NYSEF February 2023 Newsletter

February Recap:

February whew! Blink and you'll miss it, but boy was our month action-packed! We kicked off February with the return of the Empire State Winter Games to Whiteface Mountain, Mt. Pisgah, Mount Van Hoevenberg, and the Dewey Mountain Recreation Center Nearly 2,000 athletes descended on the Lake Placid Region to compete in 23 sports including alpine, freestyle, cross country, biathlon, ski jumping, and nordic combined.

Gore Mountain hosted the US Ski and Snowboard Hole Shot Tour, with some of the country's best ski and boarder cross athletes competing over five days. A big thank you to NYSEF's course crew, who put in countless hours of hard work to maintain a world-class cross-course for the event

The FIS Men's Ski Jumping World Cup made its return to Lake Placid after a 23 year absence, with NYSEF alum Tate Frantz earned his first World Cup start, and the environment was absolutely electric! It was great seeing so many NYSEF athletes and their families cheering in the crowd all weekend!

We wrapped up the month with The 60th Annual William Hovey Memorial Ski Race at Whiteface Mountain, where 176 racers competed for the coveted champion's spot on the Hovey plaque, nearly 50 more than last year! Congratulations to NYSEF's own Thomas R. on the men ' s win, and thank you to the Hovey Family for making the trip to Whiteface for this year ' s race! It's evident that Bill's passionate spirit and vigor for alpine racing are alive and well in our community and his family!

It's hard to believe that championship season is upon us, but things are abuzz in Lake Placid! This month we'll host NCAA Championships, U16 State Championships, and U14 Eastern Regionals, where we ' re hoping to see some NYSEF alumni and athletes on the podium! Good luck to everyone competing in the Rip Van Winkle Ski Camp at Belleayre and the USASA events at Gore this month!

See you out there!

John Norton

February 2023

What's Next: March Events @ Home

Alpine

3/2: Whiteface Open Super G @ Whiteface

3/3-3/5: NYSSRA U16 State Championships @ Whiteface

3/3-3/5: Mid-Atlantic Masters Series @ Gore

3/4: Rip Van Winkle Speed Camp @ Belleayre

3/8-3/10: NCAA Championships @ Whiteface

3/18-3/19: Kandahar Festival @ Gore

3/18-3/21: US Ski & Snowboard U14 Eastern Regionals @ Whiteface

Freeride

3/3-3/5: USASA Rail Jam #2/3 @ Gore

3/11: USASA Slopestyle # 3 @ Gore

Cross Country:

3/9-3/11: NCAA Championships @ Mount Van Hoevenberg

SATURDAY March 11, 2023: 6PM @ LPCA

In a special, one-night-only, interactive performance, Max Weinberg will present his “Jukebox”. Join us for a fun evening where you, the audience, picks the songs and Max will play them as you request ‘ em”! This is a family-friendly event and proceeds will support the New York Ski Educational Foundation Visit

ATHLETEOF ATHLETEOF THEMONTH: THEMONTH:

Charles Howe

Winter Term alpine athlete Charlie Howe has had an impressive month, earning himself a start at U18 National Championships from March 9th-16th in Mittersill, NH. Charlie is one of only six first-year FIS athletes to achieve this feat. Good Luck Charlie!

Winter Term FIS Alpine

February 2023

Alpine Update: FIS on the road

"The FIS men ' s team spent most of the month of February on the road. Athletes competed in U18 National qualifiers at Sugarloaf, Stratton, and Proctor Additionally, the team attended the Eastern Region downhill training project in Mittersill, NH where they gained valuable time on speed skis and raced super-G on the final day Every skier managed a personal best or second-best result this month while balancing school and heavy travel schedules. After a brief midseason rest block, the team will have a home training block to prepare for championships and the final races of the year. Well done!"

