EL COLORADO, Chile (July 26) - The Best in the World women's alpine speed team, featuring Stacey Cook (Mammoth Mountain, CA), Leanne Smith (N. Conway, NH) and Laurenne Ross (Bend, OR),  started its on-snow Road to Sochi with a two-week camp in El Colorado. The training block is the first of two in Chile for coach Chip White's speed group, which placed all six athletes on the Audi FIS Alpine World Cup podium and topped the nations standings for downhill by a massive 457 point margine.

Six-time World Cup downhil champion and reigning Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO), who has made incredible progress in her injury recovery, has her sights set on returning to snow in September. St. Anton downhill winner Alice McKennis (Glenwood Springs, CO), who also suffered a season ending crash, is also making strides toward a strong recover. 2013 World Championships super G medalist Julia Mancuso (Squaw Valley, CA) opted for technical training in New Zealand, but will head to Chile in September. 

The Audi FIS Alpine World Cup season opens Oct. 26-27 in Soelden, Austria - the official European Training Center of the U.S. Ski Team - then makes its North American swing with two weeks in Beaver Creek, CO beginning with women's speed races Nov. 29-Dec. 1 followed by the men's Audi Birds of Prey race week Dec. 6-8.

BEND, OR (July 25) — U.S. Speed Team member Laurenne Ross conquers mountains in both directions. Delivering her first World Cup podium at the end of last season, Ross clearly knows how to make a quick descent. She spends her summers, on the other hand, fighting gravity — rock climbing, mostly in her home state of Oregon.

This is part of an ongoing series of articles following elite USSA athletes and their offseason endeavors. Read the full Summer Side Projects story on Ross at SkiRacing.com.

PARK CITY, UT (July 24) – The title of U.S. Champion is on the line in the upcoming U.S. Ski Jumping Championships at the Utah Olympic Park (UOP) in Park City Sunday, Aug. 4. The event on the HS134 meter large hill, taking place in the summer for the sixth straight year, will be part of the Utah Olympic Park’s annual Springer Tournee. Among the favorites will be World Champion Sarah Hendrickson (Park City, UT), who sat out last year’s event while recovering from knee surgery, and large hill women’s titlist from 2012 Jessica Jerome (Park City, UT). Defending champs Anders Johnson (Park City, UT) and Peter Frenette (Saranac Lake, NY), who tied for the title last year, are expected to compete for the men. Jumping Championships are set to start with the trial round at 8 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 4, at the UOP.

HIGHLIGHTS

• 2013 U.S. Large Hill Ski Jumping Championships will take place during the summer for the sixth straight year on Aug. 4 at the 2002 Olympic venue in Park City, UT on the HS134 meter hill.
• Jessica Jerome (Park City, UT) will be looking for her 11th U.S. Championship after winning on both the large and normal hills in Park City a year ago.
• Peter Frenette (Saranac Lake, NY) and hometown jumper Anders Johnson (Park City, UT) will be battling for the top spot among the men. Last year, the two tied on the large hill.
• World Champion Sarah Hendrickson is expected to compete after sitting out of the competition last year after recovering from knee surgery.
• The nordic combined and normal hill ski jumping U.S. Championships will take place at the Flaming Leaves Festival in Lake Placid, NY Oct. 12-13.

Defending Champions
Men’s Large Hill
Peter Frenette, Saranac Lake, NY (4 titles), and Anders Johnson, Park City, UT (4 titles)
Women’s Large Hill
Jessica Jerome, Park City, UT (10 titles)
Men’s Normal Hill
Anders Johnson, Park City, UT (4 titles)
Women’s Normal Hill
Jessica Jerome, Park City, UT (10 titles)

QUOTES
Anders Johnson, Park City, UT (defending large hill champ, 4-time U.S. Champion)
I love being able to compete on my home hills and it's a great time of year where we have almost every ski jumper in North America in Park City competing on all hill sizes at all ages. It's also a great chance for us to see where our competitive level is before we head over to Europe for the Grand Prix circuit that begins in just a few weeks.

Jessica Jerome, Park City, UT (defending large and normal hill champ, 10-time U.S Champion)
U.S. Championships is always important to us just as any competition is important to us. Just because it's an Olympic year does not make me want to win any more; I always aim to win. It will be interesting to see what happens this year. I know Lindsey [Van] and Sarah [Hendrickson] are really great fliers, and Alissa [Johnson] and Abby [Hughes] have made some strong improvements this summer, so it will definitely be a fun competition.

Schedule
Sunday, August 4th
8:00 a.m. U.S. Ski Jumping Championships (men and women HS 134-large hill)

Each week the USSA Sport Education Department will post a Coaches Tip of the Week.  The information will rotate through the ski and snowboard disciplines so check back each week to see the newest tip!

Rollerski Safety Tips
{This tip was adapted from a Roller Ski Safety article by Jon Brodhead, Craftsbury Nordic Center for NENSA: New England Nordic Ski Association}

Summer is upon us and fall is just around the corner, we thought it would be a great time to remind everyone how important it is to be safe while training outside on the roads around the country. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you are out rollerskiing this summer.

Time
Think carefully about the time that you are training, rush hour and dawn/dusk, when you are least visible should be avoided. Consider adjusting your schedule if it's getting late in the day.

Location
Bike/rollerski paths are ideal, but if they are not available in your area choose roads with little traffic where drivers can clearly see you training. Avoid roads with many twists and sharp turns.

Gear
Bright clothing and helmets are a must. Reflective vests or clothing also help you to be as visible as possible to drivers. Absolutely no headphones should be worn during rollerskiing training on the road.

Group
Rollerskiing in a group makes you more visible to drivers but it is important to keep focused on the road and minimize distracting chatter. Groups can be helpful in alerting each other to traffic and rough roads. Ski single file and be courteous to drivers. You should ski with traffic on the right side of the road; however, some areas require rollerskiing on the left side, so know the laws within your particular area.

Rollerskiers should follow all traffic laws and be vigilant. When a car comes from the rear all skiers should stop skating and double pole single file as close to the edge of the pavement as possible. Do not begin skating again until you are sure there are no other cars coming from behind. Skiing in groups can help you be more visible but if you have a large group it's best to split up into smaller groups making it easier for cars to pass.

When you stop skiing, all of the athletes and the coach should step completely off the pavement.  

These tips are important to remember for rollerskiers, but apply to runners and cyclists as well.  Safety while training outside should be a top priority for all athletes and coaches.

PDF Copy of this week's tip

The full article by John Brodhead can be found here: https://www.nensa.net/training/roller_ski_safety.shtml