Welcome to our club blog. Check here for MMSC news and updates. For official press releases, please visit the Press Room section of our Web site.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Cat Mullin wins Pico slalom
Cat Mullin started the new year off in style by taking the win at Sunday's George Tormey Series slalom at Pico. Cat, now a second year J2, was the first-run leader - over a half-second ahead of Ali Spencer, who finished second overall. Cat had the second-fastest second run, but still pulled off the overall win by over a second. Way to go Cat!
More podiums for MMSC In the men's race Brad Farrell and Ben Deflavio skied to second and third overall respectively. Brad was the first-run leader, but gave up just a hair too much time in run two for Sandy Vietze to nab the win by .19 seconds.
"It's exciting we've got a strong crop of guys this year. They're looking good," coach Scott Moriarty said.
Brad also finished fourth in an FIS giant slalom at Sugarloaf. After winning the first run, he slipped to fourth behind leader Hig Roberts of Burke Mountain Academy.
In the same Eastern Cup series, MMSC's Ryan Cochran-Siegle, finished sixth in the opening slalom. Ryan, 17, led his age group by well over a second in the overall standings.
At FIS Development races in Attitash last week, Dan Bak, finished 11th in a giant slalom. He moved up from the 61st start position to score his best discipline result so far. Results here.
Local athletes headed for Nor-Ams
In line with what Mo said about the group of racers at the ski club this season, four skiers are headed to Nor-Ams this week at Sugarloaf, Maine.
Bobby Farrell, Ryan Cochran-Siegel, Taylor Wunsch and Dustin Martin will be racing.
(Look online for results mon., tues., wed.)
MMSC J3s dominate the Stan & Dan
The results looked a little bit like they do at times for the Austrians after the Stan & Dan slalom at Attitash on New Year's Day. Five of the top 10 finishers were MMSC skiers.
Angie Duke, a second-year three, won with a combined time of 1:33.03 and Stowe's Ryan Susslin was second in 1:35.81. Not far behind, were Reed Carpenter in 6th (1:38.07), Calvin Dixon in 8th (1:40.36) and Ellis Grubman in 10th place (1:41.02).
In the girls' race, Linley Shaw was third and Sophia Leiter was fifth. MMSC racer Alita Rogers won the first run, but was disqualified in the second after straddling a gate.
Come celebrate the New Year and Cruise into 2010! Thursday, December 31 on the Slalom Hill at Spruce. Registration is at the Day Lodge - race starts at 10 a.m. Everyone is invited to participate. BBQ after at the Club.
Thanks to everyone for a successful night last Saturday at MMSC's Winter Sports Celebration. Check out the videos of Chip and Jimmy below. We'll update the club's most recent videos here in the news blog, but to view all MMSC videos become a subscriber at http://www.youtube.com/user/TeamMMSC. Think snow, everyone!
The Club is happy to welcome Christopher "Topher" Harlow as our new head J3 coach.
He will lead an experienced staff of coaches, directing daily training and maintaining communication between parents and athletes.
Harlow was head ski coach last year at Plymouth (N.H.) State University, his alma mater; he was assistant coach for two years before that. Last winter, his men’s team won the Eastern Regional combined Alpine championship, and the men’s and women’s alpine teams both finished fourth overall at the United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association national championships.
He's worked extensively with junior racers as a coach at the U.S. Elite Camps at Mt. Hood and Copper Mountain for the past three years.
Harlow was a seven-time All-American ski racer in college. He was runner-up in the combined at the Eastern Regional Championships in 2004 and placed third in the combined in 2006.
“We are really excited to welcome Topher to our coaching staff,” said MMSC athletic director Chip Knight. “He's had coaching success within the team structure of college skiing, personal experience competing at a high level, and displays a heartfelt love of the sport — all of which will be valuable attributes for leading our J3 program.”
For all those who haven't heard, Tom Silva, our veteran J3 coach, has decided to leave his position. The club will not be the same without him, as his presence and hard work has been a true staple of the programs here. Tom's formed countless young ski racers - we'll miss you, Tom!
Look in next week's Stowe Reporter for an article about Tom in the Sports section.
In the meantime, the club needs to fill some shoes. Please pass the information below along to qualified and energetic people who may be interested:
Mount Mansfield Ski Club in Stowe, VT seeks an experienced, energetic, and highly organized individual to run its J3 program. The qualified person will have at least 3 years of coaching experience, preferably in a leadership role, and will have ski raced at a high level of competition. Duties include managing a large group of athletes as well as supervision of assistant coaches, planning and implementation of on-snow and dry-land training, organizing all travel logistics, and maintaining critical lines of communication. This is a full-time seasonal position, and pay will be commensurate with experience. Please mail resume to MMSC, 403 Spruce Peak Rd, Stowe, VT 05672 -- 802-253-7704 -- Email resumes to: director@teammmsc.org
It was an exciting day on the hill yesterday for the MMSC athletes in Nakiska - they got to train with Bode Miller! That's right the defending overall World Cup champion was on course with our athletes. Needless to say, everyone was very excited to have such a great opportunity. It's one thing to get to watch him ski, but then to be able to jump in the same course as him is great experience for our athletes. Miller was in the area dialing it in before the World Cup downhill at Lake Louise, which takes place this weekend. Today, the kids have the day off and the camp is going to watch the first training run. Stay tuned for more! Oh, thanks to Chip for taking photos.
