Feb 2014 issue PDF 4.4MB

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:
Nan Carnal
530-550-5228
ncarnal@sfsu.edu
Secretary:
Glynis Foulk
916-638-4066
gfoulk56@hotmail.com
Treasurer:
Elaine Hilliker
602-541-6448
math_tutor@hotmail.com
VP Travel:
Debbie Stewart
559-734-9294
gwstewart@prodigy.net
What a great ski week at Beaver Creek! Thanks to Debbie
Stewart, out VP Travel for taking excellent care of us, as well as
juggling rooms to take care of some Bay Area Council members.
Sierra Council made a CLEAN SWEEP of the racing awards.
We won most points per council and our Sierra 1 team won the
council challenge. Our Cabernet Ski and Race Club won most
points per club. The winning council challenge team members
were: Pavel Bosin, Joe Loader, Shayne Wallace, Steve Tullis, Lew Dewese, Barb Mauldin,
Natalya Pinchuck and Luda Sidorova. All finished both runs on a very challenging course.
Wanted: Council Officers for next year. The call is out for Sierra Council leaders for next
season. For sure there are going to be four vacancies next year—President, Race Director,
Treasurer and Newsletter Editor. Please consider running for one of these positions. Race
Director is now an elected position on the board. As president I have been both race director
and president, and the board has voted to split the duties into two positions. The president
oversees all aspects of the council and is a voting member of the FWSA Board of Directors,
which comes with FWSA meetings and reports. The race director will be responsible for
working with the Singles and Open League race directors to plan and execute our races.
Racing. This is one of one of those problematic seasons for racing, as well as for skiing.
We are staying nimble and juggling dates and races to make the best season for our racers.
We got our first races off at Alpine Jan. 4-5 after Squaw moved us there. We welcomed
some new racers who qualified. Our Feb. 8-9 races were moved to Heavenly and then cancelled because rain was falling in buckets on race day. The Super G clinic and race scheduled for Feb. 22-23 was cancelled and replaced with makeup slalom races for those cancelled at Heavenly. The recent snow helped. Keep up your snow dancing!
Head Gatekeeper:
Lauri Thompson,
916-837-1603
lmthom10@pacbell.net
Newsletter:
Steve Hilliker
480-427-8444
jurassic_man@hotmail.com
Webmaster:
Pavel Bosin
408-685-6470
pavel@bosin.net
Race Chair:
Pavel Bosin
Facebook Coordinator:
Ileana Tibuleac
imtseismic@yahoo.com
Race Training:
Paul Laudenschlager,
530-582-9593
plaud@cebridge.net
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Feb 2014
www.sierraleague.com
SINGLES/SIERRA & OPEN LEAGUE RACING
SCHEDULE for 2013-14 SEASON
January 4
January 5
GS
GS
Jan 25- Feb 1
February 8
February 9
Race 1 results
Race 2 results
FWSA Ski Week
Link to results
SL
SL
February 15-16
cancelled
cancelled
Presidents’ Weekend
Clinics @ Boreal cancelled
February 22
February 23
SL
SL
Northstar (All leagues)
Northstar (All leagues)
March 1
March 2
SL
GS
Alpine Meadows (All leagues)
Alpine Meadows (All leagues)
March 22
March 23
GS
GS
Homewood (All leagues)
Homewood (All leagues)
April 4-6
FWRA Finals @ Mammoth
Pacesetting Trials & Clinics Friday
SL Saturday, GS Sunday
Click the following link for 2012/2013 results: All Sierra League Results for 2012/2013


Race times for the rest of the season :Upper at 10am, Middle at 11:30am and Lower at 1pm.
Times are subject to change based on snow conditions.
For the Upper course (S0-S4) and the
Middle course (S5-S7), racers must
complete two runs for a combined
time. For the Lower course (S8-S10),
racers will have the option to do two
runs and the best run will count.
