Hall of Fame Class Of 2008 - Ambassadors For Local Resorts

Saturday night was the Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame Induction Dinner held at Deer Valley resort in Park City Utah. I was lucky enough to be among some of the biggest names in the ski industry to witness the Class of 2008 enter into the annals of ski and snowboard history.

What struck me the most was not all of the numerous and amazing accomplishments the four inductees, Cary Adgate, Nelson Carmichael, Liz McIntyre and Bill Brigs are responsible for but the fact that each one of them had their beginnings at humble local hills.

Whether it was passion or circumstances that brought them to the big mountains each of them maintained a link to their roots in the east and I was impressed by how this apparently factored into each of their lives. These people have had experiences that few have ever had the chance to even dream of yet the place it all started for them is accessible to all.

Small, local resorts often act as if they have an inferiority complex when compared to the big mountain resorts yet it was clear at the induction dinner that every resort has its role to play. Reaching out to local youth and offering the opportunity to be part of this wonderful industry is only one of their roles.

It was wonderful to see that an event like this can help to bring big and small mountains onto a level playing field. Whether the Class of 2008 knows it or not they can add one more accomplishment to their list of accolades, ambassadors for the small local resorts – and for that we thank them!

See ya on the slopes – big and small :)

Kjerstin

The Monster Weekend Comes To a Close

What an amazing weekend - It is Tuesday already and I'm barely recovered! So much happened during the Monster Homecoming Invitational at Seven Springs that it could probably fill several blog entries. I'll try not to get off on a tangent, however, and give you the real news worthy stuff.

Practice on Friday was a bit of a challenge. Warm weather coming in created a strong headwind but the girls were able to get a good feeling for the course. Thanks to the design of the course and its excellent maintenance by the park crew the landings were kept smooth and safe. Unfortunately Kaya Turski separated her shoulder but that didn't keep her from the the comp. Not only did she tear it up with corked 720s, switch 900s, and large switch-to-switch straight airs called zero spins she walked away with the Homecoming crown for the skiers. Grete Eliassen took second and the Monster hostess with the mostest Kristi Leskinen found herself a spot on the podium with a corked 720 mute grab.

Chanelle Sladics took the snowboard crown with her strong performance on the rails backed up by her outstanding cab 360 and cab 540. My fav, sweetie Silvia Mittermuller, took 2nd on the snowboard side followed by Maribeth Swetkoff.

While the tricks were big they are tougher to pull than usual. The girls were fighting soft, wet snow that reduced their speed forcing them to fight for every inch of air. Willi's sent up a box of Swix rub on wax that the girls used before each run which seemed to help but the warm March air continued to be a factor throughout the weekend.

The girls celebrated the event Saturday night in Seven Springs' night club, the Matterhorn and seemed to enjoy cutting loose. Sunday morning found them hosting local kids who had stuck around after the event to ride with them. The soggy conditions did not dampen the kids enthusiasm as they worked on their skills at the different park areas of Seven Springs.

The coaching the kids were given seemed to pay off because there was some amazing stuff being thrown down at the Amateur Rail Jam Sunday afternoon. Over 65 kids showed up to show off in front of the girls who cheered them on and tossed out some great prizes for everything from the best crash to the biggest air.

"I think the ride-with-a-pro and the Amateur Rail Jam was a great part of the weekend," said Greg Klein from Willi's Ski and Board Shop. "It really gave the locals a chance to connect with the girls and I think it was fun for the girls to see that there is some real talent coming out of Seven Springs"

There is no doubt that this event was a huge success and will continue to grow in the years to come. Thanks and a big shout out to Kristi and all of the sponsors who made this great event happen - Seven Springs, Monster Energy Drink, Rome Snowboards, Oakley, Willi's Ski and Board Shop and media partner Freeskier Magazine.

Girls Gone Wild

Great Picture Evan!

Tell me what Western PA men like better than hot girls with guns? Today the competitors for the Monster Homecoming Kristi Leskinen Invitational, some of the worlds top ski and snowboard girls, saw the grandeur of Seven Springs Mountain Resort.

The girls recuperated from their busy schedules and long travels with some practice on the specially designed course before heading out to shoot trap.

When they finished turning the clay pigeons into small chips they regrouped for a great dinner and presentation from Women's Sports Foundation.

The real fun starts for the rest of us tomorrow when the competition starts at 12:00 pm. Don't forget that 10 to 16 year olds can join these girls on the slopes Sunday from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. Registration is from 8:00-9:30 am and space is limited. While this event is free the Women's Sports Foundation will be on hand to accept donations.

It is going to be a great weekend!

See ya on the slopes!

Kjerstin

A Monster Event

This is going to be a MONSTER event - I mean that figuratively and literally! The Kristi Leskinen Homecoming Invitational is an amazing all-girl slopestyle event sponsored by Monster Energy Drink. The girls that are coming to compete in Saturdays main event starting at 12:00 pm, are some of the biggest names in skiing and snowboarding today.

