Vail Training

I had a great two and a half hour run this morning with a big crew from Ski and Snowboard Club Vail (SSCV). This afternoon, Ryan Scott and I did a two hour double pole with Eric Pepper supporting us on a road bike. It was another good session. This evening a friend and supporter of mine, Jon Schafer, otherwise known as Fast Big Dog, arrived in town. Schafer is going to train with us tomorrow morning.

This photo is from our walk to dinner tonight. From left to right, Jon Schafer, Eric Pepper, Tad Elliott, and Dan Weiland.

I learned a lot about SSCV today. It is an amazing ski club. Besides the huge number of National Team skiers I mentioned in yesterday’s post, SSCV has possibly the best development system in the country, if not the world. Recently, they opened the new Vail Ski and Snowboard Academy. It is a public school, part of the Eagle County School District. It is free. Every student at the school is a member of SSCV. The school calendar and schedule are tailored to athlete’s training needs. Every class is integrated with online work, ideal for kids who miss a lot of school. There are world class Nordic trails right out the door. Next year it will have a brand new strength and conditioning building. In two years there will be dormitories and a dining hall. The Nordic coaches, Dan and Eric, run up to twelve training sessions a week for the athletes.

If I were in high school and wanted to compete in Nordic skiing at a high level, this is where I’d want to be. The vision, commitment to success, and ability to turn dreams into reality of SSCV is outstanding.