Hey everyone!

Just a reminder that Coach Doug has video of each racer from the Butternut SL (Thanks Coach Doug!) and will share it tomorrow in the Taconic Lodge from 12noon-2pm along with Coach Greg (Thanks Coach Greg!) and Coach Sonia’s presentation on SL & GS turns, terminology and how skills apply to each discipline (Thanks Coach Sonia!).

Please feel free to free ski (on your GS skis!) tomorrow but meet at the TV in the Taconic Lodge for the video/presentation.

Cheers,

Coach Pat

“Ski fast…Take chances…”

Hi everyone!

We are calling for parents to volunteer early on Saturday morning to help the U19 coaches set up safety netting on Lower Alley Cat in order to train for GS. The higher speeds and relatively narrow trails require “B” netting to be set up before racers can train. Once the netting is set up on Saturday, it can be kept up until Monday when the U12/U14/U16’s take the hill to also train for GS.

Please be ready to board the Quad at 8:20am without your poles. A coach should be there to direct parents to locate and carry/drag bundles of netting from skier’s left at the flat before the Pumphouse to the practice course on Lower Alley Cat.

Mark Colman, Ken Tingley and Ken Tingley, Jr are the U19 coaches and they will help direct you with the netting.

Then on Monday at 12 Noon, please come help break down the safety netting (no poles please!). The netting has to be tied into bundles and brought to the finish shack located at the bottom of Lower Alley Cat.

Please email me at: liupatrickm@gmail.com to let me know if you’re available to help out!

Thanks so much in advance!

Cheers,

Coach Pat

“Many hands…light load!!!”

Hi everyone! Here are the plans for this weekend’s GS training in preparation for our race at Bousquet on Sunday, January 22.

Saturday 1/14

AM – Race Slope
8:30am – 11am
Flat – Apex drill with GS rhythm course
Flat to Dropoff – GS rhythm course with turning brush above and below the gate

PM – Race Slope
12pm – 2pm
Flat – Delay gates in GS
Flat to Dropoff – GS rhythm course with brushes marking the transition.

Sunday 1/15

Taconic Lodge TV
12pm – 2pm
Video analysis of Butternut SL
Presentation and video of path of CM and skis in SL turn. Angulation and Upper Body/Lower Body Separation. How the path and skills adjust to GS turn

Monday 1/16

AM – Lower Alley Cat (with the U16’s)
8:30am – 12pm
GS training

PM – Drills on Race Slope and/or Catamount
1pm – 2pm

Make sure to remove your racer’s SL chin guard from their helmet!

Looking forward to seeing everyone this weekend!

Coach Pat

“Ski fast…Take chances…”

Hey everyone!

Race Camp

Great work last week from focusing on fundamentals the first two days to introducing slalom racing to our newest Tristate racers. From getting back in the groove for our returning Tristate racers to our full course and head-to-head race on Saturday, we saw so much improvement from everyone! Big thanks to our coaches: Sonia Tatlock-Gagnon; Chris Cashen; Alex Jacobsen; Doug Mann; Greg Smith and Kytek Ciecierski. Their tireless efforts in coming early to set our practice courses, giving excellent feedback for our racers and overall positive team spirit made the camp a success!

Saturday Training

Just a reminder to everyone that our first race is held at Butternut (SL) this coming Sunday. We will be training on the “new” Race Slope on Saturday in preparation for the race so make sure to bring your slalom gear. Lunch time on Saturday will depend on training time. Also make sure that your skis are tuned/sharpened and waxed for the race. Coach Stan Soja, a TOKO rep, often gives us a “tuning report” to help guide our prep work.

Race Registration

If you haven’t registered for the race, you must do so on the Tristate Schedule for the Western MA Series. Registration is online at Adminskiracing. The deadline to register is 6pm, Saturday, January 7th. Avoid the $10 late fee by registering before Friday, January 6th at 7pm!

Race Day

Check in at Butternut occurs between 7:30am-9am at the Upper Lodge located at the top of the beginner chair. Course inspection begins at 9am and the race begins at 9:30am. Make sure to get there early so your racer can get a proper inspection of the course. Racers will be assigned a bib and number at check in. They are responsible for making their way to the start BEFORE their bib # is called. If a racer misses their start, they will automatically be placed at the end of their age/gender group. The order of every race is as follows: U12 Girls; U12 Boys; U14 Girls; U14 Boys. Each racer will be assigned a “flight” of A, B, C or D for the duration of the regular season. The 1st race at Butternut goes in bib # order from A-D. The 2nd race at Bousquet will follow the order B, C, D, A and so on. This order rotation ensures that every racer will experience a preferable start time throughout the season. At the end of the 1st run, the course is reset and then opened for inspection. The 2nd run usually begins about an hour after the last racer finishes from the 1st run.

Please feel free to ask if you have any questions regarding the race!

Go Catamount!

Coach Pat
liupatrickm@gmail.com

“Ski fast…Take chances…)

Hey everyone!

Happy New Year to all! We will be training a full day tomorrow, New Year’s Eve. There will be NO training on New Year’s Day. Be sure to bring your full slalom gear. The mountain will be open on New Year’s Day so feel free to come to the mountain and free ski with your family.