John Walsh-Singles League Race Chair:
416-596-7234
johnwalsh37@sbcglobal.net
Jo Simpson-Sierra League President:
775-787-7556; 775-722-6468 (cell)
jo_simpson@sbcglobal.net
Debi Phelps-Open League Director of Racing:
707-342-0595 (cell)
bmw.rider8@yahoo.com
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Feb 2014 update on Lila Lapanja, (2013-14 Frank App Memorial Scholarship Winner)
From her mother, Margie
The big MOmentum is shifting in Lila's racing world as well as she trains in Austria, races two Europa Cups in Bad
Wiesse, Germany Thursday and Friday and prepares to head the WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS in Jasna,
Slovakia on February 26th. http://www.jasna2014.sk/en/home-page/ These internationally attended races are a
"Junior Olympics" in a way, showcasing the top Junior racers in the World (ages 20 and under), including many
who will arrive fresh from Sochi.
With Lila's new FIS points in Slalom, it looks like she will start in the TOP SEED!!! This month, she scored her Personal Best results in Slalom and Giant Slalom and is moving in the FAST direction. GO LILA!!!
Thank you EVERYONE for keeping your mojo-meters on HIGH and for continuing to send her love and prayers
and good thoughts as she takes on the WORLD next week. Thank you, danke, hvala, merci, grazie mille.
Keepin' the FAITH!!
Peace, Love & Ski Racing
Margie Lapanja
Here is a link to her results and link to her website
PARK CITY, UT (Feb. 18) – The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association today named a group of 16 elite athletes (8 women)
to compete at the 2014 FIS Alpine Junior World Ski Championships scheduled for
Feb. 26 through March 6 at Jasna Resort in Slovakia.
2014 FIS ALPINE JUNIOR WORLD SKI CHAMPIONSHIPS TEAM
Athlete, Hometown, Birthdate (Club)
Men
Sandy Vietze, Warren, VT, 7/16/93 (Green Mountain Valley School)
Tanner Farrow, Ketchum, ID, 5/21/93 (Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation)
Ty Sprock, Stateline, NV, 7/25/95 (Treble Cone Ski Academy)
Brian McLaughlin, Topsfield, MA, 6/24/93 (Green Mountain Valley School)
Nick Krause, Northboro, MA, 5/12/93 (Stratton Mountain School)
Samuel Dupratt, Park City, UT, 11/28/93 (Park City Ski Education Foundation)
Sam Morse, Carrabassett Valley, ME, 5/27/95 (Carrabassett Valley Academy)
Drew Duffy, Warren, VT, 6/1/95 (Green Mountain Valley School)
Women
Paula Moltzan, Lakeville, MN, 5/7/94 (Buck Hill Ski Team)
Katie Ryan, Aspen, CO, 1/3/93 (Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club)
Lila Lapanja, Incline Village, CO, 12/3/94 (Sugar Bowl Academy/Diamond Peak)
Libby Gibson, Jamaica, VT, 12/15/94 (Ski and Snowboard Club Vail)
Alice Merryweather, Hingham, MA, 5/10/96 (Stratton Mountain School)
Katherine Irwin, Vail, CO, 6/5/94 (Ski and Snowboard Club Vail)
Foreste Peterson, Berkeley, CA, 10/9/93 (Squaw Valley Ski Team)
Breezy Johnson, Salt Lake City, UT, 1/19/96 (Rowmark Ski Academy)
QUOTES
Patrick Riml, U.S. Ski Team Alpine Director
There is a lot of talent and drive with this young group of athletes and their NorAm results this season reflect the hard work
they’ve put in to make this elite team. The World Junior Championships provide a platform for these young athletes to measure
that ability against the best young athletes in the world.
