Alpine Eastern Team Tryout

By Don Haringa

PSIA-AASI Eastern Director of Education and Programs

The Alpine Eastern Team tryout was held at Killington, VT on March 1516, 2023. From that tryout eight members were selected to the team. Additionally, two alternates were selected, in case any team members are not able to fulfill their responsibility to the team.

You may wonder, what is the Eastern team? The Eastern Team is a group of members who specifically prepare and train to participate in the PSIA-AASI National Team selection. In addition to the Alpine Team, the Eastern Team consists of members from almost all of our disciplines. Last year an Eastern Snowboard Team was selected, and this year members from Adaptive, Snowboard, and Telemark were chosen to represent the Eastern Region at the National team Selection. That intensive selection is scheduled to take place in Big Sky, Montana on April 21-26, 2024. Between now and the National team tryout, the Eastern Team will work to develop and hone their teaching skills, their people skills, their public speaking skills, as well as their movement analysis and technical understanding of this great sport. They will, of course, continue to improve their skiing and riding skills!

The tryout was spectacular! It was held during one of the largest snowfalls of the season, with well over a foot of new snow greeting us each day. Twenty of the east’s top ski instructors spent the first day skiing difficult tasks on some of Killington’s most challenging trails. At the end of the day the scores were tallied. The plan was to make a cut, and to bring only the top dozen or so to the second day. Simply, scorers witnessed such amazing and inspirational skiing that they decided to bring all of the candidates back for the second day. After scoring a task on a steep, bumped up trail, one of the selectors commented, “The Eastern members would be very proud of the skiers we just watched.” We saw some really great skiing!

In the end, eight team members and two alternates were chosen. We have the makings of a really great team, and I can’t wait to see their progress as they train for the National Team Selection.

The coolest thing, in my opinion, is that in addition to the candidates who made the team, we also got to see a whole group of talented members, who while not named to this team, will likely be named to the next Eastern Team. Congratulations to all, and special congratulations to the 2023 Alpine Eastern Team members. They are: Peter Novom, Frank Cartwright, Evan Vomacka, Tyler Sullivan, Luke Martin, Charlie Roy, Ezequiel Usle, Nate Gardner, Josh Haagen and Ben DeBenedictis. Joining them as Alpine Eastern Team members are our current Alpine National Team members, Troy Walsh, and Brian Smith.

Congratulations also go out to the Adaptive, Telemark, and Snowboard Eastern Team Members:

Tera Adams and Mike Ma – Adaptive

Keith Rodney – Telemark

Todd Ainsworth, Loren Dailey, Bonnie Kolber,Tom Mulligan as well as current National Team members Amy Bailey and Brian Donovan – Snowboard <<

PSIA-AASI Eastern Region CEO Kathy Brennan and Director of Education and Programs Don Haringa receiving a “National Certificate of Appreciation” on behalf of PSIA-AASI E from Orest Ohar, Director of the Eastern Division National Ski Patrol Ski School. Education Staff members of PSIA-AASI E have provided technical direction with the goal of helping NSP develop and improve its on-snow training.