It is the mission of NYSEF to provide opportunities for athletes of all ages to reach their potential in snow sports-- alpine, biathlon, cross country, freestyle skiing, nordic combined, ski jumping and snowboarding-- through professional guidance and financial support.
New York Ski Educational Foundation offers transformative experiences for athletes and families across all snowsport disciplines at superior venues offering programs delivered by outstanding coaches and staff to prepare participants for their chosen level of competition while instilling a lifelong enthusiasm for winter sports.
As incredible as it may seem, 2023 will mark the 50th anniversary of NYSEF’s founding. In 1973, a group of scrappy alpine skiers met in the parking lot at the base of Whiteface Mountain to form the Whiteface Alpine Training Center (WATC) which grew under the leadership of folks like Bruce Colon, Faris Taylor, Horst Weber, and many others. They didn’t realize it then, but they were building a foundation for the future of ski racing in New York State and beyond.
When NYSEF was founded, the 1980 Winter Olympic Games were still a dream that had yet to be awarded to Lake Placid. To say that Lake Placid’s Olympic legacy and our ski foundation’s histories are intertwined is an understatement. But that’s the thing about legacy. Sometimes, you don’t know when you’re building one.
As we reflect on 50 years of stories and dreams that built a program we’re all proud to claim as our own, I for one am deeply grateful for those first skiers who came to train at the WATC. Their passion helped shape the future of so many local athletes, and our club has grown into one of the largest youth snowsports organizations in the country and a U.S. Ski & Snowboard-Certified Gold Club.
NYSEF continues to deliver on the promise of its mission: providing transformative experiences for each new generation of athletes. If 2023’s event schedule is any indication, our future is very bright. This season will bring World Cup Ski Jumping competitions to the Olympic Jumping Complex, the FISU World University Games to many of our home mountains and venues, the 60th anniversary of The Hovey Memorial, as well as NCAA Championships at Whiteface and Mount Van Hoevenberg.
As a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, NYSEF invests every dollar it earns back into the organization so
John Norton, Executive Director
covers a very broad range of age groups and disciplines, from U10s to the U80s, and almost anything that can be done with a pair of skis or a snowboard is part of our program. Every participant follows their own path, and it is the organization’s mission to ensure that their NYSEF years contribute to their long-term goals and success, on-snow and off-snow.
The experiences that my family had are probably quite similar to most NYSEF families. Our three children learned to ski at Snow Ridge in Turin NY and I started coaching there in the mid-’90s. In 1999, we made the decision to enroll in NYSEF’s weekend program, and I became an assistant J3 coach, working with David Smith and Carrie Grady.
Looking back over the past 30 years brings back a lot of memories, and also reinforces the appreciation that I have for how much fun it is to be a part of NYSEF.
Our three children are still avid skiers and they met many of their closest friends at NYSEF. All three skied in college, and despite different levels of achievement, they benefitted tremendously from the experience. From the days of being dragged out of bed on cold mornings by dad to USCSA Nationals, NorAm races, and NCAA National Championships, they learned to work hard, be resilient, and enjoy the ride. One even married a girl from his college ski team and their five-month-old daughter will get her first pair of ski boots sooner rather than later.
Many of you have similar memories, and many of you are just starting your own journey. Regardless, enjoy every minute despite the lost gloves, fights over who gets the front seat, and complaints on -20 degrees Saturday mornings.
Enjoy the ride,
Dr. Richard Smith
Kip Testwuide
Horst Weber
Andrew Weibrecht
Jim White
Annella White Dignes
Stephanie Doherty
Bill Kloc
Bill Nealon
Helena Oechsner
After nearly three decades of serving on the NYSEF Board of Directors, a body tasked with steering the non-profit and ensuring its success, Janet Bliss is stepping down.
“Change is good and fresh perspective is good,” Bliss says. “It’s just time.”
Bliss has served on the board for nearly three decades and has occupied several positions, including President and most recently, Treasurer. An alpine ski racer herself, she says she originally joined the board to be a voice for the nordic program.
“My kids eventually migrated to the nordic side of NYSEF and were both ski jumpers,” she says. “They had a great run, they both traveled, were on national teams, and participated in international competitions - they had great experiences there.”
Over her nearly three decades of board service, Bliss says the biggest change she’s witnessed within NYSEF is the growth of the programs and the professionalism of staff and coaches.
“It started out as a ski club and its now become much more than that,” she says. “We can provide programs in all disciplines and I hope I’ve contributed to that.”
Bliss also tipped her helmet to the coaching staff at NYSEF.
“There are a lot of dedicated coaches and I don’t think people recognize all that they do, even in the off-season,” she says. “They’re always there in the background, dealing with equipment and transport. Kudos to the coaches and their dedication.”
Cobble. Her siblings all skied, but eventually her brothers found their sport in the hockey rink, while she and her sisters continued to ski. She fondly recalls the year she won the Hovey.
“It was a big deal,” she says of her 1966 win.
As she steps away from the board, Bliss will continue to stay connected to NYSEF as a volunteer and font of knowledge. She plans to spend more time skiing and enjoying her family.
“I hope NYSEF can continue to provide opportunities for young people to pursue their dreams in the sport,” she says.
NYSEF Executive Director John Norton says Janet always made time for NYSEF, as a volunteer and parent, and as a board member.
“She is always there when you need her - be it advice, support or just an ear to listen.”
In the world of nordic ski racing, the development level is where it’s all about having fun, building friendships, and learning how to be part of a team - way more than it is about competition.
But here’s the thing about competition, says NYSEF’s new Head Cross Country Coach, Paul Smith, it can be pretty fun...
“It isn’t the main driver of the program but it’s definitely way more fun than most people think,” Paul says, “The focus on becoming a better skier is hidden in the play and fun of training together as a team.”
Smith, who joined NYSEF in July, brings a broad spectrum of experience to his role, having coached junior and senior elite athletes, as well as developing training programs for camps. Most recently he worked with Idaho’s Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation as a Postgraduate Coach where he led a program in which some of the nation's top older junior athletes participated.
For Smith, joining NYSEF was an easy choice to make. From world-class training facilities to high-level coaching, scholarship opportunities, and fundraising, NYSEF, Smith says, “gets it right.”
“There’s an intimate level of coaching, teaching, and skiing that is hard to replicate,” he says. “We’re intentional about what we’re doing on skis, and that’s the difference maker here.”
Smith, who has skied and coached all over the world, specifically calls out Lake Placid’s rollerski loops as a highlight of the training landscape so far.
“The ceiling here is so high in terms of access to really good training,” he says. “What’s beautiful about our sport is that you can diversify your training throughout the season.”
Smith will coach the Junior Race Team, and says that’s where training and competition get more serious - but not too seriousand the focus stays on long-term athlete development, the team, and having fun together.
“Ultimately, it’s about living a healthy lifestyle based in the outdoors, developing friendships and camaraderie with your teammates and love of the sport,” Smith adds.
"Summer training groups are easy to come by. Summer training groups with a high level of talent, skill, hard work, and diverse training opportunities are much harder to come by. NYSEF provided the best summer program I have been a part of in the past ten years."
Nordic Program Coordinator and Coach Julianne Stemp is a born-and-raised Saranac Laker with deep roots in the local crosscountry ski community, not to mention a NYSEF alum. Stemp is part of the generation of NYSEF nordic athletes that included Billy Demong, Lowell Bailey, Tim Burke, and Annelies Cook.
“We grew up in a unique community that fostered a passion for skiing and created a path for personal success,” she says.
One of her biggest goals in her tenure with NYSEF is to continue that legacy. If the 202122 season was any indication, Stemp is doing just that.
Cross-country athletes traveled to Junior Nationals in Minneapolis, Minnesota in March 2022. The elite level of competition saw standout performances from NYSEF athletes Sophia Kelting, Bella Wissler, Daven Linck, and Andrew Scanio, who was named the New York State Regional High School Champion. Abby Van Dorn and Owen Keal also qualified for the Mid-Atlantic Ski Team. Abby was selected to race at the U16 Championships, joining fellow New York athletes supported by Coach Maddie Phaneuf.
“To have an athlete named New York State champion and also place well at Junior Nationals is a huge marker of success for NYSEF and his local Lake Placid High School program,” Stemp says. “Andrew is really energized to ski. He shows up, does the work, and obtains the results. His success is celebrated by myself and Lake Placid Ski Coach Bill Frazer.”
At Biathlon Nationals at Mt. Van Hoevenberg, NYSEF athletes under Head Coach Maddie Phaneuf turned in some great results. Bella Wissler, a U17 last season, snagged podium finishes in every race she participated in (Sprint, Pursuit, Relay). Abby Van Dorn and Jenna Stainken placed in the top six, and Abby was Bella’s relay partner and they placed second. Jenna and Abby placed in the top 6. NYSEF racers Forrest Slingerland and Filippos Kogiantis placed in the top 10 in the relay event. Forrest Slingerland and Fillippos compromised the U15 Boys Category. It was a great way to wrap up the season.
