Ski Racing - November 21, 2011

Burke Mountain Academy and
Ski & Snowboard Club Vail By Dave Peszek

Throughout the season, Ski Racing will be working with regional ski clubs to share racers’ stories, coaches’ advice and more. Here, Greg DeLuke of Burke Mountain Academy (BMA) and JC Cole of Ski & Snowboard Club Vail (SSCV) follow up on the strength and conditioning advice offered by USSA’s Ernie Rimer in Issue 2. (You’ll find Rimer’s email address at the end of this article for questions or for leads to high-quality lifting equipment, from bars to bumper plates, at lower prices than retail.)

What are you doing that is unique or notable in conditioning?
DeLuke: We take a progressive and individualized approach to athlete develop-
ment. By individualizing programs based on biological and training age, as well as
individual strengths and weaknesses, we are doing everything possible to help our
athletes reach their maximum potential. Honestly, there is no big secret to what we
are doing. Facilities and technology are not what makes great athletes. We focus on
creating a supportive yet highly challenging atmosphere where hard work, dedica-
tion, and a willingness to risk failure are held in the highest esteem.
Cole: First, we’ve refocused on cardio development (by adding more easy aerobic
work and base-building to programs) of young athletes as result of feedback from
the USSA sport science department. They noticed that many athletes had poor aer-
obic efficiency during graded aerobic testing. Second, fundamental movement pat-
terns need to be learned and mastered: squatting, lunging, stepping, thoraxic and
hip mobility, ankle mobility, and shoulder mobility.

Resi Stiegler, Sarah Schleper, Hailey Duke and Mikaela Shiffrin (at Golden Peak) have benefitted from unique conditioning.

What is your strength and conditioning program philosophy and why? DeLuke: Long-term planning takes precedence over short term results. As a nation, we’re not doing a good enough job of developing young athletes. Everyone is in such a hurry and so results-oriented that we often miss crucial steps in the process.