Whitefish Ski Racers Compete at Bridger Bowl

Five young Whitefish ski racers, ages 9-12, competed with 135 racers from Montana in the opening event of the season January 7-8th. The two day slalom race took place on the wind-chilled icy slopes of Bridger Bowl. Despite limited early season training in gates due to low snow, coaches’ Roy Loman and Zak Anderson had the athletes well prepared. The team’s dedication was evident throughout the weekend, as they gained valuable confidence and experience.

Strong performances by 9-year old Colter Upton, earned him a 1st place finish on Saturday and 2nd on Sunday, in his first year in the J5 division. Douglas Mercer, also 9, finished the weekend with two top ten finishes, 9th and 7th places. Rounding out the J5 boys group for Whitefish was newcomer William Lewison who gained valuable experience.

For the girls, J5 racer Stella Eddy had a strong finish Saturday in 6th place. Team leader Pixie Moore, 12, competed in the highly competitive J4 division, and had progressively stronger races as the weekend unfolded.

Flathead Valley Ski Education Foundation would like to thank our major sponsors: Whitefish Mountain Resort, The Sportsman & Ski Haus, and North Valley Hospital. Anyone interested in the alpine race team please contact head coach Roy Loman at 802-236-1057.

Nevada Kramer races in FIS at Schweitzer

Nevada Kramer, Whitefish, competed at the Schweitzer ski resort in Sand Point, Idaho in a FIS sanctioned alpine ski event January 5-8.
Kramer joined racers in an international field to compete in 2 Super Giant Slalom and 2 Giant Slalom races. In Thursday’s opening race, a Super Giant Slalom, Kramer ranked #83 in the field finished # 55 to move up strongly. He continued that pattern each day; starting # 87 on Friday and finishing 57. Saturday his start was 61 with a great finish in 38th position. Kramer finished Sunday’s race after starting 54 and finishing in the 48th spot.
Kramer’s coaches said: “Nevada has started strongly this season. He has prepared himself well through the summer and fall and is reaping the benefits by improving his ranking in nearly every race.”
Kramer’s next race is a GS and Slalom Series scheduled at Whitefish Mountain Resort January 14-16.

Nevada Finishes FIS Series in Panorama

Nevada Kramer finished his first FIS series (2 GS and 2 SL) held at Panorama, CA. Nevada had a good series; moving up from his start position on average 20 places! Check out his results on the FIS page here:
Click Here! (Click on the "R" inside the square)

Nevada Competes in Panorama FIS

Race Team teammate, Nevada Kramer, is competing at the Panorama, BC ski resort in a FIS alpine ski event Dec 18-21.
Kramer joins racers from over 9 countries to compete in 2 Giant Slalom and 2 Slalom races. In Sunday’s opening race, a Giant Slalom, Kramer started #92 in a field of over 110 racers. He finished 72 moving up 20 positions for the day. Day 2 will see another Giant Slalom, to be followed by Slalom’s on Day 3 and 4.

Bode at Val Gardena

Click here to Read More …!

Be sure to also watch Fuez' run, it is a great run!

Meyer: It's Golden Age for US Ski Team!

Click here to Read More About the Golden Age…!

Nolan Kasper; 4th in World Cup Slalom!

I used to watch Nolan as a Jr. 4 in VT...He was a good skier...As all of you are! Which one of you will be the next 4th place World Cup skier?
Click here to Read More …!

Some Fun Reading from this Week-Ends WC races in Beaver Creek

Click here to Read More …!

Ligety wins at Beaver Creek!

Read about it here:
Click here to Read More …!

Weibrecht scores well in Birds of Prey

Coming back after injury...
Click here to Read More …!

Lindsey wins again at Lake Louise!

Lindsey...give the girls a break!
Click here to Read More …!

Bode!

Bode Wins At Beaver Creek!
Click here to Read More …!

Vonn Dominates at Lake Louise

Lindsey just smashed the rest of the girls!
Read more here:
Click here to Read More …!

The Showcase of the Chefs

Join us Friday, Dec 2nd for one of the premier social events of the season. The "Showcase of the Chefs" will be held at the Whitefish Lake Lodge at 7:00 pm.
Contact Roy Loman at 802.236.1057 for tickets.

THE SHOWCASE…!

U.S. Ski Team: Sarah Schleper takes 16-year-old Mikaela Shiffrin under her wing

Click here to Read About Sarah and Mikaela…!

Thanksgiving Camp at Banff

The snow is great and we are haveing a wonderful time...check us out at:
Click here to Read More …!

So...When You Have Fallen, Do You Think You Can't Get Up; Or Do You Think You Can Still Win!

If you want to see how to really dig deep, Click here!

Montana Ski Areas are opening...check here to see when!

Click here to Read More About the Montana Ski Area Openings!

Schleper wins USAs opening FIS GS

Thursday November 17, 2011 US Ski Team Vetran Sarah Schleper won the first US race of the Ski Season, a FIS GS at Copper Mountain
Click here to Read More …!

Early Season Speed Events to begin at Lake Louise

While the lack of snow in Europe caused the cancellation one World Cup Race, North America will host the Kick-Off Speed Events.
Click Here to Read More!

If we learn anything from athletics, this shold be a major lesson...

Read about Albert Pujols and what athletes can and should learn for him here:...

