Sun Valley Blog

Mini world cup

Adele Savaria; adelesav@cox.net

Coaches at 8:30

Bill Janss Pro-Am is a benefit race for the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation Athletes. This is a dual giant slalom team event. Racing begins at 10:30am on the Warm Springs side of Bald Mountain. For more information, contact the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation at (208) 726-4129 or www.svsef.org.

USSA J-3 Junior Olymic Qualifying Giant Slalom Racing is on Hemingway and Greyhawk, and the Slalom Racing is on Cozy starting at 9:30am. For more information, contact the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation at (208) 726-4129 or www.svsef.org.

USSA J-4, J-5 and J-6  slalom race sponsored by the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation. For more information, contact the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation at (208) 726-4129 or visit their website at www.svsef.org.

USSA J-4, J-5 and J-6 giant slalom race sponsored by the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation. For more information, contact the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation at (208) 726-4129 or visit their website at www.svsef.org.

The SVSEF Freestyle team celebrates the end of the 2009/2010 season with some fun, turns, and blue sky on Baldy. Thanks to Coach Jeff Page for the video!

Watch as SVSEF’s little rippers shred Dollar Mountain’s Terrain Park this spring. Keep an eye out for these kids in the next few years, they are our future!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7S5vuk5nkcQ

Founded in 1988 by Beverly Hay DeChevrieux and sponsored by Thomas Weisel Partners, the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation Fundraiser, the Janss Pro-Am is back this weekend! An all-weekend event with 22 registered teams, The Janss mixes a “Pro Racer” with four amateur racers, skiers or snowboarders. The teams then compete for racing titles and costume prizes throughout the weekend of parties and on-snow races. Rumors of costume themes from some of this year’s teams include Mardi Gras, School Spirit and White Trash Wedding. Last year’s champion team, the Community School, is back to defend their title. As is last year’s costume winner, Koth Sports. There has even been sightings of “Bad Cops” and “Indian Princesses”, so keep an eye out on the slopes this weekend for troublemakers in costumes zooming around Lower Warm Springs and around town!

2010 Janss Pro-Am events include tonight’s opening celebration Pro Party at Michel’s Christiana, Friday’s Apres-Ski party at Whiskey Jacques, and Saturday’s Award Banquet and Dinner at the Sun Valley Inn’s Limelight Room.  Benefiting the SVSEF’s Nordic, Alpine, Freestyle and Snowboard teams, this weekend’s event is one of the Foundation’s biggest fundraisers of the year. Big thanks to all that participate and sponsor the fun!

For the past 23 years, Rick Kapala has been the Nordic coach for the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation, developing, mentoring, coaching and teaching hundreds of Valley youth. He has coached Olympians, National Champions, world-class coaches, and kids who just love to ski. As the Head Coach and Nordic Program Director, Kapala has two athletes (Morgan Arritola and Simi Hamilton) from his Nordic Olympic Development Team finishing competition at the 2010 Winter Olympics and with 29 years of coaching under his belt. Rick has been named USSA Cross Country Coach of the year three times throughout his career and has coached internationally for the US Team at World Juniors, the World Championships, and the Polar Cup. The SVSEF Nordic Program, under Rick and the rest of the SVSEF staff’s incredible tutelage, was named Program of the Year in 2009.

When coaching skiing, Rick can be found enjoying the many outdoor pleasures of the valley, wrecking havic at the Ski Team Hut or skiing in an ill-fitting Santa suit. 

Five Things this Nordic coach loves about Sun Valley:
1) My wife Bridget.
2) The Ski Team. The kids are all great and the Team is so much of my life.
3) The People.  No shortage of wonderful people who love life and give so much of themselves.
4) The Fishing.  (Keep this one quiet).
5) The Mountains and the Rivers.  The adventures are endless.

The Vancouver Games are in full swing this week as curling fills daytime TV, Shaun White and Shani Davis defend their gold medals, figure skating draws millions of TV viewers each prime time, Gold medalist Hannah Kearney sets the stage in the moguls, and stars like Apolo Anton Ohno, Lindsey Jacobellis, Jeret Peterson, Kikkan Randall, Kelly Clark, Bode Miller, Julia Mancuso and Lindsey Vonn continue to display the Olympic spirit.

And in this valley, we have our very own Olympic heroes. Graham Wantanabe, Morgan Arritola, and Simi Hamilton continue to represent the Olympic spirit that is so alive in this country and this community.

Two-time Olympian Graham Wantanabe, who hails from Hailey, is one the brightest, friendliest faces of the games. Always with a kind smile and with anecdotes to make you laugh (telling reporters in Vancouver, “Try to imagine Pegasus mating with a unicorn. And the offspring . . . I’d somehow tame it and ride it into the clouds, the sunshine and rainbows. That’s how I feel.”), Graham is a role model to snowboarders, athletes, and fans all over the world. During the Men’s BoarderCross comp on Tuesday, Graham made it out of the qualifying rounds as the fastest American, with the second fastest time overall. Unfortunately, a small bobble in the finals eliminated his chance in the medal round, while defending gold medalist, American Seth Wescott went on to win his second gold medal. These games may not have ended as Graham had hoped, the valley and local community continues to be incredibly proud of our Olympic Champion and can’t wait to see him back on the slopes of Bald Mountain sometime soon. Congrats, Graham!

Nordic skiers and SVSEF Olympic Development Team athletes, Morgan Arritola and Simi Hamilton made their Olympic debuts this week. Arritola, who only began skiing seven years ago, finished as the second fastest American female in the 10K sprint race. Her finish at the middle of the pack, in 34th place, serves as a successful beginning to what we can only hope is a long and successful Olympic career for Morgan. Simi Hamilton, too, had an incredibly successful beginning to his Olympic story. Simi made it past the qualification round in Wednesday’s Individual Sprint and finished as the fastest American man in 29th place.

Both Morgan and Simi are expected to race in the coming pursuits so don’t miss your chance to cheer on more local heroes! Morgan will compete again Friday in the 15K Pursuit, starting at 12 pm (Mountain Time Zone) and Simi will race in Saturday’s 30K Pursuit, beginning at 12:30 pm (Mountain Time Zone).