November 2015 issue PDF 5MB

N OVEMBER /D ECEMBER , 2015
S IERRA , OPEN , SINGLES LEAGUES
2015/2016 RACE SCHEDULE
January 23
January 24
February 13
February 14
February 20 S
February 21
March 5
March 6
March 18-20
GS
Northstar
SL
Northstar
SL
Sugar Bowl
GS
Sugar Bowl
SL
Alpine Meadows
GS
Alpine Meadows
SL
Northstar
GS
Northstar
FWRA Championships @ Alpine Meadows
Race times for Jan. 23, only: Lower course (S8-S10) @ 10 am,
Middle (S5-S7) @11:30am, Upper (S1-S4) @1 pm. These times
to allow seeding of new racers.
 Race times AFTER Jan. 23: Upper @10 am, Middle @11:30
am, Lower @1pm. Racers on Upper & Middle courses must
complete 2 runs for a combined time. Lower course racers
have the option to do two runs. Best run will count.
 Times are subject to change based on snow conditions.
 Always check Sierra website for last minute changes.
WWW . SIERRALEAGUE . COM
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Race Schedule
Page 1
President’s Message
Page 2
Sierra League Contacts
Page 2
Member Clubs/Contacts Page 3
CA/NV Ski Area websites Page 3
Race Chair Message
Page 4
Sierra League Race forms Pgs 5-6
Ski Club Appreciation Day Page 7
Safety: Winter Driving
Pgs 8-9
Travel Options
Page 10
FWSA Mini Ski Week
Page 11
FWSA Int .Ski Week
Pgs 12-16
FWSA 2016 Convention
Page 17
US Ski Team Update
Pgs 18-20
NewsFlash/Newsbeat
Pgs 21-23
L EAGUE R ACE R ESOURCES :
Nan Carnal; Sierra League Race Chair: nan.sierraleague@gmail.com;
530-550-5228 (h); 510-520-7338 (cell)
John Walsh; Singles League Race Chair: johnwalsh37@sbcglobal.net;
416-596-7234
Debi Phelps; Open League Director of Racing: openleagueracing@gmail.com
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President’s Message
By Jo Simpson,
Sierra League & Sierra Council
President
Board Members
President: Jo Simpson
775-787-7556
jo_simpson@sbcglobal.net
Vice President: Greg Peairs
shiftyp@aol.com
Secretary: Glynis Foulk
916-638-4066
gfoulk56@hotmail.com
Treasurer: Lauri Thompson
916-837-1603
tahoeski10@yahoo.com
Race Chair: Nan Carnal
530-550-5228
ncarnal@sfsu.edu
VP Travel: Debbie Stewart
559-734-9294
Hello everyone and happy holidays!
How about this great SNOW? I am so excited. I hope to see you at the Alpine
Meadows Ski Club Appreciation Day, Sunday, December 13th. See the flyer on page 7 for details. It might
even be a powder day given the current forecast. A fun race is
planned, conditions permitting, which will give those who may
have thought about racing a chance to try it in a relaxed setting.
Please take care of your race registration soon. Getting the returning racers registered early will allow us to focus on helping first
timers on race day. See Nan Carnal's article on page 4 for details.
There's still time to sign up for the Crested Butte Mini-trip with
FWSA. The trip is a good value and a lot of flexibility is built into
the schedule. Crested Butte is a really fun place to ski and the historic town is exquisite. The dates are March 21-26. Check it out
on the FWSA website (www.fwsa.org) and the trip flyer on page 11
of this newsletter.
Let's keep up the snow dancing. It's working so far!
gwstewart@prodigy.net
Head Gatekeeper: Bill Ramoni
rapidramoni@yahoo.com
Seasons Greeting to All!