It is going to be an incredible 3 days with fireworks, big media coverage and girls tearing up the slopes. Girls and boys ages 10-16 can spend time with the pros on Sunday at the Ride-With-A-Pro event from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm - registration is from 8:00 am to 9:30 am at the Yurt and space is limited so get there early. This is a free event but the Women's Sports Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of healthy, active lifestyles for women, will be on hand accepting donations.

After these girls show you what they know you may want to compete in the Amateur Rail Jam from 1:00 - 2:00 on Sunday and stick around for the Pro Rail Jam at 2:30.

To kick this entire weekend of fun off Kristi will be in the Willi's Castle Shanon store signing autographs from 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm. Willi's has coupons for a $20 lift ticket at Seven Springs so you can bring the whole family to ski, snowboard and be part of a MONSTER event!

Hope to see you there and...See ya on the slopes!

Kjerstin

The Kristi Leskinen Monster Homecoming Invitational 2009

I'm not exactly letting the cat out of the bag since we have been working on this for weeks now but I finally have some details to share for the Kristi Leskinen Monster Homecoming Invitational being held at Seven Springs March 13th-15th, 2009.

We at Willi's are excited to be part of this world class event as it is a chance to showcase our region to some of today's top female names in ski and snowboard slopestyle.

Kristi Leskinen, a pioneer in women's freeskiing conceived of this one-of-a-kind event to raise the profile of women in skiing and snowboarding. To date this is the only All Girl, Ski and Snowboard, Slopestyle Event and Rail Jam.

The event is actually 3 days worth of on and off the slope fun, complete with a professional, cash prize slopestyle event, interactive opportunities for the fans and an amateur rail jam.

As fun as it all will be it would never have come together with out the enthusiastic support of Seven Springs Park Manager Joel Rerko and the commitment Seven Springs has made to the project. The excitement is building and more details will be posted as we nail the schedule down but for now here is a list of the confirmed competitors.

Skiers
Kaya Turski
Sarah Burke
Keri Herman
Meg Olenik
Athena Bronson
Jess Cumming
Jen Hudak
Rosalind Groenewoud
Grete Eliassen
Ashley Battersby
Angeli VanLaanen

Snowboarders
Kimmi Fasani
Chanelle Sladics
Leanne Pelosi
Silvia Mittermueller
Raewyn Reid
Bev Vuilleumier
Hana Beaman
Tara Dakides
Alexis Waite
Megan Ginter
Izzy Lalive

This will be a really great event – come out and watch the girls compete on Saturday March 14th, get autographs and join them for the Ride-With-A-Pro for those 16 years old and under on Sunday March 15th.

See ya on the slopes!

Kjerstin

This Is Why I Do What I Do

Today was supposed to be my catch up day. I've been feeling so behind in every aspect of my home and work life that I figured I'd send the kids out to ski, husband to mind Willi's and I would lock myself away and work.

In my defense it is a blue-bird day here and the slopes were calling - no singing my name. The last ounce of my concentration slipped away and I gave into it. I rushed down to the slopes to get a few runs in instead of eating lunch and was immediately rewarded by an Anna sighting. She rushed into my arms, gave me a big hug and then took off back to her WPRC ski team mates. It was then that I knew I'd made the right decision.

It was beautiful out on the hill - Greg even came with me for a few runs and now I'm back at 'work' doing what I love to do. I honestly believe my heading out to the slopes was not a work avoidance technique but the vital mental floss I needed to remind me of why I do what I do.

See ya on the slopes!

Kjerstin

Mid Season Maintenance

If you are having the season I have had it is time to take a quick look at your gear. The season here at Seven Springs started in early November so I've already had to do some work on my gear.

The basic rule of thumb for your skis and snowboards is to edge and wax them every 10 days on the hill. A stone grind will touch up the bases, take out small nicks and scratches and re-texture the material for a better glide. For deeper cuts P-tex or a base weld may be necessary. A ceramic cup grind, if available in your area, is a great way to treat your gear right - it polishes and hardens the edges back to factory condition and is the best way to get the most performance out of your equipment.

Mid season is also a good time to have your bindings looked over just to make sure everything is working properly.

For your apparel I am hopeful that you wash your socks, thermals, fleece and neck gaiter on a regular basis but your outerwear could use some attention too.

Many people avoid laundering their outerwear for fear of damaging it. With rare exceptions ski and snowboard performance outerwear is not only easy to launder but will perform better for it as well. The reason for this is that the process will redistribute and re-loft the garments insulation making it warmer. It will improve the breathability of the garment by removing dirt and oils that clog the pores in the fabric and it will bring the waterproofing sprays and coatings back to the surface re-establishing the DWR (Durable Water Resistance) component of the garments weather protection.

Keep in mind that it is best to launder performance wear in suds that are specifically designed for the task. Follow directions on the label and it is helpful to add a tennis ball to the drier to bring the original softness, drapability and loft back to the garment.

See ya on the slopes!

Kjerstin