Summer 2025 ski programming
We have summer ski training programs for those ages 8-88! Check out the details below. Questions? First check out our FAQs, then reach out to our coaching staff. Remember that the Craftsbury eNews is a great way to stay on top of the latest program news; you can subscribe to that here if you’re not already a member.
For All Programs
Craftsbury Membership (required - this is our equivalent to a trail pass)
All program participants must have a Craftsbury Outdoor Center membership—this is a prerequisite to registering for any program. Program fees are then addition to the membership cost. Luckily, our memberships are good for a full year and are priced very competitively. You can read more information about membership here.
Program Registration and Fees
Program registration will be open from May 1 until June 1 or whenever programs fill. Registration will be accessible through your Craftsbury Outdoor Center membership account starting on May 1. Please note that you will be prompted to create a membership profile if you haven’t already. Scholarships are available—check out the Kathy Wright Memorial Scholarship Fund for details.
Coaching Staff
Learn more about our coaches here.
Contact Info
Email: jrskiing@craftsbury.com; Phone: (802)-538-0981. Communication will take place primarily through Slack. You’ll get an invitation to our Slack workspace in your program registration confirmation email.
Jump to:
Schedule overview
Summer BKL
Our summer BKL program is for kids ages 8-13 who are not only enthusiastic about going outside and being active, but also very excited about improving their off-season skiing fundamentals, such as rollerskiing and running. Especially motivated 12-13-year-olds should ask coaches about the U14 comp program. This year, summer BKL meets once a week. Activities will include running, hill bounding, rollerskiing, strength, potentially some biking, and the occasional foray into/onto the lake, with a healthy mix of fun and games! Those BKLers who are looking for additional summer opportunities are encouraged to participate in in our summer Tuesday Night Race series (which has kids’ specific races distances!) and/or our Wednesday Bike Club.
Program Dates
Starts: Thursday, June 19th. Ends: early October.
Practice Days/Times
Thursdays @ 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Program Fee
$150
Equipment
All participants in this group are required to have: running shoes, active clothing, and a bike helmet. Ideally participants would have a mountain bike, too, but lack of a bike shouldn’t discourage anyone from joining. Use of rollerski equipment while at practice is included in the program fee (this is for summer BKL participants only—older kids need to rent their rollerski gear). Participants have the option to rent rollerski equipment for the season if they anticipate using it outside of practice, but this is discouraged unless under the supervision of an experienced family member.
U14 Competitive
Our U14 competitive program is designed for kids ages 12-14 who are highly experienced; love racing; are highly comfortable on rollerskis and mountain bikes (or are confident they can develop a high level of proficiency very quickly!); and are eager to make a jump in training with an eye toward joining the high school-aged programs within the next year or two. Training includes rollerskiing, pole-running, running, strength training, mountain biking and other activities. The U14 comp group will be closely aligned with our junior programs. Participants are expected to be at practice at least 2 days/week. U14s are encouraged to participate in the Center’s summer bike programming if they choose.
Program Dates
Starts: Wednesday, May 14. Ends: mid October.
Practice Days/Times
SPRING: From May 14 through June 20:
- Wednesdays @ 4:00pm
- Sundays @ 9:00am
SUMMER: From June 22 through August 24:
- Tuesdays @ 8:30am
- Fridays @ 8:30am
- Sundays @ 8:30am
FALL: from August 26 until mid-October (tentative):
- Wednesdays @ 4:00pm
- Sundays @ 9:00am
*Note: practices typically last about 75-90 minutes, but vary some with the activity.
Program Fee
$300
Equipment
All participants must have running shoes and active clothing; a mountain bike and helmet; and a skate rollerski setup, which may be their own or rented from the club (or a combination thereof). Rollerski equipment is not included in the program fee but may be rented via the membership platform starting with registration opening.
Juniors
The Junior program is for experienced high school-aged skiers who are excited about training, racing, and being part of a team. Our group is typically large and diverse. We expect to have some skiers who are focused exclusively on high school racing and others who are eager to compete at regional, national, and international levels.
This summer we are breaking the junior program into two groups (Jr1 and Jr2) to provide better coaching for everyone. A 45-person training group is too big! You’ll see in the schedule that most days will have both groups training at the same time. Depending on the week and the training goals, these may be joint workouts or may be separate. Here’s how we see the groups breaking down:
Jr1 is intended for skiers who:
- are participating full-time, which means 4+ days/week of attendance during the summer (and not just signing up for that much, but actually coming that much on average).
- can ski the full rollerski loop on both skate and classic rollerskis
- are very familiar with strength training
- have specific, Eastern Cup-oriented goals
- are motivated to achieve a high annual training volume
- can commit to keeping a year-round training log and following the training plan on days they’re not at Craftsbury
Jr2 is intended for skiers who:
- are participating on a less-than-full-time basis
- may be working on rollerski comfort in one or both techniques
- are excited about racing but may not yet have super specific racing goals
- think of Craftsbury training as part of a broader spectrum of activities rather than a primary focus
Junior coaches are available to help any skiers figure out where they fit in. Groupings may evolve over time and should not be considered totally static.
