For former Sun Valley Ski Team member Elitsa Storey, competing in the Hartford U.S. Disabled Nationals next door to her home turf is ideal. The 20-year-old, who was born in Bulgaria and grew up in Sun Valley, is ripping through the Nationals at nearby Soldier Mountain, north of Fairfield, with hometown family and friends cheering her on.
Storey is a stand-up, a "three-tracker"—who skis with outriggers and a lone ski.
On Tuesday, the first of four days of competition, Storey finished second in both the National Disabled downhill as well as a Nor Am downhill. Her U.S. Disabled Ski Team teammate and Paralympian Allison Jones of Colorado Springs finished just seconds ahead of her in both races. On Wednesday during the super G, the results were exactly the same: Jones won and Storey was second.
Other U.S. athletes racing are four-time Paralympian Monte Meier, 2007 U.S. Slalom champion Brad Washburn, Paralympic gold medallist Kevin Bramble and Paralympian Gerald Hayden.
Sit-skier Bramble won Tuesday's downhill, beating Joe Tompkins, who has not lost a race in nine years. Washburn netted a first in the Nor Am downhill, a second in the U.S. Disabled downhill to George Sansonetis and on Wednesday finished second again to Sansonetis.
"The U.S. Disabled Alpine Championships gives development athletes the opportunity to challenge the current team members," U.S. Disabled Program Director Sandy Metzger said. "It is exciting at Nationals to see the future talent compete against the current team members."
On Thursday a Pro-Am race was held to benefit the Wood River Ability Program. When Storey was quite young, program Executive Director Marc Mast took her under his wing and taught her to ski. The teams consist of four skiers, made up of athletes from the U.S. Disabled Ski Team, team alumni and members of the Wood River Ability Program.
"All the downhills were canceled because of weather in Europe this season, so by running the downhill here it means the U.S. Disabled Team is the only team in the world with downhill points," Mast said.
Unlike the Special Olympics, which are for cognitively and developmentally disabled athletes who ski on specially designed courses, disabled athletes are physically disabled and compete on Fédération Internationale de Ski, or FIS, courses, as do able-bodied athletes. Many of these athletes were injured in military action. In fact, this is the first Nationals in which wounded vets from both the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts are competing.
After the final races, on Saturday, March 8, an awards ceremony and dinner will be held at the American Legion Hall in Ketchum. Following the dinner, at 9 p.m., the skiers, Hartford folks and guests will travel south to The Mint in Hailey for a celebration party. Music will be provided by the Hailey All-Stars, a band that consists of Todd Rippo, Keith Joe Dick, Chip Booth, Kim Stocking, Mike Saul, Josh Kelly, Jeff Rew, Judith McQueen and Allan Kaufman. Everyone is welcome to come mingle with the athletes.
Disabled Races at Soldier Mountain
Friday, March 7, 10 a.m.
Men's and women's giant slalom
Saturday, March 8, 11 a.m.
Men's and women's slalom
Elitsa Storey