This past summer, Stemp and Smith assisted former NYSEF coach Shane MacDowell in running a collegiate training group with 18 athletes that focused on all aspects of dryland training for crosscountry skiing. Athletes from around the country attended, representing several college ski teams, and the feedback the NYSEF program received was glowing.
“I think the NYSEF program in Lake Placid is one of the best summer nordic ski training groups in the country,” Eli Gore, a University of New Hampshire athlete who participated in the inaugural camp this summer, said. “Since the program caters to various nordic athletes; cross country, nordic combined, and biathlon, the joint training sessions with these groups and the junior team are very large and collaborative.”
Smith’s goal is to have lots of teamwork-oriented adventure activities built into the camp. “The location is very beneficial for training; having a roller ski track, weight facility, and access to hundreds of running and biking trails,” Gore added. “Knowledgeable coaches provide feedback on technique, nutrition, and recovery while maintaining a super fun and safe environment. Lake Placid also has various opportunities for summer housing, and employment that works well with the high training load making for a great summer.”
"I think the optimal learning environment is one that is open and collaborative between athletes and between athlete and coach, where the athlete is engaged more in the process and the planning,” Smith says. “There is no “this must be the way to do it.”
“Ultimately, it’s about living a healthy lifestyle based in the outdoors, developing friendships and camaraderie with your teammates and love of the sport,”
Paul Smith
Smith attended an international junior camp in Norway this past summer as a coach with the world's top U18 racers and says this idea of collaboration was the spirit of the setting.
“I have never seen so much accomplished in one training camp,” he says. “In crosscountry skiing, because the work is so hard, life values almost become self-teaching. These overplayed ideals in sport such as toughness and grit become normalized in the structure of the training.”
“The camps bring the serious business of ski training in without being too serious,” Smith added.
What’s next for NYSEF nordic? Continuing to support athlete development to ensure NYSEF kids remain competitive at regional, national, and international events; as well as fostering DEVO skiers through different community initiatives, and making roller skiing more accessible to local kids.
All three nordic coaches cite the creation of more camps as a way to strengthen the team and the NYSEF nordic community. One of Smith’s goals is to establish a summer camp program that offers week-long sessions for skiers from every ability level.
Stemp and Phaneuf have their sights set on establishing relationships abroad to create a “sister school” program that would open up doors of opportunity for NYSEF athletes to train abroad.
“It would be great to create a sister program abroad so we can have some higher-level camps in Europe with our Junior Race Team biathletes,” Phaneuf says.
NYSEF’s nordic Program provides the training, coaching, and experience for young athletes who want to advance their racing careers, but Smith and Stemp acknowledge that it’s not the only option for families - especially for younger athletes who are just dipping their toes into the nordic world.
“There’s a variety of ski programs for kids in the area, and we want to support that,” Smith says.
NYSEF and Northwood School have teamed up in the past couple of years to offer a specialized nordic training program for enrolled students. Their schedules are the opposite of a traditional student: they train in the mornings and work on schoolwork into the early evening. In the first year, there were two students. This year, the program has expanded to five athletes including, Daven Linck, Sophia Kelting, Bella Wissler, Abigail Van Dorn, and Jack Kroll. "The potential to expand this program is very exciting!" states Stemp. For more information about this program, reach out to info@nysef.org.
Biathlete. Olympian. Dog
Lover. Coach.
The first thing you learn when training in biathlon - after rifle safety - is how to breathe. While your heart pounds in your chest and your lungs expand and contract, you learn how to find stillness in your body. The kind that focuses the mind, quiets sound, and expands your inner awareness.
“NYSEF is focused on getting kids to enjoy skiing and racing, but we also have the resources to help kids pursue their goals and race at a high level if they want.”
The second thing you learn is how to sight your target and aim. It is not easy. In fact, when Maddie Phaneuf began training in biathlon, she missed nearly every one of her targets.
But the thing about Maddie - she learns fast. From missing every target to making the U.S Biathlon Team and traveling to Pyeongchang for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, Maddie knows what it takes to compete on an international stage and train the next generation of biathletes.
Maddie grew up in Old Forge, NY. She began skiing at the age of eight, and by high school, she was winning almost all of her races. A star athlete and student, Maddie was ready for a challenge. Enter the Polar Bear Biathlon Program run by Carl Klossner.
“It was challenging and I liked that about it,” Maddie says. At 15, she began training in biathlon with her sights set on making an international race team and competing in Junior World Championships. But at the qualifying races in 2013, she missed making the team by one percentage point.
“At the time, I did everything in school,” she recalls. “I did all the sports, I was an honor student, but I wanted to see what would happen if I put all my energy into one sport.”
With her parents' blessing, Maddie took a gap year after she graduated to pursue her dream.
And it worked, she says, “somehow it worked.”
She trained year-round in Fort Kent, Maine at the former Maine Winter Sports Center, and within six months, she qualified for Junior World Championships in 2014. She racked up some impressive finishes and caught the notice of the U.S. Biathlon Team’s X Team, a feeder for the U.S. Biathlon A and B teams.
At that point, it was obvious to Maddie that college was postponed indefinitely. She moved to Lake Placid, continued to train, and in 2016, made the U.S. Biathlon B Team. After the Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang in 2018, where Maddie was forced to withdraw from her races due to illness, she spent some time recalibrating and thinking about her next move. Maddie raced for two more seasons as a NYSEF athlete, turning in some of her best results culminating with placing third on the IBU Cup.
On a break from training, she started working with NYSEF athletes at the Mt. Van Hoevenberg biathlon range before joining as Head Biathlon Coach in 2021, having officially retired from the U.S. Biathlon team in 2020.
The 2022-23 season will be Maddie’s second season coaching NYSEF athletes and she’s already seeing results.
“The kids are improving so much in their shooting,” Maddie says. “We’ve shaped the program so that they start with the basics, like shooting-specific drills, and working together on the range with shooting games. We’ve also set attending US Biathlon Nationals as an ‘end of season’ goal for our team.”
Maddie’s number one goal for NYSEF’s Biathlon program is to share the sport with more of the region’s young athletes. Winter is a busy time in the Adirondacks, and local kids have an abundance of opportunities.
“It’s so cool to see the kids in the program reach their goals,” she says. “Whether it’s winning Empire State Games, or making a youth Olympic team, I want to help these athletes reach their potential.”
NYSEF’s Biathlon program is the only one of its kind in the area. Beginners are introduced to the sport with airsoft rifles at the Devo level before moving into shooting with a real .22 biathlon rifle on the Junior Race Team. “It’s so exciting to see the kids get excited about improving their skills,” she says.
When she has downtime, you can find Maddie outside. She mountain bikes in the summer and backcountry skis in the winter when she’s not coaching, and her dog Honey is never far from her side.
Most athletes have rituals they perform before a race or a competition. For Maddie, her rituals are all about sound and feeling, which seems fitting for a biathlete. She doesn’t listen to music, she likes to ski alone and listen to the sound of the wind and her skis gliding through the snow.
“It brings me back to being a little kid,” she says.
“Skiing is one thing... Bringing the mental focus and awareness back into your body with the shooting aspect is another, I like the challenge of trying something hard. It's never boring.”
Ski Jumping is a bit like meditation. It is a singular experience that is as much mental focus as it is physical exertion.
As you ski down the track, picking up speed, everything slows down and gets really, really quiet.
“You’re in your own world,” Colin Delaney, Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined Coach at NYSEF, says. “You enter the air and a feeling of weightlessness and calm comes over you.”
It’s a feeling that keeps some jumpers coming back over and over again. And yet ski jumping is not for the adrenaline seeker, according to Delaney.
“It’s a sport for idealists,” he says. “It is a heightened awareness that you have on the jump, there are so many small tweaks that you can make. It’s very technical and timing-based, and a lot of things need to go right in order to do your best.”
“As soon as I leave the bar everything starts to slow down. I have to be extremely focused because the takeoff happens so fast.,” says NYSEF athlete Kai McKinnon. “Once I’m in the air, I truly do feel as if I’m flying. You feel as if something is pushing up on your skis. Time slows down, and then you land. It really is a remarkable feeling.”
The weightiest thing about jumping, Delaney says, is that you and only you can take the leap.
“At a young age, it’s about conquering fear and being able to take a lot of agency and risks - you have to be the one that pushes yourself off into the track,” Delaney says.
The Olympic Ski Jumping Complex looms large over Lake Placid, both literally and figuratively. It is a sports facility that is iconic and instantly recognizable for locals and visitors. Thanks to recent upgrades, it is also one of the premier ski jumping competition venues in the United States, if not the world, according to Delaney.
