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From the FasterSkier archive — posts syndicated from athletes’ and coaches’ own blogs between 2004 and 2012, kept online as published. Current coverage is at fasterskier.com.

Tag: Auburn Ski Club Training Center

  • ASC Training Center Creates A Place to Shine

    ASC Training Center Creates A Place to Shine

    ASC 2022—Lighted ski trails will become a permanent addition to this already-famous nordic center.

    The ASC Training Center on Donner Summit has a long history of promoting winter sport. Founded in 1928, the Auburn Ski Club played a vital role in developing California’s ski culture with initiatives such as lobbying the state legislature to plow Highway 40 during the winter to enable increased tourism. ASC also hosted a 1939 ski jumping exhibition at Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay with snow shipped 160 miles by rail car. More recently, they’ve been a perennial stop on the XC Junior National Championship circuit. ASC’s latest project is a campaign to bring lighting to a competition-grade set of ski trails, thereby extending daily operations until 7:30pm during the winter months. The project is called “A Place To Shine.”

    In 2021-22, ASC erected temporary lighting on one kilometer of trails, hosting a night race to raise awareness for the project. ASC was very excited to see over 100 people register in support of the initiative. Construction of a permanent five-kilometer loop commenced in late-August, and light poles will start going up in the stadium area this fall. ASC believes A Place to Shine will fundamentally change the nordic culture within the region, bringing more skiers to snow for training and racing, and raising the level of competitive skiing for generations of nordic skiers. A Place to Shine also serves ASC’s mission to provide snow sport enthusiasts with affordable year-round mountain sport experiences through programs, events, and facilities. ASC strives to be the West’s premier high-altitude training center and to inspire a life-long love of snow sports.

    ASC’s Nordic Director Gus Johnson had this to say about the project:

    “We’re most excited about expanding the availability of skiing to those who live further afield. We have some major untapped population centers in Reno and Sacramento (and even as far away as San Francisco) we’d like to make inroads with. We’re right next to a major interstate (I-80), and want to make it easy to get to snow!”

    Johnson addressed another project consideration—access to snow for working families and school-age children: “It’s hard to get out on snow if you’re working a nine-to-five, and State Bill 328—which mandates later school start times in some communities—is affecting after-school programming among our community.”

    For more information or to donate toward the completion of the project visit: www.asctrainingcenter.org/lights

     

     

  • Wednesday Workout: Live High, Train Low in (Smoky) Sunny California

    Wednesday Workout: Live High, Train Low in (Smoky) Sunny California

    Kili Lehmkuhl (l) and Lilly Murnane of the Auburn Ski Club Training Center striding on Iowa Hill Road near Colfax, California, on Aug. 26. (Photo: Gus Johnson)

    This Wednesday Workout came to us just over a week ago from Gus Johnson, nordic program director and head coach at the Auburn Ski Club Training Center (ASC-TC) on Donner Summit in California. Have a workout of your own (or one of your club’s) that you’d like to share? Send submissions to info@fasterskier.com with the subject line “Wednesday Workout”.

    ***

    August proved to be smoke season in California for the Auburn Ski Club Training Center athletes, but a few days of clear air has given us the opportunity to put in some late summer intensity. Like many athletes across the west, ASC-TC athletes have had to adjust their training to be flexible with the wind and smoke patterns this summer. When the smoke outside became unhealthy, workouts consisted mainly of focusing on technique and shorter sessions, or finding alternatives for indoor training.

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    Auburn Ski Club Training Center is located on Donner Summit at 7,200 feet above sea level, but has easy access (within one-hour drive) to rollerski locations at elevations around 1,000 feet. This week, with a change in the weather and the sunny skies California is famous for, the Auburn Ski Club Training Center Comp Team headed down to Colfax, California, to rollerski Iowa Hill Road for some Level 4-5 (L4-L5) intervals.

    Max Roske of the Auburn Ski Club Training Center striding on Iowa Hill Road near Colfax, California, on Aug. 26. (Photo: Gus Johnson)

    With Junior Nationals at sea level this year in Anchorage, our altitude athletes are looking for ways to inject some pace into their normal ski preparations. Our team typically plans at least one week-long training camp on the California coast, and several mini camps at low altitude for hard rollerski intervals and speed sessions. We’re lucky to be able to hop in the car on short notice and find cheap campgrounds to stay at for low-altitude over the weekends. It spices things up whenever we feel things getting stale at home in the mountains.

    The base of Iowa Hill Road starts around 1,000-feet elevation in the river gorge of the North Fork of the American River and climbs up to Colfax at 2,100 feet. We find the session to be both a test of mental toughness and a great opportunity to challenge our fast-twitch muscles.

