Summer in Bend

One of our skiers, Joel Bransky, is spending the summer working and training in Bend, Oregon! Here's a little bit from him about how it's going. Good luck with summer training everyone!!

This summer I’ve trained in Bend, Oregon with the Bend Endurance Academy. The program is coached by Ben Husaby, who went to the Olympics in 1992 and 1994, and who now rides his dirtbike and imparts wisdom. Among the training group are Dakota Blackhorse von-Jess, who’s skied on the World Cup, and a few NCAA qualifiers. Those guys are about a lightyear and a half ahead of me in most workouts but I hope to be quite a bit faster next year.

Rollerskiing out here is pretty sweet, if you know where to go, which Ben does. The climbs are not nearly as steep as the Midwest’s but go on forever, the roads are smooth, and we get views of volcanoes and pine forests to boot. Other days we bound on purpose-made trails or do a gnarly strength and soccer session that leaves me wrecked for two days.

Outside of the program I spend most of my hours mountain biking or running the trails in the national forest west of town. I’m not a prolific mountain biker but supposedly Bend is one of the best mountain biking towns in the U.S. My friend, roommate, and fellow CCSA skier Tony Squillace and I sometimes do strength at an elementary school playground near our apartment.

Tony and I also cook the best, cheapest, and healthiest food in North America. Last night saw freshly-steamed rice, black bean stew (lots of garlic), and eggs fried with onions and more garlic. Juanita’s tortilla chips are also a staple. Sometimes we eat kale.

Last note: the Canadian national team has been out here lately and I saw them rollerskiing, and I think I now know where they live. I’m going to go over at midnight and usurp some speed through osmosis, just like in Space Jam.

Here’s to a good ski season, and keep the roads warm for me in Minnesota.

-Joel 
Skiing on the Mt. Bachelor trails early June
Coming back into the trees after a sunburned hike up South Sister
Sunset behind Mount Hood

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