Get to Know Your Reps: Pete Seminara

Reps have near-celebrity status here in Pittsburgh and no one embodies that more than Peter Seminara, better known as Pizza Peter. His personality is as big as the brands he carries and he brings that vitality to skiers and snowboarders where ever they can be found.

This season he helped us kick off the season at the Willi’s Pre Season Ski and Snowboard Sale in the South Hills at Greentree Sportsplex by bringing his amazing, pizza-oven-on-wheels and making pizza for all of the sale customers.

Peter is the Spyder company representative for the Mid Atlantic region and has been in the business, helping Willi’s Ski Shop customers for years. He got his start in the industry by working on the sales floor at Ski Market in Buffalo in 1984 and has been passionate about the business ever since; He truly enjoys working in sales for an industry and lifestyle that he believes in.

Pizza Peter has enjoyed the industry from all angles. Whether it is Heli Skiing with the Last Frontier Guides in the Skeena Mountain Range in Northern BC or trying to talk the Willi’s Buyers into carrying snowboards at a time when only Boyce Park allowed snowboards on the hill, Peter has jumped in with enthusiasm and passion. As a rep he is one of the most committed individuals and the industry is lucky to have him.

When he’s not reliving his childhood through the eyes of his kids you can catch this fun-loving family man behind his newly-acquired Mobil Brick Pizza Oven spreading Pizza Love at Spyder promotional events or find him on Facebook (Peter Seminara) and Twitter (@TweeeterPeeeter).

Get to Know Your Reps

As amazing as the ski and snowboard industry is it wouldn't work with out the hard work of the company representatives - the Reps.

Reps are more than just the sales people that shuffle orders for merchandise - they are an integral part of the industry, the key link between the shops and their customers and the vendors who manufacture the merchandise. Reps are critical because they are directly involved with the product as it is being sold and used so they hear from the consumer what works, what doesn't work as well as what consumers are truly looking for on the slopes. They work with the manufactures to help bring the best products to the market place while communicating with the shop owners and buyers to ensure that the right products and the right amount of product is available when it is needed. They are involved with the product from inception to fruition and work hard to balance the needs of all parties involved through the entire process.

It is hard for some people to believe how small the ski and snowboard industry really is and at times it seems cold (no pun intended :) and impersonal. It is my intention to help you get to know the industry reps that cover the Pittsburgh area to give you a bit of an insiders-look into the industry. I think it makes it more fun to have a personal connection to the products you use on the slopes and to put a name and face to the larger image of the companies that service the industry. Our Reps are some of the most interesting, hardest working people I know and great friends. I hope you enjoy Getting to Know Your Reps!

See ya on the slopes!

Kjerstin

Snow Deva

Jungle Creek Trail: Dryland Training at its Best

Winter is not the only time you will find us in the mountains. Summer months are an equally great time...we call it Dry land Training instead of skiing.

This past weekend found us in the Teanaway outside of Cle Elum in Washington. We were lucky enough to catch a break in the unseasonably cold weather and had a beautiful day on the Jungle Creek Trail.

As it was intended to be a short day we simply trekked up to the ridge line just past the Way Creek Trail junction and were rewarded with a through-the-pines view of the Stuarts, which are still snow-covered.

While the trail itself was not long it was varied in terrain. It was steep in places and made its way over the Jungle Creek several times, skirted past a bank side washout and scrabbled over scree patches so it provided plenty of opportunity for aerobic and proprioception training.

Not all training is physical - the wildflowers were in the early stages of their summer blooming cycle and provided an added dimension to the hike. Beautiful weather, wonderful views, dynamic trail and amazing wildflowers...this is dry land training at it's best!

Whether there is snow or not...See Ya on the Slopes!

Packed, Stacked and Jacked: Nordica, Monster, Gnu Wrap Up Event

Well it appears Mother Nature still has a few tricks up her sleeve. The Mid Atlantic region is expected to have a "major, slow moving storm front" coming through this weekend which may affect our final PSJ event. This wrap-up event of the 5 event series is sponsored by Nordica, Monster Energy Drink and Gnu Snowboards and promises to be a nail biter to the end. Point totals that the competitors have collected throughout the series remain close and the weather only throws more excitement into the mix.

"At this point it's hard to say what's going to happen", says event host, Greg Klein, owner of Willi's Ski Shop and their on-line freestyle shop The Jib Shop. "We can only hope that Mother Nature will cooperate and help us pull off tomorrow's event", but contingency plans for how to reschedule are already being batted around.

"It's important to have a back up plan", says event coordinator Katy Rullo, "but if we have to reschedule there isn't one solution that will make everyone happy."

In the end it is up to the expert Seven Springs Terrain Park staff to make the call. They are the best judges of whether the event can be run safely and fairly - we should know by the time registration starts at 9:00 AM in the lobby outside of Willi's Ski Shop up at Seven Springs.

Until then See ya on the slopes!