Skit Team Opens Training at Vail

To Read about the US Ski Team Training at Vail; Click Here...

CLICK HERE to read "Ski Racing Magazine's" coverage on the new Warren Miller film "Like no Tomorrow."

Showings at the O'Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish Nov 11-12, 7:00 PM
Door Prizes-Raffle-Snack Bar and Beverages
Adults $15.00 12 and under $10.00

This is some very good Reading!

Click here to read about runner Amber Crewse

This is some very good reading!

http://www.denverpost.com/meyer/ci_19185690?source=rss

Ligety Doubles Week-end w/Win in Solden!

Whitefish Mountain Resort Race Team
Ted Ligety methodically started the defense of his 2011 World Cup GS crown with the first win of the 2012 season Sunday (Oct 23) at Soelden, Austria and made the U.S. two for two on the weekend.

Read more here:

Vonn Wins Historic GS in Solden

Lindsey Vonn Stages a Historic GS Win in Solden...
Watch Lindsey Vonn crush the GS in Soelden to take home her first win in that discipline. The win makes her the first U.S. woman EVER to win in all 5 disciplines.
View More Videos:

See her video from Solden here: www.usskiteam.com

2011 Team Awards

The coaches have come together to recognize the strengths and attributes of each of our team members for 2011. While race results are widely used for recognition and that is rightly so, there are SO many more gains made in each season by all of our athletes.
Our Awards list covers the many things that we recognize as important attributes to success, both on and off the ski hill.
Each of our athletes has particular strengths that are necessary for success and we would like to recognize and celebrate those strengths with all of you. Most of these awards also contain an element of humor; after-all, we really did have fun while working quite hard all winter long.

ToView and enjoy our Awards List Click Here...

Erin Tabish Scores well in Panorama Canada

Erin Tabish, competing in a FIS Series finished her second GS of the Series. She will Compete in Two Slaloms, one each for the next two days.
In the second GSm Erin started as bib 75 and finished in 66th. Her finish resulted in a strong improvement in her international ranking.

Erin Tabish Competes in Panorama

Erin Tabish competed in a FIS Giant Slalom Race today. Erin started bib 76 and finished 48th, moving up 28 spots. A great effort for Erin today. She will compete in a GS tomorrow and a slalom each day for the following 2 days.

Jacob and Nevada at the OHG/Erin Tabish to Panorama

Friday, April 1 was the GS of the Northern Division Championships. Jacob Welch and Nevada Kramer finished well on the first day, with the Slalom to be contested tomorrow (Saturday).
Nevada was the top Jr. 3 and finished 6th overall. Jacob was the 4th Jr. 3 and was 11th overall! Well done boys.

Erin Tabish traveled today to a FIS series in Panorama. Races in Panorama start Saturday, April 2nd and we will post results as they become known.

Bridger Bowl YSL Championships

Nine athletes from the Whitefish Mountain Race Team travelled to Bridger Bowl to compete in the season finale YSL Championships March 18-20th. Over the course of 3 days, they raced in giant slalom, slalom and kombi courses, to finish out their competitive season.

Three skiers earned podium placements in a field of over 170 racers and Oliver Van Evern earned 3rd place in the Over-All; with his top placing in all three contested events. Nine year-old Colter Upton finished a successful racing season by topping the podium with a 1st place in slalom. He also raced to 2nd place in the kombi event and 3rd in giant slalom. Oliver Van Everen brought home two 3rd place trophies in a highly competitive field of 11-12 year olds, in GS and slalom. Jacob Welch skied to a 1st and 2nd place finish respectively, in boys J3 class.

After most of the ski season off to play competitive tennis, Britt Walton picked up where he left off and garnered two top 10 finishes in the speedy field of 11-12 year old boys: 8th in GS and 10th in kombi. In his first out-of-town race, Douglas Mercer brought home 3 medals in the 7-8 year old boys group with two 5th’s and a 6th place. Kristin Van Everen represented the girls of Whitefish well with 3 top ten finishes, including a 6th and two 8th’s . Jacques Eve ended his season with a 7th place in the kombi race and 9th in slalom.

Also representing Whitefish well were Cameron Welch and Story Crossett. The Whitefish Mountain Race Team athletes would all like to thank their dedicated coaching staff, led by head coach Roy Loman. Please give Roy a call at (406) 862 2912 if you are interested in the alpine race program. The team is also grateful to their sponsors: Hunter & Company, Hammer Nutrition and The Base Lodge Clinic (North Valley hospital).

Tommy Moe Dual Slalom Winners

Tommy Moe Kids League
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Dual Slalom
Today was the Dual Slalom race for the Tommy Moe Kids Competition Series. We
had great mild sunny weather for this exciting final competition in the series. The
course included 2 individual courses side-by-side.
The morning race was the usual competition by age and gender categories. The afternoon race was a bracketed dual slalom elimination, including those with the top 16 overall times from the morning. The Dual Slalom format has the competitors racing against each other in run after run until the winner has eliminated all other competitors. The dual format is very exciting to watch and challenges the skiers in both technical ability and stamina.

