The Inside Edge - Ski racing line-up for season
n Shiffrin carries the water — Mikaela Shiffrin had a big weekend at Killington, Vermont, placing second in the World Cup Giant Slalom and devastating the filed by 1.5 seconds in the Slalom. She expanded her lead in the overall standings. This is the second year the races were at Killington in front of a huge crowd. Hopefully this will cement a permanent US hosted East Coast event. The only other US women in the points were Megan McJames with 29th in GS and Resi Stiegler who finished 21st in Slalom.
The men didn’t fare nearly as well at the Lake Louise Speed events. Bryce Bennet was the top US Downhiller in21st, with Jared Goldberg in 24th. In Super G, Travis Ganong skied to 16th, followed by Beismeyer and Weibrecht in 20th and 21st respectively. This weekend the women will be a Lake Louise for speed and we’ll find out how Lindsey Vonn’s recovery is going. The men move to Beaver Creek, Colorado for the Birds of Prey.
n 2017-2018 Competition (and other fun stuff) Line-up!
Schweitzer has loads of racing and special events in store again this year. Between USSA, Masters, NASTAR, USASA, charity, specialty and Nordic events, there isn’t a dull moment. Here’s the famous, all-inclusive, refrigerator-compatible, totally accurate (we hope) schedule, with a brief description and the person to contact for additional information. Clip this one out and tape it up where it can’t be missed.
DECEMBER
1: Full time opening day — Not official yet but looking good.
8: Community $10 Day Fundraiser — 100 percent of proceeds to benefit local non-profits.
16: Learn to Cross Country Day — The Sandpoint Nordic Club collaborates with Schweitzer to help you learn the ropes. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
17: NASTAR Opens (Maybe) — Citizen racing Saturdays, Sundays and holidays 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
23-24: Holiday Celebrations — Carolers, Santa, hot chocolate and cookies in the village.
23: Watch for Santa skiing!
24: Santa’s Balloon Parade, 1-5 p.m.
JANUARY
5: Independence Youth Race Series Kick-off — Four Friday nights of racing for kids age 6-16. Free coaching, prizes and shirts for only $39. This day includes a special learn-to-race session. It’s filling fast, so call Shep Snow at 290-6370 for details or pick up a registration form at Sandpoint Sports or the Alpine Shop.
12: Independence Youth Race Series Day 2 — Meet at 5:30 p.m. by gear check.
13: Northern Lights at Schweitzer — Laser light show viewed from the Village.
19: Independence Youth Race Series Day 3 — Meet at 5:30 p.m. at gear check.
20: Winter Trails Day — Free access to Nordic Trails at Schweitzer. Contact Activity Center at (208) 255-3081.
20-21: Youth Ski League Races — Two USSA Giant Slalom races for the under 12 crowd. Contact Jamie Landewehr at 946-7859.
26: Independence Junior Race Series final night — Awards and ice cream feast immediately after competition.
26: Toyota Ski Free Day — Free lift ticket for the driver of any Toyota driven up to the mountain.
30: Western Region Junior Alpine Speed Series — The ultimate in viewing excitement. Watch the top rising 16-21 year-old talent in the West compete in Downhill, Super G and Giant Slalom for honors and eligibility for the National Junior Championships. SARS needs plenty of help pulling this one off. Call SARS at 946-7859 to volunteer.
FEBRUARY
1-4: Western Region Speed Series — Continued.
2-23: Starlight Races Kick-off – Friday nights skiers, snowboarders and telemarkers run dual Giant slalom on the NASTAR course in 5 person teams. Handicaps for age, gender and gear. Join us for weekly post race parties in TAPS. Must be 21 or over to participate. Contact the Schweitzer Activity Center at (208) 255-3081.
3-4: College Daze — Special discounts for staving college students.
6-7: Chad Engstrom Youth Ski League Speed — Two USSA sanctioned YSL (age 13 and under) Super Giant Slalom races, plus one Slalom. Contact Jamie Landewehr at 946-7859.
17: “Let it Glow” Night Parade and Fireworks — Free in the Village.
25: She Jumps at Schweitzer — Get the girls out to do some jumping.
22-25: USSA Masters Races — USSA Masters race clinics and competition hosted by SARS. Men and women alpine skiers, ages 21-88, will converge on Schweitzer Mountain Resort to compete for regional titles in Super G, Slalom and Giant Slalom events. The public is welcome at all races. Volunteers greatly appreciated. Contact Jamie Landwehr at 946-7859 for further information.
23: Final Starlight Race Series Party — In Taps after competition.
MARCH
3: Demo Days.
3 Smokin’ Aces Slopestyle Tour.
10-11: Stomp Games Banked Slalom — Banks, and jumps combined with gates, what a hoot. Contact Activity Center at (208) 255-3081.
17: Vertical Express for MS — Popular fundraiser for MS research.
24-25: 24 Hours for Hank — The fifth annual 24 hour endurance race fundraiser for Cystinosis research. Visit 24hoursforhank.com for details.
29-30: Buddy Werner USSA U14 Championships — The top U14 races in the Pacific Northwest convene at Schweitzer for Super G, Giants Slalom and Slalom competition. Contact Jamie Landewehr at 946-7859.
APRIL
1: Easter Sunday Service — Contact Activity Center at (208) 255-3081.
7-8: Spring Finale and Rotary Duck Derby — Spring fun for everyone as we bring the season to an end. Dummy Downhill, pond skimming, live music, lots of games for all ages. Come join the fun.
n Junior Race Series sign-up — Fliers for the January Independence Junior Race Series are at the local ski shops. This popular series features free coaching, lots of prizes, lots of kids and lots of fun. There’s need no change in the cost for 17 years. Racers meet four Friday evenings in January from 5-7 p.m. No excuses – come join the fun. Forms are at the Alpine Shop and Sandpoint Sports, or can be downloaded at www.independenceracing.com.
n Potpourri — Pray for lots of snow. Any comments, recommendations or contributions to this column may be sent to Shep Snow by email at shep@thesnowschool.com. Negative feedback should be sent to someone else.
The Inside Edge runs every Thursday during ski and snowboard season on the Bee sports page.