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Show Page 10 The Ogden Valley news Volume XVIII Issue XIX January 1, 2011 Friday Night Lights Rail Jam First Stop Results Snowbasin hosted their first stop of the Friday Night Lights Rail Jam series with 19 skies and 27 snowboarders participating. Jordan Morse won the Snowboard division with a front 270 on to 180 on the rail and back 180 off. Jessie Edge won the Ski division with an unnatural 270 on to 180 on the rail and 270 off. Snowbasin would like to thank all participants and sponsors. The next stop of the series is January 14, and will feature a new rail that has not been seen yet! Be sure to come participate or watch the fun! Overall Skier Results 1. Jessie Edge 2. Hayden McEntire 3. Ben Moisen 4. Alex Hackel 75pts 50pts 25pts 20pts 5. Cameron Mikesell 20pts 6. Josh Roberts 15pts 7. Aiden Damito 15pts 8. Parker Gladwell 15pts 9. Michael Brits 15pts 10. AJ Cox 15pts Over Snowboarder Results 1. Jordan Morse 2. Paxan Alexander 3. Thomas Hyes 4. Austin Carpernter 5. Zayne Malmberg 6. Eric Romney 7. Nick Perucca 8. Zeke Greer 9. Heber McNeil 10. Marley Colt 75pts 50pts 25pts 20pts 20pts 15pts 15pts 15pts 15pts 15pts For more information, call 801-621-1000 or visit <www.snowbasin.com> Winter Dew Tour Announces PreQualified Athletes for the 2010-11 Season Registration is open for the third season of the Winter Dew Tour and the list of prequalified athletes has just been released, highlighted by Olympian snowboarders and defending Dew Cup champions. The three-stop tour kicks off at Breckenridge Ski Resort for the Nike 6.0 Open, December 16-19, 2010, continues on to Killington Resort, January 20-23, 2011 and concludes with the Toyota Championships at Snowbasin Resort, February 10-13, 2011. The top snowboard and freeski athletes will compete in slopestyle and superpipe disciplines for the coveted Dew Cup awarded at season’s end and for a total of $1.5 million in prize money. The men’s freeski athlete roster is highlighted by defending Dew Cup champions Jossi Wells in superpipe and Andreas Hatveit in slopestyle. With stiff competition from the likes of Simon Dumont and Xavier Bertoni in superpipe and Bobby Brown and Tom Wallisch in slopestyle, it promises for a dynamic season with numerous contenders for the coveted cup. “Last season was unbelievable for me, and I couldn’t have been happier to end it as the Dew Cup champion,” said Wells. “The level of talent and competition is going to be insane this year. I’m so stoked for the tour to start again!” All eyes will be on Olympian snowboarders in both men and women’s superpipe disciplines this season. Defending Dew Cup champion JJ Thomas spotlights the men’s pre-qualified list, along with two-time gold medalist Shaun White and his Vancouver teammate and bronze medalist Scotty Lago. In women’s superpipe, top contenders include Olympic bronze medalist Kelly Clark and Kaitlyn Farrington, who holds the 2009-10 Dew Cup title. “I’m really excited to compete on 22-foot superpipes this year on the Winter Dew Tour,” said Thomas. “Breck is an awesome mountain to ride, and I’m proud to call it my home mountain. There’s not a better way to kick off the winter season than with the Winter Dew Tour at Breckenridge.” In snowboard slopestyle, young-gun Sage Kotsenburg will defend his Dew Cup champion status against the likes of Torstein Horgmo and Tyler Flanagan on the men’s front. Jamie Anderson will defend her 2009-10 Dew Cup status in women’s slopestyle, while athletes like Jenny Jones and Spencer O’Brien, 2008-09 Dew Cup champion, will be vying for the top spot at the end of the season. Through the support of Paul Mitchell, the upcoming season will also feature expanded women’s freeski slopestyle and superpipe competitions at the Nike 6.0 Open in Breckenridge, Colorado and again to close out the season at the Toyota Championships in Ogden, Utah. Although not a Dew Cup discipline, the women’s freeski events will include full athlete fields competing in both preliminary and final rounds of competition. Athletes are pre-qualified based on their 2009-10 Winter Dew Tour rankings. Athlete registration for the 2010-11 Winter Dew Tour season is currently open and the full, final roster will be announced prior to each event. As a way to continue growing winter action sports and spotlighting new talent, the Winter Dew Tour will