Team Equipment Day 2017
Team Equipment Day is geared towards gravity sports and is an opportunity for athletes, coaches and parents to purchase gear for the season at discounted rates. Industry representatives will be present as a supplemental resource.
STURTEVANTS
2-8 p.m.
PK’S
10 a.m. – close
FORMULA SPORTS
2-6 p.m.
2016-2017 Annual Report
Our 2016-2017 annual report is here – have a look for season recaps, stats, photos and finances.
Alumni Spotlight: Corey Warren '04
Corey Warren '04 has seen multiple sides of SVSEF; he skied on the freestyle team, and returned a few years later as a coach. He now spends his time as a photographer, videographer and visual designer based out of Seattle. Learn more about what Corey has learned from building a business and pursuing an artistic career, and what lessons he's taken with him from the Wood River Valley.
What has your journey since living in the Wood River Valley looked like? How was the transition, from growing up here to attending college and to moving to a city? Did you feel prepared for those changes? How did you get started in art and design?
Since graduating from Community School in 2004, I have lived in Portland, OR, Moscow, ID, Bellingham, WA, Ketchum briefly, and now Seattle, WA. I went to four different colleges and managed to still graduate in four years, which was an entire journey on its own. Immediately after graduating from Western Washington University in Bellingham in 2008, my best friend let me in on a business idea and we started as partners in a skate/snow/gallery/print shop. I wore many hats and co-created INNATE, whose brand mantra was “a natural philosophy,” and encouraged the discovery and implementation of the innate talents of each and every individual for the greater good. We had a five-year run and disbanded in 2013. I had a short stint in Idaho coaching ski team for a season before moving back to Seattle to settle into my new life as a freelance creative. Now I’ve spent almost four years in Seattle and I’m finally finding my rhythm, uncovering the potential of the city and learning every step of the way. The transition from Idaho to Oregon to Washington was pretty natural and I did feel prepared, especially coming from Community School. This probably isn’t the time or place for it but one thing no one seems to be prepared enough about is the reality of finances and credit, which is an immediate and hard-hitting reality for many when they leave for school and become increasingly more independent from their parents. We need to implement more realistic curriculum in addition to the existing stuff.
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?
My whole family is pretty creative and have run their own businesses my whole life, so I think a lot of my creativity comes from being around it all the time and having cultivated it slowly over my entire childhood. I was always starting new businesses and coming up with new products and logos, so it evolved naturally into college when I needed to have a focus. The internet has been an incredible resource for me to get inspiration, post my own work and get feedback, and discover what’s happening in every little facet of art, design, film, etc. I’m a super visual and tactile person, really aesthetically incentivized with an A-type personality, so design and art are really natural outlets for me to make sense of the world.
You’ve got this company, Idahome, which resonates with a lot of locals. You’ve been in Seattle for a number of years – what parts of Idaho did you take with you, in addition to the inspiration for that brand? What are the goals and values of the company?
In regards to Idahome, I try to keep the glory, the grit, and the grandeur alive with the content I post and the products we sell, which are limited. The topography design, the county lines design, and the classic are all mountain/geography inspired and resonate with locals. Idaho is raw and genuine, it’s fresh and clean and represents the center of the universe to me— everything revolves around Idaho in my world; I’ll always gravitate back there, in my mind or physically. I’d like to grow Idahome to the point that it’s self sustaining and I can focus on design and marketing. I’m always trying to find the best products with the smallest ecological and humanitarian footprint, and the content of the work will always remain positive, uplifting and showcase the natural beauty of Idaho. I’d really like to lock in some long term ecological partners to form alliances with people on the ground doing work and speaking up for the environment.
