Sun Valley's Bergen Palmer had quite a weekend during the Intermountain Division North Series A-J3 super giant slalom series Jan. 16-18 on Moran run at Jackson Hole (Wyo.) Mountain Resort.
After placing fourth overall in Saturday's first of three SG runs, second-year J2 (ages 15-16) Palmer was the outright .58-second winner of Saturday's afternoon run for 78 finishers. And Palmer also won Sunday's SG finale by .04 seconds.
Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation (SVSEF) racer Palmer had the top results of the 39 SVSEF and Hailey Ski Team kids competing in the two-day event open to ages 13-19. There were 86 boys and 57 girls from Idaho, Utah and Wyoming.
Besides Palmer's three podiums in the J2 class, there were other local podium finishers topped by Nina Hirner, who won the girls' J2 class in all three races. Second-year J2 Hirner finished second of 53 girls Sunday.
Joining the podium group were Cate Fairley, Karlee Stagg, Natalie Vorsteveld, Amanda Stelling, Scott Smith and Willie Adicoff.
Here are the local racers with their best class placing of the Jackson Hole series:
Boys: 1—Bergen Palmer. 2—Scott Smith. 3—Willie Adicoff. 4—Kipling Weisel. 5—Gregory Roos. 6—Harlan Collins and KJ Savaria. 7—Ryan Foster. 10—Connor Farrow. 11—Ben Kanellitsas. 12—Hunter Weaver and Tim Kanellitsas. 13—Dylan Carroll. 14—Tanner Dirstine. 17—Cole Caulkins and Jordan Levin. 24—Christopher Nalen. 33—Colin Waycott. 36—Taylor Adler. 41—Alexandre Bridgeman. 42—Zack Freeman. 43—Michael Weaver. 47—Logan Shipley. 49—Lane Coulthard. 51—Rocket Stickney.
Girls: 1—Nina Hirner. 2—Cate Fairley and Karlee Stagg. 3—Amanda Stelling and Natalie Vorsteveld. 4—Reta Flynt. 5—Nicole Roos. 7—Teagen Palmer. 24—Isobel Pollock. 27—Corrine Smith. 28—Emily Gillespie. 31—Natalie Bunting. 34—Marlow Mizer. 37—Sofia DeWolfe.
Skoch Cup brings Masters to Baldy
The Skoch Cup is coming to town and Bald Mountain, sponsored by Formula Sports.
Starting Friday, Jan. 23, a wildly varied assortment of ski racers aged 18-and-above will convene on the Warm Springs side of Baldy and compete for honors based on their combined results in super giant slalom, giant slalom and slalom.
Besides glory, $1,000 in prize money will be divided between top overall finishers in both women's and men's classifications.
This annual USSA race has been held for many years in honor of Sun Valley Masters racer Bob Skoch, a devoted ski racer committed to promoting skiing. As in past years, Formula Sports owner Bob Gordon is sponsoring the event, along with the Sun Valley Ski Club and the Intermountain Masters Division.
Social events include an awards ceremony (and food) at Carol's Dollar Mountain Lodge Saturday night for the SG and giant slalom. Overall awards will be announced shortly after the slalom on Sunday.
Besides its devoted volunteers, the Sun Valley Ski Club would like to thank the Sun Valley Race Department led by Mike Wrobel and the Sun Valley Mountain management for hosting the event, according to Ken Dreyer of the ski club.
The Skoch Cup is an Intermountain Division Masters ski race open to ages 18 and above. Contact Dreyer 720-7554 for more information on eligibility or if you are interested in participating in this regional event (day licenses will be available).
Early registration is Thursday between 11 a.m. and 12 noon at the Warm Springs Lodge. Race day check-in will be between 7:30-8:15 a.m. at the Warm Springs Lodge.
Town Series racing returns to Cozy today
Wednesday mornings on Baldy won't be the same starting Wednesday, Jan. 21. They'll be better. That's because the 18th annual Sun Valley Town Series is coming back to Baldy's Cozy ski run for over 300 local gate racers and fun seekers.
Co-sponsored by Sun Valley Company and Watkins Distributing, the seven-week series of Wednesday team races gets underway Jan. 21 and continues each Wednesday, with two exceptions (Feb. 11 and 18), through the final day of March 18.
Sun Valley Race Department supervisor Mike Wrobel encourages skiers to register as soon as they can, certainly before the first run takes place at 11 a.m. on Jan. 21. Last year there was a record 33 four-member teams and 132 participants.
Wrobel said about the series of dual modified giant slalom races dating back to 1992, "The idea of the series is to promote camaraderie between the local mountain and skiers and the local establishments. And of course to get out and socialize."
Register between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily at Warm Springs Lodge Race Desk. Team fees have increased $20 from last year. They are $360 if paid by Jan. 21 and $380 afterward. Call 622-6356 for more information.
Telemarkers, snowboarders and downhillers are welcome. Consistency is the key to Town Series success because, after the first week when the teams are seeded, the system works as a Bell curve and you try to avoid accumulating points.
For instance, middle-of-the-road racers become "rabbits." If you're faster than a "rabbit" time, your team gets negative points. If you're slower, your team gets positive points—not a good thing. And for point calculations, the three best times on each four-person team are considered.
The format is fastest single runs on five of the seven Wednesdays. Only on the Feb. 25 and March 18 racing dates does the format shift to combined two runs.
When it comes to prizes, the names of 20 racers from the top five teams in the season series are entered into a drawing for the grand prize of four Sun Valley 2009-10 season ski passes. That drawing takes place Wednesday, March 18 at Apple's Bar & Grill, Warm Springs, Ketchum.
Here are the locations of the post-race parties, at 5 p.m. Wednesdays:
Jan. 21—Roosevelt Tavern in Ketchum. Jan. 28—The Casino in Ketchum. Feb. 4—Chester & Jakes in Hailey. Feb. 25—The Cellar in Ketchum. March 4—Mahoney's in Bellevue. March 11—Lefty's Bar & Grill, Ketchum. March 18—Apple's.
