Plans going into the Holiday period

A couple of notes going forward.

Jackets: If your jacket was a part of the first order, it should be ready for tomorrow and in the Team Room for pick-up. If you have very recently ordered a jacket, it will not be ready yet. I will get the paperwork from the embroiderer and will let you know what the costs are.

Demo Days: Parents, remember tomorrow is the Demo day for skis to be located near the Big Drift Building. Remember you will need a credit card and ID for a deposit. Demos 8:30 till 3:00.

Ed and Mully’s has been reconfigured and the Resort would like highlight its new menu and service plan. Order your food at a take- out window and receive a beeper/pager that will call you when your order is ready. You will find a comfortable arrangement of couches, chairs and table seating.

Our Junior Race Team will start Dec 27th at 9:00 am outside the Team Room Door. Look for Roy, Dorothy and David. It would be great if all who are starting in the program that day have as much skiing mileage as they can prior to the 27th. I would strongly suggest that if any are starting on new equipment, they do so prior to the 27th to have some time to adjust to the new gear.
Our plan for the first couple of days will be skiing and getting to know one-another.

Our Jr. 3 and older group will offer non-mandatory gate drill sessions on the mornings of Dec 22, 23 and 26. 9:00-11:30. Most likely these will be GS oriented according to current conditions.

Opening Day

This note just in from the Resort:
Below is a brief summary of what will be open tomorrow, and soon after around the resort. Please take note and spread the word. All business open will have normal hours, so consult your Resort Guide if you don't already know.

Open Tomorrow:
• Chair 1 will run its normal schedule, 9:30AM - 4:00PM. Chair 7 and the T-bar will also be running. Chair 6 will not be running tomorrow.
• Base Lodge Cafe and Bar
• Base Lodge Traders
• Summit Gifts
• Summit House Restaurant and Bar
• Snow Ghost Outfitters
• Village Market
• Base Lodge Rentals will be open on a limited basis, but guests are encouraged to go to Village Rentals for ski and snowboard rentals and repairs.

Other:
• Glacier Gifts will open Saturday, Dec. 19
• The new Ed & Mully's (Eat|Drink|Lounge|Caffeinate) will open Friday, Dec. 11.
Parking:
• Birch and Cedar Lots: $5
• All other lots, including Dogwood: Free
• There will be an additional shuttle running between the Village, Lift Plaza, and Base Lodge for those who need to get to and from Chair 1 and the Base Lodge since Chair 6 will not be running. Please make sure everyone you run into tomorrow knows that Chair 6 is not running and knows that frequent shuttles will be available.
Our Race Team will meet at the Team Room (see the door in the attached photo) at the Hellroaring Saloon. Note that Chair 6 will not run, nor will Chair 2. That most likely means a drop off in the Village area for the Race Teamers. Come inside and we will have a short athlete meeting, take an opportunity to double check equipment then depart for chair 1…

Once up Chair one we will likely stay there for the remainder of the training day. Be prepared for lunch at the Summit House with a lunch in your backpack or money for lunch at their cafeteria. Put some extra layers in your bag as the forecast is for cold and wind. If we find it really silly to be up there for cold or conditions we MAY come back to the Team Room for indoor activities like some video training programs or ski waxing and tuning instruction.

Same for Sunday at this time...

See you tomorrow …

Warren Miller was great in his 60th film...

The Warren Miller Showing was an enjoyable event. Thanks to our sponsers and to all who came out to work and view Warren's 60th film. It was fun to be a part of it and to visit with all the folks in our ski community. It really was a nice demonstration of how our skiing lifestyle is shared by so many, and an illustration of our ability to share in all the aspects of our sport. WELL DONE ALL and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!

Nevada Kramer Wins Stacey Cook Scholarship

Whitefish Ski Racer Nevada Kramer has been named to receive one of 4 nationally awarded ski racing scholarships. The Scholarships are developed and awarded through the partnership of Stacey Cook of the US Ski Team and Sun Valley Ski Tools. Cook a top performer on the US Ski Team and an Olympic and World Championship participant notified Kramer this week by phone of his pending award. Cook and the iconic ski tool company, award four $1,000 scholarships to deserving 13-16 year old ski racers who compete in the United States Ski Association race series.