On the most challenging aspect of building a company:
Building a company is an expression of one’s own passions with the caveat of having to make a profit. It’s firstly a challenge to balance the idea of making money on your passions with keeping them separate and pure. Secondly, you can’t be risk-averse and need to be willing to dive head-on into uncomfortable situations and put more on the line than you’re used to, because it’s greater than yourself and affects more people than one. Lastly, momentum and consistency are key, and that takes dedication and persistence. It goes without saying all these qualities are not readily accessible in everyone and running a business separates one type of person from another. Idahome is still in its infancy and should be seeing some growth over the next couple years! Stay tuned.
How do you keep yourself motivated and inspired as an artist?
On motivation and inspiration… it’s a fickle thing! I can’t always conjure it but I’m finding that one has to at least be in touch with their own schedule and what times of day are best for which types of work. I am a night owl and produce a ton of my best conceptual work at night. Newly born creations are best for mornings, and finishing ongoing projects for the evening. I like to use the days to play and exercise/ get errands done so the evening I can lock into my flow and be productive. Schedule is paramount to creativity but so is spontaneity, so again, a balance…. such is life, eh?
Aside from your own businesses, you work for Matador Network; what do you do for them, and what do you enjoy most about working there?
I’m a freelance content producer for Matador Network, which means I travel to destinations around North America for various clients of theirs, and create video and photo content for their brands. Sometimes I cover events, sometimes I create an entire experience for the viewer with a montage of all the activities one can do in a particular area. Sometimes I do more commercial work but the majority is destination marketing content. I love the travel and schedule, and the opportunity it’s afforded me to learn the art of run and gun film making (essentially making short, loosely-scripted documentary films out of your backpack).
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 jobs, or any steps or experiences that have come in between? To life in general?
The SVSEF was an incredible family for me as a child. I can’t think of a better structure for a kid to engage with, or a better organization to grow within. The discipline, autonomy, and self confidence are the biggest things I took away from the program. Knowing I was capable of accomplishing my goals, small or large, is a huge part of my identity and growth into who I am now. We are incredibly fortunate to have a ski culture so accessible to us in the WRV, because it’s such an unrealistic and rare lifestyle to be able to live.
You coached for SVSEF for a bit; what was that like, to return to the program from a different standpoint?
Coaching that one season was an incredible, surreal experience for me. Seeing that program from the coach’s perspective was a trip, with the reversal of roles catching me off guard at first. Coaching ski team is the most fun job ever, and I was just reminded of how incredible both Sun Valley and the SVSEF program are. The role the the SVSEF has in children's’ lives is paramount to their success in life and I mean that wholeheartedly. The structure, experience and character building that happens there is invaluable, and to be packaged in such an encouraging lifestyle is what makes it so unique and special.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?
I can’t be sure that this is the best advice I’ve ever gotten, but here are a few things:
- Never do two illegal things at the same time.
- Be true to yourself and surround yourself with people that make you the best person you can be.
- Enjoy the process and practice gratitude… life slips by quickly and it’s important to remain in a state of awe and amazement at the experience we get to have, uncomfortable or not. Gratitude is the attitude!
- It’s not about staying out of the rain, it’s about learning to dance in the storm!
How have you come to define success?
Defining success takes experience, plain and simple. One has to live life and learn what they resonate with, what makes them tick, what incentivizes them and what challenges them. When our moral framework is developed, we are able to build on a foundation of understanding about the world that informs our choices and how we can stretch ourselves to achieve our goals. Success can be so many things to so many people…to me, success is having true friends, having a healthy mind and body, and continuing to cultivate a sense of awe and wonder about the world until the very end. Success is having a positive and long-lasting effect on people and the world around you.
Congratulations to the Class of 2017
Graduation from high school is a milestone for SVSEF athletes, and not just from an academic perspective. Student-athletes who have participated in SVSEF programming have managed to juggle academic requirements with time-intensive training and competition schedules – not to mention all of the other hobbies and interests they have invested in beyond school and snowsports. This year, SVSEF saw 19 student-athletes graduate from high school and from the organization; 16 from Community School and three from Wood River High School. Of those, 10 athletes have made their way through the programs and teams of SVSEF since they were 12 years old or younger.