Overall Results – Afternoon Race
1st Place Trophy to Zander Wold
2nd Place Trophy to Piper Howeth
3rd Place Trophy to Jack Kahle

Results by Category- Morning Race
Girls ages 5 - 6: Muriel Mercer* (1st), Elizabeth Spradlin (2nd)
Boys ages 5 - 6: Trey Nelson (1st), Decker Wold (2nd), Kelly Howeth (3rd)
Girls ages 7 - 8: Mikaela Daniels* (1st), Stella Eddy* (2nd), Kendall Reed (3rd)
Boys ages 7 - 8: William Hyatt (1st), Cameron Kahle* (2nd), Bode Wold* (3rd)
Girls ages 9 -10: Pixie Moore* (1st), Mia Hernandez* (2nd), Audrey Hyatt (3rd)
Boys ages 9 - 10: Liam Nelson* (1st), Keegan Wold* (2nd), Grant Kahle* (3rd)
Girls ages 11- 12: Piper Howeth* (1st), Isabelle Andersen (2nd), Ella VanBlack
(3rd)
Boys ages 11 - 12: Zander Wold* (1st), Jack Kahle* (2nd), Dawson Reinhart (3rd)
*Members of the Whitefish Mountain Resort Race Team.

All competitors raced well and we are very proud of all of them!

We’ve had another great season for the Tommy Moe series! Our total participation
level over the 6 events was higher than ever. Many thanks to all the families that
participate, the Snow Sports crew, Bill & Sharon Kahle and all the other volunteers
who make these events fun and successful.
For more information, check out HYPERLINK "http://skiwhitefish.com/
lessons_tommy_moe.php" http://skiwhitefish.com/lessons_tommy_moe.php or call
406-862-2909.

Tommy Moe Make-up GS Results

Congratulations to all the Tommy Moe Racers and Volunteers!
Below is a cut and paste from the resort:

Tommy Moe Kids League
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Giant Slalom
Today was the Giant Slalom race for the Tommy Moe Kids Competition Series, but
with a different schedule. The race was in the morning with warm, sunny weather
and soft spring snow. The race was a Giant Slalom course with greater distance
between gates which allowed for larger turns and faster race times. Over 65
competitors participated in the event, with Oliver VanEveren running the fastest
combined time of 59.81.
The last competition of the year is the Dual Slalom event on Sunday, March 20th.
The cost of entry is $12. Note that the race times differ from the for this event to
allow for two rounds of competition. Registration is from 8- 9:30am at the Fireside
Room of Ed & Mully’s and the first round of races start at 10am. For more
information, check out http://skiwhitefish.com/lessons_tommy_moe.php or call
406-862-2909.
Results by Category
Girls ages 5 - 6: Alli Kernan (1st), Maya Schroder (2nd), Muriel Mercer* (3rd)
Boys ages 5 - 6: Drew Kernan (1st), Ty Schwaiger (2nd), Teague McDonald (3rd)
Girls ages 7 - 8: Stella Eddy* (1st), Marina Kramer* (2nd), Mikaela Daniels* (3rd)
Boys ages 7 - 8: Colter Upton* (1st), Gardner Dominick* (2nd), Douglas Mercer*
(3rd)
Girls ages 9 -10: Pixie Moore* (1st), Kristin VanEveren* (2nd), Audrey Hyatt* (3rd)
Boys ages 9 - 10: Liam Nelson* (1st), Carver Gilman*(2nd), Keegan Wold* (3rd)
Girls ages 11- 12: Piper Howeth* (1st), Isabelle Andersen* (2nd), Annie Howeth*
(3rd)
Boys ages 11 - 12: Oliver VanEveren* (1st), Brit Walton* (2nd), Zander Wold*
(3rd),
Overall Fastest Time: Oliver VanEveren*
*Members of the Whitefish Mountain Resort Race Team.

Zak has found some great Video for us to learn from

http://www.facebook.com/l/09beb/www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib99OFhDibI

Zak has forwarded me a Youtube link of some awesome video that displays MANY of the attributes of skiing that we have been talking about and working on.
Listen to the dialogue and watch and you will see some outstanding examples of some great ski fundamentals.
I list a few things to look for below. what I suggest is that you watch the clip. Then look over the list below. Or perhaps you have your own thought in mind. Then watch the clip with that item in mind. Trying to key on every thing in this list will not likely be productive.

Some of my key thought are:
1) The body is able to be stable because the work is being done by the feet and legs
2) Watch the rolling of the ankle and the lower leg and knee to help strengthen the edge angle and pressure on the outside ski.
3) Watch Travis move just enough up and strongly forward in the transition of each turn to keep him dynamically balanced forward on his skis
4) With this; both ankles are flexed forward providing balance to the front of the ski and allowing a position from which the ankles and lower legs can roll more powerfully to engage the edging motion. Of course, the majority of the edging is due to the extreme angulation and the foot being far outside the body, BUT the ankle and knee start the action and are paramount to the success of a well executed turn.
5) See how the inside knee is tucked against the chest in the deepest part of the turn; with the ankle flexed forward and the heel tending to be up against the butt in order to allow the extreme angulation and edge angle of the outside ski.
6) The inside ski mimics the outside ski, but the outside ski is the dominant and controlling ski.
7) The hands are quiet and in their "zone" for balance. Pay particular attention to the inside hand and how (when it stays in position) it helps to strengthen the position of the inside shoulder, further strengthening the balance to the dominant outside ski.
8) The placement of the turn is well above the gate with the apex above and somewhat outside the gate with the turn finishing at and tight on the gate.
9) The tuck is not unnecessarily low, but Travis works to be as aerodynamic as possible while allowing his legs and feet to make the best turns possible. Note that his hands and arms are as much as possible, working to deflect the wind away from his chest and his head(held low to stay out of the wind).
10) A few times and in the GS sequence Travis talks about "pushing (down on the outside ski)through the apex". Our words are usually: "build pressure (by pushing smoothly and dynamically through the leg and foot) from the top of the turn into the apex.(fall line)
11) Watch as in the the last DH sequence he moves over a roller bump; He will raise slightly to prepare, the roll his body forward and down to press down and realign with the new terrain on the back side of the bump.

