Page 58

In August, when many people are dreaming of holidays on a beach in the summer sun, ski and snowboard teams from around the world are intensifying their training in preparation for their upcoming seasons. While some teams opt to train on glaciers found in Europe, many head to the Southern Hemisphere in search of the best winter conditions they can fi nd. In addition to beautiful resorts and mountainous terrain, several countries in South America have what many in the Northern Hemisphere can’t offer in August – snow. And when the ski season is just getting underway in Patagonia, it’s the off-season in the United States, Canada, and Europe, which is why it has become a popular pre-season training ground for national ski teams due to the region’s ideal winter conditions and plentiful snowfall.Filmed among the breath-taking and picturesque backdrops of Chile and Argentina last August, the Olympic Channel original series Patagonia Dreaming takes you behind the scenes and into the training camps of 10 national ski and snowboard teams from around the world as they make their season-long preparations.Several athletes and Olympians, including those from Switzerland, Slovenia, the Russian Federation, Canada and the Republic of Korea, descend on resorts in Chile and Argentina for their pre-season training. In these optimal conditions, athletes are able to immerse themselves in the local environment to concentrate on the technical, physical and mental preparations of their sports and also fi nd time off the slopes to experience the local culture with their team-mates. Through interviews, Olympic archival footage and trivia, the 10-episode series features athletes and coaches who provide intimate, fi rst-person insights into their daily lives as they look towards the upcoming season and beyond. “I’ve won pretty much everything there is in the sport of freestyle skiing, except for an Olympic medal,” said USA freestyle skier Patrick Deneen. “So going into PyeongChang 2018 that is my sole focus and everything I’m doing is moving in that direction.”Throughout the course of their training, the athletes refl ect on their physical health, the tolls of travelling, bonding with team-mates and their dreams of competing in PyeongChang next February. “It’s that day when you have a chance to do something big, and if it doesn’t happen you have to wait four more years,” said Swiss Alpine skier and Olympic bronze medallist Lara Gut on competing at the Olympic Winter Games. “I’m looking forward to it.”With PyeongChang 2018 just around the corner, skiers and snowboarders will be dreaming of Patagonia this August as they prepare for the season ahead. ■Patagonia Dreaming is available worldwide via mobile apps for Android and iOS devices and at olympicchannel.comPATAGONIA DREAMING FOLLOWS WORLD-CLASS SKIERS AND SNOWBOARDERS AS THEY TRAVEL TO THE END OF THE WORLD TO LIVE AND TRAIN DURING THE OFF-SEASONPATAGONIA DREAMINGBelowPatagonia provides the perfect training environment for skiers in AugustTHE OLYMPIC CHANNEL PRESENTS:OLYMPIC CHANNEL