Twelve SVSEF athletes are going on to top colleges and universities across the country. Making the transition to higher education programs are Brody Buchwalter (Montana State), Cooper Dart (Bowdoin College), Blake Deilke (University of Denver), Lukas DeWolfe (University of Puget Sound), Addy Jacobsen (Western State University), Kiran Merchant (Brown University), Keene Morawitz (Dartmouth College), Katelyn Rathfon (St. Mary’s College of California), Sage Rheinschild (Santa Barbara City College), Nikki Sabiers (Montana State Honors Program), Alexandra Schaffner (Whitman College), and Peter Wolter (Middlebury College). Keene Morawitz and Peter Wolter will both continue in their sport of cross country skiing at their respective schools; Keene will represent the Big Green at Dartmouth, and Peter will race for the Panthers at Middlebury.
Six graduates will be staying with SVSEF for a post grad year on the alpine FIS team. John Blackburn (deferred at Montana State University), Charlie Lamb, Noah Leininger, Erin Smith, Hayden Terjeson and Spencer Wright (deferred at University of Denver) will continue to train and compete under the tutelage of top FIS coaches here in the Wood River Valley.
The final graduate is Filippo Collini, who attended Community School as an international student and was a member of the FIS team. Filippo will return to Italy for another year of school.
With the graduation of our athletes, we look forward to seeing how courage will supersede conformity, how passion will dispel fear of failure, how a sense of self will bolster resilience, and how all of these qualities will support an inclination to embrace opportunity, gain new perspective and continue to grow as individuals and as community members. Congratulations, Class of 2017!
Academic Accolades for the 2016-2017 Season
From Academic Director Erika Rixon
What an amazing season! This was by far one of the best snow years that these student-athletes have experienced in their lifetime. The snow-covered mountains coupled with the outstanding performances by student-athletes from all disciplines within SVSEF made for an extraordinary 2016-2017 ski and snowboard season. The rigorous schedule of trying to balance school, personal life, family, and sport is an enormous challenge. All of the kids in SVSEF deserve a round of applause for this very important life skill that they all get to practice every day throughout the winter months. But, it doesn’t stop there! SVSEF is a year-round program; therefore, this skill is constantly being fine-tuned. Congratulations to all of you for your hard work and dedication 12 months of the year.
This year we launched a tutoring program with instructors that had subject specific knowledge. It was a successful program that we are looking forward to building on next year. I would like to thank our tutors for their time and commitment. More importantly, I want to give a huge congratulations to those that attended tutoring consistently so that they could continue to excel in school just like they do on snow. At any given time, there were anywhere between five and ten students taking advantage of our academic support. The effort by the student-athletes was truly amazing!
Lastly, at the end of every season, we recognize those student-athletes who were able to maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher. As stated before, this is a challenging task and they deserve recognition. Congratulations to the following:
Laine Allison
Ben Anderson
Wyatt Barth
Jackson Bevers
John Blackburn
Grace Bloomfield
Isabella Bourret
Lily Brunelle
Aidan Burchmore
Cailin Chandler
Henry Cherp
Skylar Cooley
Cash Dart
Cooper Dart
Caroline Dean
Hunter Diehl
Blake Deilke
Wilson Dunn
Katherine Estep
Will Everitt
Madison Ferris
Lily Fitzgerald
Ellie Gorham
Jake Gorham
Buey Grossman
Eva Grover
Johnny Hagenbuch
Joe Hall
Ashley Helm
Sage Holter
Kate Horowitz
Merumo Ishimaru
Addy Jacobsen
Anja Jensen
Eve Jensen
Kaia Jensen
Libby Kaiser
Tom Klose
Ella Kopplin
Walter Lafky
Alex Lafleur
Charlie Lamb
Sascha Leidecker
Libby Lindstrom
Ridley Lindstrom
Emma MacGuffie
Elle Mann
Eliza Marks
Katherine Markthaler
Sophia Mazzoni
Kiran Merchant
Molly Milgard
Wyatt Minor
Keene Morawitz
Max Moss
Max Noddings
Jenna Nurge
Landon Nurge
Michaela Petty
Grace Pepin
Julian Plank
Carlota Pomes-Rovira
Henry Raff
Addison Rafford
Alli Rathfon
Katelyn Rathfon
Sage Rheinschild
Nikki Sabiers
Meeks Sanchez-DuPont
Alexandra Schaffner
Rosa Schaffner
Bergen Schmidt
Zoe Simon
Erin Smith
Jack Smith
Bennett Snyder
Elk Spencer
Kate Stone
Charlie Stumph
Chloe Tanous
Hayden Terjeson
Sarah Troxel
Bentley Walker-Broose
Carley Walther-Porino
Keegan Webber
Ella Wolter
Peter Wolter
Spencer Wright
Tia Vontver
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2016-2017 End of Season Awards
Thanks to everyone, from athletes to parents, from coaches to sponsors to community members, who supported SVSEF throughout the season and helped make it an exceptional one. We’re proud of all of our athletes’ efforts, and are constantly impressed by how hardworking and inspiring they are.
