Skiing at Tech

This is the first installment of a series of athlete profiles featuring local people and how they train, compete and handle day to day living and an athletic lifestyle.

Kyle Demerath is a Green Bay native now attending Michigan Technological University in Houghton, MI. Kyle has been active all his life and has done well in Nordic Skiing first with The Ashwaubenon Nordic Ski Team and now as member of the MTU Nordic Ski Team. Kyle will talk of the challenges of a demanding school and a competitive athletic program as well.

Q: What was the biggest transition from high school athletics to College?
The biggest transition from high school to collegiate athletics that I noticed was in the volume of training. Never before have I gone on runs and rollerski adventures that were 3 hours in length. Also, for me, another big transition was training with this many people. Obviously, our local ski team has far fewer members who can practice all together. I really have enjoyed rollerskiing in a large group and spending a lot of time with all the other athletes.

Q: Michigan Tech University, located in the heart of the Keweenaw, is famous for big hills and big snow. How would you compare NE Wisconsin to living in Houghton?
Well as far as living is concerned, it’s a lot different. The local mall is smaller than the East Town mall, and the movie theater is smaller than our Budget theaters. The scenery, however, is far more exciting. Early in the year I could wake up and look at the valley that the Portage flows through and it would be filled with a foggy mist. When I would walk up the hill (this whole area is full of hills) to the Student Development Complex (SDC), where we practice, I could then see over the fog to the other side. It is pretty cool to see. Rollerskiing in this terrain is also nothing like home. There are plenty of hills here that we go up and down all he time, but in the fall the scenery provided by the changing trees (already at the end of September) was very rewarding.

Q: In Green Bay you where one of the top local skiers. As a college freshman, does having older skiers, many with years of racing experience, help push you to get better?
Definitely. Most of the other freshmen, from Minnesota, are also better than me. It has caused me to be very dedicated in training to better myself so that I can compete with them. It was fun senior year being the one looked up to, but I enjoy being the one able to learn and train under some very good skiers. It is pushing me in every way to become a better skier and the best that I can be.

Q: Have you discovered a favorite place to train?
This is hard to decide because so many of the places that we have trained are great. Some of them are extremely challenging, but at the same time very rewarding. One location that comes to mind was when we drove up to Eagle Harbor (almost to the end of the Keweenaw) and classic rollerskied to Copper Harbor and the end of US 41 (about 16 miles). After we got to the end (or as the sign says, the beginning of US 41) we turned around and went up Brockway Mountain. The hills we climbed while ascending the mountain were some of the steepest hills I have ever seen, much less rollerskied up. They were like skiing up Baird's Creek hill, only like 5 times as long, and then there was another one right after that. It was 4 miles up hill, total elevation change of 735 ft.
For as much energy as it took, the view at the top, and the whole way along, was simply stunning.

Q: Balancing school, training and a social life is tough. What thing do you wish you could do more of?
Yes, it is pretty tough, but not as bad as you might think. Many of the skiers hang out to do homework and get stuff done. The upperclassmen are very helpful as well. As far as a social life goes, most of the friends we have are the team, and we get along great. We hang out on the weekends with everyone on the team and do things together. There are times when I wish I could have a little more free time, but overall its not too bad and I am having a lot of fun.

Q: The UP is famous for Pasties. Have you developed a liking for them and if so who makes your favorite? (mine was the Kaleva Cafe in Hancock)
I have not really developed a love for pasties. I've only had a few since I've been here and they haven't done a whole lot to impress me. I have not tried that place.

Q: What is the toughest workout your coach makes you guys do?
Some of the long workouts can be tough, but for the most part they aren't too bad, except the time I bonked 2.5 hours into a 3 hr. rollerski. The hardest workout is either when we go up Mount Ripley (the schools downhill ski hill) or when we do rollerski strength. Quick overview: Ripley’s include a 3:30-3:45 minute ski walk up the hill (we cover about 550 meters I think). The most times I have gone up in a day is 8 (since this interview I have now done 12), but some of the guys have done upwards of 12 I think. It gets pretty intense pretty quick. Rollerski strength includes doing 10 reps of each classic technique (single stick, double pole, and kick double pole - in that order) up a hill for lengths of 150 meters each time. Overall that is 4.5 km up uphill strength work, and it is nothing short of intense. The single sticking in the beginning is the hardest, and it makes the rest of the workout hard as well. It’s hard to say how steep both hills are, but let's just say they are steep enough to make the workout challenging.

Q: Do you have any goals for this season, academically or sports?
For sports I am hoping to go the Junior Olympics for skiing, probably with the Great Lakes team. I think this would be a great experience. Other than that my largest goal is to improve as much as possible. Academically I want to finish my first year with a GPA around a 3.8 to a 4.0.

Q: MTU has historically had a good academic program. Is it as tough as you expected?
It is tough, but I feel I am handling it pretty well. My grades thus far have been good. I was always told it would be difficult, and it is certainly more challenging than high school, but I don't feel that it is impossible to succeed and do well in school while participating in sports. Many of the other members on the ski team are very intelligent and hard working. Being around them, as I stated earlier, has helped show us (the freshman) and idea of what we need to do to succeed. Off the record: I still don't study as much as I should though.

Q: What do you think of the elusive "Tech Girls"? Optional*
I like them.... there are not very many girls up here, that's no secret. Although, being on the CC/Ski team, us guys have a better
"ratio" than most of the other students here.