Cross Country

Cross Country is the original form of skiing. The sport originated more than 6,000 years ago in far northern Europe and central Asia as a way to keep social contact during hard, snowy winters across the long distances between the small, isolated northern communities. Skiing for sport started in the mid 1800s with men’s cross country skiing joining the Olympics in 1924.

Today’s Cross Country is modernized, but the sport still draws from its heritage. Our Cross Country program utilizes the largest cross country ski area in North America as its training ground. Multiple alumni have gone on to compete on NCAA Ski Teams, such as Harvard, Bates College, Middlebury and the University of Alaska to continue skiing competitively.

Our Cross Country programming starts at age 10, with athletes working to develop balance, confidence, a sense of fair play, classic technique, an appreciation for adventure and a love of outdoor fun. As skiers progress, they begin to develop skate skiing skills in addition to classic skiing and start to work on basic endurance concepts while continuing to focus on technique, terrain transitions, rhythm, flow and speed development.

As athletes advance to high school, the training becomes more rigorous and the focus shifts to goal setting, mental training, technique and rhythm refinement, and racing. Athletes also do dryland training to condition for the winter season to build speed, strength, and toughness. Local, national, and international competitions are available depending on each athlete’s goals and abilities.

Ages 5-9

Our Cross Country programming starts at age 10. Our program for ages 5-9 is an entry level program that focuses on phases 1-2 of the US Ski & Snowboard Alpine Training System. Our teams have approximately 50 on-snow days with an emphasis on mileage and adventure while acquiring basic skills through games and drills. Athletes have fun skiing all over the mountain with positive coaching and enthusiastic support.
Ages 5-9 as of December 31