Athlete of the Month, February 2017 – Kipling Weisel
The Athlete of the Month for February is Kipling Weisel, an alpine Gold Team skier, an alumni of the program and a current member of the U.S. Alpine C Team. Kipling has spent the 2016-2017 season making his mark on the FIS NorAm Cup circuit, competing against top athletes from across the country, as well as from Canada. Sanctioned by the International Ski Federation, NorAm Cup requires qualification, and is a step below the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup. In 16 races, which opened up with competition at Lake Louise in British Columbia, Kipling has secured 10 top-10 finishes, including three podiums. His current NorAm Cup ranking following competition at Copper on February 11 is an impressive sixth out of 130 athletes. Kipling’s growth and strong placement this season shows that he has a lot of potential, building off of natural athleticism, a deep drive and focused training. SVSEF Athletic Director Phil McNichol commented on his progress. “Kipling is having a breakthrough season. It’s exciting to see an SVSEF athlete moving up the ranks in the U.S. Alpine National Team.”
Kipling’s versatility has been evident throughout the winter; he has scored in four disciplines at NorAms, and has proven through this series and beyond that he’s a top contender. Kipling recently took a big step internationally, finishing ninth in the European Cup alpine combined at Sarntal, Italy, and has managed to fit in University races as well as FIS competitions between NorAms. He secured six top-10 results (three of those were podium finishes) in University competition, took home a win and a second-place finish in FIS races, and most recently made the podium in third in a European FIS giant slalom event at Turnau, Austria, March 3.
Kipling is currently attending Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, taking the fall and winter off to travel, train and compete. His ability to balance education and sport and to apply ample focus to each aspect has been instrumental to his success. We’re excited to see where he goes with both his skiing and his studies.
The Week in Review: 2/21/17
I AM SVSEF
"I am SVSEF" is an opportunity each week to highlight our athletes for demonstrating the core values of the organization.
Sportsmanship • Citizenship • Character • Teamwork • Creativity • Passion • Perseverance
ALPINE: Owen Walker is the Alpine "I am SVSEF" athlete for this week. Owen is a member of both the Mini World Cup team and the Nordic Devo Team. “He comes to team with a great attitude whether we are skiing gates or ripping the bowls,” says coach Sarah. "He is a hard worker and has a passion for skiing, which makes him a great athlete to work with."
CROSS COUNTRY: This week’s nominee is a Prep Team skier; Blake DeHart is recognized for the improvement he’s made in both skiing and attitude over the last couple weeks. Said Prep Team Head Coach Kelley Sinnott, “Blake has been pushing himself harder than ever recently and is demonstrating true passion and perseverance in his day to day training. I find it really great that Blake’s concentration and hard work have been paying off for him in races; his improved results are really reflecting his hard work. I hope his newfound focus and motivation mixed with his great sense of fun will rub off on his teammates!”
PARK & PIPE: Maddie Hothem, a SVSEF snowboarder, is this week’s I am SVSEF athlete for Park & Pipe. According to Pat Lee, Snowboard Team Manager, “Maddie has recently shown a great attitude and pushed herself to become a better snowboarder; anything she puts her mind to, she seems to accomplish. She and her family recently attended the Bogus Basin Slope Style competition and came home with a first place in her division. She is a pleasure to be around, and we are glad to have her on the team.”
THE WEEK IN REVIEW – 2/21/17
SNOWBOARDING
Payton Bacca competes at Junior Worlds
Payton Bacca competed at Junior World Championships in Klinovec, Czech Republic, in the discipline of boardercross. In a field in the individual event that was dominated by Europeans on February 18, Payton won her first heat, besting the number 14 ranked athlete from Czech Republic and the number 19 seed from Australia. Following that round, Payton raced to a final place of 32nd, the third U.S. finisher in the event.
In the women’s team event on Sunday, February 19, there were two American teams of two, paired based on their results in the previous competition. Payton was paired with Adalia Flores and was matched against the top-seeded Russian team (with Kristina Paul, who won the individual boardercross event on Saturday), as well as two teams from Czech Republic. Payton finished second in her heat, after passing both Czech competitors. Unfortunately, her teammate crashed in her leg of the race.
Of note for team USA was a victory in the men’s team event – this was the first team victory ever at Junior Worlds. Jake Vedder (‘98, Ann Arbor, Michigan) and Senna Leith (‘97, Vail, Colorado) took the win.
Payton next competes at FIS Nor-Ams in Colorado, February 22-23.
