Hey all,

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This is Max checking in from the small town of Konnerud, Norway, where I am staying with a friend ahead of the BSF Pro Team camp in Torsby Sweden.

As mentioned in some previous blog posts, BSF Pro is excited to be expanding its horizons this summer with a European training camp, at the amazing TorsbySki Tunnel. I have been lucky enough to spend a week or so in Torsby over the last two summers, so I would like to share some of my past experiences at the tunnel, as well as cove why we would fly halfway across the world just for a little snow.

Located deep in the Swedish countryside is the small town of Torsby, which happens to be home to one of the nicest ski tunnels in the world. Throughout the two weeks I have spent there, I have become quite familiar with the ~1.3 km loop. Luckily there is also a roller ski track just outside the tunnel, along with many roads, and running trails. In many ways, it is the perfect place for a training camp.

My first year at the tunnel was the summer of 2022. I had a busy summer, but nothing came close to the excitement I felt as I boarded the plane to Norway and Sweden for the first time. This trip and my 2023 trip were part of the USSki Team and NNF’s, International Junior Camp development project. While the main camp was in Sjusjoen, the pre-camp in both years was in Torsby. In my first year in the Tunnel, excitement overshadowed everything else. Every session consisted of all the boys racing laps around the tunnel, and forgetting every technique cue we were told or had ever been told. At the same time, this excitement also translated to us only spending time in the tunnel, and not enjoying the many other perks of Torsby.

My second year at the tunnel was far more productive than the first. I came into the camp with set objectives, such as technique, and on snow efficiency. From the first session of the camp to the last, these were always at the front of my mind. This led to far more productive sessions, including many technical gains that would have been difficult outside of the tunnel. Now that it was my second year at the tunnel, some of the excitement had worn off, so I decided to adventure alone beyond the walls of the tunnel. Here I was pleasantly surprised to find some near-perfect roller skiing and great running trails. These provide a great break from the repetitive tunnel laps.

Now that I’ve covered some past experiences, I think it's important to cover the thought process behind traveling to the tunnel. On the surface and extra week of skiing might seem very insignificant when compared to the 5 months we spend on snow every winter in Montana. The important factor to consider is the timing. With early August being almost perfectly in the middle of when we last were on snow, and when we will next be on snow, the timing is what makes the tunnel such an important tool.

While roller skis are a great substitute for skiing, they definitely aren’t perfect. Some elements of technique such as body positioning, or top-speed sprints, feel very different on roller skis compared to snow. During our time on skis, we can remind the body of how to do these skills, so we can further practice them on roller skis in the fall.

I have many goals going into the camp this year. Being at sea level I would like to use this opportunity to work on top-speed development, and specifically improving technique at these speeds, in order to increase efficiency, and all-out top speed. Similar to last year I would also like to work towards being more efficient on snow, as it is often harder to ski well than roller skis. Along with my personal goals, I’m sure every team member has their own goals and things to work on, so it will be great to see these and try to all improve together.

These are some of my past experiences at the ski tunnel, as well as a bit about the thought process behind coming to the tunnel. Make sure to follow along for updates from the camp.

Max