A week of energy, learning, and jumping
Sea to Sky Nordics hosted a week-long ski jumping camp this February 2026 at Whistler Olympic Park – and it was an absolute blast. The venue was buzzing with energy, courage, and plenty of smiles as athletes from our club and Altius Nordics from Calgary came together to challenge themselves, build new skills, and support one another on and off the hill. From first-time flyers to seasoned jumpers refining their technique, the week was a true celebration of growth, teamwork, and the pure joy of flight.
Who was there?
We had nine athletes from Altius and six from Sea to Sky, supported by four dedicated coaches, and a dozen incredible parents and volunteers. The dream team was in place.
Our 15 athletes ranged in age from 9 to 16, bringing a wide spectrum of experience and enthusiasm. Four girls and eleven boys took to the jumps — all showing tremendous promise. Let’s just say… conversations about the 2034 Olympics may have come up once or twice. A few are even thinking about 2030!!
A day in the life at camp
Each day kicked off at 8:30am with a hearty breakfast to fuel our athletes for a 9:00 start. After warm-up games, team-building activities, stretching, and activation exercises, we moved into ski jumping-specific drills. Athletes practiced “imitations,” focusing on precise inrun and take-off positions before heading to the main event.
The highlight of the day: an hour and a half on the jumps, where athletes applied new skills. Following lunch and a video analysis session, we repeated the training cycle in the afternoon, wrapping up around 4:00pm with tired legs and big smiles.
Friday afternoon offered a change of scenery with a trampoline session at Air House — because there’s more than one way to fly!
Competition day
After five days of focused training, athletes were ready to test their skills in 20m and 40m competitions. The morning began with a ski jump watch party at the Fireside Lounge, cheering on the Canadian women’s team competing in Cortina d’Ampezzo — complete with the excitement of a Canadian judge awarding style points.
Then, it was our turn.
Our camp focused on allowing our athletes the opportunity to improve their technique: inrun take off, leg extension during flight, landing, and outrun skills specifically. Seeing the progress they’d made throughout the week was incredible and we’re so thankful to have had the opportunity to work closely with Altius club, allowing our two clubs to train together and support one another was fantastic.
A special shoutout goes to Tai and Rowan, who had never ski jumped before this camp. Within just two days, both confidently “graduated” to the 20m jump — an epic accomplishment!
Congratulations to our competition winners:
40m Jump
🥇 Florian Rodig (S2SN)
🥈 Ethan Bell (S2SN)
🥉 Mason (Altius) & Maleah Moccia (S2S)
20m Jump
🥇 Kai (Altius)
🥈 Novac (Altius)
🥉 Ryan (Altius)
You’re amazing!
Beyond jumping
We asked Sea to Sky Ski Jump Board Representative, Rick Smith, and Head Coach, Andi Wank, what ski jumping teaches young athletes beyond technical execution.
“Ski Jumping is a great way to train the body and the mind,” says Rick. “Just think about pointing yourself straight down — no turns possible until you reach the fence — and taking off at 40–60 kph as a young teen on 225cm skis. This takes tremendous physical and mental skill. Our athletes are constantly developing focus and learning how to fly aerodynamically.”
Andi added, “Ski jumping provides athletes with a broad athletic foundation. Dry-land training prepares them for the physical demands of ski jumping by building speed, strength, coordination, balance, and reaction time. Above all, it develops determination, willpower, and concentration. Even though it’s an individual sport, athletes learn to function as a team — supporting one another every step of the way.”
Rick also highlighted the extraordinary volunteer effort required to run a camp like this — from early-morning hill preparation and binding safety checks to sled driving, video analysis, food prep, logistics, and endless encouragement. It was a full and rewarding week made possible by many generous hands.
Thank you…
A heartfelt thank you to the incredible crew at Whistler Olympic Park, our Sea to Sky Nordics team — Andreas Wank, Alex Bertolini, Roger Bird, Rick Smith, Yvonne Smith, Jim Woosley, Albert Van Critters — and the many supportive families including the Boa, Moccia, Bird, Bell, and Rodig families, to name just a few.
We’re also grateful to Drew Edwards, General Manager of Ski Jumping Canada, for his continued support, and to Alex for coordinating daily hill preparation. Special thanks to Rick and Jim for organizing the entire camp. Not all heroes wear capes.
What a week. What a team. What a community.
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