Catchin' Up with Chambo

Recently, I got the chance to catch up with Bates College Alumni David Chamberlain (a.k.a. Chambo) over the holiday break. With a gnarly travel schedule this winter, he has some serious goals that would land this Native Mainer among the top in the US while making a dent in the international scene as well. If words don't show his potential, here are some numbers that might help:

-2001, 2003, and 2005 U.S. World Championship Team member
-2004 and 2006 Overall SuperTour Champion
-2 time NCAA All-American

Here's what the young alum had to say:

Sylvan Ellefson: How has the summer and fall training been going?

David Chamberlain: The summer and fall have been really good for training. I packed in quite a bit of volume training through the summer months, and as the fall has progressed I have focused more on quality intensity sessions. We had a good group of skiers around in the County over the summer which made for focused training. I was able to travel to Vancouver in September to check out the Olympic trails and train with the US team boys out there. That was a great camp, and coupled with the Lake Placid camp in October gave me the chance to knock heads with some fast guys. That is always important for me in the fall.

SE: How is it balancing a family and skiing?

DC: It is really easy when your wife is also a competitive skier. BethAnn is a biathlete so our schedules are similar. We don't always get the chance to see each other much through the winter months, so we pack in as many dates as we can through the summer and fall!

SE: How do you feel going to college while still skiing has helped you in the grand scheme of things?

DC: The obvious answer is that it is nice to have a college degree. Aside from that I would say that personally I felt I was able to progress as a skier and get a lot out of my college experience. Students at the small liberal arts colleges in the east have many advantages, campus housing, food, a challenging race circuit. As long as certain priorites are looked after, like training and rest, the choice to pursue college and skiing can be a really good one, even for those looking to compete seriously after graduation.

SE: What are your goals for the upcoming year?

DC: My big goal is to score some World Cup points. Making the World Championship team is also a goal and winning the overall SuperTour title again.

SE: If you were a tree, what kind would you be?

DC: I really do love the look and feel of a gnarly old pine tree.

Thanks Chambo for catching up with the ol' alma mater. Good luck on the trails.