Coast May 04

2 0 0 7 NATURE VALLEY U.S. ALPINE CHAMPIONSHIPS Alyeska Resor t, Girdwood, Alaska t is my distinct pleasure and honor to welcome you all to this spectacular state and Mount Alyeska! Each season in Alaska has its distinct wonders and this is a beautiful and reflective time of the year – we’re so happy to be able to share it with you. Throughout life, I have been actively involved in sports and appreciate that the fundamentals of our very being come from the perseverance to train and the dedication to compete and push for success. I recognize that dedication and perseverance is I Welcome racers! 100-times greater among all of you talented skiers and snowboarders. And I admire what it takes to reach your professional level. May your commitment to excellence continue this week and well into your future! It is truly a privilege and honor to have the best of the best compete in this worldclass event on this spectacular mountain. You have our admiration. You have our watchful eyes. And we are so very happy that we could celebrate this exciting occasion in one of the most scenic destinations in the world. Enjoy and best of luck! Sincerely, Governor Sarah Palin elcome to Girdwood and the 2007 Nature Valley U.S.Alpine Championships. I know the residents of Girdwood and all of Anchorage joins me in welcoming you to this spectacular area for your competition. Alaska is known for some of the best skiing in the world.We are thrilled that Girdwood again gets to host this prestigious event and share our wonder and adventure with you. In addition to the competition, I hope you’ll find the time to experience the hospitality Girdwood W and Anchorage have to offer. Recently, our city unveiled a new brand designed to capture life in Anchorage. It includes the slogan “Big Wild Life” sharing that Anchorage is a place of wild abundance where visitors seek majesty, residents exude a zest for life, and entrepreneurs dream big. I’m confident you’ll experience that and more while you visit our area. Good luck to all of the participants. I wish you the best. Sincerely, Mark Begich, Mayor Dear U.S National Champions! n behalf of the entire staff of Alyeska Resort, let me extend a warm Alaskan welcome to the competitors, spectators, volunteers and organizing committee of the 2007 Nature Valley U.S Alpine Championships . We are delighted to host this year's event and our accomplished race crew promises to make the 2007 U.S.Alpine Championships an outstanding competitive event. I would like to extend my best wishes to everyone for a successful and safe 2007 U.S Alpine Championships. Let the competition begin! Sincerely, Larry Daniels, Race Chair & General Manager, Alyeska Ski resort O n behalf of the U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, I would like to welcome athletes, parents coaches and fans to the 2007 Nature Valley U.S.Alpine Championships at Alyeska Resort. I competed here in the 1963 U.S. Championships and look forward to watching our athletes take on this terrific mountain. It’s especially exciting to bring the event to Alaska, which is one of our sport’s hotbeds of talent. The Nature Valley U.S.Alpine Championships are important as they provide an opportunity to bring together the entire U.S. alpine community. USSA club athletes from around the country have the chance to match their skills against the U.S. Ski Team’s best including 2007 World Championships silver medalist Julia Mancuso as well as World Cup winners Bode Miller, Steven Nyman and Ted Ligety. I especially want to offer a sincere thank you O to the parents, officials and many volunteers who give their precious time to make this sport exciting and productive for our young athletes. Without your support, these young men and women would not have this opportunity! It’s been exciting over the years to watch young talent blossom and I attribute it to the strength of our USSA family especially the clubs and local programs, just like the ones here in Alaska. Finally, I’d like to extend my best wishes to everyone for a successful U.S. Championships, and a special thank you to Alyeska Resort and the Girdwood community for their support and help in providing this opportunity for our USSA athletes! Sincerely, Bill Marolt, President and CEO U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association www.coast-magazine.com • March 2007 • COAST • 33 3 2 0 0 7 NATURE VALLEY U.S. ALPINE CHAMPIONSHIPS Alyeska Resor t, Girdwood, Alaska 2007 Nature Valley U.S. Alpine Championships ORGANIZING COMMITTEE Event Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Larry Daniels Race Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Janet Ladd/Natasha Casciano Chief of Competition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Paul Crews Chief of Course #1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sparky Anderson Chief of Course #2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mark Davis Chief of Timing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Allen Church Chief of Press . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jason Lott Race Secretary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Thelma Armstrong Gate Judges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Casey West Press Room Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jeanette Anderson Moores Marketing & Advertising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jason Lott Sponsorship Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Nicole Geils Operational Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .John Whitney Lodging Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Marlene Geils Hospitality Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bree Hitchcock Volunteer Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Butch West EQUIPMENT Timing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pyramid Timing Scoreboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pyramid Timing Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jay Bell Announcer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .USSA/Volunteer Communication/Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Forrest Service Power/Generators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Chad Lampson Course Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Grooming Crew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Paul Crews Snowcats/snowmobiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .LKD MATERIALS (shovels, rakes, snow hardeners, dye, pine needles) Course Installation & Materials Start Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .USSA Finish Line Crew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ASSC Operations Crew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ASSC Banner & Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .USSA Finish Corral . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .USSA Events/Spectator Fencing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .USSA TV Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Echo Entertainment (Versus) TV Facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Matt Parison Bibs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .USSA Medical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dave Skit/Pro patrol Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Janet Ladd/Natasha Casciano Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Forrest Service Sanctions Agreement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Larry Daniels Scaffolding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dave Wilson Bleachers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dave Wilson MEDIA INFORMATION Media Room Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeanette Moores The Media Room is located in the Hubbard Room, third floor, Hotel Alyeska. Workstations, computers, high-speed internet and fax machine will be available to media. Results, start lists, bios, course maps and press conference schedules will be available to media. Media credentials will be available in the media room. Chief of Press: Jason Lott Alyeska Resort Marketing Manager 1000 Arlberg Avenue, P.O. Box 249 Girdwood, Alaska 99587 • (907) 754-2211 • Fax: (907) 754.2290 Anchorage information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.anchorage.net Girdwood information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.girdwoodalaska.com Alyeska Resort & Event information . . . . . . . . . .www.alyeskaresort.com U.S. Ski Team: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.usskiteam.com PRODUCED BY 2007 Nature Valley U.S Alpine Championships Official Program Guide Produced by COAST magazine / Alaska Adventure Media 6921 Brayton Drive, Suite 207 • Anchorage, Alaska 99507 www.coast-magazine.com john@alaskaadventuremedia.com pete@alaskaadventuremedia.com Phone: (907) 677-2900 • Fax: (907) 677-2901 Michael Dinneen By HANNAH GUILLAUME Nation’s best skiers return to Alyeska Resort On course T he best skiers in the nation are coming to compete in the 2007 Nature Valley U.S. Alpine Championships at Alyeska Resort March 27 to April 3. The competition marks the end of the World Cup circuit in Europe for the U.S. Ski Team and a way for domestic skiers across the U.S. to achieve a coveted spot on the team. “The U.S. Nationals is kind of a homecoming event for our athletes,” said Jesse Hunt, U.S. Ski Team Alpine Program Director.