The ski hoppers spring session wrapped up with the annual Altius AGM competition over the weekend.  We had one of our largest ever fields on the K38 competition and it was nice to see a lot of new athletes flying on the hills.  Overall the quality of skiing was awesome and our athletes look primed to take on our neighbors to the south at the 15th annual North American Springer Tournee down in Park City, Utah at the end of July.

This is my first season with the hoppers and as a coach I am very impressed with Canada's next generation of ski jumping and nordic combined athletes.  We have an amazing group of young boys and girls passionate about their sport and working hard every day to improve their skiing abilities and overall athleticism while constantly becoming better teammates to each other and learning about hard work, leadership and commitment.

The spring was a lot of fun for me as coach.  After spending the past several seasons involved with with the Provincial and National programs, I had forgotten how enjoyable sport can be at it's simplest.  The enthusiasm the hoppers bring to the jumps has energized me and made me excited to grow our current group of athletes and try to expand the club and let kids from all over the city experience the amazing sport of ski jumping.

The next Calgary competition is Friday, August 16th and we are excited to be hosting our friends from the Park City Nordic Ski Club and Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club to compete against.

I hope all of the athletes enjoy our little break before training resumes in July, and I'm looking forward to seeing everyone this summer!