Women's boardercross results
Chase Josey second overall for FIS World Cup season
SVSEF alumni and Gold Team athlete Chase Josey competed at Phoenix Park in PyeongChang, South Korea, which was the final stop on the FIS World Cup halfpipe tour. The competition served as an official Olympic test event in preparation for next year’s Winter Olympics. Chase qualified second behind fellow American Shaun White on Friday, February 17 in the men’s halfpipe event. In the finals, Chase finished sixth; Australian Scott James won the event, followed by Shaun White in second and Yiwei Zhang of China in third. Chase’s result combined with those from previous World Cup events this season put him in second on the podium for overall World Cup standings this season.
Full results here
ALPINE
Mini World Cup, North Series
For Sunday’s Arkoosh Cup held locally at Rotarun, competitors raced giant slalom in a range of conditions, from blazing sun to whiteout snowstorms. This was the 48th annual iteration of the event, named for the Arkoosh family, who helped develop Rotarun Ski Area. It drew athletes ages four through twelve to Rotarun; a total of 113 competitors attended. Program Director Scott McGrew spoke to the range of athletes there. “It was a super fun event that represented a lot of different elements. There were ski team and non ski team categories, lots of parents and grandparents, and kids of all ages. Despite getting off to a little late of a start as we were trying to get all the right kids into all the right categories, we had an exciting ski race and people were having a great time.” McGrew also commended the coaches for their professionalism in building and maintaining the course, and for putting on a great event for a great cause.
Paige DeHart and Cole Curci won the overall titles, and will have their names etched into the Arkoosh Trophy.
Full results here
FIS
FIS athletes are at Snow King in Jackson Hole, in the midst of the Wild West Classic, a Western Region FIS Open series.
Sunday was a giant slalom event, with 79 competitors in the women’s field. Erin Smith was 19th, the top SVSEF finisher. Katelyn Rathfon had a strong race, finishing 26th. She was followed by Skylar Cooley in 27th. Ella Pepin jumped up 14 spots to 37th from 51st.
The men did not race on February 19.
Monday featured a giant slalom; Haley Cutler was the top SVSEF finisher, coming in sixth in a field of 74. Erin Smith was 19th, Skylar Cooley 30th and Ella Pepin 38th.
In the men’s giant slalom on February 20, four SVSEF male competitors broke the top 30, with Filippo Collini in 23rd, Yuri McClure in 25th, Julian Plank in 27th and Will Snyder in 30th. Julian’s result was less than half his starting bib number for the race; similarly, Filippo rose from 41st to 23rd, a jump of 18 places.
The racing continues on Tuesday with a slalom, followed by another slalom to round out the series on Wednesday.
Full results here
FREESKIING
Tai Barrymore returns to the pipe
Tai Barrymore, SVSEF alumni and Gold Team athlete, returned to competition in halfpipe for the first time in over a year. Tai missed last season due to injury. He dropped into the halfpipe qualifiers on February 18 in PyeongChang for the Olympic test event, ending up 16th overall. This meant that he did not move onto the finals – but it was a solid first run back.
Freeskiing Travel Team
SVSEF Freestyle athletes headed to Aspen for the Aspen Snowmass Open, "one of the last and longest running independent open competitions in the nation." According to Tyler Conway, Head Freeski Coach, "the Aspen Open is the biggest opportunity for unknown skiers to get recognition and to ski the X Games course. Aspen Open has been running for 12 years and most of the winners of this event have gone on to win X Games events, and/or Olympic medals." Will Griffith skied both slopestyle and big air, and Hanna Blackwell competed in the halfpipe. In a field populated with athletes from Canada, France, New Zealand and Japan, Hanna Blackwell finished 14th in the women's halfpipe. Jacob Beebe, a SVSEF Gold athlete, was 35th in halpipe. In the men's slopestyle event, Will Griffith was 39th, and in big air he finished 26th.
Full results here
SVSEF Achieves USSA Gold Level Club Certification
The United States Ski and Snowboard association (USSA) announced that it has elevated SVSEF’s club certification from Silver, which was originally awarded in 2014, to Gold, the highest honor possible. According to USSA, “this level of certification is intended for clubs that are Best in the World. These clubs serve as a model, both organizationally and athletically, and are resources to the sport as a whole in the U.S.” The designation of a club as Gold level is not an examination, but rather an opportunity for USSA to assess a club’s current situation and determine areas of need. Gold certified clubs possess a heightened level of accountability to maintain and build upon areas of both strength and improvement, to ensure the longevity and stability of the organization and to help, through feedback and observation, to grow the cumulative strength of clubs throughout regions and across the country.
Commented Ellen Adams, Club Development Manager for USSA, “USSA’s Podium Club Certification Program is designed to recognize excellence and create a platform for continued improvement. The process to achieve Podium level certification involves a rigorous, mission driven self-assessment and review of best principles and practices in eight areas of organizational performance. As a Gold certified club, SVSEF has demonstrated excellence in all areas and is recognized as an important partner of USSA and a leader among USSA Clubs. We look forward to continuing to work together.”
