July 25, 2009 (Bend, Oregon) – The 9th annual PNSA Trout Lake training camp welcomed nearly 40 junior and senior Nordic ski racers to Trout Lake, Washington July 15-19, 2009. The camp is the second in a series of three Nordic development camps sanctioned by the Pacific Northwest Ski Association. The first camp was held in Bend, OR in June. The final camp will be a joint effort between the PNSA and Far West divisions August 12-16 in Somes Bar, CA.

Ben Husaby of the Bend Endurance Academy/Bend Nordic Team heads up the camp each year which draws athletes from the Pacific Northwest, Alaska and New England. Activities include skate and classic roller skiing, roller skiing agility drills, a time trial, a strength session including the Cross Country Canada Strength Test, a level 3 bounding session, intensely competitive soccer games, a rollerski demo session with Bert Hinkley of Webskis, a river adventure run/hike and a climb up Mt Adams.

Coaches included Scott Johnston from the Methow Olympic Development (MOD) Project, Chris (Flash) Clark, from the Methow Valley Nordic Team, TJ Owen from Wenatchee Valley Nordic, Brenna Knowles from the Bend Endurance Academy/Bend Nordic Team and Janice Sibilia from NENSA/JLS Sports.

According to Husaby, “Trout Lake has a long history as a Nordic training venue. Bill Koch rollerskied on the paved logging roads that head north into the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, dragging a weighted wagon. Later, Kurt Wulff, Eli Brown and Pete Vordenberg made connections with Connie and Roger Black who opened their doors to skiers for a few summers and continue to do the same for PNSA each year. We bring athletes to Trout Lake to enjoy those excellent roads with very little traffic.”

According to Janice Sibilia of NENSA/JLS Sports, “The formula for Trout Lake is simple: lots of challenging workouts and even more rest and relaxation time which is most appreciated by the athletes. The paved logging roads are still in great shape and offer sustainable 2 hour uphill climbs for which to practice technique and build the aerobic system. Much of the technical work at this camp is done on the road while the athletes are training. There are minimal formal presentations. The foundational movements are the focus, and each skier is encouraged to work at their own pace in order to engrain proper movement. One of the cool things about this camp is the very high rate of repeat skiers from year to year. Skiers begin to see early on that consistency in work ethic and coaching builds the foundation from which big improvements can be made. Steady work pays off.”

The age range at the camp was between 14 and 25 years old. According to Husaby, “It was nice having the older MOD racers at the camp this year because the higher you set the bar the more the younger athletes will strive to rise to the challenge. “

In addition to the amazing training terrain, campers enjoyed a few extras. According to Sibilia,” It’s not every day that you get a chance to watch a piper cub landing or taking off from a nearby airstrip, slide down large snow patches, climb past Hell Roaring Falls, or get a good glimpse of a whole family of mountain goats! Trout Lake is not your usual Nordic camp.”

For more information on the upcoming Far West/PNSA camp please visit www.bendnordic.org