- Seppi Stiegler

"The FIS Women kicked off February with downhill and super G competitions in Sugarloaf, Maine. The bulk of the month was filled with two high-quality training blocks in between technical races at Burke Mountain VT, Proctor NH, and Gore NY We also had a great day exploring Whiteface with a "Vertical challenge". FIS athlete Ariana HR. traveled to Courchevel Meribel in France to compete in World Championships for Team Portugal. We're looking forward to strong skiing in March! Way to go ladies!"

- Jeremy "Worm" Transue

XC Junior Race Team: February Update

"Patience, Patience, Patience..."

by Head Coach Paul Smith.

A typical season for many cross country ski athletes no matter what level they may be at has many highs and lows. Periods of illness or bad results get mixed in with good results and positive moments. Weathering the tough times becomes easier when there is a step-by-step plan and each athlete is aiming for a sense of mastery before going to the next step This is to ensure that the bar is never lowered. Race results, though not diminished entirely, are not the only explanation for everything. The other important piece that helps in an undulating race season is having the support and fellowship from the team that pulls everyone together

For the junior race team, alongside the nordic combined and biathlon teams, there are many moments where everyone has been in full support of each other and it has been amazing. I can think of specific moments in the past month - Whether it was racing at 0F, Intensity training in the pouring rain, the coach screwing the wax “hey stop doing that!” - where certain individuals picked up the group.

Long-term development in a tough sport like cross country skiing of course requires patience Specific workouts require patience to get the most out of them, and even the racing itself requires absolute patience in order to be in a good place and find the right door when it opens Sophia K ' s recent podium at Eastern Cup Finals was a shining example of what it means to be patient both in the moment of racing and also long-term in the training leading up to it Daven L , our athlete of the month nomination, has been applying patience this entire season as he starts to check off the boxes and ascend the ladder very fast Leo H entered his first Eastern Cup competition this past week and showed extraordinary patience in order to take away many lessons from the experience. For the team in general the hits in the results have

February 2023

been getting more and more For some, with the championship races the focus shifts from a patient to a little more aggressive mindset; More aggressive skiing but also making the aggressive (and sometimes harder) choice to actually take recovery between the hard bouts.

Part of the team heads to High School State Championships in Rochester After that, we have Eastern High School Champs in Vermont and Junior Nationals in Fairbanks Alaska. These are many amazing opportunities for the team. I have no doubt it will be a good end to the race season!

Devo XC: February Recap

Our DEVO team led the charge forerunning for World University Games, and our athletes' dreams became even greater with the experience. DEVO athletes skied the 5k competition loop with confidence and speed beside athletes from all over the world. Some of the DEVO team members skied each day of the competition, sometimes twice a day, on hard compressed competition courses which many seasoned skiers shy away from.

Throughout this last month, our team has skied through extremely erratic weather patterns shifting from fifty-degree slush, to ten-degree ice in just a few hours. Regardless of these wintry-weather conditions, they continue to gather together with smiles on their faces through practices and competitions The team raced at Gore Ski Bowl, Empire State Winter Games, and Dewey Mountain over the course of the last month earning several podium finishes at these events from athletes; Tyler E., Ryan M., Will P., and Liam S.

You’ll see this group charging through their final weeks of training weekly at Mt Van Hoevenberg on Tuesdays and Thursday afternoons, gearing up for our final Bill Koch Championship weekend at Craftsbury Outdoor Center, March 4th - 5th. To celebrate the end of our season we look forward to a full team gathering on March 19th, bringing together our athletes and coaches across all age levels and nordic disciplines for some end-of-season revelry!

-Julianne Stemp

February 2023

Biathlon Recap

February was a fairly quiet month for the biathlon crew this year. With the lack of natural snow, the quality of our biathlon sessions declined a bit, but our athletes did what they could with what we had! Just like the xc junior race team, February was definitely a month of patience for our crew.

PG Athlete Tim C spent most of February in Europe racing on the IBU Cup circuit and at European Championships. We also had some of our Paul Smith’s College biathletes racing internationally this past month; Dolcie T. and NYSEF Alum Van L. joined Paul Smith’s College biathlete Kaisa B. in Europe for some Junior IBU Cups, Junior European Championships, and Junior World Championships These types of events are highly competitive and it is a huge accomplishment for our athletes to be competing in them!

