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!