Madeline and Erin at West Region Championships

Quick report on today's Super G...will post more as we know it.

Very Solid races for our two girls: Madeline Williams 26th and Erin Tabish 32nd...against the best age group girls in the West.

Whitefish Skiers with Strong Finishes at Discovery Basin

A strong contingent of alpine ski racers from The Whitefish Mountain Race Team competed in two giant slalom races at Discovery Basin March 5-6th. With a record 160 skiers, from all over Montana, the 12 Whitefish racers faired quite well with four 1st place finishes, three 2nd’s, and a host of top ten finishes. A long and demanding course required strong stamina and focus. The Whitefish team was up to the task.

The team was led by 12 year old Oliver Van Everen with two phenomenal runs on Saturday to capture the gold in a hotly contested J4 age group. Nine year old Colter Upton continued a streak by winning first place both days in the J6 division. Jacob Welch rounded out the first place winners with a win on Sunday in the J3’s.

Newcomer Gardner Dominick smoothly raced to two 2nd place finishes in the 7-8 year old division. Also new to the travel circuit in the girls J6 division, was Stella Eddy and Marina Kramer. Stella raced to a nice comeback 4th on Sunday, after 8th Saturday. Marina had two solid finishes, 6th and 8th.

Three Whitefish girls competed in the 9-10 year old division. Mia Hernandez had a strong showing with two top 10 finishes, 7th and 9th. Kristin Van Everen raced to 10th place both days. Pixie Moore had a 12th and 13th.

In the 11-12 year old division, Jacques Eve had a 9th place finish and Cameron Welch two 14th places in the boys group. In a large field of girls, Piper Howeth narrowly missed top ten with 11th and 12th place finishes.

Next up for the Youth Ski League group are the YSL Championships March 18th-20th at Bridger Bowl. As always, the team thanks their sponsors...Hammer Nutrition, Hunter & Company and The Base Lodge Clinic.

Tabish, Williams and Kramer Qualify to Championship Series

We have very recently been notified that Erin Tabish and Madeline Williams have qualified to the Western Regional Championships to be held in Bogus Basin ID.
Additionally, Nevada Kramer qualified to the Junior Olympics to be held in the Lake Tahoe Region. We will post more information as it comes to us...

"Start the Turn Early"

Start the Turn Early; we have all heard that advice from coaches throughout the years. Good thought I know, but are the right words in play here? I am not sure this fully addresses the concept needed. In my mind it begins to talk about two things: WHERE to start the turn and HOW to make the beginning of any turn more powerful and controlling for all skiers AND faster for ski racers.
WHERE to start the turn is a subject in itself and we can talk more about that at another time.
So that brings us back to “HOW to start the turn; AND with improved skill”. And another question: why we would want to improve the early portion of the turn?
For the purposes of this conversation, I think more clarity would be revealed by saying something more like: Get the new outside ski on edge and pressure it early in the arc of the turn. Most usually, good turns are arc shaped and reasonably smooth in nature.
Edging the ski first, then applying pressure strongly, yet smoothly and progressively starts the carving action cleanly, and helps to maintain current momentum and speed. Importantly, it carves the skier INTO the fall-line. We recognize pretty easily, a skier turning from a path traveling somewhat across the hill towards a path that is directly down the hill is going to accelerate… and with the accurate carving action already in place, this skier has a very good opportunity to preserve that speed and momentum going into the new path towards the start of the next turn.
There also is an important added benefit for the racer and recreational skier in this approach. Edging and pressuring the ski early also establishes control of the arc very early and allows the skier a much stronger aspect of control and balance.
Skiers who do not focus on carving into the fall-line tend to fixate on changing direction from right to left (or left to right) rather quickly and ultimately somewhat harshly. Edging is harsh and tends to happen at the conclusion of one turn then again at the conclusion of the next. Typically there is not much going on in-between these edge sets.
These turns tend to go from left to right very quickly with little dynamics happening in the middle of the turn. Turns of this nature will usually skid more in the bottom aspect of the tune due to the accumulated demands waiting to happen at this point. If a skier is late in establishing early carving, there is a period of “limbo” in the arc…balance is compromised during this limbo time and directional control is essentially non-existent, or chancy at best. If and when carving is introduced late in the turn the skier must do a great deal in a fairly short time and distance; further challenging the skier’s ability, balance and strength.
I consider the skill of early carving to be one of the three most important fundamental skills in skiing. The first skill is maintaining a balanced stance that has the ankles flexed into the front of the boot. The second is a strong and versatile pole plant that aids the skier in the transition/balance change from the dominant foot of one turn to the next dominant foot. And the third is becoming skilled in utilizing the aspect of early carving at the top/beginning of each turn.
Almost every skier is fluent with the bottom/finish of the turn. Only the better skiers master the top of the turn. Take some time each day to work on this and the other fundamental skills and I guarantee you will become a better skier!