775-829-8445
Newsletter: Beth Perryman
775-322-5805
slabanshee@aol.com
Webmaster: Pavel Bosin
408-685-6470
pavel@bosin.net
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Member Clubs and Contacts
Alpine Ski and Snowboard Club
Las Vegas, NV
www.alpineskiandsnowboardclub.com
Mark Zellmer, President
alpineskiclub@embarqmail.com
Bota Baggers Ski Club
Truckee, CA
www.jaws.com/botabaggers
Bob Ellis, President
rellis9681@aol.com
Ski Area Websites:
Alpine Meadows/Squaw Vly: http://squawalpine.com
Badger Pass: www.yosemitepark.com/BadgerPass.aspx
Bear Valley Ski: www.bearvalley.com
Boreal: www.rideboreal.com
Ski China Peak: www.skichinapeak.com
Diamond Peak: www.diamondpeak.com
Dodge Ridge: www.dodgeridge.com
Cabernet Ski Race Club
Truckee, CA
Donn Bryant, President
gsracer@suddenlink.net
Donner Ski Ranch: www.donnerskiranch.com
Capital Ski & Sport Club
Sacramento, CA
www.capitalski.org
Wallter Johnson, President
president@capitalski.org
Homewood: www.skihomewood.com
Las Vegas Ski Snowboard & Sports Club
Las Vegas, NV
www.lasvegasskiclub.com
Diane Askwyth; President
info@lasvegasskiclub.com; Diane52a@gmail.com
Mammoth Mtn: www.mammothmountain.com
RU SKI Club
Campbell, CA
Pavel Bosin, President
pavel@bosin.net
Sequoia Ski Club
Visalia, CA
www.sequoiaskiclub.com
Woody Hogan, President
wwhiii@hotmail.com
Snow More Ski & Snowboard Club
South Lake Tahoe, CA
Cheryl Lawson, President
925.998.0609
Sugar Bowl Ski Club
Norden, CA
www.sugarbowlskiclub.com
Adrianna Sullivan
president@sugarbowlskiclub.com
Tahoe Donner Senior Alpine Ski Club
Truckee, CA
www.tdski.com
Michael Eyton-Lloyd, President
hmsmike1@aol.com
Top Gun Ski Club
Greg Peairs, President
shiftyp@aol.com
Heavenly Valley: www.skiheavenly.com
June Mountain: www.junemountain.com
Kirkwood: www.kirkwood.com
Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard resort: www.skilasvegas.com
Mountain High Ski: www.mthigh.com
Mt. Baldy: www.skibaldy.com
Mt. Rose: www.skirose.com
Mt. Shasta Ski Park: www.skipark.com
Northstar: www.northstarcalifornia.com
Sierra At Tahoe: ww.sierratahoe.com
Snow Summit: www.snowsummit.com
Snow Valley: www.snow-valley.com
Soda Springs: www.skisodasprings.com
Sugar Bowl: www.sugarbowl.com
Tahoe Donner: www.tahoedonner.com/downhill-ski
Where’s the snow? Check out: www.opensnow.com
Thank you to our sponsors!
Reno Ski & Recreation Club
Reno, NV
www.renoskiandrec.com
Diane Hilliard, President
prez@renoskiandrec.com
Granlibakken: www.granlibakken.com
Thank You! to Clif Bar
and Gary Erickson for
sponsoring Sierra
League
Habervision is a sponsor for FWRA.
Save 50% off retail prices for polarized sunglasses and ski goggles. Go to the website:
ww.habervision.com. Enter affinity member code: FWRA
giving credit to
FWRA for your
purchase.
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R ACING
NEWS
- 2016
Sierra League race registration is now underway for 2015-2016.
Season race fees are the same as last year, $95 for eight races
plus a refundable $20 gatekeeping deposit (i.e. $115 total). The
deposit will be refunded after you complete a race day hill assignment such as gatekeeper, starter, or scorekeeper. The dropin price per race is $25. Thus, the season race fee is a bargain if you are going to participate in four
or more races.
The registration and waiver forms are in this newsletter and on the registration page of Sierra
League’s website (http://www.sierraleague.com/).
You can pay the race fee by check (written to Sierra League) or online via PayPal. You MUST mail
the forms (and check if paying by check) to Nan or scan and email the completed forms to her. Mail
to Nan Carnal, 13081 Ski View Loop, Truckee, CA 96161. Email scanned documents to
nan.sierraleague@gmail.com.
Time to get on the hill if you haven’t already been out carving some turns! Snow is on the slopes
and more terrain is to open at Tahoe resorts (pending the forecasted snow).
At the time you register, consider a contribution to support a junior racer in the Tahoe area via a taxdeductible contribution to Sierra League’s Frank App Memorial Scholarship fund. The scholarship is awarded yearly to a deserving local junior racer.
Donations for the scholarship fund should be made by separate check to Far West Ski Foundation.
with Frank App Scholarship in the memo line. Donations can also be made via PayPal on the website.
Thanks for sending forms and fee soon, so that we are set for the upcoming race season. Let’s have
a great year! Nan Carnal, Sierra League Race Director
2015 - 2016 FRANK APP MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP : Meet “A J” Hurt
The Sierra Frank App Memorial Scholarship is awarded to Amelia
“A J” Hurt. A J, age 16, attends North Tahoe High School in Tahoe City
where she is a member of her school soccer team and has a 4.0 GPA. She
and her family live in Carnelian Bay. A J started skiing at age 5 in the Squaw
Valley Mighty Mite Program and has been with the Squaw Valley Ski Team
ever since.
This past season she ranked #5 in Slalom, #2 in GS, and #5 in Super G
nationally in her age group. In addition, she had 6 podiums and 8 top ten
finishes. At the 2015 Nationals, she placed 2nd overall in her age group.
