Domestic Roundup: Steamboat's initiative, Armstrong's recovery, resorts continue opening

Domestic Roundup: Steamboat’s initiative, Armstrong’s recovery, resorts continue opening{mosimage}Steamboat to award prize money at FIS races

Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club has announced it will continue with an initiative it began in the 2001-2002 season by awarding prize money at the FIS races it will host December 19-22. Winter Park, which hosts men’s and women’s FIS super G’s on the 17th and 18th and two men’s giant slalom FIS races on the 19th and 20th (the races at Steamboat on those days are women’s GS), has also joined Steamboat to make the races a linked series, with prize money awarded to the overall winner. Steamboat did not award the prize money in last year’s races but the return of Chris Puckett to head the program once again means money is back on the table.

Three hundred dollars will go the winner of each Steamboat race, $200 to second and $100 to third. The overall winner of the series will take home $300 more. While accepting the money will jeopardize NCAA eligibility (ask Jeremy Bloom about their flexibility) for juniors and college racers, organizers have come up with some prizes donated from local businesses to help ease the pain in passing up the dough.

The Steamboat prize money will come from the Steamboat Village Brokers, a local real estate firm in Steamboat, and should not affect entry fees. Stay tuned to the mag and the website for more on the prize money issue.

Debbie Armstrong recovering from illness

Updates on former Olympic medalist Debbie Armstrong’s recovery from ‘a systematic infection’ is available in the Pacific Northwest’s website, Armstrong, who raced out of Team Alpenal, had been working as an ambassador at Taos, New Mexico, and was hospitalized at the end of September. Her recovery from the very serious condition appears to be on track, although arduous.

Snow, snow everywhere

With November here, many western resorts are looking back fondly on an October that dumped over 100 inches in Utah, saw a number of early openings in Colorado and California and made possible near mid-winter conditions at some of the open resorts.

Those open resorts now also include Kirkwood, (just south of Lake Tahoe and open on weekends only) and Brighton. Kirkwood has been cranking since last weekend and Brighton got things rolling this past Friday. Copper Mountain in Colorado is hosting its traditional early season lane training for racers and will open to the public soon. Expect to see Utah’s Snowbird, Park City, Powder Mountain and Brian Head opening the gates within the next week or two. Alta and its 122 October inches is slated to start turning on November 18th. Check www.skiutah.com for updates.

USSA regional news

USSA’s Far West region has made a tentative schedule available for regional FIS and Far West races. Go to their website to plan your winter season, with more updates promised from the site. Nothing comes for free, however, and the Far West region is calling on the national community vibe (it is voting day, after all) for volunteers to work their San Jose Ski Show, which takes place November 12, 13 and 14th. Check out the site for more info

The list of the Central’s 10 Topolino Games qualifiers is out. The deadline for signing up for the qualifying process is December 1. Go to Central region’s website for more info.

Make bowling part of your Thanksgiving

If the same old Thanksgiving routine has you down, a visit to resort town might inject the life back into the holiday. While the chance to make some early season turns is nice, the Colorado resorts have quit a bit more in store for you. Snowshowing, torch light parades and traditional Thanksgiving meals are good but what about frozen turkey bowling, you ask? Copper has you covered. The charity event takes place at the Colorado mountain not once but twice, on November 20 and 25th. We suppose you could engage in your own frozen turkey bowling at home across your living room floor, but in Copper, you won’t have to eat your ball later (or face your family’s wrath).

Not to worry, more traditional Thanksgiving events are also planned at Copper as well as at Keystone, Winter Park and numerous other areas. If you can’t resist and want to make your plans now, www.coloradoski.com can help.

-Domestic competition news roundups appear every Tuesday. Send any questions or suggestions to webeditor@insideinc.com.