Chasing Dreams in the Southern Hemisphere: KSEF Athletes Elevate Their Skills and Spirits
KSEF Kids Training in the Southern Hemisphere: A Season to Remember
This year marked the fifth camp for our Kirkwood athletes, and what an incredible experience it has been!
Our camp spanned three weeks, with training sessions in Esquel and Bariloche. For our athletes, this time of year represents the start of the upcoming season—a moment where they are fully open to honing their skills, improving their technique, and putting in the miles on their skis. Unlike other camps where we might participate in local races, this camp is all about self-improvement and becoming the best version of themselves. When we join races, it's about gaining experience, meeting athletes from other countries, and embracing the international spirit of competition. This year, we even had athletes from Europe join us, adding to the richness of the experience.
The places we visit during camp are buzzing with teams from all over the world, and training alongside them creates an encouraging and motivating environment for our athletes. It’s truly inspiring to witness their growth!
Our camp focuses on SL (Slalom) and GS (Giant Slalom) training for U14, U16, and first- and second-year FIS athletes. After our on-snow training sessions, we engage in various activities, including warm pool recovery, physical training, stretching, ski tuning, and video analysis.
We start each day with technical free skiing, then work on fundamentals using stubies, followed by tall gates and full courses. By the end of the camp, we're using Brower timing to refine tactics, discuss the best lines, and develop essential tactical skills.
Our training sessions are divided into morning and afternoon blocks, allowing us to maximize our time on the varied terrains—ranging from gentle slopes to steep pitches—which supports our athletes' progression.
This year, the snow was dry and the weather was quite cold, perfect for our training needs. We began the camp with heavy snowfall, which allowed us to work on terrain absorption, skiing ruts, and staying active and athletic on the slopes.
Our 2023 camp athletes included Ella Nemec, Leah Homsy, Sol Tepper, Fia Nicolaescu, Yiran Liu, Lucas Ottoni, Sky Farrell Eastman, Benjamin Mueller, Alexander Campian, Ethan Ko, Preston Brody, Colin Wang, Cody Nemec, Livio Kick, and Enzo Tanaka. While most of them are from Kirkwood, we also had athletes from various teams across the country, from the West Coast to the East Coast. They found their way to us through friends, races, and shared passions.
The group dynamic this year has been incredible! The athletes bonded well and showed remarkable enthusiasm, even in challenging conditions with strong winds, snow, and cold temperatures.
I was particularly proud of their performance on our last training day in Esquel. Despite low visibility, they gave it their all during our GS training with timing. The snow conditions were excellent, and they managed to lower their times by more than half a second with each run. Their determination was unstoppable, and their joy was evident on their faces. Ending our gates training on such a high note, with technical improvements translating to better times, was immensely satisfying for the coaches.
Esquel, a small town in Argentina's southern region, is home to La Hoya, a ski resort that never feels overcrowded. It's perfect for getting in plenty of laps during training, and it’s an ideal setting for achieving our goals!
Bariloche, another highlight of our camp, is a beautiful city with the stunning Cerro Catedral ski resort, offering breathtaking views of Nahuel Huapi Lake. It's a charming city, and we had an absolute blast skiing there!
We've also trained in San Martin de Los Andes and El Bolson in past years. Over the last three years, we’ve held five camps, varying in length from two to four weeks.
On our day off, we visited Los Alerces National Park, where we explored the lakes, played football, and relaxed—yet stayed active.
Our camp has consistently produced solid results for our athletes, many of whom have gone on to win local leagues and regionals and even qualify for nationals. For example, Lucas Ottoni, a first-year FIS racer registered for Brazil due to his dual citizenship, participated in races in El Bolson on July 30th-31st this year and was the top athlete for his country. After three years as a Kirkwood athlete and attending our Argentina Ski Camp annually, Lucas was accepted to join Sugar Bowl Academy. He had a blast with Kirkwood and is thrilled with his results!
Lucas expressed his gratitude in a heartfelt note: "Thank you so much for everything, Ramiro and Dolores. Not just for this camp but for being my coach over the last three years. You have made such a huge impact on my skiing and my dreams, and I will miss you so much! Thank you for everything!"
Our coaching team this year included Ramiro Lambert, Jorge Luis Lambert, and myself, Dolores Vazquez. In previous years, we've also had the pleasure of working with Haley Louis and Ignacio Germillac.
We’ve been running these camps for many years and truly love what we do. Our passion is rooted in the belief that there’s no better way to grow up than through practicing sports, and that’s the experience we strive to bring to our athletes.
We’re always eager to hear from more athletes about their camp experiences and look forward to sharing their stories in the future.
Thank you for your continued support!
Warm regards,
Dolores