I returned to Park City for two days after the 4th of July to pack for a two week training camp in Europe with the team. Our first stop of the camp was in Hinterzarten, Germany. The focus of the week was ski jumping. Granted we did take our bikes out for several bike rides. Anyway, we started the jumping camp on the HS75. I struggled quite a bit with the jumping. By the third day, coach Marc and I believed it was necessary for me to move to an even smaller hill to just "play around" with my in-run, take-off, etc. The goal here was to build a good base and to improve my confidence in my jumping abilities. After several sessions on the HS30, I moved back up to the HS75 jump. My confidence was much higher and I had some pretty good jumps. It was a happy ending to our week in Hinterzarten.
Also, when we were in Hinterzarten, we had meetings with reps from Rass jump boots, Meininger jump suits, and Fluege skis. We learned about all the new innovations the companies are looking to make and we even tried out some of the products. I think most of the team is now squared away with equipment for the upcoming season.
The next stop on our agenda is Courchevel, France. Au Revoir!!!