This year’s awards went to Kramer of Whitefish and the Whitefish Mountain Resort Ski Team, Julia Bjorkman from Diamond Peak Ski Team in Nevada, Grace Dolan from the Squaw Valley Team in California, and a first time split in the 4th award to twin brothers, Colin and Peter Martens from Lake Placid, New York.

Last season, Kramer won several races in the Northern Division of USSA and was tapped to compete in the Jr. 4 Festival, a championship event for the best skiers of his age group in the Western Region of the US.

Cook, a veteran with the US Ski Team competed in the 2006 Olympics and the 2007 and 2009 World Championships. Cook placed an evening phone call to Kramer at his home in Whitefish to personally notify him of his award.

See this about Stacey: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stacey_Cook and this: http://www.usskiteam.com/alpine/athletes/athlete?athleteId=1044

Gate Protection

I just watched the entire second run from the Men's WC opener in Soelden and it was awesome! It was a close race (as they all are in ski racing) with some great skiing by American Ted Ligety and the Swiss legend Didier Cuche. The coverage and streaming video speed from Universal Sports www.universalsports.com appears to be better this season which made my couchbound spectating a lot more enjoyable.

As I watched the athletes shred some steep glacial GS this morning I was reminded of one often overlooked factor in ski racing -- personal protection. As the sport has progressed, both in terms of the technology and athletic performance, the lines that can be skied have moved from "around" the gate to "through" the gate. As the line that can be (or should be) skied has tightened as well as the overall speed the need for protection has dramatically increased. Helmets are now mandatory in all events and the amount of padding that is being worn on the even the WC level is much higher than in decades past (notice how 80% of World Cup athletes are now wearing plastic forearm guards).

Padding and personal protection is perhaps even more critical for young racers. Good technique will minimize the impact of striking the gate; however, anyone who has raced without padding (especially "skin to win") will tell you it is a little painful. Fear of gate impact will negatively effect technique, slow you down, and distract from a positive learning experience when training. Therefore those young athletes that are begining to progress to aggressive "through the gate" skiing should have sufficient personal protection.

There are a lot of different options these days for helmets, shin guards, forearm guards, etc. If you are uncertain about what kind of gate protection you need, just ask one of your coaches who will be happy to set you on the right track. Our club is also able to get discounts from certain suppliers so make sure to contact Roy before you buy.

Check out the following links for some info on protection (Note to parents: young ski racers think these make great holiday gifts!)

http://www.artechski.com/gateprotection.aspx

http://www.reliableracing.com/protectivegear.cfm

http://www.skiracingdevelopment.com/departmentproductlisting.aspx?did=253

Showcase of the Chefs

The Flathead Valley Ski Education Foundation and I would like to invite you to attend and support the “Showcase of the Chefs” here in Whitefish on Dec 3th. The Showcase is a longstanding tradition and one of the premier social functions here in the Valley. Held at the well-known Grouse Mountain Lodge, the event enjoys a pleasant and innovative dining set-up that actually does showcase 5-6 chefs from the best restaurants in the Whitefish area. Each Chef and their representative establishment, set up a station that serves their own trademark menu item, complete with complimentary wine matching their represented cuisine. Dinner guests may ‘roam the room’ and graze from one or all the buffet tables as they wish. It really creates a fun atmosphere that provides some great food and an atmosphere that promotes mingling and fun social interaction with the whole attendance. Tickets are $75.00 per person. Because of the need for planning, tickets are not available for sale at the door.

As you might guess, we see and visit with a lot of old friends. We all think you would enjoy the occasion.

Tied to the event are a silent auction and a live auction that always has great items available. The selection of premier items and the timing of the event always make for great Holiday shopping.

Of course the Showcase is a fundraiser to help the Foundation with its mission of supporting competitive skiing and snowboarding teams here in the Flathead Valley. As you know our programs give kids quality programs that help them set healthy goals and make good lifestyle choices.

If you are unable to attend there are other ways that you can support the Showcase of the Chefs. Of course you can buy tickets even if you are unable to attend. Our ticket sales are very important to our outcome. Additionally our auction can always use items for both the silent and live auctions and donations are tax deductable. If your family or Company would like to participate as a Corporate Sponsor, in return for a $500 donation, we will display your Company Banner and supply two dinner passes for your enjoyment. If a company or a large group would like to reserve a table we are also able to reserve that table and 10 tickets for $750.