SVSEF is honored to receive this premier recognition from the national governing body of our sports, and to be included as one of the very best junior snowsport programs in the nation. Other Gold level clubs include Burke Mountain Academy, Mammoth Mountain Ski and Snowboard Team, Stratton Mountain School and Ski and Snowboard Club Vail, to name a few. In conjunction with Gold level status, SVSEF will have access to heightened professional development opportunities for staff, support from club development expert consultants, discounted rates on consulting services, and the opportunity to be considered for the USSA High Performance Club Partnership Program, which opens up the potential for designation as a U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team development site or high performance center.
“SVSEF’s new certification level combined with the U.S. Olympic Committee classification as an official Olympic Training Site clearly identifies SVSEF sport programs as setting an extremely high standard of quality, direction and content,” said Phil McNichol, SVSEF Athletic Director. “These accolades help assure we are striving in the right direction to reach our mission, which is ‘to provide exceptional snowsport programs for the youth of the Wood River Valley thereby enabling each participant to reach his/her athletic potential, while developing strong personal character through good sportsmanship, strong values, and individual goals.’”
I AM SVSEF – the video
I AM SVSEF: words that are spoken with pride, ownership, awareness. That instill
an innate sense of place, belonging, purpose. That continue to hold meaning
outside the world of skis, boots, boards and poles.
I AM SVSEF from svsef on Vimeo.
Alumni Spotlight: Taylor Sundali '07
Taylor grew up in the ranks of the SVSEF cross country program, graduating from Wood River High School in 2007 and heading east for school in 2008. After attending Middlebury College and skiing for their cross country team, he moved to Detroit after being selected as a Venture for America fellow. Taylor went on to start a company, Compass, that orchestrates the implementation and finessing of websites for small businesses. Taylor now lives in Philadelphia, where he continues to help business owners improve their web presence and grow their companies. We took some time to chat with Taylor about the unique path he took to get to where he is today, and how SVSEF has influenced the way he approaches work and life.
What was it like to make the transition from growing up in the Wood River Valley to attending a small liberal arts school across the country? Did you feel prepared for that change?
I was more prepared than I initially thought. I remember thinking how hard it was for me to get into this school, and how studious most of these other students must have been in order to make it there. After a while, though, I realized how many were very similar to me. Good student-athletes who were, overall, more intellectually curious than anything.
One of the harder things to get used to, to be perfectly honest, was the climate. It was the first time I was entrenched in high-humidity and high heat… it was weird for the weather to stay warm all night.
How did you hear about Venture for America? Why did you choose that route after college?
Venture for America was introduced to me by a great friend from college, Astrid Schanz-Garbassi. She heard that I was unhappy working at a stuffy, corporate gig that I landed right out of school. Basically, I needed a change. We spent about 1.5 hours over the phone one night talking about the program, and how good of an opportunity it was for me.
Did you have a sense for a while that you wanted to start your own business, or is that something that developed over time or with certain experiences?
Totally. I always knew I wanted to do something entrepreneurial and on my own. VFA was a perfect opportunity to safely play in that space. I cut my teeth a bit with a window washing company I co-ran in high school, but it wasn’t anything to create a career around.
How did Compass come about?
Compass was an idea that me and my friend (Mike) had when in the VFA Fellowship in Detroit. We were dabbling with ideas on the side of our main jobs, and his parents were in the market for websites. They had just gone to an agency, and had been quoted at obscene rates. We realized we could provide the service they needed at a much lower cost.
After we helped them out, and made a little bit of side cash, we saw the seed of an idea. Digital marketing services vary wildly in quality and price, and there wasn’t any centralized marketplace that addressed the core problems of small business owners (like Mike’s parents). On the other side of the marketplace, Freelancers were having a hard time finding work, managing projects / client expectations, and dealing with the overhead involved in building websites. There are plenty of talented designers, but not all of them are willing to deal with the additional work to freelance. A marketplace that matches the two intentionally was clear to us, and that’s what we’ve been building ever since.
What are the goals, mission and values of the company?
A lofty question!
Goals
Our current goal is to hit $1mm in run rate (annualized revenue). This is very specific, but it indicates a somewhat-scaled company. It would also, based on our projections, get us to a profitable stage.
Our goals after that are much loftier. We really want to be the go-to digital service provider for all small businesses. If someone is looking to get a business off the ground, they’ll come to us to get started for all digital marketing.
Values
We explicitly value Alignment, Transparency and Sustainability. These three have manifested in a lot of cultural and business practices that go counter to both startups and other digital agencies. We think this is a very good thing!
Were there moments of doubt at all starting out?
Of course. Many. That being said, my cofounder is much more of an eternal optimist than I am, so it helped to keep me motivated. (note, I also helped keep him a bit more down to earth).