“It is a dream that so much has been invested in the facility,” he adds of the Olympic Regional Development Authority’s multi-million dollar investment in the project. “Already the jumps will be hosting their first World Cup since 1990 on February 9-12, 2023.”
Delaney is referring to New York State and ORDA’s multi-million dollar investment in the jumping complex to bring it up to competition standards. Updates included re-grading the outruns and adding frost rails that traveled all the way from Slovenia, one of the only places in the world that manufactures them.
“The upgrades ORDA made on the ice track has given us more days on the hill on the HS 100 than we’ve had any other year since I started coaching,” Delaney says. “We spent at least 30 percent more days jumping on the hill last year.”
It isn’t just the HS100 and HS120 that got upgraded. Renovations to the 10 and 20-meter jump provided a more approachable intro to the sport of ski jumping for younger athletes. Now improvements are being made to extend the life of the mid-sized 48-meter hill and planning is underway for a 60 to 70-meter hill that would give Lake Placid the full range of jumps needed from beginner to international competitor.
“The ORDA renovation of the jumps has returned our Olympic Jumping Complex to year-round jumping,” Steven Kroll, whose son Jack is a NYSEF ski jumper, says. “This summer the hills were alive with several dozen U10 and U12 jumpers from Lake Placid and all over the eastern region who attended our grasshopper camps on the new 10 and 20-meter hills.”
This season, Lake Placid will host it's first FIS World Cup Competition in Ski Jumping since 1990 and the first in the United States since 2004. The Men will compete on the HS100 and HS 128 from Saturday, February 11th to Sunday, February 12th 2023.
The 2021-22 Season was defining for NYSEF’s ski jumping athletes, highlighted by McKinnon taking second for U16s at USA Nordic Junior Women’s National Championships in both Jumping and Nordic Combined in Salisbury, CT. Jack Kroll was 13th in the U16 Boys National Championships for Nordic Combined and took second in the Junior National Championships Nordic Combined team competition with Angelo Goodwin. Mitchell Penning was 11th in the U16 Boys National Championships for ski jumping. Tate Frantz, a NYSEF athlete training out of Lillehammer Norway, was a member of the World Junior Championship Team in Zakopane, Poland this past winter. He placed 27th at World Juniors.
Tate was able to show off his jumping skills at a Continental Cup Nordic Combined event in Lake Placid this past March. He jumped to first in the combined event and placed 12th overall after the cross country race. Max Fey, a Lake Placid Nordic Combined athlete, was the Empire State Winter Games “Athlete of the Year.” Henry Loher won two competitions in September in Chicago for U16 boys that had participation from the top athletes in the country, and Penning came in second and third.
“These kids are the future of our program and they are young, competitive, and have this brand new hill,” says Kroll.
had in years – and some young kids with real national promise.”
Delaney agrees. “We do have the best competition venues in the country right now with the potential to be the best training facility in the world too,” he adds.
The summer jumping season culminated with NYSEF athletes journeying to Norway for a camp with their Norwegian counterparts led by NYSEF’s own Jay Rand and Larry Stone, Delaney’s counterparts at NYSEF. “They have such a deep knowledge and a love of the sport,” Delaney says of Rand and Stone. “They’re really good at introducing jumping and fostering a love of the sport with kids.”
One of the biggest hurdles NYSEF faces with its ski jumping program is access to equipment. Winter sports equipment can be cost-prohibitive for any sport, but in the case of ski jumping, there isn’t a retailer in the United States that carries any of the equipment needed to jump.
“For athletes to get equipment from Europe it can be $1,000 or more to get skis, boots, bindings, and a suit,” Delaney says. NYSEF does maintain equipment for young athletes all the way up through U16 flyers, but most of it is getting tired.
“We have more kids jumping right now in Lake Placid than we’ve
The name of the game within the Freeride program is venues, and this season there will be a lot happening, especially at Gore Mountain, host of the Lake Placid 2023 World University Games Freeski and Snowboard events.
“The benefit of holding major events is the ability to utilize the venues after the TV cameras are off and everyone has left the area,” says Freeride Program Director, Mike Kirchner.
The international multi-sport, multi-day event will leave behind the world-class cross and slopestyle/big air venues that NYSEF athletes will be able to capitalize on for next-level training.
“Sometimes, it’s just about the access and experience for the younger athletes,” Kirchner adds. “Many times we’ve traveled to USASA Nationals and seen kids get overwhelmed by the size difference in courses and features. It can put them at a disadvantage even before they get to compete.”
Of course, this isn’t the first time Gore has hosted an event of this magnitude. Last winter, Gore Mountain hosted the return of the US Ski and Snowboard Hole Shot Tour NorAm Ski/Snowboard Cross and held its first FIS level USASA Futures Tour Cross, Slopestyle, and Big Air events. The events ran successfully one after the other and served as test events for this winter’s World University Games.
One standout performance from the 2021-22 season was snowboarder Robbie Sinclair, who raced in his first Nor-Am and took second in the FIS race that followed. The podium spot earned him an invite to the 2023 summer US Ski and Snowboard Project Gold Camp for up-and-coming juniors. Sinclair trained under US coaches and some of the best cross athletes in the country at Timberline in Mt Hood, OR.
Sinclair also reached the podium at USASA Nationals at Copper Mt, CO in April with a third-place finish in the Junior age group. Max Kipiniak, from NYSEF Belleayre, bested that performance with second place in the same age group in Ski Cross. Overall, the NYSEF team consisting of 18 athletes representing all three of our mountains brought home 12 top tens in three different disciplines.
At Belleayre, Freeski Coach John Strauss is taking over as Park Supervisor this season, a huge benefit to the program, according to Kirchner. “Being experienced as a coach adds another level of detail when it comes to creativity in park building,” he adds.
“Coaching all levels of athletes allows you to see things differently in terms of progression and how to lay out the park. I can’t wait to see how it shapes up this year,” Kirchner says.
In addition, Kirchner says he’s looking forward to seasoned park builder Tyler Watson returning to Whiteface Mountain to build the cross course and parks full-time this year. Watson spent six years at Sugarbush as head park builder and built the Blauvelt’s Banks banked slalom course in Vermont for years. That course serves as a qualifier for the Mt Baker Legendary Banked Slalom, held in Washington State.
Whiteface will also be adding a B-level course to Tower 10 hill where we’ll host the Empire State Winter Games Moguls events in conjunction with US Ski & Snowboard Eastern Freestyle.
“So many things to look forward to…now we just need it to snow!”
G hasn’t been in the Catskills in forever, and the program at Belleayre is only four years old, so it was really awesome that we were able to work with all of NYSEF’s coaches to prep the hill for speed and put on a great race, It challenged the kids and people walked away impressed.”
The 2021-22 season of NYSEF’s Alpine Program saw explosive growth with some of the highest participation rates and competition highlights across every level of racing in NYSEF’s history. NYSEF alpine athletes captured a number of podiums everywhere they went. The race season also saw athletes competing in every level of racing from regional USSA and FIS races to the Eastern Regional Championships, and the Junior World Championships. It was a season for the record books. Here is a peek at some of the highlights:
Athletes staked their claim in a number of races. Matthew Moeckel was the U18 NYSSRA State Champion after winning both the slalom and giant slalom, as well as placing second in the Super G. NYSEF/Northwood’s Hillary Larsen won the women’s Super G. At the same time, NYSEF Winter Term athlete Sarah Balduzzi took third in both Super G and Giant Slalom.
U18 Eastern Regional Finals had a strong showing with Cole Paton taking the win in the slalom race and teammate Matt Moeckel coming in 3rd. Their teammates Will Fraser and Zach Paton also qualified for Eastern Regional Finals.
At Whiteface, Winter Term student-athlete Ariana HabenRibeiro competed in Junior World Championships at Panorama Ski Resort in Invermere, Canada. Ariana is a member of Team Portugal and just missed out on qualifying for the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games.
“SuperJim Catalano Belleayre
Some of the last FIS races of the 2021-22 ski season took place at Whiteface during the final week of March. Northwood School’s Liz Creighton placed third for U18s in both GS races, and second overall (first for U18s) in both slaloms. Other standout NYSEF performers included Kieran Delay, placing first and second for U18s in the two GS races, and Dom DeGuardia, who placed second overall in the GS, winning the U18 division, and second for U18s in the SG.
Gore had a large group of competitors at Eastern Regional Finals on their home turf - Lucas Doherty, Louis Farone, Ava Villiere, and Taylor Dennis and NYSEF/Northwood studentathlete Cole Van Etten pulled off an impressive third-place finish in SG.