“Nationals is a time when we get our top athletes together with top domestic athletes and celebrate the sport of Alpine.” Coaches for international to developmental rankings of the U.S. Ski Team will be on hand to scope out new talent and add athletes to the foundation of a team that has had record-breaking title successes in the World Cup. “It gives our staff the chance to look down the pipeline and see young and up-and-coming talent,” Hunt said. Hunt said the entire team is expected to attend the championships. The men’s side of the team is a mix of ages with room for athlete recruitment.That includes Bode Miller, 29, who has raced on the team for 11 years and won World Cup gold in the Super-G at the 2005 World Championships as well as a pair of silver medals in the 2002 Olympics. Ted Ligety, 22, is in his third year on the team and won an Olympic gold medal in the combined at the 2006 Olympics in Turin, Italy. Championship competitors on the women’s 4 2007 Nature Valley U.S. Alpine Championships WHEN: March 27 to April 3; opening ceremonies will start at 7 p.m. in Girdwood WHERE: Alyeska Resort, Girdwood, Alaska CONTACT: www.alyeskaresort.com; www.usskiteam.com • MARCH 27: Men’s & Women’s Downhill Training • MARCH 28: Men’s and Women’s Downhill Training • MARCH 29: Men’s and Women’s Downhill FIS Race, Awards • MARCH 30: Men’s and Women’s Downhill Championships, Opening Ceremony and Awards • MARCH 31: Men’s and Women’s Super-G • APRIL 1: Men’s and Women’s Slalom • APRIL 2: Women’s Giant Slalom • APRIL 3: Men’s Giant Slalom side of the team are mostly young racers. Julia Mancuso, a 23-year-old Olympic giant slalom champion took a first-ever five consecutive World Cup podiums in 2007. Lindsey Kildow, 22, who has raced on the team for seven years, took her seventh World Cup victory in January and won two silvers at Worlds in February. Shortly thereafter she was sidelined for the rest of season. continued on page 6 34 • March 2007 • COAST • www.coast-magazine.com Chances are, you’re living it now. Life here ranges from huge, to epic, to downright gargantuan. Our days are longer. Our nights are brighter. Our appetite and exuberance for life, adventure and good times is on a mammoth scale. A typical Anchorage weekend is the dream of a lifetime for most. Living large just comes naturally here. Hike a mountain and yell it! Raft a river and scream it! Carve it in the snow for the world to see. Anchorage: It’s a Big, Wild, Life. Visit BigWildLife.net and share your Anchorage adventure. You could win a Big Wild Life t-shirt. 2 0 0 7 NATURE VALLEY U.S. ALPINE CHAMPIONSHIPS Alyeska Resor t, Girdwood, Alaska Michael Dinneen 2007 U.S. Alpine Championships Race Schedule TUESDAY, MARCH 27 10:30 a.m. Men’s Downhill Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bowl Trail 12:30 p.m. Women’s Downhill Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bowl Trail 5 p.m. Team Captain’s Meeting – women and men . .Race Training Center WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28 10:30 a.m. Men’s Downhill Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bowl Trail 12:30 p.m. Women’s Downhill Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bowl Trail 5 p.m. Team Captain’s Meeting – women and men . .Race Training Center Katharine Hitchcock charges a gate en route to her thirdplace finish in the slalom event of the 2004 U.S. Alpine Championships at Alyeska Resort. THURSDAY, MARCH 29 10:30 a.m. Men’s Downhill International Ski Federation (FIS) Race . .Bowl Trail 12:30 p.m. Women’s Downhill FIS Race . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bowl Trail Post Race Awards – women and men . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sitzmark Deck 5 p.m. Team Captain’s Meeting – women and men . .Race Training Center FRIDAY, MARCH 30 10:30 a.m. Men’s Downhill Championship Race . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bowl Trail 12:30 p.m. Women’s Downhill Championship Race . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bowl Trail 3 p.m. Team Captain’s Meeting – women and men . .Race Training Center 5:30 p.m. Opening Ceremonies and Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .TBC SATURDAY. MARCH 31 10 a.m. Men’s Super-G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bowl Trail 1 p.m. Women’s Super-G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bowl Trail Post Race Awards – women and men . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sitzmark Deck 5 p.m. Team Captain’s Meeting – women and men . .Race Training Center SUNDAY, APRIL 1 9 a.m. 10:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m. 2 p.m. Post Race 5 p.m. 7:15 –11 p.m. COURSE continued from page 4 “They are really establishing themselves on the podium for the World Cup,” Hunt said.“We’re really looking forward to coming up to Alaska.” Alyeska Resort has a good reputation with leaders of the U.S. Ski Team. “I competed there in the national championships in 1963. Everything was really exciting,” said Bill Marolt, president and CEO of the U.S. Ski Team.“For most of us, it was the first time. It was three great days of racing.” In 1963, Mount Alyeska had just one chair lift – a used lift brought in from France – and a single day lodge. Marlot, 63, said he could remember that all the athletes chartered one plane out to the mountain. He said his first view of Alyeska was made with the help of a bush pilot who offered to fly the team around the mountain for a look at the course. “My greatest memory of it was tying for the national title with Buddy Werner and Dave Gorsuch,” he said. “Nothing but great memories.” Marolt won the 1963 downhill title. Outside Alaska, he took the national titles again for the slalom in 1964 and giant slalom in 1965. He said the history of ski programs like Alyeska’s are fundamental to the U.S. Ski Team’s future. He added that parents, volunteers and resorts are all important parts of the U.S. Ski Team. “It’s a lot of things. It’s where talent 6 gets identified and grows, and the youth of America gets a positive impact on their lives,” he said.“That’s the team and that’s the family.That’s what we have to acknowledge because that’s what is gonna’ make us good.” Chris von Imhof, CEO of Seibu Alaska and former CEO of Alyeska Resort, said in 1964 Anchorage was the air crossroads of the world.Von Imhof has been with the resort for more than 40 years. “It made sense to have Alpine championships where ski athletes were sure to pass through on their way home from Europe,” he said.“In 1973 we hosted the first World Cup races.” Von Imhof said he remembered Phil Mahre coming to the resort for the 1981 championships. Mahre had just won his first overall World Cup title and took the giant slalom title, while his twin brother Steve won the slalom. “I hosted them both at my house for a luncheon,” von Imhof said.“To us, it was an honor to have those top alpine skiers at the mountain.” Since then,Alaska has helped produce some of the U.S. Ski Team’s most legendary competitors, including Tommy Moe, Hilary Lindh from Juneau, and Megan Gerety, who started out as a Mighty Mite in the Alyeska Ski Club. Today, there are six chairlifts, one tramway, more than 60 runs and four championship racecourses at Alyeska. The racecourses include a 10,000- Men’s Run #1 Slalom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Race Trail Women’s Run #1 Slalom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Race Trail Men’s Run #2 Slalom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Race Trail Women’s Run #2 Slalom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Race Trail Awards – men and women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sitzmark Deck Team Captain’s Meeting – women . . . . . . . . .Race Training Center Parent-Athlete Banquet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Columbia Ballroom Prince Court and Bering Room MONDAY, APRIL 2 10 a.m. 1 p.m. Post Race 5 p.m. Women’s Giant Slalom (GS) First Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Race Trail Women’s GS Second Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Race Trail Women’s Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sitzmark Deck Team Captain’s Meeting – men . . . . . . . . . . . .Race Training Center TUESDAY, APRIL 3 10 a.m. Men’s GS First Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Race Trail 1 p.m. Men’s GS Second Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Race Trail Post Race Men’s Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sitzmark Deck WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4 Departure foot downhill starting at 3,700-feet elevation in Glacier Bowl with a vertical drop of 2,600 feet. The North Face of the mountain, and more than 35 other runs, are open for skiing during the championships. Larry Daniels, general manager of mountain operations at Alyeska Resort, said 2,000 people are expected to attend the championships daily. He noted that many of those people are former racers and their families. “It brings the extended family back,” Daniels said.