With banquets this April came season-end awards; here are this year’s recipients. Congratulations to all SVSEF athletes on a great year!
Freestyle
A Team
Male Athlete of the Year: Luke Rizzo
Female Athlete of the Year: Eliza Marks
MVP: Holden Largay
Most Inspirational (voted on by the athletes): Luke Rizzo
Most Improved: Mikel Sanchez-duPont
Dark Horse: Toby Rafford
John R. Kalik True North Scholarship: Rainey Wilson
Volunteer / Community Service: Wilson Dunn, Brody Buchwalter, Hunter Diehl, Axel Diehl, Esmee Verheijen, Rainey Wilson
B Team
Most Improved: Paola Alvarado
Most Inspirational: Anton Holter
Most Dedicated (based on attendance): Quincy McGraw
Freeski
Halfpipe Award (most improvement in halfpipe): Harper Mallet
World Traveler Award: Hanna Blackwell
Style Award: most improved in style and flow in his overall skiing – Joey Markthaler
Big Air Award: Will Griffith
MVP: Ridge Dirksmeier
Snowboard
Stand Out/MVP Girl: Zoe Bacca
Stand Out/MVP Boy: Jack Verheaghe
Dark Horse: Caleb Hothem
Most Improved: Emma Schmillen
Travel Team
Stand Out/MVP: Payton Bacca
People’s Champ Award: Phebe Ericksen
Alpine
Howard Dean Scholarship: Sky Leininger
Mountain Kidd: Cooper Dart
Life Coach Award: Galen Webster
John R. Kalik True North Scholarship: Kaia Jensen
SVSEF Alpine Longevity Award: Katelyn Rathfon, Noah Leininger, Lukas DeWolfe
Peggy & Sigi Engl Award Alpine Women: Katelyn Rathfon
Peggy & Sigi Engl Awards Alpine Men: Hayden Terjeson
Leif Odmark, FIS Women: Kaia Jensen
Leif Odmark, FIS Men: Max Noddings
Gary Black Jr. Memorial Race
Billy Klein Award – U12 Boy: Tor Johnston
Bonnie Russel Trophy – U14 Girl: Jessica Blackburn
Christin Cooper Award – U16 Girl: Cailin Chandler
Kathleen Harriman Mortimer – U12 Girl: Paige DeHart
Smith Goggle Award – U14 Boy: Ben Goitiandia
Gretchen Fraser Award – U10 Girl: Ella Shaugnessy
Pete Patterson Award – U10 Boy: Quintin Buoncristiani
Roy Hobson Award Women: Jessica Blackburn
Roy Hobson Award Men: Ben Goitiandia
IMD Team
Most Improved Boy: Skye Leininger
Most Improved Girl: Anwhei Kirk
Passion Award Boy: Jett Carruth
Passion Award Girl: Lola Street
Performers Boy: Ryder Sarchett
Performers Girl: Merit Kaiser
Most Inspirational Boy: Skye Leininger
Mini World Cup Team
Coaches Award Boy: Owen Walker
Coaches Award Girl: Audrey Morawitz
Outstanding Skier Boy: Tucker Smith
Outstanding Skier Girl: Taylor Hovey
Most Improved Boy: Quintin Buoncristiani
Most Improved Girl: Eden Gardner
Mini World Cup Women: Taylor Hovey
Mini World Cup Men: Tucker Smith
North Series Team
“Cheeso” Memorial – North Series Perpetual: Tommy Normand
Most Improved Boy: Bodin Lee
Most Improved Girl: Maeve Bailey
Coaches Award Boy: Hank Moss
Coaches Award Girl: Paige DeHart
Most Inspirational Boy: Jesse Keefe
Most Inspirational Girl: Charlotte Davis-Jeffers
USSA Team
Most Improved Boy: Wyatt Barth
Most Improved Girl: Cailin Chandler
