Former NorAm champ Massucco retires from U.S. aerials team

By Published On: May 29th, 2008Comments Off on Former NorAm champ Massucco retires from U.S. aerials team

After four years with the U.S. freestyle team, 2006 NorAm aerials champion Tim Massucco is retiring from competition, according to Freestyle Program Director Polly-Jo Clark.
    "Tim's passion for the sport is beyond belief. We will miss him, but at the same time, he will always be a part of the USSA and freestyle family and a part of our alumni program," Clark said. "I'm sure Tim is looking forward to new challenges and successes in those areas."
After four years with the U.S. freestyle team, 2006 NorAm aerials champion Tim Massucco is retiring from competition, according to Freestyle Program Director Polly-Jo Clark.
    "Tim's passion for the sport is beyond belief. We will miss him, but at the same time, he will always be a part of the USSA and freestyle family and a part of our alumni program," Clark said. "I'm sure Tim is looking forward to new challenges and successes in those areas."
    Massucco said that it was not an easy decision to leave the team, but with the persistence of some of his injuries, he knew it was the right time to hang up his skis.
    "I haven't been very healthy for the last three seasons and after the double concussion at the Lake Placid World Cup this season, I thought it was probably a good time to reevaluate where I was going," he said. "I decided that it was time to make a change and take a different course."
    Massucco, who competed in his first World Cup at Lake Placid in 2006, said his most memorable moments on the team involved winning the NorAm overall and traveling around the world.
    "Winning the overall NorAm Grand Prix in 2006 was the highlight of my time with the team. I was really feeling on my game that season," Massucco said. "My first couple of World Cups were also an amazing experience. I was able to travel the world and see what countries are like and how other people lived."
    According to Massucco, he will spend a portion of this summer hiking before returning to finish his college education.
    "I'm going to do the Long Trail, which is a 272-mile trail that runs the entire length of Vermont from the Canadian border to the Massachusetts border," he said. "Also, in the meantime I'm going to take advantage of the Westminster College tuition program that the U.S. Ski Team has to go back to school and finish up my degree in accounting."
    While Massucco will miss competing, he said it was the team dynamic that was the hardest for him to leave.
    "I'm going to miss Scotty Bahrke and all his antics," he laughed. "Ryan St. Onge has also always been a wonderful friend. I'm going to miss hanging out with everyone on a day-to-day basis and all of the friendly rivalry and camaraderie that we have with each other."
    Massucco will begin his hike of the Long Trail in June before returning to school this fall.

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