Great job to all our racers at our 1st SL race of the season! The course held up well in the morning and surprisingly well in the afternoon. For many of you it was the 1st time that you tried to “clear” gates. You should be proud of whether you were able to clear both rhythm and vertical combinations (hairpins & flushes) or only some of them. And If you feel like you really need more work on your clearing technique, you can look forward to this Saturday’s training when we focus on hairpins and flushes on the flats and rhythm gates on the pitch. And if you’re not ready to clear gates yet it’s OK!!! Let’s work on your weight transfer or ability to keep your upper body quiet and facing down the fall line.

Click on the link below to check out Sunday’s results. Again, the best that I have are the unofficial Live-Timing results.

Congrats to Achille Saracheck in winning his 3rd consecutive race!

Special thanks to Andy Levin, Jim Brochin and Adam Spence in helping with getting racers ready at the start and running coats and shorts down to the finish!

Blandford Women’s Results 2-7-16

Blandford Men’s Results 2-7-16

Hi everyone,

Brian Rose, the Western Mass representative for Tri-states updated me this morning on the selection process for Piche and Tristate Championships. Contact me or the other coaches if you have any questions.

U12 Tristate Championships

All racers are invited to SL @ Southington and GS @ Sundown on 3/5 and 3/6 respectively.

***Any U14 athlete who qualifies for BOTH Piche and U14 Eastern Championships @ Sunday River will relinquish their Piche slot to the next alternate regardless of league affiliation.***

Follow this link to learn more about the Francis Piche Invitational:

http://www.gunstockskiclub.com/francispiche

Good luck to all!

Coach Pat

“Ski fast…Take chances…”

Hi everyone!

Just letting you know the game plan for Saturday’s training in preparation for Blandford on Sunday. Please put your chin bar back on your helmet, bring your shin guards and make sure your pole guards are on tight. Please meet your coach at the bottom of Catamount at 8:30am sharp to warm up and work on your start. Also parents – since we will be on Catamount we will not need you to put up B-netting!

AM – Combinations & Rhythm

1. Flush corridor on the flat – looking for single (outside or favorite) hand clear without punching or reaching, quick feet transferring weight from foot to foot, as small a turn as necessary to make the gate

2. Stubbies into full gates on the steep – looking for centered stance (knees over toes), outside hand clear without punching or reaching, shoulders and hips facing down the fall line (no over rotation)

PM – Full Course

Inspect the course then put everything together from the morning training in a course with a hairpin, flush and delay (under) gate. If we’re lucky, Peter and Charles will set up timing for the course!

Ski you later!

Coach Pat

“Ski fast…Take chances…”

Congratulations to all at our 2nd race of the season! The morning course held up nicely and we saw some great performances. However in the warm afternoon, even with the constant slipping of the course there were definitely piles of snow forming just outside the track. Coach Sonia was able to video again so make sure to ask her to see video of your run on the big screen in the Taconic Lodge. Click on the link below to check out Sunday’s results. Unfortunately I’ve been waiting for official results but the best the mountain could give me is the attached unofficial results. Berkshire East uses VOLA timing which is the same troublesome timing program that USSA uses.

Special recognition goes to Achille Saracheck in winning his second Boy’s U14 race! And although Berkshire East only recognized 1st through 3rd place, Greg Levin matched his previous performance with another 5th place finish!

Special thanks again to Coach Larry, Coach Doug M, and Charles Gagnon in helping with getting racers ready at the start, and to all the parents running coats and pants down to the finish. Thanks to Coach Mike with the course report. Make sure to thank Coach Peter with tirelessly scraping the ice off of your boots so that you wouldn’t pre-release out of your bindings!

U12 U14 men’s results Beast 1-31-16

U12 U14 women’s results Beast 1-31-16

See you this weekend!

Coach Pat

“Ski fast…Take chances…”

Hi everyone!

We will be training on Lower Alley Cat, along with the U16’s, all day this coming Saturday in preparation for Sunday’s GS race at Berkshire East. Please be ready to meet Coach Sonia and Coach Chris at the Quad at 8:30am to warm up.

Parents, you rock! I was personally overwhelmed by the # of you who came to help out with B-netting last Saturday. That was the biggest turnout I’ve seen and it’s a real testament to your commitment and positive energy. Could you please come again this Saturday morning once again to help set up fencing? Please come to the pump house at 9:00am (with no poles) and someone will direct you to where you’re needed.

Cheers,

Coach Pat

“Ski fast…Take chances”

Congratulations to all at our 1st race of the season! Whether your goal was to finish your 1st Tristate race, complete 2 runs, or manage the top of the course with that sweeping right footer into the pitch, you should be proud of how you did. If you’re not happy with how you did, we have a full day of GS training this coming Saturday. Ask Coach Sonia to see video of you at the right footer. Try and learn from the experience and apply it to Sunday’s GS race at Berkshire East. Click on the link below to check out yesterday’s results.

Special recognition goes to Greg Levin (Boy’s U12) on his 5th place finish and to Achille Saracheck in winning the Boy’s U14 race!

Special thanks to Coach Larry and to Charles Gagnon and Michael Leifer in helping with getting racers ready at the start, running coats and pants down to the finish and helping racers with non-FIS approved helmets.

U14 parents PLEASE make sure your racer has or borrows an FIS approved helmet for next weekend’s GS race. Starters ARE enforcing the new USSA requirement. U12 parents can rest easy for now. The helmet rule does NOT apply to you!

Great start to the season and see you next weekend!

Coach Pat

“Ski fast…take chances…”

Bousquet TriState GS U12_U14 Final results 01_24_16

Hey Racers!

Just letting you know our plan for preparing for our 1st GS race at Bousquet this coming Sunday.

We will be training on Lower Alley Cat all day on Saturday. Be prepared to have your GS skis, forearm guards (optional) and remember to remove your chin bar from your helmet. Please meet Coach Alex at the bottom of the Quad at 8:25am to warm up.

AM – Work on where to begin and end the turn in a short and focused practice course and when to transfer your weight in the transition in a separate practice course.

PM – We will set a full course with a delay gate to learn how to pass through the gate correctly and apply what we’ve learned from the morning.

Parents we can really use your help in putting up fencing. Due to safety issues, no one can practice on the GS training course until proper fencing is set. Please come to the pump house, skier’s left, above Lower Allet Cat at 8:45am (you do not need poles) where you will be directed on how to help put up fencing. Coaches Sonia, Peter, Chris and myself along with Dusty and Charles will help with fencing as soon as we finish setting the courses. The quicker we get the fencing up, the quicker your racers can get on the practice course!

We’re excited to see you all tomorrow!

Ski you later!

Coach Pat

Hi U12-U14 Racers!

Great work today! We saw lots of improvement in the stubbies “shinning” gates, in the angled gates learning how to “clear” and even applying it in the training course. I just finished communicating with the other coaches and we are again limited to training on Catamount. There will be a GS course set in the am and pm for those who would like to switch to GS. But there will also be SL training on upper Catamount in the am only. If you’d like, bring your SL skis, chin and shin guards for the morning and GS skis for the pm. We will make it your choice. Remember to remove your chin guard for GS training.

See you in the am,

Coach Pat

“Ski fast…take chances”