Summer Grand Prix Debut

September 15, 2024

Summer Grand Prix! For anyone who might not know, the Summer Grand Prix (SGP) is a Nordic Combined competition series that takes place every fall. It is the highest level of competition for Nordic Combined during the summer, and is full of athletes from the World Cup. The Grand Prix is usually made up of 5-6 races in central Europe at the end of August / early September. This year had two races in Tschagguns, Austria, one race in Oberstdorf, Germany, and two races in Chaux-Neuve, France. I was invited to represent the U.S at the SGP in Chaux-Neuve! Read on for a recap of the trip!

On Thursday August 29th, Andreas Skoglund and I flew from Trondheim to Geneva to meet up with athletes from the Norwegian team who were flying from Oslo. I arrived in Geneva about an hour and a half before the rest of the team, so I decided to try to find some of the famous Swiss hot chocolate. All I can say is that the reviews were spot on. This was some of the best hot chocolate I have ever had. From Geneva we piled into a van and crossed the border to Chaux-Neuve. The drive had us winding up a mountain pass which offered an incredible view of Geneva below. On the drive we also saw some incredible architecture which was built as a train route through the mountains. After settling into our rooms, we went for a short jog to shake out our legs from the travel and got our first chance to see the beautiful scenery surrounding the hotel.

On Friday morning we drove to the jumps for training and the Provisional Competition Round (PCR). The PCR is a back-up comp of sorts that is only used if the Ski Jumping conditions on the competition day are too dangerous to jump in. If this is the case, the cross-country race is based off the PCR results. The first two training rounds went alright, but I was having some trouble finding the rhythm of the hill and hitting the takeoff on time. The interesting thing about Nordic Combined is that in most competitions you only get two or three jumps on a new hill before you must compete on it! After training I discussed what to fix with my coach and went up for the PCR. Unfortunately, I was using a new suit that we hadn’t had the chance to test thoroughly, so I was disqualified at the top (or officially Not Permitted to Start, NPS, for anyone who watches the FIS Live Tickers) due to suit measurements. This was a bit frustrating, but I wasn’t too worried because I knew the forecast for the weekend looked good so the PCR would most likely not matter anyway. 

After the jumping we previewed the Roller Ski Course and waited at the hill to get our new measurements done. This year, all athletes were required to get a body scan. In Nordic Combined, body measurements are extremely important because it is the judge’s metric of how to tell if your suit is “legal” at the top of the hill. For more information on why suits are sometimes illegal and why these measurements are important go check out my blog post “What is Nordic Combined.” After the measurements, we returned to the hotel and with the help of the coaches, spent a few hours tailoring the jumping suits.

Saturday morning was HOT. If you didn’t know, we wear the same ski jumping suits in the summer and winter so on warm days it can get pretty brutal. That being said, the weather was beautiful, and everyone was stoked to compete. France turned up as well, and there was a good-sized crowd watching with all sorts of food trucks. We were not given a trial jump, so the competition was just one jump. I passed the suit control at the top and took my jump, but unfortunately, I was called into suit control at the bottom and was disqualified (DSQ). This meant that I would have to wait for the next day to get a chance on the roller ski course. This was really disappointing, especially because the DSQ was for the same reason as the day before, but I got to cheer as the rest of the team raced the 10km course through the town.

The next day was also just one competition jump and a 10km roller ski race. We competed in the jumping, but unfortunately a lightning storm accompanied by strong winds blew in and the roller ski race was cancelled. This might have been one of the first times where the jumping competition was held, but the ski race was cancelled! Usually, it’s vice versa. It was disappointing not to get the chance to race at my debut, but I was still able to get a sense of where the level is, and the areas I need to focus on as winter approaches.

I am now back in Trondheim, Norway training before U.S National Championships in early October. Summer Grand Prix was overall a bit disappointing, but it was amazing to get the chance to jump against the best, and I am extremely grateful to have been given the opportunity. For now, the training is going great and looking really promising. I’m looking forward to new opportunities this winter, and my real debut. ;)

There are so many people I want to thank for getting me here, but I want to focus on my family for this post. Despite being on the National Team, I do not receive any funding from the U.S Ski Team or any other governing body. This means that my ski career is fully funded through sponsors, fundraisers, and most importantly, my family. I want to say a huge thank you to my parents for supporting me, and the sacrifices they have made to allow me to pursue my ski career. I would not be here without you. Love you guys! ❤️