“It brings them in and gives them a chance to show what they can do.” 36 • March 2007 • COAST • www.coast-magazine.com Visa is proud to support Lindsey Jacobellis and all the U.S. Ski and Snowboard team athletes. ©2007 Visa U.S.A. Inc. Princess of Alpine skis, racy underwear recounts championships 2 0 0 7 NATURE VALLEY U.S. ALPINE CHAMPIONSHIPS Alyeska Resor t, Girdwood, Alaska lpine skier Julia Mancuso’s lucky tiara and “Super Jules” underwear could be part of what ultimately determines the podium rankings at the 2007 Nature Valley U.S.Alpine Championships on March 27 to April 3 at Alyeska Resort. “I think that underwear is my calling,” she said during a phone interview in January. Her laughter echoed on the speaker. The 2006 Olympics giant slalom gold medalist is considering making a second career out of designing more of her specialty Super Jules underwear. She’s also been busy crafting a way to attach a semblance of the lucky plastic tiara that a coach gave her in 2005 to her helmet. “Tiaras are chic, and princesses can rip it too,” she said. Mancuso, undoubtedly the fastest woman racing for the U.S. Ski Team, took the podium more than seven times in the World Cup races leading up to the championships at Alyeska Resort. The championships mark the second time she is set to grace Alyeska’s champagne-powder slopes. She raced at the 2004 U.S. Championships at Alyeska. “I say just keep on doing what you love. For me, the fun always brings the results – believe,” she wrote in an e-mail interview from Europe, the day after taking her fifth consecutive turn on the podiums at World Cup races. In 2004, Mancuso said she remembers coming to Alyeska late in the evening and watching an A Julia Mancuso, left, Anja Paerson and Marlies Schild on the super combined podium Feb. 9 at the FIS Alpine World Championships in Are, Sweden amazing amount of snow dump on her future ski slopes. She said other than that, the championships’ days were mostly filled with a shining sun. Its reflection showed in her performance. Mancuso won a record five medals at Alyeska that year. This time around, she said she couldn’t wait to come back to Alyeska. She said she hopes to repeat her 2004 performance,“but if not, I will for sure enjoy the freeskiing.” Despite hip surgery last spring that caused Mancuso to miss training during the summer, she returned to her skis in September and took seven podiums, five consecutive, in the 2006-07 season. She said she has done well because of her drive to ski and her experience, which makes the race environment more relaxed. Mancuso said she focuses on the things she can control: training hard, having fun and skiing fast and doesn’t worry about her competitions’ performances. “It is fun to come back to nationals and see all your friends,” she said,“and get to go freeskiing in some of the best terrain out there.” 8 38 • March 2007 • COAST • www.coast-magazine.com Tom Kelly/U.S. Ski Team By HANNAH GUILLAUME OPENING CEREMONIES Friday, March 30 // 7:00pm Outside the Daylodge at Alyeska Resort FREE! An event for all ages Live music with Pamyua, athlete parade, presentations and fireworks CELEBRATE & MEET US SKI TEAM ATHLETES! COAST Party at the Sitzmark Bar & Grill // Following Opening Ceremonies Live music starting at 10:00 pm // $3 cover // Must be 21 or older ENTER TO WIN: > GRAND PRIZE - Snowcat skiing/boarding for two with Chugach Powder Guides in Girdwood! > Hotel Alyeska Ski & Stay Packages, and free skiing at Hilltop, Alpenglow and Alyeska Resort > Ski gear, USSA logowear, COAST logowear, coffee, dining certificates and more! L egendary Alpine skier Phil Mahre and Alyeska Resort are both celebrating their 50th birthdays, and all in the same year that Alyeska is hosting the 2007 Nature Valley U.S.Alpine Championships March 27 to April 3. Mahre and Alyeska first met nearly 25 years ago at the 1981 U.S.Alpine Championships, when he took the title in the giant slalom and his twin brother Steve won the slalom. “We came back from Europe and that was our first stopover,” he said.“The slopes were soft.We must have had quite a bit of good snow. I liked the hills there a lot.” Mahre finished the season by winning the overall title in the World Cup and giant slalom with 309 points. Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden followed second with 211 points and Steve finished third with 183 points. He said he remembers returning to Alaska in Phil Mahre, right, and his brother Steve ski at Deer Valley. continued on page 22 Photo by Tom Evans 10 40 • March 2007 • COAST • www.coast-magazine.com Courtesy Phil Mahre By HANNAH GUILLAUME Legendary racer Phil Mahre working his way back into contention Return to splendor 2 0 0 7 NATURE VALLEY U.S. ALPINE CHAMPIONSHIPS Alyeska Resor t, Girdwood, Alaska Try before you buy SHORT THREE HOUR DRIVE FROM ANCHORAGE, Kenai is a great place to visit for year-round entertainment. The Kenai Visitors and Cultural Center is home to Kenai’s cultural and natural history collection. Shop for Alaskan made gifts, take a walking tour through Old Town Kenai, and join us for the community events happening this month. Hire our guides for the best rides! Rent the newest sleds! All riding gear available! 888-414-7669 A Come experience the history, art and culture of Kenai. 3/1/2007 TO 3/30/2007 THE KENAI FIBER ART EXHIBITION 2007 This open ber art exhibition will take place at the Kenai Visitors and Cultural Center and will feature a variety of techniques and methods used in constructing ber arts. For more information, please call 907-283-1991 or visit us online at www.artskenai.com. 3/3/07 snowmobile-alaska.com 868-SNOW 6543 Brayton Drive MAD SCIENTISTS, BUG EYED MONSTERS AND LITTLE GREEN MEN A survey of popular science ction with Author Dana Stabenow. Explore science ction from authors Robert Heinlein and Steven Gould. Bring your opinions and prepare to defend them! Workshop is limited to 25 people and will be held from 10am - 3pm at the Kenai Visitors and Cultural Center. Call the Kenai Community Library to reserve a spot at 907-283-4378. 3/10/2007 KENAI WINTER FAMILY SNOWMACHINE RALLY The Rally starts at the PRISM Training Center and will traverse through Kenai with stops along the way at various businesses before coming to a grand nale back at PRISM. Ra es, prizes and more! Spectators welcome! For more information call the Kenai Chamber of Commerce at 907-283-7989. www.coast-magazine.com • March 2007 • COAST • 41 11 The seven glaciers surrounding Mount Alyeska will crown ski racers pushing for top finishes in the 2007 U.S. Alpine Championships March 27-April 3 at Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, Alaska, . Four courses, comprised from Alyeska’s 68 runs and nine lifts on more than 1,000 acres, will make up the races for the championships. Alyeska’s 3,939-foot summit gives its competitors 2,500 feet of vertical rise for building speed and momentum. While the amount of fresh powder is never the same, there are some things about the terrain racers can count on, and a few good spots where spectators can catch the action. RACE DESCRIPTIONS DOWNHILL MARCH 29 MEN’S/WOMEN’S FIS TIME: Men - 10:30 a.m.; Women - 12:30 p.m. MARCH 30 CHAMPIONSHIPS TIME: Men’s - 10:30 a.m.; Women’s - 12:30 p.m. START: Glacier Bowl – 3,700 feet elevation FINISH: Base of Chair 4 – 287 feet elevation COURSE LENGTH: 10,000 feet VERTICAL DROP: 2,600 feet SUPER-G MARCH 31 TIME: Men - 10 a.m.; Women - 1 p.m. START: Center Ridge – 2,300 feet elevation FINISH: Base of Chair 4 – 287 feet elevation COURSE LENGTH: 6,000 feet VERTICAL DROP: 1,560 feet GIANT SLALOM APRIL 2 WOMEN’S GIANT SLALOM TIME: First Run - 10 a.m.; Second Run - 1 p.m. APRIL 3 MEN’S GS TIME: First Run - 10 a.m.; Second Run - 1 p.m. START: Midway Chair 1 – 1,473 feet elevation FINISH: Base of Chair 4 – 287 feet elevation COURSE LENGTH: 3,370 feet VERTICAL DROP: 1,235 feet APRIL 1 TIME: Men’s First Run - 9 a.m.; Women’s First Run - 10:30 a.m.; Men’s Second Run - 12:30 p.m.; Women’s Second Run - 2 p.m. START: Steilhang – 917 feet elevation FINISH: Base of Chair 4 – 287 feet elevation COURSE LENGTH: 1,840 feet VERTICAL DROP: 630 feet SLALOM 12 42 • March 2007 • COAST • www.coast-magazine.com www.coast-magazine.com • March 2007 • COAST • 43 13 A season for everyone 2 0 0 7 NATURE VALLEY U.S. ALPINE CHAMPIONSHIPS Alyeska Resor t, Girdwood, Alaska lyeska Resort is a ski area overflowing with civilized character and uncivilized Alaska adventure. No where else will you experience bigmountain skiing and snowboarding, witness near-record tidal changes and view the exciting spectrum of wildlife that runs the gamut from Dall sheep to beluga whales. All this while swaddled in neardecadent luxury at Alaska's only destination ski resort. Alyeska Resort has undergone a positive facelift since the days of leather lace-up ski boots and rub-on silver wax. Celebrating its 50th year of operation this season, the resort takes the best of its