Thursday, May 23, 2013
News
APU Ski Team Preps For International Competition
Snowfall may be seasonal, but training for skiers on the Alaska Pacific University Elite Ski Team is a year-round operation.
By Corey Allen-Young
Snowfall may be seasonal, but training for skiers on the Alaska Pacific University Elite Ski Team is a year-round operation.
Have you ever wondered what it takes to be a world-class skier? It requires a combination of skill, hard work and dedication to hit the trails.
And while the training routine of these athletes may seem basic, it’s how they do it that has positioned them among the sport’s elite.
Fifty weeks of interval training, plyometrics, and skiing fueled by passion, competition and fun is how APU skiers get ready to face international competition.
“Most of the athletes are working towards this 10 to 15 years, so it’s important to be kind of an aggressive competitor but at the same time to really love the training aspect,” said head coach Erik Flora.
U.S. Olympian and APU skier Holly Brooks said the time she and her teammates spend training outside of the gym, like running Mt. Marathon, is just as important.
Teammate Reese Hanneman emphasized the importance of cross-training.
“You can't have just your legs in shape, or just your arms in shape, or just wicked abs; you have to have everything,” he said.
Brooks, joined by Lars Flora and Kikkan Randall will head to Europe to compete in 45 to 50 races in the World Cup; another group of racers will shortly head to Montana and Canada for a series of events.
“We use one person's strengths to kind of build up the entire team—that's really what it takes to compete on a national level and an international level,” said Brooks.
And despite their obvious talent and work ethic, they say their motivation comes from the support they get from Alaskans.
