Standups deliver at Hood disabled alpine camp

By Published On: August 3rd, 2007Comments Off on Standups deliver at Hood disabled alpine camp

After talking strategy and technique for eight days on the snow fields of Mount Hood, U.S. disabled alpine team head coach Ray Watkins started to see a lot of improvement, most of which transferred into the team's skiing. Then the athletes started relating his advice into other things, namely croquet.
TIMBERLINE, Ore. — After talking strategy and technique for eight days on the snow fields of Mount Hood, U.S. disabled alpine team head coach Ray Watkins started to see a lot of improvement, most of which transferred into the team's skiing. Then the athletes started relating his advice into other things, namely croquet.
    Tagging the completion of the season's third on-snow camp — this one stuffed with slalom and giant slalom training — the Team "recovered" with a croquet tournament held at The Resort at the Mountain, which hosts the world's best croquet masters each June for an international tournament.
    "The staff was soundly defeated by the athletes," Watkins said. "We're still having a hard time with that, but they did have a mega-strategy. It was an impressive show and we lost, so we cooked the barbecue. That was the deal."
    Taking the 5-3 final were Elitsa Storey (standup), Gerald Hayden (sit-ski) and coach Ian Garner, who ousted the all-staff team of Watkins plus coaches Kurt Smitz and Ben Roberts.

Mega-strategy equals mega-improvement
Set up in four-day blocks, the team banged out reps on the Palmer Snowfield with Storey, Hayden and Brad Washburn (standup) earning high honors from Watkins for their gate-running. Also booting up for the camp was Monte Meier (standup), Roger Lee (sit-ski), Carl Burnett (sit-ski) and Allison Jones (standup), who made her return to the team after a year off to finish an engineering degree from the University of Denver.
    "Everyone really did an outstanding job with this camp, but it was Elitsa making big jumps, Brad was just over-the-top and Gerald Hayden was a superstar at this camp. 'Jonzey' was back and really looking strong as she prepares for the International Paralympic Committee Cycling World Championships [in Bordeaux, France] coming up in August. We also had development athlete David Hettena (standup) joining us. It was a solid crew."
    Hettena, who earned a slalom top-10 at the Aspen World Cup last winter and regularly trains with the Sugar Bowl (California) Ski Team, savored his first in-depth experience with the U.S. program.
    "Every single part of the program operates on a higher level than any other program I've trained with, from disabled to high-level FIS," said Hettena, a business student at Babson College in Massachusetts. "From on-hill coaching instruction and feedback to video analysis to physical conditioning and equipment preparation, everything is meticulously tailored to the focuses and performance demands of each individual athlete. With a support structure like this one, the only things in short supply are excuses. It was a real eye-opener."

Standup skiers stepped it up
While the sit-skiers were getting most of the podium results last winter, Watkins was putting the pressure on his standup skiers and challenged them to work harder this offseason. Apparently, it worked.
    "The standup skiers stepped it up on every level at this camp. Brad and David made huge improvements in keeping their upper body quiet in GS and slalom— both of them have really come around. The team was creating the shape of the turn and going with the fall line, instead of going against it. These small adjustments and discoveries make such a huge difference," he said.
    For Jones, the 2006 Paralympic slalom gold medalist, it was simply good to be back on snow and while she had to cut the camp short to attend a session with the U.S. Paralympic Cycling Team, she says she's ready to rip this winter.
    "It felt good to be back on snow and it feels great to be back with the team. I was sad to see Sandy [Dukat] retire but I know she has other adventures lined up with climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. I know she will continue to raise awareness of disabled sports and be a leader in our community, but she will be missed.”
    Dukat, who retired last month , departs Sept. 8 to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise awareness about women athletes with physical disabilities.
    Next up for the team is a second conditioning and physical assessment camp at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, set for September.

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About the Author: Pete Rugh