Following FISU World University Games, Empire State Winter Games took place and we had one sole biathlete toeing the line! River G found success (1st and 2nd), with some awesome shooting on the range. A huge thanks go to NYSEF supporter, Andrea Henkel-Burke, for stepping in while Head Coach Maddie Phaneuf was in Europe coaching with the US Women's Biathlon Team February wraps up, our biathletes are preparing for their final biathlon races of the season, and hoping for some more podium finishes!

Coach Maddie in Europe!

NYSEF’s Head Biathlon Coach Maddie Phaneuf spent a week in Switzerland this February waxing skis and loving every minute of it Well, maybe not every minute of it

Last fall, Maddie threw her hat in the ring as a potential pick for an unpaid fellowship with U S Biathlon that offers two weeks of coaching experience on an international circuit She was picked to join the team during the Biathlon Open European Championships in Lenzerheide and the IBU Cup in Obertilliach; handy since NYSEF PG athlete Tim Cunningham, who Maddie coaches, would be competing in both race series

Landing in Lenzerheide

Behind every Nordic athlete out on the course racing, there’s a team of wax techs behind them who have spent several days testing out and skiing on different waxes and grinds against the course conditions This typically amounts to 100k of skiing During her week as a wax tech, Maddie skied more than 130 kilometers

“I never realized how much those wax techs skied when I was an athlete,” she said. “It was a really cool opportunity to figure out what makes skis fast ”

February 2023

For Maddie, the experience was fun and rewarding She was able to see what goes into racing on an international level from the other side of the race course, and learn a few new things.

“I was nervous, ” Maddie said. “The waxing world is where I am the least knowledgeable but it turned out that I was good at it.”

Off to Obertilliach

After the Euro championships, Maddie headed to Austria to meet up with Tim and continue her fellowship. This time she was helping athletes out on the range and taking on more of a leadership role ahead of the IBU Cup competition.

“It was really cool to be able to see the work that Tim and I did put into action,” Maddie said of Tim’s race performance. “I’ve only seen Tim training for most of the year so it was great to talk to him after races and give feedback ”

Maddie is now back with the team in Lake Placid preparing for the final few biathlon races of the season!

Jumping/NC Recap

The Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined crew was on the road a lot in February. We started in Salisbury, CT on the weekend of February 4th and 5th This duo of competitions served as the final Junior National Qualifier for our region and Eastern Junior Championships The first day saw NYSEF sweep the podium, and take seven of the top eight places in the U20 Men’s Class with Schuyler C. in 1st, Jack K. in 2nd, and Angelo G. in 3rd. Kai M paced the Women’s class with a 1st place finish

Sixteen athletes from NY, NH, and VT qualified to represent the eastern division for the Junior National Championships, nine of which were NYSEF athletes; Kai M, Henry L, Max F, Jack K, Angelo G, Duncan V, Eli L, Will C, and Schuyler C Competitions took place from February 22-25 in Coleraine, MN.

Kai M took 1st place in the U16 Women’s Nordic Combined, besting athletes from Colorado and Alaska in a dominant fashion She also placed 2nd in the U16 Women’s Ski Jumping event. Henry L. placed 2nd in the U16 Men’s Ski Jumping Event, followed by Max F in 8th, Jack K in 9th, Angelo G in 12th, Duncan V in 13th, Eli L in 22nd, and Will C in 32nd. Schuyler C placed 7th in the U20 Men’s Ski Jumping In U16 Men’s Nordic Combined, Angelo G placed 4th, Max F 8th, Jack K 10th, Duncan V 14th, Eli L 20th, and Will C 21st. Max Fey teamed up with Angelo Goodwin, a NH resident, to place 2nd in the U16 Men’s Nordic Combined Team Sprint Jack K and Duncan V were close behind in 5th In team jumping, Max and Henry were joined by Jack K and Schuyler C to place 3rd behind teams from the Rocky Mountain Division and Central Division.

