This is Cal Waters recapping my experiences at the 2024 summer NTG camp in Park City Utah.
Over the course of a year, I have been lucky enough to participate in three NNF camps including U16 camp in Lake Placid, New York, Western REG camp in Bend, Oregon and the NTG camp in Park City, Utah. The 3 weeks of supported, structured time dedicated specifically to skiing, not only turned me into a more confident and competitive skier, but also allowed me to cultivate lasting relationships with other athletes and coaches. Needless to say, my experiences through these camps have been overwhelmingly positive, and I am grateful for these opportunities.
It was eye-opening training and spending time with a diverse group of athletes from all over the country. One morning, we had a chance to ski with Ben Ogden and learn how he prepares for a race day. He explained how he maps out the race course, determines the duration and intensity of his pre-race intervals, and shared why he consumes a small amount of sugar directly before his race. The ability to learn directly from some of the best athletes in the world and how they find success in the sport was an unique opportunity. The knowledge of these accomplished skiers provides valuable insight into collegiate and international skiing. That was certainly one of the highlights of my week.
Throughout the week in Park City, we were introduced to high level training as we utilized facilities at the US Ski and Snowboard Center of Excellence (COE). The COE provides resources to help skiers such as a gym, rollerski treadmill, and kitchen. Steve, the chef at the COE, provided the camp with all of our delicious dinners. Additionally, while we were in Park City, we not only met skiing stars Julia Kern, Will Koch, and other members of the US National Team, but also the American runner Grant Fisher who claimed bronze medals in the 5000m and 10000m at the 2024 Summer Olympics. The COE lives up to its name, strengthening and fueling skiing in the US.
Although I accumulated just over 24hrs of training time, including three intensity sessions and a race, my focus for the NTG camp was specific to an area of skiing I struggle with, technique. During a classic ski session at Soldier Hollow, Greta Anderson and Julia Hayes worked to improve my striding technique efficiency, by queuing me to engage the limbs in front of my hips, while relaxing on my follow through. The different perspectives on how to ski enables athletes to create a style of technique that works best for them. The coaching staff for the 2024 NTG camp was phenomenal as they are experienced coaches as well as caring people.
The 2024 NTG camp provided opportunities to form new relationships, experience high level training, and strengthen skiing abilities. I would like to thank the US Ski and Snowboard for allowing us to use the COE, the coaching staff for coordinating and facilitating all the logistics for NTG, and NNF for funding young skiers to attend the 2024 NTG Park City camp. If you would like to further support the development of American skiers, please consider donating to NNF Drive For 25.