history and combines it with a bold new direction to create an exciting experience for visitors. A majestic mountain station now stands where a cantankerous and intimidating bullwheel once re-routed thick cable back down the Chair 1 lift line.The Roundhouse, which was once the on-slope headquarters for the capable and accomplished Alyeska Pro Patrol, has been transformed into a museum honoring skiing in Alaska and at Alyeska Resort.The tram complex hauls most skiers to the top these days and perches on a steep ridge, losing itself against the backdrop of 3,939-foot Mount Alyeska, seven glaciers and mountain peaks that stretch to the vanishing point in every direction. Resort planners have struck a balance between Alyeska's rustic past and its five-star future. Chair 1 still ferries skiers and riders to the 2,350-foot level of Mount Alyeska — and a highspeed bubble quad delivers skiers to the 2,750foot level — and the mountain's character still remains. But now, a full complement of world-class facilities greets the traveler. More than 300 quality rooms promise the visitor a good night's sleep, provided you can ignore the twenty-plus hours of daylight in summer and the invigorating views outside your window all year. If you are still restless, venture to the spa for a soak in the 16-person whirlpool, then indulge in legendary gourmet cuisine at any of the numerous eating establishments. 14 44 • March 2007 • COAST • www.coast-magazine.com A John Woodbury John Woodbury By JOHN WOODBURY Year-round fun, adventure found in abundance at Alyeska Resort new, not many other conference halls boast 15,000 square feet of meeting area and a northern lights courtesy wake-up call if the aurora borealis is dancing overhead. The glacier-carved Girdwood valley seems designed for fun, with plenty of peaks and passes for hiking and skiing. The Girdwood area was first populated by gold prospectors hoping to strike it rich. In the 1950s, a different breed of prospector was lured into the valley and soon the motherlode of Alaska resort skiing was discovered. In 1959, the community hit paydirt and welcomed its first customers to the modest day-use ski area. One year later, the first chairlift opened at this burgeoning resort hugging the southern end of the 400-mile-long Chugach Range. From that one double chair, still in operation but not persnickety like it used to be, the driving forces behind the resort's expansion have created Alaska's premier year-round resort.With nine lifts, including a 60passenger tram and three quad chairSimon Evans carves into The North lifts that have the capacity to shuttle Face at Alyeska Resort. The ski 10,335 skiers per hour onto the 68 area has slopes that will challenge runs that comprise Alyeska ski area, both beginners and advanced skiers and snowboarders. the resort has fostered a must-see reputation among the world's skiing elite. Even folks from Hollywood's A list, The summit views are unmatched at Alyeska Resort. such as Pierce Brosnan,William Shatner and Dr. Ruth Westheimer have bombed, trekked and chattered their way down the contorting slopes of Alyeska.A nearly overqualified Pro Patrol adeptly prowls the mountain in an effort to ensure a safe and enjoyable skiing and snowboarding experience, and patient and unassuming ski school instructors will transform bunny-hill beginners into confident barons of the highlands. Because there is so much to do, the biggest decision facing an Alaska adventurer is when to travel. For a full course of dining experience, ride the In summer, bicycling, golfing, shopping, fishing, Alyeska Tramway to the Seven Glaciers Restaurant, rafting and wildlife watching are all within minorder from a menu spiced with notable dishes utes of the hotel or along the Seward Highway, such as Copper River king salmon steaks and reinvoted America's Most Outstanding Scenic Byway in deer tenderloin medallions, and season your meal 1995. Surrounding the resort are sky-scratching with unparalleled views from your table. While mixing business and pleasure is nothing continued on page 22 2 0 0 7 NATURE VALLEY U.S. ALPINE CHAMPIONSHIPS Alyeska Resor t, Girdwood, Alaska KIRSTEN CLARK A TEAM HEIGHT: 5-7 WEIGHT: 145 pounds BIRTHDATE: 4/23/77 BIRTHPLACE: Portland, ME HOMETOWN: Raymond, ME YEARS ON TEAM: 13 SCHOOL: CVA SPONSORS: TDBanknorth EQUIPMENT: Fischer, Lange, Uvex, Komperdell ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Worlds super G silver medallist, 2004 World Cup podiums in DH, giant slalom, cup career: 1 win, podiums in DH/SG/GS, won '01 Lenzerheide World Cup DH. Third in '03 DH Standings (four podiums), won unequaled four straight U.S. DH titles, '98-'01 FIRST WORLD CUP: Nov. 16, 1995 at Beaver Creek, CO (DNF in SG) OLYMPICS-WORLD EXPERIENCE: 2006 Olympics - 2005 Worlds - 10th in SG (missed DH because of a cold). 2003 Worlds - Bronze medalist in SG, 19th in DH. 2002 Olympics 12th in DH, 14th in SG, 26th in GS. 2001 Worlds - 9th in SG, 10th in CO, 12th in DH, 20th in GS. 1999 Worlds - 16th in DH, 22nd in GS. 1998 Olympics - 18th in CO, 28th in DH, DNF in SG. 1997 Worlds - 24th in SG, DNF-2 in GS 2004 First World Cup points, top-25, top-10. 2004 U.S. gold medalist in downhill, combined, second in '03 EC DH in Altenmarkt, AUT and fourour FIS-B wins in '01 (2 SL, 2 GS) FIRST WORLD CUP: Nov. 24, 2002 in Park City, UT (did not qualify for second run in SL) *Not expected to compete TEAM BIOGRAPHIES LINDSEY KILDOW* STACEY COOK HEIGHT: 5-5 WEIGHT: 145 pounds BIRTHDATE: 7/03/84 BIRTHPLACE: Truckee, CA HOMETOWN: Mammoth, CA YEARS ON TEAM: 3 SCHOOL: Nevada (Reno) SPONSORS: Mammoth Mountain, Athleta, Sun Valley Ski Tools EQUIPMENT: Rossignol, Uvex ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Olympic competitor in 2006, 2006 U.S. super G champion, '06 World Cup points in DH, SG, GS. Loves Lake Louise: five NorAm wins since 2003. 2004 Nor Am overall/DH champion (four DH wins). 2005 NorAm super G runnerup (two wins). Two-time Junior Worlds racer FIRST WORLD CUP: Jan. 20, 2004 at Haus, AUT (41st in DH) OLYMPICS-WORLD EXPERIENCE: 2006 Olympics - 19th in DH, 23rd in GS HEIGHT: 5-10 WEIGHT: 150 pounds BIRTHDATE: 10/18/84 BIRTHPLACE: St. Paul, MN HOMETOWN: Vail, CO YEARS ON TEAM: 7 SCHOOL: Independent Study (Missouri) SPONSORS: Red Bull, Under Armour, Aveeno, Vail Resorts EQUIPMENT: Rossignol, Uvex ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Olympics; 2002, '06; Worlds: '05, 2006: Three World Cup wins (2 DH, 1 SG), 2005: First World Cup win (DH), five other top-3s, 2004: First World Cup podium (DH, Cortina), three U.S. titles, three Junior Worlds medals, 6th in '02 Olympic combined (top U.S. women's result) FIRST WORLD CUP: Nov. 18, 2000 in Park City, UT (did not qualify for 2nd run of GS) OLYMPICS-WORLD EXPERIENCE: 2006 Olympics - 7th in SG, 8th in DH. 2005 Worlds - 4th in DH, 4th in combined, 9th in SG. 2002 Olympics - 6th in combined, 32nd in SL *Not expected to compete SCHOOL: The Park City Winter School SPONSORS: Rossignol. Shred Goggles, Giro, Slytech, RTO, The Mount Holly Club (UT), Walk-Ez EQUIPMENT: Rossignol, Uvex, SlyTech ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Olympic CO gold, first World Cup win, two more U.S. titles, 2005: first World Cup top-10, first Worlds, first U.S. gold medals, four top-15s in SL during 2005, first World Cup points in '04 (Kranjska Gora SL), slalom silver medalist at '04 World Juniors, 2004 Nor Am slalom champion (2 wins) FIRST WORLD CUP: Nov. 22, 2003 at Park City, UT (did not qualify for second run of GS) OLYMPICS-WORLD EXPERIENCE: 2006 Olympics: Alpine combined champion, DNF slalom and GS, 2005 Worlds: 12th in combined LIBBY LUDLOW HEIGHT: 5-3 WEIGHT: 138 pounds BIRTHDATE: 8/26/81 BIRTHPLACE: Bellevue, WA HOMETOWN: Bellevue, WA YEARS ON TEAM: 9 SCHOOL: Dartmouth College SPONSORS: Xbox, Under Armour, Little Hotties EQUIPMENT: Fischer, Leki, POC ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 2006 Olympics, 10th overall in World Cup SG standings, career World Cup points in three disciplines DH, SG, GS, '03 First World Cup top-30, top-25, top-20, 2004 U.S. giant slalom champion FIRST WORLD CUP: Dec. 4, 1998 at Mammoth Mountain, CA (63rd in SG) OLYMPICS-WORLD EXPERIENCE: 2006 Olympics - 28th in SG. 2003 Worlds - 23rd in DH CAROLINE LALIVE* HEIGHT: 5-5 WEIGHT: 137 pounds BIRTHDATE: 8/10/79 BIRTHPLACE: Truckee, CA HOMETOWN: Steamboat Springs, CO YEARS ON TEAM: 11 SCHOOL: Colorado SPONSORS: V3S EQUIPMENT: Head, Tyrolia, Carrera, Lange, Swix ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Career 5 World Cup top-3s, 25 other top-10s, 2nd in '06 Val d'Isere DH, 2nd in '02 Zauchensee DH, 3rd in '02 Lake Louise super G, 2nd in two combined events ('00, '01), '99 World Juniors CO gold medal FIRST WORLD CUP: Nov. 21, 1996 in Park City, UT (DNF-1 in GS) OLYMPICS-WORLD EXPERIENCE: 2006 Olympics - DNC (injured on eve of Games). 