Prep/Comp Update
August has been a jam-packed month for the Prep/Comp training group! Actually, with the addition of Junior and College athletes, it was more like the Junior/Prep/Comp/PG Training Group! The amount of Nordic energy in Jackson Hole is on the rise! We had a great time this summer with huge crews of athletes all working on progressing their skiing and making big strides forward. The Junior athletes benefited hugely from the exposure of training with the Prep/Comp crew, the Prep/Comp athletes benefited from the strengthened training group, and the PG athletes had that extra motivation and accountability that comes with being a part of a team.
At the start of August, many JHSC athletes participated in the Rendezvous Mountain Hillclimb from the base of JHMR to the top of the tram! These brave athletes ran 4100' up the mountain in what could be called "adverse" conditions (45 degrees and pouring rain). The athletes crushed it, with Kaya Kandolin winning the Under 19 female category and Lucas Wilmot, Colton Petsch, and Charlie von Maur-Newcomb going 3-4-5 in the U19 male category! We saw great participation from all athletes and parents from JHSC.
In addition to the events, we had some amazing workouts as a part of regular training. Over the course of August, we did skate intervals up Teton Pass, rollerskied to Moose and back, bounded up Snow King, ran up Static Peak, did strength training twice/week, among many other activities. Another highlight was doing our version of the Mini Picnic: we skate rollerskied to Jenny Lake, swam partway across Jenny Lake, then ran to Cascade Canyon and back! It was a great multisport workout with amazing views and fun times had by all!
Toward the end of the month, we had our second test week of the summer, when we check in and have time trials and a strength test to see how the athletes have improved over the year. The short answer is...the team is strong right now! The testing protocol consists of a 3000m TT on the track, an endurance strength test in the weight room, a double pole TT up to Trail Creek along WY22, and the Hagen TT up Cache Creek. We had innumerable personal records fall throughout the course of testing, with one of the best team-wide performances in recent history! The Double Pole TT team record was set by Natalie O'Brien, shattering a record that was set in 2019! Great job to everyone: we coaches are very proud of the team and excited to see what happens this winter...
Fall Events
Temperatures are dropping, leaves in the alpine are starting to turn, team registration for winter programs is open, and Fall is in the air! This Fall we will have some of the most important fundraisers and volunteer events of the entire year. Below is our Fall Schedule:
September 24th: Black Tie Blue Jeans Ski Ball
Come join us for the most fun party of the year, which is also a great fundraiser for JHSC! We are moving back to an in-person event this year, where we will have a grand old time at the top of the Gondola at JHMR!
October 15th: JHSC Ski Swap
Time to get rid of your old gear and give it a second life while also sniffing out deals for next winter! This is another huge fundraiser for JHSC, so if you have any gear you want to sell or buy, this is the place!
October 13-16th: Schutzenski Festival, Soldier Hollow, UT
Soldier Hollow will be hosting rollerski races in conjunction with a US Ski Team training camp and Biathlon Trials! We will go to Soldier Hollow for some fast racing on the rollerski track at the site of the 2002 Olympics, the greatest Nordic venue in the USA.
October 29th: Trail Creek Cleanup
This is the annual event where we help at Trail Creek and make sure our trails are buffed and ready to go for the winter! It is also an opportunity to work off your volunteer credit and check out the trails before the snow falls. Come give back, and pitch in to benefit the whole Nordic community.