A J will receive $1,000 comprised of $500 each from Sierra Council and the FWSA raised funds.
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SAFETY: DRIVING IN SNOW AND ICE
The best advice for driving in bad winter weather is not to drive at all, if you can
avoid it. Don't go out until the snow plows and sanding trucks have had a chance to
do their work and allow extra time to reach your destination. If you must drive in
snowy conditions, make sure your car is prepared and that you know how to handle
road conditions. It's helpful to practice winter driving techniques in a snowy, open
parking lot, so you're familiar with how your car handles. Consult your owner's manual for tips specific to your vehicle
Driving safely on icy roads
 Decrease your speed and leave yourself plenty of room to stop. You should allow at least three times more
space than usual between you and the car in front of you.
 Brake gently to avoid skidding. If your wheels start to lock up, ease off the brake.
 Turn on your lights to increase your visibility to other motorists.
 Keep your lights and windshield clean.
 Use low gears to keep traction, especially on hills.
 Don't use cruise control or overdrive on icy roads.
 Be especially careful on bridges, overpasses and infrequently traveled roads, which will freeze first. Even at
temperatures above freezing, if the conditions are wet, you might encounter ice in shady areas or on exposed
roadways like bridges.
 Don't pass snow plows and sanding trucks. The drivers have limited visibility, and you're likely to find the road
in front of them worse than the road behind.
 Don't assume your vehicle can handle all conditions. Even four-wheel and front-wheel drive vehicles can encounter trouble on winter roads.
If your rear wheels skid...
 Take your foot off the accelerator.
 Steer in the direction you want the front wheels to go. If your rear wheels are sliding left, steer left. If they're
sliding right, steer right.
 If your rear wheels start sliding the other way as you recover, ease the steering wheel toward that side. You
might have to steer left and right a few times to get your vehicle completely under control.
 If you have standard brakes, pump them gently.
 If you have anti-lock brakes (ABS), do not pump the brakes. Apply steady pressure to the brakes. You will feel
the brakes pulse — this is normal.
If your front wheels skid...
 Take your foot off the gas and shift to neutral, but don't try to steer immediately.
 As the wheels skid sideways, they will slow the vehicle and traction will
return.
 As it does, steer in the direction you want to go. Then put the transmission in "drive" or release the clutch, and accelerate gently.
.
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SAFETY (cont):
DRIVING IN SNOW AND ICE
If you get stuck...
 Do not spin your wheels. This will only dig you in deeper.
 Turn your wheels from side to side a few times to push snow out of the way.
 Use a light touch on the gas, to ease your car out.
 Use a shovel to clear snow away from the wheels and the underside of the car.
 Pour sand, kitty litter, gravel or salt in the path of the wheels, to help get traction.
 Try rocking the vehicle. (Check your owner's manual first — it can damage the transmission on some vehicles.)
 Shift from forward to reverse and back. Each time you're in gear, give a light touch on the gas until vehicle gets going.
Carry an emergency kit: A roadside kit doesn't take up much space and can prove invaluable in an emergency. Many companies sell preassembled kits, but if you may already have the key items around the house. Things to consider carrying include:

Flashlight w/extra batteries, flares, first-aid kit.
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Jumper cables, a tool kit and tire chains.
A blanket, warm clothes, hat and gloves.
Paper towels, tissue paper, roll of duct tape
Bag of abrasive material (sand, salt, kitty litter)
A snow brush, ice scraper and snow shovel.
Extra washer fluid, Tire Gauge
Extra food and water
Visibility sign (reflective triangle), “help” indicator
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T RAVEL O PPORTUNITIES
The Far West Ski Association (FWSA) is one of the largest associations of snowsport enthusiasts in the U.S. FWSA covers twelve states
with nine regional COUNCILS with more than 150 CLUBS and a combined membership of over 50,000 skiers and snowboarders. As a member of a club that belongs to the SIERRA Council, YOU are automatically a member of FWSA and entitled to ALL the benefits. You may also
join Far West as a Direct Member.
FWSA offers a wide range of North American and international travel
opportunities for 2015 and beyond. Far West also offers cruise and/or
dive trips and the occasional Adventure trip that can be a long weekend
domestic excursion or an extended trip to exotic locales.