February 2023

From Small Beginnings....

Lake Placid native and NYSEF alum Tate Frantz was officially named to his first FIS Nordic Ski World Championship Team, representing the United States in Planica, Slovenia from February 22nd to March 4th in Men's Ski Jumping Tate began jumping with NYSEF at the Lake Placid Olympic Jumping Complex 20-meter hill when he was just nine years old and earned his first World Cup start at the very same location just last month. Way to go Tate!

... Come Great Things.

Alpine Update: U16/U18s on Home Turf

Alpine athletes from Belleayre, Gore, and Whiteface had the opportunity to compete at our home venues this month, beginning with the Sports Page Cup Open Super G at Gore Mountain on the last weekend in January Despite stiff competition from out of state on day one, five athletes landed in the top ten, with Whiteface/Winter Term's Paul F. taking the hard charger award - moving up to 16th from start position 77. On day two, the women ' s team swept the podium, with the men taking 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 7th, and Julianne B and Mikey M bringing home the hard charger awards.

The first weekend in February saw the return of the Empire State Winter Games to Whiteface and Lake Placid Unfortunate weather on day one resulted in the cancellation of the super G event, with slalom and giant slalom racing happening on days two and three. Whiteface/Northwood School's Denny S. captured the win on both days, with teammates Cara D And Julianne B splitting the slalom and giant slalom races respectively

After solid training blocks at Whiteface and Gore mountains, some athletes traveled to Mittersill, NH for speed training and Super G competitions, as well as Cochran's Ski Area in VT for slalom Looking ahead, NYSEF's teams will compete at NYSSRA U16 State Championships at Whiteface Mountain on the first weekend in March, with hopes of making it to Eastern Championships at Sugarloaf Mountain and U16 Nationals in Mission Ridge, WA.

Sports Page Open Super G @ Gore Mountain

Sunday 1/29

Ladies:

Saturday 1/28:

Ladies:

4 Kirsten I

9. Julianne B.

Men: 6 Denny S

8 Mason E

10 Henry P

HC: Paul F. (77->16)

1. Julianne V.

2. Kirsten I.

3. Cara D.

10 Lola F

HC: Julianne B (53->1)

Men:

2. Denny S.

3. Henry P.

5. Paul F. (HC 55->6)

7 Sebastiano G

HC: Mikey M (65->16)

February 2023

Empire State Winter Games @ Whiteface Mountain

Slalom (2/4

Men:

Ladies:

1. Cara D.

10. Mala B. (4th U16)

1 Denny S

5. Henry P. (3rd U16)

7. Lucas D. (4th U16)

10. Mason E. (6th U16)

Giant Slalom (2/5)

Ladies:

1. Julianne B.

5. Kirsten M. (4th U16)

Men:

1 Denny S

7. Sebastiano G. (4th U16)

9. Mason E. (6th U16)

10. Cole VE. (7th U16)

Alpine Update: U14s Gaining Speed!

Belleayre, Gore, and Whiteface U14s participated in their first Super G race of the season on Sunday, February 5th at the Mud, Sweat, 'N' Gears Cup at Belleayre Mountain. The Whiteface Men swept the podium, with athletes from Gore and Belleayre also placing in the top 10 on the day NYSEF athletes had strong showings on the ladies' side as well, placing 6th, 9th, and 10th in the speed event.

After returning to their home venues, athletes began to ready themselves for the storied "Hovey race, " progressing through fundamental training blocks with their coaches. This year ' s William A. Hovey Memorial Ski Race took place on Sunday, February 12th on Drapers Drop at Whiteface Mountain, with some of the Northeast's best U14 ski racers in attendance. Winter Term's Thomas R was able to secure the victory on the men ' s side, earning his spot on the coveted Hovey plaque. NYSEF athletes took five of the top ten spots on the ladies' side, and six on the men ' s.

