U.S. skiers support Mammoth center

While Hawaii, Mexico and other warm climates are hot on the post-season itineraries of most World Cup skiers, a few U.S. Team members have been putting in more time on the race course.

Stacey Cook, Erik Fisher, Jeremy Transue, Paul McDonald, Keely Kelleher and a slew of other top racers volunteered their time at Mammoth Mountain last weekend for the inaugural Mammoth Invitational, a fundraiser for Mammoth’s up-and-coming Center for Excellence.

“The center will be a world-class, on-hill facility which will help provide the junior athletes of the Eastern Sierra with the support they need to pursue their passion in winter sport,” said one of the center’s founders, Austin Beutner. “We’re delighted with the success of the inaugural Mammoth Invitational.”

The Invitational featured a dual giant slalom format in which teams led by a pro skier and four amateurs raced head-to-head after a handicapping system was put in place.While Hawaii, Mexico and other warm climates are hot on the post-season itineraries of most World Cup skiers, a few U.S. Team members have been putting in more time on the race course.

Stacey Cook, Erik Fisher, Jeremy Transue, Paul McDonald, Keely Kelleher and a slew of other top racers volunteered their time at Mammoth Mountain last weekend for the inaugural Mammoth Invitational, a fundraiser for Mammoth’s up-and-coming Center for Excellence.

“The center will be a world-class, on-hill facility which will help provide the junior athletes of the Eastern Sierra with the support they need to pursue their passion in winter sport,” said one of the center’s founders, Austin Beutner. “We’re delighted with the success of the inaugural Mammoth Invitational.”

The Invitational featured a dual giant slalom format in which teams led by a pro skier and four amateurs raced head-to-head after a handicapping system was put in place.

“There was still a pretty high level of competition with the handicapping system, so technically on race day, everyone was on an even playing field,” said Stacey Cook, who lives in Mammoth and skied for Mammoth’s junior team between the ages of 16 and 18 before joining the U.S. Team. “It was pretty cool to see all the people wiling to work for the junior team and help out and do whatever they could. It was amazing that all of these people who don’t necessarily have a [vested] interest in Mammoth wanted to help with this program.”

Others participating in the event included a smattering of current and former international racers and coaches (Greg Needell was there) and also athletes of a different ilk, like Supercross star Jeremy McGrath.

“Jeremy was on Erik Fisher’s team and they did pretty well,” Cook said. “Their whole team was wearing speed suits that Steve Nyman brought over. It was pretty funny.”

Cook said that after Mammoth CEO Rusty Gregory took over the resort from Dave McCoy (father of famed former racer Penny McCoy), McCoy’s passion for ski racing and winter sports has evolved along with the ski area. Gregory, Beutner and Cook’s former junior coach Mark Brownlie share a vision of making Mammoth’s sports center world-class in every aspect from locker rooms to training and schooling facilities … a place to truly cultivate future pros.

“As a former Mammoth athlete, I could not be happier about the direction Austin, Mark, Rusty and the rest of the crew involved are trying to take the junior team,” Cook said. “I have been fortunate to have been exposed to the resources it takes to become the best in the world by being part of the national team, but to bring those same resources right in to Mammoth for our local athletes is an undertaking that no one else in the country has probably even considered, let alone attempted. I am so happy to play a small role in this and excited about what the future holds for our athletic community.”