Proctor’s USS/FIS ski team traveled to Mount Hood, Oregon for their annual June training camp. The first of three pre-season training camps provided by coaches, the ten day Mount Hood camp affords students the opportunity to get on snow and work fundamental drills and skill development. 

With fourteen athletes attending this year’s camp in Mount Hood, USS/FIS program director Jason Nelson is excited about the future of Proctor’s program and the work that these athletes are putting in during the summer months to improve their strength, skill, and mental training. Over the duration of the eleven day camp, coaches and athletes took advantage of Mount Hood’s training lanes and the beauty of the surrounding area. A mix of fundamental drills, slalom training, GS training, and group bonding through whitewater rafting, hiking, and conditioning, the camp afforded this group of athletes and coaches a jump start on the 2022-2023 ski season just days after graduation. 

Day 1 | May 30, 2022

Focus for the Day: Slalom Directed Freeski. Originally planned GS training, but pivoted due to forecast. 

Reflection: There is a ton of snow here! We were able to get on snow for the late morning and early afternoon, just as the sun came out exposing Mount Hood in all her beauty. A little slalom freeski with a mix of the transition phase drills to help with our platform entering the initiation of the turn was the focus of this first day of camp. We explored the Pucci and Stormin Norman lifts, which are two lower mountain chairs that have never been open in all my years of coming here.  It was a great job by all the athletes as we trained from 2pm-close. A side note: the food has been outstanding.  Brad the NASC camp owner has hired a private chef and we have been eating very well!

Day 2 | May 31, 2022

Focus for the Day: GS Freeski and Technique Work 

Reflection: We found ourselves with a wind hold on the Mile but we were able to utilize the Pucci lift for a great GS progression. The kids are showing signs of improvement and confidence in their weight transfer. We started with limited direction freeski, and evolved over the course of the day to traverse extensions, thousand steps, get over it, and eventually to open (27-30m) apex brush course on the Pucci lift.

Day 3 | June 1, 2022

Focus for the Day: GS on The Mile 

The sun was out and it was so good to be back on the Mile express, watching the athletes ripping some sweet GS turns. A move up in pitch and length for the progression, the “get over it drill" started to receive buy-in from the athletes. The wavetrack has 13 massive rollers set 27M apart, and is ideal for teaching fore and aft movement, and the importance of the timing of pressure in terrain. Another great day of training.

Day 4 | June 2, 2022 

Focus for the Day: GS on The Mile 

Reflection: We looked to ramp up the GS panel progression today with a longer set and introduction of the Wagner drill to give the athletes a target to move through transition when trying to get over the new outside ski. We added in some more “Get Over It” javelin turns in a brush corridor, some rhythm GS, carving leapers, and a brush corridor in the wave track. I am so impressed with the positivity and mindset of this group. They come ready to work, learn, and improve, and there is not much more I could ask for as a coach.

Day 5 | June 3, 2022

Focus of the Day: Slalom Training on Pucci 

Reflection: We worked with Mount Hood Academy sharing the trail Thunder and had a great, open, stubby slalom progression. We set two sections of 13-14m slalom course to work on pole plants as well as a 1-2m brush picket fence with our focus being on feeling the platform in slalom and an early pole touch to lengthen transitions. Another great session for the kids.

Day 6 | June 4, 2022 

Focus of the Day: Team Bonding

Reflection: Today was our planned off day from snow. We were fortunate to book a rafting trip on the White Salmon River in Washington. This class 3-4 river was 42 degrees and our athletes and coaches had an amazing experience and got to utilize their wetsuits as we had some rafts tip over. A little bridge jumping was a great way to cap the day!

Day 7 | June 5, 2022

Focus of the Day: Slalom on Pucci 

Reflection: We were back on snow utilizing the Pucci lift for some more slalom training today. This lift was our blessing in disguise as there was 587 vertical feet with a very fast turnaround, with an impressive firm salted surface. The weather forecasted missed us at lower elevations and allowed us to work on some 12-14m stubby slalom training with an intentional focus on finding our platform. Coming off our day on the river, we had decent energy and focus from the group.

Day 8 | June 6, 2022

Focus of the Day: Better Weather Needed! 

Reflection: Today was a bad weather day with a fair amount of rain on the glacier. We decided to take the day off and do another team activity, this time opting for paintball! A favorite at last year’s camp, we drove to Molalla, Oregon where we had the place to ourselves and worked together and got a little cardio in also for the rest of the day.

Day 9 | June 7, 2022

Focus of the Day: GS 

Reflection: The sun came out and we had a fantastic day on the mountain working on finding an even rhythm. We had a medium offset 26m at the top of the course followed by GS Panels in a wave track toward the bottom. Continuing with our focus of finding our platform, athletes did some very solid skiing during this training session followed by skiing some zig zags in the snowfields in perfect corn conditions afterwards. After an overnight freeze, it was a beautiful day of training.

Day 10 | June 8, 2022

Focus of the Day: GS Session 

Reflection: Today continued our focus from yesterday with 25m GS work opening up to 28m, followed by more offset panels through wave track below. Coaches set wall brushes at the top and saw some solid improvements in patience and getting impulse above the gate. We capped the day with a little zig zag skiing in the canyon afterwards. Another great session as we close out the week.

Day 11 | June 9, 2022

Focus of the Day: Slalom on the Mile

We closed out our training on Mount Hood with some 11-12m rhythm slalom combined with two sections of hairpins and stubbies through wave track for the first five runs, before resetting the top to stubby tall pole, the middle section to 10m natural, followed by the lower section at tall pole through wave track. We did a ton of volume with a consistent focus on timing of pulling feet back underneath and consistency of pole plants. We had some very tired kids by the end of the day! A huge thank you to all of the families who helped make this camp a success!