Looking forward, U14s will continue to progress through training at home before moving into championship season. NYSSRA U14 State Championships will take place at West Mountain from March 9th-12th, with Eastern Regionals being hosted at Whiteface Mountain from March 18th21st Gore Mountain will host a Kandahar Festival for U14s and under on March 18th and 19th

Men:

1 Jackson M (WF)

2 Asa S (WF)

3. Emmett F. (WF)

7. Charlie F. (WF)

8 Nathan G (GO)

9. Eddie Y. (BE)

Ladies:

6. Ollie B. (WF)

9 Poppy H (WF)

10. Georgie L. (WF)

Mud, Sweat, 'N' Gears Super G

@ Belleayre Mountain

February 2023

Ladies:

3. Clare D. (WF)

4 Ollie B (WF)

7 Georgie L (WF)

8. Nora P. (WF)

9. Zoe K-C. (WF)

Men:

1 Thomas R (WF)

5. Asa S. (WF)

6. Emmett F. (WF)

8. Charlie F. (WF)

9 Dash H (WF)

10. Luke W. (WF)

The William Hovey Memorial Ski Race @ Whiteface Mountain

Alpine Update: U12 Results!

U12 Alpine skiers from Belleayre, Gore, and Whiteface were just about everywhere this month; at our home venues, and on the road in the Adirondack and Catskill Mountains! Athletes competed in skills competitions, kombi races, and GS racing including the Empire State Winter Games and the 60th Annual William A. Hovey Memorial Ski Race at Whiteface. At home during training blocks, athletes worked on various skills and drills including jump sections, wave tracks, pole hoppers, tuck turns, and edge control

The Hovey Memorial Ski Race @ Whiteface Mountain

Ladies:

2. Cece N. (WF)

3. Mia M. (WF)

4 Katerina B (BE)

6 Sunshine G (WF)

7. Gemma F. (BE)

8. Alegra AW. (BE)

9 Ida S (WF)

10. Lillian F. (GO)

Men:

1. Henri M. (WF)

3. Sam M. (WF)

4 Quinn D (GO)

5 Brannen C (GO)

7. Wesley S. (GO)

9. Antonio B. (WF)

10 Luke C (GO)

Empire State Winter Games Kombi @ Mount Pisgah

Ladies:

1. Cece N. (WF)

4. Evelyn P. (WF)

5 Sunshine G (WF)

7 Audrey A (WF)

8. Addison M. (GO)

9. Ida S. (WF)

10 Sophie D (WF)

Men:

1. Sam M. (WF)

2. Henri M. (WF)

6 Jude M (GO)

7 Blake G (WF)

8. Brannen C. (GO)

9. Quinn D. (GO)

10 Henri A-K (GO)

NYSSRA U12 Flight Camp @ Gore Mountain

Ladies' Race:

1. Chole B. (GO)

5. Addison M. (GO)

6 Emma C (GO)

7. Gia S. (GO)

8. Alexandra D. (GO)

9 Lillian F (GO)

10 Olivia B (GO)

Ladies' Skills:

1 Chloe B (fastest exceeding 50mph) (GO)

3. Addison M (GO)

February 2023

Men's Race:

2 Henri M (WF)

4. Quinn D. (GO)

5. Owen M. (GO)

6 Jude M (GO)

7. Brannen C. (GO)

8. Wesley S. (GO)

10. Luke C. (GO)

Men's Skills:

1. Jude M (GO)

2. Quinn D (GO)

3 Henri M (WF)

Pre-Race Prep Series #1 @ Belleayre Mountain

Ladies:

1 Katerina B (BE)

2. Gemma F. (BE)

3. Alegra AW. (BE)

Men:

1 Ryan S (BE)

2. Jakey P. (BE)

3. Sam G. (BE)

Alpine Update: U10s Gain Race Experience

Alpine U12 racers from all three NYSEF venues were busy this month gaining race experience both at home and on the road. Athletes learned the basics of kicking out of the start through a wand, skating hard to the first turn, navigating gates, and tucking through the finish line. Our athletes will continue to gain valuable on-snow skills and progress toward faster racing as the season winds down. We're looking forward to more "mini World Cup" races on our home hills!

