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Steve Sellers

Canadian team summer skimo training camp – Revelstoke, Sep 15-16, 2012

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Since 2009 Canadian National Ski Mountaineering Team have been meeting every September for our summer training camp.
Previous camps were usually hosted in Canmore, AB by Steve Sellers but this year we thought it’s time for a change and organized it in Revelstoke, BC.
The team was pretty much complete with one exception – everyone’s favorite and North America’s fastest, Reiner Thoni, couldn’t make it as his old truck started to come apart a day before his departure.

Camp concept

The idea behind this camp wasn’t about training hard. It was about getting together and have good times.
We are also trying to blend in some younger blood into the team before people find themselves sharing a room at World Championships in February, 2013.
Attending: Melanie Bernier, Martha Burley, Steve Sellers, Stano Faban, Brad Schalles, Peter Knight, Adnrew McNab, Ian Gale, Jeff Colvin, Julie Matteau.

Day 1: hiko-running-scrambling Mt Cheops (2605m)

Summary of day one and all photos are from Brad Schalles (WestCoast Skimo – http://westcoastskimo.blogspot.ca/), one of new additions to the Team. Watch out for Brad this year, he will be the NA dark horse this year.
On Saturday the group split up, with five of us heading up to Rogers Pass for a run and scramble up 1300m to summit Mt Cheops. After meeting up with Steve, who had spent a cold night at the pass, we headed up the trail in the crisp morning air.
The run up to Balu Pass was fast and we all felt light on our feet on the superbly maintained trail. We made it to Balu in an hour and thirty minutes – we all remarked on how much faster it was to run up the valley rather than ski.

Just below the summit rock atop Cheops Mountain, from left: Steve Sellers, Martha Burley, Melanie Bernier, Stano Faban, Brad Schalles.
After a quick snack on top of the biggest rock we could find, we scrambled along the ridge to the top of Mt Cheops. At the summit we pulled a few bouldering moves to ensure that we were on the tippy top of Mt Cheops. We had a snack and took a group photo in our team Rab jackets, and then we set off down the ridge towards our next stop: an ice cold dip in Connaught Creek (which just might be the coldest creek in Canada).
We made a light-speed trip back to Revelstoke (thanks to Slovakian over-drive), and we regrouped at a fine local establishment with Andrew and Peter. They had spent the day at the Martha Creek Melt Down where Peter placed 1st and Andrew 4th. After a great night caching up and talking all things skimo, we headed home to rest up for the next big day of the camp.
Descending from Cheops with the Trans-Canada highway one vertical mile below us.

Day 2: Skimo pentathlon + bike ride

Watching the summer London Olympics left me with lots of inspiration and so on Sunday morning we all met at Revelstoke high school stadium. The leader for this session was Jeff Colvin – one of the fastest Canadian skimo racers few years back – who is a track & field coach at the school.
Under Jeff’s leadership we all completed the following “skimo pentathlon”:

  • 100m sprint
  • shot put
  • star run (agility run)
  • long jump (from stand-still)
  • 800m run

Everyone had loads of fun as none of us knew what to expect from each discipline. On top of that, by the time our heads somewhat grasped one skill it was time to move to something else – testing our adaptiveness in the process.
Women’s pentathlon was won by Melanie Bernier and men’s main prize went to Brad Schalles who blew everyone in the 800m run on top of winning the 100 dash.
» Revealing video coming soon 🙂
Afternoon
After a season planing meeting during the lunch we split into road and mountain biking groups.
In fact, it was only me and Brad riding the road. We had a good 3h ride in the sunset lit valley north of Revelstoke, riding the always twisting road on the shores of 130km long Lake Revelstoke.
The mountain bike group rode the shadowy side of the valley, however, great Revelstoke trails kept them warm too.

Next camp

Team’s next camp is in the works. It will likely be already on skis somewhere high in the beautiful Canadian mountains.

Steve Sellers interview: Skimo racing is the ultimate skiing challenge!