Ten NYSEF Whiteface and Gore alpine athletes qualified to compete at the Ronnie Berlack Grand Prix U16 Eastern Regional Championships at Burke Mountain:
LilyAnn Fisher (WF Winter Term)
Sydney Kuder (WF Winter Term)
Cara Dempsey (NYSEF/Northwood)
Bodhi Boschen (NYSEF/Northwood)
Charlie Howe (WT Winter Term)
Patrick Gilbert (WT Winter Term)
Gavin Ebert (WT Winter Term)
Henry Parobeck (Gore)
Lincoln Norfolk (NYSEF/Northwood)
Denny Sebek (NYSEF/Northwood)
The event kicked off with Super G racing and Ebert dominated the competition, winning the race ahead of teammate Boschen, who placed third. Their teammate Howe placed seventh. Other top performances in GS came from Ebert, who placed eighth, and Howe who came in 15th. The final day of competition included slalom, where the top female was Dempsey, who came in 13th. On the men’s side, Ebert placed 10th and Norfolk placed 14th. Ebert was second overall, qualifying for national championships with teammates Boschen and Howe.
At Belleayre, a shining moment of the 2021-22 season was the team’s all-in on organizing and executing the Mud Sweat N Gears NYS U14 Men's and Women’s Championships in SG in February. NYSEF’s Paul Fogarty took third, and his teammates Mikey Mezzetti and Lukas Miemis took fifth and seventh, respectively. Theirs weren’t the only NYSEF wins of note, according to Jim Catalano, NYSEF’s Program Director at Belleayre.
“Super G hasn’t been in the Catskills in forever, and the program at Belleayre is only four years old, so it was really awesome that we were able to work with all of NYSEF’s coaches to prep the hill for speed and put on a great race,” Catalano says. “It challenged the kids and people walked away impressed.”
U14 Eastern Regional Championships included, from Whiteface and Gore, Cooper Villiere, Paul Fogarty, Thomas Reynolds, Lucas Smith, Mikey Mezzetti, and Lukas Memis.
Winter Term athletes Lucas Smith and Paul Fogarty moved on to CanAm as top performers from Eastern. Lucas with 1st place in SL and Paul a 3rd. Lucas took fifth place overall and third for Americans, and Paul placed 15th overall and ninth for Americans during this international CanAm competition.
The Future is Bright for the youngest group of athletes coming up through the ranks. The 2021-22 season saw rapid growth and retention for U10/12 programs at all three mountains.
“We saw some dramatic improvement from all our athletes across the board but a huge shout out to our first-season athletes,” says U10/U12 Alpine Coach Kate McKenna. “They finished the competition season hungry for more and ready to continue with their racing endeavors.”
McKenna specifically called out NYSEF Belleayre athletes Thomas Frey, Samuel Gomez, Jakey Pellegrino, Casey Frank, and Katerina Borbat for their improvements during the 2021-22 season.
Additionally, the end-of-season projects were successful for all of the junior athletes from Belleayre, Gore, and Whiteface. The Kandahar Festival and Kandahar Performance Project proved to be successful end-of-the-season events with several athletes racing their way to top 10 finishes:
Clancy Dibble (Gore)
Cecilia Norfolk (WF)
Georgie Larkin (WF) Amelia Karcz (Bell)
Catalina Fonseca (Bell) Luke Wardlaw (WF)
Noah Franklin (Gore) Sawyer Doherty (Gore) Poppy Hamilton (WF) Nora Petrocci (WF) Leland Carpenter (WF) Nathan Geidel (Gore)
Keep your eyes out for these ski racers as they make their way through the system they are bound to turn some heads!
“We are so excited that so many of our NYSEF Families have brought their friends to experience our program,” McKenna says.
Additionally, NYSEF staff continue to take time to educate and improve their coaching bag of tricks. The following staff all passed their USSA Level 100 certification this past season: Charlotte Lester, Taylor Feldeisen, Chris Brown, Joe Skufca, Phillip Weeber, Kate Mckenna, Carl McGuire, Kristen Wilson, Radka Wildova, Chrissie Mones, Christian Lacey, Wil Warfield, and Jen Briggs.
The 2022-23 Season has no shortage of excitement and will keep everyone busy and enjoying the upgrades and energy put into making this sport and organization continue to excel.
Belleayre will feature a new NYSEF Finish Building in place at the bottom of the Dot Nebel Trail. The new building, purchased with the help of a grant from the Killington World Cup Foundation, includes storage space for race equipment, and a quiet area specifically for timing and race administration operations during events, including the Mud, Sweat n’ Gears U14s SG races coming up in February 2023.
At Whiteface and Gore, the World University Games and NCAAs will take center stage with an entire winter’s worth of events, competitions, training, and fun.
“We have people come from all over and our coaches do such an amazing job putting everything together,” adds Tara Hulse, NYSEF’s Program Manager and Race Administrator at Belleayre.
“It’s going to be a busy winter,” says John Norton, NYSEF’s Executive Director. “It takes a community to get the job done and we are loving the community this organization is building.”
If geography is destiny, then NYSEF at Whiteface has been the right place and time for countless athletes who have accomplished incredible things, including Tommy Biesemeyer.
Biesemeyer has been skiing since he was three and enrolled in NYSEF at seven. Even then, his talent and drive were obvious. On his first day with NYSEF, Biesemeyer reflects that his coach noticed right away that he was an excellent little skier, and by the end of the day, he was placed with a group of more advanced skiers.
“She recognized that I had talent,” he adds. “NYSEF developed and pushed me to be the best I could be, which carried me through my career. I credit my love of skiing to my experiences with NYSEF.”
Biesemeyer didn’t come from a family of skiers, but from the beginning, his parents supported his drive and determination to race.
“My parents worked with NYSEF’s leadership to figure out what I needed and how to make sure my needs as an athlete were met,” he says.
After years of doggedly pursuing his goals as a skier, Biesemeyer was named to the U.S Ski Team in 2008 and represented Team USA at the 2018 Olympics. After retiring from the international stage in 2020, the Olympian returned to school to pursue a business degree from the University of Vermont and step into Director of Skiing for Northwood School.
Now, Biesemeyer has the honor to share his love for skiing, inspiring the next generation of competitive skiers through a program that strives to balance the rigorous training and racing inherent in competitive sports with the challenging academic rigor of high school. “Northwood is academically intensive,” says Biesemeyer. “It’s a big ask for athletes to manage their competitive race schedules and the classroom demands.”
That’s where he comes in. As a liaison between NYSEF and Northwood, an essential aspect of Biesemeyer's position is working with coaches at the ski foundation to ensure they are involved in preparing the athletes for the upcoming ski season while he prepares them for the academic year.
For Biesemeyer, the best part of his job is watching the kids develop and succeed.
“Going into my second year here at Northwood, I’m seeing the kids’ hard work pay off, and their paths to success start to take shape - it’s fascinating,” he says.
Biesemeyer's looking forward to continuing to build a culture within Northwood School and NYSEF that embodies the core characteristics of an environment that empowers kids to be successful. “The most important thing I want to pass on to this next generation of competitive skiers and rising stars is how to compete,” Biesemeyer says. “I want them to learn how to handle defeat while staying focused on their goals.”
He’s also looking forward to skiing the newly widened training trail at Whiteface this winter. “It’s exciting that, because of the World University Games coming up in 2023, Whiteface has expanded training trails. I’m excited to take advantage of that with the kids this winter and see how it pushes them to do better in their training.”
The partnership between NYSEF and Northwood School offers students with drive and determination the opportunities to push themselves to achieve their goals. Right place. Right time. Proper tools and resources.
Winter Term is a unique education opportunity for NYSEF athletes. It puts an athlete in charge of their own destiny, so to speak, by removing outside distractions and throwing a gauntlet down that demands a rise to the challenge. It is not for everyone. But hey, that’s ski racing.
As a U12 in 2016, Gavin Ebert set his sights on competing at a high level in alpine ski racing. The Clifton Park native grew up skiing at Whiteface, and joined NYSEF as a J4. Even then, he was determined to be the best racer he could be, so when the opportunity to enroll in Winter Term came up, he took it.
Winter Term is a unique to NYSEF program that allows young racers like Gavin to immerse themselves in their sport while still honoring their academic commitments. It’s not a ski academy, but the program provides enrolled athletes with individualized academic tutoring and instruction, six days on the snow all winter long, and dryland strength training.
And the results kind of speak for themselves. Ebert is one of the top U16 racers in the country right now and turned in an incredible series of results during the 2021-22 ski season. He took first in Super G and was second overall at Eastern Championships in Burke, turned in two first-place wins for the RPS Speed Week races at Sugarloaf, won Empire State Games GS and Super G, and received the Hal Evans Award (given to the man and woman who have the lowest combined race points at Empire Winter Games SG and GS) and the U16 Horst Weber Award from NYSSRA,
which goes to the “U16 New York racer who best reflects unselfish sportsmanship and has shown these traits by their ski results, dedication, determination, and accomplishment in the sport of ski racing.”