SCHEDULE
Feb. 26 – Men's super G, men’s super combined
Feb. 27 – Women's giant slalom
Feb. 28 – Women's slalom
Mar. 1 – Men's downhill
Mar. 2 – National Team Event
Mar. 3 – Women's super G, super combined
Mar. 4 – Men’s giant slalom
Mar. 5 – Men’s slalom
Mar. 6 – Women’s downhill
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Member Clubs and Contacts
Alpine Ski and Snowboard Club
www.alpineskiandsnowboardclub.co
m
Michael Phillips, President
mpesq8@cox.net
Cabernet Ski Race Club
Donn Bryant, President
gsracer@cebridge.net
530-550-9452
Capital Ski & Sport Club
www.capitalski.org
Walt Johnson, President
president@capitalski.org
Code 3 (inactive)
Jim Sommer, Racing
sommerskier@aol.com
775-322-5805
Las Vegas Ski Snowboard &
Sports Club
www.lasvegasskiclub.com
Barbara Gottlieb, President
wphs67@msn.com
Reno Ski & Recreation Club
www.renoskiandrec.com
Diane Hilliard, President
prez@renoskiandrec.com
Ken Simpson, Race Director
775-787-7566
jksimp@msn.com
RU SKI Club
Pavel Bosin, President
pavel@bosin.net
408-374-1648
Sacramento Fagowees
www.sacramentofagowees.org
Norman Benedict, President
norman_1943@att.net
Sequoia Ski Club
www.sequoiaskiclub.com
Woody Hogan, President
wwhiii@hotmail.com
559-679-7545
Thanks to Clif Bar and Gary Erickson
for sponsoring Sierra League racing
Sugar Bowl Ski Club
www.sugarbowlskiclub.com
Carson Levit, President
carsonlevit@gmail.com
Tahoe Donner Senior Alpine
Ski Club
www.tdski.com
Jim Pyle, President
infotdski@gmail.com
John McGregor, Race
Director
Tahoe Rat Pack
Kris Buttenberg
krisbuttenberg@att.net
775-851-0696
Top Gun Ski Club
Greg Peairs
shiftyp@aol.com
Thanks to Dave Garner of
Reno Mountain Sports
for his sponsorship of Sierra
League and Council. Visit Reno
Mountain
Sports
for your
skiing
and racing
needs.
www.Renomountainsports.com
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Habervision is a sponsor for the
FWRA. Save 50% off retail prices for
polarized sunglasses and ski goggles.
Go to website: www.habervision.com.
Enter the affinity member code:
FWRA giving credit to FWRA for your
purchase.
Far West Ski Week 2014 @ Beaver Creek - Sierra League Points and Council Challenge Team Winners (slide show link)
FWSA slide show
Click link above
for slideshow of
the Far West Ski
Week Pictures
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Far West News
FlashFebruary, 2014Far West Ski Association
News from Sochi: Women's Ski Jumping made their debut at the 2014 Winter Olympics. While the US team did not medal, they made some great in-roads to getting the
women noticed. Let's hope we see them in more than one event in 2016. Bode Miller and Julia Mancuso scored Bronze medals in their downhill efforts, while Andrew Weibrecht took a Silver. Alex Diebold flashed a bronze medal in Snowboard Cross, Hannah Kearney, a bronze in Women's Moguls Freestyle, Jamie Anderson, a gold in women's
Slope Style, David Wise, a gold in Men's Skiing Half Pipe, Kaitlyn Farrington, a gold in Women's Halfpipe Snowboarding, and Devin Logan, a silver in women's Slope Style,
Free Style skiing, and Ted Ligety getting the coveted gold medal in men's Giant Slalom. Lastly, how about the U.S. sweeping the podium in the men's snowboarding, Slope
Style? Congratulations to all of our U.S. Olympians!
What's happening in Colorado: Check out the fun events going on in some of your favorite ski areas in February and March. Here's the low-down: Aspen/Snowmass,
14th Annual Bud Light Spring Jam, March 14-23rd. Ski Town Breakdown in Crested Butte March 22nd. Durango Mountain Resort hosts their Annual Steamworks Brewery
Clambake on March 14th.
