Guenther Birgmann takes over the Treble Cone Race Academy

Treble Cone’s long-time head coach Guenther Birgmann has taken ownership of the Treble Cone Race Academy (TCRA) for the 2011 winter season.

Treble Cone Race Academy has firmly established itself as the most popular and successful program for FIS racers in the Southern Hemisphere, attracting over 90 international ski racers to the Wanaka ski field each year. This move guarantees the future of the academy and ensures the program will continue to be based in Wanaka, training at Treble Cone.

Treble Cone Race Academy is aimed at athletes who are looking to advance their ski racing to the next level to secure a place on their national ski team, lower their FIS points and achieve the all-important spot on the podium.
“I am thrilled with this opportunity to advance the academy and continue my work,” said Mr Birgmann. “Ski racing and instructing is my life and this is a culmination of a dream to own my own ski racing academy and propel many of our athletes to the top level of ski racing. To date many TCRA athletes have achieved the highest level within the sport, I look forward to continuing this winning streak,” he said.

Over the years the Treble Cone Race Academy has successfully trained numerous elite ski racers many of whom go on to become World Cup and Olympian athletes or gain national team selection. Athletes include: Leif Kristian Haugen (Norway), David Chodounski (USA) and Warner Nickerson (USA) all current World Cup athletes and Olympians, Chloe Fause (Norway) and Kristina Haugen

(Norway) achieved their goal of national team selection.

Following completion of the TCRA programme Adam Barwood (Queenstown) went on to be selected for the New Zealand national team, became a top New Zealand junior athlete and honoured with the title of Otago Sportsman of the Year in 2010.

The academy runs the intense four to eight week programmes from July to September and incorporates physical, nutritional, theory and on-mountain training.

During the Southern Hemisphere’s off-season Birgmann works as head coach of Lake Tahoe’s Sugar Bowl Academy in the USA with further cooperation between the two operations likely.

The junior ski race program, which was previously under the TCRA umbrella, will now be managed by the Treble Cone Snowsports School under Klaus Mair with the aim of retaining a local focus to this program.

For further information or for bookings, visit www.treblecone.com Treble Cone will open on 23 June with a scheduled closing day of 2 October.