FREESTYLE:

Heil reaches out with Girls Moguls Camp at Marmot Basin

April 9, 2011 — CFSA     ♦ Photo: Jenn Heil (Mike Ridewood, CFSA) 

JASPER, Alberta ― Recently retired Canadian moguls legend Jennifer Heil hosts her sixth annual Girls Mogul Camp here this weekend. Fifty aspiring young bump skiers will take part in the event, which is aimed at giving girls a fun and positive experience in the moguls.

Heil, a native of Spruce Grove, Alberta, began her camp in 2006 after she won Olympic gold in Torino. “Realizing what a difference it made for me to know people who had accomplished their goals, goals that I had been dreaming of since I was a child, made me want to offer that experience to young girls.”

This year is the biggest yet, with girls ages 6 to 17 from across Alberta, and even Saskatchewan, attending the two-day, free camp at Marmot Basin. Heil has amassed a team of first-rate coaches for the camp, all of whom are donating their time, including her national teamers Chloe Dufour-Lapointe and Kristi Richards along with Heil’s own coach, Dominick Gauthier, her former coach Murray Cluff and Jasper Freeride Club coach Marc Shymko.

Dufour-Lapointe said she looking forward to a chance to meet some young up-and-coming female moguls skiers and to try out her coaching skills. “I’m really excited to meet the girls, it’s the first time I’m really going to coach, so I’m a bit nervous, think it’s going to be fun and I’m so happy that Jenn gave me this opportunity.”

This year’s camp includes two days of on-snow training and an educational seminar with a nutritionist. The weekend ends with a fun competition and lots of prizes for the girls.

“Really, the idea is to create an atmosphere where the girls can feel really well-supported, can have fun meeting other girls who share their passion for skiing,” said Heil, who thanked the Canadian Freestyle Ski Association for supporting the camp.

CFSA CEO Peter Judge said that Heil’s camp provides an opportunity to help promote the sport to girls, who have been traditionally underrepresented in freestyle.

“It’s an amazing opportunity for young girls to have access to that kind of talent,” Judge said, “and it’s a demonstration of the commitment and willingness of our high-level athletes to give back to the sport that has given them so much. The more opportunities we can give girls to meet and train with their heroes, the better.”