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Steve Sellers skimo racingThe world of ski mountaineering racing is full of unique characters, and arguably the Canadian and the American skimo scenes are responsible for bringing the most flavour in recent years. This translates to the national teams as well which makes the North Americans’ Euro racing trips very enjoyable.
But there is one character that I feel I neglected with my interviews for way too long. He is a die-heart competitor to whom age seems to only provide with more speed, in fact, he is on the Canadian National Ski Mountaineering Team.
Steve is a father of two and a pastor in Canmore, Alberta. At the age of 51 he just recently captured bronze at the Canadian skimo nationals!
Personally, I am very happy to had the experience to witness him to give a true 120% in our teams race at the 2011 Worlds. It was inspirational to be part of it – one can always improve.
» Check out Steve’s blog – Ski Training Central

About training, longevity and racing passion with Steve Sellers:

Q: Steve, what do you find the most beautiful and the most challenging about skimo racing?
Skimo racing is the ultimate skiing challenge! You have to have the motor of an xc skier and the athletic ability of a downhill racer. With my xc background the obvious weak link for me are the downhills (as you Stano probably painfully became aware of in our teams race in Claut, Italy!). [Stano’s note: I remember very vividly :)] To rectify this I go to Norquay ski area in Banff at least once per week with my lightweight race gear and hammer the double blacks off the North American chair. I time myself and try to improve every run.
It’s the challenge of getting better that keeps me motivated in this great sport.

Q: When did you start skimo racing? And for how long have you been backcountry skiing?
In 2007. That year my focus was on fulfilling a dream of cross-country (xc) ski racing the famous 90km long Vasaloppett in Sweden.  Just prior to leaving I jumped in the ski mountaineering race at Sunshine. On the heavy gear I wasn’t too fast, but I was easily hooked. I just felt it would be the sport for me.
Later that year, I found myself in Vancouver for a conference the same week as the North Face Whistler skimo race and decided to do it. Everything seemed to go wrong and it was a total disaster, but deep down I felt like I could do this sport. I decided then and there to go back the next year and prove to myself I could do skimo racing. I finished 4th or 5th and knocked a couple of hours off my time.
Q: What is your racing background – which sports, for how long?
I started xc ski racing in high school. Living in Minnesota at the time there wasn’t very much downhill or backcountry skiing to be had so I totally poured myself into xc.
I really loved it. I even got to represent the US in a world cup in 1985.
My main focus each year though was the US Birkebeiner. I competed in the elite wave from 1980 to 2010.
Q: You also race Ironmans and shorter triathlons in the summer. When do you switch from winter to summer training and then back again?
After 20 years of roller skiing and running in the summer, among other dry land training, I figured it was time for a change.
For a long time I had on my Bucket List: “competing in an Ironman”. It seemed like the clock was ticking, so I thought I’d better go for it. I did half-Ironman and Olympic triathlons for 4 years, then finally got into the big one, Ironman Canada.
Interestingly, my ski results got better. I think it was the extra endurance base hours I was putting in, plus the new knowledge I’d gleaned from training and competing at a whole new level.
I’ve since found that for my best winter results competing in this totally different sport really works. But it also works the other way around. Two years ago I placed 3rd in my age group in the Calgary Half Ironman and qualified for the world age group championships. I was kind of surprised since due to our usual long ski season and a trip to Europe I’d really only tri-trained a month or so.
However, on the ride home as I shared these thoughts with my wife she mentioned, “that skimo racing is pretty tough, that’s probably why you did so well.”