2005 Worlds - 12th in SG, DNG in DH. 2003 Worlds - 13th in CO, 27th in GS, 30th in DH. 2002 Olympics - DNF in DH/SG/CO. 2001 Worlds - Crashed in DH. 1999 Worlds - 28th in SG. 1998 Olympics - 7th in CO *Not expected to compete SCOTT MACARTNEY HEIGHT: 5-11 WEIGHT: 202 pounds BIRTHDATE: 1/19/78 BIRTHPLACE: Seattle, WA HOMETOWN: Crystal Mountain, WA YEARS ON TEAM: 9 SCHOOL: Dartmouth '04 EQUIPMENT: Nordica, POC, Swix ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 2006 Olympics - 7th in SG, 15th in DH, 16th in combined, 2006 2nd in Garmisch SG, 7th in Val Gardena SG, '03 Nor Am super G champ (3 wins), '99 Nor Am overall/SG champ (2 wins), '98 World Juniors DH bronze FIRST WORLD CUP: Nov. 27, 1999 at Beaver Creek, CO (37th in DH) OLYMPICS-WORLD EXPERIENCE: 2006 Olympics - 7th in SG, 15th in DH, 16th in CO. 2005 Worlds - 28th in super G. 2002 Olympics - 25th in super G, 29th in DH BRYON FRIEDMAN* HEIGHT: 6-0 WEIGHT: 200 pounds BIRTHDATE: 6/14/80 BIRTHPLACE: Atlanta, GA HOMETOWN: Park City, Utah YEARS ON TEAM: 5 SCHOOL: Dartmouth ’04 SPONSORS: FRS, Stryker, P3 EQUIPMENT: Atomic, Under Armour, Swans, Swix ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 2005: Two World Cup top-10s in DH. TED LIGETY HEIGHT: 5-11 WEIGHT: 180 pounds BIRTHDATE: 8/31/84 BIRTHPLACE: Salt Lake City, UT HOMETOWN: Park City, UT YEARS ON TEAM: 3 JULIA MANCUSO HEIGHT: 5-6 WEIGHT: 140 pounds www.coast-magazine.com • March 2007 • COAST • 45 15 2 0 0 7 NATURE VALLEY U.S. ALPINE CHAMPIONSHIPS Alyeska Resor t, Girdwood, Alaska BIRTHDATE: 3/09/84 BIRTHPLACE: Reno, NV HOMETOWN: Olympic Valley, CA YEARS ON TEAM: 7 SCHOOL: The Park City Winter School SPONSORS: Rip It Energy Fuel, Roxy, Nike, VISA, American Standard, Western Nevada Supply EQUIPMENT: Rossignol, Lange ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 2006 Olympic giant slalom gold medallist, Olympics: '02, '06; Worlds: '03, '05, double bronze (GS, SG) at 2005 Worlds, record 12 consecutive U.S. Championships medals ('04-'06), seven-time U.S. champion, record five medals at '04 nationals and again in '05, gold medal "hat trick" at '03 nationals, U.S.-record eight Junior Worlds medals, Sprint/Ski Racing Alpine Junior of the Year '00-'03 FIRST WORLD CUP: Nov. 20, 1999 at Copper Mountain, CO (did not qualify for 2nd run in SL) OLYMPICS-WORLD EXPERIENCE: 2006 Olympics: GS champion, 7th in DH, 9th in combined, 11th in SG. 2005 Worlds Bronze in super G, bronze in GS, 8th in SL, 9th in CO. 2003 Worlds - 7th in combined, 21st in SG. 2002 Olympics - 13th in combined SCHOOL: Utah EQUIPMENT: Fischer, Swix, POC ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 2006 World Cup points in DH, SG, combined, 4th in '06 World Cup DH in (Garmisch, GER), 2005: U.S. downhill champ (also won in '03), 2004 Europa Cup DH, NorAm super G wins), 2002: World Juniors SL champ, CO silver, 15th in first World Cup race ('02) FIRST WORLD CUP: March 9, 2002 at World Cup Finals in Flachau, Austria (15th in SL) OLYMPICS-WORLD EXPERIENCE: 2006 - Tied for 19th in DH, 29th in CO, 43rd in SG SARAH SCHLEPER* HEIGHT: 5-4 WEIGHT: 140 pounds BIRTHDATE: 2/19/79 BIRTHPLACE: Glenwood Springs, CO HOMETOWN: Vail, CO YEARS ON TEAM: 10 SCHOOL: Vail Valley Academy SPONSORS: Vail Associates, Buzz's Ski Shop (Vail), Mountain Dew EQUIPMENT: Rossignol, Lange, Giro, Briko ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 10th in slalom at the '06 Olympics, first World Cup win to close '05 (SL, Lenzerheide), fourth U.S. slalom crown in 2005, 2nd in SL at '04 World Cup Finals, '97 Juniors Worlds SL silver medal FIRST WORLD CUP: Nov. 18, 1995 in Vail, CO (Did not qualify for 2nd run in slalom) OLYMPICS-WORLD EXPERIENCE: 2006 Olympics - 20th in slalom, DNF-2 in GS. 2005 Worlds - 7th in SL, 13th in GS. 2003 Worlds - DNF-1 in slalom and GS. 2002 Olympics - 21st in GS, DNF-1 in SL. 2001 Worlds - DNF-1 SL/GS. 1998 Olympics - 22nd in slalom, DNF-2 in GS *Not expected to compete BIRTHDATE: 12/24/77 BIRTHPLACE: Boise, ID HOMETOWN: Boise, ID YEARS ON TEAM: 12 SCHOOL: Colorado EQUIPMENT: Elan, Nordica, Look, Smith, Uvex ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Five World Cup top-15s in '04, '05, Seven top30s in '05, 20th overall in GS, '04 Europa Cup win in GS, 16th in 2002 Olympic GS, Nor Am GS wins in '04, '03, '02, '99, Two-time U.S. combined champion FIRST WORLD CUP: Nov. 25, 1996 in Park City, UT (did not qualify for 2nd run in GS) OLYMPICS-WORLD EXPERIENCE: 2005 Worlds - 7th in GS. 2003 Worlds - 21st in GS. 2002 Olympics - 16th in GS. 1999 Worlds - 24th in GS. 1997 Worlds - 19th *Not expected to compete RESI STIEGLER BODE MILLER HEIGHT: 6-2 WEIGHT: 210 pounds BIRTHDATE: 10/12/77 BIRTHPLACE: Easton, NH HOMETOWN: Bretton Woods, NH YEARS ON TEAM: 11 SCHOOL: CVA SPONSORS: Superfund, Sportskool, RTL Video Games, Bretton Woods resort, VISA, Spyder Active Sports, Sirius Satellite Radio, Nike EQUIPMENT: Head, Briko ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Olympics: '98, '02, '06; Worlds: '99, '01, '03, '05. Career: 21 World Cup wins (9 GS, 5 SL, 2 DH, 3 SG, 2 CO; second alltime U.S. rankings). Career: 8 U.S. titles (2 SL, 2 CO, 2 GS, 1 DH, 1 SG; second alltime U.S. rankings ), 2005 World Cup overall and super G champion (7 wins), 2005 downhill and super G world champion, 2004 World Cup giant slalom champ (4th overall), 2003: Worlds: GS/CO champion, SG silver, 2003: 2nd overall, 2nd in GS World Cup points, 2002: Olympic silver in GS and combined FIRST WORLD CUP: Nov. 20, 1997 at Park City, UT (11th in GS) OLYMPICS-WORLD EXPERIENCE: 2006 Olympics - 5th in DH, 6th in GS. 2005 Worlds - Gold in DH, gold in super G. 2003 Worlds - Gold in GS, gold in combined, silver in SG, 6th in slalom, 16th in DH. 2002 Olympics - Silver in GS, silver in combined, 24th in SL. 2001 Worlds - DNF in SG, DNF in combined. 1999 Worlds - 8th in SL, 18th in GS, 26th in SG. 1998 Olympics - DNF GS/SL ERIK SCHLOPY* STEVEN NYMAN HEIGHT: 6-4 WEIGHT: 215 pounds BIRTHDATE: 2/12/82 BIRTHPLACE: Provo, UT HOMETOWN: Provo, UT YEARS ON TEAM: 5 HEIGHT: 5-11 WEIGHT: 195 pounds BIRTHDATE: 8/21/72 BIRTHPLACE: Buffalo, NY HOMETOWN: Park City, UT YEARS ON TEAM: 12 SPONSORS: Under Armour, SportSkool, FRS sport drink EQUIPMENT: Nordica, Look, Spy ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 6th in Beaver Creek GS in '05, 2005 U.S. giant slalom champion, ’03: Worlds GS bronze medal, '03: Top-5s in GS, top-10s in SL, 4th in '03 Kranjska Gora, Kvitfjell GS, 3rd overall (two podiums) in '01 GS points, Seven-time U.S. champion (3 GS, 2 SG, 2 SL) FIRST WORLD CUP: Nov. 28, 1992 in Sestriere, Italy (DNF-1 in GS) OLYMPICS-WORLD EXPERIENCE: 2006 Olympics - 13th in GS. 2005 Worlds - 17th in GS. 2003 Worlds - Bronze in GS, 15th in slalom. 2002 Olympics - 14th in SL, DNS-2 in GS. 2001 Worlds - 21st in SL, DNF-1 in GS. 1994 Olympics - 34th in GS, DNF-1 in SL. 1993 Worlds - DNC; Injured in DH training *Not expected to compete HEIGHT: 5-8 WEIGHT: 143 BIRTHDATE: 11/14/85 BIRTHPLACE: Jackson Hole, WY HOMETOWN: Jackson Hole, WY YEARS ON TEAM: 5 SCHOOL: Park City Winter Sports School SPONSORS: Kellogg's Frosted Flakes, Stormy Kromer, Nike, Teton Sports Club, Ski Racing Magazine EQUIPMENT: Dynastar, Lange, Look, Uvex ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 4th in 2006 World Cup Finals slalom ('07 Worlds course), five other SL top-15s in '06, 6th in 2005 World Championships slalom, combined silver at 2005 Junior Worlds, SL/CO in '03, 10th in CO at '03 Worlds at 17 FIRST WORLD CUP: Dec. 15, 2002 in Sestriere, Italy (did not qualify in inaugural "knockout SL") OLYMPICS-WORLD EXPERIENCE: 2006 Olympics - 11th in combined, 12th in slalom. 2005 Worlds - 6th in SL, 21st in CO. 2003 Worlds - 10th in combined, 19th in SL HEIGHT: 6-1 WEIGHT: 209 pounds BIRTHDATE: 12/24/81 BIRTHPLACE: Burlington, VT HOMETOWN: Norwich, VT YEARS ON TEAM: 2 SCHOOL: Dartmouth '04 SPONSORS: N.H. Alpine Racing Association EQUIPMENT: Volkl, Tecnica, Marker, Swix, Slytech, Booster Str CLUB: N.H. Alpine Racing Association/Dartmouth College/Ford Sayre HIGHLIGHTS: 2006 NorAm slalom runnerup (1 win), 3rd in '05 NorAm GS-2 at Mont Tremblant, 2002 NCAA slalom champion, 6th in SL at 2004 U.S. championships ROGER BROWN B TEAM DANE SPENCER* JIMMY COCHRAN HEIGHT: 5-10 WEIGHT: 190 pounds HEIGHT: 6-0 WEIGHT: 170 pounds BIRTHDATE: 5/29/81 BIRTHPLACE: Burlington, VT 16 46 • March 2007 • COAST • www.coast-magazine.com O N E G OA L . DW S S C U D D E R . We know what it’s like to push to be the best. And accept nothing less. It’s how we strive to be the first choice of advisors and investors. As a proud sponsor of the US Ski Team, we wish them all the best as they go for the glory of being number one. Go Team. F o r m o r e i n f o rm a t i o n , v i s i t d w s - s c u d d e r. c o m Not FDIC/NCUA Insured • May Lose Value • No Bank Guarantee Not a Deposit • Not Insured By Any Federal Government Agency DWS Scudder Distributors, Inc. 222 South Ri ver side Plaza Chicago, Illinois 60606-5808 42079C 11/ 06 DWS Scudder is part of Deutsche Asset Management, which is the marketing name in the US for asset management activities of Deutsche Bank AG, Deutsche Bank Trust Company America, Deutsche Asset Management Inc., Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc. and DWS Trust Company. 