Can’t get enough of winter? Same here. We’re obsessed with ski racing, and I’m guessing you are too. We spent the down days of May compiling this list of the six best summer ski racing camps. Book your flights and pack your Speed Freak Hoodie (the perfect summer training layer).
Mount Hood Summer Ski Camps
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Mount Hood Summer Ski Camps (MHSSC) opened in 1979 and has been taking advantage of summer snow on Mount Hood’s Palmer Glacier ever since. With 45 years of experience, MHSSC delivers a professional-caliber training environment without compromising on fun. They focus on improving fundamentals at every level, finding speed, and utilizing on-hill video sessions to maximize each training day. Off the hill, campers experience Oregon’s best activities. Afternoon activities include whitewater rafting, rock climbing, cliff jumping, mountain biking, and many more. Weeklong sessions run from June 2nd to August 17th, so you’ll be sure to find one that fits your schedule.
Keely’s Camp for Girls
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Keely Kelleher, a former US Ski Team athlete with a top-20 World Cup result, started Keely’s Camp with the idea that every female athlete deserves a female coach. The camp is known for its all-star female staff of Olympians, World Cup racers, US Ski Team alumni, NCAA athletes, and world-class professionals. Girls attending Keely’s camp will surely come away with positive role models and improved ski racing skills. If you’re looking for cross-training this summer, the camp offers backcountry skiing, whitewater kayaking, mountain biking, and ski racing camps.
Party Beach Ski Camps
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If you couldn’t tell by the name, Party Beach Ski Camps take fun seriously. They began as a race camp following a unique model that blended race training with big mountain skills. Party Beach has shifted to a big mountain freeride camp focus, but they’re still a great choice for racers. Mixing up your skill focuses and working on ski fundamentals is a great way to improve overall as a ski racer. You will be sure to build all-around ski athleticism and confidence. The coaches, led by professional skier Marcus Caston and Olympic coach Lyndsay Strange, are passionate about skiing and dedicated to cultivating an infectious, positive attitude. As they say: “We feel that by making fun the priority, the athletes automatically push themselves and execute drills and courses with a high intensity and focus, perhaps without even realizing they’re working so hard.”
Ligety Weibrecht Ski Camp
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U.S. ski racing superstars Ted Ligety and Andrew Weibrecht lead this Mount Hood ski racing camp, along with many other notable U.S. Ski Team athletes, alumni, and coaches. This camp offers the opportunity to learn from the best while gaining personal insight into what it takes to reach the highest level of ski racing. Here, you’ll find famous ski racers dedicated to sharing their experiences with mental prep, equipment, fitness, nutrition, teamwork, and rest, as well as coaching ski racing techniques and tactics. They know how important it is to keep it fun too — camp dryland includes hiking, soccer, swimming, whitewater rafting, and mountain biking.
ELITEAM: Off-Snow Fitness & Sports Psych Training Camp
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Summer ski camp can happen off the snow too! ELITEAM offers a comprehensive fitness camp designed for athletes ages 8-14, emphasizing pushing limits, learning new skills, and having fun. Athletes train their bodies and minds and learn skills and techniques to carry with them through their dryland and race season. They race slalom dryland courses, tackle sandpits, practice ski-specific exercises, play field sports, and do US Ski Team workouts. Daily notebook sessions cover the fundamentals of sports physiology, psychology, and nutrition. Athletes even attend a cooking class, practice on in-line skates, and get trampoline sessions.
Austria Racing Camps
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For those looking to step out of the U.S. summer ski scene and into ski racing’s European heart, Austria Racing Camps delivers a well-respected ski racing curriculum and cultural experience. Camps are available at multiple Austrian venues. Utilizing Austria’s national training program for alpine coaches and certified ski instructors, Austria Racing Camps provides technical instruction in a small group environment. With a maximum coach-to-athlete ratio of 6:1, these camps set themselves apart, emphasizing a high-quality experience in an elite environment.
Once you book your camp, check out our guide to be sure you have everything you need for summer ski camp. Happy travels!
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