Young alpine skiers make the most of summer in Australia

They have been running, mountain biking, fliteboarding, rowing and spending countless hours in the gym. It has been a different Australian summer for many young snow sports athletes and alpine skiers in particular, who would usually spend the Northern Winter overseas on snow, but were forced to be creative in their training by the logistical challenges the COVID pandemic presented.
 
"This year’s summer was a tremendous change from the past few years," said James Kelly, born in 2004 and one of the alpine skiers at Mt Buller Race Club. "Normally I’d be skiing almost every day, however due to COVID-19 this year it wasn’t possible."
 
The first obvious alternative for alpine athletes who had to spend the Northern Winter in Australia was to revert to basic off-snow dryland training, focusing on strength and conditioning and other general fitness activities. Abbey Evans of Perisher Winter Sports Club said that although not being able to travel overseas was disappointing, the situation allowed young skiers to focus on the basic fundamental skills and enhance the base of their technique.

“I've always tried to look at the positives and the situation gave me a great chance to do some solid blocks of training in the gym.

“I have worked harder on my agility and weights and also went to [indoor skiing and snowboarding centre] Vertikal Snowsports in Canberra with a Snow Australia FUTURES Camp. The indoor skiing experience was an exciting way to bring a skiing feel back to dryland training,” she said.

Richard Haslau, Program Director at Mt Buller Race Club, said that in a normal southern hemisphere season an athlete in this phase would typically go through a whole range of experiences, including using new and challenging equipment, focusing on training and competing in their first FIS races.
 
"Having this forced break will be a big challenge for these athletes going forward, as they deal with a lack of training and continuity in the sport," Haslau said.
 
The impact might be felt even more by those athletes who suffered injuries during this period, or were recovering from them, like Mt Buller Race Club skier Olivia Monkman-Straub. Olivia enjoyed a great 2018 season with good results in Race Club races and the Children's series, including Division 4 Ski Cross and Giant Slalom titles at Interschools. Unfortunately things didn’t go as well in 2019, when Olivia fully ruptured her ACL while training for the Children's Carnival.
 
"The surgeon and physio said that it would take 12 months of rehab before I could ski again, meaning no skiing overseas during the Northern Winter 2019/20 and possibly no skiing in Australia in 2020," she explained.
 
Olivia worked hard at her rehabilitation and was cleared to ski again in May 2020. By then, most of the domestic ski resorts were already grappling with the restrictions imposed following the COVID-19 outbreaks, and all events were cancelled. For Olivia, it meant missing another season of skiing.
 
Haslau said that similar situations are not only a huge challenge to athletes, but also to coaches, as they work through these issues together and try to keep athletes motivated and confident to continue.
 
Part of that challenge is to stay motivated and keep training even with no end goal in sight. In a normal season, races help with setting goals and giving structure to an athlete's training. Without that pressure to contend with - and no event to look forward to - many athletes struggle to stay motivated for long periods of time, particularly off-snow.
 
"You’re in a completely different environment compared to when you’re on snow and you don’t feel that direct link,” James Kelly explained. “It’s hard to gauge the improvements you’re making. I keep reminding myself that it all adds up to my overall improvement, as well as helping to prevent injury. This re-assurance helps get me off the couch," he said.
 
Abbey Evans echoed the same sentiment, adding that having a support network is crucial in those circumstances. 

“The end of the season felt a bit hollow, wondering what would come next. However I was helped by many people and they kept me motivated. I found some good company to train with in different sessions and that kept things fun after the ski season was done,” she said.

Exploring alternative ways to cross-train and embracing new sports was for many a way to introduce variety and stay motivated. Olivia Monkman-Straub said that getting involved in other sports with a competitive element was key to keep focus, and it was rowing in particular that gave her an opportunity to follow a fitness plan and look forward to a goal.
 
"My school offers a rowing program and I really enjoyed competing with my friends for a common goal. Skiing is normally an individual sport, but rowing has allowed me to work with my crew and learn how we can improve together as a team. It was also beneficial to keep me fit, strong and motivated every day,” Olivia said.

Looking at positives will be crucial to keep athletes confident enough to continue, particularly at a point in their development when many athletes drop out as they transition from U16 to FIS level, mainly due to the demands and level of commitment required to enter the FIS age group. 

In looking at those positive aspects, James Kelly recognised that spending the summer at home did have some benefits.
 
"We went to the beach a lot and did lots of on-water activities. My favourite was the Fliteboard [a newly invented E-foil]. It has a surfboard-like shape with a foil and an electric-powered propellor so that you can glide above the water. We went out with this a lot and it is now a lot of fun," he said.
 
Still, nothing can beat the feeling of being back on snow. Olivia Monkman-Straub spoke for everyone when she said that she cannot wait to be back on skis.
 
"Skiing is my sport so I miss everything about it. I am very much looking forward to being back on snow at my full skiing capacity for the domestic season," she said.
 
James Kelly added: "What I am most looking forward to is the rush as you leave the start gate of a race, the nerves start to dissipate, and you are completely focused on the run. Whenever I am out on snow, I feel at home. The actual racing is only a small part of the sport, and even though the training might not be as rewarding and energising as pushing yourself to the limit in an actual race, it's still a very close second."
 
Abbey Evans is one of those athletes who are looking to make the jump into the FIS category this year. She said that it's hard to know what to expect after being isolated from other skiers for so long.
 
"It will be a bit of a nervous shock, stepping up length in skis for FIS, but it will be exciting to see how it feels and how it will be different with so many people competing in an open category. 

“I mostly miss the sense of achievement I feel after being able to finally see progression. When you are able to put all the training of the past months toward your biggest goal, the feeling is irreplaceable."