FWSA travel options website: http://www.fwsa.org/Travel/travel.html
North American (Ski) Travel
FWSA Ski Week 2016: Telluride, CO; January 30 - February 6
Mini Ski Week 2016: Crested Butte, CO: March 21 - 26
FWSA Annual Convention: Scottsdale, AZ; June 9 - 12
FWSA Ski Week 2017: Breckenridge, CO; January 24 - February 4
Mini Ski Week 2017: Nancy Greene Cahilty Lodge, Sun Peaks, CA; March 21 - 26
March 2018 - Alaska Iditarod and Mt Alyeska
International (Ski) Travel:
FWSA International Week 2016 Option I: Cortina, Italy; March 5 - 12
FWSA International Week 2016 Option II: Cortina and Rome and Florence; March 5 - 19
FWSA International Week 2016 Option III: Rome & Florence; March 12 - 19
FWSA International Ski Week March 2017: St. Anton/Arlberg, Austria
Summer Skiing 2017: Valle Nevado, Chile
FWSA Int. Ski Week March 2018: Les Trois Vallees-Brides les Bains/Meribel, France
Dive/Adventure/Cruises
London and Ireland, September 11-22, 2016; optional cycling/bike tour in Ireland - Sept 22-26, 2016.
Fiji Dive Trip, 2016
India, 2018
Flyers are included in this newsletter for FWSA Ski Week 2016, Mini Ski Week 2016, and FWSA International Ski
Week. Information for other future trips will be provided as available.
Please contact the trip leader for further information regarding trip options for travel/housing/schedules, registration forms, waivers, payment schedules, etc.
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Frank App Scholarship: “Keeping Up With Lila”… Go Lila GrrRACE!
Below are highlights from the USSA website update announcing the 2016 USSA Ski Team
http://my.ussa.org/news/2016-team-named-copper-mountain
Lila Lapanja is a member of the Women’s C Team along with a strong representation from the Tahoe area.
See the list that is included in the page(s) that follow and look for the “T”
2016 U.S. Alpine Ski Team Named at Copper Mountain
COPPER MOUNTAIN, CO (Nov. 21, 2015) – There’s no question that winter has arrived at Copper Mountain, home of the U.S. Ski Team Speed Center. Copper acted as
host to a day of festivities on Saturday, kicking off with the Putnam Investments NASTAR Pacesetting Trials followed by the annual Nature Valley First Tracks team naming
announcement. With Olympic gold medalists Ted Ligety (Park City, UT), Lindsey Vonn
(Vail, CO) and Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO) and rising stars such as AJ Ginnis
(Waitsfield, VT), Hig Roberts (Steamboat Springs, CO) and Paula Moltzan (Lakeville,
MN) present, 58 athletes were officially named during a public celebration to kick off the
start of the 2016 Audi FIS Alpine World Cup tour .
HIGHLIGHTS
 The 2016 U.S. Alpine Ski team was publicly introduced on Nov. 21 during Nature Valley First Tracks, a public celebration at Copper Mountain, CO – home of the U.S. Ski Team Speed Center.
 Olympic medalists Ted Ligety, Lindsey Vonn, Mikaela Shiffrin, Julia Mancuso (Squaw Valley, CA) and Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, NY) were among 43 athletes named to the 2015 A, B and C Team, with another
nine to the Development team and six to the National University Team.
 Bode Miller (Franconia, NH) will miss the 2015-16 season, but remain on the team.
 Mancuso will miss the 2015-16 season due to hip surgery, but has her sights set on PyeongChang in 2018.
 Bryce Astle (Sandy, UT) and Ronnie Berlack (Franconia, NH) were named to the team posthumously. The
two were poised at the start of their U.S. Ski Team career when they were killed last January in an avalanche in
Austria. It is the first time the U.S. Ski Team has named an athlete to the team posthumously.
 Six athletes were named to the new National University Team (N-UNI), led by Coach Peter Lange. These
athletes have had the opportunity to train alongside A, B, C and D teams in strength and conditioning programs
and at on-snow camps.
 Inspired by the official U.S. Ski Team mascot Champ, the Team kicked off a content series asking athletes
and fans about the moment they truly felt like a champion. Auden Pankonin (Welch Village Ski Club), winner of
the #WhatMakesAChamp contest, joined Ligety at the Putnam Investments NASTAR Pacesetting Trials and the
team on stage alongside Champ.
 The team is coming off a five-medal World Championships, with both Vonn and Shiffrin winning Audi FIS
Alpine World Cup overall titles.
 After securing the title of winningest female in alpine skiing history with a total of 67 victories, Vonn is again
making a return to snow after an ankle fracture sustained in training at New Zealand this summer. She will make
her return to snow debut at Aspen for the giant slalom.
 Copper Mountain is home to the U.S. Ski Team Speed Center, which provides U.S. skiers with a World Cuplevel training course.
 The Audi FIS Alpine World Cup swings through America Nov. 28-29 with a women’s giant slalom and two
slalom races – one rescheduled from Levi– in Aspen, followed by men’s downhill, super G and giant slalom Dec.
4-6 at Beaver Creek, CO.