Passion Award Boy: Bennet Snyder
Passion Award Girl: Merumo Ishimaru
Most Inspirational Boy: Wyatt Barth
Most Inspirational Girl: Lily Fitzgerald/Carlota Pomes
FIS Team
Most Improved Boy: Charlie Lamb
Most Improved Girl: Erin Smith
Passion Award Boy: Fillipo Collini
Passion Award Girl: Haley Cutler
Most Inspirational Boy: Duncan Fuller
Most Inspirational Girl: Sage Rheinschild
Cross Country
Comp Team
Outstanding Boy and Girl: Johnny Hagenbuch, Sophia Mazzoni
Most Improved Boy and Girl: Landon Paschall, Katherine Estep
Rookie Boy and Girl: Cash Dart, Anja Jensen
Most Inspirational Boy and Girl (voted on by teammates): Peter Wolter, Ella Wolter
Coaches Award: Henry Raff
Engl Award: Peter Wolter, Lily Brunelle
Torin Norton Tucker Scholarship Award: Joe Hall
John R. Kalik True North Scholarship Award: Sophia Mazzoni
Prep Team
Outstanding Boy and Girl: Blake DeHart, Logan Smith
Most Improved Boy and Girl: Alex Shafer, Kelby Whitehead
Coaches Award Boy and Girl: Sebi Radl-Jones, Taylor Dorland
Most Inspirational Boy and Girl (voted on by teammates): Sebi Radl-Jones, Luci Ludwig
Photos courtesy of (L-R): Jennifer Diehl, Glen Allison, Glen Allison, Rick Millet
Athlete of the Month, March 2017 – Holden Largay
The athlete of the month for March is Holden Largay, 18, a member of the Freestyle Travel A Team. Holden joined SVSEF this season as a post grad athlete, after skiing in his hometown of Missoula, Montana through the end of his high school career. This was his first season with a full-time ski program; his recent results have shown the impact from this adjustment. He was the top SVSEF freestyle skier this year, with five overall podiums and a fourth place overall finish at Junior Nationals here in Sun Valley in March. Holden was third in his M19 age group, earning him qualification to the USSA Young Guns Elite Camp in July at Utah Olympic Park.
Most recently, Holden competed at U.S. Nationals in Steamboat Springs, CO, March 30-April 1. In the moguls competition, he made finals, and finished 13th overall in a field that featured top athletes from across the country. In the finals, he nearly scored a perfect 10 on his cork 1080 – one of the hardest tricks in the book – with a 9.7. The last SVSEF athlete to make it to finals at U.S. Nationals was Shane Cordeau, back in 2012 at Stratton Mountain in Vermont.
https://youtu.be/7p_Xowy3eSY
13th place run at U.S. Nationals
Dual round of 16, vs. U.S. Ski Team athlete Ryan Dyer (lost by decision)
The Week in Review: 4/4/17
FREESTYLE
SVSEF athletes competed at U.S. Freestyle Championships in Steamboat Springs, CO, March 30-April 1. Athletes took to the course on Voodoo, with moguls qualifications on March 30 and 31, finals on March 31, and dual moguls on April 1. SVSEF had some topnotch results in fields representing the best talent in the country. Field sizes were 50 and over, and ages ranged from 14 to 29.
