Submitted by Men’s Head Coach Cam McKenzie…..”October was a busy month of training and preparation for the Men’s Ontario Ski Team. October 6th saw the guys convene for their third and final prep period fitness testing with Canadian Sport Institute Ontario. A demanding battery of tests left many of the boys sore and exhausted but they tested well and showed growth from a strong summer of conditioning.

Recovery from the testing became paramount as three days later the team departed for our second on-snow prep project in Saas Fee, Switzerland. We were greeted in Saas Fee with sun and moderate temperatures in the valley. The pleasant weather in town belied the challenges that the athletes would face on the glacier. A summer of unseasonably warm temperatures had left the hills scraped to a hard, icy core – a drastic contrast to the dry, grippy conditions faced in Chile. The conditions demanded precision, consistency, and determination from the athletes, and, despite some initial struggles, the guys responded well. It was exciting to see the guys step up and adapt to the environment and then push the ante and intensity as their competitive drive kicked in. Focus throughout the project was primarily on SL and GS but we were also able to train two sessions on Saas Fee’s Super G track.

A positive addition to this project was Erin and Oren Smith of Totem Wellness travelling with us for a portion of our project for the first time in our two-year relationship. They provided medical, athletic, and psychological support to the team on snow and off. Although we avoided any major injury during the project, Erin and Oren proved to be an indispensable resource for preventing and treating the daily and chronic injuries that the athletes faced in a demanding training environment. The athletes responded well to Erin and Oren’s presence and their effort helped us draw more volume and more quality time on-snow.

Cheers,

Cam