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2016 US Ski Team (cont:)
2015-16 U.S. ALPINE SKI TEAM: Name (hometown; home club) (skis, boots, bindings, poles, helmet, goggles,
glasses, protection) birthdate; * denotes Olympian; **denotes posthumous team naming
Men's A Team
David Chodounksy (Crested Butte, CO; Crested Butte Ski Team) (Nordica, Nordica, Marker, Swix, Briko, Briko,
Briko, Slytech) 6/25/1984 *
T-Travis Ganong (Squaw Valley, CA; Squaw Valley Ski Team) (Atomic, Atomic, Atomic, Leki, POC, POC, POC,
Leki/Ortema) 7/14/1988 *
T-Tim Jitloff (Reno, NV; Park City Ski Team) (Stoeckli, Lange, Atomic, Leki, Bolle, Bolle, Bolle, Leki/Ortema)
1/11/1985 *
Ted Ligety (Park City, UT; Park City Ski Team) (Head, Head, Head, Komperdell, Shred, Shred, Shred, Slytech)
8/31/1984 *
Bode Miller (Franconia, NH; Carrabassett Valley Academy) (Bomber Skis, Leki, Dainese, Dainese) 10/12/1977 *
Steven Nyman (Sundance, UT; Park City Ski Team) (Fischer, Fischer, Fischer, Komperdell, POC, POC, POC,
Ortema) 2/12/1982 *
T-Marco Sullivan (Squaw Valley, CA; Squaw Valley Ski Team) (Atomic, Atomic, Atomic, Leki, POC, POC, POC)
4/27/1980 *
Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, NY; New York Ski Education Foundation) (Head, Head, Head, Komperdell, Briko,
Briko, Briko, Slytech/Ortema) 2/10/1986 *
Women's A Team
Stacey Cook (Mammoth Mountain, CA; Mammoth Mountain Ski Team) (Stoeckli, Marker/Volkl, Komperdell, POC,
POC) 7/3/1984 *
T-Julia Mancuso (Squaw Valley, CA; Squaw Valley Ski Team) (Head, Head, Head, Swix, POC, POC, POC)
3/9/1984 *
Alice McKennis (Glenwood Springs, CO; Rowmark Academy) (Atomic, Atomic, Atomic, Leki, Briko, Briko)
8/19/1989 *
Laurenne Ross (Bend, OR; Mt. Bachelor Ski Education Found.) (Volkl, Lange, Marker, Briko, Briko) 8/17/1988 *
Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO; Burke Mountain Academy) (Atomic, Atomic, Atomic, Leki, Atomic, Oakley, Oakley, Leki) 3/13/95 *
Leanne Smith (North Conway, NH; Mt. Washington Valley Ski Team) (Rossignol, Lange, Rossignol, Swix, POC,
POC, POC, Slytech) 11/28/1987 *
Resi Stiegler (Jackson Hole, WY; Jackson Hole Mountain Resort) (Rossignol, Lange, Rossignol, Leki, Shred,
Shred, Shred) 11/14/1985 *
Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO; Buck Hill Ski Racing Club/Ski & Snowboard Club Vail) (Head, Head, Head, Leki, Briko,
Oakley, Oakley, Leki) 10/18/1984 *
Men's B Team
Michael Ankeny (Deephaven, MN; Buck Hill Ski Racing Club/Dartmouth College) (Nordica, Nordica, Nordica, Leki,
Briko, Briko) 1/17/1991
Thomas Biesemeyer (Keene, NY; New York Ski Education Foundation) (Rossignol, Rossignol, Rossignol, Swix,
Briko, Briko, Ortema) 1/30/1989
Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, VT; Cochrans Ski Club/Mt. Mansfield Ski and Snowboard Club) (Rossignol,
Rossignol, Rossignol, Komperdell, Shred, Shred, Shred, Slytech) 3/27/1992
Tommy Ford (Bend, OR; Mt. Bachelor Ski Education Foundation) (Fischer, Fischer, Fischer, Swix, Shred, Shred,
Shred, Slytech) 3/20/1989 *
Jared Goldberg (Holladay, UT; Snowbird Sports Education Foundation) (Head, Head, Head, Leki, POC, POC,
POC, Leki/Ortema) 6/15/1991 *
Nolan Kasper (Warren, VT; Burke Mountain Academy) (Volkl, Lange, Marker, Swix, Briko, Briko, Ortema)
3/27/1989 *
Kieffer Christianson (Anchorage, AK; Burke Mountain Academy/Dartmouth College) (Rossignol, Rossignol, Rossignol, Swix, POC, POC) 8/11/1992
Hig Roberts (Steamboat Springs, CO; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club/Middlebury College) (Fischer, Fischer, Fischer, Leki, Daniese, Daniese, Daniese) 3/15/1991