What do you enjoy most about the job?
It’s oddly addicting to build a company, and it’s really hard to put a finger on this feeling I get when doing so. It’s oddly similar to the feeling of improving in an endurance sport like Nordic Skiing. The more intentional, good work you put into it, the better it performs and the more positive feedback you get for it. I’d say this feeling I’m trying to describe is best correlated to building the strength and endurance for a sport like skiing.
How does your business stand out from other companies that focus on website building services?
Above, I mentioned one of our values of Transparency. We keep open and transparent throughout the entire process of building a site, which is something that many agencies hide.
We like our customers to know precisely what they’re paying for, how long it’s going to take, what tools we’re using to build it, etc. Our level of transparency sets us apart from all the other guys.
The other major thing is purely our model. We’re outsourcing all work that can be done by freelancers. Many shops that build sites have every type of person in house (developers, designers, project managers, sales people). Compass… we have project managers.
Development can be outsourced by tools and Content Management Systems.
Design is outsourced to our freelance designers.
Sales is largely outsourced by our referral system and other hacky-growth systems.
On the most challenging aspect of building a company:
The lifestyle. I miss being outside.
How do you describe the value of a program like SVSEF? What aspects of the program have you carried over or applied to your current job, or any steps or experiences that have come in between?
The work ethic it requires to be a dedicated athlete at SVSEF has helped me build this company. I think that was something I always had, on a base level. That being said, SVSEF helped me hone it and apply it to something that matters.
Without the real experience of refining that skill with skiing, I think I would have had a very difficult time picking up this business and running with it.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?
Save your money.
How have you come to define success?
One word: Happiness.
Learn more about Compass here. Thanks, Taylor, for sharing your story and insight.
Alumni Ski Day and Après-Ski Party – December 21, 2016
In operation for over 50 years now, the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation has seen a number of athletes grow through the program and go on to apply experience and qualities adopted while with SVSEF to other interests and pursuits. The Alumni Association is intended to advance the commitment that athletes demonstrate to the organization both while they are in the program and beyond, and to continue to engage and connect graduates of the program with each other and with future generations of SVSEF athletes. Bound by the mutual experience of growing up in the Wood River Valley on the hills of Baldy and Dollar and on the trails from Lake Creek to Galena, the SVSEF alumni form a unique community that reaches across the United States and around the world.
We're excited to host our first annual Alumni Ski Day and Après Ski Party on December 21. Come ski Baldy or Lake Creek, reconnect with teammates and friends, and enjoy some beverages at Apple's Bar & Grill and The Cellar. We hope you can make it – looking forward to seeing everyone!
If you are an alumni and you have not received an invitation, please email jseyferth@svsef.org – we may not have your contact information.
Alumni Spotlight: Q&A With Christin Cooper
Christin Cooper (or "Coop" as she is known to friends) epitomizes Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation's mission of providing "exceptional snowsport programs for the youth of the Wood River Valley thereby enabling each participant to reach his/her athletic potential, while developing strong personal character through good sportsmanship, strong values and individual goals."
Raised in Ketchum with her two sisters and two brothers, Cooper, 56, learned to ski and race as a member of SVSEF and went on to a heralded career as a member of the U.S. Ski Team. In her first Winter Olympics in 1984 at Lake Placid, Cooper finished seventh and eighth in giant slalom and slalom. Four years later at Sarajevo, she stepped on the largest podium in the world as the Olympic Silver Medalist in giant slalom. Cooper rounded out her racing career with seven World Cup victories, 26 podiums, and 65 top tens. The ski run Christin’s Silver on Bald Mountain’s Seattle Ridge is named in honor of her Olympic finish.
Married to Mark Tache, a former U.S. Ski Team member, for several years, the pair divides its time between homes and businesses in Aspen, Colorado, and Bozeman, Montana,(Montana Ale Works) although Ketchum is never far from Christin's heart.
Recently in Ketchum for the unveiling of Gretchen Fraser's statues in the "Our Olympic Ladies" legacy project of which she will appear in next, Cooper found time to correspond with the SVSEF, offering her views on how her participation with the organization shaped her life.
Christin Cooper displaying her technique and game face.
What did you learn about yourself through the sport of skiing?
My character was forged in essential and lasting ways with SVSEF. My coaches were tough, and held us to strict standards, but the payoff was huge, with more fun, more laughter and more gratifying experiences in the outdoors than anyone deserves at such a young age. I learned early to work as hard as possible every time out, but without ever taking myself too seriously. As a skier, the snow snakes are always ready to take you down so you can never think too highly of yourself. With SVSEF, we were pushed to focus, and work incredibly hard, but never forget that at the heart of it was wind-in-your-hair and snow-in-your-face fun. Striking this balance is the mantra of my life. Ski racing, like successful living, is about balancing aggression and grace. Full attack, yes, but with a light touch. Bringing your best energy, and positive attitude to the day, no matter the weather or the circumstance is central to success in skiing, and in life.
