Hi everyone!

1st I’d like to thank the parents who helped with fencing Lower Alley Cat last Saturday morning! Special thanks to John Guzzi, Dusty, Charles Gagnon, Tara Mann, Marius Stanescu, Jane Smith, Michael Leifer, and Brian Weinberg. It was probably the smoothest and quickest GS setup I’ve experienced at Catamount!!! And thanks to Ken & Kenny Tingley for their help in breaking down. Because of their help, I was able to give the kids video analysis in the timing shack at the bottom of Catamount at the end of the day.

This coming Saturday, any racer not going to championships should meet me in the Taconic Lodge at 8:30 without their boots on. We will watch a couple of videos and then head out focusing on personal skiing and technique (Please bring your SL skis but no need for chin bars or armor). There will be video analysis for each racer and we will spend the day doing many of the drills that we didn’t do this season due to the late start and lack of time.

Unfortunately I have a conflict on Sunday as my older son Harry has an All County Orchestra performance at SUNY Purchase so I won’t be able to be there on our last day of training. The U16’s will be training GS on Lower Alley Cat and Interclub will be setting up a fun Kombi course on Catamount. I will leave it up to each racer where and what they would like to focus on on Sunday. I’ve arranged with the coaches to expect your racers.

Thanks again for a great season! It was wonderful working with and getting to know your kids. I saw a tremendous amount of improvement this season in every single racer. Some racers learned how to clear SL gates, some learned to make pole plants, some learned to shin stubbies, some learned how to carve, some learned how to separate their upper and lower body, some improved their inspection techniques at races, some improved their race “mental” game. Many times learning a new skill comes with a temporary slower time. Don’t let it get you down. Frustration is a natural and sometimes necessary step in our learning process. It often provides us with motivation to change our movement patterns. I’m already looking forward to next season so we can improve even more!

Let’s not forget to thank Peter Chudy with his tireless help (and $!!!) in getting us capes, TV’s, Apple TV’s for video analysis and apparel! Dusty and Charles for their constant help every day of training. And Steve Adams and the mountain in making sure that we get the trails, snow and equipment that we need every training session. A lot of coordination goes on behind the scenes so that we can get the best training possible.

And finally special thanks to Coaches Peter Cross, Sonia Tatlock-Gagnon and Chris Cashen. It’s been an awesome season working with you!!!

Have a great “Off Season” and “ski you later!”

Coach Pat

Hi everyone,

Please click on the links below to access your race video, courtesy of Coach Sonia!

Enjoy!

Coach Pat

“Ski fast…Take chances…”

Bousquet GS

Beast GS

Butternut SL

Hi everyone!

The U16’s will be training SL tonight @ 6pm on Catamount. Any U14 is welcome to join Lars on the hill.

Coach Pat

“Ski fast…Take chances…”

Hey Racers!

Just letting you know the plan for this weekend’s training. Please be prepared to train GS Saturday on Lower Alley Cat and SL Sunday on Catamount. Please meet your coach at the bottom of the Quad at 8:30am sharp to warm up. The goal of this weekend’s training is to practice inspecting each course with a partner with minimal direction from the coach.

*****Parents we can really use your help in putting up fencing again!!! Due to safety issues, no one can practice on the GS training course until proper fencing is set. Please find and drag or carry a roll of B-netting located at the flat, skier’s left, above the pump house, to the top of Lower Alley Cat at 8:45am (you do not need poles) where you will be directed on how and where to help put up fencing. The quicker we get the fencing up, the quicker your racers can get on the practice course!*****

Thanks in advance for your amazing help!

Saturday – GS Full Course

1. Inspect the course with a partner – Do you know how many meters the course setter set the course at? Remember to look back and up the hill at every feature.

a. Look at the start – Is it flat? Pitched? Does it lead straight into the 1st gate or do you have to ski across the fall line to reach it?

b. Look at the pitch, are the gates set rhythmically with consistent offset? Are there any fall away gates that you need to set up early for? Where is the fall line? Are there any heavy left or right footers? Are there any compressions that you need to be prepared for?

c. When you inspect the delay, stand at the entrance to the through gate, look up the hill and down. Then stand at the exit, look up the hill and down. Imagine yourself at speed. How are you going to take the delay? High, medium or low?

d. Look at the flats, where can you drop into a high/half tuck? Can you drop into a full tuck? Is there anywhere that you can generate speed?

e. Look at the finish, where can you drop into a high/half tuck? Where can you drop into a full tuck? On which side of the finish will you be?

Try not to memorize every nook and cranny of the course. Trust your careful inspection that you can let your reflexes take care of the easy parts of the course. However, concentrate and memorize the tough parts of the course. Maybe there’s a particular cranker, difficult exit from the delay gate, a fall away gate or compression.

