Coaching Masters/Adults Turning Your GS Skills Into Super-G Results
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autumn 2016 ussa.org/masters Do you know: USSA • You can get up to ½ point towards the 1 point needed to keep your certification COACHES current by racing in Masters races! • Coaches can add a Masters membership at no cost just by contacting USSA membership. For recertification credit just submit copy of results to [email protected]. Coaching Masters/Adults tactical skills of these Masters for both the helping them to find the speed needed on Valle Nevado, Chile The terrain, firm snow conditions and weather upcoming 2017 season and get them race- race day to climb the podium. make springtime in Valle Nevado one of the ready, by the end of camp, for the 2016 We sat down with these elite-level world’s best pre-season training venues, at - South American FIS Championships held coaches after the camp and races to ask tracting World Cup teams and top junior race in Valle Nevado and La Parva Sept. 15 –17. them to evaluate their experience with programs from around the globe. Making the It is within this spectacular setting in Masters racers. They offered some interest - long trek to Chile once again this past Septem - the Andes and near-perfect training envi - ing observations along with very specific ber, were 38 Masters racers from North Amer - ronment that these six coaches—three of recommendations. —D. Brennan ica and Europe, accompanied by eight whom had never coached Masters before— coaches—among them, three recent World performed their magic: transforming medi - Interview begins on page 4… Cup, National Team and Olympic contenders. ocrity into mastering fundamentals, Their mission: jump-start the technical and changing reluctance to confidence, and We tapped the wisdom of these six coaching giants who joined us at Valle Nevado in September. Anna Goodman, Mike Janyk, Marco Sullivan, Don Sears, Nate Schwing, James Tautkus, Olympian Olympian Olympian Masters Head Coach National Champion Sun Valley Coach Turning your GS Skills into Super-G Results The Western and Eastern Masters Championships feature two SG races SG skis are longer, with more horsepower. If you ever want to and one each SL and GS. With such Masters interest in SG, Ron has put ski these skis at speed, you have to first get used to their length. together another of his always great tech articles to help us. —B.S. Start with free-skiing the long boards in familiar terrain. Your goal should be to become acquainted and eventually intimate with No matter who you are, them. Don’t get the mentality Super G training is difficult Speed can that they are only to be skied to come by. Don’t let this look like GS. with long, fast, carved turns. derail your aspiration of en - Marco Sullivan Skiing shorter—and even skid - tering an SG race or just im - racing in the ded—turns is a sensible way to proving the skills you World Cup DH in start. Foreplay before… well, already have. By availing Kvitfjell Norway, you know. It’s okay if your yourself to existing situa - 2016. friends laugh now, because they tions, you may be able fill will be buying you beer after an in some important gaps in awards ceremony someday. As your training. you become more familiar, in - crease your speed and radius. Free-ski for feel You want to inch it up gradu - Time spent getting used to ally, never getting too far past the long boards is essential. Continued on page 10 News & Info of the Alpine Masters Page 2 events. The Western Regionals, at Park City, will have two SG’s and run concurrently with the FIS Masters Cup races, the only four in - National Chairperson’s Report ternational starts in North American this winter. Then there’s the by Lisa Densmore Ballard, Chair, 2017 U.S. Alpine Masters Nationals. Mammoth is hosting this USSA National Masters Committee can’t-miss event, one of my favorite places to race. By the time you It’s been a busy 1 ½ years since I took over read this, I’ll have made my reservation at the Mammoth Mountain as Chair of USSA’s Masters committee, not Inn, and urge you to, as well. The Inn always fills up early. See you only for me, but also the division chairs there! who are most active in Masters ski racing. Next time you ride up a chairlift with Bill McCollom (Eastern), Nadine Price (New England), Ryan Fuller (Central), Fran Noel (Northern), Gary Randall (Alaska), Rob Cravens (PNSA), Dan Simmons (Far West), Lauren Beckos (Rocky), Stu Marsh (Inter - mountain), as well as Meri Stratton, Esther DellaQuadri and Deb Lewis, please say thank