What are your best memories of SVSEF?
My best memories come from the raddest days at SVSEF or World Cup level. Shivering with a teammate in a raging snowstorm with no one else out, singing songs and telling jokes to stay warm. Training in dense fog, one of the most terrifying and exhilarating experiences ever; I highly recommend it. Why? You have to feel your skis beneath you, and trust your instincts and capabilities, not your eyes. You have to overcome your fear and trust those coaches who have insisted that one more run is just what you need, and you do it, because you do trust them. And then when the sun comes out the next day and you’re skiing two seconds faster, you get it. Now skiing feels easy.
What life lessons did you learn that you carry with you to this day?
The idea of TEAM is core to how I approach my life today. No one succeeds alone. It's all about interdependence. My early SVSEF years helped turn me into a bona fide scrapper, and a confident independent mountain girl, but I didn’t get there myself. The support of teammates and coaches was always right there, and the friendship when things got tough, the weather turned gnarly, when we’d all rather be home in bed, but were instead battling it out and figuring it out together. There’s no fooling yourself really, that you’re doing this alone, succeeding on the merits of your own wonderfulness out there. Success in ski racing and in life means standing on shoulders to see a little further, holding hands, filling gaps by those who know a little more about this thing or that, who can hand it to you right when you need it most. Like the rest of life, ski racing is a mystery, a puzzle to be solved daily, with the puzzle pieces constantly changing with weather, snow conditions, countries, travel, your own preparedness. What ski racing really taught me was the importance of an agile mind to go with the agile body.
Is there a defining characteristic you have that you attribute to being a skier?
Defining characteristic: probably the willingness to admit mistakes, and have a problem-solving attitude about them. Sounds fairly simple but I’m amazed at how many people out there resist vulnerability and get invested in their “expertness”. Ski racing forces a problem solving mindset on you if you want to succeed. There’s no denying the clock, or the crash, or the occasional lack of motivation. The question is what you’re willing to do about it, and the key is in learning to use and appreciate all these people, with all these skills – your “Team” – to problem-solve with you. Ski racing will knock you down every day if you’re not careful. Want to avoid a similar outcome tomorrow? Look at what happened. Analyze it. Solicit help. Listen to feedback. Try to fix it. And you usually don’t usually fix anything alone. Ski racing is an individual sport, but it’s the team experience that resonates.
How different would you be if you had not been a member of SVSEF?
That’s some of the basic stuff of life on a team. The life lessons you learn when you don’t realize you’re studying. The whole experience created a rock solid belief in teamwork that underpins my life now. You don’t succeed on talent and hard work alone…My medals relied on perfectly tuned skis (not by me), the right warm-up (thanks to the coaches), a warm van, the right food and drink, the support of the folks back home, the right words of encouragement at the right moment, the radio report from a teammate who was also a competitor willing to share her experience to help me. I’m still amazed at people – and it’s usually those who've never played team sports – who believe it’s all about them. (We don’t hire those people at our restaurant).
I learned so much from ski racing it’s hard to say what was the most important; there’s such an interplay of lessons. Want to learn about life? Join a ski team.
Cooper on course in 1984 at Sarajevo.
2016-2017 Gold Team Preview
A bizarrely sizeable portion of my tenth year around the sun was spent practicing my autograph on soccer balls, so I would have it down pat when the U.S. National Team decided they wanted me to join the lineup. Despite the absurdity of this rehearsal of sorts, I do not think my dreams of glory and prestige in athletics were an anomaly to those of the general public. But despite the draw of making a living competing in a sport you love, hardly any of us end up taking the chance and making the sacrifices to try to turn those ambitions into reality. To do so takes immense self-discipline, a good amount of natural, raw talent and unsurpassed levels of dedication to the sport. It is a steep and unpredictable mountain to conquer, if you consider the odds, but one that the SVSEF Gold Team athletes here in Sun Valley are tackling in full force.
At SVSEF, there are thirteen athletes who have taken the leap and are pursuing their dreams of competing at a high level in their respective sports. This foray into competitive, professional athletics is far from easy; each athlete is training constantly but often holds down another job, and there are numerous side projects that have become required in order to make it in the industry – one must have a prominent social media presence, secure sponsors and write blog posts or make appearances at events that engage their specific sport, to name a few of the additional demands.
The Gold Team, originally called the Olympic Development Team, was incorporated into SVSEF in 2005. The program was founded with the intention of assisting athletes who have risen to compete at national and international levels; athletes receive financial assistance and access to top-tier training environments. Their involvement in the local community encourages healthy active lifestyles for the younger SVSEF athletes and greater knowledge and support of snow sports.
