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AUTUMN
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EARLY WINTER
2016
Theyearwas1986
andJurgGfellerwas justcomingoffanotherWorldCupseasoncoaching themen’sCanadian
NationalSki Team.Throughouthisyearsembedded inski racing, Jurghadseenmanysuccessfulathletescomeoutof theski
academystream in theUnitedStatesandEurope.ThrivingprogramssuchasStamsSkiAcademy inAustriaproducedathletes
likeBenni RaichandStefanEberharterwhileBurkeMountainAcademyalums includeErikSchlopy (andmore recently
MikaelaShiffrin).
Thiswouldbeanewconcept forCanada:askiacademy thatwouldhouse thenation’smost talentedyoungskiersunderone
roof tocombineacademic,athleticandskidevelopment.One-stop-shopping, ifyouwill,witha flexibleschoolingsystem, su-
pervisedathleticdevelopmentandgreatcoaching.Togetherwith JerryStone,DanHadleyandHenryHaiduk, theNational
Ski Academy (NSA)was foundedandopened its doors at 200OakStreet inCollingwood in1986. Todateover 300
studentathleteshavepassed through theAcademy’sdoors.
Now, 30years later theNSA is a thrivingMinistryof Education inspectedprivate school, grantinghigh school credits for
grades nine through12. The renovated12,000 square foot Tornavenemansionoffers classrooms, studyhall, gymnasium
andweight room, tuning room,boarding forup to35student/athletesandakitchenwitha full timechef.
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BYCARAWILLIAMS