Participation in summer training is required, with rare exceptions, for those interested in joining our winter program. Interested skiers who have not trained at all with Craftsbury before should contact coach Anna Schulz as soon as possible prior to registering. Training includes running, bounding, pole-running, rollerskiing, strength training, biking, and some long distance adventures. This year our junior skiers will also have access to our Community Rowing program at discounted program fee ($50 for the summer), starting with Thursday afternoons and with the possibility to expand to additional days with experience.
Program Dates
Starts: Sunday, May 4. Ends: late October.
Practice Days/Times
SPRING: From May 4 through June 20:
- Wednesdays @ 4:00pm
- Fridays @ 4:00pm
- Sundays @ 9:00am
SUMMER: From June 22 through August 24:
- Tuesdays @ 8:30am: Jr1 and Jr2
- Wednesdays @ 8:30am: Jr1 and Jr2
- Thursdays @ 8:30am: only Jr1
- Fridays @ 8:30am: Jr1 and Jr2
- Sundays @ 8:30am: Jr1 and Jr2
FALL: from August 26 until late October (tentative):
- Wednesdays @ 4:00pm
- Fridays @ 4:00pm
- Sundays @ 9:00am
Program Fee
$350 for 2 days/week (Jr2);
$450 for 3+ days/week (Jr2);
$550 for 4+ days/week (Jr1)
Equipment
All participants must have running shoes and active clothing; a mountain bike and helmet; and both a skate AND classic rollerski setup, which may be their own or rented from the club (or a combination thereof). Rollerski equipment is not included in the program fee but may be rented via the membership platform starting with registration opening.
U20/U23 College Training
College-bound and post-grad skiers may fall into either of two groups. Those who have committed to a D1 collegiate skiing program are encouraged to apply for our highly competitive U23 program. Those of our juniors who are graduating but do not qualify for or aren’t accepted into the U23 program are encouraged to spend a final summer training with the junior program.
Biathlon
We’ve been steadily growing our biathlon program over the years and our excited to continue offering biathlon as an add-on to ski programs. Our extra biathlon sessions are currently only for skiers who are both:
already enrolled in one of our other summer ski programs
and at LEAST 10 years of age at the time the program starts. Note that our age minimum has recently increased as we adapt to meet demand and also ensure the safety of our participants.
We now have three different groups for biathlon:
- BKL biathlon – 1 practice/week
- U15 biathlon* – 1 or 2 practices/week
- U17+ biathlon* – 1 or 2 practices/week
*PLEASE NOTE: We are creating this new U15/U17+ split to offer higher quality coaching. U17+ is for junior athletes born in 2010 or earlier AND who attended biathlon practices consistently last winter. New biathletes or returning athletes who didn’t consistently come to practice this past winter should start in the U15 group, even if they are over 15.
Our sessions are run by our experienced biathlon coaching staff with occasional assistance from GRP biathletes (current and retired). Please note: biathlon schedules are subject to change slightly depending on the number of enrollees in any given program and coach availability. This is to keep everyone safe.
Program Dates
- BKL biathlon: starts Thursday, June 19. Ends late September/early October.
- U15 biathlon: starts Wednesday, May 14. Ends mid-October.
- U17+ biathlon: starts Wednesday, May 7. Ends mid-October.
Practice Days/Times
SPRING: starting at the dates above until June 21:
- BKL biathlon: Thursday @ 3:00pm (not in session until June 19)
- U15 & U17+: Wednesdays @ 5:30pm
SUMMER: From June 22 through August 24:
- BKL biathlon: Thursdays @ 3:00pm
- U15 biathlon: Tuesdays and Fridays @10:30am
- U17+ biathlon: Wednesday and Fridays @10:30am
FALL: From August 25 until late September/early October
- BKL biathlon: Thursdays @ 5:15pm
- U15 & U17+ biathlon: Wednesdays @ 5:30pm
Program Fee
- $150 for 1 day/week (includes use of ammo and rifles)
- $300 for 2 days/week (includes use of ammo and rifles) - U15 & U17+ only
Equipment
All participants in this group will be required to have whatever equipment is necessary for their general summer ski training program.
Masters/adults
Skiing
This group is for all adult skiers who are motivated to train for skiing in the summers. We offer twice-weekly summer training for Masters/adults.
Program Dates
Starts: Wednesday, May 21. Ends: early October.
Practice Days/Times
- Wednesdays @ 4:00pm
- Sundays @ 9:00am
- additional adventure days, TBD
Program Fee
- $150 for 1 day/week
- $300 for 2 days/week
Equipment
All participants in this group will be required to have: running shoes, active clothing, and ideally bounding poles as well.
Biathlon for Adults
This group is for adult skiers who have their own biathlon equipment and are looking for structured training sessions and coach feedback. This program will focus on range skills; if you are looking for ski training support, please also sign up for our adult ski program.
Program Dates
Starts: Tuesday, May 20. Ends: early October.
Practice Days/Times
- Tuesday @ 4:45pm
Program Fee
- $150 for 1 day/week
Equipment
All participants in this group will be required to have their own specialized biathlon rifle, cuff, and ammo. Individuals wishing to do rollerski combos must have their own rollerski equipment.
Requirements
All participants must have a current US Biathlon membership, the USBA Basic Rifle Safety certification, and the Craftsbury Membership Biathlon Add-On.
Green Racing Project
This training group is our elite training program primarily for individuals who are pursuing post-collegiate racing at the highest levels. More information is available on the GRP website.