YES, YES, and again – YES. Race is on today – Sunday – Slalom for all

Hello everyone again;
First, thank you all for being so cooperative and supportive – we are using all of our resources and “crystal balls” to make the best possible decision for everyone. As of right now it looks like tomorrow is safe for travel and same for Sunday. Our hill is ready and so are we.
So here’s the plan:
1. Sunday – March 27th, 2011
“10&under” – Dual SL on Show Off
“11&up” – Dual SL on FIS
We will use Sunday team registration lists for our start list, please try to confirm if you have any changes to that.
2. Sunday – April 3rd, 2011
“10&under” – GS venue TBD
“11&up” – GS venue TBD
We will reopen the registration for this event with a new deadline on Wednesday March 30th, 2011 at 5pm.
Once again thank you all. Please contact us at dpskiteam@dpsef.org with any questions.

Hello everyone;

And here we were in February worrying we wouldn’t have enough snow by the time Championships came around. I dare to say we were so wrong.

All joking aside; the conditions on the mountain are awesome for skiing and with lots of work on our part we are confident we can pull off great races this weekend. We got a bunch of snow, but it’s all very light and fluffy and we can remove it from the race hill. The base is solid and we’ve trained on it and it held up. BUT, HWY I80 as of this moment is CLOSED and we understand that leaves lots of our ski families on the other side of the hill unable to travel to Diamond Peak.

So we are now focusing on Sunday only. We believe that this weather will pass and allow everyone to travel Saturday and make it up to the mountain safely.

We will make our final decision on the schedule, format and venues of the races by this evening, so everyone will be fully aware of it all by the time they start to travel up here. Thank you all for your support and flexibility. We look forward to seeing everyone on Sunday and have a great race.

See you on the snow!

The Diamond Cup Challenge scheduled for 3/20 has been postponed. Please stay tuned to our website for rescheduling information.

Tahoe League was at Northstar, the J4/5 team was at Mammoth, and the J3s were at Heavenly.  All teams had top finishers!

UPDATE: The Diamond Cup Challenge has been postponed due to weather. Stay tuned for information on the rescheduled event…

Date: Sunday March 20th, 2011
Time: Race starts at 1:00pm, registration at 12pm noon upstairs in the main lodge!
Place: Diamond Peak Ski Resort, Incline Village NV

The Diamond Peak Ski Team is proud to announce the 10th Annual Diamond Cup Challenge community fun race. All proceeds from this popular, annual spring event benefit the Diamond Peak Ski Team youth racing programs. Race categories include: Individuals (age/sex groups), Family, Husband/Wife, Father/Son, Father/Daughter, Mother/Son, Mother/Daughter, Corporate Teams (of four), and Snowboard Individuals. Kids of any age, regardless of experience, and grandparents are also invited. Award medals will be given to the top three competitors in each race/age category.

The entry fee is $20 per racer if received by Thursday, March 17th and $25 up to and on the day of the race.  The entry includes two runs on the “friendly” course and a “Last Tracks” barbecue!  The barbecue will be held with the Awards Ceremony after the race at the Snowflake Lodge; be sure to load on Lakeview Chair by 4:30pm. Barbecue tickets for non-racers are also available for $10.  The menu includes pork, beef, or chicken sliders, chips, and drinks.  “Mulligans” can be pre-purchased at registration time: your results will be based on your top two times.

Save $5 and pre-register by sending a completed application and check for the entry fee to: Diamond Peak Ski Education Foundation, P.O. Box 5591, Incline Village, NV 89450.  Applications can also be dropped off at the Diamond Peak Team Race Shack at Diamond Peak.  All competitors will be required to complete a Liability Release prior to competing. For additional information, please call Diamond Peak Ski Team at (775) 832-1176, ext 6.

Congratulations to February’s Skiers of the Month, chosen by coaches for dedication, sportsmanship, and attitude!

• J3 Zane Besing, whom Coach Eric Garayoa says has shown “dedication and patience through some tough challenges thrown his way.”
• J4 Hannah Laurie, who “has been steadily gaining confidence with each day we practice and race”, according to Head Coach Joseé Lacasse.
• J5 Matthew Smallhouse, a recent addition whose “work ethic is unbelievable!”
• Tahoe League selection Rebecca Waterson, who was selected by Coach Petra Plajbes for “nearly perfect attendance, hard work, and great attitude.”
• Adventure Team member Catherine Cole, who has never missed a session.  According to Coach Mark Bernstein, “she is out there even on days there is no training… and usually until the last chair.”
• Talent Squad member Nina Ganyard, who “has the best attitude about improving her skiing” and “never hesitates to attempt new tricks and works on them until she gets them right” according to Coach Becki Boehnke.

Congratulations, athletes!

Congratulations to Hannah Johnson, Lauren Keller, Gavin Chen, Zane Bensing, Benjamin Farrar and Ian Reeves! They are among the 53 athletes invited to compete in the USSA’s Marriot J3 Western Region Junior Championships, also known as “the JOs”.

[T]hese racers had their third and final stop in the Wild West Series at Squaw Valley from Feb. 25-27 for a super G race. Once again the athletes skied in three races over three days.

For the DPST ladies, Hannah Johnson landed on the podium with a second-place finish, and made the awards ceremony with another seventh- and eighth-place finish. With these fine finishes she finds herself in fifth place overall for J3 Far West ladies.

Lauren Keller, a DPST first-year J3, raced into eighth and 11th places in the super G series, and took 15th place overall.

For the men, Zane Bensing went to the awards ceremony with a seventh place as well as 10th and 11th. With these finishes he landed in 12th place overall among the J3 Far West men.

Gavin Chen raced to a fourth-place finish and finished 11th overall for the series. Benjamin Farrar skied into 15th place in the super G and was 25th overall. Ian Reeves wrapped up the JO qualifying rounds in 26th place to earn an invitation to the championships.

The racers completed a series of nine races overall.  The Western Region Junior Championships will be held March 18-20 at Squaw Valley.  Go DPST!

Doug Brubaker snapped some great photos of Talent Squad at the Pirates and Princesses event last Saturday.