Attain · Hold · Explode
Every spring, Calgary hockey and ringette parents invest in power skating clinics. Their athletes work hard. They get more ice time. And they show up to September tryouts skating almost identically to how they finished the season.
Here's why: skating clinics practice movement. They don't build the body skating demands. The ankle that won't dorsiflex. The outside edge with no strength behind it. The legs that straighten the moment fatigue arrives. These are body problems. They require body solutions.
In 2006, I flew to China with zero Mandarin, no contract, and 90 days to prove myself to the most demanding speed skating coach in the world. Her name was Li Yan. She sent me to Harbin—a frozen city in northern China—with 14 underfunded athletes, no barbell, no squat rack, and one instruction:
No equipment. No proper facility. Just first principles and survival instinct. What I discovered in those 90 days—and refined over four years with China's national team—became the foundation of a methodology that helped produce the most dominant Olympic skating program in history.
Those methods were built for Olympic performance. The Stride Accelerator adapts them specifically for competitive Calgary youth hockey and ringette athletes during their most important developmental years.
Every element of this program flows through three non-negotiable stages—in order. You cannot shortcut the sequence. Neither could Wang Meng. Neither can your athlete.
Most hockey players can't fully attain the optimal skating position. Their ankles won't dorsiflex. Their knees won't track. Their legs skate too straight, losing power with every stride. Before anything else, we build the body that skating demands.
The position must become automatic—not just briefly accessible. This is the heart of the program, borrowed directly from Chinese Olympic speed skating. Banded crossovers are the single best exercise for developing outside edge strength. Most hockey players have almost none.
Only once structure and stability are secure do we layer power. Jump integration, banded deceleration work, and stop-start tolerance. Hockey is a game of starts and stops—we train both sides of the acceleration coin.
One purpose: create a more powerful skater. Not skills. Not puck handling. Pure expression of everything built off the ice. Organized at Calgary rinks including Flames Community Arenas. Encouraged, not mandatory.
One athlete arrived playing Division 2 hockey. 12 weeks later he made AA—a three-level jump in a single off-season.
"Training based around speed skating type drills brought my skating to the NCAA level. My game is all about explosive power and speed, and you will possess both once you've mastered the exercises Greg teaches."
"I've trained with Greg for 8 years. Hockey is a game of speed—improving those aspects gives me the edge over my opponents. I continue to trust the coaches at the Jungle with my pro career."
"Focusing on speed skating-style crossovers and single leg training has been a game-changer for me. These exercises enhanced my athletic performance and prevented injuries."
"When I started I lacked stability, explosiveness and agility. The Jungle's focus on these qualities has brought my game to a whole new level. I've never skated with more confidence."
Before committing to the program, attend a 90-minute introduction workshop. Experience the training. Understand the methodology. Decide if this is right for your athlete.
Reserve your spot at the March 17 or March 19 introduction workshop.
$10 at the door. Confirmation within 24 hours.
We'll confirm your spot within 24 hours. $10 is collected at the door on the day of your workshop—not today. No commitment required until you've experienced the training.