That was just last season, but Ebert is far from resting on his laurels. “It’s my first year doing FIS, so I’m focused on getting myself out there and showing myself to be a competitor,” Ebert says.
The 2022-23 school year is Ebert’s third as a Winter Term athlete, and he credits the flexibility he gets balancing training and skiing with academics for his successes on the race course. “It’s super personalized for each athlete and really focused on trying to fit our needs,” he says.
“Compared to just doing a weekend program it makes you focus a lot more and understand that if you want to do as good as possible, you have to put in longer weeks and sacrifice more free time and spend more time training and recovering,” Ebert adds. Winter Term students return to their sending schools as soon as the ski season ends in April, and spend a week or so readjusting to the change of pace.
“Sure, it can be a little stressful going back just as you’re preparing for big tests,” says Kirsten Iles, a Winter Term student from Manlius. NY. “But the transition isn’t as bad as long as you keep up with your work throughout the winter.”
Kirsten Iles
“I can dedicate a lot more time to skiing because my school work is designed around my training, so I can focus on skiing while still meeting my academic requirements.”
Iles, like Ebert, has been a Winter Term student for three years, and her focus on achieving her goals as a racer is palpable. “I can dedicate a lot more time to skiing because my school work is designed around my training,” Iles says. “So I can focus on skiing while still
Winter Term was started by a small group of individuals to fill what Program Director Beatty Schlueter says was a need for a full-time program that could be a bridge between weekend winter programming and the academy route.
“Dedicated athletes are making decisions about whether to commit to a racing career as young as U14s, so there needed to be a program that could accommodate younger athletes who were committed to their sport,” Schlueter says.
Academically, the kids going through Winter Term are high performers there as well, with athletes matriculating to St. Lawrence University to ski in the NCAA, competing in World Junior Championships, and more. Winter Term is rigorous, and athletes who choose to enroll are choosing to focus on competing in their sport.
“Athletes who want to be competitive need to be skiing fulltime,” Schlueter says. “They need to train and ski where there’s snow in order to stay competitive in the East.”
For Nordic Combined athlete and Lake Placid native Kai McKinnon, Winter Term helps her keep everything in balance. “Because I am not stressed about due dates or upcoming assignments, I can really focus on doing my best at every practice and competition,” she says. She adds that she feels lucky to be able to do the sport she loves - and train on the newly renovated jumps in Lake Placid.
Fav School Subject:: Science
Graduation Year: 2026
The 2022-23 season will be her second year as a Winter Term athlete, but the impact of Winter Term and the extra time spent honing her craft was already evident during the 2021-22 season. At the USA Nordic Junior Women’s National Championships, McKinnon took second for U16s in both Jumping and Nordic Combined in Salisbury, CT.
“The best thing about being a Nordic athlete is all the incredible people I get to meet, and all the different places I get to travel,” McKinnon says. “It truly is a unique experience.”
Winter Term provides a special opportunity for highly dedicated student-athletes to spend their season focused on sports and academics with little distraction. “It’s not for everyone,” Schlueter says. “Kids are here to be students, train at a high level, and compete.”
For kids who are serious about their sport, but also want to be involved in extracurricular activities at their sending schools, Winter Term provides the opportunity to do both. The camaraderie among the Winter Term student athletes is evident. They train together, laugh often, and encourage one another as they lift and run through drills. For Charlie Howe, a fourth-year Winter Term student from Holland Patent, NY, it’s exactly what he’s looking for out of his school and training year.
“I was always jumping off things, and building jumps as a kid, so my parents suggested I try ski jumping. I fell in love with the sport immediately, and never stopped jumping.”
Kai McKinnon, '26 Home Turf: Olympic Jumping ComplexHowe says the on-the-snow training with NYSEF’s coaches and the strength and conditioning he does with Coach Patrick Purcell make all the difference. Howe came in first in Super G and second in GS at the 2022 Empire State Winter Games, third in slalom at State Championships, and seventh at Eastern Championships at Burke Mountain, VT.
Ebert, Iles, and Howe all say that getting into a good school as a racer is a top priority.
Winter Term has been at capacity for several years in a row, but the demand for the program makes Schlueter think there’s still room to grow. “It’s a dream to think we could have a facility of our own one day,” she says.
Then again, daring to dream is kind of NYSEF’s thing.
"The coaching is top-tier, and I'm able to stay up to date with my home school curriculum thanks to my team of tutors.”Charlie Howe Home Mountain: Woods Valley Fav Whiteface Trail: Hoyt's High Graduation Year: 2024 Charlie Howe, '24
Dare to Dream is NYSEF’s dream-making scholarship fund. It originated in the year 2012 when it became more and more apparent that the increase in expenses for local athletes participating in snow sports was taxing families and becoming prohibitive to participation. In order to keep local athletes in local programs, NYSEF launched the concept as a fundraising initiative, and the Dare to Dream Scholarship Fund was born. Ten years later, and Dare to Dream is still going strong!
As an athlete grows in their sport, their need to compete and travel to competitions increases. With this increase, comes expenses that have to be covered by the athlete, and/or their family. That’s where Dare to Dream steps in.
The first Chairman’s Fundraiser party at Greg and Lorie Harden’s Lake Placid home raised just over $30,000. The Chairman’s Fundraiser is a highlight of the holiday season, a chance to gather, be merry, and donate to a worthy cause. Since its launch, the Dare to Dream Scholarship Fund has grown significantly and is able to make crucial merit and need-based awards to NYSEF athletes every year. Last season D2D and other NYSEF scholarship funds like the Horst Weber Scholarship Fund supported over 40 athletes and awarded more than $130,000 in scholarships to NYSEF athletes.
It is a dream to be able to support NYSEF athletes in this way, to work with coaches and athletes to fill in the blanks. However, the 2022-23 season is different. Applications for financial aid and scholarships have outpaced any previous ask, both volume of ask and amount, of any year since the fund was started. As the economy shifts and the full impact of the last several years come to bear, our local families are relying more and more on financial aid and scholarships to make their athletes’ dreams come true.
"As a NYSEF athlete for 17 years, I cannot overstate the profound impact NYSEF has had on my life. From growing up playing speedball, to competing on the international stage, NYSEF has supported me the whole way. Recently, the Dare to Dream Scholarship has helped to fund my season, helping with flights and race entries. As a full-time athlete, it’s crucial to have scholarships like these to enable me to travel and compete, without them I wouldn’t be able to do what I love. I am truly grateful to have a town full of people who believe in me and help contribute to my success as a professional skier. It’s organizations like NYSEF and their donors that allow local athletes to have aspirations in sport, whether it’s state champion or national champion. NYSEF provided the tools for my success and I’m thankful I grew up in Lake Placid with such an amazing organization!"
"I am very happy to be a part of the NYSEF community through Dare to Dream’s support. I have accomplished many goals through hard work and determination. Thanks to NYSEF, coaches, and the great community I was able to succeed in school and especially on snow. "
"Being on the mountain is where I am most at peace, and a place where all the stress I succumb to can be dealt with in one of the best ways possible, on skis! No one has been more welcoming than Belleayre's race team community and NYSEF. Last year being my first year on a new team, I never could've imagined that after the first day I looked forward to going to practice every single weekend, something I don't think every athlete can say. It has been such an honor and such an important gateway for me as an honors society student and varsity ski racer for Don Bosco Prep, to be able to find ease in such an outstanding program! I would like to thank my coaches and friends for the great times and memories last year and I can only look forward to more in the future!"
It’s a simple question: Will you tell me about your dad?
For Tracey Hovey, it’s more about what everyone else has been telling her about her dad for the past 60 years.
“Everything I know of him was told to me,” she says.
People are always telling her she looks just like her father, that she has the same blue eyes, the same flyaway blonde hair, and the same love of skiing and the outdoors.
That she relishes these comparisons is obvious, but for Tracey, the swell of pride is always tempered by sadness.
She was five years old when her dad passed away.
“I have two fuzzy memories of him,” she recalls. “One is of us skiing together.”
William A. Hovey, Jr. was a legend in his own time. He was friends with Warren Miller and collaborated on some filming with him at Mt. Whitney. He was also the Director of the U.S. Eastern Amateur Ski Association and a certified ski examiner who was integral in establishing guiding standards for ski instruction in the United States. Hovey, a World War II veteran who served in the Marine Air Force, and played football for Notre Dame, returned home to Lake Placid to raise his family.
He was 36 years old when his car went off the road after visiting his father in an Albany hospital. At the time he was President of the Lake Placid Chamber of Commerce, owned a motel, and was director of the Bill Hovey Ski School at the Lake Placid Club.
The Race.
The inaugural William A. Hovey Memorial Ski Race was held in 1963 at Mt. Whitney in Hovey’s honor. It was organized by the Lake Placid Ski Club and Sno Birds.