Some of the SVSEF Gold Team athletes were born and raised in the Wood River Valley. Others spent a brief period of time here to train or race, and still others are completely new to the program. Regardless, a few constants remain true across the board; these skiers and snowboarders are full-time athletes who are dedicated to sharing their enthusiasm and appreciation for the sport both here in our community and to a broader audience across the U.S. and the world.
Eight athletes form the Cross Country Gold Team – of these, four are new to the team this year. It’s a strong group of skiers who have seen success at the collegiate level and beyond – with the caliber of these athletes, the team is looking cohesive and competitive this season. Head Coach Colin Rodgers laid out the principal team goals for this season:
Cole, Jack and Kelsey will be gunning for the U-23 World Championships which will be hosted by Soldier Hollow in Midway, UT. Qualification will be dependent upon results at the U.S. Championships in January. It will be exciting to have these athletes have the opportunity to pursue a World Championship birth on American soil!
Older athletes will be targeting U.S. Nationals, also to be held at Soldier Hollow in January 2017 – and then if those races go well they may be named to the U.S. World Championship Team. Lahti, Finland will be hosting the championships this year in February.
Returning from previous seasons with the Gold Team are Matt Gelso, Rogan Brown, Mary Rose and Deedra Irwin. The new athletes you will see out on the trails, cruising along on a distance ski or pounding out a set of intervals, are Jack Hegman, Cole Morgan, Kelsey Phinney and Annie Pokorny.
Veteran Matt Gelso has been skiing with the SVSEF Gold Team for six years, since graduating from the University of Colorado. He has raced throughout Europe and the U.S. and has competed at FIS World Cups and the FIS World Ski Championships. Gelso has garnered top three results at U.S. National Championships, and won an NCAA individual championship. Gelso hopes to make it to the World Ski Championships again this February.
Rogan Brown, originally from Durango, Colorado, is 24 years old and received his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Vermont, where he was a member of the ski team. His main goals this season are to improve his sprint racing and land on the podium at U.S. Nationals this January, which will take place in Utah. Having lived in the Wood River Valley for two years, Brown is “continually impressed by its unity and ski culture.”
Mary Rose also grew up skiing in Colorado, in Steamboat Springs and then for the University of Colorado at Boulder. Since graduating, Rose has posted competitive results, setting her up for elite racing opportunities. In 2014, she competed at the Under-23 World Championships, multiple Scandinavian Cup races, Europa Cup races and Europa (OPA) Cup Finals. The following season, she had two top 10 finishes at the U.S. National Championships, qualifying her for the U.S. Ski Team’s OPA Cup trip in Central Europe. Domestically, Rose has been successful on the SuperTour circuit, with a win, a second place and a fifth place finish. This season, Rose is focusing on the SuperTour circuit, where she will look to qualify for the FIS World Cup and World Championships.
The fourth returning cross country Gold Team skier is Deedra Irwin, who hails from Wisconsin. This will be Irwin’s second season with the Gold Team; last year, she led the charge for the female athletes, with multiple top 15 results, a few top 10 results, and a win in both the Elite Birkebeiner Sprints and the American Classic Birkebeiner in Hayward, Wisconsin. In 2015, Irwin qualified to compete in Almaty, Kazakhstan as part of the U23 World Junior Team. The athlete went to school at Michigan Technological University, where she majored in exercise science, minored in international Spanish and coaching, and competed on the cross country running, track and cross country ski teams. Going into this season, Irwin will be concentrating on classic sprinting.
New to the team this year are former University of Vermont skiers, Jack Hegman and Cole Morgan. Hegman is originally from Huntington, Vermont, and studied Computer Science at UVM. He is a three-time NCAA All-American and has represented the U.S. at the World Junior Championships. Hegman’s current and former teammate Cole Morgan is from Bozeman, Montana, and skied for UVM after a post-graduate year skiing for SVSEF back in 2012. Morgan was the third American in the 2015 U.S. National Championships classic sprint, and has been named to two World Junior Championships teams. This season he is focusing on the U23 World Championships in Soldier Hollow, Utah.
The other two new recruits to the Cross Country Gold Team also attended school in Vermont; both skied for Middlebury College. Kelsey Phinney grew up in Boulder, Colorado, and attended Middlebury, where she studied neuroscience. Phinney skied for the U.S. at the U23 World Championships this past winter in Romania, and has her sights set on U23 Worlds in Utah this season. Her teammate Annie Pokorny skied for Middlebury but is originally from the West, where she grew up racing between Park City, Utah, and Spokane, Washington. She joined SVSEF as a junior in high school in 2009 and attended the Community School. At Middlebury, Pokorny majored in philosophy, was an NCAA All-American, a three-time member of the U.S. U23 World Championship team, and raced on Europe’s Scandinavian and Europa Cup circuits.
