Small Mountain Athletes,
Big Mountain Skills
WHY BIGGER IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER WHEN IT COMES TO TRAINING By Dave Peszek
Team Gilboa (with
151 racers this year)
gathers annually at
Snowbird for clinics.
Think you need to live near the biggest mountain for
the best training? Think again. Take Kaylin Richardson,
Kristina Koznick Landa, Dianne Roffe Steinrotter, Doug
Lewis and A.J. Kitt. Each of these ski racers spent most (if
not all) of their formative years at small mountains.
“Small hill clubs have many advantages that big hill clubs
don’t have,” says Jon Nolting, the USSA Sport Education
director. “More reps and focused training, snow conditions
that are more variable, flat light conditions and the ability to
develop great snow-feel through night skiing.”
Nolting adds that it’s also terrific when programs get their
athletes to big mountains. And Terry DelliQuadri, the Rocky/
Central division director, points out that one of the reasons
why the J3/J4 Rocky/Central championships are held in
Colorado every year is the desire to get small mountain ath-
letes freeskiing on big mountains.
With this in mind, here’s a look at three popular programs:
Team Gilboa’s annual Terrain Camp at Snowbird; Central
Region’s annual Terrain, Elements & Speed Camp at Indi-
anhead Mountain, Mich.; and Keely Kelleher’s Ski Camp
for Girls at Snowbird.
Whatever the size, their approaches can lead to the big-
time. “Current national team coaches believe that the one
common thing that defines success at the highest level,”
says DelliQuadri, “is a passion to ski and train.”
Team Gilboa
Based in Golden Valley, Minn., and training out of tiny Hy-
land Hills Ski & Snowboard Area, Team Gilboa runs under
the leadership of Dave Samuels, an enthusiastic student
of the sport. The club has about 225 athletes, ages 6-18;
