OCR Text |
Show I Wednesday, January 7, lire 68' Page 5 u Ed Tamni Rprt Iwith Craig Altschul am v Have you noticed how many poets have written about friendship. Well, I'd be willing to bet a frozen snowball that none of these authors were skiers. . , . ; Friends may be true when you're sick when you're down and out when you need someone to talk to when you need to borrow five dollars when you need a ride to work. But, on a ski hill, there is no such thing as a friend. Friends you thought you could count on live to embarrass you. When the snow falls, best friends become best fiends. " Remember the old Walt Disney cartoons we saw in Driver Education classes when mild-mannered mild-mannered Goofy would turn into a monster when he got behind the wheel of the car. .. .Well, it's the same way in skiing. On skis, friends turn into sadistic, nasty, shouting, impatient, im-patient, insensitive louts. And, as soon as we get good enough to handle ourselves with any confidence on the mountain, we invite a first-time friend skiing and we start the cycle over again ourselves. Every instructor and advisor. in the sport says don't let a well-meaning friend or spouse teach you to ski leave it to a professional instructor. Thankfully, most of us take that advice. But, there will come a time when you will get done in by a friend you thought you could trust and a later time when you'll do in a friend who thought he or she could trust you. Don't be smug. I know you. I remember when it all began for me. I'd skied a few4times and even had a lesson or two under my belt, when two friends and I went skiing. One of them was taking far too long in the x shower and we figured another half-minute and he'd use up the lean supply of hot water. I reached in the bathroom door and turned off the light :-Z The next day, he said, "I've got a run that's just your speed." "Great!" I enthused, knowing full well he was aware of hnrWent aTii aliferaU'PrimroseiPathh ear to ear as I tentativelv aDDroached. At the - . W 1 k edge, it was straight down and looked at least 98 degrees' "How could you do this to me," I yelled. "Remember the shower light," he replied and skied off. Friendship! : I -remember the time I was in the liftline waiting to ride to the top of the highest peak I'd ever seen in my life let alone skied. To be honest, I was more than nervous. I needed to ride xXV 530-10:30 "my speed." Down the with a friend who'd been up there before. v, At the start of the line, we were just ready to hop on the lift and some lovely lady yelled, "Single!" and skied to the front. My "friend" patted my shoulder, said ''Good luck," and became a partner with "single." Friends! : Friends are people who forget to tell a beginner the sweat socks go inside the pants until after they snicker. Friends are people who tell the beginner that only "newcomers"can crawl under the cars to fasten the chains. . Okay, so I'm guilty, too. I admit it. I'm a rotten i; friend. ' ' '. ' Once, my former friend found the going tough because of the terrible ice sheets covering the mountain that day. I knew one run on the top had sufficiently melted to give the skis a chance to grip the snow. It was the only run that did. I figured I wanted to ski up there, so I'd take ; my friend up. After all, if the snow was good, -couldn't a snowplower handle everything He couldn't and didn't. I'm not his friend any more. Friends are people who fail to realize that parking lots look steep to beginners. : ' Friends are people who stand 10 feet below you while you try to untangle your mangled body and twisted skis in two feet of fresh powder, and say, "I wish I could get up there to help ... I'll meet you at the chairlift." . I'll never forget the afternoon after, my wife's first lesson at Mount Snow, Vermont. We were practicing on the bunny hill which looked to her akin to Mr. Everest. She fell. I did not laugh ... honest. , " s ' ; But, she couldn't get up. I told her just to plant her poles and push herself up. She tried. Nothing. My voice got louder as I got colder and more impatient. I told her I shouldn't help' her up because she'd never learn to do it herself if I did. finally, she made it. 1 - That was over three years ago. Yesterday. she started to talk to me again. .. ;; ,j. , . Another friend fell on a mogul and broke his "ie "nger.i ioia mmrii was, siupiu way i i . 