The race is one of those magical occurrences that has taken on a significance that isn’t easy to categorize. It’s grown into a legendary event that looms large among the U10, U12, and U14 sets. Coming in first is a coveted honor, and for the many who never stand atop that podium, it’s a lifelong regret that also reads a bit like pride.
“I love to hear from people who didn’t win it but wanted to,” Tracey says. “It’s such a great community bonding experience because so many people grew up racing in it and wanting to race in it, and wanting to win it.”
"I am still mad, as I had him by four-tenths on the first run, and he got me by 0.43 in the second run!" says NYSEF Board member Art Lussi on his second-place finish to Dan Stripp in 1975.
The Hovey, as it’s affectionately known, is exactly what ski racing is all about. It gathers kids from across the state to compete and the desire to win is a defining moment in any young racer’s career.
"When I won, it felt like a pretty big deal of course, but over the years it has made me feel quite fortunate to have skiing be part of my family's heritage and one that I've been able to contribute to in my own way,"
“All of your friends from Gore Mountain would come up to compete, making it more than just your regular race series,” says Jaden Klebba, a 2017 Hovey winner. “I've made my best friends through the program at NYSEF; those girls will be a highlight of my experience there for the rest of my life.”
The Hovey is held annually, typically in January, and is renowned for its bad luck with the weather. But that doesn’t seem to deter racers. “The race has a reputation of having really bad weather,” Tracey asserts. “Everyone is freezing out there and they still come back year after year.”
The sense of community around the race is special, she adds. “I really like on race day when I get to see Jimbo and the volunteers and coaches that have worked the race forever,” Tracey says, referring to NYSEF U14 Coach James “Jimbo” Johnston. Johnston has been working the race every year for the past 30, and even though he can’t quite define what makes this race so special, he has a theory.
“The Hovey is the beginning of many kids’ dreams and aspirations to become great ski racers,” Johnston says. “Many winners have gone on to become U.S. Ski Team and Olympians.” Johnston credits the Hovey family with keeping the tradition alive. “It carries on through generations,” he says. “It’s pretty special.”
The year Andrew Weibrecht, two-time Olympic medalist and NYSEF alum, won stands out vividly for Johnston. “He won it as a second-year J3 and went on to win at the International Children’s races in Italy and Whistler. I joke that his ski career finally started when he won the elusive Hovey.” Another race that Johnston recalls is the 2012 Hovey where twins Patricia and William Mangan won. “They had different times for each run, but their overall time was the exact same,” he says.
Tracey gives the awards out to the winners each year, and the honor of the occasion never dims for her. When her daughter Haley won the race in 1996, it was incredibly emotional, Hovey says.
“I came in second in 1999, and, it’s kind of embarrassing that I still think about this, but I really wish I had won the Hovey three times. It meant so much to me that the race was on ‘our hill’ where we trained all year. It really was a day for local kids to shine.”
Megan Papineau 2000 & 2001 Champion
Haley Hovey Johnson 1996 Champion
was a big deal to win it! People came from all over the state to race and it was highly competitive. It’s a really wonderful thing that such a tradition has been carried out for so many years.”
Janet Hurley Bliss 1965 & 1966 Champion“I wanted to throw up,” she adds, laughing. “The call came over and man, she was smoking!” Time has offered Haley some perspective on her win. "When I won, it felt like a pretty big deal of course, but over the years it has made me feel quite fortunate to have skiing be part of my family's heritage and one that I've been able to contribute to in my own way," Haley says.
Haley is carrying on her family’s tradition of teaching skiing and sharing her love of the sport with her family, especially her two young kids, Oscar and Lina.
“The more I've learned about my grandfather as I've gotten older, the more I appreciate his devotion to sharing the love of skiing through coaching, and glad I can do that, too,” she adds. Haley went on to compete in nordic skiing and biathlon, representing U.S. Biathlon at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, and coaching for the U.S. Paralympic Biathlon Team.
Tracey’s other kids went on to earn accolades in their own right as athletes. Kara raced the Hovey as a J5 until she made the switch to freestyle skiing. She moved to Colorado in 2002 to further pursue mogul skiing and continued to ski on the Nor-Am circuit until 2009. Both she and her brother Lars skied their last ski competition together at U.S. Nationals in Squaw Valley in 2009. Kara guest coached at the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club during holiday camps during college and then coached between undergraduate and graduate school.
“To me, coaching was a great way to stay a part of the ski community and give back to the sport from which I gained so much,” Kara says. “Although we never met our grandfather he sure had quite an impact on our ski careers.”
Courtney Straight is the only 3-time winner
Mary Damp won in 1974 and her daughter Megan Bagg won in 2004 & 2005
Twins Tricia and William Mangan both won in 2012 and finished with the exact same combined time
2022 was the first and only tie for the win between Michael Mezzetti and Hudson Montgomery
“It
“As athletes come into the program, it’s one of the things we aspire to. It felt amazing to win The Hovey; because I know the history of the race and the Hovey family.”
2021 Champion“I remember the Hovey as a really special event for several reasons. The prize was more than just a gold medal or standing on the tallest part of the podium. Your name was put on a list next to the past winners of the Hovey. Three of those people that I can name were on the U.S. Ski team or still are. That's what was really cool."
Jaden Klebba 2017 ChampionLars is the youngest of Tracey’s kids, and he grew up following in Kara’s footsteps as a mogul skier. Lars never raced the Hovey, but he did forerun it. His forerun was quickly disqualified as he failed to go around any gates and only went straight down the hill.
Lars’s pursuit of competitive mogul skiing moved him out west to Steamboat Springs. After college, Lars began coaching for the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club and found his true passion.
“I always knew my grandfather as a coach and mentor on the hill through stories, but it wasn’t until I started to coach myself that I felt a deep connection and bond to my grandfather,” Lars says. “Coaching has sculpted my adult life, and I believe my love for coaching is because of him.”
Lars was the Head FIS coach at the SSWSC where he traveled the world coaching and skiing. He's helped seven athletes qualify for World Cup competitions, and three make the U.S. Ski Team. In 2021, Lars was named the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Freestyle Domestic Coach of the Year.
2023 marks the 60th anniversary of the Hovey, and one thing Tracey is most excited about is that her family is coming back for the race.
Due to the World University Games, the William A. Hovey Memorial Ski Race will be held on February 12, 2023, at Whiteface Mountain.
Dan Stripp '75
Haley Hovey Johnson '96
Andrew Weibrecht '01
Tommy Biesemeyer '04
Patricia Mangan '12
Janet Hurley '65, '66
Patricia Fregoe '71, '72
Ted C. Prime '76, '77
Sandra Stripp '77, '78
Chris Jobson '88, '89
Courtney Strait '93, '94, '95
Megan Papineau '00, '01
Megan Bagg '04, '05
Annie King '08, '09
Jim McLusky '67 & Robbie McLusky '70
Mark Stripp '73, Dan Stripp '75 & Sandra Stripp '77, '78
Chris Fletcher '78 & Tina Fletcher '79
Particia Mangan '12, William Mangan '12 & Mary Catherine Mangan '19
Hunter Montgomery '16 & Hudson Montgomery '21
Rowen Norfolk '18 & Lincoln Norfolk '20
"When I recall my experience of winning the Hovey, I remember standing on the podium in front of the NYSEF building, the golden winter sun in my eyes, with the support of all of my friends around me.”
The Annual Chairman's Party returned in December 2021 with a twist. Families and friends enjoyed s'mores and bonfires at John Brown Farm in Lake Placid. The event raised over $27,000.00 for NYSEF.
This Summer, NYSEF hosted Annual Summer Benefits in each of our three regions of operation. The Lake Placid/Whiteface Summer Raffle & Benefit took place at the Lake Placid Olympic Jumping Complex, with ski jumping and freestyle aerials exhibitions from NYSEF athletes under the lights. Our Belleayre benefit was hosted at a private residence in the Catskill Mountains, and Gore Mountain hosted its annual event at the Ski Bowl. Collectively, all three events raised over $62,500 for NYSEF.
Community Day in Lake Placid
Lake Placid Marathon Aid Stations
Ironkids Registration
Ironman Aid Stations
Olympic Day at Mt Van Hoevenberg
Hardy Kids Mountain Bike Race
Kelly Brush Ride
Climb to the Castle Nordic Race
Flaming Leaves Fall Festival
Lake Placid Ski Club & NYSEF Ski Swap Jumpapalooza
Our Whiteface Office hosted the first annual Spring Bike Swap event at the end of April. Local bike shops, clubs, and trail builders were on hand for maintenance clinics and gear exchanges.
The Annual NYSEF Summer Golf Open took place on Sunday, June 12th, 2022 at the Lake Placid Club Golf Course. 24 teams participated and raised almost $20,000.