We know you will consider your evening at the Showcase to be a wonderful social outing, but also know that your support of our programs will be even more lasting.

Thanks for the help and we hope to see you at the Showcase.
Please contact Roy Loman (406) 730 2759 or royl@skiwhitefish.com for tickets

Some Awesome News!

Annie Jobe on left, Austin Oberlitner center, Erin Tabish on right.

The Western Region of USSA announced Tuesday that Erin Tabish (Whitefish) and Annie Jobe (Kalispell) have been invited to attend the Topolino Shootout. The Shootout is an event designed to select a team to participate in the international Topolino event held in Italy each year. This year marks the 45th year of the event, sponsored by the Disney Corporation.

The two Whitefish Mountain Resort Race Team girls will compete in hopes of being named to the team that travels to Italy for the prestigious event. Whitefish Mountain Resort coach Roy Loman said “These girls totally deserve this honor. They are so fast, and they could be right there with anybody in that race. We love the fact that we have two of the best girls in the Shootout. Our program is small and there is no program in the Western Region that has anymore girls qualified to the Shootout than we do. Either one of our girls could be in Italy to carry the flag for our country.”

Ski Swap a Success!

Thanks to everyone who worked to make the event at the Saddle Club a success. It was nice to see and meet everyone as we move into our winter mode.
We made a lot of progress settling our families equipment needs. I know there are still families that need equipment and families that have equipment they would like be sure gets back into the cycle of use. Let me know what you need or have and I will try to keep the network working for us all.
Tuesday the 13th, 4:30 pm, the Tecnica boot/Blizzard Ski representative will be at the Becker's garage at 1650 Voerman. He will help us with selection and ordering of new Tecnica and Blizzard gear. If you have interest in this equipment, do stop in. Thanks to both the Becker's for the space and to Justin Harvey from Tecnica/Blizzard for making this opportunity come together.
Thursday, 6-8 pm we will be at the Resort Base Lodge to meet w/the Rossignol and Volkl representative. They will help with selection and ordering for their respective companies. Payment for equipment is due at the meeting and equipment will be shipped to us. Note there will be not credit card facilities at the Becker's.
The Big Mountain Ski Club Ski Swap is in early November and as I get information I will relay that to you.

A Reflective View of our Mt. Hood Camp

This is a reflective view taken by Madeline with her cell phone, then sent to her email address. It shows the surroundings from the snow field as reflected in her goggles.
Our camp finished with great weather, snow conditions and real progress by all of our campers. They seemed to soak up the progression we presented and just kept building their skills with every run. My hat is off to them for their work and progress.
This camp is over and most are returning to home. Today is the arrival day for the Jr. 4 and 5 camp and we are looking forward to working with them over the next session.

The First Day of Summer?

We experienced the first day of Summer at Mt. Hood 2009 and it was snowing. The chair rides were uncomfortable with a strong and cold wind in our face the whole length of the chair. However the snow surface was was quite good and though we were a bit uncomfortable on the chair we were able to accomplish a good deal today.

Please check out this video of Madeline William freeskiing on June 20th at Mt. Hood.

Greetings from Mt. Hood. We are in our second day of a technical camp for our Jr. 3and older racers. The crew arrived by train (Amtrak) and I picked them up in White Salmon, Washington about an hours drive from Mt. Hood. The weather has been good to us and the snow was particularly good for us this morning, having frozen nicely last night. We have seen a lot of other teams here and there are some great high level camps taking advantage of the snow here. It is fun to see the elite skiers involved. It is also rewarding to see athletes of that level working on excatly the same fundamentals and progressions that we are. Our group is working hard and responding well to the training. Tomorrow is day three on snow and our plan is to ski for 4 days,(2 more) take a break for a day then train again for 2 more days. We will keep you posted...