1 r l r ucuus utc juu,tmuugn mc p puwu emu , tell you to sit way back. Friends get to the lodge first and take the double bed. . ' V i l. ., Friends take the last shot of wine from the bola before getting on the chairlift. Friends are always into their skis and waiting while you're still fighting your safety strap and sweating. A friend will watch you tumble off the chairlift at the ramp, saying you should have kept your ski tips up. i I Is ; i. A. ; J 4 , Alpine Team Returns To Europe Nineteen members of the t'.S. Alpine Ski Team are returning to Europe for January World Cup competition com-petition after a brief holiday lest in the U.S. The women have 12 World Cup races from ' Jan 3-26 and the men are scheduled for ten races from Jan 4-27 Based upon their results in these and in earlier World Cup and Europa Cup competition, the 14 members . of the U.S. Olympic Team are expected to be named by Jan 28 Nine women on the U.S. Team are making the trip. They are "A" Team members mem-bers Lindy Cochran. 22. Richmond. Rich-mond. Vt; Abbi Fisher. 18. ; So Conway. NH: Cindy Nelson. 20. Lutsen. MN: and -'B" Team members Becky. Dorsey. 19. Wenham. MA: : Jamie Kurlander. 17, McAffee. NJ; Susie Patterson. Pat-terson. 20. Sun Valley. Id and Leslie Leete Smith. 17., Killington. VT In addition.' 1 two members of the Can-Am Team. Maggie Crane, .18. Plymouth. ; NH and Mary Seaton. 19. Hancock. MI. who I had excellent results in the , Kastern and Western Holiday Classic Races, wjll go to Europe for the month ' of January tb gain their first ; experience on the international in-ternational circuit Four of the women. Fisher, - Nelson. Kurlander and Dec, 28 .for 'downhill training prior to the Jan 3 World Cup Downhill at Pfronten. W Germany The rest of the women depart on Jan 3 and will join their teammates in Meyeringen. Switzerland for the Jan 8-9 World Cup Downhill and Giant Slalom The ten men representing the U.S. in Jan competition include "A" Team members Cary Adgate, 22, Boyne City. MI; Karl Anderson, 22, Greene. ME; Geoff Bruce, 22. Corning, NY; Dave Currier, 23. Madison, NH; Greg Jones, 21, Tahoe City, CA; Steve and Phil Mahre, both 18 and from White Pass, WA; Any Mill, 22. Aspen, CO; and "B" Team members Pete Patterson, Pat-terson, 18, Sun Valley ID and Bily Taylor, 19, Orchard Park, NY. . Six of the men, Anderson, Currier, Jones, Mill, Patterson Pat-terson and Taylor returned to Europe on Dec. 30 for downhill training prior to the Garmisch, W. Germany Worl Cup races on Jan. 4-5 On Jan 1 the rest of the men's team joins them in Garmisch. Racers Post Excellent Early Results t Of 16 World and Europa , Cup races in which members t of the U.S. Ski Team have competed in Europe from Dec. 3-19, the USA has finished in the top ten in 12 competitions. Some of the best results were posted by Cindy Nelson, 20, Lutsen, MN, with 6th in the opening World Cup Downhill in Val d'Isere, France, a 3rd in the Aprica, Italy, World Cup Downhill, a 10th in the Cortina, Italy, Downhill, and a 6th in the Cortina Combined results. The Mahre twins, Steve and Phil, 18, of White Pass, WA took Europe by storm with Phil placing 6th in the Val d'Isere World Cup Giant Slalom, Dec. 5, 5th and 3rd in the Flaine, France, Europa Cup . Slalom and ' Giant Slalom, Dec. 7-8, and 1st in the Colle d'Isarco FIS Giant -Slalom on Dec. 11. Steve was 2nd and 6th in the Flaine races, Dec. 7-8. Lindy Cochran, 22, Richmond, Rich-mond, VT, ; delighted everyone with her. 4th place finish in the Val d'Isere Giant Slalom on Dec. 4, her 6th place finish in the Aprica World Cup Downhill, Dec. 11, and her victory in Les Con-tanimes, Con-tanimes, France, Europe Cup Giant Slalom on Dec. 14. Karl Anderson, 22, Greene, ME. swept the Arosa, Switzerland, Europa Cup Downhills on Dec. 13-14 and teammates Dave Currier, 23, Madison. NH, Andy Mill, 22, , Aspen, CO, and Billy Taylor, 19. Orchard Park, NY, also . placed in the top ten in both ' downhill events Abbi Fisher. -18, South Conway, NH. took a sur- : prising 11th place in the Dec. 10 Aprica Downhill, after starting 58th, fourth from the end. The next day she finished 7th in the Slalom. Susie Patterson. 20, Sun ' Valley, ID., scored her first World Cup points with an 8th place finish in the Cortina, Italy, Slalom on Dec. 17. The team has now returned to the United States for the Christmas holidays. Ten men and ten women-will be selected to return to Europe at the first of the year for January World Cup competition. Cindy Nelson Two Added To Can-Am Team Two Eastern racers have been added to the U.S. Ski Team's Can-Am Team . The two, Bobby Hill, 18, Rutland. VT and John Teague, 19, Moretown, VT were named to the Team based on their outstanding results in the Eastern Holiday Classic, Dec. 19-23 in Stratton and Bromley, VT. . As members of the U.S. Can-Am Team, they join the other five men and four women on the team racing in the Can-Am Ski Trophy Series. This race circuit begins Jan. 7-8 in Crystal Mt., WA and continues through Feb. 20 with a series of ten races held in the U.S. and Canada. Hill, starting from the third seed, swept the slalom events on Dec. 19-20 at stratton. He went on to place third in both of the Giant Slalom races held at Beomley on Dec. 22-23. 