagined, there is a clear difference on a daily basis with new cracks and holes opening up, and new little streams running along the edges almost every run. However, I am of the firm belief that snow is snow (no matter how much salt is thrown on it) and the fact that I can be skiing in the middle of July is amazing!

Getting to my skiing; while I am not skiing my fastest-most of the runs I take even when in the gates are at about 50%- I am working on different techniques and styles that I don’t use during the actual winter. Summer training is the perfect time to test these out, and I have found (and been told by coaches) some things that have really improved my overall ability in the gates, even in just a few days. The first is that if I roll onto my edges earlier in the turn, I will be able to pressure them when I am at the gate (instead of below it), and in theory will be able to carry that energy through the turn to transition into the next one. I am still testing it out, and can tell that it changes my turn shape, and that it makes me ski faster- but am still having trouble doing it consistently (as soon as I stop thinking about it to focus on something else I regress). Other minor adjustments I am trying to make are some hand/arm levels, with the hopes that keeping my inside shoulder and arm from dropping will correct my hips turning into the hill, and therefore I would (again in theory, as this is still a work in progress), be able to have an altogether more forward stance, starting with my hips being square and forward.

My scheduled here in Whistler is pretty consistent throughout the week; 5.55 wake-ups to go on a quick run then to breakfast by 6.15, then running back up to my room (3rd floor…) to get dressed and grab skis and bag (which hopefully I have packed the night before) only to run back downstairs and load the car by 6.45. Of course, upon arriving at the Wizard chairlift at 7.00 we, of course as it is the nature of skiing to ‘hurry up and wait’, we wait at the chair to load at 7.30. The ride up the glacier is 2 chairlifts then a bus ride and then another chairlift. Once off the glacier a nap is usually needed as is food, so we take a 2ish hour break before reconvening for dryland training which over the past couple days has ranged from strength training on a playground to a 7 kilometer run through the woods to jump practice off of rocks in the courtyard. The days end with a much needed shower, dinner and sometime in between there we find time to watch film that was taken during the day up on the glacier (despite some major technical difficulties).

All in all I am having a fantastic time, staying in amazing facilities with some great athletes and most importantly, getting to ski!