Lake Placid and the surrounding communities will host the 2023 Winter World University Games (WUGs) from January 12th - 23rd. The 11-day international festival and competition combines high-level sport with educational and cultural events. WUGs events will take place at four different NYSEF training locations; Whiteface Mountain, Gore Mountain, Mount Van Hoevenberg, and the Olympic Jumping Complex.
The WUGs is the largest multi-sport winter event in the world, after the Winter Olympics. University students between the ages of 17 and 25 are eligible to enter, with teams ultimately being selected by their national university sports federations. The 31st Winter WUGs will include athletes from 50 countries competing in 12 different winter sports.
This will be the third time that the WUGs have taken place within the United States. Buffalo, New York played host to the 1993 Summer Games, and Lake Placid hosted the Winter games in 1972, just eight years before the Winter Olympics. If you are interested in spectating or volunteering at the Games, visit www.lakeplacid2023.com.
Thanks to recent upgrades at the Olympic Jumping Complex, Lake Placid will host its first Ski Jumping World Cup since 1990 and the first in the United States since 2004. The International Men's field will compete on the HS100 and HS128 jumps on February 11th and 12th, 2023.
Mount Van Hoevenberg in Lake Placid was recently awarded the IBU Cup for for the 24/25 and 25/26 seasons. The IBU Cup is the second-tier international competition beneath the World Cup, and paves the way for the venue's ability to host larger World Cup competitions in the future.
$7 Million Economic Impact
The spending of out-of-town athletes visiting ORDA/NYSEF venues and the payroll of NYSEF ripple though the economy. More than 4,400 Alpine, Freeride, and Nordic athletes and their coaches and families visit ORDA venues for NYSEF races/events each year. These individuals make considerable contributions to the local economy through purchases of lodging and retail spending. In addition, NYSEF has a talented staff team that spends their salaries in the community
The average out-of-town athlete and their family/coach/traveling companions spend approx. $588 on lodging, food, and gifts during an event
$1,000
This spending total ripples through the economy for a total economic impact of $1,000 per event for each out-of-town athlete.
$2.24 M Direct spending by out-oftown athletes on training & clinics
$580,000 NYSEF Payroll 2022 ANNUAL REPORT PAGE 48
$1.8 M
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has a Regional Input-Output Modeling System (RIMS II) that derives economic multipliers for how money ripples through a regional economy Economic multipliers are sold by the federal government We have identified other economic impact studies done in the Adirondack Region that use multipliers in the neighborhood of 1.8 to 1.9. The ski industry generally uses multipliers of between 1.5 and 2.0
NYSEF’s donors are the core of our organization and ensure our organization’s success today and in the future. NYSEF is so deeply grateful for the generous and unwavering support that the organization receives from its donors. The impact of your giving during the September 1, 2021 - August 31, 2022 fiscal year totaled $589,745 plus in-kind donations.
We have tried to capture everyone’s gifts accurately, but if you see an error, please let us know.
Olympic Membership ($10,000 and Above)
Mr. & Mrs. Timothy and Andrea Collins
Black Rock Foundation
Henry & Milfred Uihlein Foundation
C.L. Howe Construction Inc
Mr. & Mrs. John and Ann Hunt Mr. Andy Lack
The North Elba Local Enhancement and Advancement Fund (LEAF)
Mr. Wayne Lemley
ACK Lussi Fund at Adirondack Foundation
Donald C. McGraw Foundation
Mr. & Mrs. Robert and Elizabeth McGraw
Mr. & Mrs. John and Lila Huwiler
Mr. & Mrs. Mark and Cory Sertl Dr. Richard Smith and Dr. Barbara Dill
Mr. & Mrs. Edward and Bettina Sparkowski
Mr. & Mrs. Keith and Maggie Stoltz
World Cup Membership ($5,000 to $9,999)
Mr. & Mrs. Nick Brumm and Shyama Patel Crowne Plaza Lake Placid Lake Placid Family Dental Long Run Wealth Advisors , LLC
Mr. & Mrs. Jean-Philippe Brisson and Stephanie Demers
Dr. & Dr. Kevin Klebba and Maggie Ho-Klebba
Mr & Mrs. Drew and Nell Reynolds
Mr. & Mrs. John and Alex Reynolds
Mr. & Mrs. Steven and Brooks Reynolds Sports Insurance Warren County Occupancy Committee
Continental Cup Membership ($1,000 To $4,999)
Adirondack Foundation Uihlein Ironman Sports Fund of Lake Placid
American Legion 326 becksTAVERN
Mr. & Mrs. Bob and Tish Biesemeyer Gabrielli Management Co., INC
Gore Mountain Lodge
Four Seasons Management
Ann & David Harden Foundation
Mr. & Mrs. Greg and Lorie Harden
Mr. & Mrs. Peter W. and Kim Holderied Hornaday Homes, LLC Hyde Fuel
IRONMAN Foundation
Mr. & Mrs. Justin and Colleen Klabin
Mr. & Mrs. Bill and Cristi Kloc
Mr. & Mrs. Steven and Tricia Asaro Kroll
Ms. Kate Kroll Ms. Virginia LaCavalla Lamb Lumber
Mr. & Mrs. Patrick and Jen Ledger
Mr. & Mrs. Danielle LaCavalla and Shane MacDowell
Mr. & Mrs. Arthur and Martina Lussi
Ms. Cristina Lussi
Dr. & Dr. Martin Ferrillo and Radana Dooley
The Mirror Lake Inn Resort & Spa Woods and Pearl McCahill Family Fund at Adirondack Foundation
Mr. Robi Politi
Mr. & Mrs. William and Connie Nealon III
Network For Good
Mr. & Mrs. Jack and Carol Norton
Mr. & Dr. Brandan Haase and Helena Oechsner
Mr. & Mrs. Joe Fonseca and Sarah Outwater
Mr. & Mrs. J.D.* and Diane Reynolds
Mr. & Mrs. Olivier and Kate Schupp
Mr. & Mrs. Eli and Emily Schwartzberg
Mr. Chris Selkirk
Mr. & Mrs. Howie and Peggy Silverstein
Lake Placid Ski Club
Ski Like A Girl, LLC Stewarts Foundation
Mr. Bradley Streeter
Mr. & Mrs. Kip and Julie Testwuide
Mr. & Mrs. Peter and Tiffany Van Etten
Mr. & Mrs. Royce Van Evera and Tina Charbonneau Dr. Tracey Viola Walmart Charitable Foundation
Mr. & Mrs. Andrew and Denja Weibrecht
Mr. & Mrs. Ed and Lisa Weibrecht
Mr. & Mrs. Horst and Edith Weber Wildwood
Mr. Cameron Chant Willis
Mr. & Mrs. Dave and Kate Zientko
Eastern Cup Membership ($500 To $999)
Mr. & Mrs. Edward P. Finnerty & Nancie R. Battaglia
Mr. & Mrs. Peter and Mary Ann Benedetto II
Mr. & Mrs. Rich and Marti Burnley Dr. David Carbonaro Central Garage
Mr. & Mrs. Timothy Hoerner and MaryLu Cianciolo Community Bank, N.A. E L AMES, INC.
