Ski Racing Roundup: Eastern USSA meetings, golf fundraisers, and Obermeyer's initiative

Ski Racing Roundup: Eastern USSA meetings, golf fundraisers, and Obermeyer’s initiative{mosimage}This winter, skiracing.com will be home to weekly news roundups, leading you to regional and international developments you may have missed. Following our website re-launch on October 21, you can check in each Tuesday for Eric McCollom’s roundup of domestic competition news. If you have suggestions for the roundups, please let us know. We look forward to receiving your comments at webeditor@insideinc.com.

Cooperation, Topolino headline Eastern USSA meetings

On Friday, September 24, nearly 70 coaches from around the East congregated in White River Junction, Vermont, for the Fall Eastern Alpine Competition Development Forum/Meeting. Traveling east from the main headquarters of USSA in Park City, Utah were alpine director Jesse Hunt, national competition director Walt Evans, and Finn Gundersen, director of alpine education.

‘Having them here was a really positive experience; it was a big hit’ said eastern regional director Tim Maguire. The three speakers were met enthusiastically by the eastern crowd, who were excited to see the lines of communication between the region and its governing body decidedly open.

Hunt spoke to the group about the structuring of the national team and how funding and budget concerns will affect the configuration of the team in the future. Gundersen addressed some of the changing arrangements of coaches’ education and looked forward to the production of more clinics and learning resources for coaches. The conversation also touched upon a new set of requirements and examinations for coaches, depending on their level of involvement.

Evans spoke about the interaction between the regions of the USSA and the national team. The discussion about the number of younger athletes at the summer camps at Mammoth Mountain in June left Evans with some tough decisions to make but perhaps the biggest issue of the day was over the stance of the eastern office on the Trofeo Topolino. The Topolino competition hosts the best 11 to 14 year olds from around the world and takes place in Italy in mid-February. The eastern office decided this spring that it would not nominate eastern athletes to travel to the Games, citing the mid-season scheduling of the competition, the rigorous travel, and the difficult selection process.

‘We just don’t feel Topolino fits into the logical progression that’s so important to this age group’ Maguire said. ‘To throw Topolino into the middle of the racing schedule is a real curveball.’

While Evans agreed that the international competition at the Whistler Cup in British Columbia in April better fits the schedule of events in the U.S., he cited Topolino as a great measuring stick for U.S. juniors. ‘There will be 12 to 14 nations represented at Whistler while Topolino will have 38 to 40’ said Evans. ‘Internationally, it’s a better barometer.’

Evans also cited issues of continuity as a reason the national office wants to continue to send a team to Topolino. ‘We don’t want to drop out, come back, and drop out again. Continuity is very important to the program’ said Evans.

While the east will not nominate any of its athletes, the national office can still name an eastern athlete to the team if it sees fit. Despite the Topolino disagreement, the meeting was seen as very productive. Said Evans, ‘I was impressed with the eastern office’s evaluating, planning, and executing of their programs. They have good momentum with their restaffing and the sense of cooperation was great.’

Golf is in the air at local clubs and academies

Temperatures are dropping, leaves are turning in the east and snow has already fallen throughout much of the west. These signs of the coming of winter could mean only one thing golf. Golf tournaments abound as clubs and academies put on some of their annual fund raising events.

On September 9, golfers at Mt. Mansfield Ski Club’s annual tournament were treated to sunny skies and warm weather. In turn, the Mount Mansfield Education Foundation Inc., the fundraising muscle behind MMSC and other programs, was treated to over $10,000 for its Scholarship Fund.

On September 24, it was Killington Mountain School’s turn to hit the links. The 17th annual Dan Hufnail tournament served as both a means for raising money towards the KMS operating budget and to show off the progress on their new facilities. The after-tournament banquet was held in a tent in front of the new campus-to-be. Construction is still under way on the old Red Rob Inn, but the excitement level is high as the end is in sight and the KMS school year approaches.

The last week of the September will see golf tournaments benefiting the Park City Ski Team (9/27) and Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club (9/29). Tuhaye Golf Club will host the Park City event and the Sheraton Steamboat Resort Golf Course will be the battleground as teams of four and five play to benefit the SSWSC Scholarship Fund.

So if you’re not ready to put away the clubs for the year and you don’t want to move to hurricane country, then look up your local ski club. Chances are they’ll be hosting a tournament.

Sport Obermeyer offers awards for skiers who study hard

Sport Obermeyer is offering its sponsored athletes some incentive to study just as hard as they train. Obermeyer has created the Academic Incentive Program (AIP), which offers students ranging in age from grade school to college the opportunity to earn monetary awards for good grades.

Bill Post, president of Sport Obermeyer, says ‘balancing a demanding course load with event obligations is often difficult for the student athlete, with some choosing sports at the expense of their schooling. The AIP offers a way to promote achievement in school as well as active participation on the mountain.’

Each sponsored Obermeyer athlete must sign an Athlete Academic Agreement and submit his or her grades at the end of each semester in order to be eligible. The program is broken into four age categories (grade school, middle school, high school, and university/college) and the incentives are rewarded based on a grade point average. A college athlete with a 3.9 GPA can make up to $500. A full course load is mandatory, although online courses will sometimes replace traditional classroom settings as athletes travel to training and competition.

Obermeyer hopes the AIP program will showcase its commitment to both the snowsports industry and the community.

Ski Racing Magazine’s annual ‘Redbook’ is on the way

Since the 1960’s, readers of Ski Racing Magazine have looked forward to the annual ‘Redbook’ issue, which lists thousands of ski racing bios and rankings from the World Cup down to the Junior Olympics. The only publication of its kind, the Redbook is an essential desktop reference. This year’s Redbook went to the printer last week and is already appearing in mailboxes.

Previous Ski Racing Roundups:

International, September 15, 2004