Glenn Bond is bringing three decades of cross-country skiing experience to Whistler Olympic Park next month.
The former provincial and Western Canadian champion will be bringing his namesake camp to the area from Dec. 8 to 14. The week-long camp will take place from Dec. 8 to 12, while weekend offerings will be available on Dec. 12 through 14.
Bond, who managed Vernon-area Silver Star Mountain Resort's Nordic programming for 10 years, is in his third year running his own ski camps.
"It's an Olympic venue, and a gorgeous venue at that in so many ways, between the launch, and the trail, and the views, it's what makes Whistler so special," Bond said.
Skiers come from all over the continent to take part in the camps, particularly the week-long ones, said Bond, rattling off Alaska, California, and eastern Canada as some of those locations.
He stressed that his programs aren't race camps, and there will be programming for people of all different abilities, as well as several different coaches in attendance. Bond said he strives to book one well-accredited coach for every six to eight athletes.
"We're bringing that (training) down to people who are just getting into the sport," he said. "The camps are really open to all levels.
"The beginner levels are some of the smallest groups because people don't realize that we do beginners."
Bond added that he enjoys coaching those who are new to the sport, as major improvement often comes quite quickly.
After the initial welcome, Bond leaves the head coaching duties in the hands of Dr. Mike Mandli, so he can float between different groups, as he tries to ski one-on-one with as many people as possible.
"There are always different strategies," said Bond. "I might try an approach with an athlete and not break through.
"I'll talk to another coach about how we can work on this, and take a different approach, and it'll sink in using different words, or different terminology or a different drill."
The week-long program includes 2.5 hours of coaching per day, video analysis, a trail pass, a visit to Scandinave Spa, daily lunch, and a souvenir for $789. Adding another 1.5 hours of coaching in the afternoon Monday through Thursday brings the total to $899. Participants save $100 on either option if they have a Nordic season ski pass.
The weekend camp includes four ski sessions, lunch, a trail pass, video analysis, and a souvenir for $359 (or $319 with a Nordic season ski pass).
For more information, visit www.glennbond.com/whistler.
