A recently promised revival of the nordic program at Vermont’s Burke Mountain Academy (BMA) now seems to be on hold, following a recent change in leadership and what appears to be the school’s subsequent decision to cut ties with its describes itself as “the preeminent ski academy” was bright. A a May 26 article on FasterSkier. “We felt really welcomed there,” Sweetser said of the Burke community. He dismissed concerns that the school’s nordic program...
If you are from New England, you’ve probably heard of Will Sweetser. Originally from Auburn, Maine, Sweetser, 47, has been coaching nordic for the last 25 years. He skied for Dartmouth and coached at Bates College, the Jackson Hole Ski Club, Carrabassett Valley Academy, and Rangeley Lakes Ski Club before spendingOutdoor Sports Institute and expanded its mission to four seasons of outdoor sports in Maine. With a baby on the way, Sweetser and his wife, Sarah Dominick,...
(recognized as a U.S. Ski Team High Performance Center – in large part thanks to the academy’s superior on snow training venue and new, state-of-art Ronnie Berlack indoor athletic training facility.
LAHTI, Finland — Tuesday at Lahti’s venue for the 2017 Nordic World Ski Championships, the sun sets early. Although technically sunset was 5:22 p.m., the sun on this clear-sky day was still wintertime reluctant. It seemed too short a time for the sun’s transect to thaw Lahti. Temps were in the mid-to-low 20 degrees Fahrenheit. But a brisk wind called for down coats and insulated pants for those not actively skiing — in the shade, it...
Go, go, go. That's the type of energy Liz Stephen brings to skiing. From a high-tempo skate technique to steeper is better, Stephen has been a force on the Distance World Cup since her push into the top 30 in 2012. Last year was a setback for the Park City resident and she feels like this offseason she's done the work to make a rebound.
Matthew Perry Johnson was named the new head coach of the Montana State University nordic ski team following Kristina Trygstad-Saari's resignation from the position this spring after one year on the job. Johnson is the third head coach in two years for the Bobcats.
Join us for these free training sessions, all winter long! Head Coach Kate Barton and BMA Nordic will host free training sessions for any local athlete who is interested in getting in an extra cardio session during the winter, learning some Nordic technique, or experiencing BMA Nordic training firsthand. These sessions will include the Alpine Junior Weekday program athletes. Everyone is welcome! When: Wednesdays, 3:30 to 4:30/5 p.m. Where: BMA Soccer Field Who: Middle/High School Athletes What: Nordic Skiing,...
Burke Mountain Academy senior Warren Taylor recounts his third trip to Sweden and Norway for the school's annual Scandinavian training camp, with stops in Sollefteå, Östersund, Bruksvallarna, Sognefjell, and Oslo.
As skiers go, there aren’t many out there more inexhaustibly enthusiastic than Liz Stephen. Her energetic description of the technique changes she’s currerntly working on, for example, could inspire you to momentarily want nothing more than to strap on your rollerskis and hit the pavement. The U.S. Ski Team A-team member certainly has plenty to be happy about: Stephen posted top-20s twice during the regular season, a first for the 25-year-old. As the 28th-ranked female...
For many Nordic skiers, April marks the end of the season and May starts the new one. With some variation, the Nordic year is made up of 13 four-week-long periods. Each period has a different training emphasis and within each, training rhythms weave through the choices of intensities, training methods and forms, and time spent. April to May and May to June are a transition period; a time for relaxation, the return to dry land...
The invitation to Burke to participate in the “Jr.NM” or Junior Norwegian Championship was the idea of Bjorn Ilsemann, an energetic coach with the Norwegian College of Elite Sport (NTG). Bjorn’s school and Burke Mountain Academy have just finished round one of an exchange program that we hope to have as an annual affair. The Jr. NM participation grew out of that. These are the major races of the year for Norwegian kids and similar...
2012 Fall in Scandinavia “Small is Beautiful” http://www.burkemtnacademy.org/ Peter Phillips, Head Nordic Coach kbarton@burkemtnacademy.org Tory Amorello, Director of Admissions
Pete Phillips has a coaching resume that is one of the best in North America. He is currently the Head Nordic Coach at
For elite skiers, resting well can be just as important as high-quality training. Morgan Arritola and Liz Stephen each learned that lesson the hard way, and both say that next year, they won’t make the same mistakes again. Arritola, 24, and Stephen, 23, are entering their second year of World Cup racing for the U.S. Ski Team (USST). Both struggled to maintain their form for the full duration of their rookie winter, and neither cracked...
The heat has broken, and the perfect early fall weather New England is enjoying makes training a pleasure. The Burke Gang is taking full advantage of it. Here is a day-in-the-life from last week: Classes from 8:45 until 3:00 then…
There are several races in the North this spring that coincide with April break and Easter. We’ve arranged for a small group to do a two race series that includes a continuous pursuit in Pitea in Northern Sweden, two races in Tornio, and Rovaniemi, in Finland and three more in Bruksvallarna, Sweden in a fun wrap up to the season. The Pitea and Bruksvallarna races will likely be of a very high standard as most...