Early Summer Newsletter

I would bet that skiing is not on most folk’s minds right now, but I wanted to take a moment to remind you that much involved w/skiing is still alive in the summer months.
One obvious thing deals with fitness levels. Strength and fitness is incredibly important in skiing (and in everyday life). Summer is a great time to bolster our fitness in many fun ways. Biking, hiking, in-line skating, field sports, water skiing and wakeboarding are but a few of our opportunities to be more fit and have a lot of good ole’ Montana fun!
With an understanding for this importance, USSA has devised an assessment tool for us to use to help measure our fitness. There are different elements of fitness that we use in all our sports and even in things like hunting when we walk/hike long distances sometimes on very steep terrain.
As skiers we use:
1) Endurance. Our day can be a long one and filled with many challenging runs. Endurance helps us to perform well at the end of the day also. It also affects us when we ski for many days in a row to be sure we are as strong after multiple days of training or racing.
2) Strength and Power: These are slightly different. Strength means being able to resist or lift heavy loads. Power recognizes that, but also measures your ability to do so quickly. As skiers we are challenged to resist our body weight often multiplied by turning and bumps and ruts. As racers we must do this quickly. For skiing performance we are most concerned about our leg strength and our “core” strength. The core is usually referring to those muscles in the stomach, sides and back. I like to think it also includes the many muscles that surround the hips also. All these muscles link your leg strength to your body. If they (your core) are weak when you try to move your body weight quickly (as in a turn) your body will collapse and have much difficulty in balancing through the turn and into the next turn.
3) Flexibility: Flexibility is important for a couple of things. If you are flexible it is less likely that you will injure yourself if you fall. As racers we also have to move into and out of very extreme positions that would be more difficult if we were not flexible.
The USSA assessment helps us to measure our abilities in these areas and can help us to understand where we can improve ourselves for better skiing performance.
This fall we will take an opportunity to begin this assessment process. Fitness is a process and it’s elements are accumulated over time. As youngsters we cannot expect to be as strong or powerful as a well-trained 28 year old world class athlete. We start this process in programs like ours, building each year to be stronger and stronger.
USSA Congress and Elite Performance Conference

Also happening at this time of the year is much of the planning process at a variety of levels of our sport. In May, I traveled to Park City Utah to be a part of the USSA Congress and Elite Performance Conference. They were separate events that were great to be a part of.
The Congress is a series of meetings that work to determine the policies and requirements of many of the aspects of our sport at the National level. Of course this affects us in our Northern Division, so it is important to attend and be a voice to represent our particular needs and wishes. The Congress is a 3 day event with committee meetings scheduled from morning to evening each day and many subjects are discussed from rules and requirements, to officials, schedules and pretty much every aspect of skiing and snowboarding competition in USSA.
The Elite Performance Conference is an educational conference scheduled over two days. It covers topics that are informative to clubs and coaches. This year the Conference included topics like club planning, event promotion, event production, and risk exposure. Topics more specific for coaches, included plans for long-term athlete development, and injury management information specific to concussions as well as other topics and discussions.

Northern Division Meetings:
The Northern Division Alpine Competition Committee, the Event Calendar Meeting and the Division General Meeting were held in Missoula at the end of May. Dick Collins is our representative to the ACC and Richard Kramer and Bill Kahle represented the Foundation at the General Meeting. I am pleased to report that I was elected as the Northern Division Vice-President. I am glad to be able to represent the Division and help with the work that needs to be done. The Calendaring process is a very dynamic one and is still very tentative at this point. It does look as though we will host 2 week-ends of racing at Whitefish in January as follows: (still tentative)
Jan 8, 9, 10: A-Jr. 3 Jr. Olympic Qualifier, 2 GS and 1 slalom; (ages 13-19)
Jan 16, 17: YSL as 2 GS races. (One each day) (Ages 14 and below)

Erin Tabish and Annie Jobe have been selected to attend the Western Region Jr. 3 Summer Camp at Mt. Hood.
This is quite an honor for these two. Annie and Erin were selected based on their results from last season and will join the best Jr. 3 athletes in the Western Region for an on-snow technical training camp in late July and early August.

We are beginning our own summer on-snow camp(s)
I am writing from Mt. Hood where we will conduct two training camps on snow for our program. We will stay at the Mt Hood Academy and join coaches and members from their team as well as teams from Mt Bachelor and the Lake Tahoe area. Summer skiing and the terrain available are a great opportunity to hone the technical skills of skiing.
I will be back in Whitefish in August and will look forward to organizing our team for Mountain Bike rides, hiking and other activities as we can for August and the fall months.
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