Ski Academy 2023/24 Program Description
Dates: Program Starts week of Sept 18, 2023 and concludes the week of May 20, 2024.
Registration: Opens early June and will close the last week of June. Exact dates tbd.
Open to: Athletes who will be in grades 8 and 9 in September 2023. A minimum of 6 participants are required. If the minimum of 6 participants is not filled by the registration deadline at the end of June, we will open registration in July to athletes who are entering Grade 7 in September 2023.
Skiing Ability/Prerequisite: All athletes must be capable of skiing confidently in all types of terrain at Kicking Horse.
Description
The GKHAT Ski Academy Program runs from September to May, and is designed for skiers who want to be the best skiers they can be, learn what it takes to train at a competitive level, and build the skills needed to be a high level skier in any discipline. The program covers 32 weeks from Mid September to late May (exclusive of Christmas and March Break).
During the preseason (Sept-Nov) and postseason (after KHMR closes) there will be one dry land session per week spent on strength & conditioning, outdoor activity, athletic literacy, team building and more. Dry land sessions will take place on one afternoon during last period of the school day 2:00-4:30.
Once conditions allow, we will head to Lake Louise for afternoon sessions starting in November. And as soon as Kicking Horse opens, we’ll be training at home. On-snow training will be one afternoon each week and will include time on technical ski improvement, racing & gates environments, and all-mountain skiing. Ski Sessions will take place on Thursday afternoons which rotate between school days 1 and 2. Sessions start at 12:30 (immediately after the high school lunch hour) and run to the end of the ski day (3:30 early season and 4 once the lift hrs extend mid season).
Once Kicking Horse shuts the gondy doors for the last time in the Spring, we will get a few more sessions at Lake Louise before transitioning back to dryland activities for the remainder of the program.
The Goals of the Ski Academy Program are to give athletes the building blocks of what it takes to succeed as an athlete and in life: skillfulness, physical capacity, knowledge of how to train, general athletic literacy, teamwork skills, self drive and ability to focus, enjoyment of the process and so much more.