US Men’s Alpine Team Trades Skis For Skates

U.S. Alpine Ski Team Director Jesse Hunt used hockey drills when he was SL/GS head coach before becoming Program Director. When Head Coach Phil McNichol and his staff, including Speed Head Coach Chris Brigham, met with Hunt to look at different approaches to conditioning it was inevitable hockey would be one of the choices.

Hockey demands balance, footwork, quickness, in addition to strong aerobic capacity and body awareness in high-speed motion, virtually the same requirements for strong all day skiing. With indoor ice arenas in most areas, year round hockey leagues can be great for cross-training - and a lot of fun at the same time. The Ski Team brought in the head coach of the Utah Grizzlies and a former National Hockey League player to do just that. They organized on-ice workouts designed to payoff when the racers return to snow this winter.

Related Resources

• Off-Season Fitness and Training
• Ski Teams
• 2008 Men's Alpine Ski Team

Photo © USAA