Janss Classic
back in town
"Cowboy Up" this weekend
Former Olympic, World Cup and Pro
Tour ski racers will join locals for the Janss Pro Am Classic skiing and
social event Friday and Saturday, March 26-27 in Sun Valley.
Primary sponsors are Sun Valley
Resort and Smith Sport Optics. Here are some of the blast-from-the-past
names coming for the 2004 Janss Pro Am:
Tamara McKinney, Christin Cooper,
Doug Woodcock, Chris Pravda, Maria Maricich, Steve Porino, Heather Flood
Daves, Mike Frost, Hansi Standteiner, Mark Tache, John Buxman, Paul
Carson and Terry Ahola.
More recent ski notables include
Muffy Davis, Skip Merrick, Zac Crist, Craig Sabina and Karoline Droege,
plus sports psychologist Dr. Jim Taylor and, all the way from Norway,
Einar Bohmer.
Bohmer, a three-time All-American
alpine skier and national champ at the University of Vermont prior to
his graduation in 1992, was the first Norwegian alpine skier at UVM.
The Janss Pro Am, named for the
late Bill Janss, owner of Sun Valley from 1964-77, is the most important
fund-raising activity for the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation—which
oversees Sun Valley’s junior ski and snowboard teams.
This year’s special western theme
is guaranteed to bring out the creativity of local fashion horses. It
revolves around the words "Alpine Rodeo—Giddy Up to Sun Valley." Rustle
up your teammates and sharpen your spurs, er, skis.
There will be a mechanical bull at
the awards banquet, plus hay bales and a trick roper at the headquarters
tent. Talk about combined—there is a prize combining the fastest racing
time and best roping time.
In addition, the 2004 Janss Pro Am
will pay special tribute to a real cowboy, Ketchum’s Jack Simpson. He
was one of the original Sun Valley Ski Team coaches and founders in the
1960s. Some of the original team members will attend.
Born and raised on a farm near
Wendell, Simpson learned "cowboying," on a ranch near Fairfield and
moved to Ketchum in 1939. At 16, he set a course record in the Diamond
Sun race on Baldy. He then devoted his time to putting together a junior
racing program in Sun Valley with people like Butch Harper and Jim
Savaria.
Here is the schedule:
Thursday, March 25:
Opening celebration with hosted cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at 6 p.m.
at The Olympic Bar in Michel’s Christiania along Sun Valley Road in
Ketchum.
Friday, March 26:
Pre-race clinic with SVSEF coaches and pros from 9-10 a.m. on the Warm
Springs side of Baldy. Handicapping runs begin 10:30 a.m. Also in the
afternoon. Apres ski party and team buy-in at Whiskey Jacques in Ketchum
at 5 p.m., with entertainment by Kip Attaway.
Saturday, March 27:
Dual giant slalom runs at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. on the Warm Springs side
of Baldy. Awards celebration dinner, live auction and dance at 6 p.m. in
the Limelight Room of Sun Valley Inn.