Eliza Marks was SVSEF’s top female finisher in the moguls competition, ending up 41st overall. Katie Markthaler was right behind in 42nd, Esmee Verheijen 49th and Rainey Wilson 51st. Two SVSEF athletes broke the top 20 in the men’s competition; Holden Largay, who has had an exceptionally strong season, finished 13th overall. Teammate Luke Rizzo stepped it up and finished 20th, and Wilson Dunn was 37th; all solid results in a field of 60 athletes.
In duals, Eliza Marks moved into the round of 32 and finished 24th overall. Rainey Wilson, Esmee Verheijen and Katie Markthaler did not finish. Wilson Dunn ended the weekend of competition with an impressive 18th place finish in duals. Holden Largay was 22nd overall. Luke Rizzo moved into the round of 32, but crashed halfway through his run, putting him in 31st.
Full results here
SNOWBOARDING
SVSEF snowboarders headed to Copper Mountain Resort for USASA Nationals; in that group, veterans like Payton Bacca made the return to the yearly event, alongside some fresh faces who are just starting to get the feel for national-level competition. Nearly 2,000 athletes are in attendance, representing all 32 regional series. SVSEF is part of the third largest series in the country, and the quality of riders that are making an appearance at nationals is being noticed.
SVSEF athletes are doing well across the board, scattered as they are throughout various disciplines. There have been a number of top 10s, lots of kids landing runs, working really hard, and learning from the experience.
Competition began April 2 and continues through April 6. Maddie Hothem rode to 12th place in the halfpipe Breaker Girls (12-13) category, in a field of 26. Zoe Bacca finished 14th in the same age class. Olive Gilbert secured 23rd in the halfpipe in her Menehune (10-11) age class. Jack Verhaeghe finished 13th in Menehune (10-11) boardercross, and Caleb Hothem was 30th in the field of 63. Nico Lerner finished 17th in Grommet (8-9) boys in the halfpipe.
Payton Bacca, who is competing in the NorAm class against top-level U.S. and international athletes, rode to the boardercross small final, finishing eighth overall. Phebe Ericksen had a big result, grabbing a second place finish in the halfpipe Junior Women (16-17) age bracket in a field of 14. Coach Andy Gilbert observed that “it’s been a long time coming for Phebe – it was really cool to see someone with such a great attitude and work ethic be so successful. She had great amplitude on her air, and she’s been pushing really hard to learn some new tricks at the end of the season; it has certainly paid off.”
Competition continues tomorrow with slopestyle and halfpipe.
Full results here
CROSS COUNTRY
Gold Team
The Cross Country Gold Team finished out their season up in Fairbanks, Alaska, at the SuperTour Finals. Following the skiathlon, athletes competed in a skate sprint on March 29. Matt Gelso made it to semifinals and ended up seventh overall. Cole Morgan made heats and finished 30th overall. In the women’s race, all SVSEF Gold Team women advanced to heats. Kelsey Phinney advanced to the finals and had a strong finish in fifth. Annie Pokorny skied to 14th overall, while Mary Rose was 23rd and Deedra Irwin 25th.
A mixed 4x5km relay followed sprints; SVSEF’s team of Annie Pokorny, Matt Gelso, Kelsey Phinney and Cole Morgan finished sixth overall in a field of 24 teams.
The final event of the week was a mass start skate race, with distances of 50 and 30 kilometers for men and women. Rogan Brown was the top SVSEF male finisher in 13th. He was followed by Cole Morgan in 22nd and Jack Hegman in 36th. Matt Gelso did not start. Mary Rose was the top SVSEF female finisher, just missing the top 10 in 11th. Annie Pokorny wasn’t far behind in 14th and Deedra Irwin finished 22nd. Kelsey Phinney did not start.