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2016 US Ski Team (cont:)
Women's B Team:
Paula Moltzan (Lakeville, MN; Buck Hill Ski Racing Club) (Rossignol, Rossignol, Rossignol, Swix, POC, POC)
5/7/1994
Katie Ryan (Aspen, CO; Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club) (Head, Head, Head, Swix, POC, POC) 1/3/1993
Jacqueline Wiles (Aurora, OR; White Pass Ski Club) (Rossignol, Lange, Rossignol, Swix, Shred, Shred)
7/13/1992 *
Men's C Team
T-Erik Arvidsson (Woodside, CA; Squaw Valley Ski Team) (Head, Head, Head, Swix, POC, POC, POC, Ortema)
9/3/1996
**Bryce Astle (Sandy, UT; Snowbird Sports Education Foundation) 1/16/1995
T-Bryce Bennett (Olympic Valley, CA; Squaw Valley Ski Team) (Fischer, Tecnica, Marker, Leki, POC, POC, POC,
Leki/POC) 7/14/1992
**Ronnie Berlack (Franconia, NH; Burke Mountain Academy) 4/21/1994
Drew Duffy (Warren, VT; Green Mountain Valley School) (Nordica, Nordica, Marker, Swix, Shred, Shred, Slytech)
6/1/1995
Samuel DuPratt (Dixon, CA; Park City Ski Team) (Head, Head, Head, Swix, POC, POC) 11/28/1993
T-Mark Engel (Truckee, CA; Sugar Bowl Academy) (Atomic, Atomic, Atomic, Komperdell, Bolle, Bolle, Bolle, Ortema) 10/1/1991
AJ Ginnis (Waitsfield, VT; Green Mountain Valley School/Dartmouth College) (Fischer, Fischer, Fischer, Leki,
Shred, Shred, Shred, Ortema/Slytech) 11/17/1994
Tim Kelley (Burlington, VT; Cochrans Ski Club) (Fischer, Fischer, Fischer, Leki, Shred, Shred, Shred, Slytech)
5/20/1986
Nicholas Krause (Northboro, MA; Stratton Mountain School) (Head, Head, Head, Leki, POC, POC, Leki/Ortema)
5/12/1993
Brennan Rubie (Salt Lake City, UT; Snowbird Sports Education Foundation) (Nordica, Nordica, Marker, Bolle,
Bolle, Bolle, Slytech) 5/8/1991
Kipling Weisel (San Francisco, CA; Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation) (Nordica, Nordica, Marker, Swix, POC,
POC, POC, Slytech/Ortema) 3/26/1995
Women's C Team
T-Lila Lapanja (Incline Village, NV; Sugar Bowl Academy/Diamond Peak) (Fischer, Lange, Fischer, Leki, POC,
POC, Leki) 12/3/1994
Anna Marno (Steamboat Springs, CO; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club) (Nordica, Nordica, Marker, Swix,
Uvex, Uvex) 11/23/1992
Nina O’Brien (Edwards, CO; Burke Mountain Academy) (Rossignol, Rossignol, Rossignol, Leki, POC, POC)
11/29/1997
Men's Development Team
T-Addison Dvoracek (Truckee, CA; Squaw Valley Ski Team) (Nordica, Nordica, Marker, Leki, POC, POC)
1/27/1996
Patrick Kenney (Hingham, MA; Burke Mountain Academy) (Nordica, Nordica, Marker, Leki, Dainese, Dainese)
2/13/1997
Sam Morse (Carrabassett Valley, ME; Carrabassett Valley Academy) (Fischer, Fischer, Fischer, Swix, Uvex,
Uvex, Uvex, Ortema) 5/27/1996
River Radamus (Edwards, CO; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail/TEAM Academy) (Rossignol, Rossignol, Swix, POC,
POC) 2/12/1998
Women's Development Team
Breezy Johnson (Victor, ID; Rowmark Ski Academy) (Atomic, Atomic, Atomic, Leki, Shred, Shred, Shred, Slytech)
1/19/1996
T-Stephanie Lebby (Big Bear Lake, CA; Squaw Valley Ski Team) (Head, Head, Head, Leki, POC, POC, Leki)
2/19/1997
Galena Wardle (Aspen, CO; Aspen Valley Ski Club) (Volkl, Lange, Marker, Leki, POC, POC) 4/28/1998
Patricia Mangan (Derby, NY; HoliMont Race Team) (Rossignol, Rossignol, Rossignol, Leki, Briko, Briko) 3/7/1997
Alice Merryweather (Hingham, MA; Stratton Mountain School) (Rossignol, Rosi, Rosi Leki, POC, POC) 10/5/1996
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National Ski Club Newsflash/Newsbeat
The National Ski Club Officers' Newsflash & Newsbeat is emailed each month to America's ski club officers
by The National Ski Club Newsletter on a year-round basis.
