Outdoor pond hockey is back Jan. 15-16
Teams are signing up for the fourth annual Idaho Pond Hockey Classic outdoor tournament to be held over the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 15-16, 2011 on Ketchum ice.
Blaine County Recreation District and the city of Ketchum are the primary sponsors of the two-day tourney to be held at Christina Potters Ice Pond located at Atkinson Park.
Organizer and tournament founders Piers Lamb, said,
"We're expecting this year's tournament to be bigger and better, with many new teams."
Interest has increased from out-of-state teams because the Ketchum tournament is now listed online with the National Pond Hockey registry, he said.
The format is four-on-four (maximum 6 skaters on a team), no goalies and double elimination. It is a traditional pond hockey format modeled after the National Pond Hockey Championship held at St. Paul, Minn. each year.
Lamb said there are two divisions: "A" (advanced skaters) and "B" intermediate and below skaters). Fee is $100 per team.
The tournament's outdoor "pond" is divided into three sheets of ice so there are six teams playing two 15-minute halves.
The "B" division tournament is Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The "A" division is Sunday from 10-5. Both divisions compete for the coveted "Golden Shovel." Food, drink, skates and sticks will be available.
For more details, contact Lamb at 721-7765 or John Kearney Jr. 726-7820 at Atkinson Park. Space is limited so sign up as soon as possible. Email jkearney@ketchumidaho.org
Rendahl wins Boise New Year's Day footrace
Bellevue's Ashley Rendahl won the Senior Women's division of Saturday's annual Team Idaho YMCA New Year's Day 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) footrace in Boise. Her finishing time was 20:52, 26 seconds ahead of the next-best woman. Rendahl, 22, a former Wood River High School runner, is a senior at Nampa's Northwest Nazarene College where she has competed for four years on the school's cross country and track and field teams.
Other Wood River Valley finishers in Saturday's Boise 5k footrace were Bellevue residents Lance Doby (21:52, 3rd Men's 45-49) and Stacey Doby (30:29, 10th Women's 45-49).
Mini World Cup debuts
The 2011 Mini World Cup race series of the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation's C-Home Team is underway.
There were 42 racers in the Jan. 2 giant slalom on Baldy's Cozy ski run. Austria took the early team lead with Jackson Swenke, Sofia Schwartzman, Barrett Orr, Remy Vernoy, Maddie Ferries, Peter Morowitz and Charlie Stumph. Next event is slalom on Sunday, Jan. 23.
Top racers in the best-of-two:
Boys: 1—Jake Blackburn 28.22 seconds. 2—Will Griffith 28.97. 3—Patrick Welsh 29.71. 4—William Everitt 31.06. 5—Charlie Stumph 31.40.
Girls: 1—Maddie Ferris 30.11 seconds. 2—Lily Fitzgerald 30.37. 3—Allie Rathfon 30.53. 4—Lucy More 31.59. 5—Libby Kaiser 32.17.
Prairie Creek Snowmaker Classic race is Saturday
The Elephant's Perch of Ketchum in conjunction with Blaine County Recreation, North Valley Trails and the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation is staging the Prairie Creek Snowmaker Classic cross-country ski races Saturday, Jan. 8 at the Prairie Creek trail system north of Ketchum. Race at distances of 15 kilometers, 7.5k and 3k (for kids) begin at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Registration at Prairie Creek is from 9:30-10:45 a.m. Saturday, entry fee a $10 donation to North Valley Trails. SVSEF kids are free. A trail pass is required for all racers. Prize drawings will be held after the races and light refreshments will be served. Please car pool to the site. There will be absolutely no parking on S.H. 75.
Ski Club slalom is today
The Sun Valley Ski Club is opening its 2011 alpine ski race series with a slalom race Wednesday, Jan. 5 on the Warm Springs side of Baldy. Registration is from 8-9 a.m. at Warm Springs Lodge with the first run at 10 am. Cost is $15 for two timed runs.
Ski Club races are open to all ability levels and age groups. Call Ski Club alpine vice-president Ken Dreyer 720-7554. Or visit the Ski Club's Web site, sunvalleyski.com.
Squirts host home hockey tourney this weekend
Sun Valley Squirts (ages 9-10) youth hockey players will field two teams and entertain teams from Idaho Falls and Jackson Hole (Wyo.) in a weekend tournament Jan. 8-9 at Sun Valley Skating Center.
Game times are:
Saturday, Jan. 8: SV #1 vs. SV #2 at 9 a.m., Idaho Falls #2 vs. SV #1 at 11:20 a.m., SV #2 vs. Jackson Hole at 12:30 p.m., SV #1 vs. Jackson Hole at 4:45 p.m. and SV #2 vs. Idaho Falls #2 at 6 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 9: Idaho Falls #1 vs. SV #1 at 9 a.m. and Idaho Falls #1 vs. SV #2 at 11:20 a.m.
