FIS hosts Alpine and Para Cross-Country development camps in South America

Oct 06, 2025·Inside FIS

A group photo from the FIS camp in El Bolson

In July and August, FIS brought snow sports expertise to South America to host development camps in the Alpine and Cross-Country disciplines.

Between July 18 and 2 August, 35 athletes from 21 nations descended on the Argentinian town of El Bolson ready to hit the slopes. After temperatures dropped to below 0, along with a spell of heavy snowfall, it allowed for the perfect conditions to produce artificial snow for the planned events.

Unfortunately, a sudden spike in temperatures meant that participants were limited to sessions on dry land for the first few days. In an attempt to provide them with training on the snow, the second half of camp was relocated to Antillanca, Chile.

Once again, weather conditions – this time both warm and rainy – made for some limitations.

Despite this, spirits remained high, and all involved were able to make the best of the circumstances to enjoy learning from experts.

“We remain confident that in the future, training conditions will once again improve significantly,” said camp co-ordinator Markus Malsiner.

Athletes shared the same outlook, basking in the knowledge and hands-on training that was still at their disposal even with the challenges they faced.

Carolina Gonzalez Reyes, whose son was one of the many participants in attendance, wrote to FIS and provided a first-hand view of the event.

“Although unfortunately they were not able to race, the experience of the camp was a mix of diverse outdoor activities, physical training, and skiing on the slopes of Antillanca, [which] was a great success,” she enthused.

I could say for my son, who is 15, that it was an amazing experience to speak another language daily, learn about different cultures, be a part of a great team of athletes and coaches, and see how passion for the mountains and skiing can easily unite the world.– Carolina Gonzalez Reyes

A snapshot from the Para Cross-Country camp in Ushuaia

Further into the month, FIS hosted a 10-day camp in Ushuaia, Argentina. This time the focus was firmly on Para Cross-Country, between 2-12 August.

22 participants in total, made up of athletes, guides, and coaches, travelled from five different ski associations to attend.

As well as offering a chance to socialise and share experiences, the primary focus of this camp – given that for some it was their first time on snow or trying this discipline – was to offer the basic element of skiing.

This entailed both classic and skating, spread across practical and theoretical sessions.

Anne Ragnhild Kroken (NOR) and Daniele Serra (ITA) were the designated FIS experts who supported the training camp, sharing their invaluable experiences and knowledge openly with all in attendance.

“This is my first time at a FIS Para CC camp; here, I tried cross-country skiing for the first time,” said Argentine participant Brenda Sardon.

“I love it and I’ve learned so much during the camp. It gives me such a rush every day! Every situation is different and it’s fantastic to be here.”

For Brazil coach Fabio Ribera, any worries he had about attending the camp were soon put to bed.

“Before coming to the camp, I was a little anxious because I didn’t know if I would be able to keep up with such high level, experienced coaches,” he explained.

I immediately felt at ease with people who shared their knowledge and skills without holding anything back – the technical advice I received will be a great help to me.– Fabio Ribera, Cross-Country coach for Brazil

For camp co-ordinator Alberto Rigoni, it was yet another event that was a roaring success with athletes who are determined to develop.