Hintertux, Austria – Nine of Canada’s top ski racing prospects are heading to Austria, as Alpine Canada Alpin (ACA) focuses on providing high performance training with national team coaches and staff to elite young ski racers coming from provincial teams, ski academies or other private ski racing programs.nPlacing renewed emphasis on the development of future national team skiers, ACA is hosting a men’s training camp in Hintertux that started on Wednesday, while the women will be on snow in Pitztal and Sölden, Austria, in October.

This is the second camp for national team prospects in the past two months, as ACA works with the leaders at the national and provincial levels to identify elite ski racers and oversee their progression onto the national teams.

“Men’s Head Coach Kip Harrington and Women’s Head Coach Jean-Sébastien Labrie are leading this second project, which is an important part of these athletes preparation on their road to the World Junior Championships and the Nor-Am Cup races. We are partners with the provinces, working closely to ensure each prospect athlete is offered the best conditions and opportunities to develop and prepare for this important season in their progression,” said National Athletic Director Jean-François Rapatel.

This camp comes after a total of 10 prospects were invited to New Zealand in August, at times training alongside national team skiers.

The skiers are preparing for national and international competition this season on the Coupe GMC Cup and Coupe Nor-Am Cup circuits. The top international junior skiers (birth year 1991 to 1995) will also be selected to compete in the FIS Alpine World Junior Ski Championships, taking place in Crans Montana, Switzerland, from Jan. 30 to Feb. 5, 2011.

PROSPECT GROUP (incl. residence & ski club):

• Philip Brown – Toronto, ON (Alberta Ski Academy)
• Dominique Garand – Ottawa, ON (Mont-Tremblant Ski Club)
• Madison Irwin – Toronto, ON (Craigleith Ski Club)
• Madison McLeish – Canmore, AB (Alberta Ski Academy)
• Trevor Philp – Calgary, AB (Banff Alpine Racers)
• Morgan Pridy – Whistler, BC (Whistler Mountain Ski Club)
• Erik Read – Calgary, AB (Banff Alpine Racers)
• Victoria Stevens – Mont-Tremblant, QC (Mont-Tremblant Ski Club)
• Sasha Zaitsoff – Balfour, BC (Red Mountain Racers)