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Steamboat Springs — Ryan Bradley may not know all the details of Howelsen Hill's long and proud Olympic tradition, but he understands what it takes to be an Olympian.

"I watch the Olympics on television, and they talk about how half the skiers train in Steamboat Springs. There is such a great atmosphere here - you can just feel it. It's hard to put it into words, but just to know that so many greats have come from here and there are so many people with that Olympic mindset is cool," Bradley said. "It takes a special person, not only to make the Olympic team, but just to make that commitment to make that Olympic team."

Bradley understands that commitment, and is hoping he has what it takes to make the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, B.C.

The 25-year-old is in Steamboat Springs this week, along with 25 members of the Broadmoor Figure Skating Club, for a weeklong camp at Howelsen Ice Arena. Coach Tom Zakrajsek, who was named the 2009 Professional Skaters' Association Coach of the Year, is running the camp along with Becky Calvin.

"It's a training camp, so there is an atmosphere of fun and excitement," Zakrajsek said.

Courtney Gill, director of figure skating at Howelsen Ice Arena, said the Broadmoor club has come to Steamboat Springs two of the past three years and built a strong relationship with the facility.

"It's close to where we train, it's a great facility, and it's very similar in altitude to what we have in Colorado Springs," Zakrajsek said.

One thing the Steamboat facility also has that the World Arena in Colorado Springs doesn't, at least this week, is ice time. Zakrajsek said the State Games of America National Championships have severely limited ice time in Colorado Springs.

'All about the games'

Zakrajsek said skaters at this week's camp range in age from 7 to 25.

Elite skaters include two-time national silver medalist Rachael Flatt, 2009 national silver medalist Brandon Mroz, and 2009 junior Grand Prix bronze medalist and 2008 U.S. junior champion Alexe Gilles. Bradley, who finished fourth at this year's national championships, said he wouldn't think of missing a camp in Steamboat.

"I look forward to it every time we come, and it's just great," Bradley said. "Everybody at this rink is so great toward realizing that everything is for the skater and progressing our career."

Mroz also was happy to escape the hustle and bustle of Colorado Springs for the mountains of Steamboat.

"It's nice because it's just us for the week," Mroz said. "We can kind of have our own rules, and we can push ourselves at our own pace. I think we kind of get used to Colorado Springs. It's nice to get away and have a little different atmosphere."

But the 18-year-old's focus is clearly his Olympic aspirations, and where he trains is secondary to the end goal.

"Ice is ice, and you still have to bring your game whether it's Steamboat or Colorado Springs or the worlds," Mroz said. "It's all about the games this year. So I just take it day by day."

Mroz and Bradley are hoping to gain one of the three spots on the 2010 U.S. Olympic team, so while this week's camp is fun, it also has a very serious side.

"We have a lot of good men; we have three spots, so it's going to be an all-out brawl," Mroz said.

The women's competition also will be tight in 2010, but 17-year-old Gilles said she is looking forward to enjoying some of the town's recreational activities off the ice, including a trip on Howelsen's Alpine slide.

"This is a chance to get away from our rink and train hard and skate," Gilles said. "That's what we come up here to do, to train, but it's also fun for us because it's different."

Gilles hopes the hard work at the camp will help her reach her ultimate goal in February.

"I want to make it to the Olympics, but it's a big step that I have to take," Gilles said. "I need to raise the bar and keep training as hard as I can and working throughout the year. It's going to be a little tough, but it's a sacrifice I don't mind making."