2013 Camp - English

``Tierra del Fuego`` ski camp 

The camp?

Following an experimental camp last summer, we are glad to offer, from July 1^st to 21^st 2013, a unique opportunity for all U14, U16 and U18 athletes of the region. In a 3 week camp, they’ll be able to maintain and develop all the skills they have been working on at their local club. With the help of M. Ramon Birkner, holder of a diploma of the French School of Skiing and Mountaineering, we proudly propose a 21 days ski racing camp in Ushuaia, Argentina. The participants will have the chance to train in the most austral ski resort in the world. Located in some breathtaking landscapes, Ushuaia is home of many national teams during their summer training. The exceptional quality of the snow and the ideal environment makes Argentina the best choice for summer training. It’s a once in a lifetime experience that will never be forgotten!

Why?

Our winters are getting shorter every year and the training periods suffer most of the consequences. All skiers from the East of Canada have to throw themselves in technically and physically demanding races without enough training every year. Most of the time, it’s with just a little more than a handful of training sessions that the racing calendar takes on. We would like to give the chance to all the motivated athletes to practice the sport the like, find back their gliding sensations, develop their technical abilities and get into a competitive mindset in the summer. This trip will not only have the young athletes improve their skiing, but also their autonomy, discipline and mindset. They will benefit from an ideal support for this experience.

Coaches?

M. Ramon Birkner, born in Argentina, worked with many world class athletes at the male and female World Cup level. He had the opportunity to race FIS with the Argentinian army and was a skilled racer. He graduated the French National Ski and Mountaineering School and can be considered as one of the most qualified coach of Argentina. He has been working in Argentina, Chile, France, USA and Italy, with athletes of all levels since the last 20 years. Ramon travels the world every year not to miss any bit of snow that falls on earth. We will be lucky to have him as a coach and organizer for the camp this summer. We will also be skiing with some of his athletes who ski under 25 FIS points, a real opportunity for young skiers to see how we do it!

Gabriel Bouffard is a young coach who worked as a U14, U16, U18 and sport-school coach. He was a proud member of the NCOST for two years and lived some great FIS level races. Today, he has his CSIA and CSCF level II certifications and is looking to pursue his skiing development while he's in his best shape. Since 2008, Gabriel has stopped racing to focus on is studies in International Business at the University of Ottawa. He will be done his studies prior to the camp and looks forward into developing young skiers that have the motivation to keep on working hard, in both academic and athletic disciplines. He was able to know Ramon more personally last year, when he got to study in France and Switzerland. Gabriel was able to train in Courchevel (France) with Ramon and they were able to build on a good synergy together.

Who are we looking for?

We are open to a group of 4 to 8 skiers – All athletes from 12 to 20 years of age are welcome to participate to the camp. We insist on the fact that there is no need to be an elite or accomplished ski racer to join the team, although elite athletes are also welcome to join for high intensity training. Such an experience requires exceptional personalities, people who are ready to give everything to reach their personal goals. This opportunity will only be given to skiers that are ready to work with serious and disciplined coaches. We are looking for youngsters with the following characteristics:

1.            Disciplined and respectful
2.             Mature and motivated
3.            Hard working and competitive
4.            Happy and positive

We, as coaches and organizers, will be giving 110% of or capabilities in the development of these young athletes. That’s why we require the work gets done in a bidirectional way.

When?

The three weeks of training will be structured as followed: 

1.  From the 1^st to the 7^th of July 2013, development of technique and abilities in free ski, followed by a break on the 8^th
2. From the 9^th to the 13^th, first training block in gates – implementing abilities in Slalom and Giant Slalom, followed by a break on the 14^th
3. From the 15^th to the 21^st, second training bloc in gates – race simulations and increase of intensity
4. Between the 21^st and the 26^th, possibility of camp extension – only possible if 4 athletes or more are present

Costs?

The costs are based on the number of athletes registered, if registrations go over 4 athletes they can be revised. The actual cost range of 7000$ to 7500$ is based on 4 participants and include:

1.           Transport from Ottawa to Ushuaia and back (aprox - 1500$)
2.           All transports over in A
3.           Ski pass and line space
4.           Coaching and material fees
5.           Food
6.           Lodging
7.           Possibily of a 5 day extension to the camp at no fees; depending on number of athletes

Everything is there. Please let us know if it’s better for you to buy the plane tickets by yourself. We know a lot of you have points (airmiles or others), there is good possibilities of savings with those.

For more details?

Don’t hesitate to contact Gabriel at any moment for more details. Visit the contact section for contact info. There will be information sessions to give more details to the interested parents. Consult the official blog for up to date news and info.