U.S. Boardercross Early Season Training on High Country

FEATURED IN THE DECEMBER EDITION OF THE WATERVILLE VALLEY WIG WAG

This year, Waterville Valley Resort fired up its snowmaking system on Halloween! An early start to snowmaking was imperative, the ski resort was preparing for something BIG! Within weeks, the ski resort debuted high-performance training terrain up on High Country, utilized by the world-renowned U.S. Snowboard Cross Team plus neighborhood teams like BBTS, Holderness Academy, and other local snowsports programs.

 Thanks to the cooperation and support of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, Waterville Valley Resort was able to create a state-of-the-art boardercross course on High Country. The U.S. Snowboard Cross Team began training on this course on November 11th. This was the earliest High Country opening in Waterville's history.

This project was in the works for quite some time. In fact, High Country was created to function as a training venue. Given its elevation of 3,600'-4,000', High Country has enhanced early-season snowmaking capabilities due to the summit's colder temperatures. Its designated T-Bar improves the efficiency and cohesion of training sessions. Given these factors, the Ski Resort teamed up with U.S. Ski & Snowboard to accomplish the same shared goal: create a domestic venue for high-performance early-season training. 

Hosting the U.S. Snowboard Cross Team was a major milestone for Waterville Valley Resort. It puts us on the map, elevating Waterville Valley Resort to an exclusive class of ski areas that are capable of hosting elite athletes for early-season training. Plus, it's an honor to have a world-renowned team training on Waterville's terrain and utilizing the resort's facilities. The U.S. Snowboard Cross Team consists of highly decorated athletes, including several Olympic gold medalists and World Champions, as well as gold and podium winners of premier competitions such as the X-Games, World Cups, and Nor'Ams.

High Country also served as an early-season training venue for local teams, including BBTS' freestyle and race teams. In previous years, these teams were forced to travel significant distances for early-season training. This year, high-performance early-season training facilities were right in their backyard! Not only did they save money on plane tickets, but they also reduced their carbon footprint.

"Early season training at Waterville has been amazing!", said Rob Dresser, WVA/BBTS Head Mogul Coach. "Europe used to be the only place in the world with early-season mogul courses. All of those courses are on very tall glaciers, where there is crazy weather and unpredictable wind and snow. The snow conditions in Waterville have been so consistent, and since we run off of a high-speed T-bar, we can crank out quality training laps all day long! With all of the mogul competitions that Waterville is hosting this year - World Cup, Kearny Classic, Rosemary Bowl, and US Freestyle National Championships, to name a few - getting an early start on training is the key to success."

This High Country project does not simply benefit athletes, it also benefits ski resort passholders and guests. The Ski Resort opened to the public on the Saturday following Thanksgiving, following their traditional timeline. Thanks to the early preparation of High Country, the ski resort was able to offer more early-season terrain and lifts, creating a better overall skier experience. As any avid Waterville skier knows: returning to Mount Tecumseh for the first time after the off-season is a special feeling. It feels like returning home after a long trip away; anticipation, excitement, elation, and relief. The ski resort received a lot of feedback from locals, athletes, and longtime community members, and it's evident that this early-season High Country project enhanced that special feeling.

Creating an early-season training facility on High Country was a monumental project, requiring an enormous amount of time, energy, and commitment. This achievement would not have been possible without the steadfast dedication of Waterville's on-mountain teams. Thankfully, Waterville Valley Resort's Team is one of the most hard-working, passionate, and gritty crews out there.

P.S. Think Snow!