2 0 0 7 NATURE VALLEY U.S. ALPINE CHAMPIONSHIPS Alyeska Resor t, Girdwood, Alaska HOMETOWN: Keene, NH YEARS ON TEAM: 4 SCHOOL: University of Vermont EQUIPMENT: Volkl, Tecnica, Marker, Uvex CLUB: Cochran's/Mount Mansfield Ski & Snowboard Club HIGHLIGHTS: Olympics: 2006; Worlds: '05, 2005: First World Cup points, 16th in giant slalom at Worlds, 2004: U.S. giant slalom, slalom champ, Five '03 college carnival GS wins, three '03 college carnival SL wins, five other '03 FIS-level SL wins (4 SL) HIGHLIGHTS: Worlds: 2005, 2005: First World Cup points, first Worlds, won FIS DH, 3rd in nationals DH in '06, runnerup in 2004 Nor Am DH points, seven Nor Am top-5s in 2004, 2nd in '04 Nor Am DH-1 at Big Mtn, '04 Swiss super G silver medalist JESSICA KELLEY ERIK FISHER HEIGHT: 5-11 WEIGHT: 200 pounds BIRTHDATE: 3/21/85 BIRTHPLACE: Ontario, OR HOMETOWN: Middleton, ID YEARS ON TEAM: 2 EQUIPMENT: Atomic, Marker, Swix CLUB: Bogus Basin HIGHLIGHTS: 2006 NorAm super G champion (2 wins), '06: Also NorAm DH win, EC DH podium (Veysonnaz, SUI), 2005 Junior Worlds downhill bronze, 6th in SG, 3rd in '05 FIS-B slalom in Ruhpolding, GER, 9th in '05 FIS-B giant slalom in Kaprun, AUT HEIGHT: 5-4 WEIGHT: 133 pounds BIRTHDATE: 10/05/82 BIRTHPLACE: Burlington, VT HOMETOWN: Starksboro, VT YEARS ON TEAM: 5 SPONSORS: IKO Roofing, Slytech EQUIPMENT: Rossignol, Marker CLUB: Rossignol, Marker HIGHLIGHTS: Two-time NorAm GS champ ('03, '05), 2nd in '05 Europa Cup GS (La Molina, SPA), 3rd in GS at '04 nationals, 2004: First World Cup points (Zwiesel GS), 2nd in GS at '03 nationals, 3rd in '04 Europa Cup GS (Abetone, ITA), '03 FIS-B GS win in Courmayeur, ITA, GS silver medalist at '02 Junior Worlds HEIGHT: 6-2 WEIGHT: 191 BIRTHDATE: 8/27/84 BIRTHPLACE: Helena, MT HOMETOWN: Park City, UT YEARS ON TEAM: 7 SCHOOL: University of Utah EQUIPMENT: Nordica, Giro, Swix, Slytech, Marker CLUB: Park City Ski Team HIGHLIGHTS: 2006 NorAm GS points runnerup, bronze in '06 U.S. super G championship, 4th in '03 EC GS in Slovakia, 2nd, 5th in 2002 FIS-B SLs (Leogang, AUT), '02 U.S. super G silver medalist HEIGHT: 5-11 WEIGHT: 185 pounds BIRTHDATE: 6/25/84 BIRTHPLACE: Bellevue, WA HOMETOWN: Bellevue, WA YEARS ON TEAM: 2 SCHOOL: Dartmouth EQUIPMENT: Volkl, Tecnica, Marker, Booster Strap, Swix CLUB: Crystal Mountain HIGHLIGHTS: 2004 NCAA slalom champion, 7th in '05 Europa Cup SL-1 in Madesino, ITA, '05 Canadian championships SL bronze HEIGHT: 5-9 WEIGHT: 175 BIRTHDATE: 7/31/81 BIRTHPLACE: Gilford, NH HOMETOWN: Concord, NH YEARS ON TEAM: 1 SCHOOL: Colby College SPONSORS: Summit Racing Supplies (Campton, NH) EQUIPMENT: Fishcer, Nordica, Marker, Booster Strap, Swix CLUB: Gunstock Ski Club HIGHLIGHTS: 5th in GS at '06 nationals, 4th in SL and combined in '04, silver medalist in GS and overall at '05 World University Games, won five college carnival races in '04, three in '05 HEIGHT: 5-9 WEIGHT: 150 pounds BIRTHDATE: 9/28/84 BIRTHPLACE: Minneapolis, MN HOMETOWN: Edina, MN YEARS ON TEAM: 4 SCHOOL: Dartmouth EQUIPMENT: Volkl, Tecnica, Marker, Swix CLUB: Team Gilboa HIGHLIGHTS: Olympics: 2006, 17th in combined, 2006 U.S. National Super-G bronze medallist, 2006 U.S. National Slalom Champion, 2005: First World Cup points (16th in CO - San Sicario, ITA), 2005 NorAm slalom co-champ (4 races - 3 wins), 2004 Nor Am slalom champ (2 wins), 2003 Nor Am slalom champ (2 wins), Win '04 Europa Cup SL (Krompachy, SVK), '04 Swiss junior national SL champ, 2nd in '03 EC GS (Lachtal, AUT) HEIGHT: 5-5 WEIGHT: 140 BIRTHDATE: 1/08/82 BIRTHPLACE: Morrisville, VT HOMETOWN: Stowe, VT YEARS ON TEAM: 6 SCHOOL: Dartmouth EQUIPMENT: Fischer, Lange, Marker, Swix, Uvex CLUB: Mount Mansfield S&SC HIGHLIGHTS: First World Cup points in 2005 (23rd in Aspen, CO), runnerup in '04, '01 Nor Am SL standings, 4th in '05 Europa Cup GS-1 in Courchevel, FRA, 2nd in FIS-B GS in AUT, NorAm SL in '05, 2nd in '04 Mont Ste. Anne, Georgian Peaks NorAm SLs *Not expected to compete WARNER NICKERSON KAYLIN RICHARDSON TJ LANNING KEVIN FRANCIS HEIGHT: 5-10 WEIGHT: 191 pounds BIRTHDATE: 6/13/82 BIRTHPLACE: Bend, OR HOMETOWN: Bend, OR YEARS ON TEAM: 4 SCHOOL: Dartmouth EQUIPMENT: Atomic, Komperdell CLUB: Mount Bachelor SEF HIGHLIGHTS: 3rd in 2006 NorAm DH standings (two podiums), won '04 Big Mountain Nor Am SG-2, two top-5s in '03 FIS DHs in Austria, runnerup in '03 Nor Am DH standings, silver medalist in 2003 U.S. downhill LAUREN ROSS* PAUL MCDONALD KATIE HITCHCOCK HEIGHT: 5-9 WEIGHT: 155 BIRTHDATE: 3/11/85 BIRTHPLACE: Sacramento, CA HOMETOWN: Sacramento, CA YEARS ON TEAM: 4 SCHOOL: Sugar Bowl Academy SPONSORS: Clif Bar EQUIPMENT: Volkl, Marker, Swix, Lange CLUB: Sugar Bowl Ski Team HIGHLIGHTS: Runnerup in 2006 NorAm SL standings, 6th in '05 Europa Cup SL-2 (Leukerbad, SUI), 5th in '05 FIS-B SL-2 (Leukerbad, SUI), 2nd in '03 U.S. slalom, 3rd in '04, 4th in '05, '03 Swiss Junior GS champ, five '03 FIS SL/GS wins (3 SL/2 GS) MEGAN MCJAMES J. J. JOHNSON* HEIGHT: 6-0 WEIGHT: 210 pounds BIRTHDATE: 9/23/77 BIRTHPLACE: Park City, UT HOMETOWN: Park City, UT YEARS ON TEAM: 5 SPONSORS: Copper Bay Structures, Jack Johnson Co. EQUIPMENT: Fischer, Carerra, Swix CLUB: Park City Ski Team HEIGHT: 5-6 WEIGHT: 125 pounds BIRTHDATE: 9/24/87 BIRTHPLACE: Park City, UT HOMETOWN: Park City, UT YEARS ON TEAM: 1 SCHOOL: Park City Winter Sports School EQUIPMENT: Dynastar, Look, Lang, Uvex, Swix CLUB: Park City SEF HIGHLIGHTS: 2006 NorAm overall, super, GS champion (3 wins) HEIGHT: 6-2 WEIGHT: 203 BIRTHDATE: 5/29/78 BIRTHPLACE: Ellensburg, WA HOMETOWN: Cashmere, WA YEARS ON TEAM: 7 SCHOOL: Wenatchee Valley College EQUIPMENT: Atomic, Nordica, Carrera, Swix CLUB: Mission Ridge Ski Team HIGHLIGHTS: Olympics: 2002; Worlds: '03, '05, 2005: 6th in Sestriere slalom, 2004: 9th three times in SL, 12th in '03 Worlds SL, '03: First World Cup top-15, '03 Nor Am SL champion (2 wins), '02: Olympics, first World Cup points TOM ROTHROCK 18 48 • March 2007 • COAST • www.coast-magazine.com 2 0 0 7 NATURE VALLEY U.S. ALPINE CHAMPIONSHIPS Alyeska Resor t, Girdwood, Alaska MARCO SULLIVAN DH/SG/GS before injury, '03 Nor Am super G win (Lake Louise SG-2) HEIGHT: 6-0 WEIGHT: 210 pounds BIRTHDATE: 4/27/80 BIRTHPLACE: Truckee, CA HOMETOWN: Squaw Valley, CA YEARS ON TEAM: 8 SCHOOL: University of Utah SPONSORS: Nordica, Giro, Swix, World Championship Sports Network EQUIPMENT: Nordica, Giro, Swix CLUB: Squaw Valley Ski Team HIGHLIGHTS: Olympics: 2002, '06; Worlds - '03, 6th in '03 Beaver Creek DH, 9th in '02 Olympic DH, 17th in '03 Worlds super G, 2002 U.S. super G champion, 2001 Nor Am overall/DH/SG king, two-time Sprint/Ski Racing Junior of the Year HEIGHT: 5-10 WEIGHT: 185 pounds BIRTHDATE: 6/26/81 BIRTHPLACE: Aspen, CO HOMETOWN: Aspen, CO YEARS ON TEAM: 5 SCHOOL: The American School SPONSORS: Ogio EQUIPMENT: Rossignol, Holmenkol, Uvex CLUB: Aspen Valley S&SC HIGHLIGHTS: '06 Rocky Mountain Trophy Series Overall Champ (7 wins), 2006: NorAm overall, GS champion (2 wins), '04 Nor Am GS runnerup (1 win), '04 U.S. silver medalist in GS, combined, fourth in '03 Europa Cup GS in Slovakia, two '03 FIS-B slalom podiums in Austria, '01 Sprint/Ski Racing Junior of the Year, '02 FIS-B slalom wins in Italy, Austria, twotime Juniors Worlds racer *Not expected to compete STERLING GRANT HEIGHT: 5-7 BIRTHDATE: 6/01/87 BIRTHPLACE: Minneapolis, MN HOMETOWN: Amery, WI YEARS ON TEAM: 1 EQUIPMENT: Rossignol, Marker CLUB: Buck Hill Ski Team HIGHLIGHTS: 2006 NorAm slalom champion (one win, two seconds), two FIS-B victories in '06 Swiss SLs, top-10 in two Austrian slaloms, 6th in 2006 Junior Worlds slalom, winner of 2006 Shelley Glover Foundation Scholarship EQUIPMENT: Salomon, Carrera, Leki CLUB: GMVS/Colby College HIGHLIGHTS: Won 2006 NorAm SL-2 in Mont Ste. Anne, QUE, 2nd in season-opening '05 NorAm SL (Winter Park), 5th in final NorAm SL points in 2005, SL silver at '03 NCAA championships HEIGHT: 5-9 WEIGHT: 150 pounds BIRTHDATE: 7/21/84 BIRTHPLACE: Boulder, CO HOMETOWN: Vail, CO YEARS ON TEAM: 2 EQUIPMENT: Fischer, Lange, Uvex CLUB: Ski&Snowboard Club Vail HIGHLIGHTS: 2006 NorAm downhill champion (1 win), NorAm top-10s in SL/GS/SG/DH in '05, 4th in 2005 NorAm DH standings, 4th in '05 FIS-level GS in Megeve, FRA JULIA LITTMAN TIM JITLOFF JAKE ZAMANSKY* HEIGHT: 5-11 WEIGHT: 185 pounds BIRTHDATE: 1/11/85 BIRTHPLACE: San Jose, CA HOMETOWN: Reno, NV YEARS ON TEAM: 2 EQUIPMENT: Dynastar, Look, Lange, Uvex, Swix CLUB: Park City Ski Team SCHOOL: Truckee H.S. HIGHLIGHTS: Combined champion at '05 Junior Worlds, 6th in SL, 7th in GS, 10th in DH at JWCs, 3rd in '05 FIS-B GS in Folgaria, ITA, - 2005 Sprint/Ski Racing Junior Skier of the Year HEIGHT: 5-7 WEIGHT: 145 pounds BIRTHDATE: 8/12/84 BIRTHPLACE: Bozeman, MT HOMETOWN: Big Sky, MT YEARS ON TEAM: 4 EQUIPMENT: Fischer, Lange, Scott, Carrera CLUB: Rowmark Academy SCHOOL: Westminster College SPONSORS: The Yellowstone Club, POC Helmets and Armor, Slytech, Swix poles HIGHLIGHTS: 3rd overall and in SG in '06 NorAm points (1 win), won '06 NorAm super G-1 at Big Mountain, 2nd in '06 NorAm GS-2 at Mont Ste. Anne, QUE, 2nd, 3rd in '03 EC DHs (Innerkrems, AUT HEIGHT: 6-3 WEIGHT: 190 pounds BIRTHDATE: 5/20/86 BIRTHPLACE: Burlington, VT HOMETOWN: Starksboro, VT YEARS ON TEAM: 1 SCHOOL: University of Vermont EQUIPMENT: Volkl, Tecnica, Marker CLUB: Cochran's/Mount Mansfield S&SC HIGHLIGHTS: 3rd in ‘06 FIS-B slalom in Font Romeu, FRA, 5th in '06 Junior Worlds SL KEELY KELLEHER HEIGHT: 5-11 