Two websites to check out:
www.firsttracksonline.com: The Ski and Snowboard world at your finger tips.
www.ski.curbed.com: The ultimate guide to what's new at North American ski areas in 2015-2016.
Hall of Fame Names Seven New Inductees. The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame has chosen seven pioneers
to join the Hall as part of the Class of 2015. They are: freestyle skiing world champions Genia Fuller and Bob Salerno;
David Ingemie, president and CEO of Snowsports Industries America (SIA); former Skiing magazine publisher Henry
Kaiser; three-time Olympic snowboarder Chris Klug; sit skiing innovator Jim Martinson; and the late Edgar Stern,
who developed Deer Valley Resort.
Former NSAA Communications Chief Troy Hawks Settles In at Sunlight. Colorado’s Sunlight Mountain
Resort has named Troy Hawks, former communications manager at the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA), as its
new marketing and sales director. Most recently Hawks worked two years at Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA)
in the areas of marketing communications and managing the passport department that processes and distributes more
than 20,000 child ski passes annually.
SilverStar Partners with Whistler Blackcomb. SilverStar My1Pass season passholders are receiving an unexpected and welcome perk with a recently announced partnership between SilverStar Mountain Resort and Whistler
Blackcomb. The new benefit gets SilverStar winter 2015-16 alpine season passholders a 25 per cent discount on singleday and multi-day tickets at Whistler Blackcomb with no blackout dates.
Sunshine Village Gets Canada’s First Heated Chairlift: Banff area’s Sunshine Village is building the first heated
lift in Canada complete with footrests and bubble covers. Called the TeePee Town LX, it will open this November!
B.C.’S Mount Washington Ski Resort Sold: Vancouver Island’s Mount Washington Ski Resort, has announced
its sale to Pacific Group Resorts, Inc., which already owns three ski resorts along the U.S. East Coast: Ragged Mountain, N.H.; Wisp, Md.; and Wintergreen, Va.
Whistler Fights Rival Ski Resort at Garibaldi. Major players at Whistler are going flat out trying to kill a proposed four-season resort that would open a major ski hill 35 minutes closer to Vancouver. Whistler Blackcomb, the
resort municipality of Whistler, Tourism Whistler, the Whistler Chamber of Commerce and others are fiercely lobbying the province’s environmental assessment office to reject the Garibaldi at Squamish proposal, arguing it’s a poor
area for skiing and would end up hurting the corridor’s reputation. A decision is expected this fall.
Oregon Couple Buys Soldier Mountain (ID) Resort for $149,000. Out of over 2,000 offers, a Bend, Ore.
couple are now the proud owners of an Idaho ski resort, for the unheard-of sum of $149,000. The non-profit that has
been running Soldier Mountain since it was donated to them by actor Bruce Willis in 2012 felt that Matt and Diane
McFerran were the best candidates to continue the Soldier Mountain tradition. It was sold for only the amount of debt
carried by the non-profit.
Mountain High Joins Forces with Snow Valley in Southern California. Two more ski areas in Southern
California are teaming up. Mountain High in Wrightwood, and Snow Valley in Running Springs are offering pass holders free skiing this winter at the other’s resort, good for three visits per season.
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National Ski Club Newsflash/Newsbeat - Continued...
Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort to be Renamed Lee Canyon: The Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard
Resort is officially changing the name to Lee Canyon -- returning to their original name when established in
1963. According to the resort; Lee Canyon, as a name, reflects more of what it stands for now, an unpretentious
year round family outdoor recreation area.
Plans for Indoor Skiing in Central Florida Fall Through. Xero Gravity Action Sports said this week that
their plan to construct a $309 million, 14-story tall skiing, surfing and snow tubing venue, skateboard and BMX
park, and indoor snowball fight center, along with a 250-room Hyatt hotel with rooftop pool and bar, hinged on
acquiring land along US-192 east of Celebration, and that deal has fallen though.
Buck Hill Sold. There aren’t many 300-vertical foot ski hills with a world-famous legacy, but after having developed ski racers like Lindsey Vonn and Kristina Koznick, Buck Hill is one of them. The Stone family, which has
operated these 100 acres since its inception in 1954, has sold Buck Hill to new owners with big plans.
New Lift, Runs and Lodge at Crystal Mountain. Michigan’s Crystal Mountain is investing $11 million to
debut a new chairlift, new ski runs and an addition to overnight lodging. Construction on the new Backyard triple chairlift and 8 new runs is underway, with completion anticipated in time for the 2015-16 ski/ride season.
Gore Adds New Runs, New Snowmaking and Lodge Improvements. The marketing slogan for Upstate
New York’s Gore Mountain ski center the past few years has been, “More Gore.” This season, there truly will be
More Gore, in the form of three new trails, more snowmaking, and a more welcoming base lodge.