Kjerstin
Snow Deva

PA J IV Derby

I'm taking a short break from unloading my car - trying to recuperate from an intense weekend of ski racing.

This past weekend was the PA State J4-J5 Derby at Ski Round Top and I was the lucky parent to accompany my son to the event.

We spent all day Thursday making sure that all the loads of gear were packed into the car. Helmet, check; shin guards, check; padded gloves, check; straight poles, bent poles, check, check; speed suit, check; skis and boots, check; On and on...thank goodness I have a good list or I'm sure we would have left without some important, necessary-can't race-without-it thing. Some how we were able to find it all, collect it all and get it all in the car.

We left at 6:00 AM Friday morning to make it to the training session that started at noon. The drive there was horrible as Western PA was in the midst of receiving another Snowlapalooza-like storm and we made it to Ski Round Top just at the stroke of noon - I bought him his ticket and threw him out on the slopes with the coaches while I got him registered for the weekend.

I hiked the hill rather than ski for the few short hours they were on the hill and was able to watch as the visiting coaches from Green Mountain Valley School, a race-specific academy in Vermont, looked on. My son looked nervous practicing in front of coaches from his father's alma mater but the snow was good and he seemed to relax the more he skied.

That night at the hotel I felt like a Sherpa as we lugged all the gear into the room, tuned skis in the stair well, went to the racer meeting and did homework at the small desk in the room. It wasn't all work, the mom's talked while the team swam in the pool before dinner and the kids played and had a good time before it was time to call it a night.

In the morning all the gear we'd hauled into the hotel had to be hauled back to the car - off to the mountain where all of that same gear had to be hauled into the lodge...get tickets, get race bib, get out on the hill. Then there is the race itself. As 'support staff' I want to be available to my racer without hovering - Heaven knows I don't want to be like the dreaded stage moms!

After the post-race debriefing it was time to haul all the stuff back to the car, back to the hotel, into the room, tune the skis, ready the gear for the next day and take a bit of a break before the festivities of the evening began.

I was thrilled to have the chance to meet some of the other Pennsylvania racers and their families. It was exciting to have a former US Ski Team coach speak about ski racing and how a racer moves up in the race scene - he even made is seem like an attainable goal. Fun as it all was though, I was acutely aware of the need to get my racer back to the hotel for the next day of racing.

Checking out of the hotel the next morning was easy since I was already used to loading and unloading the car several times a day. We headed to the mountain and went through the now familiar routine again - then I waited along the side of the race course with my cowbell app ready on my iphone.

We worked our way through the well choreographed day then ate pizza with the other racers as we waited for the final results, trophies and the announcement of the PA team that would move on to regionals. We already knew that my son would not be part of the regional team but wanted to cheer the other kids on and see things through to the end - it allows for an easier transition back to the 'real' world. When all of the awards were given out, all of the cheering was done, we hauled all of our gear back to the car one final time and drove the 4 1/2 hours home...ready to face the 6th grade, work and other aspects of home life once again.

Ski racing is not an easy sport. It is intense and challenging on the physical, mental and emotional level for all parties involved. I have to admit - playing the role of Sherpa/Mom has been a lot more rewarding after all of the Go Mom commercials during the Olympics. I'm not saying my kid will ever be Olympic-bound but when I see those snowflake-covered eyelashes and the big smile at the bottom of the hill I know he appreciates all it has taken to get him to where he is and for me it is worth every ounce of effort.


I'll see the rest of you Sherpa/Mom's on the slopes!

Kjerstin Klein
Snow Deva

Spending a Weekend at Seven Springs With Top PSIA Ski Instructor, Michael Rogan

I am busy in the city wrapping up another week. I'm finding it hard to keep my mind on my ToDo list because I keep getting distracted by the piles of snow outside my window.

Snowlapalooza has been a blessing to those of us who ski or snowboard and I just can't wait to get up to Seven Springs this weekend. I'm excited to get on snow to work on the tips and techniques I received this past weekend from top PSIA ski instructor Michael Rogan.

I was in the lucky position to spend nearly the entire weekend with Rogan as Willi's hosted his Nordica sponsored trip here to Seven Springs. We were incredibly lucky, as I understand, because aparently Seven Springs was the only North American resort on Michael's schedule this season other than his home base, Heavenly Ski Resort - we really made the most of it.

It was Wintefest for Pittsburgh's local TV station WTAE, Seven Springs was buried in snow and it couldn't be a better time to showcase Rogan's on-snow talents.

Having arrived Thursday evening Rogan worked early on Friday with the Seven Springs Snowsport School. Iwan Fuchs, Seven Springs Snowsport School Director, was grateful he and his staff had the chance to work with Rogan - remember he is the Top Dog in their world :)

Seven Springs Snowsport school is already recognized as one of the greats in the East and adding on-snow training with Michael Rogan helps them to stand out just that much more. They felt the time spent with Michael was immensely helpful and they continued to learn from him as they shadowed the 'civilian' groups that worked with him on Friday afternoon and Saturday after he did a quick live spot on WTAE.