WEIGHT: 200 pounds BIRTHDATE: 6/01/83 BIRTHPLACE: Catskill, NY HOMETOWN: Hunter, NY YEARS ON TEAM: 4 SCHOOL: Green Mountain Valley School EQUIPMENT: Rossignol, Booster Strap CLUB: Green Mountain Valley School HIGHLIGHTS: 2nd in '04 U.S. downhill, 5th in GS, CO at '03 WJCs, Two '03 Nor Am SG top-3s, 4th in DH at '02 World Juniors HEIGHT: 5-6 WEIGHT: 180 pounds BIRTHDATE: 2/10/86 BIRTHPLACE: Lake Placid, NY HOMETOWN: Lake Placid, NY YEARS ON TEAM: 3 SCHOOL: Dartmouth EQUIPMENT: Rossignol, Booster Strap, Uvex CLUB: New York Ski Education Foundation SPONSORS: Lake Placid HIGHLIGHTS: 2006 Junior Worlds super G bronze, 2006 Junior Worlds 4th in combined (DH/GS/SL), three-time JWCs racer, '03 Eastern J2 DH champion, '02 Eastern J3 GS champion JEREMY TRANSUE ANDREW WEIBRECHT CHRIS BECKMANN C TEAM HEIGHT: 6-1 WEIGHT: 225 pounds BIRTHDATE: 10/09/86 BIRTHPLACE: Albany, NY HOMETOWN: Guilderland, NY YEARS ON TEAM: 2 EQUIPMENT: Atomic, Uvex CLUB: New York Ski Education Foundation HIGHLIGHTS: 2nd in 2006 NorAm downhill rankings, 2006 Junior Worlds downhill gold medallist, 2005 Junior Worlds downhill silver medallist, 6th in '04 Junior Worlds DH HEIGHT: 5-7 WEIGHT: 145 pounds BIRTHDATE: 3/14/85 BIRTHPLACE: Littleton, NH HOMETOWN: Bethlehem, NH YEARS ON TEAM: 3 EQUIPMENT: Volkl, Lange, Marker, Swix, Slytech CLUB: Franconia Ski Club/BMA SCHOOL: BMA HIGHLIGHTS: 2006 U.S. giant slalom champion (slalom silver medalist), runnerup in 2006 NorAm super G, overall points (1 win), 7th in Europa Cup SL in Vratna, SVK, 2005 NorAm win in DH opener at Lake Louise, '05 NorAm podiums in TIM KELLEY CAITLIN CICCONE Development TEAM JENNY LATHROP HEIGHT: 5-4 WEIGHT: 120 pounds BIRTHDATE: 5/06/83 BIRTHPLACE: Portland, ME HOMETOWN: North Conway, NH YEARS ON TEAM: 2 SCHOOL: Colby College '06 MEN Will Brandenburg,19, Spokane, WA Travis Ganong, 18, Olympic Valley, CA Max Hammer, 18, Jackson Hole, WY Bump Heldman, 17, Auburn, ME Todd Thibodeau, 20, Freedom, NH WOMEN Lindsey Cone,18, Killington, VT Courtney Hammond, 19, Mercer Island, WA Lyndee Janowiak, 19, Manistee, MI Laurenne Ross,18, Klamath Falls, OR Leanne Smith, 19, Conway, NH Kiley Staples, 17; Park City, UT Elizabeth Woods, 18; Aspen, CO www.coast-magazine.com • March 2007 • COAST • 49 19 Hometown talent 2 0 0 7 NATURE VALLEY U.S. ALPINE CHAMPIONSHIPS Alyeska Resor t, Girdwood, Alaska By HANNAH GUILLAUME Local racers eager to break onto national stage here isn’t a major ski club or team in Alaska that can’t say it hasn’t helped shape the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team. Recruitment of Alaska’s alpine skiers and other ski team hopefuls from the Outside is a large part of the competition at the 2007 Nature Valley U.S. Alpine Championships March 27-April 3 at Alyeska Resort. Among Alaska’s hopefuls are student-athletes from the University of Alaska Anchorage. “I’m going to compete,” said Dan McKay, a junior at UAA. He placed 18th in the U.S.Alpine Championships’ downhill competition at Alyeska Resort in 2004 as a member of the Rocky Mountain division. McKay qualified for the downhill competition at the championship and raced all four events: downhill, giant slalom, DAN MCKAY slalom and super-G. He said the giant slalom course at Alyeska is as difficult and as long as the giant slalom racecourses the U.S. Ski Team faces at World Cup competitions. “As far as my expectations for the races go, I really want to do well in the GS,” he said.“The first time I did it I was definitely nervous, because it was nationals.” McKay joined the Montana State Alpine Ski team in 2005 and transferred to UAA after the 2006 season. This year will be his second showing at nationals. McKay said he is relaxed about the competition because his focus is on performing well in the NCAA. He noted that the location of the competition just adds to his daily enjoyment of the sport. “It’s just gonna be for fun,” he said.“It’s going to be in my backyard. I have to ski it. I’d be an idiot not to.” Jeff Rust,Alpine coach for UAA, said he is confident his team’s athletes will perform well. “You have to at least be the best in Alaska to have a spot on our team,” Rust said.“We’re trying to put together an NCAA team that will compete for a national championship.” As soon as the snow flies, UAA’s Seawolves train 20 hours up to five days a week. Many of UAA’s student-athletes come from regions in Alaska that are infamous breeding grounds for T no longer having a racing program, makes the club’s preservation possible. “We’re nonprofit and we rely on volunteers and donations to survive. It’s for the love of the sport,” he said.“We’re there to keep everything affordable and family orientated.” In 2006, more than 90 people trained as volunteers to keep the ski area running. Anchorage Ski Club Web site: www.skialpenglow.com Phone: 907-428-1269 The slopes of Alyeska Resort attract plenty of topshelf competitive skiers and collegiate events. members on the U.S. Ski team: Juneau, Girdwood and Anchorage. Other hopeful championship performers at UAA come from across the globe to train on five runs at Alyeska Resort, including the 2006 Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association’s fourth overall highest-ranking slalom skier, Stefanie Klocker, from Dornbirn,Austria. Rust said Alyeska helps draw athletes like Klocker and McKay to compete with the Seawolves. “Alyeska is a world-class venue for sure,” Rust said.“They support ski racing better than any other venue I’ve ever worked at or skied at.” UAA Alpine ski team Web site: www.goseawolves.com A proven breeding ground for Olympians on the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team in is at Arctic Valley’s Alpenglow ski area near Anchorage. Run by the 70-year-old Anchorage Ski Club, Alpenglow is where snowboarder Rosie Fletcher first learned to descend. Her early practices on 1,200 feet of vertical rise helped lead her to a bronze medal in the women’s snowboarding parallel giant slalom in Turin in the 2006 Olympics. Bruce Rein, president of the Anchorage Ski Club, said it’s that kind of heritage that, despite Anchorage Ski Club Girdwood, home of Alyeska Ski Club, is where Megan Gerety got her start that led to an alpine skiing career and a fifth-place finish in the 1996 Olympics. Sparky Anderson, director of the Glacier Valley Ski Education Foundation for skiers, ages 8-21 in the Alyeska Ski Club, said other very talented Alpine skiers from their club will compete in the 2007 championships. “I’ve got a few kids that could qualify,” Anderson said.“We go all over the world, and we have kids that compete regionally – in the Lower 48.” The club’s members fit into three groupings: Alyeska Mighty Mite, ages 6-13, Glacier Valley Ski Education and Masters, ages 21 and up. The club started in 1956 with 11 members. “It started out as a racing program with just a bunch of locals getting together and skiing,” he said. He added that today there are nearly 300 members in the club. Kieffer Christianson, a 14-year-old skier of the club, competes in the J3 Intermountain division of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association. In December, he won the giant slalom at the Topolino Shootout in Jackson Hole,Wyo. The club’s home is Mount Alyeska, which Anderson said is challenging – not like the refined slopes found in Vail, Colo. “There’s a lot of ex-U.S. Ski Team alumni that comes here and lives,” he said.“The mountain still caters to a lot of hard-core skiers.” The club and the mountain is also be geared for all ability levels. Volunteers make up the backbone of the club. Anderson said their work is part of the reason for the championship’s return to Girdwood after only a two-year absence. “Our volunteers do better than professionals in the Lower 48,” he said.“I think it comes from Alyeska Ski Club 20 50 • March 2007 • COAST • www.coast-magazine.com 2 0 0 7 NATURE VALLEY U.S. ALPINE CHAMPIONSHIPS Alyeska Resor t, Girdwood, Alaska that Girdwood is a real ski town.” Anderson said adults and children in the club also teach local sports programs and work with the park service to clean up litter surrounding Girdwood. Alyeska Ski Club Web site: www.alyeskaskiclub.org Phone: 907-783-2166 Southeast Alaska has a history for producing racers on the U.S. Ski Team. “We’ve put out some great racers over the years,” said Mike Satre, developmental team coach and member of the Juneau Ski Club since 1981. The club started in 1949. Hilary Lindh, who competed for the U.S. Ski Team for 13 years and won three World Cup races and a silver Olympic medal in 1992, is a former member of the club. “She got her start on the slopes here at Eagle Crest, and very quickly – as her talent was recognized – she went on to train in Utah,” Satre said. Club members practice from October to April. The developmental team, coached by Satre, is made up of nearly 10 top racers from the mighty mite team. Juneau Ski Club Alpenglow at Arctic Valley is one of Anchorage’s best-kept secrets. Satre said his team is made up of some of the most enthusiastic racers in the club. “For kids that have an enthusiasm, it doesn’t matter if the lifts are over.They’re out there from the moment