Steamboat will host their week-long Mardi Gras February 27-March 4. Telluride has their Mountain Town Get-Down March 28-30th. Or check our Loveland's New Belgium
Scavenger Hunt to support The Alliance for Sustainable Colorado, March 29th. Check the individual area's websites for further information.
FAR WEST SKI ASSOCIATION CONVENTION
A Volcanic Paradise is Waiting for You: Make your Volcanic Paradise Convention plans NOW!! The 82nd Annual Far West Ski Association Convention is June 12-15,
2014, in Bend, OR. Materials are on the way to industry and club members. Check the FWSA website for the latest information and forms (www.fwsa.org). If you plan to stay
at the host hotel, The Riverhouse, make your reservations by calling 800.547.3928 or 541-389-3111. Group Name: Far West Ski Association 2014. Hotel rates honored three
days pre and post Convention.
Clubs and Delegates--- Take advantage of the FWSA 6-Pack Program. Clubs can increase delegate participation at the 2014 Convention - For every six (6) delegates that
have paid the full registration package, the club will receive a rebate of one (1) paid registration after the convention (voting & non-voting delegates qualify). For more information, please contact Host Council Convention Coordinator Mary Olhausen at omary52@comcast.net.
FAR WEST RECOGNITION AWARDS
SAFETY PERSON OF THE YEAR AWARD: DEADLINE: March 20, 2014
RECOGNITION: Since 1998 Aspen/Snowmass, The Gant and Crestwood have donated a 6-night ski package for two with lodging, lift tickets, rentals, half-day group lessons,
on-mountain tour, transfers, air transportation and TV Interview with Plum TV.
CONTACT: Richard Lubin DC, FWSA Safety Chair, 925-828-7454, botaboardr@comcast.net
DESCRIPTION: The FWSA is a proponent of safety in skiing and snowboarding. Every year we hear about tragic deaths and injuries that happen during our favorite winter
activities that remind us of the great importance of safety. We have a number of ways in which we promote safety and one of our more viable ways is through the Safety
Award. The award is for the individual, within the association, that has done the most to promote safety through a number of criteria. These include articles on slope safety,
and other ways to raise safety consciousness. The link to detailed information and entry form is: http://fwsa.org/MemberCorner/Programs/program-safety.html
FAR WEST CLUB & COUNCIL COMPETITION: DEADLINE: March 20, 2014
RECOGNITION: Certificate suitable for framing and a digital award to place on club or council website.
DESCRIPTION: The Club and Council Communications Awards website is up and can be found at: http://fwsaca.org/educomm. These competitions are designed to
promote excellence and outstanding performance and are open to all clubs and councils within Far West Ski Association. The information you will find on this site concerns
entries for the following five competitions: Wentworth Outstanding Council Newsletter of the Year , Tollakson Outstanding Club of the Year; Wentworth
Outstanding Club Newsletter of the Year; Outstanding Club Website Award; and Outstanding Council Website Award. The deadline for all categories is March 20, 2014. Clubs
and Councils may access the 2014 updated criteria, judging information and submit 2014 entry forms. Online registration and an “invite code” is required to gain access. The
Invite code: FwsaEdu2014.
FAR WEST ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Far West Athletes' Winning Ways: Our athletes are keeping busy this season with races from Sun Valley to Stevens Pass and have been burning up the hill. Kayleigh
MacGregor, Kye Moffat, Alexandria Oseland, Cai Yamamoto, Lila Lapanja, Riley Plant, Molly Leavens, Hannah Hunsaker and Samantha Busby have all won podium time
over the past month with their impressive races. These kids are all great examples of future Olympians. We'll be seeing their names in the IOC records one day soon.
FAR WEST TRAVEL
Far West Ski Week 2015: Reservations can soon be made for the North American Ski Week to Whistler Blackcomb, January 31 to February 7, 2015. A fun week is being
planned by our travel staff, along with Ski.Com and all the folks at Whistler. Register on Line for South Africa: To sign up for the South Africa Trip, which is set for September 5-16, 2014, with an extension to Victoria Falls September 16-20, 2014, go to FWSA’s new interactive website at: https://fwsa-connect.herokuapp.com, click the “sign
up” link to create a new account; click on the “confirm” link in the email you receive and then use your new account o “login”. Click on the link to view the Safari video on
YouTube at https://youtu.be/SzDrEr7Llhg. Contact Debbie Stewart for more details at: fwsaintltrvl@prodigy.net.