Great Tommy Moe Results Today!

Tommy Moe Kids League
Sunday, February 27, 2010
Giant Slalom
Today was the Giant Slalom race for the Tommy Moe Kids Competition Series. We
had great snow for the event, with warmer temperatures and perfect powder snow.
The race was a Giant Slalom course with greater distance between gates which
allowed for larger turns and faster race times. Over 40 competitors participated in
the event, with Piper Howeth running the fastest combined time of 60.56.
The next competition is the rescheduled Giant Slalom event on Sunday, March 13
th
.
The cost of entry is $12. Note that the race times differ from the regularly scheduled
races, due to conflicts with other events during the day. Registration is from 8-
9:30am at the Fireside Room of Ed & Mully’s and the race starts at 10am. For
more information, check out HYPERLINK "http://skiwhitefish.com/
lessons_tommy_moe.php" http://skiwhitefish.com/lessons_tommy_moe.php or call
406-862-2909.

Results by Category:
Girls ages 5 - 6: Alli Kernan (1st), Maya Schroder (2nd), Ashby Dominick* (3rd)
Boys ages 5 - 6: Drew Kernan (1st), Teague McDonald (2nd), Decker Wold* (3rd)
Girls ages 7 - 8: Stella Eddy* (1st), Mikaela Daniels* (2nd), Anna Elm* (3rd)
Boys ages 7 - 8: Colter Upton* (1st), Gardner Dominick* (2nd), Douglas Mercer* (3rd)
Girls ages 9 -10: Audrey Hyatt (1st)
Boys ages 9 - 10: Liam Nelson* (1st), Carver Gilman*(2nd), Walt Hollensteiner* (3rd)
Girls ages 11- 12:Piper Howeth*(1st), Haley Nicholson(2nd), Isabelle Andersen(3rd)
Boys ages 11 - 12: Zander Wold* (1st), Jack Kahle* (2nd), Jayron Venturini* (3rd)
Snowboard Boys 9-10: Mark Andersen (1st)
Overall Fastest Time: Piper Howeth*

*Members of the Whitefish Mountain Resort Race Team.

Williams and Kramer Continue to lead the Gold Cup Standings Through the Big Sky Super G Races

These results were updated through the SG races in Big Sky February 26-27.

Madeline Williams and Nevada Kramer continue as the leaders of the Jim Barrier Gold Cup in their respective gender/age groups. Williams competes in the Jr. One age group (17-19 years) and Kramer competes as a Jr. Three (13-14 years).

Both Williams and Kramer are scoring top results in the season long series to maintian their lead in Gold Cup standings.

Jim Barrier Gold Cup The Jim Barrier Gold Cup is the Northern Division’s premier race series. This is a Continental Cup type competition using the same scoring principals designed to recognize the top racers in the Northern Division. Races
counting for Gold Cup points are the J1, J2, J3 qualifiers, all open races and the OHG race at Bridger Bowl in early April. The Gold Cup is open to all A, J1, J2, and J3 competitors.
Jim Barrier Gold Cup History Born in 1940, Jim Barrier grew up skiing for the Flathead County High School.
During the years 1956-1959, he was the #1 ranked alpine racer in Montana.
He was picked to be one of four alpine skiers to compete as a member of the US Olympic Ski Team at the first Winter Olympic Games held in the United States, 1960 Squaw Valley, California. He finished 16th in the GS, but fell in the slalom. He did not compete in the DH.
Barrier earned a four year skiing scholarship at MSU, but broke his leg in the fall of his freshman year. He joined the US Army, and skied for the Army. After discharge, he became a ski coach at Schweitzer Basin in ID. He later was hired by PNSA as their Divisional Coach. He introduced the first junior ski racing seeding system in the United States. In 1966, 1967, and 1968, he also worked with Bob Beattie and Gordon Eaton as Assistant Men’s Coach for the United States Ski Team. After the Olympics, he was hired by the Head Ski Company to develop a fiberglass ski
made by Dura Fiber, which was called the Head XR-1. Later, Jim became president of Dura Fiber Ski Company. His experience in business and manufacturing led him to a successful career in business; working for Kaiser Electro Precision and Kaiser Aerospace. Jim, always a fierce competitor lost his final battle to cancer in 2000.