Returning to the Gold Team alpine lineup are Tanner Farrow and Kipling Weisel. Both athletes grew up skiing with SVSEF. Farrow has been involved with SVSEF since he was eight years old; he recently turned 23. The athlete attended Wood River High School and was named to the U.S. Ski Team on his 18th birthday – he has spent the past four seasons competing at the Nor Am and Europa Cup level. Although he was not renamed to the U.S. Ski Team at the completion of the 2015-2016 season, he will continue to pursue skiing at the World Cup and Olympic levels. Farrow recently accepted an offer to compete for the University of Denver, whose ski team is the reigning NCAA national champion. Kipling Weisel, also a SVSEF alum, now skis for Dartmouth College and is a member of the U.S. Alpine C Team. Last season he posted strong results, finishing 16th overall on the NorAm circuit and earning six top 10 results. At the U.S. Alpine Championships here in Sun Valley this past March, Weisel finished ninth in alpine combined and was the third junior racer overall in the event. He will graduate from Dartmouth in 2018.
In the snowboarding world, SVSEF Gold Team member Chase Josey continues to impress. Josey grew up snowboarding for SVSEF here in Sun Valley. The athlete had standout results throughout last season, with a second place finish at the Mammoth Mountain Grand Prix and a bronze medal in halfpipe at X Games Oslo. In 2015 he won the renowned Red Bull Double Pipe.
Gold Team freeskier Jacob Beebe has proven to be a promising competitor, and he has many years ahead of him as a seventeen-year old. Beebe is on the U.S. Rookie Halfpipe Team and resides in Bend, Oregon, where he attends Summit High School. In 2016, Beebe was 12th in the halfpipe at X Games Oslo and fifth at the Aspen Snowmass Freeskiing Open Halfpipe. His goals for this coming season are to qualify for X Games Aspen and to make finals at Dew Tour and Grand Prix events.
Rounding out the Gold Team is freeskier Tai Barrymore. Barrymore grew up in Sun Valley and graduated from Wood River High School in 2010; he was a skier for SVSEF beginning his junior year of high school. The 24-year old took first place at the Copper Mountain Grand Prix World Cup in 2012, second place at the Killington Dew Tour in 2013, is a four-time X Games athlete and seven-time Dew Tour athlete. Barrymore participated in every Olympic qualifier in 2014 for Sochi. The athlete suffered a torn ACL last year and is eager to get back into competition this season.
We are excited to see what the 2016-2017 season has in store for our Gold Team athletes; we know they will do big things, and we are glad to be along for the ride.
If you are interested in supporting SVSEF Gold Team athletes, there is a fundraiser on August 16th whose proceeds benefit the Gold Team. For more information about the Golf for Gold Tournament, please visit the website at svsef.org or contact Jody Zarkos with questions (jody@svsef.org, 208-726-4129 ext. 102).
SVSEF Athletes Race with the Best at U.S. Alpine Championships, Western Region FIS Open
U.S. Alpine Championships bring top racers to Warm Springs
It was a successful week of racing here in Sun Valley at the Nature Valley U.S. Alpine Championships. Throngs of spectators gathered to watch top athletes as they tackled alpine combined, super G, slalom and giant slalom courses on Greyhawk.
Start lists featured U.S. athletes for the most part, but were dotted with skiers from across the globe – Japan, Croatia, Sweden, Germany and Canada were a few of the countries represented. Among the fields of high-ranking athletes were three current SVSEF skiers and three alums of the program. Hayden Terjeson, Haley Cutler and Erin Smith are on the Alpine FIS Team. Tanner Farrow attends Westminster College, Kipling Wiesel represents Dartmouth, and Teagen Palmer skis for the University of Utah; all three grew up racing for SVSEF.
SVSEF alum Teagen Palmer at the end of a giant slalom run on March 27. Photo courtesy of Becky Smith.
The first event of the week was the men’s alpine combined on March 22. Brennan Rubie won, followed by Kieffer Christianson and Hig Roberts. Kipling Weisel had a strong race, finishing 10th in a field of 57 men. In the men’s super G, Jack Gower of Great Britain took first, with Brennan Rubie in second and Kieffer Christianson in third. Kipling again had a strong performance, finishing ninth.
The women raced the same event the next day. Galena Wardle was the overall winner, while Megan McJames was second and Patricia Mangan third. Haley Cutler raced with tenacity, skiing to eighth overall and fifth for juniors. Erin Smith earned top 20 with a 17th place finish in a field of 43 skiers. Laurenne Ross captured the women’s super G title, with Jacqueline Wiles in second and Anna Marno in third. Haley Cutler was 9th and Erin Smith tied for 17th.