2. Check your inspection with a coach at the bottom of the course.

3. Run the course as if it were a race. If you train casually, then you’ll race casually.

4. Ask for feedback. Your coaches will give you feedback, but it’s helpful if YOU know what you’re working on and share it with your coach.

Sunday – SL Full Course

1. Inspect the course with a partner – Do you know how many meters the course setter set the course at? Remember to look back and up the hill at every combination or feature.

a. Look at the start – Is it flat? Pitched? Do you need to skate to the 1st gate?

b. Look at each rhythm section. Are the offsets consistent? Are there any crankers? Are there any tight gates?

c. When you inspect the delay, stand at the entrance to the through gate, look up the hill and down. Then stand at the exit, look up the hill and down. Imagine yourself at speed. How are you going to take the delay? ON/ON, ON/OFF or OFF/ON?

d. Look at the pitch, are the gates set rhythmically with consistent offset? Are there any fall away gates that you need to set up early for? Where is the fall line? Are there any heavy left or right footers? Are there any compressions that you need to be prepared for?

e. Look at each vertical combination. Is it a hairpin? Is it a flush? Stand at the entrance to the combination and look up the hill and down. Then stand at the exit, look up the hill and down. Imagine yourself at speed. Is the entrance difficult? Is the exit difficult? Do you need to set up early?

f. Look at the finish. On which side of the finish will you be?

Try not to memorize every single little detail about the course, but do memorize the order of the combinations so you know what to expect. Trust your careful inspection that you can let your reflexes take care of the easy parts of the course. However, concentrate and memorize the tough parts of the course. Maybe there’s a difficult exit to the flush, or a particular cranker on the exit of the last hairpin, a really offset exit from the delay gate, a fall away gate or compression.

2. Check your inspection with a coach at the bottom of the course

3. Run the course as if it were a race.

4. Ask for feedback.

Coach Pat : )

“Ski fast…Take chances…”

Hi everyone,

Congratulations to the following U14 racers who made it to Tristate Championships to be held at Blandford (SL on Saturday, March 5th) and Berkshire East (GS on Sunday, March 6th)! Please click on the links below to see the attached final season’s standings for girls and boys.

U14 Girls

Sage Siegel

Francesca Mann

U14 Boys

Achille Saracheck

Dax Roy

Adam Hess

Will Cross

Stanley Spence

Ethan Leifer

Colby Stevens

Congratulations to all!

Coach Pat

“Ski fast…Take chances…”

U14F Final Season Standings

U14M Final Season Standings

Hi everyone!

Congratulations to the following racers who made it to the Piche GS qualifier this coming Saturday being held at Wachusett Mountain Ski Area!

Great job to all our racers at our 2nd SL and last race of the season! The course held up surprisingly well in the morning. However in the afternoon, as I heard one parent say, “the kids looked like they disappeared in the ruts”! Congratulations to all our racers today and to their great improvement this season!

Click on the link below to check out today’s results.

Special thanks to Charles Gagnon and Coach Larry Hess in helping with getting racers ready at the start. slipping the course and running coats and shorts down to the finish!

Butternut Tristate U12_U14 Girls Slalom 02_21_16

Butternut Tristate U12_14 Boys Slalom 02_21_16

Hi everyone!

As you may have heard, the temperatures this weekend will fall to the single digits with a high risk of frostbite. PLEASE make sure that your racer has every bit of exposed skin covered with a face mask and goggles. Make sure to bring hand warmers and toe warmers and extra layers of clothes. We will make sure to take plenty of hot chocolate breaks to warm up. Watch out for white/grey patches of skin!

Ski you later!

Coach Pat

“Ski fast…take chances…”

Hi everyone!

Just letting you know the plan for this weekend’s training. Please be prepared to train SL for both days. (Except for U14 Boys & Girls who think they might be selected for the Piche Qualifier at Wachusett; I’ve arranged for you to work with the U16’s and U19’s on Sunday on Lower Alley Cat (U12’s please be patient, you will work with the U19’s on February 20th when the set will be around 24-25m!)). Please meet your coach at the bottom of Catamount at 8:30am sharp to warm up. Just a reminder to parents – since we will be on Catamount we will not need you to put up B-netting!

Saturday AM – Combinations & Rhythm

1. Flush/Hairpin corridor on the flat – looking for single (outside or favorite) hand clear and smooth transitions from flushes to hairpins to flushes and back.

2. Diamond Hitch onto the steep – practice your outside hand clear without punching or reaching on your favorite or weak side.

Saturday PM – Full Course

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

Sunday AM – drills (or GS training)

Potential Piche U14’s practice GS with u19’s

Sunday PM – full SL course or head to head training

Inspect the course then put everything together from the morning training in a course with hairpins, flush and delay (under) gate. If we have enough people, I’ll set up a head to head course!

Ski you Saturday!

Coach Pat : )

“Ski fast…Take chances…”