Full results here
ALPINE
FIS
FIS athletes are in the midst of competition at Mammoth, fresh off of strong results at Nationals. Athletes have completed one giant slalom and one slalom event; they continue with one more giant slalom and slalom and two super G races.
John Blackburn and Yuri McClure broke the top 10 in the first giant slalom, finishing sixth and ninth. Both athletes again made the cut in the second GS, going seventh and tenth. Filippo Collini was just out of the top 10 in 11th. SVSEF had a nice string of finishes in the top 20 as well, with Spencer Wright, Will Snyder and Max Noddings going 15-16-17. Haley Cutler was fifth in the women’s first slalom and ninth in the second. Teammate Erin Smith finished eighth in the second slalom.
Results here
USSA
Qualified SVSEF athletes competed at U16 Nationals at Sugarloaf in Maine, March 31-April 3. Athletes competed in super G, slalom and giant slalom. A giant slalom scheduled for April 4 was cancelled.
A highlight of the event was Alli Rathfon’s third place overall title, following a seventh place finish in the super G and a spot on the podium in second in the giant slalom. Ryder Sarchett also had standout results in his age class, taking first for U14s in the super G and slalom, and second in the giant slalom.
Lily Fitzgerald’s top finish was fourth place in the giant slalom, and Maddie Ferris’ best result was in the slalom in 22nd.
In the slalom, Bennett Snyder narrowly missed the podium in fourth. Jack Smith had a stellar race and finished 10th. Ryder Sarchett had his best result of the week, finishing 19th, as did Wyatt Barth in 24th. Jack Smith’s best came in the super G, where he finished fourth overall.
Super G - Women
Super G - Men
Slalom - Women
Slalom - Men
Giant Slalom - Women
Giant Slalom - Men
All disciplines
The Gary Black Jr. Memorial, formerly known as the Hobson Memorial, took place on Sunday, April 2 and invited SVSEF of all disciplines to compete in a dual style slalom and end the day with a BBQ and awards. Athletes came decked out in costumes of all sorts; fitting for an end-of-the-season celebration under bluebird skies.
Jessica Blackburn and Ben Goitiandia were the overall winners for the day. Tommy Normand received the 2017 Cheeso Mountain Kidd Award. Full results can be found here.
David Concannon took more than 700 photos of the event and is willing to share with parents and friends of SVSEF. Please feel free to reach out to him at david@explorerconsulting.com to see if he captured your son or daughter at the Gary Black Jr. Memorial.
Full results forthcoming.
The Week in Review: 3/28/17
CROSS COUNTRY
Gold, PG and Comp Teams
SVSEF athletes wrapped up racing at Canadian Nationals in Canmore, Alberta. In the senior classic sprints on March 22, Gold Team skiers Deedra Irwin and Mary Rose and Annie Pokorny all made the B final for senior women, and finished seventh, eighth and tenth overall. Laura Anderson was the top U.S. junior finisher, ending up in 13th. In the U16/U18 classic sprints the next day, Katherine Estep made the B final and finished eighth overall, second in the B final.
Full results here
Gold Team
The Gold Team is currently in Fairbanks, Alaska for SuperTour Finals; this event features a week of racing, with fields comprised of the top U.S. skiers, to round out the season. The first race of the week was a 22.5km skiathlon on Monday, March 27. Competitors switched from classic to skate halfway through the race at the 11.25km mark. SVSEF’s top finisher was Matt Gelso, who is coming off races at World Cup Championships, held in Quebec City. Matt finished 12th in a field of 44. Teammate Cole Morgan, who also competed at World Cup Champs, finished 15th; a good result for an athlete who is traditionally sprint-focused. Rogan Brown was 19th. The women’s race was a 7.5km classic/7.5km skate – 15km overall. Kelsey Phinney was 13th, Mary Rose 15th, Annie Pokorny 16th and Deedra Irwin 20th. The next event is a skate sprint on Wednesday.