Rogan has a light air and good sense of humor. When asked if he prefered 'Mike' or 'Michael' he smiled as he answered, "If your asking, it's 'Michael', but not because I care - my mom does." At dinner Friday evening Michael talked about developing his passion for skiing in his early years at a local resort with his younger brother. In 1985 he turned that passion for skiing into a passion for teaching skiing. That passion was shining brightly when he worked with approximately 30 people, in 3 two-hour sessions. Each of the groups that went out with Rogan came back all smiles - many felt working with Michael gave them the critical breakthrough they'd been hoping for. Rogan is incredibly kind and personable with a gentle demenor that immediately puts people at ease. His great communication skills makes him incredibly easy to understand and he is able to explain concepts well enough for his students to truly understand complex concepts and then translate those ideas to on-snow performance. The ski instructors that shadowed the civilian workshops were a huge help and in turn they enjoyed listening to Michael work with the group and learned a great deal about how to integrate those skills into their teaching style by helping students utilize that knowledge on the hill.

This amazing event gained much attention in the Twitterverse and the entire mountain has been a-buzz with talk of how great working with Michael Rogan was. I can only hope we will be so lucky to have him back next year!

Until then I'll see ya on the slopes!

Kjerstin

Snow Deva

Packed, Stacked and Jacked: Double Header Evens the Field

This has been a winter for the record books - the snow just keeps coming and the conditions at Seven Springs have been amazing.

Seven Springs had a wild weekend - after most of the Pittsburgh area schools had the week off due to weather conditions Seven Springs kicked off Winter Fest, held the USSA J3 State Ski Racing Derby, hosted Michael Rogan, top PSIA ski instructor and a Packed, Stacked and Jacked Double header - all of this on top of the Presidents Day weekend which happened to coincide with Valentines Day.

There was so much going on that the mountain literally hummed with frenetic energy.

All of the events on the mountain show the enthusiasm of the ski crowd - none more than the back-to-back PSJ freestyle ski and snowboard events. The PSJ weekend started on a high note when Joe Green, our Oakley rep, showed up with basketball t's with bib numbers that the competitors got to keep. The weather caused a slight change of plans for the Oakley Big Hit comp on Saturday and it was shifted to a modified slope style event - everyone of the competitors loved the format so I expect we will see more of this type of set up in next years PSJ events. It was an exciting day and brought out some great new competitors we have not seen in previous PSJ events. The winners for the day were:

Lds Ski:
1st Julia Schwartz

2nd Elle Pappas

3rd Emily Cocco

Lds Snb:

1st Ashley Vander Meer

2nd Shelby Layman

3rd Shannon Branthoover

Men's Ski:

1st James Rullo

2nd Freddy Brideweser

3rd Tyler Pence

Men's Snb:

1st Chuck Lengle

2nd Cory Cissel

3rd Clint Cooper

Day two of the Double header was the make up day for the K2 Big Air comp that was postponed last weekend due to Snowlapalooza. The make up day turned out to be tough - the expert park crew was sent out to do a final evaluation to determine if conditions were safe enough to send competitors over a 70 foot jump. The night before a 30 footer was built in anticipation of the nasty conditions and it proved to be the saving grace of the comp. The light was flat and the snow was heavy but it paid off big for those competitors who hung in there and has proven to be the great leveler in the over-all point spread for the entire Packed, Jacked and Stacked series.

The winners for the K2 Big Air contest include:

Lds Snb:

1st Ashley Vander Meer

2nd Shannon Branthoover

3rd Shelby Layman

Snb Men:

1st Chuck Lengle

2nd Zack Yourd

3rd Chris Poe

Lds Ski:

1st Emily Cocco

Men Ski:

1st Justin Petriko

2nd James Rullo

3rd Jimmy Hill

Now, due to the shortened field competing on Sunday the point spread is far closer now than it was at the end of Saturday's Oakley event. As of now Chuck Lengle is still out front but not as many of his snowboard buddies came out to support him - more skier guys showed up, girl skiers bailed for the most part and girl snowboarders stayed fairly consistent - gaining the girl snowboarders some much needed points.

As of now the over-all standings are as follows:

Chuck Lengle - 90 Points

Justin Petriko - 84 Points

James Rullo - 80 Points

Zack Yourd - 76 Points

At this point in the game Justin and Zack are leading for the 16 and under points and Ashley Vander Meer is leading the ladies with 32 points with Shannon Branthoover close behind with 26!

This tight of a point spread means that Anything can happen at the final Nordica, Monster Energy Drink, Gnu Snowboards wrap-up event on March 13th so it should be very exciting for everyone.

Keep in mind there will be tons of prizes and sponsorships being handed out on that final day as well as the grand, Packed, Stacked and Jacked prize package going to the top skier or snowboard - this years Seven Springs King of the Hill!

See ya on the Slopes!

Kjerstin Klein

Snow Deva