USST Holds Alpine National Development Camp At Timberline

A group of nearly 50 alpine development athletes hit the slopes for a national development group camp on the Palmer Glacier at Mt. Hood, thanks to a valuable partnership U.S. Ski & Snowboard has forged with Timberline Lodge. This camp is one of many development initiatives U.S. Ski & Snowboard has implemented as a result of Project 26 study findings. 

"Many in the ski racing community have been asking what to do after U.S. Ski and Snowboard announced its plans surrounding the new development template, Project 26. The higher ups there are hitting the hammer on the head, insisting their goal is to work more closely with regions and clubs to create an increasingly vast group of development athletes on an elite level. A large section of the project’s focus is to shift from a nationally-managed D team to a combined elite development model that brings in U.S. Ski and Snowboard in collaboration with clubs on a small-scale regional level. Closing the gap in order to widen the pool, so to speak. The industry is eager to find out how this will work and most are reacting with positive embracement of the program.

But just how is U.S. Ski and Snowboard following through with Project 26? The roots of the game plan are just beginning and Timberline Lodge at Oregon’s Mount Hood is the first stop in the men’s and women’s development team preparation period this summer, where they get to put the proof in the pudding."

Under the watchful and experienced eyes of Marjan Cernigoj - who recently returned to the Team as Head Women's Development Coach after 15 years of work with Canada, Slovenia and Russia at the World Cup level - as well as Head Men's Development Coach Sasha Rearick, 29 club-level athletes came together with Development Team men and women, including Andrew Miller, Ben Ritchie, Zoe Zimmerman, Keely Cashman and Nellie Talbot.

"The idea is to bring in club-level athletes and invitees to train with U.S. Ski Team coaches, staff, and D Team athletes so that they can walk away from the camp with a level of developmental consistency that is on par with that of the U.S. Ski Team’s philosophies and training commitments."