Hey U16’s!

After careful consideration, I’ve decided to cancel on-snow training this coming Saturday. Instead we will offer video analysis of racers from Marius Stanescu, Coach Adam and myself in the Taconic Lodge at 12:30pm for about an hour. If there are any good wipeouts, we’ll show ’em! Maybe even in slo-mo!

If you would like to brave the cold and get some SL training in anyway, the U19’s will have a course set on Catamount and the U12/14’s will have a course set on Race Slope. Please be careful and dress warmly as the low will be -4 degrees and the high will be 3 degrees.

On Sunday we will train SL on Catamount keeping in mind our Mt. Southington SL race on 1/20. So please bring your tuned SL skis & poles, chin & shin guards. Please meet Coach Carl at the Quad at 8:25am sharp!

It is likely that the Beast GS is postponed to Sunday, January 14th. However I will confirm that with you when I officially hear from Ben Sullivan, the new race director at Beast.

See you on Saturday!

Coach Pat

“Ski fast…Take chances…”

Hey U16 Racers and Parents!

I just got word from Berkshire East that the GS race this Saturday has been postponed. No date has been provided for its rescheduling. As soon as I hear I will share the new date with you.

Instead we will train SL on both Saturday and Sunday in the AM and drills in the PM. Please be prepared with SL skis/poles,and chin/shin guards. Meet Coach Pat at the Quad at 8:25am sharp to warm up!

Cheers,

Coach Pat

“Ski fast…Take chances…”

Hey U16 racers and parents!

Thanks for a great race camp! And thanks again to everyone today in helping to set up and take down B-Netting so that we could train safely on Lower Alley Cat. I think it took a record 10 minutes to break down the course and fencing!

Since many of our racers are heading to the Beast for the SL Shaefer Cup and no one let me know that they would be coming to the mountain tomorrow, training is cancelled for the day. Everyone is welcome to come to the mountain to ski and Coach Sonia has arranged for a SL course to be set by 9:30am for the morning. If anyone would like to hop on the course, I’m sure Coach Sonia would welcome you!

Have a Happy New Year, good luck to our racers tomorrow and see you all at the Beast next Saturday for our 1st race of the season! (GS)

Cheers to a great week!

Coach Pat

”Ski fast…Take chances…”

Hey U16 racers!

It was cold outside but the skiing was hot, hot, hot!!! Great focus today despite the cold feet and hands and we look to improve even more tomorrow and Saturday!

Optional Slalom training for Beast Shaefer Cup Racers tomorrow

All racers planning on racing @ Beast this coming Sunday have the option of training slalom with the U19’s on Lower Alley Cat for the full day tomorrow. Everyone else will be training GS tomorrow on Race Slope.

GS Training Plans for Friday and Saturday

We will be training on Race Slope tomorrow and on Lower Alley Cat on Saturday. Volunteers will be needed on Saturday morning at 8:40am at the Pump House on the top of Lower Alley Cat to set up B-netting then again at 12:30pm to take down the course and B-netting at the end of the training session. Please find me (Coach Pat) tomorrow in the Taconic Lodge to let me know that you will be able to help! (You won’t need your poles, they’ll just get in the way)

SL training for Beast Shaefer Cup Racers Saturday PM

All racers planning on racing @ Beast this coming Sunday should come prepared with BOTH GS & SL gear (skis, chin/shin guards, GS & SL poles/pole guards) on Saturday. After training GS on Lower Alley Cat in the AM and a quick lunch, head over to Race Slope to join the U19’s for SL training.

As always, please be ready to meet Coach Adam at 8:25am sharp! And at the end of all training sessions report to the top of the course to help break down!

Cheers,

Coach Pat

“Ski fast…Take chances…”

Hey U16 parents!

Parent volunteers

Just letting you know that Thursday, Friday and Saturday we intend on training GS. If we are lucky enough to get onto Lower Alley Cat (hopefully on Friday) then we will need a lot of help setting up B-netting as soon as the lifts open. Coaches will take an early load on the Quad and begin setting at 7:45am. If parents can meet at the pump house as soon as the Quad opens for the public, we can get the course ready for racers by 9am! Training on Lower Alley Cat ends at 12 noon. We will let you know if the B-netting needs to be taken down at that time!

Beast Shaefer Cup

If your racer is planning on racing at the U19 SL Shaefer Cup at Berkshire East this coming Sunday, you must register by Friday at noon. After that will be considered a late registrant subject to a $20 late fee. Saturday is the last day to register.

Here is a link to adminskiracing.com.

