June 17, 2015 (Salt Lake City, UT) – Consistent with its mission of supporting athletic excellence in developing U.S. Nordic athletes, the National Nordic Foundation announced financial support for a new junior camp for rising cross country skiers. Happening August 6-14, 2015, the International Junior Camp includes athletes selected from the a National Ranking List, as well as criteria set by coaches at the USSA congress. Camp participants include:

Julia Kern, Hailey Swirbul, Katharine Ogden © courtesy of Julia Kern

WOMEN:

• Katharine Ogden, SMS
• Julia Kern, CSU
• Hannah Halvorsen, Sugar Bowl Academy
• Hailey Swirbul, AVSC
• Alayna Sonnesyn, SISU / UVM

MEN:

• Zak Ketterson, LNR
• Max Donaldson, Fairbanks
• Lars Hannah, Steamboat
• Karsten Hokanson, Wasatch Nordic Ski Academy

“Last year we learned that Norway’s national ski federation had invited 8 different nations to attend an international camp with the best internationally accomplished coaches, Olympic and World Championship athletes attending all for the sake of International Development of top level Junior’s, i.e. for the good of the sport! In the past few years our own U.S. domestic training camps have become much more collabortive and we are contually producing better results on an international level. This International camp is the next step in helping the next generation of successful athletes,” Dave Knoop, NNF Executive Director explained.

US Ski Team Development Coach, Bryan Fish added, “The aim of the International Junior Camp is to provide junior elite athletes from many nations the knowledge and experience about each nation’s training philosophies, development skills and also develop strong athlete rapport. Most important, is the opportunity to for hands-on learning through physical train with one another. There will be seminars at this camp for athletes and coaches. Included will be guest presentations for Norwegian A-team athletes.”

The National Nordic Foundation will provide funding to support the camp. Each athlete will receive $950.00 in support of the trip. The total cost of the trip is $15,500 excluding airfare. The cost to each athlete is then $600 for the week in Norway.

“This is a unique opportunity for our top young athletes to get another level of exposure to what some of the best skiers their age in the world are doing to prepare as well as some of the top skiers on the World Cup. It is a chance to build relationships, open their eyes, breakdown walls of perception and the mystery of what the Euro’s do to train, ” echoed James Southam, operations director for the NNF.