U16 Program

Athletes Born in: 2008, 2009

Philosophy:   The development phase of learning the specific skills of racing with a continued emphasis on all round skiing skills and physical development.  

Goal:    To consolidate skiing and racing skills. Developing a comprehensive all round approach to the sport of ski racing. Refining skiing and racing skills. developing a high level of dedication and understanding what it takes to succeed without ever forgetting the fun side of the sport. Improving is fun for every individual. Introduction to speed events. The start of a serious focus on physical conditioning.

Approximate Days on snow: 95-100

Training Schedule:

  • Fri/Sat/Sun + holidays at Panorama
  • Tues/Wed at Winsport

Program Fees:  Contact Us

Not included in Program Fees: Equipment, Lift tickets, Race Entry fees/costs.  Race Account deposit due January 2024.

Recommended Physical training:    Year round 3 day/week physical program

Key races:   Alberta U16 series; may be a local BC  race.  Qualifying races include Western Can Am + the Whistler Cup.  Approximately 16 race starts.

The U16 program for Team Panorama is a learning to race development phase, however, the emphasis continues to lie with a skiing skills and physical development focus. Skiing drills and refinement of technique are blended into the teaching of racing environments in order that by the end of the U16 period, the skiers will enter the FIS circuit with a solid technical and tactical understanding of ski racing. Again, with the Team Panorama program the goal is improvement and building the correct foundation for further improvement.

At the U16 level there is an introduction to the speed events with Super G, however, the main focus of the program is definitely based fully on the technical events. Some Ski Cross training and modified racing exposure is built into the program.

We have a long-term, patient approach in which we wish to allow the child to develop a proper physical foundation and it is for this reason the skiers train with physical conditioning experts. The U16 program uses a 3 day a week cycle and individual work outside these days.

The U16 program is still very much viewed as a learning to train and learning to race development phase. The children in this phase are going through the largest physical changes and quite often technical elements suffer because of this. This is why race results cannot be the main focus.