IFSS Announces Training Camp in Scandinavia 2010

Update (2009/11/22) - Seven Canadian applications have been accepted by IFSS for review: 1 from Quebec, 3 from Ontario, 2 from B.C., and 1 from the Yukon. No deadline has been set to announce the selections. Check back here for updates.

Melbourne, Australia, October 15, 2009 – The International Federation of Sleddog Sports (IFSS) has announced that a designated amount of money will be allocated for 12 people from IFSS member federations to attend a training camp to develop their abilities and the sleddog sport in their country and region. Only one person from each federation will be accepted. All transportation and accommodations will be paid for by the joint contributions of IFSS and the Scandinavian national federations, Norges Hundejörerforbund (NHF) and Svenska Draghundsportförbundet (SDSF).

For 10 days, from 26 February to 7 March, 2010, 12 individuals will have an exciting opportunity to participate in an extensive training course, emphasizing Nordic pulka and skijoring but also including training with Nome sled, to take place in Norway and Sweden. Participants will first travel to Mora, Sweden, on February 26th and then go on to Orsa Hamar, Norway, March 4th to compete in the Trail World Championships. The purposes of the camp are two-fold: (1) to help improve abilities of international competitors who wish to compete in the IFSS World Championships in Norway in 2011 and (2) to educate and train people who can teach others in their home country or region. Practice and theory will be taught with particular emphasis on skiing technique, waxing material and organization and cooperation in sleddog sports. The training leaders will be Ulla-Kari Pontén of Sweden, who will lead in Nordic; Malin Sundin, who will instruct in long distance sled; Sara Sundin, trainer for Nordic and sled; and Bengt Pontén, IFSS president who will work with Nordic skills. Present will also be several instructors from the local sled dog club in Sweden and the Ski College in Mora. Prospective applicants are invited to apply by requesting application form and materials from Darren Watson, IFSS Vice President for Development ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or Sally O’Sullivan Bair, IFSS Secretary General ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ). Completed applications must be received by IFSS (Darren Watson) no later than November 7, 2009, so that the selection process can be completed and selected participants will have time to make appropriate arrangements.