Steve (in red cap) with part of the Canadian team atop Mt Cheops in Rogers Pass, BC. Photo from Brad Schalles (Sep 15, 2012).
Q: Do you have any rest periods during a year?
After an Ironman you’ve gotta take about 3 weeks off. The first one you don’t even want to train. The second one you can’t even if you want to, then the third you can start easing into activity.
I take about 4 weeks of easy training after the skimo season too. I’m still skiing 6 days a week (the skiing’s too good to sit around!), but absolutely no intensity.
During the year you have to build in rest days. If I train 3 weeks uninterrupted (hard to do with a job and family though), then my body makes me take that 4th week easy.
Q: What do you think is the secret to your longevity in competition sports? How can someone copy you?
The heart’s gotta be in it. You’ve also gotta be in it for the right reasons.
Sport was never designed to be a place to get your self-esteem needs met. If you’re just competing because you have to prove to yourself and others you’re a worthy person, then you’re just chasing after air.
When you’re secure in yourself as a person, at peace with your Creator and have family and friends that love you and support you, then you can be at peace to pursue your passions.
Q: You are always keen to compete. What keeps you motivated?
I’d say the key for me is improvement. If there’s the possibility to get better then I find that a fun challenge to take on.
After last year’s Canadian Nationals at Kicking Horse ski area, I identified 6 areas I felt I could get faster in (transitions, downhills, uphill fitness, kick-turns, boot-packing and skin speed). I also estimated how much time I could realistically gain from each.
From there I started working on each individual area. I’m still doing it. I’ve got a cool summer ski sprint course I grass-ski on to work on transitions, boot-packs, kick-turns and uphill sprint speed.
Q: You have two daughters, Anna and Kjirsti. Are they competing in sports too? Does ski mountaineering potentially interests them?
Anna did her first skimo race last year as part of our team relay at the Vert 180. She also had 2 biathlon and 2 xc ski races that weekend. It was hard for her to choose which ones to do. She’d do all of them if we’d let her.
My other daughter cries when she has to go downhill skiing with the family but she’s a pretty good skier anyway. Like her older sister she’s involved in the Canmore Nordic ski club.
With kids you gotta let them find their own path. We give them the opportunities but I want them to show some initiative on their own to pursue what their heart leads them to.
Q: You represented Canada at the 2011 World Ski Mountaineering Championships. How did you find the experience?
Simply put…amazing! I don’t think there is a greater privilege in sport than to represent your country, especially at the highest level.
During the warm up before our teams race I started feeling the nerves coming on and thinking “how in over my head I was”. Then I began to contemplate how truly blessed I was just to be there, representing Canada, my country.
This realization just filled my heart with joy. Joy is such an energizer in so many ways. I think too that my walk with God brings joy and energy to these moments.
Q: Do you have plans to race at the 2013 World Championships? Or what is going to be your biggest goal for this winter?
I’ll admit I was a little embarrassed being the “grandfather” of the 2011 championships; however, I seemed to make a bit of a jump in performance last year. As long as I’m improving I may as well throw ‘er down with the big boys and see what I can do!
Q: With so much experience in competition sports, what would you advise to ambitious skimo racers in North America?
One thing I absolutely love about our Canadian skimo team is that we work together. Having a “win-win” philosophy benefits everyone.
The sport is so young in both the US and Canada and we have so much to learn. We might as well help one another as much as possible. That way we’ll all get faster sooner!

2012 North American Rando Ski Mountaineering Championships in Crested Butte

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This is article was submitted by Melanie Bernier – an elite skimo racer and a member of the Canadian National Ski Mountaineering Team. Read her previous article here – Grand Teton: adventures are essential for skimo training…
Last weekend (Jan 28-29, 2012) saw the biggest event of this winter on the North American skimo racing calendar. Six of us, part of the Canadian National Team, traveled to Crested Butte to compete in the first ever official North American Championships.
We arrived few days earlier to have a chance to get somewhat used to CB’s high elevation (CB is at 2,715 m) and explore the race routes. The “No Climbing Uphill Policy” at the ski hill got in the way of our course scoping but we were blessed with beautiful sunny days so we were able to at least have a great visual of the individual’s race course.