Full results here
ALPINE
FIS
SVSEF had the opportunity to host a FIS Open series, drawing collegiate and top-level athletes to the valley for four days of racing. The first two days featured giant slalom races on Upper Greyhawk, Hemingway and Greyhawk, and the final two days featured slalom races on Hemingway and Greyhawk.
Ella Pepin had a strong, consistent weekend of racing, landing 14th in the first ladies’ slalom, 13th in the second, 20th in the first giant slalom and 22nd in the second. Erin Smith finished 10th in both giant slalom events.
Filippo Collini posted a top-20 result in the men’s first slalom with a 15th place finish. Charlie Lamb showed versatility with two 17th places, one in the slalom and another in the giant slalom.
A National Junior slalom race was held on Monday; Erin Smith and Ella Pepin made the podium in second and third, and Ruby Marden finished eighth. Filippo Collini led the SVSEF men in sixth; Hayden Terjeson was 13th.
Full results here
Cheeso Day
SVSEF Alpine skiers celebrated the memory of Craig “Cheeso” Kjesbo with a day of skiing the bowls on Saturday. A yearly tradition, Cheeso Day is held in honor of Kjesbo, a former SVSEF coach. Program Director Scott McGrew explained why the athletes take time each year for this special day. “Cheeso embodied everything this organization is about: passion for the mountains, unflappable determination to make the most out of every day, and a profound dedication to the kids of this community.”
IMD
The IMD ALpine Team traveled to Snowbird for the Tri Divisional Championships, March 23-25. Competition included Intermountain, Northern, and Alaska Divisions. Despite tough weather conditions, SVSEF found a way to fight through. Notably, SVSEF placed four out of the top five U14 men in the slalom; Ben Goitiandia, Leo Molter, Skye Leininger and Nils Galloway dominated the event.
U16’s:
Sage Curtis – 5th GS, 2nd SG, 1st SL
Shaw Dean – 7th in SL
U14’s:
Hannah Ferris – 5th in GS, 14th in SG, 1st in SL (was third overall for both U14 and U16)
Logan Lindstrom – 8th GS, 3rd SL
Tatum Minor – 9th GS, 6th SL
Lily Dean – 3rd in SG
Lola Street – 13th in SL
Laci Jermunson – 13th SG
Ben Goitiandia – 4th GS, 5th SG, 1st in SL. (4th overall for both U14 and U16)
Jett Carruth – 9th GS, 7th SG.
Leo Molter – 14th SG, 3rd SL
Nils Galloway – 12th SG, 5th SL
Colin Hanna – 6th in SG
Skye Leininger – 4th in SL
Shaw McCoubrey – 9th in SL
Full results here
FREESTYLE
SVSEF junior freestyle athletes ended their season with the Future Freestylers Mogul Competition on Sunday, March 26. Freestyle & Freeski Prep & Devo Team Manager Jennifer Diehl observed that the kids “showed courage, showed grit, showed sportsmanship and showed us everything they have worked on all season long! This is our amazing future team of freestylers and freeskiers.”
Future Freestylers photos
FREESKI
Hanna Blackwell traveled to Crans Montana, Switzerland, for the FIS Junior World Ski Championships. Hanna competed in the ladies’ halfpipe; in a tough field and tough conditions (due to weather, they only had one run), she finished eighth. This was great exposure to the world of travel for competition.
Full results here
Ethan Marx and his younger brother Abel took on their first Big Mountain competition at Summit at Snoqualmie Alpental, which saw nearly 90 athletes, mostly from the Pacific Northwest, charging down the Chair 2 (Edelweiss Chair) line. Although this was the Marx brothers’ first exposure to a Big Mountain event, you wouldn’t know it; Ethan won his U14 age group, beating 23 other competitors. Abel finished second in his U12 category, in a field of 19.
Full results here