McKee's McThoughts – changes in store for 2011

It was a very good year, ole 2010.

The Olympic medal count is enough to justify that statement. World Cup titles added reason to throw a little confetti and maybe even dance in the streets. We’d like to think there were high-fives being slapped in every lift line in America during 2010.

Yep, say good bye to 2010. Here’s hoping we barely miss ya. Because as the calendar flips to the numerically significant 1-1-11, we can already celebrate a fast start to 2011. Though they aren’t currently in first place, Lindsey Vonn and Ted Ligety – such good role models both of them – have held first place overall on the World Cup circuit with promises of more good stuff to come. Nothing stays the same.

We know there will be change this season. And next. Here’s one example: Sitting just out of reach on the horizon, waiting to be uncaged, is an age change.

Top age for juniors will be bumped to 21 – as is true in most international sports –  and the bottom end will be pushed up as well, meaning no more FIS licenses for 15 year old skiers. Cut and dried on the surface, but historically there have been some very remarkable skiers who started not just FIS racing, but World Cup at 15. Annemarie Proell and Tamara McKinney come immediately to mind. In a more current vein there’s Mikela Schiffrin, eating Nor-Am fields like popcorn. For the most part – we Mcthink – racers get pushed too far, too fast, too early. But babies and bathwater keep creeping into the thoughts.

No word on how long it will take this chronologic change to filter up through the Masters ranks.

While we’re bidding adieu to 2010, tip the hat in farewell to the Junior Olympics as well.

Actually, it’s more of a “The King is dead. The King is dead. Long live the King,” kind of thing. Because the JO’s aren’t really going away, they’re getting a name change.

An infusion of corporate money – soon to be announced – will be a huge benefit to our junior racing programs, and – excitingly – there will be benefits for parents as well. To avoid any sort of legal difficulty with the name “Olympics,” – and the IOC do get picky – the Junior Olympics will be renamed Junior Nationals.

Mind you the format, from what we’re told, will remain the same; JIII Regionals, JII Nationals. But this will be the first time, essentially, since Rolex in the late 1990’s, that there will be a sugar daddy for junior racing. Most often, corporate PR types want the exposure from the national team level skiers, the World Cup, World Championship and Olympic skiers. These guys, as Rolex before them, want to be part of  the foundation of the sport. Cool, huh?

Farewell 2010. And Hello 2011; ya got a lot to live up to, but we got faith.

Safe speed everyone. – Hank McKee