The William Hovey Memorial Ski Race @ Whiteface Mountain

Ladies:

1. Ava R (WF)

2 Ariana G (GO)

4. Ana Sofia V (WF)

6. Penelope P (GO)

7. Alexandra F (GO)

8 Olivia M (GO)

Men:

3. Theo M (WF)

9 Kyle W (WF)

Pre Race Prep Series #1 @ Belleayre

Ladies:

1. Petra B. (BE)

2 Quincy S (BE)

3. Sofie J. (BE)

Waffle Cabin Ski Cross @ Gore Mountain

Ladies:

1. Frances D. (GO)

2 Sevan K (GO)

U10 Mini World Cup @ Gore Mountain

Ladies:

1 Catherine M (GO)

2. Arin L. (GO)

3. Katherine C. (GO)

4. Adelaide D. (GO)

5 Sevan K (GO)

6. Helen F. (GO)

7. Isabella L. (GO)

8 Evelyn C (GO)

9 Francis D (GO)

10. Addison H. (GO)

Men:

1 William M (GO)

2. Kristopher S. (GO)

3. Von M. (GO)

4. Desmond C. (GO)

5 Dylan D (GO)

6. PJ M. (GO)

7. Ryan C. (GO)

8 Tucker L (GO)

9 Nico M (GO)

10. Rory M. (GO)

Men:

1. Desmond C. (GO)

2 Jude E (GO)

3. Beck M. (GO)

Men:

1. Max G. (BE)

2 Tristan V (BE)

3. Kemal G. (BE)

Ski Bowl Kombi

@ Gore Mountain

Ladies:

1. Ariana G (GO)

2. Olivia M (GO)

3 Sevan K (GO)

4 Catherine M (GO)

5. Penelope P (GO)

6. Adelaide D (GO)

7 Mae L (GO)

8. Katherine C (GO)

9. Alexandra F (GO)

10. Frances D (GO)

Men:

1. William M (GO)

2. Desmond C (GO)

3 Von M (GO)

4 Ryan C (GO)

5. Kristopher S (GO)

6. Dylan D (GO)

7 Tucker L (GO)

8. PJ M (GO)

9. Peter Z (GO)

10. Jack P (GO)

February 2023

White Stag Race @ Mt. Pisgah

2. Tyler W. (WF)

3. Henry H. (WF)

4 Otto E (WF)

5. Alejandro B. (WF)

6. Kyle W. (WF)

7 Carraig P (WF)

Freeride Update: Gore Holeshot Event

Hot on the heels of the World University Games, Gore Mountain hosted the US Ski and Snowboard Holeshot Tour from February 6-10. The week consisted of two Ski and Snowboard Cross Nor-ams followed by a FIS level event to wrap things up Utilizing the same course built for the Games by Arena Snowparks based in Whistler/Blackcomb BC, NYSEF athletes got to compete at home on a top-level track against some of the best cross racers in North America. Former NYSEF Gore athlete Morgan Shute, now at CVA, came away with the best results taking a 1st and 2nd in the Nor-ams and a 2nd in the FIS race Current Gore skier Hunter G had a good showing finishing 12th and 11th(Nor-am) and 12th(FIS) Whiteface snowboarder Robbie S. couldn’t repeat his podium finish from last year ’ s race but did manage a solid 15th in the FIS race. Both Morgan and Robbie will be competing again at the next stop on the tour in Sunday River, ME in early March

Big congratulations to Wyatt S. who just qualified for US Junior Nationals, March 13-18 in Steamboat Springs, CO He's been busy competing in A Moguls & Dual Moguls all over the East the past 8 weeks and it paid off as he reached his season-long goal! Way to go Wyatt and best of luck at Steamboat!

February 2023