FAR WEST SKI WEEK 2014
What a great week we had at Beaver Creek! We had 483 people including our FWSA travel staff and representation
from nine of our councils. Top representations were from BAC with 132, Orange Council, with 73 people, and Sierra
with 67. We also had 17 FWSA BOD and FWSF members at ski week. Great parties, great picnics and thanks to a lot of local businesses in Beaver Creek and Avon, we had
some great prizes given away at Sunday's Welcome Party.
Thanks to the number of Far West racers who showed up for the Monday's Beaver Creek GoPro Race series, the race department boasted their largest race numbers at a
recent Ski Week. Congratulations to Sierra Council for sweeping the race awards: Cabernet Ski & Race of Truckee received the Joe Ross (Top Club)
award and Sierra Council received the Lake Louise (Top Council) Award.
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National Ski Council Federation, Newsbeat Feb 14
North America’s Most Expensive Ski Resorts. North America’s two most expensive ski resorts to spend a night in are located in Utah,
according to the results of a study released this week conducted by the online booking website CheapHotels.org. Utah’s Deer Valley, located in Park City, is the most expensive ski resort in North America, according to the survey that compared all major ski resorts in the USA
and Canada based on the cost of their lodging. The month of February served as the basis of comparison. More. First Tracks!!
Taos Moves Forward with Plans to Build Lift to Kachina Peak. Taos Ski Valley on Tuesday announced that beginning next winter visitors will be able to access the mountain’s celebrated Kachina Peak via a chairlift for the first time ever.
Following the sale of the resort and a resultant infusion of cash, Taos’ long-proposed Kachina Peak Lift will be installed this summer and
will summit at 12,450 feet, making it one of the highest chairlifts in North America. The lift will increase the mountain’s advanced and
expert lift-service terrain by 50 percent. More. First Tracks!!
Colorado Skiing Deaths Occur Mostly on Moderate Groomed Runs. Experienced male skiers on moderate groomed runs are those at
highest risk and deaths are rarely on the easiest or most difficult slopes. Studies show that fewer than one death in 10 was on a green run
and only 3.5 percent were on double black runs. More. Coloradoan.com via Google
Ski Resorts Seen as Buyout Targets Amid U.S. West Drought. The same winter that brought blizzards and the polar vortex to the East
Coast has left ski destinations in California and Nevada largely dry. Resorts are making do with the least snow in more than four decades
and a 50 percent drop in attendance in some areas. Smaller, independent owners may struggle to hold out for a better season next year, said
Smedes Rose, an analyst at Evercore Partners Inc. in New York.
“It wouldn’t be out of the range of possibilities that some of the resorts would become capital-constrained, and that we will see some consolidation because of that,” he said. More. Bloomberg News via Google
Whistler’s Village Gondola To Get 8-Passenger Cabins; Part Of $12 Million Upgrade. Whistler Blackcomb’s Village Gondola, a
“workhorse” for 26 years, will be upgraded for the 2014-15 season with new 8-passenger cabins. The $6 million transportation investment
represents half of a $12 expansion program announced by the BC resort this week. More. SnoCountry
Beaver Creek to Replace Centennial Express with Combination Six-Pack, Gondola. Beaver Creek Resort will replace the existing
Centennial Express Lift (Chair 6) with a new high-speed, state-of-the-art combination lift this summer. The new lift will increase uphill
capacity by 35 percent through the use of alternating gondola cabins and six-person chairs. The new lift is expected to be in place for the
2014-2015 ski and snowboard season, and the 2015 World Alpine Ski Championships. More. SnoCountry
Our Dystopian Future As Ski Shops Disappear. In 1985, there were 727 lift-served ski areas in the U.S. Today that number is 427, a
decrease of 40 percent. The evidence of our future unraveling is visible today in climate change, the degradation of our political institutions
and the ongoing attrition among the ranks of specialty ski retailers. This past week another longstanding ski shop, Reno Mountain Sports,
announced it would shutter its storefront by summer. More. SnoCountry/RealSkiers Ed. Note: This is a fun short read that jumps from
shops and ski areas closing to a ramble into science fiction skiing.
