SKI TRACKS
RACE
TRAINING CENTER NEWSLETTER
Volume 5, Number 4
Apr 2002
GREETINGS
from the DIRECTOR
As spring starts to unfold
and the ski season slowly winds down, keep in mind there are still a few events
on the calendar that are not to be missed!
We are gearing up for the PNSA Masters Championships. The Banff Film
Festival is one of our fundraisers and a very entertaining show. The annual May
Day race, for J3’s and under, is always a great fun event for
Six snowboard athletes and
two coaches participated in Nationals held at
I have enjoyed my years with
See you at the upcoming
events and skiing on the hill!
Russ Read,
Chairman of the Board
A special thank you to all
the volunteers that helped us out this season. We could not have accomplished
it all without you!
(Kellie & Christina Schueler)
UPCOMING EVENTS
Apr 18-21 PNSA
Masters Championships
Apr 22-23
Apr 26-28 May Day
Races
Apr 27 Annual Awards Banquet
May 18
May 19 U.S. Bank
Kids' Mini PPP
June 17-21 Alpine GS Camp -
July 17-24
Alpine Slalom & GS Camp - Whistler
Aug 5-9 Alpine
Slalom Camp-Mt. Hood
CROSS COUNTRY ATHLETE PROFILE
Highlighting: Zoe Roy
(By Inge Scheve)
Much of the winter, a blond girl with an infectious character
and a smile that spans the width of her face can be observed criss-crossing the trails at
“Zig Zag is the best,” says 14-year-old Zoe Roy with her usual grin. “It’s not really hard and it’s not totally easy either. It’s just a nice trail to ski on.”
The
That’s enough to knock the air out of anyone, but Zoe is amazingly collected about her schedule. She is also diligent about getting her homework completed most nights to avoid it piling up, she says. Last term, Zoe, whose favorite subject is science, had all A’s and one B on her report card! One thing that helps, she says, is not watching much TV.
But Zoe’s real passion is the outdoors. “You've got to be outside with your friends in the snow,” she says. “It’s better than being inside in front of the TV or a computer.”
Zoe has been cross-country skiing since she was four years old and downhill skiing since she was two. She also recently started snowboarding.
When Zoe sets out to do something,
it’s done all the way and with a purpose. Last spring, Zoe
participated in the May Day alpine race at
Although Zoe, who won the girls
individual title at the
Wise beyond her years, Zoe
explains that what identifies really great ski racers, such as Beckie Scott who is Zoe’s role
model, is being a great team player. “You can’t only focus on winning.” Zoe says. “You have to be a good team player and cheer on
the other racers when they’re skiing.”
Winter Seasonal Rental Needed
Looking for a winter rental (furnished) for a
family of four, from December 1 - March 31.
Desire to be near the mountain.
Sons will be in next season's
Postcard From
(By Inge Scheve)
When in
Well, with this in mind: when in
The race is a 59-kilometer classic event in
which all racers must wear a 9-pound backpack that symbolizes the weight of the
baby king. Other than that, much has changed since the vikings
laid out on their journey. Fiber glass
has replaced the wood skis, carbon is the going rate for poles these days and
Lycra suits have replaced the traditional knickers, wool stockings and
fur-lined anoraks. However, the racers all possess the stubbornness and
determination of their viking ancestors. Amazingly
few drop out and they all put their energy into earning the “badge”, a discreet
pin that proudly displays that the bearer is among the top 25 percent of that
category. I’ll wear mine with pride...
And though most of the world cries for joy
once the snow melts and the air warms up, Norwegians all migrate to the hills
to ski on the last scraps of frozen water molecules - calling their pilgrimage
“celebrating Easter”, and even making almost a week’s worth of national
holidays. Apparently, not all of the Pope’s ideas were that bad!
Events
Director News
(By Linda Snyder)
Banff Mountain
The World Tour hits
Volunteers Needed for the U.S. Bank Pole Pedal Paddle
We would love to have your support by
volunteering on May 18th! We also need volunteers the week prior to the
event during the day, to help with racer packets. There are many different positions from on
the mountain to the finish line. We can
find the perfect spot for anyone 12 years and older. If you are interested,
just call the
Event Sponsors
Sponsors are an integral part of these
races and events, whereby involving the community and gaining exposure for the
businesses to the Northwest skiing and snowboarding community.
