ASPEN — While AHS students had the chance to travel across the country to participate in a wide range of unique, exciting Experiential Education courses early in September, AHS senior Devon Toribio and junior Dexter Edelman sought out their own adventure in La Parva, Chile, where they spent 10 days training at the first-ever USSA Tri-Regional ski racing camp.

   The exclusive program invited a handful of skiers from each of the three USSA represented regions of the United States to train under the guidance of US Ski Team coaches and Regional Directors at the World Cup level track in La Parva. Both Edelman and Toribio were selected along with three other members of the USSA Rocky Mountain/ Central Division, which encompasses 19 midwestern states including Colorado, New Mexico and part of Wyoming. Edelman and Toribio were two of five participating male racers from the Aspen Valley Ski Club FIS team.  With five racers participating, AVSC had the most representation of any team in attendance. AVSC coach Torey Greenwood traveled with the team.  

   The skiers journeyed over 5,000 miles to reach their South American destination. The rigorous training schedule meant that Ex Ed week for Edelman and Toribio was far from relaxing.      

   “Camps like that are centered around snow time,” Toribio said. “They are about maximizing performance and improvement. The rest of the time you spend fixing your body and tuning your skis.”

   Over the course of the 10-day camp, skiers were encouraged to take every fifth day off from training. The elevation was a major factor in the training experience. Located at 10,000-12,000 feet, La Parva is a small mountain town nestled in the Andes mountain range, not far from the Chilean capital of Santiago. The racers burned approximately 9,000 calories per day. To keep pace with the training, Edelman and Toribio ate constantly, which they said was hard to do given the busy ski schedule.

   “Among the athletes we know from ski camps, we’ve developed a philosophy that it’s most important to replenish calories and to sometimes sacrifice quality to reach our dietary goals,” Toribio said.

   For Edelman and Toribio, the experience of training alongside world class competitors was both instructive and thrilling.

   “We were training downhill alongside Lara Gut, the overall title winner for the Women’s World Cup last year, the Slovenian men’s national team, and even played spikeball with the Italian downhillers who went first and second in the overall downhill standings last year,” Edelman said. “They were pretty remarkable athletes.”

   Edelman and Toribio feel they benefitted from learning in the company of world class coaches from outside the Aspen community.  

   “It was great because you got a different perspective on your skiing. When you work with the same coaches you can kind of begin to hear the same thing, and your improvement can stagnate.” Toribio said. “Hearing the same point phrased differently or having a slightly different focus can be really helpful sometimes.”

   The racing duo have been competing and training together since Toribio moved to Aspen from Oregon in 2015. Both cited the value of having a friend and training partner to motivate and encourage each other to achieve.

   The unique experience in La Parva gave Edelman and Toribio a chance to delve deeper into the sport that has been the primary focus of their high school years. However, their relentless drive to improve as racers is what spurs them on.  

   “Racing is the one problem that I have never really been able to figure out.” Toribio said. “When you’re taking off from the runway, it feels really cool because you’re accelerating, slowing down, speeding up, and trying to find ways to go faster. I have never felt those sensations anywhere else. There are so many elements to the sport that it is very rare to come across a skier that is always in control of himself, knows what has to be done and how to do it. That is what every racer is trying to reach, and the real problem is trying to get there.”