Whitefish Alpine Race Team Speeds to Good Results in Big Sky Super G

The Whitefish Alpine Race Team visited Big Sky, Montana for a USSA Sanctioned Super G race held on the difficult Hangman’s Course.
The Whitefish Skiers traveled with coaches Pete and Dick Collins, two former Whitefish Racers (and brothers) that have returned to share their racing experience with the current Juniors.
Super G typically combines high speed turns and jumps and is contested in 1 run, putting execution of that run at a premium. The technical races of Slalom and GS allow the combination of two runs giving an athlete a potential of recovering from a mistake on one of the runs. Saturday, the one run format allowed two races to be held at Big Sky
Saturday Morning Race
Madeline Williams 1st in the Jr. 1 women’s class
Erin Tabish 3rd in the Jr. 2 women’s class
Katherine Millette 14th in the Jr. 3 women’s class
Aaron Oberlitner 3rd in the Jr. 1 men’s class
Nevada Kramer 2nd in the Jr. 3 men’s class
Jacob Welch 10th in the Jr. 3 men’s class
Austin Oberlitner 18th in the Jr. 3 men’s class
Saturday Afternoon Race
Madeline Williams 1st Jr. 1 women
Erin Tabish 4th Jr. 2 women
Katherine Millette 10th Jr. 3 women
Aaron Oberlitner 3rd Jr. 1 men
Jacob Welch 8th Jr. 3 men
Sunday’s Race
Madeline Williams 1st Jr. 1 women
Erin Tabish 5th Jr. 2 women
Katherine Millette 13th Jr. 3 women
Aaron Oberlitner 4th Jr. 1 men
Nevada Kramer 2nd Jr. 3 men
Jacob Welch 9th Jr. 3 men
Austin Oberlitner 19th Jr. 3 men

Today we met Wayne Wong on the Hill!

We met Wayne Wong on the hill at Whitefish today; I can't tell you how much he influenced modern skiing so I would refer you here for a beginning of an explanation!

http://www.greatoutdoors.com/blogs/gordys/20091106/blazing-skis-%E2%80%93-wayne-wong-the-face-of-freestyle-skiing

Whitefish Team Attends the Jeremiah Thompson Memorial Slalom Series

The Missoula Snowbowl and the Missoula Ski Educational Ski Foundation hosted 3 days of slalom racing as the Jeremiah Thompson Memorial Slalom Series. I had the pleasure of knowing Jeremiah Thompson as a member of the Dartmouth Ski Team. We were lucky to have the Dartmouth Team train on our hill often and also competed with them frequently. Jeremiah Thompson was a standout skier and a leader that my team wanted to emulate.
Whitefish Results for the series were as follows:
February 11, 2011
Madeline Williams 3rd Jr. 1 women
Katherine Millette 8th Jr. 3 women
Erin Tabish 8th Jr. 2 women
Jacob Welch 8th Jr. 3 men
Austin Oberlitner 14th Jr. 3 nen

February 12, 2011
Madeline Williams 4th Jr. 1 women
Katherine Millette 6th Jr. 3 women
Nevada Kramer 1st Jr. 3 men
Aaron Oberlitner 3rd Jr. 1 men
Austin Oberlitner 10th Jr. 3 Men

Feb 13, 2011
Madeline Williams 4th Jr. 1 women
Katherine Millette 10th Jr. 3 women
Aaron Oberlitner 4th Jr.1 men
Jacob Welch 11th Jr. 3 men
Austin Oberlitner 12th Jr. 3 men

Williams and Kramer Continue to Lead the Coveted Gold Cup Standings

Madeline Williams and Nevada Kramer continue as the leaders of the Jim Barrier Gold Cup in their respective gender/age groups. Williams competes in the Jr. One age group (17-19 years) and Kramer competes as a Jr. Three (13-14 years).

Both Williams and Kramer are scoring top results in the season long series to maintian their lead in Gold Cup standings.

Jim Barrier Gold Cup The Jim Barrier Gold Cup is the Northern Division’s premier race series. This is a Continental Cup type competition using the same scoring principals designed to recognize the top racers in the Northern Division. Races
counting for Gold Cup points are the J1, J2, J3 qualifiers, all open races and the OHG race at Bridger Bowl in early April. The Gold Cup is open to all A, J1, J2, and J3 competitors.
Jim Barrier Gold Cup History Born in 1940, Jim Barrier grew up skiing for the Flathead County High School.
During the years 1956-1959, he was the #1 ranked alpine racer in Montana.
He was picked to be one of four alpine skiers to compete as a member of the US Olympic Ski Team at the first Winter Olympic Games held in the United States, 1960 Squaw Valley, California. He finished 16th in the GS, but fell in the slalom. He did not compete in the DH.
Barrier earned a four year skiing scholarship at MSU, but broke his leg in the fall of his freshman year. He joined the US Army, and skied for the Army. After discharge, he became a ski coach at Schweitzer Basin in ID. He later was hired by PNSA as their Divisional Coach. He introduced the first junior ski racing seeding system in the United States. In 1966, 1967, and 1968, he also worked with Bob Beattie and Gordon Eaton as Assistant Men’s Coach for the United States Ski Team. After the Olympics, he was hired by the Head Ski Company to develop a fiberglass ski
made by Dura Fiber, which was called the Head XR-1. Later, Jim became president of Dura Fiber Ski Company. His experience in business and manufacturing led him to a successful career in business; working for Kaiser Electro Precision and Kaiser Aerospace. Jim, always a fierce competitor lost his final battle to cancer in 2000.