B, B+ Hockey results
Results reported from Sunday's senior hockey games at Sun Valley Skating Center:
Senators 3, Rangers 3 (tie): Gunnar Whitehead's goal with three seconds left tied it for the Nats. Matt Bauer, Eddie Grimes and Dave Thomas scored for the Rangers, with Rod Watson getting two assists;
Islanders 4, Vipers 1: Todd Avison and Jim Slanetz led the Isles scoring, assists to Jay Hedrick, Terry Crawford and Ryan Laughy. Dan Gorham lit the light for the Vipers, assisted by Shaun Kelly;
Hutch's Bad Dogs 4, Sharks 4 (tie): John Baker tallied four goals for the Sharks. Scoring for the Dogs were Baba Street, Lacie Hernandez, Dave Fleutsch and Todd Avison;
Coyotes 5, Hawks 2.
Sun Valley expands "Spud Sessions", local ski clinics
Sun Valley Resort, entering its 75th winter season, has made a major change in its popular ski and snowboard instruction clinics for young students and local adults.
The "Spud Sessions," formerly known as the Blaine County Kids Program, and the Local Adult Clinics are bigger and better than ever, the resort said. They will now be held in three different sessions from January through March instead of just in January.
Kids' clinics, now open to all Idaho children in kindergarten through sixth grade, are part of broad range of ski and snowboard classes Sun Valley Resort is giving in 2011, including popular Local Adult Clinics.
"Spud Sessions," although newly named, are being held for the 34th consecutive winter at Sun Valley. Many kids have learned the basics of skiing with the discounted program.
The first "Spud Session" in January 2011 includes weekend instruction on Jan. 8-9, Jan. 15-16 and Jan. 22-23. The second session runs Jan. 29-30, Feb. 5-6 and Feb. 12-13. The third and final session is Feb. 26-27, March 5-6 and March 12-13.
Ski instruction is limited to the first 150 skiers per morning or afternoon sessions, and only 100 snowboarders will be accepted into the program. The cost of $150 per person includes lessons as well as lift tickets for all six days of each session.
Morning classes start at 9 a.m. and conclude by 11:30 a.m. Afternoon classes go from 12:30-3 p.m. Regular Sun Valley Snow Sports instructors provide the teaching at substantial savings compared to the cost of regular children's clinic rates and lift passes at the resort.
Registration started Nov. 25 at River Run Lodge (parents should sign up in person, kids don't need to attend) and continues for each session until the Thursday prior to the first clinic. For instance, the sign-up cutoff date is Thursday, Jan. 6 for Jan. 8-9 opening weekend.
No late registrations will be accepted and grade eligibility exceptions won't be allowed. Children are put in classes based on ability. But, regardless of ability, all kids meet at Dollar Lodge at 8:30 a.m. on the first morning. Advanced skiers and boarders will move to Baldy the next day, Sunday.
Snowboard instruction is offered for kids six-and-older, only. And remember, parents are responsible for their children once classes end, so please be prompt in picking up your kids after the classes. There is no supervision available for children after the classes end.
Call 622-2289 for details.
Local Adult Clinics
The Sun Valley Snow Sports School for the 30th consecutive year is offering Local Adult ski and snowboard lessons.
Clinics are separated into Adult Intermediate/Advanced Levels, as well as the Local Adult Beginner Clinics for both skiers and snowboarders.
The clinics for competent Baldy skiers/snowboarders are held for three consecutive Saturdays in each of three sessions. The cost of $120 per person does not include the price of lift tickets. Lesson tickets are not sold on a single-day basis.
First session is Jan. 8, 15 and 22. The second session is Jan. 29, Feb. 5 and 12. The third session is Feb. 26, March 5 and 12. Instruction is from 1-4 p.m. on each of the three lesson days.
Intermediate/Advanced skiers and boarders meet at River Run Lodge. Beginner skiers and boarders meet on Dollar Mountain. You can take one session or take all three sessions if you like this winter.
Registration started Nov. 25. Participants must register in person at River Run Lodge, 622-2289. Check the sunvalley.com Web site for more instructional offerings this winter season.
Nordic clinics at Sun Valley
Sun Valley Resort has announced its schedule of Specialty Nordic Clinics along the 42-kilometer (25 miles) system of groomed trails at Sun Valley Nordic & Snowshoe Center (located at the Sun Valley Club).
Here is a sampling. For details call 622-2250 or sunvalley.com. Lunch at Sun Valley Club is served daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Boulder Ski Tour Prep Clinics: Begin Thursday, Jan. 6 at 3 p.m. Four consecutive weekly sessions, $40 a session or $150 four sessions.
Sun Valley Masters Clinics: Coordinated by three-time Olympian Jon Engen include separate eight-week courses on Fast Skating, Classic Technique and Skate Technique. They begin Jan. 4, 5 and 6 at noon. Visit sunvalleymasters.com.
Learn to Ski and Intermediate Group Lessons: Daily for skate and classic skiing. Call for lesson times.
Historic Snowshoe Group Tour: Led by Katherine Pleasants are Saturdays and Sundays from 1-3 p.m. She narrates Sun Valley's colorful history. Rentals are available.
Full Moon Ski and Snowshoe Tours: Jan. 19, Feb. 19 and March 19 from 6-9 p.m. Coinciding with moonlight skiing, the Sun Valley Club serves a full dinner menu. Call 622-2800 for dinner reservations.