Mr. & Mrs. Mathieu Frey and Sandra Gabrielli
Mr. Wayne Feinberg Mr. & Mrs. Scott and Erica Fuller Mr. & Mrs. Peter and Marsha Liebowitz
Mr. & Mrs. Bryan and Lynn Magnus
Dr. & Dr. Steve and Trish Morrow Mr. & Mrs. Chris Woschenko and Karen Nishida
Peter and Heidi Roland Family Fund at the Adirondack Foundation
Mr. & Mrs. Daniel and Sheila Quiles
Mr. John M. Roth
Mr. & Mrs. John Norton and Beatty Schlueter Ms. Katharyn Smith Mr. James Spinale Mr. Giles Charles Wagoner, III Mrs. Jill Walker Ms. Janice Wood Mr. & Mrs. Jacob and Tara Wright
Empire State Membership ($100 to $499)
Mr. & Mrs. Steve Krawciw and Irene Aldridge Ms. Catherine Bemis
Mr. & Mrs. Whit and Lindsey Bissell
Ms. Gwyn Bissonette
Ms. Lisa Bittinger
Ms. Catherine Blazer
Mr. & Mrs. Carl and Janet Boller Mr. Andrew Boral
Mr. Kevin Brady Briggs Law Firm
Ms. Robin Brown-Anthony Mr. & Mrs. Tim and Andrea Burke Burnham Benefit Advisors
Mr. & Mrs. Jeff and Nevenka Byrne
The Physicians and Surgeons of Lake Placid Sports Medicine
Mr. & Mrs Zachary and Leda Carpenter
Mr. & Mrs. Shawn and Tammy Casey
Mr. Bob Catalano
Dr. & Dr. Denis and Brita Chagnon Mr. & Mrs. William Englert and Christine Carew
Mr. & Mrs. Christopher and Christina Bertinelli
Mr. & Mrs. Christopher and Colleen Dibble
Mr. Bruce Colon Ms. Nancy Colon Colwell Family Mr. Rogan Connell Mr. & Mrs. Mark and Jennifer Coombs
Ms. Kimberly Corwin-Gray Crowl Construction
The Cottage
Ms. Michele Deeney Ms. Helen Demong Greg Dennin
Mr. & Mrs. Jonathan and Leah DeSantis
Mr. & Mrs. Charlie and Susanne Divine
Doherty Family
Ms. Shirl Doherty
Mr. & Mrs. Bill and Kathy Ebert
Engman Family
Mr. & Mrs. Jeff and Deborah Erenstone
Ms. Andrea Fiocchi
Ms. Marcy Fagan
Mr. & Mrs. Emmet and Karen Finnerty
Mr. & Mrs. Ken and Ellen Fiorella Ms. Janice Fisher
Ms. Lauren Fisher
Mr. & Mrs. Dan and Wendy Fox
Mr. & Mrs. Francisco Banchs and Allyson Byrne
Mr. Anthony Gaeta, Jr Ms. Debbie Gardiner
Geer Family
Mr. Victor Geraldi Mr. Robert Gillis
Griffiths Family
Ms. Shannon Haggerty Mr. Glen Haran
Mr. Rob Hastings
Mr. & Mrs. Eric Blinderman and Heather Genovese Mr. & Mrs. David E. and Paula S. Hayes
S. Curtis Hayes Mr. & Mrs. Craig and Jacquie Lopez Higgins
High Peaks Cyclery Mr. & Mrs. Doug and Carol Hoffman
Ms. Heidi Holderied
Mr. Will Holtz
Mr. Patrick Howell
Mr. & Mrs. Mitchell and Sheri Huff Mr. & Mrs. William Montana and Jan Jepsen Phil Johnson
Mr. & Mrs. Angus Hamilton and Robin Liu
Mr. & Mrs. Bradley Howe and Jennifer Lutz Mr. Joe Fonseca
Mr. & Mrs. Nick Politi and Emily Kilburn
Mr. & Mrs. Achilles and Kika Kogiantis
Ms. Anja Kola McDonough Mr. Ronald Konowitz Mr. Patrick Larkin Mr. Mike LaRocco Lawrence Family Loremans' Mr. Charles Levine Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Freling H. Smith Linda C. Griffin
Lake Placid Ski Club Ms. Erica Loher Mr. Wilson Longdaue Mr. & Mrs. George J. and Roseann D. Lorefice Ms. Anne Malone Manuele Family
Mr. & Mrs. Mark Nicole Lawrence Mr. & Mrs. James DeSchriver and Meg Mason
Mr. & Mrs. Benjamin Forbush and Nancy McNulty
Mr. & Mrs. Max and Linda Nova Mr. Timothy C Maxwell Mr. & Mrs. Vinny and Barbara McClelland
Mr. & Mrs. James and Jennifer McGuire
Ms. Judy A McLean Mr. Alfred Merchant Meredith Family
Mr. Justine Bertha Miller
Mr. & Mrs. Edmund Mrak and Linda Ziolo Mr. Alex Nenno
Ms. Carol Nevulis
Mr. & Mrs. Matthew and Darcy Norfolk
Mr. & Mrs. Timothy and Becky Northrup
Mr. & Mrs. Peter and Betsy Olmsted
Ms. Mercedes Orpin-Steinfeld Mr. Gary Ottavin
Mr. George Pappas Pavlides Family
Mr. Patrick Poisson Mr. Jason Price
Mr. & Mrs. Jay and Gun Rand Mr. Mike Raymaley
Mr. Robert C Reid Reliable Racing Renaldo Family
Mr. & Mrs. Damon Sprance and Donna Riggio
Mr. & Mrs. Neil and Elise Ruocco
Mr. & Mrs. David Hyman and Robyn Shumer
Mr. & Mrs. Ezra and Audrey Schwartzberg
Mr. Jesse Schwartzberg
Mr. & Mrs. Michael and Katherine Rowe
Mr. & Mrs. Arman Kuyumjian and Taline Sahakian
Ms. Kim Salibello
Mr. Joseph Schmit Ms. Eva Sebek
Ms. Gina M. Shaw Mr. Keith Sills Ms. Catherine Sinclair Ski Areas of New York St. Lawrence University Ski Team Mr. Jason Sparkowski
Mr. & Mrs. Craig Rebecca Stanclift Ms. Mary Stanley Mr. Nick Sterling
Stringer Family
Ms. Sarah Tallent
Mr. William Terry
Mr. & Mrs. Jeremy and Olivia Transue
Mr. Michael Trunzo
Twitchell Sportswear
Mr. & Mrs. Tom and Liz Vales
Ms. Julie Voss
Christopher Brockmeyer & Xenia Von Lilien-Waldau
Mr. Peter V Waldt
Mr. & Mrs. Tait and Carrie Wardlaw
Ms. Roberta M. Warfield
Mr. & Mrs. David and Marci Wenn Mr. James and Elizabeth White
Ms. Jackie Wilson
A Pinch or A Pound
Abby Junes
Adirondack Experience: The Museum on Blue Mountain Alpine Images Photography Ampersand Bay Resort
Andrea Burke
Ausable Brewing Company Barkeater Chocolates Beatty Schlueter becksTAVERN
Belleayre Mountain Ski Area Bike ADK
Birch Bee Honey Bookstore Plus Bradley Streeter
Cabot
Camp Cody Cape Air Francisco "Chico" Braun Community Bank
Craig Wood Golf Course
Danielle LaCavalla
Dynamics Cycling Adventures
Eagle Island Camp enuf Pastry & Cheese Experience Outdoors
Ezra Schwartzberg Fogarty's Lake Flower Marina Golden Arrow Resort
Gore Mountain Green Goat Maps
High Peaks Cyclery Hyde Fuel
Ian Swirsky
Ingrid Van Slyke Jason Price
Jeremy (Worm) Transue James "Jimbo" Johnston John Norton
Kaileigh Moore
Kevin Drury Khala & Co.
Lake George Island Boat Tour Lake Placid Center of the Arts Lake Placid Museum Lake Placid Ski & Board
Lake Placid Soccer Centre
Lamb Lumber
Lisa G's Restaurant
Long Run Wealth Advisors , LLC
Lynn Gaffney
Malone Golf Course
Marcy Fagen
Mirror Lake Boat Rental
Mirror Lake Inn Resort & Spa Northwood School
Olivia Transue
Origin Coffee
Patagonia
Patrick Purcell
Placid Planet Bicycles
Pourman's Tap house Reliable Racing
Mr. & Mrs. Rich and Marty Burnley
River Stone Wellness
Rossignol
Royce Van Evera Sailing Sea to See Salomon
Saranac Lake Golf Course Saranac Lake Marina
Shane MacDowell
Simpi Nature SKIDA Slutsky Family SMITH Smoke Signals
Solitude Catering
Sugarbush
Terry Robards Wines & Spirits Sports Page Ski & Patio
The Village Mercantile The Wild Center
Thomas Biesemeyer
Tina Charbonneau
Tony Nickinello
United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee
Westshore BBQ
Whiteface
Whiteface Club & Resort Woodstock Inn & Resort and Saskadena Six Emmett & Charlie Fox
Caitlin Wargo
Brandee Reiley
Tara Hulse
Jacquie & Audrey Lopez
Donna Howe
Barb Wagner
Timothy (Tim) Cunningham
Donna Howe
Melissa Iles
To learn more about Legacy Giving, please reach out to beckyn@nysef.org
NYSEF is one of the largest multidisciplinary youth snowsports organizations in the U.S. Recognized as a “Gold Certified Club” by the U.S. Ski & Snowboard, NYSEF is one of the organization’s original eight Gold Club members and is the only certified club in New York State. In 2023, NYSEF will celebrate being a leader in snowsport education for nearly 50 years.
From the Chairman’s Holiday Party to the Summer Benefit, annual events are a fun way to support NYSEF.
A planned gift is one of the easiest gifts to make to ensure a lasting legacy with NYSEF. Gifts can be made through stocks, bonds, real estate, and more.
Gift of Stock
Gifts of stock may be eligible for a tax deduction.
The “IRA Charitable Rollover” is an attractive option for IRA owners who have reached age 70½.
Please consider supporting NYSEF in its' mission to provide opportunities for athletes to reach their potential in snowports. donate online at nysef.org
New York Ski Educational Foundation P.O. Box 300 Wilmington, NY 12997 (518) 946-7001 info@nysef.org
Pledges are simple. You can make a larger gift to NYSEF over time. Pledge payments can be made monthly, quarterly, bi-annually, or annually.