Whitefish Skiers do well at Great Divide

Whitefish YSL competitors traveled to Great Divide Ski Area near Helena Montana for a 3 day tournament that contested Slalom, Giant Slalom and Kombi on Feb 19, 20 and 21.
The slalom, held on the Belmont Bowl course was a challenging event on a held on a cold and blustery day. The Whitefish group held well against the odds and Pixie Moore and Kristin Van Everen were 6th and 7th respectively in their age categories. Jacques Eve finished 13th giving up some ground in the first run and coming back strongly with a solid second run.
The GS, starting very near the top of the Belmont Bowl course offered much better weather conditions and Pixie Moore responded with a 6th in her age group followed closely by teammate Kristin Van Everen in 9th. Jacques Eve responded with a very near podium finish 4th place.
Monday the Kinder Kombi challenged the Whitefish bunch and they responded well to the challenge for some great results. The Kombi, a fairly new event combines the characteristics of Slalom and Giant Slalom. The one run nature of this race demands perfection combined with speed and truly rewards those who inspect the course with accuracy and execute well in that run.
Kristin Van Everen finished 6th in category, followed by Pixie Moore, 7th less than 3/10 of a second behind.
Colter Upton, from Whitefish, roasted his completion winning his age group by 5+ seconds. Upton’s time would have finished 2nd in the next age category.
The next stop on the YSL tour is a March 5, event at Discovery Mountain near Anaconda, MT. Discovery will host 2 Giant Slalom Races and their venue is considered to be one of the most interesting GS trails on the circuit.

Williams, Kramer lead Gold Cup Standings

Madeline Williams and Nevada Kramer were updated as the current leaders of the Jim Barrier Gold Cup in their respective gender/age groups. Williams competes in the Jr. One age group (17-19 years) and Kramer competes as a Jr. Three (13-14 years).

Jim Barrier Gold Cup The Jim Barrier Gold Cup is Northern Division’s premier race series. This is a
continental cup type competition for the top racers in Northern Division. Races
counting for Gold Cup points are the J1, J2, J3 qualifiers, all open races (not RMC
Invitational) and the OHG and are open to all A, J1, J2, and J3 competitors.
Recognition of these athletes will be at the Over the Hill Gang race.
Jim Barrier Gold Cup History Born in 1940, Jim Barrier grew up skiing for the Flathead County High School.
During the years 1956-1959, he was the #1 ranked alpine racer in Montana.
He tried out for and was picked to be one of four alpine skiers to compete as a
member of the US Olympic Ski Team at the first Winter Olympic Games held in
the United States, 1960 Squaw Valley, California. He finished 16th in the GS, but
fell in the slalom. He did not compete in the DH.
Jim Barrier earned a four year skiing scholarship at MSU, but broke his leg in the
fall of his freshman year. He joined the US Army, and skied for the Army. After
discharge, he was a ski coach at Schweitzer. He later was hired by PNSA as
the Divisional Coach. He introduced the first junior ski racing seeding system in the
United States. In 1966, 1967, and 1968, he also worked with Bob Beattie and
Gordon Eaton as Assistant Men’s Coach for the United States Ski Team. After
the Olympics, he was hired by the Head Ski Company to develop a fiberglass ski
made by Dura Fiber, which was called the Head XR-1. Later, Jim became president of Dura Fiber Ski Company. His experience in business and manufacturing led him to a successful career in business; working for Kaiser Electro Precision and Kaiser Aerospace. Jim, always a fierce competitor lost his final battle to cancer in 2000.

Whitefish attends the Bridger Qualifier

The Whitefish Resort Alpine Race Team visited Bozeman’s Bridger Bowel for a USSA sanctioned race series January 28, 29, and 30. Two Giant Slalom races and one Slalom race were contested over the three days with over 60 competitors participating in the events.

Whitefish skier’s results for the 3 days were:

January 28 GS #1
Junior Three Women category
Katherine Millette 10th place

Junior Two Women category:
Erin Tabish 1st place (1st overall)

Junior One Women category:
Michela Millette: 2nd place
Madeline Williams: 4th place

Junior Three Men
Nevada Kramer 3rd place
Austin Oberlitner 10th place
Jacob Welch 11th place

January 29, GS #2
Junior Three Women
Katherine Millette 7th place

Junior Two Women
Erin Tabish 5th place

Junior One Women
Michela Millette 1st place
Madeline Williams 2nd place

Junior Three Men
Nevada Kramer 2nd place
Jacob Welch 11th place

January 30, Slalom
Junior Three Women
Katherine Millette 12th place

Junior Two Women
Erin Tabish 1st place (1st overall)

Junior One Women
Madeline Williams 1st place
Michaela Millette 3rd place

January 30, Men’s Slalom

Junior Three Men
Nevada Kramer 1st
Jacob Welch 12th
Austin Oberlitner 17th

Junior One Men
Aaron Oberlitner 2nd

The Whitefish Alpine Race Team would like to thank The Base Lodge Clinic of the North Valley Hospital, Hammer Nutrition, and Hunter & Company for their help and continued support.

The Coaches and I have been talking about Pole Plants!