you . These volunteers not only play a critical role in coordinating the ski races you attend, but also lend their brainpower and time to help me move masters ski racing ahead na - tionally. And we have made strides! With the help of Deb Lewis, the 2016 –17 Masters Handbook is again updated to keep pace with our ever-changing sport. Wait ‘til you see what Lauren Beckos has done to improve the Masters poster, too! It’s not only an attractive way to publicize Masters events in all USSA divisions in one place, but now it will hopefully get more people to them. Recruitment continues to be one of the big goals for your national Masters committee. We’re hoping to welcome those from NASTAR, who want more variety and chal - lenge, to Masters racing and have a number of cross-promotions with them underway for this winter. We’re also looking at ways to What to Do With Your raise awareness about the Masters circuit among all levels of college racers. And new this winter, spearheaded by Rob Cravens, I’ll be T2ra0ck1 a7ll tShec uhpceomdinug leveen Pts oansd stheowr your support for hosting a women’s-only ski racing clinic with PNSA to hopefully Masters ski racing. Contact your division chairman or pick up recruit a few moms of junior racers into the Masters ranks. Girls’ some posters at your first race and spread them around! Put it day out! up in your place of work. Project it on your garage door for the Of course, our top priority is to bring you a full calendar of neighbors to see. Frame it and hang it next to your Monet. Dis - topnotch events each winter. This year’s schedule will get you ex - play it in your Victory Meditation Nook. Tape it over your bath - cited about going fast. Once again, you’ll find dozens of opportu - room mirror and pretend that guy is you. Use it to remind nities across the U.S. to test yourself in SL, GS, SG and DH. The yourself when the races are, register early, show up and, win or Eastern Regionals, at Okemo and Suicide Six, will include all four lose, have a hell of a winter. last year, thanks to our President and CEO, Tiger Shaw. Masters Membership News 6. Lisa Densmore Ballard has taken the reins as our national chair - by Bill Skinner, USSA Masters Manager person and has led us with a number of strong initiatives to in - crease membership and communication. The 2017 Masters race season is about to begin. So, here’s your top-10 list of what’s 7. Our 2017 Masters Schedule poster has been printed and will be new: distributed to our division leaders, so get some at your first race and spread them around. 1. Our Masters Membership numbers remain stable. 8. Our 2017 Masters Completion Guide is available online and in print. If you would like hard copy, send me an email and we’ll 2. Our association with NASTAR is strong, send one to you. Or pick one up at an early season race. with our newsletter now going electroni - cally to all platinum and gold medalists 9. In 2018, the U.S. will be hosting the FIS Masters World Champi - over the age of 18. onships (criterium,) location and dates to be announced soon. FIS stickered helmets are now required for Masters GS/SG/DH. 3. Phillips 66 is returning to sponsor our 10. major events. The 2016 –2017 Masters racing season will be a great one, thanks 4. USSA Coaches can now add a Masters membership at no extra to our division volunteers. cost. Division dues may apply. See all of you at the start! 5. Our membership fees have stayed the same, which were reduced Page 3 (Subject 2017 Alpine Masters Schedules to change) Alaska Alpine Masters Feb. 25 –26 . .Massanutten . .GS/SL Jan. 7 . .Alyeska . .GS Info Contact: Horst Locher 540.856.2121 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP EVENTS Jan. 21 . .Alyeska . .GS skisara.org Feb. 4 . .Alyeska . .SL Phillips 66 Masters National Championship Feb. 19 . .Alyeska . .SL Far West Masters Nov. 28 –Dec. 2 Mammoth . .Camp Mar. 13 –18 . Mammoth, CA DH/SG/GS/SL Feb. 25 . .Alyeska . .SL Dec. 3 –4 . .Mammoth . .2SL/GS Bill Skinner 435.647.2633 Mar. 5 . .Alyeska . .SL Dec. 18 –19 . .Alpine Meadows . .SL/SL Mar. 25 . .Alyeska . .GS Jan. 6 –8 . .Heavenly . .2GS/2SL/SL Phillips 66 FIS Masters Cup/ Info: Gary Randall 907.242.2927 Western Championships Jan. 19 –22 . .Mammoth .2DH/2SG/SG Feb. 3 –5 . Park City, UT . .SG/SG/SL/GS Feb. 9 –12 . .Northstar . .2SG/GS/GS Central Alpine Masters Bill Skinner 435.647.2633 Nov. 13 –16 . .Koznick Fall Camp Mar. 4 –5 . .Mt Rose . .GS/GS . .Copper Mtn, CO Masters Nationals Eastern Championships Dec. 17 –18 . .Afton Alps . .2SL/2GS Mar. 13 –18 . .Mammoth .DH/SG/GS/SL Feb. 25-27 .