that it’s open till it closes,” he said. USST_OnlineStorePrintAd.pdf Training in the club runs two days a week, six hours a day and ends with the state championship races for skiers ages 9-12 on March 9-11. The club’s junior team, for children ages 13-19, is coached by Satre’s brother Jon. More than 25 athletes make up the junior team’s roster. He said kids are committed to alpine training at least two days a week in every type of weather that gets thrown at the mountain in Juneau. “The junior team is a huge commitment,” Jon said. Chris Hinkley, a club racer, posted third overall in the boys J3 division, ages 13-14, super-G race at the Junior Olympic Alpine Ski Championships in 2004. In 2007, Hinkley continues to lead the pack with a top finish in the club’s Timberwolf Slalom. Satre said club members like Hinkley are special, because they don’t have the conveniences of ski clubs elsewhere, such as a variety of ski gear stores. Club members and children volunteer to help clean the ski area’s roadway in the fall.A ski swap kicks off the race season in November. Juneau Ski Club Web site: www.juneauskiracing.org Phone: 907-790-7223 2/7/07 9:58:41 AM Angel Boga C M Y CM MY CY CMY K www.coast-magazine.com • March 2007 • COAST • 51 21 2 0 0 7 NATURE VALLEY U.S. ALPINE CHAMPIONSHIPS Alyeska Resor t, Girdwood, Alaska MAHRE continued from page 10 1985 and skiing 18 hours – nonstop in the rain – to help raise money to treat people with multiple sclerosis in honor of 1964 Olympic bronze medalist Jimmy Heuga. His possible return to the championships at Alyeska in 2007 come from a personal goal he made to himself that he would make it in the championships when he was 50 years old. He turns 50 in May. That would make a year early icing on the cake. It has come as a surprise, Mahre said, to have such good results in this year’s competition. After being out of the game for more than 20 years, he has started deep in the internationally sanctioned racing series field: 85th in the Mammoth Mountain, Calif., with a second-place finish. ALYESKA continued from page 14 peaks that trap powder in the winter and release wildflowers and wildlife in the summer.Among these slopes lay Southcentral Alaska's finest hiking routes. From the hotel, adventurers can set their own pace along the eight-mile walk around the enchanting town of Girdwood; indulge in an afternoon picnic on Winner Creek Trail; or berry-pick your way to the summit of nearby Tincan Peak. For a more demanding outdoor experience, pack light and well for an overnighter along a portion of the Iditarod Trail once used by prospectors scrambling to reach the famous golden beaches of Nome. The 26-mile Crow Pass Crossing cuts through the real Alaska from Crow Creek Road, where hikers can inspect relics left behind by turn-of-the-century fortune-seekers, to aptly named Eagle River.Wildlife, including bears, frequent the trail in the summer, and the key is to take in the majesty of the land and be a thoroughly prepared adventurer. While summer gives Alyeska Resort an excuse to play host to explorers, it was snow that gave the resort a reason for being. In winter, the view can change viewpoints. It shifts the definition of Alaska from "icebox" to "really cool place." Dubbed the best view of any U.S. ski resort by Conde Nast Traveler magazine, skiers and snowboarders glide off the high-speed bubble quad and will, between loads of powder-choked turns and heart-stopping steeps, have trouble finding their breath. It's not the altitude — a 260-foot base elevation means oxygen-burners can gulp thick air anytime, and a 2,500-foot vertical rise guarantees the oxygen will need to come in gulps — it's the views. They dilute one's concentration during each run, and the rider or skier is forced to make a choice between watching the scenery or participating in it. The unique scenery and world-class slopes have cemented Alyeska Resort's reputation as an ultimate destination for gravity slaves.The resort played host to the 2004 and 1981 U.S.Alpine Championships, the Olympic Trials, the World Masters Competition, 22 52 • March 2007 • COAST • www.coast-magazine.com Mahre of Yakima,Wash., retired from competitive alpine skiing when he was 26. Coming into 2007 he is strengthening his body in every way a 49-year-old man might. He said rotator cuff surgery this summer was a good deal, because the rehabilitation made him work out his legs. “Its just a matter of staying healthy,” he said. Outside of alpine races, Mahre water skis and coaches a high school football team in a sleepy town that barely knows his legendary skiing history. “When they find out they’re kind of surprised,” he said. To name just a few of his accomplishments, Mahre won three consecutive overall World Cup titles from 1981 to 1983 – more than any other American – 27 World Cup race wins, was an Alyeska Resort Calendar Olympic gold medalist in the 1984 slalom and an Olympic silver medalist in 1980. Mahre admits that seeing him race at Alyeska this year would be a pretty phenomenal feat. “I was out of the sport longer than I’ve been in it.There’s a possibility, but its pretty slim this year,” he said.“This year is kind of the building year, where you get your start numbers down to be competitive next year.” Bill Marolt, president and CEO of the U.S. Ski Team, said it’s good to see such a beloved member of the team with a possibility to return. “Phil is clearly part of the family. He set the standard and now he’s giving back,” Marolt said. Outside his return to the slopes, Mahre is looking into starting a career in road racing. He has a 2007 black Ford Mustang, No. 17, and is pursuing titles the Grand American Challenge. MARCH Nov 17-Apr 21 . . . . Seven Glaciers Open for Friday & Saturday Dining 2-4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Telepalooza 2007 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brian Russell Memorial Slalom 17. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Challenge Alaska Snowblast 19-21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mini Silvertip Spring Break Camp 19-23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Silvertip Spring Break Camp 24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Last evening of Night Skiing 27-Apr 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . U.S. Alpine National Championships 21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Last Night of Seven Glaciers Winter Dining 21-22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Weekend Ski/Snowboard Operations 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . End of 7-day Ski/Snowboard Operations 27-29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alyeska/Alaska Motor Mushers Tanaka Snowmobile Hill Climb 28-29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Weekend Ski/Snowboard Operations MAY 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anchorage Golf Course Tentative Opening Day 5-6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Extended Ski/Snowboard Weekends 12-13 . . . . . . . Extended Spring Ski/Snowboard Operations (tentative) 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mother’s Day Brunch Buffet at Seven Glaciers 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seven Glaciers Restaurant Summer Opening 19-20 . . . . . . . Extended Spring Ski/Snowboard Operations (tentative) 26-27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Extended Spring Ski/Snowboard Operations (tentative) APRIL Mar 27-Apr 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . U.S. Alpine National Championships 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Easter Brunch Buffet in the Columbia Ballroom 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Easter – Sunrise Service, Egg Hunt, Brunch 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pepsi Military Appreciation Day 21-22 . . . . . . . . . . Alyeska’s 30th Annual Spring Carnival & Slush Cup the World Junior Olympics, the World Airline Ski Championships and the Alyeska Celebrity Sports Invitational, as well as the Alaska Extreme Skiing and Snowboarding Trials.Two-time Olympic medalist Tommy Moe still prowls Girdwood on occasion, Olympic silver medalist Hilary Lindh made it a point to test her mettle on Mount Alyeska, and Olympic snowboarder Rosie Fletcher slows down often to offer advice to the next crop of Alaska Olympians. Another winning balance between slopes challenging enough for the best in the world, yet hospitable enough to ensure fans and followers are comfortable. Demand more time off than you think you will need, because there is no way — even with the long days of summer and the long runs on the ski hill — that you will be able to enjoy all the activities Alyeska Resort has to offer. Skip the Spartan vacation that includes a rail pass across the Mongolian Steppes and wrap yourself in Alaska, even if it's from within the pampered confines of your hotel room. It will be the difference between extreme and extremely pleasing. Tom Evans In addition to world-class skiing, there are plenty of other activities to enjoy in Girdwood. www.coast-magazine.com • March 2007 • COAST • 53 23