Going to West

What happens at the West Yellowstone CXC Master's Camp you ask?  I probably could boil it down to ski, eat, sleep but that would be boring.

First off I'll start with a photo of the CXC team that went out to West Yellowstone.  This is a mixture of the Master's team and the Elite team.  It's a great group of people!

If you are a member of the CXC Master's team you have the opportunity to spend the Saturday - Tuesday before Thanksgiving working on your ski technique at West Yellowstone (or at Telemark Resort in Cable).  Working on your technique is a great way to try and start off your season.

Our primary coach was Yuriy Gusev, the CXC Executive Director, but we also got to ski with Elite Team Coach Jason Cork and with the Elite Team members.  It's really an amazing opportunity to become a better skier and get psyched up for the upcoming season.

Luckily there was plenty of snow on the trails (it snowed most days during our team camp actually). Our days would start at 9am where we would head over to the trails and we would either be skating or striding.  We would head out and find a section of trail that wasn't being used by others and start doing some drills.  In this photo we are skating and are about to start skiing while holding the poles overhead.  We would also head out every afternoon at 2:30pm for more drills.

Not every session but 3-4 times throughout the 4 days we would have a video analysis session as a group after we skied.  Yuriy would video tape us and then we would meet up as a group to go over our issues.  Luckily no matter how good you are there is generally something you could do better.  Of course, I'm not such a great skier so there was always tons of things to pick from for me to work on.

Some of my main issues are ankle/knee bend, being more upright, and my poling (which includes a multitude of craziness).  It's hard to change your habits but the first step is knowing what you need to do.

On Monday the Elite Team was on a rest day so they were conscripted into being our coaches.  It's always fun to work with the Elite Team because they are a fun group of people and they know their stuff.

The other great part is that you tend to get really specific instruction.  I decided to do a Classic skiing lesson since I'll be doing the Birkie Classic again.  I lucked out and got paired with the 2011 Birkie Classic Women's Champ, Jennie Bender.  Jennie is not only a fast skier but also a great instructor.  I first met her at a CXC women's ski camp in 2010 and I was impressed by her instruction style immediately.  It also helps that she is super fun and funny as that always helps when you're trying to remake your ski technique.

Lori and I were both paired up with Jennie and we went right to work on our issues - knee/ankle bend, being upright and moving our hips.  Jennie was such a fun instructor that Lori and I didn't want to stop working with her.  I have to say that I love classic skiing but I have lots and lots of technique issues.  However, I'm planning to keep Jennie's advice in my head and try to make some improvements before the 2012 Birkie!

What else do the CXC Master's do while they are in West Yellowstone?  Besides skiing twice a day we also socialize.  The first night we had dinner with the Elite Team so we could all meet each other since we have some new Elite Team members and some new Master's Team members.  One night the Master's Team ordered pizza together and Yuriy updated us on CXC successes and future plans.  We also went out one night together.  Then on Tuesday the West Yellowstone expo opens so you can see some outdoor movies, pick up some ski posters, check out the expo vendors and watch all the high school skiers go crazy for free schwag and pro skier autographs.

If this sounds like a good time to you maybe you should join the team!  There is still space for a few more on the CXC Master's team!  And no, you don't need to be a great skier to be on the Master's Team - as I'm proof!  Find out more here.