In the women’s super G on March 24, Anna Marno was champion. Laurenne Ross was second and Patricia Mangan was third. Haley Cutler just missed the top 10, placing 11th. Erin Smith was 21st for the day.
In the men’s event, Tim Jitloff stood at the top of the podium; Ryan Cochran-Siegle was second and Erik Arvidsson was third. Tanner Farrow was on point, landing in 10th, while Hayden Terjeson was 41st.
Men’s and women’s slalom events took place on March 25. Icy conditions made for a rough start to the day; a total of 38 women did not finish their first run. Mikaela Shiffrin showed why she’s top-ranked, winning by nearly seven seconds. Lila Lapanja was second, and Canadian Roni Remme was third. Erin Smith and Haley Cutler skied smart races and finished in 17th and 18th, respectively.
On the men’s side, David Chodounsky skied to first, Robby Kelley to second and Michael Ankeny to third.
The final discipline of the week was the giant slalom; the men skied on March 26 and the women on March 27. Kieffer Christianson continued his hot streak, winning the men’s race. Ryan Cochran-Siegle was second and Erik Read rounded out the top three. Tanner Farrow earned another 10th place, and Kipling Weisel was 17th. Mikaela Shiffrin again dominated, edging out Resi Stiegler for the win in the women’s event – Megan McJames was third. Teagen Palmer was 25th, Erin Smith 26th and Haley Cutler 29th.
The women's giant slalom podium, with Mikaela Shiffrin in first, Resi Stiegler in second and Megan McJames in third. Photo courtesy of Becky Smith.
In addition to the official alpine competitions, Sun Valley hosted a Big Air Exposition on Friday, March 25 at Dollar Mountain. Coaches Colin Collins, Rick Millett and Reed Snyderman joined SVSEF athletes Alvaro Jiraldo and Will Griffith and SVSEF alum Banks Gilberti in running laps on the jump and getting some major elevation. A sizeable crowd cheered on the skiers and snowboarders as they catapulted 75 to 100 feet into the air off a 75-foot table. The athletes threw double fronts and backs and cork 7 blunts, among other stunts, until wind speeds picked up and cut the event short.
Video of Big Air Exposition by Kim Garvin:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UotBjcmO4kc
Reporting by Idaho Mountain Express (see original article here)
SVSEF racer McClure second at Sugar Bowl
Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation alpine ski racer Yuri McClure, 17, grabbed a second place in men’s giant slalom in Wednesday’s Western Region FIS Open race at Sugar Bowl, Ca.
It was the best ever International Ski Federation (FIS) finish for McClure, a Wood River High School senior. He won the second run out of 96 two-run finishers and placed first among the 83 U-19 men.
McClure has enjoyed success at Sugar Bowl this winter, having placed fifth in the National Junior giant slalom on the California hill Jan. 14. He was 12th in Tuesday’s GS at Sugar Bowl, the fifth U-19.
Other SVSEF men and their GS finishes from Wednesday:
26—John Blackburn (8th U-19). 30—Spencer Wright (12th U-19). 31—Will Snyder (13th U-19). 39—Kristian DeWolfe (19th U-19). 57—Charlie Lamb (36th U-19). 67—Wyatt Smith (44th U-19). 68—Walter Lafky (45th).
Will Snyder also cracked the top-10 among U-19 racers with a 10th place (26th overall) in Tuesday’s men’s GS.
SVSEF racer Skylar Cooley showed improvement in giant slalom Wednesday, rising to 18th place overall of 56 women and 13th in the U-19 class. She was 44th (28th U-19) Tuesday.
The weeklong race series wrapped up Thursday with men’s and women’s slalom.
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Men’s slalom results:
14- Will Snyder
30- Spencer Wright
Racers and pros gear up for the SVSEF Janss Pro-Am Classic
Keep an eye out for a slew of bold costumes and get-ups at Warm Springs this weekend; the SVSEF Janss Pro-Am Classic is back in full force. In its 19th iteration, the event’s theme this year is “The Reel Deal Movie Magic,” with teams choosing costumes based on favorite flicks. Named for Bill Janss, who owned Sun Valley from 1964 through 1977 and was an avid supporter of SVSEF, the event runs Thursday through Saturday. Dual giant slalom races will take place on Friday and Saturday. Teams are comprised of a Senior Pro, a Junior Pro who is a current SVSEF athlete, and four other racers of all abilities. This is SVSEF’s biggest fundraising event of the year, and all proceeds go towards growing the foundation.
Social passes can be purchased through end of day today; passes grant access to all events. Contact Jody for more details – jody@svsef.org or (208) 726-4129 ext. 102.