New Owner for Maine’s Lost Valley Ski Area: SAM Magazine reports that Scott Shanaman, a New Hampshire tramway inspector, used crowd funding and local events to become the new owner of Maine’s Lost Valley
Ski Area -- with its 15 trails, two chairlifts and one lodge. The ski hill plans to open for the season on Dec. 18.
The ski resort, 35 miles southwest of Augusta, Maine, had been in financial trouble since June 2014. The previous owners were facing almost $1.6 million in debt.
Hunter Mountain Invests Another $1.2 Million in Automated Snowmaking. With over 1,100 snow
guns, Hunter Mountain already has one of the most powerful snowmaking systems anywhere. This summer, the
ski area in New York State’s Catskill Mountains invested another $1.2 million in snowmaking, with 17 new guns
on the popular Hellgate trail alone.
Jiminy Peak Solar Partnership Makes Resort Greener. The 12-acre installation located near the base Jiminy Peak encompasses 7,500 solar panels, making it the largest of its kind in the Northeast. The solar panels can
produce 2.3 megawatts; combined with the resort’s 1.5 MW wind turbine, 75 kW cogeneration unit, and significant conservation efforts, Jiminy Peak can offset 90 percent of its energy consumption with renewable sources.
Battle of the Drones Heats up on the Slopes. As the use of recreational unmanned aerial vehicles, a.k.a.
“drones” to film video is rapidly increasing in popularity, ski resorts — and the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) — are scrambling to determine how to deal with this rapidly emerging new technology on the slopes.
Western Resorts Rush To Ban Camera Drones As Their Popularity Rises. Trying to get ahead of the
popularity of videoing from remote-controlled drones, many Western resorts have banned their use – citing safety issues and both FAA and U.S. Forest Service concerns. Further details at SnoCountry
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National Ski Club Newsflash/Newsbeat - Continued...
Drone Video Service Set to Launch at Winter Park, Copper Mountain. Cape Productions announces
drone video service at nine ski resorts, but still waiting for FAA OK. A California start-up with $10 million in
venture capital funding has partnered with Copper Mountain and Winter Park ski areas to offer drone video services this season. Cape Productions announced nine resorts — including Copper and Winter Park — as partners
in the company's plan to deliver drone-captured video to ski resort visitors.
New Lifts at US Resorts:
-Utah’s Solitude Mountain Resort, now owned by Deer Valley, has upgraded the Summit chair to an express
quad, creating a faster route to the expert terrain of Honeycomb Canyon.
Stratton, Vermont is adding $8.5 million in upgrades to its base lodge. The now-23,000 square-foot facility
houses an upscale cafeteria-style restaurant that will serve up to 400 guests within its two-story design. Called the
Summit, it is the highest year-round, lift-served guest facility in North America. The second level of The Summit
and adjacent outdoor decks are available for private functions, group meetings, etc.
-Sugarbush, Vermont, has upgraded Valley House double chair to a quad with a loading conveyor belt which
will double uphill capacity.
-Vail Resort is swapping out the frontside Avanti Express, which was a quad, with a high-speed six-pack with a
loading conveyor belt in the hopes of dispersing skiers more quickly from the Lionshead.
- Purgatory, in Colorado, has a new high-speed quad chairlift and three new runs just west of the new lift:
New Link at France’s Portes Du Soleil: At the Portes du Soleil ski region, work to complete the 16 million
euro connection between Châtel’s Super-Châtel and Linga ski sectors will be completed in time for winter with a
new 6-seater & 4 seater chairlifts. Named, respectively “Gabelou” and “Portes du Soleil”, they will connect the
French side of the giant French-Swiss with the piste link called “La Forestière” opening this December.
New Lifts in Europe:
-In Val Gardena and Alpe di Siusi the old “Comici 2” double chairlift is seeing a big upgrade to a fast 6-seater
chairlift with loading via a mobile carpet conveyor. The new lift cost 3.5 million euro.
- The first new high-speed detachable quad chairlift is due to go in to service at Les Houches in France’s Chamonix Valley this winter and replace the Cha and Chamois drag lifts and will transport 2000 passengers per hour.
- Engelberg Switzerland has added a new eight-seat gondola which will take visitors directly from the valley
station to the mountain at Stand, a vertical ascent of nearly 4,600 feet, in just 16 minutes
Ski Bolivia? It’s been some time since the rope tow has run on the glacier at Chacaltaya ski area in Bolivia.
What was once the country’s only lift-served skiing and second-closest ski area to the equator (after only the incredibly obscure Maoke in Indonesia), could soon be replaced by a new development on 19,262-foot La Mururata in Bolivia’s Cordillera Real
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www.sierraleague.com