We’ve had a great week training together and have seen great improvement in all of our racers. We will finish the week with a full course on the Race Slope in the morning and then head-to-head racing in the afternoon!

See you in the morning,

Coach Pat

“Ski fast…Take chances…”

Hey racers and parents!
Just a reminder that tomorrow we will be training slalom. Please make sure your racer attaches their chin guard, brings their shin guards and poles with pole guards if they have them. Racers new to slalom gates please don’t worry about this equipment. We will let you know if you need any of the above.

Also a reminder that the meeting time is 830am outside at the Quad. Please do not be late!

See you in the AM!

Coach Pat

“Ski fast…Take chances”

Hi everyone!

Tomorrow, Saturday the 17th of December, is our 1st day of training! Please make your way to the Taconic Lodge (the big bubble) around 8am to check in with Lindsy Adams. Please be ready to meet your coaches and go outside by 8:40am. We normally meet outside at 8:30am however the 1st day is always hectic getting passes, lockers, equipment, making announcements, etc.

Remember to keep your equipment outside and leaning up against a ski rack. Please do not leave skis and/or poles laying on the ground interfering with foot/ski traffic and/or ski patrol/snowmobile traffic.

Get psyched for the snow!

Cheers to the new season,

Coach Pat

“Ski fast…Take chances”

Hey racers and parents!

Welcome to the 16-17 season! Your coaches are very excited to meet and work with you to improve your skills and get faster! Your coaches this year are: Sonia Tatlock-Gagnon, Chris Cashen, Doug Mann, Greg Smith, Kytek Ciecierska and maybe Alex Jacobsen.

With the luxury of open terrain provided by mother nature this year. We will focus on ski fundamentals such as balance and stance; edging and pressure, and rotary and angulation for the first 7 days. Please come prepared to train in your SL skis with no armor or chin guard.

At the first Saturday training, we will first group by age level and then make our necessary adjustments over the next couple of days. If your racer isn’t in the same group with his or her friends, assure them that once we transition into gate training, everyone trains together. Please have your GS skis tuned and ready to go midweek as we will take some turns with them as we focus on angulation.

Just a few notes for the start to the season. First, make sure that your equipment is properly tuned and waxed. For those of you who are able to carve well, SL skis should be tuned to a 0.5 degree base bevel and 2 or 3 degree side bevel (if you are just starting to bevel your skis then begin with 2 degrees. If you are currently side beveling to 3 degrees, stay with it). GS skis should be tuned to a 1 degree base bevel and 2 or 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. Kytek has volunteered to focus and explain about gear tuning and preferences at this level of racing on Sunday morning at 9:30am in the Taconic Lodge.

Our first race will be on Sunday, January 8th, SL @ Butternut. So we will begin SL specific gate training for it midweek during Holiday Week Race Camp as well as Saturday, January 7th.

Looking forward to a great season with your continued support!

Coach Pat

“Ski fast…Take chances”

Congratulations to the following racers at their respective events! Please click on the below links for race results.

Special recognition goes to Greg Levin in his qualifying for the Francis Piche Invitational @ Gunstock and to Achille Saracheck in his qualifying for Eastern Championships @ Sunday River!

Congratulations to all!!!

U12 Championships

Boy’s SL

Alex Gagnon – 8th place

Greg Levin – 9th place

Connelly Cashen – 15th place

Boy’s GS

Greg Levin – 5th place

Alex Gagnon – 9th place

Connelly Cashen – 18th place

U12 Piche Invitational

Greg Levin – GS 35th place

U14 Championships

Girl’s SL

Frannie Mann – 34th place

Winnie Mann – 40th place

Girl’s GS

Frannie Mann – 21st place

Sage Siegel – 28th place

Winnie Mann – 33rd place

Boy’s SL

Achille Saracheck -1st place

Dax Roy – 43rd place

Adam Hess – 48th place

Will Cross – 49th place

Stanley Spence – 53rd place

Boy’s GS

Ethan Leifer -21st place

Dax Roy – 23rd place

Will Cross – 36th place

Adam Hess – 41st place

Stanley Spence – 56th place

U14 Eastern Championships

Achille Saracheck – GS 43rd place

Links

Boy’s U12 Chamionships – SL

http://assets.ngin.com/attachments/document/0094/0265/southington_b.pdf

Boy’s U12 Championsips – GS

http://assets.ngin.com/attachments/document/0094/0267/sundown_B.pdf

Francis Piche Invitational

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B7d041Uayi_VVU0wRnNwWU9BLUk&usp=sharing

Girl’s U14 Championships – SL

http://assets.ngin.com/attachments/document/0094/0254/Blandford_U14_G.pdf

Boy’s U14 Championships – SL

http://assets.ngin.com/attachments/document/0094/0253/Blandford_B_U14.pdf

Girl’s U14 Championships – GS

U14 Championships Women results Beast

Boy’s U14 Championships – GS

U14 Championships Mens results Beast

USSA Eastern Championships – GS

http://ussalivetiming.com/race/usa-me-sunday-river-u14-eastern-championships_2332.html