If there is any racer planning on attending the Shaefer Cup, bring BOTH SL and GS gear with you on Saturday. You can train GS in the AM and join the U19 SL training course in the PM.

Please remind your racers to be outside next to the Quad by 8:25am to warm up, and at the end of the day to return to the course to help break down the course and ski out the berms. Thanks so much for your cooperation!

Cheers to a great week of training!

Coach Pat

“Many hands…Light load…”

Hey racers and parents!

Welcome to the 17-18 season! Your coaches are very excited to meet and work with you to improve your skills and get faster! Your coaches this year are: Charles Gagnon, Adam Nielsen and on occasion, Carl Forcheski.

It was great to see everyone this past weekend where we worked on fundamentals such as balance and stance; edging and pressure. My thighs still hurt from our 1-ski skiing off the triple chair on Sunday!!! We will continue to work on fundamentals this coming Saturday with the focus on angulation in the AM and starts/finishes in the PM. Please come prepared to train in your SL skis with no armor or chin guard.

There will be no official training on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. However Coach Adam has generously offered to ski with any U16 who would like to ski as a group for a 1/2 day on Sunday, Christmas Eve!

Holiday Race Camp

Race camp this year begins on Tuesday, December 26th and ends on Saturday, December 30th. Be prepared to ski SL on Tuesday and Wednesday with pole guards, shin and chin guards. Our first race will be on Saturday, January 6th, GS @ Berkshire East (Beast). So we will begin GS specific gate training for it Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Although there will be no official training on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day, Coach Charles has also generously offered to ski with any U16 who would like to ski as a group for a 1/2 day on Sunday, New Year’s Eve!

Tuning & Equipment

Just a few notes for the start to the season. First, make sure that your equipment is properly tuned and waxed. SL skis should be tuned to a 0.5 (or 1) degree base bevel and 3 degree side bevel. GS skis should be tuned to a 1 degree base bevel and 3 degree side bevel. This should first be done by a reputable ski shop. In lower Westchester, I recommend Hickory & Tweed and Pedigree Ski shops. Up at the mountain we currently recommend Mike Steven’s shop and are looking to others as well. Boots should not only fit correctly but should have the appropriate flex. Please ask your coaches if you have any questions regarding equipment.

Looking forward to a great season with your continued support!

Coach Pat

“Ski fast…Take chances”

Hey everyone,

Since the Garden State Ski Club has cancelled their races on Saturday, I will be setting a “fun SL” course on Race Slope on Saturday.

Cheers,

Coach Pat

“Ski fast…Take chances…”

Hey everyone!

Just to let you know and to invite you all to our End-of-the-Year “Potluck” dinner party to be held this coming Saturday evening from 5-8pm hosted by Katie Smith & Chris Cashen (Thanks Katie and Chris!!):

The Farm at Millers Crossing
81 Roxbury Road Hudson NY 12534
farmatmillerscrossing.com 518-851-2331

Tara Mann has graciously accepted the task of organizing the event (Thanks Tara!!) and asks everyone to use the below “genius” link:
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4CABAF2DA1FC1-catamount
It’s been a great season and we will punctuate it with Racer Evaluations and Paper Plate Awards!

Good luck to our racers who will be attending the U14 Training Project at Beast on both Saturday and Sunday!

U12 and all other U14 racers:
Saturday
Free skiing

Sunday
SL “For Fun” on Race Slope

Can’t wait to see you all on the slopes and at the party!

Cheers to a great season!

Coach Pat

“Ski fast…Take chances…”

Congratulations to all of our U14 Championships racers who competed GS at Ski Sundown and SL at Mt. Southington this past weekend! Race course conditions held up despite the weather and Catamount racers represented well!

For the boys, Dax Roy was 2nd place in GS with an overall ranking of 4th and will be racing at Sunday River for Eastern Championships.

For the girls, Winnie Mann was 5th place in GS with an overall ranking of 8th and is the 2nd alternate at Sunday River for Easterns.
And Sage Siegel was 6th place in SL and with an overall ranking of 7th; is the 1st alternate at Sunday River for Easterns.

In addition, the following racers also qualified for a special U14 training project to be held at Berkshire East on the weekend of March 11th & 12th. This special training is to help further develop our top racers and prepare for the Piche Invitational and Eastern Championships. They include the top 15 2003 racers and top 10 2004 racers in the U14 Championship rankings.

U14 Boys (2003)
Dax Roy

U14 Boys (2004)
Greg Levin
Alex Gagnon 1st alternate

U14 Girls (2003)
Sage Siegel
Winnie Mann
Clare Howard

Cheers,

Coach Pat

“Ski fast…Take chances…”