This past season
The Gold
Level Sponsors are:
Other
Major Sponsors for this season are:
Albertson’s
Bank of
the Cascades
Bud
Light
The
Bulletin
Cellular
One
Century
Insurance
Coldwell
Banker
Crown
Pacific
FootZone
GI
Joe’s
Johnson,
Brad DDS
KTVZ-21
LibertyBank
The Orthopaedic &
Pepsi-Cola
Regence BlueCross BlueShield
of
Robberson Ford-Mazda
Saxon’s
Fine Jewelers and Designers
Sun
Country
Sunnyside
Sports
Sunriver Resort
Sunriver Woodworking
Therapeutic
Associates
Teva
Thomas
Sales & Service
The
Stevenson Family
Annual Awards Banquet
Please call Linda Snyder at 388-0002 if
you can help with set-up and/or clean-up for the Awards Banquet on April 27th.
U.S. Bank Kids' Mini Pole Pedal Paddle Logo Contest
There were over 50 great entries for the
U.S. Bank Kids' Mini Pole Pedal Paddle logo contest! Congratulations to Rochelle Weber of
Mrs. La Frenz’s 3rd grade class at
The runners up include…
Second and Third
places will receive watches from Saxon’s and gift certificates from Albertson’s. Fourth and Fifth
place also received Saxon’s watches and all places received Juniper Pool
passes donated by the
This is a continuation from February's Ski Tracks issue of Kevin's E-Mail excerpts sent home. Kevin shares his personal experience with the U.S. Ski Team:
On the Road with the US
(By Kevin Francis)
TARVISIO
I went to world Juniors thinking that the Americans weren’t going to do very
well. The coaches had told us all year that we were right in there with the
best in the world, but at a race like the World Championships it seems like
there should be racers that are untouchable. After the first training run I
realized that nobody was untouchable; we had a shot at winning every event.
Then, to have two guys actually win was really an eye opener. The
After
that trip it was nice to get back to
SCHOLARSHIP OPTIONS
Scholarships
are offered through
Eligibility Age:
Must be enrolled in an
Deadline:
Notification by
NWSSF
Eligibility Age:
N/A;
Current PNSA/USSA licensed competitors. Must be residents of
Deadline:
Winners notified in October, 2002
NAASF
Eligibility Age:
JIII & JIV only
Deadline:
Winners notified by
Women's Sport Foundation Travel & Training Fund
Eligibility Age:
N/A; Females who have a regional, national and/or international ranking
Deadline:
Winners notified by March, 2003
Cross-country Skiers Collect Experiences at Junior Olympics
(By Inge Scheve)
The largest contingent from
Following the races, Trent
Lowe – a first-year J1 – and Blake Fowles (J2 girls)
were ranked first overall in the PNSA division. “We are representing the
smallest region in the country with the longest distances to travel,” Husaby said. “It’s hard for us to compete with large
regions such as
Particularly competitive were
the sprints. “There were 50 kids within three seconds,” Husaby
said. “Tom [Segal] was in the low 30s. He didn’t qualify [for the finals] but
he was right in the mix.”
The bright point was Trent
Lowe’s seventh place in the skate race. Lowe, was the third best in the country
for his year, Husaby explained.
The surprise was Katey Kelley’s 30th place in the
skate race, Husaby said. “In a matter of a couple of
years, she has gone from being a novice to the 30th best kid in the
country,” said Husaby of Kelley’s progress since
joining
Kelley, who said she went to
McCall devoted to have fun and race hard without any pressure to place, had her
best experience of the season at the JOs. “During the
sprint races, for a brief moment I was in my own world, racing only myself,”
Kelley said. “This is the first time I have ever felt this euphoric feeling of
solitude.”
Teammate Blake Fowles had a rougher time. A veteran of the JOs, she had high expectations of her performance. “My results
were a big upset for me,” Fowles said, noting that
her best show at the JOs was a 41st place in the sprint. “A long ways away from my
expectations.” Husaby,
too, had expected Fowles to place top 15. “She is a
prettier skier than I am,” he said. “She just hasn’t figured it out yet.”
