Boulder Nordic Sport is teaming up with Sparks Expeditions for an all-new junior training camp in Europe this summer. Skiers will experience three different training venues over the duration of the camp, two of which offer opportunities to be on-snow. In combining BNS’ expert staff with Sparks Expeditions’ proven record of overseas training camps, this is a unique chance not only to become a better skier but a more rounded athlete and person. Applications are being accepted through April 15, but candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. See below for more information, email info@sparksexpeditions.com with questions or apply at sparksespeditions.com.
Europe Junior Nordic Skiing Program from Quiet Finish on Vimeo.
A One of a Kind Nordic Skiing Program in Europe
This program will take place in Oberhof & Oberwiesenthal, Germany and Ramsau am Dachstein, Austria and is designed for serious, experienced juniors seeking an edge.
Oberhof is home to a 1.8 KM indoor ski tunnel. Students will spend a short amount of time here at the beginning of their trip to acclimatize and set technical and training goals for the rest of their time with the program.
Oberwiesenthal is on the border with the Czech Republic and served as the base of the East German alpine and nordic skiing teams. It is home for Olympic gold medalist and world champion Claudia Nystad and Olympian and overall World Champion Rene Sommerfeldt. It also serves as the base for the current German elite sport school for winter sports. Students can expect to gain exposure to the European club scene in Oberwiesenthal while training out of some of the top facilities in Europe. Included is access to the roller-ski track at Oberwiesenthal, which is challenging even for elite athletes, and time to train with European juniors.
Throughout the program, students will receive coaching from some of the best minds in the sport.
Ramsau am Dachstein was the site of the 1999 FIS World Nordic Skiing Championships; it is a glacier in the Liezen district of Austria, and a favorite summer training spot for many national teams. Students will spend a week on-snow amongst some of the best skiers in the world. The glacier is accessible via cable car. Optional hikes are available in Ramsau that include via ferrata, whereby students will use a harness and carabiners to secure themselves on a fixed cable route in the mountains.
Students considering this option are expected to be of above average maturity and thoughtfulness with a clear intention to explore their relationship with the sport. Despite the emphasis on building a relationship with the sport, training will be more physiologically intense than athletes have experienced in the past. Admission to the program is selective.
Who May Apply
Student athletes must demonstrate a willingness to commit to a three-week intensive program combined with the thoughtfulness necessary to grow during time abroad. All students who wish to apply for the limited number of positions in the program must by necessity be more mature in their daily comportment and decision-making than the average high school athlete.
Maturity and thoughtfulness are — specifically — a requirement to find enjoyment here. Sparks believes in allowing students to engage their own freedom of choice; each athlete’s choices will ultimately determine the benefit of the program for each student.
Students will submit a short initial application. After this, a second round will require a letter of reference from their coach or someone similar. Finally, students will be asked to interview. See the application tab for our application deadline schedule.
Exposure, Experience, and Development
Athletes’ primary motivation for choosing the program should be to further themselves both personally and athletically. The scene in Europe will be challenging but encouraging; students will meet European skiers and realize we really are on the same playing field. The reality is that there is no magic pill that makes European skiers better, other than the culture of the sport. We allow students access to the top sport cultures and coaching in the world and then let them determine the outcome; the result will be a mix of success and failure at times on each student’s part, but regardless educational all the time.
Questions may be forwarded via email here or find the application tab here.