Sprint race – day 1

On Saturday morning, we woke up to a very brisk -30 C for the sprint race. The venue was mid-mountain near a beautiful restaurant where racers gathered to keep warm until the start.
The course started on a flat groomed sections changing quickly to switch-backs in the trees then flatter terrain before gaining the first transition to the first descent. Through gates, over moguls, racers had to zigzag back down for a second transition. Then to a short boot-pack and skin again to reach the final descent.
The women were the first out of the gate going at 30 seconds intervals. Sari Anderson was the first one to go, I was second, Janelle Smiley just after…
My race went very well as I closed the gap on Sari at the top of the second climb and completed the course in 5:39 which was enough to win the race.
Top 3, top North American and all Canadian women:
1. Mel Bernier (CAN)
2. Janelle Smile (USA)
3. Sari Anderson (USA)
6. Julie Matteau (CAN)
Our Canadian men did very well too! With a strong Italian presence, the Canuck boys rose to the challenge. Manfred Reichegger (Italy’s top racer) topped the podium as expected. Behind him, our unique “Reinerian” earned second ahead of Lorenzo Holzknecht (Italy) who was followed closely by our Andrew McNab. It was very impressive to see them all run and give all they had.
Top 3, top North Americans and all Canadian men:
1. Manfred Reichegger (ITA)
2. Reiner Thoni (CAN)
3. Lorenzo Holzknecht (ITA)
4. Andrew McNab (CAN)
5. Jan Koles (USA)
6. Travis Scheefer (USA)
12. Ian Gale (CAN)
27. Steve Sellers (CAN)
» Sprint race full results

Individual race – day 2

The following day, in friendlier temperatures, we gathered at the base of the mountain for the individual race. The course was not so impressive for its vertical but for its challenging route.
We climbed a groomed run for a thousand feet before getting into what seemed like 100 switch-backs with a single skin track. From there, it was skis and poles on the pack, jacket on, and via-ferrata and ascender on the rope – we climbed the “Guides Ridge” to the summit of Crested Butte at just over 12 000 feet.
From there, we ran down the other side of the peak, then skis on, we descended to the bottom of Paradise Bowl, from there we climbed 1000 through the trees and on the rocky ridge back to the top transition. We had to complete this same lower loop twice before going down a single track in trees, steep icy moguls to crazy fast groomer to moguls again and high speed rollers to finish with an excruciating skate ski.
My race – I guess my strategy was not quite right for this race. I was holding back at the start a bit too much and got stuck behind at the switch-backs. Then by the time I got to the ridge there was a big bottle neck.
Here the race got stopped twice because of rock falling and miss communication between the race marshals which resulted in an hour spent on the ridge getting cold and waiting to move forward at a turtle pace.
Fortunately, the view was pretty nice and people around me were friendly so it was quite pleasant and relaxing… but not much of a race at that point.
When finally at the summit, I literary sprinted down the bootpack and skied like mad to try to catch up. At the first lap up paradise bowl I left the transition way too fast and forgot that this was not a great idea while racing at such altitude – I burned myself solid for the second lap and I was barely hanging facing the “Bunk Wall”.
Finally at the top of the last climb, I knew I could gain some time and positions with a fast descent. Reaching the final section I completed the skate with below zero juice in the tank. It was a great learning experience as I have never (or not in a long time) reached such low energy levels while racing.
For few other Canadians the race went rather smoothly. Reiner Thoni and Andrew McNab escaped the bottle neck and had a fantastic race while the rest of us were still on the ridge those two were batteling for 3rd and 8th place respectively.
A big congratulation to our Continental Champs Reiner Thoni and Janelle Smiley.
Top 3, top North Americans and all Canadian women:
1. Janelle Smiley (USA)
2. Sari Andreson (USA)
3. Stevie Kremer (USA)
5. Melanie Bernier (CAN)
7. Julie Matteau (CAN)
Top 3, top North Americans and all Canadian men:
1. Manfred Reichegger (ITA)
2. Lorenzo Holzknecht (ITA)
3. Reiner Thoni (CAN)
4. Luke Nelson (USA)
5. Jason Dorais (USA)
8. Andrew McNab (CAN)
18. Ian Gale (CAN)
28. Steve Sellers (CAN)
» Individual race full results