But while Fowles
may not have performed to her potential, she wrote off the experience as an
opportunity to learn more about racing. “I learned how to prepare for a race,
finally I learned what I need to do to race well,” Fowles
said. “I just need to be really relaxed and have fun instead of focusing to the
point where I freak myself out.”
David Kurtz, a rookie to the JOs, had a similar experience. He psyched himself out to
the point where he spent the entire week fighting himself, he said. “David
raced as well as David was prepared to race,” Husaby
said, adding that it was exciting and encouraging that Kurtz qualified for the JOs. “We are all really impressed that David made it and
finished in the middle of the pack for his age group.”
“Overall, the kids were really
well prepared,” said Husaby, noting that inclement
weather and difficult waxing conditions along with the pressure of being at the
Junior Olympics caused the kids to falter.
In the future, Husaby plans to take the mental preparations more into
consideration, as well as how to prepare the racers who go to the state meet
the week before and then come around and perform at the JOs
only days after.
Mini World Cup Program
Family Work Deposit
Remember to turn
in your completed Family Work Deposit Work Sheet showing your volunteer hours,
to Julie at
This work sheet can be found in your 2001/2002 Parent/Athlete Program
Manual, on Page 40. The column headings
didn't print, but should read Work Date in the 1st column, Function
in the 2nd column and Training/Race/Event Name in the 3rd column).
Thank you for all your help!
Snowboard News
(By Dave Reynolds)
Six
This winter
we had over 50 athletes participate in the
NATIONALS RESULTS:
Halfpipe (HP), Slopestyle (SS),
BoarderX (BX), Overall- HP + SS (OA)
Garrett Warnick (7 yrs. & under)
HP- 3rd; SS- 1st; BX- 4th; OA- 1st
Ben Watts (8-9 yrs.)
HP- 17th; SS- 7th
Josh Warnick (10-11 yrs.)
BX- 43rd
Conner Kelly (14-15 yrs.)
SS- 10th; BX- 39th
Brandon Luzier (14-15 yrs.)
BX- 50th
Chris Luzier (16-17 yrs.)
HP- 14th; SS- 37th; OA- 13th
Hans Hibbard (Open Class)
HP- 17th
Dave Reynolds (23-29 yrs.)
HP- 1st; SS- 1st; BX- 4th;
SL- 4th; GS- 6th;
OA (freestyle)- 1st;
OA Combined- 1st
Volunteers: Key to Successful Races in
Cross-Country
(By Inge Scheve)
The volunteers represent a
crucial part of making races happen. In fact, without volunteers, every single
race would be a no-go.
“I have raced a fair number of races all
over the country and the world, and I am confident that our races are some of
the best-run out there,” said Ben Husaby,
With a glowing enthusiasm and a level of
skill and professionalism many professional race crews would be hard pressed to
match the
The
recipe for success includes race volunteer coordinators who work well with each
other and split the tasks among themselves to recognize each volunteer’s particular
strength, and a willingness to pull through until the end.
That said, what keeps these volunteers
coming back, and what does
“I want to give back to the organization
that gave a lot to not only my kids when they were racing with
John Burks and Dona Houtz,
for example, represent a pair of indispensable individuals who have come
through in both the cerebral department of race organizing, as well as labored
on the course.
“I like to see the cross-country community
prosper and make the people involved excited about the sport,” Chief of Course
Michel Bayard says. “I like promoting the cross-country community and the
people we are, and transfer the attitude we have over to the rest of the
community.” Bayard, who has taken the time to plan each course with great care
and attention to detail, has provided a fun and challenging experience for all
racers, elite and novice alike.
“I look at how I would like to see it laid
out and marked so that people can focus on racing rather than where they are
going,” Bayard says. Especially the stadium area receives a fair amount of
attention and planning, he explains. “That way, racers can feel confident about
passing anyone they want… to make it a place where skiers can sprint and feel
safe about it.”
