SVSEF Hires Cynthia Knight as Director of Development
The Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation is pleased to announce that Cynthia Knight will be joining the SVSEF team as Director of Development, effective March 20. As it moves into the future with an eye on elevating each athlete’s experience, SVSEF needs to continue working towards programmatic improvements and venue upgrades. With Cynthia’s professional experience and depth of fundraising knowledge, the organization looks forward to making these goals a reality.
A graduate of Boston University and Golden Gate University School of Law, Cynthia has since garnered extensive fundraising proficiency, including an understanding of contractual complexities and estate giving. She comes to SVSEF with over 25 years of experience in educational, legal and business sectors; her roles have taken her across the country, as well as locally in the Wood River Valley. She was most recently a Major Gifts Officer at the Madeira School in McLean, Virginia, and has served in our community as president and board member of the Animal Shelter of the Wood River Valley and as a committee member on the City of Sun Valley’s Comprehensive Land Committee.
Cynthia has a deep understanding of the importance of snowsports within the community, having lived and raised her four children in the Wood River Valley. This appreciation for the unique culture of the valley is reflected in her comments when accepting the position: “the SVSEF mission spoke to what I believe in. I want to work with people who embrace the development of the whole child through snowsports. My family calls Sun Valley ‘home’ and all my children learned to ski at Sun Valley as youngsters and subsequently worked in the community. So, what could be a better fit than returning ‘home’ and working in a positive environment for something I truly believe in.”
Cynthia’s work with the organization will directly support over 675 athletes, ranging from second graders to high school graduates, as well as 22 full-time and 112 seasonal staff. All those involved with SVSEF support the organization’s mission of providing exceptional snowsport programs for the youth of the Wood River Valley, and Cynthia looks forward to becoming part of the team.
Executive Director Sam Adicoff spoke to the professionalism, energy and compatibility that the new Director of Development adds to SVSEF. “Cynthia brings a unique skill set to our organization: extensive professional fundraising and development experience, a passion for winter sports shared by her entire family, and strong ties to the Wood River Valley. We are lucky and excited to have her join SVSEF.”
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.’”
Open a Free Checking Account with SVSEF Partner Washington Federal
SVSEF families are invited to open a Washington Federal free Simple Checking account; it only takes a $100 initial deposit to get going. There are no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements (you can have only one penny in the account and not get a fee), plus online tools and debit cards included as well at no cost. For more information or to sign up today, visit Washington Federal at 460 E Sun Valley Rd. #101 in Ketchum, or contact Jessica Juarez (208) 726-1300.
View the PDF here for more information.
Cross Country Gold and PG Teams Make Strides at Frozen Thunder Camp
Hundreds of truckloads of snow later, Canmore opened their “Frozen Thunder” trail to cross country skiers on October 22. The Alberta Parks Canmore Nordic Centre saves man-made snow over the summer and spreads it over 2km of trail each year. Among those who made the trek to Alberta were the SVSEF Cross Country Gold and PG Teams. Set against the striking backdrop of the Canadian Rockies, SVSEF skiers spent the week fitting in a high-volume block of training that was both technique and tactic intensive. The group made significant progress in their final preparation heading into the race season, with the advantage of early season skiing and a couple race efforts to cap it all off.
The first race of the camp took place on October 28, with a 7.5 km freestyle for women and 12 km for men. SVSEF Gold Team skier Mary Rose took sixth in the women’s event, and teammate Matt Gelso skied into second place, just 4.6 seconds out of first. Sarah Goble, a PG skier for SVSEF, had a strong showing with a second place finish in the junior women category.
The second event of the week was a classic sprint, which consisted of a morning qualifier followed by three heats in a “King’s Court” format. This unique style involves heats in which competitors are seeded based on their qualifier. In the heat races, the top two move up a bracket, while the bottom two move back. On Tuesday, heats went off every minute, which lent plenty of action and excitement to the day. Variable conditions, with two inches of fresh snow from the night before on top of the old man-made tracks, made for interesting waxing that went from hardwax to klister, with constant changes in between. By the end of it all, some competitors were opting to double pole in the final heats. Top SVSEF results came from Gold Team skier Kelsey Phinney, who took first overall in the women’s race. Teammate Mary Rose finished fourth, and Jack Hegman claimed third in the men’s event.
The teams head back to Sun Valley today to continue training before they head to West Yellowstone at the end of November. Following a tune-up race there on November 25, the first Super Tour races of the season will be in Bozeman, Montana, December 3-4.
(For a recap of the Frozen Thunder distance races, read the FasterSkier article here.)
Update from Alpine Fall Europe Camp
The SVSEF alpine contingent that is currently training in Europe has left the land of pretzels and brats to ski in the open air at Solden, Austria. GS training starts today for the 24 athletes and five coaches after a travel day Friday and an off day Saturday.
The team completed a four-day slalom block in Wittenburg, Germany, on Thursday. The block consisted of seven 2-hour sessions, and athletes were able to get about 12 runs each session, complete with drill work, drill courses and tall gate courses. The indoor ski dome features 0.33km stretches of very smooth, icy terrain. Said FIS coach Nate Schwing on training at the venue, “on a surface such as this one, athletes get immediate feedback if they are in our out of balance, on the inside or outside ski, and if their skis are arcing or sliding. The surface requires good form to be successful.”
The group’s energy has been high all week, and the athletes have been hard at work with busy days full of skiing, video, recovery and homework.
Concluded Schwing, “this indoor arena can challenge an athlete’s relationship with the sport and in the last four days we have had motivated and positive athletes. This makes for a very positive and productive group environment.”
We’ll be back with an update from Solden.[osd_social_media_sharing]
Chris Mallory Returns to SVSEF as Cross Country Gold Team Head Coach
The Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation is pleased to welcome Chris Mallory back to the organization as head coach of the SVSEF Cross Country Gold Team. Mallory returns to the Wood River Valley after a three-year stint at the University of Vermont, where he was the Catamounts’ Cross Country Team assistant coach. Mallory assumes his new role out west following the departure of Gold Team coach Colin Rodgers, who has accepted the position of program director for the Green Mountain Valley School Cross Country program in Waitsfield, Vermont.
Rick Kapala, SVSEF Cross Country program director, commented, “We are really excited to have Chris returning to our SVSEF Cross Country program. Chris has a track record of demonstrated success at every level and he brings the depth of knowledge combined with a high energy work ethic that is critical for success at the Gold Team level.”
Growing up, Mallory skied out of Colchester, Vermont, before racing for the University of New Hampshire, where he received a bachelor of science degree in recreation management and policy in 2005. According to the University of Vermont, he was a member of the UNH ski team all four years and a captain for two years – Mallory earned All-EISA honors two times, and twice was an Academic All-American. After college, he was an invaluable member of the SVSEF cross country staff for eight years as the Post Grad Team Head Coach and as an assistant coach for the Comp Team, prior to coaching at UVM.
Mallory will be working with a number of athletes at SVSEF who he has already had the opportunity to coach; former UVM skiers Jack Hegman and Cole Morgan are new to the SVSEF Gold Team this year, and returning teammate Rogan Brown also skied under Mallory while racing for UVM. Earlier in his career, he coached another Gold Team athlete, Annie Pokorny, when she skied for SVSEF as a junior racer.
Mallory said, “It’s exciting to be back with the SVSEF program, which has an amazing ski community behind it. I’m looking forward to the challenge of heading the Gold Team program. There is a strong, deep team assembled there this season, and it will be fun to see where the athletes can take themselves.”