LNR Juniors

Cross-country ski training
for 13-18 year olds

The Loppet Foundation :: Programs :: Loppet Nordic Racing :: LNR Juniors

The Junior Program of Loppet Nordic Racing strives to teach skiers how to improve both their ski technique and physical conditioning. While LNR Juniors is just beginning, the predecessors to the program have been around for years. Those predecessor programs have had great success – with kids finishing the program better prepared for ski season and with fresh enthusiasm for the sport.

Local Training and Training Camps

2024 Spring, Summer Training and Summer Camps

Loppet Nordic Racing is pleased to announce our 2024 program offerings. 

  1. To keep training varied, challenging, and having the opportunity to explore new places
  2. To make sure training in spring and summer is focused on making you a better all around athlete: coordination, speed, and running/movement mechanics
  3. To make sure that the environment at LNR is one that stresses being a good person, not just a good athlete.  We will focus on working well in a group and members are expected to participate in a number of volunteer projects throughout the year.

Development Team (Devo Team)

The LNR Devo Team is geared toward younger skiers and those participating in multiple sports. Devo team training is meant to keep training closer to home and shorter out of town camps. Training for this group will be more varied than the Comp Team and often less ski specific. This group is composed mostly of years of birth 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011.

Competition Team (Comp Team)

The LNR competition team is our highest level of training for high school aged student athletes. Primarily for high school juniors and seniors or birth years 2005, 2006, and 2007 birth years, and must have prior LNR training experience with the LNR Devo team. Comp team members are committed to year round training and have goals of competing regionally and nationally.

Both LNR training groups share the same goals

  1. To keep training varied, challenging, and having the opportunity to explore new places
  2. To make sure training in spring and summer is focused on making you a better all around athlete: coordination, speed, and running/movement mechanics
  3. To make sure that the environment at LNR is one that stresses being a good person, not just a good athlete.  We will focus on working well as part of a group, and we’ll have a number of volunteer projects throughout the year.

 LNR Training Camp Schedule (out of town)

Athletes must be enrolled in Summer or Fall LNR (Comp or Devo) in order to attend camps.  We do make exceptions if there is room and if the athlete is sufficiently prepared.  Please contact Piotr at bednarski@loppet.org or Chris Harvey at harvey@loppet.org.

LNR Development Team 2024 Camps 

  • June Camp in Ironwood MI. June 17th – 22nd (6 days). Combined with Comp team. Transportation provided to and from the Trailhead. 
  • July Camp in Grand Marias, MN. July 22nd – 26th (5 days). Transportation provided to and from the Trailhead. 
  • MEA Camp in Cable WI. Oct 16th – 20th (5 days). Combined with Comp team. Transportation provided to and from the Trailhead. 
  • Thanksgiving On Snow Camp in Silverstar British Columbia (8 days). Sun Nov 24th – Sun Dec 1st. Airfare not included in camp registration fee, recommended flights will be sent out to book in July 2024. Must be at least 14 years old to travel with LNR. Families with skiers 13 and younger are encouraged to book their own travel and housing to Silverstar and can join LNR for the skiing sessions. 

LNR Competition Team 2024 Camps 

-note that Comp Team Athletes may attend a Development Team Camp 

  • June Camp in Ironwood MI. June 17th – 22nd (6 days). Combined with Devo team. Transportation provided to and from the Trailhead. 
  • July Camp in Truckee California Thursday July 25th  – Friday August 2nd (9 days). Airfare not included in camp registration fee. Please book tickets to SFO landing by 9am on Thursday July 25th and departing after 5pm on Friday August 2nd. Recommended flights here at this link.
  • MEA Camp in Cable WI. Oct 16th – 20th (5 days). Combined with Devo team. Transportation provided to and from the Trailhead.
  • Thanksgiving On Snow Camp in Silverstar British Columbia (8 days). Sun Nov 24th – Sun Dec 1st. Airfare not included in camp registration fee, recommended flights will be sent out to book in July 2024.

**note for Truckee CA Camp-  athletes need to be signed up for one additional LNR Training Camp and LNR Comp Team in order to participate**

Join our Facebook group for updates, social activities, and other opportunities!