Pole Plant Fundamentals
The Pole Plant is one of the more fundamental issues relating to performance skiing.
Three things come to mind as primary factors in our performance skiing. They are: the pole plant, Balance on the front portion of the foot (ankles flexed forward to the front of the ski boot), and a transition of balance and carving very early in the arc of the turn…
I think today we will talk primarily about the pole plant….
While the feet are the most primary functional component to skiing (after-all they do control the skis directly) the pole plant is a VERY large part of the transition from one foot to the next.
Our need to teach, solidify, improve and maintain the pole plant for our skiing athletes is based on a very real need to assist in the working of the feet and in particular the transition from the dominant foot of one turn to the dominant foot of the next turn.
So…what does this pole plant do? Well, it does a bunch of things and much of it is difficult to recognize or point out; as it (especially as the athlete matures) becomes an almost artistic tool that is used in very impromptu situations to save the skier from difficulty. OK then; if this is the case, then a strong pole plant MAY just save our bacon at times…
Some of the things that we CAN count on the pole plant doing are:
1) It marks the beginning of each turn. As such; it helps us to determine rhythm and each race course, slope or bump run has its own rhythm that a skiing athlete needs to attune to.
2) It helps the athlete to move and move forward at the beginning of each turn…
3) When used properly, it helps to maintain a “stacked and square” stance that promotes a balanced position on the skis. (a double pole plant is particularly good in this order)
4) It aids in the balance change from foot to foot and in difficult transitions it helps to secure the upper body in its best balance movements from turn to turn. (AKA a bacon saver…)
What the heck does a good pole plant look like? Hmmm…Well then; it looks as though it will depend on 1) needs and 2) the pole planting ability of the skier…
1) The strongest pole plant will occur somewhere around the beginning of the turn and will only be actuated by the wrist. It will allow the hands to stay in the best “zone” for balance. The pole will angle forward and touch the snow actively (though not excessively) near the tip of the skis
2) Aggressive and accelerating turns may allow a slightly modified pole plant that touches slightly ahead of the boot, but still promotes movement and forward balance with the proper rhythm.
3) GS pole plants can diminish a bit, and they often flourish as the “double pole plant”, but again; if you need to save your bacon, I hope you own a strong forward placement pole plant!

Skiers can progress to some degree without a strong pole plant, but they will be severely limited in how far they can progress.

Though it seemingly is a small and easily learned skill, The pole plant is so varied in its use and necessity, it is best learned at an early age. With early development of the pole plant skill, athletes have much more opportunity to develop a variety of uses and strengths for that skill.

We know there will be many questions, so do not hesitate to ask…
Thanks,
The Coaches…

A briefing on the Showdown Ski Race

Every season there is a stop on the Northern Division YSL circuit that brings an especially broad smile to my face:  The Showdown Super G.  While it may be a glorified Giant Slalom by USSA course set standards there is no doubt that a J4 going 50 plus mph qualifies as a speed event.  Aside from the racing at Showdown there's usually some fresh powder and sunshine mixed into the 3 day event.  But the best part of the trip is (as cliche as it sounds) the journey.

Of the 16 ski resorts (I use the term "resort" extremely loosely) in Montana there are few that rival Showdown.  I'm not talking about huge chute lines, awesome nightlife, or high speed trams...I'm talking real Montana skiing.  It's the kind of place that makes you feel like time travel is possible.  Pleasantville meets Ski School meets Deadwood.   If I had to sum it up in a word?  Classic. 

The two towns that sit just down the canyon from Showdown are Neihart and Monarch.  These old mining towns still have prospectors holding court at the local watering hole.  I'm not kidding, they still prospect and even pan for gold on occasion.  The ski hill itself has been in operation since the 1930's when some skiing pioneers founded the Great Falls Ski Club.  I can only imagine what the drive was like back then -- it's about an hour and half now.

There aren't many pretensions at Showdown.  The rental shop is in an old A-frame that looks as old as the mountain itself (see picture above).  The breakfast special is called the Miner, the drink special is coffee (until noon), and everyone is on a first name basis, including the owner.  George has owned and operated Showdown since God bequethed it to him on the sixth day, or so it seems anyway.  Old George is a bit of a  curmudgeony fellow but he runs a tight ship.  He might be bellowing instructions to the staff one minute and then serving you hot coffee with a smile the next.

The skiing at Showdown is also free of pretension and the lack of posers is pretty refreshing.  Porphory peak provides some solid vertical and with an elevation a little over 8,000 ft there's always a fair amount of snow.  Every time I visit it's either a bluebird day or a powder day and on a few occasions it's been both.  I won't spray about awesome pillow drops or perfectly spaced tree lines; I'll leave it to you check out the action yourself.   Oh, and if you're in the area make sure to stop by the Cub's Den or the Lazy Doe for a frosty pint and a few stories, I gaurantee a classic moment will occur.

Nevada is leading the "Gold Cup"

Congratulations to Nevada Kramer for currently leading the Gold Cup points for his age group. The Gold Cup is the season long Northern Division Series described here: The Jim Barrier Gold Cup is Northern Division’s premier race series. This is a
continental cup type competition for the top racers in Northern Division. Races
counting for Gold Cup points are the J1, J2, J3 qualifiers, all open races (not RMC
Invitational) and the OHG and are open to all A, J1, J2, and J3 competitors.

Red Lodge/Silver Run Qualifier

We Just Returned From Red Lodge and the Northern Division Qualifier. Our results were very good: Check them out here: http://www.northernussa.org./calendar/index.html Scroll down in the "ND USSA Column and click on the appropriate links for January 7, 8, 9 at Red Lodge (Silver Run)

Red Lodge Qualifier Jr 3 and Older

Our Jr. 3s and older athletes will be traveling to Red Lodge this weekend for a Qualifier series of GS races and 1 Slalom. See more here: http://www.northernussa.org./