Lawsuit Over Homewood (CA) Ski Resort Expansion Settled. Owners of Lake Tahoe’s Homewood Mountain Resort plan to break
ground this spring on a scaled-down expansion to the ski resort that led to a lawsuit filed by a pair of environmental organizations. Friends
of the West Shore and the Tahoe Area Sierra Club indicate that they reached a settlement last week with resort owner JMA Ventures in a
2012 lawsuit that last year halted work on the expansion. More. First Tracks!!
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I’m going to leave this General Info and Tips for you to continue thinking
about all Season long
Here is the link to the 2013-2014 Skiers Guide: 20113-2014 Skiers Guide
Ski Fitness
Skiing is a demanding sport. It subjects your body to repeated stresses and involves strenuous exertion at
high altitude. The fitter you are, the better and longer you will be able to ski each day, and the lower your
risk of injury will be. Any fitness program should include coordination, balance and flexibility.
Anaerobic Fitness. Skiing calls for anaerobic fitness, the strength and ability to sustain short bursts of
exertion. Skiing bumps, short radius turns and schussing all require power, as well as stamina.
Aerobic Fitness. Perhaps most importantly, you need to be aerobically fit in order to exercise in the thin mountain air. There’s only
one way to achieve this, and that’s though some sort of program of exercise which raises your heart rate and keeps it there over a
period of at least 15 minutes. Finally, your ski fitness program should improve your coordination, balance and flexibility, allowing
you a more dynamic range of movement.
Ski Safety Tips
Wear a helmet. One of the best ski safety tips is really a matter of personal choice — whether or not to wear a helmet while skiing.
The NSP (National Ski Patrol), the NSAA (National Ski Areas Association) and the PSIA (Professional Ski Instructors of America)
encourage wearing a helmet, but, it isn’t mandated for adults, yet. The most important safety tip regarding wearing a helmet would be
to wear a certified helmet.
Wanna RACE?
If you’d like, you can test your skills in a race course, as a member of Sierra League & Council in Far West Ski Association sponsored races. More information is available at www.sierraleague.com.
Exercise in advance. You will have much more fun on the slopes if you’re in good shape. Work your way up to skiing by exercising
year-round on a regular basis. Use proper ski equipment. Don’t borrow equipment. Rent from a ski shop or at the ski resort. Make
sure your ski boots are fitted properly and your bindings are correctly adjusted.
Prepare for the weather. Wear layers of clothes and wear a helmet liner, a hat, or a headband. Wear gloves or mittens. Bring an extra
pair in case the first pair gets wet.
Get proper instruction. Sign up for ski lessons. Even experienced skiers should polish up their skills with a lesson now and then.
Wear goggles. Wear ski goggles that fit properly around your helmet with at least a UV400 rating.
Take a break. If you’re tired, take a break and rest for a while in the lodge. While you’re resting, make sure you eat and drink
enough. Know when to quit.
Ski with a friend. It’s always safer to ski with a friend so he can watch out for you and vice versa. Prearrange a meeting place in case
you get separated and use walkie-talkies or cell phones to stay in touch.
Respect your limits. Do not ski trails that are above your skill level. Trails will be clearly marked as to what level skier they are appropriate for. On a similar note, stay in control of your skis and focus on the trail you are skiing. Accidents happen more readily
when we are distracted.
Follow the rules. Do not go off-trail. And don’t forget to obey posted trail signs.
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