Fellow volunteer Steve Kuylik,
who has a unique perception of how a race course should run and where monitors
and marshals are needed, has relentlessly marked and flagged every race course
to leave the racers with a safe and clear course regardless of climatic
obstacles.
Other key volunteers include George Arnis, who has faithfully collected the worn bibs for
cleaning and reuse.
This season, more than 100 volunteers have
been involved with our Nordic races, and while some have helped out on
practically every single race, others have lent a hand in one or a few. The
ability to work as a team and get the job done is a common denominator for all
of these individuals.
A Coaches Journal of a Successful Weekend
(Part Three: The Saga Continues)
(By Ben Husaby)
Where
were we? By this time of year,
everything starts to blend together. The
last we spoke, I was going on about my luck as a coach. The team managed to be safe sitters and good
listeners on the drive, cleaned up the wrappers and empty soda containers from
the van, prepared dinner and cleaned the dishes. They even helped me get the skis
prepped. “Things are running so smoothly,”
I whisper to myself, visibly proud of the
As the
sugar crescendo subsides, the team settles into their easy spots for the
evening. Only one more task, and the day
will come to an end. Trying to find some
solace from a long day, I try to work my way through some prose. With heavy eyelids, I notice the time is past
Kirk Harr sure takes up a lot of space for a thin guy. He reminds me of the skinny guy, singing
baritone in a barbershop quartet. Only
Kirk is snoring. As Kirk is belting out
the bass lines, the rest of the group becomes a cacophony of windpipes. Although the team is spread out throughout
the condo, you can bet they are all playing their own breathing solo. I listen for a while, imagining what they
must be dreaming of. It brings back
memories of restless nights as a young racer.
Trying to be calm and collected, telling myself to be in control, only
to wake up completely drained the following morning, having to admit defeat to
my subconscious. For the first time this
trip I am given a peak into the minds of the racers, seemingly while their
guard is down. As an athlete I have been
here so many times, as a coach this is relatively new. My best races usually began with me drifting
off into slumber as the mattress folded like a taco around me, the corn shell
and I falling ever so slowly to the center of the earth. It felt so peaceful, like the race did at the
highest point of intensity. Time stood
still, and I never wanted the feeling to go away. I wonder if any of these kids are feeling
perfectly placid, slipping slowly into weightlessness. There were also the restless times; nights
spent endlessly looking for a breathing rhythm, often times a mirror for the
race to come later that day. I can hear
some rustling covers down in the girl’s quarter. Is it one of the veterans, or is it a
newcomer? The eyes will tell the story
in the morning.
Whoa,
We arrive
at the race venue with an hour and a half to spare. How we did not forget anything this morning
still amazes me. Everyone gets to the
start on time. I am nervously pacing the
start area praying the wax combination holds up. If you can wax in the
The race
is over and we start packing up. We will
probably hit the road long before the results are tabulated. It is times like these that I realize that in
the 62 hours that we are on the road, very little of the trip is spent racing. The trip really becomes a learning exercise
in how to deal with changes in the environment, long distances, close quarters
and most importantly, learning to be yourself while being respectful of
others.
Oh yeah, how did the kids do? From my perspective they did great. I could not be more proud of them. As for their results- I have not looked them
up on the web yet.
Alpine Summer Camp
information sheet here
Linda’s Business Sponsor sheet here
************
SKI
TRACKS is
the official newsletter publication of the Mt. Bachelor Ski Education
Foundation, a non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) membership association.
SKI
TRACKS is
published four times per season (December, February, March, and April). Publications are available to current members
enrolled in an
Publisher: Russ Read
Editor:
Cindy Ferris
Asst.
Editor: Linda Snyder; Inge Scheve
Contributions
are always welcome! We appreciate
in-kind and financial contributions supporting our Foundation.
Please
have articles in by the last week of the month, for publication the following
month. We prefer articles on diskette in
a Microsoft Word program (please include a hard copy) or sent via E-Mail. Diskettes and photos will be returned after
newsletter is printed. Contact us at the
numbers/addresses provided below.
Office
#: (541) 388-0002
Fax
#: (541) 388-7848
E-Mail:
mbsef@mbsef.org
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