Two Nordic skiers from the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club have qualified for the Norwegian International Junior Camp running from Aug. 5-12. 

The ski camp is open to cross-country skiers all around the globe, and in the United States, the top five male and top five female skiers under 20 years of age qualified based on their combined FIS distance and sprint points.

Steamboat’s own Wally Magill, 19, and Trey Jones, 17, each placed in the top five for that qualifier and have earned tickets to Norway.

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“It’s a super big honor to be selected, but also I’m proud that I’ve worked hard to get the opportunity to go,” Magill said. 

The camp will consist of several training sessions of running, hiking and roller skiing alongside the world’s top cross country skiers and Norwegian coaches. 

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Norway is the birthplace of skiing and it is a major part of the culture there. This camp will help bring these athletes a whole new love for the sport and give them a chance to learn from and form friendships with other junior athletes from some of the top skiing countries in the world. 

“The coolest part about this camp is the fact that we get to train super closely with the other nations,” Jones said. “That’s what really separates this camp from other camps because we’re skiing super close to the other athletes and it’s really helpful.”

One thing both Magill and Jones look forward to during the camp is the bog run. The athletes will be running through the muddy wetlands that will act as resistance in their running and is a fun way for them to train.

Prior to the camp in Norway, Magill and Jones will travel to Sweden for a week to train with other members of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Cross Country National Team. They will use that time to train in a ski tunnel on snow as well as completing some dryland training in the afternoons. 

Steamboat has seen two athletes go to this ski camp in the past with SSWSC alumni, Noel Keeffe and Wyatt Gebhardt both attending the camp in 2018.  

SSWSC coach Josh Smullin is very proud of the work that Magill and Jones have put in to get to this point and earn their spot in the camp. 

“It’s a huge week of training and learning and seeing where you stack up against all the other best of the world,” Smullin said.