For the week of April 2 - 8, 2003

Janss Classic does
the Fifties right

And raises $100,000 for
Sun Valley ski teams

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"Back to the 50s," was the theme of the three-day, sixth annual Janss Pro-Am Classic that attracted 22 six-member teams and 132 enthusiastic ski racers last weekend at Sun Valley.

It’s always good to see Christin Cooper racing through the gates on Baldy, like she did in the Janss Classic. Express photo by Willy Cook.

That meant poodle dresses, muscle t-shirts and slicked-down hair, horn-rimmed glasses and bowling shirts. But the spirit was that of a Sun Valley fund-raiser. That was "giving back."

The Janss Pro-Am, honoring the memory of 1964-77 Sun Valley owner Bill Janss, is the largest fundraiser supporting the SVSEF alpine, snowboard, freestyle and cross-country ski teams for nearly 400 children in the Wood River Valley.

SVSEF executive director Don Wiseman said Monday, "It looks like we’re going to be right around the $100,000 we raised at last year’s Janss Classic. Given this is a slow economy, we’re very pleased."

Jennifer Galpin-Mikesh, dressed fiftyish during Saturday’s awards dinner at Sun Valley Skating Center. Express photo by Willy Cook

Last year’s team winner was Surefoot headed by former pro racer and Ketchum resident Billy Shaw. Wiseman said, "Billy Shaw established a precedent last year when he donated all the winnings to the new Bill Janss Scholarship Fund."

Similarly, this year’s team winners and finalists continued the new tradition by donating back their winnings, nearly $23,000 in all, to the ski foundation and its Janss Scholarship Fund.

Tying for first place and electing to stay tied instead of invoking the handicap rule was Occasionally Plaid captained by John Buxman and The Hoola-Coops led by Christin Cooper.

On Occasionally Plaid were Buxman, Frank and Judy Jellinek, Robert Hall, J.V. and Toni Brown. On Hoola-Coops were ex-U.S. Ski Team star Christin Cooper, Goose Garrett, Benjy Walker, Cameron Cooper, Colleen Coyne and Margie Cooper.

The spoils of winning: $7,110.

In third place was Sh-Boom-Boom with pro Nick Maricich, Dave Butterfield, Maureen Baker, Kent Lyons, Diane Morris and George Lyons Jr.

Taking fourth place were the Wells Flying Fargos with pro Heather Flood Daves, Alma Mills, Neil Siegel, David Logsdon, Eric Rizza and John Sofro.

Janss teams had colorful names including Atomic Bombs, The Cruisers, Edie and the Pussycats, Millennium Falcons and Rudi’s Rockets.

The Edie and the Pussycats team, from left, Happy Hawn, Heather Black, Amanda Black, Edith Thys Morgan, Regan Wilson and Michelle Ferris. Check next week’s Local Life section for more Janss Classic photos. Express photo by Willy Cook.

The pros were a who’s who of terrific ski racers like Scott Hoffman, Edith Thys Morgan, Tyler Palmer, Mark Stiegemeier, Mike Frost, Mark Tache, Skip Merrick, Terry Palmer, Billy Shaw and Hansi Standteiner.

Winning the Janss Speed Cup for a fourth straight year was "Team R" with Hank Minor, Pat Savaria, Karoline Droege, Adele Savaria, Tyler Ferris and pro Pat Bauman.

Ferris was a great addition to "Team R" since he captured the prize for "Fastest Amateur." The fastest amateur woman was Adele Savaria. Here were the fastest times for each of Saturday’s two qualifying runs:

Pro men, first run: 1—Skip Merrick 21.44. 2—Nick Maricich 21.77. 3—John Buxman 21.97. 4—Hansi Standteiner 22.19. 5—Mark Tache 22.55. Second run: 1—Merrick 21.52. 2—Maricich 22.21. 3—Standteiner 22.27. 4—Buxman 22.60. 5—Terry Ahola 22.69.

Pro women, first run: 1—Edith Thys Morgan 23.12. 2—Heather Flood Daves 23.83. 3—Christin Cooper 24.47. 4—Erika Whittaker 26.08. 5—Sondra Van Ert 27.86. Second run: 1—Thys Morgan 23.26. 2—Flood Daves 24.06. 3—Cooper 24.47. 4—Whittaker 25.12. 5—Van Ert 27.99.

Amateur men, first run: 1—Pat Savaria and Tyler Ferris 21.86. 3—Eric Carlson 22.19. 4—Hank Minor 22.29. 5—Kipp Nelson 22.96. Second run: 1—Ferris 21.52. 2—Savaria 21.96. 3—Carlson 22.11. 4—Minor 22.30. 5—Eric McCormack 22.93.

Amateur women, first run: 1—Adele Savaria 23.12. 2—Karoline Droege 23.15. 3—Stephanie Nelson 24.08. 4—Heather Black 24.42. 5—Melissa Harrison 24.74. Second run: 1—Adele Savaria 23.04. 2—Droege 23.22. 3—Regan Wilson 24.84. 4—Nelson 25.14. 5—Heather Black 25.38.

Among special prizes: "Best Crash," to D.J. Hart; "Slowest Run," to Margie Cooper; and "Most Inspirational," to George Lyons Jr., 85 years young.

One of the main live auction items Saturday was a restored 1950 Chevy Bel Air hard-top coupe donated anonymously. It sold for $8,000—the same sale price as a lamb asado dinner for 30 people prepared by Ruben Macaya in your own backyard.

Live auction items included two Mt. Rainier summit climbs donated by Peter and Erika Whittaker ($1,200); a pair of Rossignol skis autographed by U.S. Ski Team star Bode Miller ($1,000); a gourmet dinner with wine for eight people prepared by Scott Mason of Ketchum Grill ($1,200); and three nights at a luxury spa near San Diego ($1,600).

Saturday’s awards party featured the drawing for a season-long SVSEF raffle of a 2003 Ford Explorer XLT with an exchange value of over $30,000, sponsored by Sawtooth Auto Sales. The winner was Nan Stone of Ketchum. Selling the most tickets, 60 at $100 apiece, was Riley Berman.

Title sponsors were Sun Valley Company, Smith Sport Optics, Atomic, Mountain West Bank, Atkinsons’, Surefoot, Tully’s Coffee and Zenergy at Thunder Spring.

Check next week’s Local Life section in the printed editon of the Idaho Mountain Express for more Janss Classic photos.

 

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