SBX emerging talents gather for summer camp in Jindabyne

As the Snowboard Cross FIS World Cup finally got underway last weekend in Italy, some of the best young Australian talents in the discipline got together in Jindabyne (NSW) for a 5-day summer camp.

Athletes took part in various activities throughout the week including hiking and mountain biking, lake sessions on paddle boards and kayaks, plus an innovative use of electric skateboards to simulate SBX movements and technique.

Most of the NSWIS SBX program athletes attended the camp, including Lausanne 2020 Winter Youth Olympian Finn Sadler and NSWIS scholarship holders Kye Chaplin, Kobi Dent, Declan Dent and Christina Taylor. 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Champion Josie Baff also joined the group for a couple of sessions during the week.

The camp was the first opportunity to bring the team together in 2021, during a time when the athletes would usually be overseas. It gave the SBX emerging talents the chance to start focusing on their goals and programs for the rest of summer, with a view towards the upcoming domestic winter.

As most athletes didn’t get to spend as much time on snow as usual in 2020, summer training was adapted trying to incorporate a variety of different training tools and options to keep athletes on their toes. 

“Accessing the National Winter Sports Training Centre and the facilities that Snow Australia has newly acquired in Jindabyne provided great resources for the athletes,” said NSWIS Snowboard Cross coach Jason Clauscen. 

“Also having the ability to utilise mountain biking at Thredbo aids with developing lines and timing in a similar way to what athletes may use in a SBX course. This is not an option during winter, so being able to do this amount of vertical with such a variety of options and lines is something special.”

Access to the trampolines also provided coaches and athletes the ability to develop skills, balance and air awareness, while a new training concept was introduced based on electric skateboards from Evolve Skateboards, which can go on and off road up to a speed of 37 km/h. 

“The team was introduced to these boards during the camp and they added a whole new element to training,” Clauscen said.

“It’s been a huge success and we’ll aim to get off road simulating features similar to an SBX course during our next camp in February. The Evolve GTR boards allowed the athletes to hit solid speeds through Giant Slalom-style courses and improve balance and body positions. It was great to see the athletes ride sideways during summer and enjoy themselves!”

Training camps are not only an opportunity to develop fitness and technique. Finn Sadler said that athletes also welcomed the opportunity to get together and be in a team environment again. 

“It is great having teammates together. We’re all at a similar level so we can push each other to get to the best we can be. And of course It will be great to get back on snow again with the team - it’s always great fun ripping down the mountain together,” Sadler said. 

Going back on snow is definitely something most athletes are looking forward to, after dedicating the last few months to getting their bodies recovered, improving general fitness and working on individual weaknesses. 

 “Last year was different, not being on snow. But I have been able to knuckle down and work on improving my overall fitness with strength training and cardio. I have kept focus by just going about it like I was competing, so I can be ready for next season,” Kobi Dent said.

Kye Chaplin echoed: “It has been good to focus on strength and a few other weaknesses in the gym, which will definitely help me when the time comes and we can compete again. Now I look forward to being back in the gate and getting all that muscle memory and technique back.”

The next SBX camp meets in the third week of February, with the objective of building on and improving some of the aspects that were addressed in Jindabyne last week. Strength and conditioning will be a major focus and the team will return to Thredbo for a mountain biking day. 

“Hopefully the athletes will be confident and able to hit the off road on the Evolve GTR skateboards, as this will provide a fairly close simulation of the movements required for SBX,” Clauscen said. At the end of the week the coaching staff were really happy for a great camp and already look forward to the next one. “It will be challenging and fun, much like racing!”