LNR Spring/Summer Training Informational Presentation

Please watch this short recorded presentation by LNR head coach Chris Harvey for an informational meeting on LNR’s program goals and training groups. This presentation is geared towards new or prospective skiers and their parents. The meeting was done over Zoom and was recorded on the link above.

Financial Assistance 

Financial Assistance: Scholarships are available on a need basis from the Loppet Foundation. Please contact Coach Bednarski for more information at bednarski@loppet.org.

Refund Policy

The Loppet will issue a full refund of the program fee minus the original processing fee up until 4 weeks before the program starts.  Between 4 and 3 weeks from the program start date, a 50% refund will be issued. There are no refunds for any cancellations within less than 3 weeks of the start of a program.

A Note About the Data We Collect

Development Team

The goal of the LNR Development Team is to offer quality, instructional ski training for middle school and high school aged skiers. The Development Team is our former 3 day program and is still intended for skiers wishing to train 3 days a week with us in the summer. The 3 day a week plan allows skiers to participate in another program like summer running or a high school based ski program.

Development Team is the entry to the Loppet Nordic Racing program at The Loppet Foundation. Devo is geared more towards younger skiers and those new to a club skiing program.

Competition Team

The goal of the LNR Competition Team is prepare athletes ages 16-18 to compete at a national and international level. Training is based on a year round model, starting in the beginning of April. Comp team athletes have decided that skiing is their primary sport and are committed to attending training 4-6 times a week, keeping a training log, attending camps, and competing at the regional CXC Junior Cup races. There is room for Comp team athletes to participate in another sport or program but that sport should complement the year-round ski training and racing model.

2024 LNR Spring and Summer Programs
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2024 LNR Fall and Winter Programs
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2024 LNR Out of Town Training Camps
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2024 LNR Year Round Teams
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Skate Rollerskis

Classic Rollerskis

All of these skis can be purchased with two different wheel speeds, the No. 2 wheel is the standard/medium speed option and the No. 3 wheel is a slower option. The No. 2 wheel is a great training speed similar to the Marwe 6 wheel. The No. 3 wheel is closer in speed to the Marwe 7 wheel.

Loppet Nordic Racing prides itself on a coaching staff that have:

  1. Technical proficiency and are up to date in technique instruction and training methods.
  2. Personality traits that help motivate and engage athletes of all ages.
  3. A common method and language to coach skiing.
  4. Interest and motivation to train, race, and improve their own skiing.

Currently LNR has more USSA certified Level 100 coaches than any other ski club in the United States.

Loppet Nordic Racing Full-Time Coaches

Loppet Sport Director Piotr Bednarski and LNR Head Coach Chris Harvey head up the coaching team. Both are experienced high-level coaches.

Piotr Bednarski, Loppet Sport Director (bednarski@loppet.org): Piotr has served as the Loppet Sport Director since March of 2012. He started coaching his college team at Cornell University at the age of 21, so his coaching career now spans 35 years. Piotr served as Athlete Development Director and Junior National Team Coach for the U.S Biathlon Team for 10 years. He has coached at the college and high school level, and previous to his time with the Loppet Foundation worked with Team Birkie, Minnesota Biathlon, and Go! Training. Piotr currently spends most of his coaching time working with the LNR Devo Team, as well LNR Adult programs. He is an avid xc ski racer, and also enjoys mountain biking and travelling with his familly.

Harvey

Chris Harvey, Loppet Nordic Racing Head Coach (harvey@loppet.org): Engineer turned full-time ski coach, Chris Harvey has been coaching junior skiers for over a decade. He skied and ran cross-country on the NCAA teams at Michigan Tech before becoming the Burnsville High School Head Nordic Ski Coach in 2010. In 2012, he began working with Loppet Nordic Racing Juniors, coaching them to Junior National championship wins and helping them earn spots on World Junior/U23 Championship and the U18 Nations Cup Trip teams. Chris Harvey has coached at a national and international level, having served as the U18 Nations Cup Trip leader in 2017 and having coached the Midwest’s Junior National Team since 2011 as both the Trip Leader and Midwest Team Head Coach in 2015 and 2016.