    The workout:

    Blackberry picking doubles as a warmup for Auburn Ski Club Training Center athletes in California. (Photo: Gus Johnson)
    • Warmup (on foot): 10-15 minutes of easy jogging (hunt for blackberries)
      – 5 minutes of dynamic warmup (A-skips, B-skips, agility ladders, and dynamic stretching)
    • Change into the rollerski gear
      – 4-6 short speeds, starts, and lunges, each about 8-seconds long
      – 4 x 1-minute classic rollerski intervals (L4+) uphill with 1-minute recovery, followed by 2 x 5 minutes with 3-minute recovery, and another set of 4 x 1 minute intervals.
    • Cool down

    ***

    Auburn Ski Club Training Center skiers warm up on Iowa Hill Road near Colfax, California, on Aug. 26. (Photo: Gus Johnson)

    About the Auburn Ski Club Training Center:

    The ASC Training Center is a premier training and racing venue in the western U.S. with programming for all ages and ability levels across four ski and snowboard disciplines (alpine, cross country, biathlon, and snowboard). Our institution’s roots go back to the club’s founding in 1928 (we were instrumental in the development of ski culture and ski tourism in California), and that legacy continues today with a bid to host the 2020 xc junior national chamionships. We have hosted the XC Junior Nationals four times to date, the US Ski and Snowboard Supertours twice, as well as the NCAA National Championships and the US Biathlon Nationals.  Whether it is as a  training and racing venue for the region or as a part of our programming, it is safe to say ASC-TC plays a significant role in the development of all Far West Nordic skiers. 

    The ASC-TC Competition team is made up of athletes from all across the greater Northern California and Nevada region and is for athletes ages 14-19. The majority of Comp Team athletes live and train near the Truckee and Tahoe area, but some athletes are based out of the sierra foothills (Grass Valley, Colfax, Nevada City, and Auburn) and even some as far away from snow as the Bay Area will come up and ski with the team on weekends or gain race support at events. Our programming is year-round and strives for flexibility to support both elite junior racing as well as participation for athletes whom skiing is only one of their many passions.

  • Auburn Ski Club Training Center Seeks Biathlon Program Director (Updated)

    Auburn Ski Club Training Center Seeks Biathlon Program Director (Updated)

     

    (Job posting)

    UPDATED: April 6, 2018

    The Auburn Ski Club Training Center (ASCTC) is seeking to fill the position of Biathlon Program Director.  ASCTC is a non-profit organization located in California on Donner Summit and is dedicated to providing competitive programs for Alpine, Snowboard, Nordic and Biathlon athletes from across the region.  ASCTC also operates a 25km Nordic Center open to the public.

    The Biathlon Program director/head coach (Biathlon PD) oversees and manages the Biathlon program at the Training Center.  The program is described at www.auburnskiclub.com/asctc/ biathlon.

    Functions and responsibilities:

    1. Develop, plan, coach and execute a year-round biathlon program that currently consists of an mid-October to mid-April winter session and a summer/fall session from mid-June through mid-September.  Program includes 50 athletes, 3-4 training days a week, hosting competitions (USBA and citizen), clinics, camps and travel to competitions.
    2. Establish seasonal and long term program goals and technical progressions that strive to provide each athlete, from entry to elite levels, an opportunity to reach their fullest potential and enjoy a life-long passion for winter sports. Develop recruitment strategies, manage program participant communication, website content, social media and printed publications.
    3. Hire and train paid coaching staff, volunteer coaches and race crew to meet the needs of the program and athletes.  Develop and implement risk management and safety protocols for range, athlete safety and coaching staff.
    4. Create an annual Biathlon program budget in coordination with the Executive Director and Accounting Manager.  Work as a team with the Race Director and Nordic Director to plan and produce up to four existing off-season fundraising events.
    5. Maintain biathlon equipment, schedule and manage use of the range in coordination with the overall Training Center operation.
    6. As a key member of the ASCTC management team, participate in the operation of the Training Center.

    Qualifications and requirements:

    • Extensive technical knowledge and passion for Biathlon and XC racing.
    • Proven ability to positively inspire athletes of all ages and skill levels.
    • Ability to work as part of a team and be productive when unsupervised.
    • Proven organization, communication, computer and writing skills
    • Submission of a motor vehicle record acceptable to ASC insurance.
    • Completion of background screening.

    Position is 11-months, full-time.  Compensation DOE. Includes health benefits.  For confidential consideration, more information, or to submit a resume and cover letter no later than May 1, contact executive director Bill Clark at bclark@inc.auburnskiclub.org or 530-426-3313×101