22-23. Teague finished second and third in the two Slalom events and was second in both of' the Giant Slaloms. Bobby, who was accepted on early admissions to Dartmouth College but deferred schooling for racing -this winter, is a graduate of Burke Mt. Academy, Burke, VT. His mother is a ski instructor in-structor at Killington, VT where Bobby started skiing at age 3 and racing at 9. Bob was the 1975 Jr. Eastern Overall and Giant Slalom Champion. John, brother of Ceci Teague, member of the U.S. Ski Team 1971-74, is also from Burke. He began skiing at age 3 and racing at 6. Last year, he won the combined title for the Starr Trophy at Stowe, VT. , Both are jubilant at being named to the U.S. Can-Am Team. Bob commented: "It was the best Christmas present I could . have imagined." Can-Am Coach Finn Gundersen said: "Both Bobby and John are very talented young racers. We're pleased to haved them. as members of the team and look forward to' a good season." U.S. Jumpers Dominate Thunder Bay U.S. Jumpers took all but two places in the ten finishes in the Thunder Bay Jumping Tournament held Dec. 13 and 14 at Thunder Bay, Ontario. Jerry Martin, 25, of Minneapolis, Min-neapolis, MN, was just 9.7 points out of first place in the two-day meet, with a total of 239.0 points. The meet was won by Tauno Kayhko, a Finnish transplant to Canada last year. U.S. Team members Jim Denney, 18, Duluth, MN, was third with 215.4 points; Ron Steele, 22, Leavenworth, WA, placed fourth with 202.1 points and Tom Dargav, 22, Minneapolis, MN, finished fifth with 189.7 points. The competition took place on the 70 meter jump which has been the training site for the - U.S. special jumping squad for the past two weeks. This hill is the newest in North American and provides excellent training opportunities op-portunities because it is the only jump available, which is patterned .after the new strlmHeda(tifo'pearf jumps. Thunder Bay will also be the site of the final competition com-petition in the U.S. Olympic Jumping Trials, Jan 17-18, 3976. -:. ','. Jerry Martin Can-Am Team Fairs Well In Competition Members of the U.S. Can-Am Can-Am Team faired very well in the eight competitions of the Western Holiday Classic held in Crystal Mt. and Mission Ridge, WA, Dec. 11-15. Ron Fuller, 19, South Lake Tahoe, CA, won all three of the men's Giant Slalom competitions. Maggie Crane, 18, Plymouth, NH, was victorious in the two women's Giant Slalom races at Crystal Mt. and placed second in the Dec. 13 Slalom competition at Mission Ridge, WA. Pam Noyes, 19, Ipswich, MA, won the Dec. 13 Slalom race and placed 5th in two of the Giant Slaloms: John Full Tune Mount Mount with Tune. . JIMTOTORA Alpine Prospector Lodge Top of Main St., Park City, Utah Macomber. 20. Concord. MA. was 3rd in both Crystal Mt. Giant Slaloms. Mary Seaton, 19, Hancock, MI, placed very strongly with a 4th and 3rd place finish in the Crystal Mt. Giant Slaloms and a 4th and ' , 2nd place finish in the Mission ' Ridge Giant Slalom and Slalom. - Based upon the results of early season competition, including the Western Holiday Classic, additional racers are expected to be named to the Can-Am team. Announcements are expected around Dec. 26. The entire Can-Am team will compete in the Can-Am Trophy Series opening competition in Mt. Rose, NV, on Jan. 6. The circuit extends through Feb. 20 with the final race in Whiteface, NY. Ron Fuller John Macomber Kiesel Named Olv Coach Rob Kiesel of Ketchum, Idaho, and Director of the Sun Valley Nordic Program has been named Assistant Cross-Country Coach for the Olympic Ski Team. Kiesel was recently named a member of the United States Ski Team Regional Coaching staff and has . participated in a number of . Ski Team functions already this season, including the June camp at Cooke City, Missoula Coaches Clinic, and the Cooke City Coaches Clinic , Rob is : a former Alpine Coach who is highly respected for, his alpine waxing expertise. - This, combined with his demon-strated demon-strated cross-country knowledge and German ' language abilities, make him a valuable asset to the Olympic Team. Kiesel will assist Coaches Hall, Upham and Bower in working with all the cross-country skiers from the time the Teams are selected in January through the Games themselves. - SUPPORT $9 $7 ............ $10 Mi QUALITY SKISMITH Tuning, Mounting & Repairs (801)649-9190 |