This week the club was awarded a $10,000 grant from the Kelly Brush Foundation to enhance our new racing and training venue - Main Street - right out the club's back door on Big Spruce. The money will be used to purchase state-of-the-art safety fencing to line the new race hill. Athlete safety is a top priority for us and we're very grateful to the Brush Foundation for their support toward our goal of making our facility one of the best and safest in the country. This year alone, the Kelly Brush Foundation has awarded over $20,000 in grants to clubs around the country as they continue to lead the way making safety improvements in the sport. Aspen Valley Ski Club also received a $10,000 grant for safety fencing, GMVS has received $2,500 and Middlebury's ski team was awarded $1,000 for safety equipment. We'd like to extend a huge and warm thank you to the Brush Foundation for their generosity and pioneering work! You can check out their Web site, read Kelly's inspiring story and even make an online donation to the foundation by clicking here.
Wow! What a kickin' poster we have to commemorate 75 years of ski racing success.
Much of the effort should be credited to Chess Brownell, who oversaw the design and logistics of getting the posters ready for our big anniversary season.
The posters are sized 18 x 24 inches and are available for sale at the club and at Edgewise in Stowe. All proceeds benefit MMEFI.
Prices: unframed poster - $25 custom plaque laminated by Coco's frame shop in Stowe - $70 (available three weeks from purchase date).
For more information about the posters send an email to mmscpr@gmail.com or stop by the club or Edgewise to get yours.
Pete Whitten was the designer, check out his site petewhitten.com to see more of his work.
The Derby will be here before you know it, so we wanted to let you know about some exciting additions happening this year.
Pascale Savard is back on board at the Club and will be the organizer of this year's Stowe Derby. She's charged up with energy and ideas that will make the race an even bigger headline event and draw in a broader range of participants.
Here are some of the new ideas on tap:
OR Team Challenge added- This year racers will be able to create their own team of four and race for bragging rights. Each team of four needs at least one woman and all skiers must be racing in the same race, i.e., long course skating OR classical race. The teams will be split up in two categories, average age less than 40, or equal or more than 40. We hope people will have fun with the new concept and challenge friends and area businesses to sign up for the Stowe Derby. Hopefully, this will lead to relays, corporate challenges, and plenty more... all in the works for 2010.
Stowe Derby Fit Camp- The Swimming Hole and the Stowe Mountain Resort Cross-Country Center are teaming up to offer a Stowe Derby Fit Camp. The hope is to draw in people who have been thinking about doing the Derby, but feel unprepared. No more excuses! The camp starts January 6th, and runs every Tuesday and Thursday from 11am to 12 noon, with the Tuesday training session held in the gym at The Swimming Hole. The Thursday workout will be held on snow, at the Stowe Mountain Resort Cross-Country Center. For more information about the Stowe Derby Fit Camp, go to The Swimming Hole site and look for the link at the upper right. Or call 802-253-9229.
Also, check the Stowe Derby section of our site for more info....coming soon. Another good resource for those who want to prep for the Derby is the Stowe Nordic Outing Club. They have a Wednesday race series planned, which would be great for training.
MMSC 75th Anniversary Celebration A New England Harvest Farm Bounty Saturday, November 1, 2008 at 5:30 p.m. “Clusterfunk” – Rock and Roll 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Tamarack Ball Room, Stowe Mountain Lodge Tickets: $125 pp. Call 802-760-4700 or e-mail us for reservations
This Saturday, MMSC celebrates its 75-year history with a celebration at Stowe Mountain Lodge. The event has been held at Midway Lodge in the past, but this year we're excited to celebrate in the cornerstone building of the Spruce Peak Development. The food will be delicious, too. Cocktails, dinner, dancing and a silent and live auction are planned to begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Tamarack Ballroom. As is tradition, this year MMSC will make several inductions to its hall of fame at the annual gala. Frank Springer-Miller will be honored as a pioneering force behind the early success of the club and we'll honor the Mount Mansfield Ski Patrol, which was the country's first. As you know, the silent auction is a big part of the annual event. Click here to download a list of the items up for auction (look for bid booklet link at top of page). If you would like to make a bid, but won't be at the event, please e-mail us and be sure to give us your name, Phone number, Items you want to bid on and the amount you would like to bid.
When: Sunday, October 26. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Where: MMSC Who: All junior program participants and parents. Why: 'Cause it's almost winter!
We're planning an open house to kick the season off this Sunday! Come meet your coaches, eat some BBQ and take a hike on Big Spruce to celebrate our new training venue.
Also, bring your old equipment to our consignment ski sale. It's a great way to recycle used skis, boards, helmets - you name it. We'll split all sales 20/80. Someone will be at the club Saturday to consign ahead of time. Call the club for more info. 802-253-7704 or email us.
MMSC is excited to announce that Chip Knight has joined the MMSC Alpine coaching staff.
Chip brings a wealth of knowledge to us from his experience as a top-notch racer as well as familiarity with MMSC, where Chip came up through the ranks as a junior skier.
In addition to coaching on the hill, he'll help shape the club’s Long Term Athlete Career Plan – a project started by Igor Vanovac and Lorant Gudasz. Specifically, Chip will head the J2 program for men and women.
Though many of you already know Chip, some may not - so here's a brief bio. Chip, 33, grew up ski racing in Stowe at MMSC. He was a member of the U.S. Ski team for 13 years, he competed in three Olympic Games and saw lots of success on the World Cup circuit. In 2008, Chip graduated from Williams College, with a degree in History. During the 2008 season he was the assistant coach for the Williams College Alpine Ski Team.
Welcome back, Chip!
Chip Knight racing as a junior with MMSC in 1985 and in 2006 during a World Cup race in Schladming, Austria