hold Open Qualifiers at the Nike 6.0 Open in Breckenridge to allow spots for emerging talent on the tour. The first round of confirmed athletes for the Nike 6.0 Open will be announced Tuesday, November 9, 2010. An industry-leader in broadcast exposure, the Winter Dew Tour will air live on NBC with additional broadcasts on USA, MTV, MTV2, USA, Fuel TV, Universal HD; and internationally on Eurosport, Fox Australia, and Extreme Channel. The complete 2010-11 Winter Dew Tour schedule is as follows: Nike 6.0 Open, Dec. 16-19, Breckenridge Ski Resort – Breckenridge, Colo.; Winter Dew Tour Killington, Jan. 20-23, Killington Resort – Killington, Vt.; and the Toyota Championships, Feb. 10-13, Snowbasin Resort – Ogden, Utah. Achieve 2011 Resolutions with TOPS Strategies As shouts of “Happy New Year!” ring out around the world in the earliest moments of 2011, many people also will be making resolutions for something better in the New Year. While some fall short of accomplishing their January 1 promise, setting smaller, more definite goals is one way to achieve success. TOPS Club, Inc. (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), the nonprofit weight-loss support organization, shares the following tips for realistically planning—and achieving—one’s resolutions: 1. Be specific - Determine an exact goal. Instead of resolving to lose weight, consider a specific amount or goal weight and time frame, such as losing 20 pounds by the Fourth of July and 20 more pounds by Thanksgiving. No matter what the resolution, setting small goals will be easier to achieve one step at a time. 2. Make a plan for success - Construct a “road map” as a guide to achieve your goal. Consider what it will take to accomplish the plan. For example, to lose weight, healthy eating, exercise, and joining a support group like TOPS is paramount. Consider keeping a journal to keep track of progress ups and downs. 3. Review the plan along the way - Once a week, take time and evaluate progress. Review the journal and determine if the goals need revamping or ramping up. Everyone makes mistakes. When that happens, avoid falling into the traps of shame and guilt. 4. Keep resolutions realistic - Be realistic in goal setting. If completely eliminating a behavior is too difficult, consider resolving to do it less often. 5. Make it personally meaningful A resolution should be something an individual desires to change or achieve and should not be dictated by family members or what society says is good for you. Resolutions without strong, personal motivation can be doomed to fail. 6. Tell others about the resolution Sharing goals with friends and family can be an outstanding support mechanism and a source of gentle nudging if a detour from the plan takes place. TOPS Club Inc. (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), the original, nonprofit weight-loss support and wellness education organization, was established more than 62 years ago to champion weight-loss support and success. Founded and headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, TOPS promotes successful, affordable weight management with a philosophy that combines healthy eating, regular exercise, wellness information, and support from others at weekly chapter meetings. Visitors are welcome to attend their first TOPS meeting free of charge. To find a local chapter, view www.tops.org or call (800) 932-8677. Cut Your Taxes! By Jason Alderman For many, mid-November through New Year’s Day is a blur of activity when important tasks get ignored. Who has time to review their benefits and tax paperwork when holiday planning looms overhead? But what if spending a few minutes on such mundane tasks could shave hundreds of dollars off your taxes? Here are a few suggestions: Review your 401(k). If you haven’t already maxed out, ask your employer if you can make a catch-up contribution to your 401(k), 403(b) or 457 plan before year’s end. Most people can contribute up to $16,500 in 2010, plus an additional $5,500 if they’re over 50. If you make pretax contributions, your taxable income is reduced, which in turn lowers your taxes. Plus, if your employer offers matching contributions (essentially, free money), be sure to contribute at least enough to take full advantage of the match. The “Retirement Contribution Effects on Your Paycheck” calculator at www.dinkytown.com can help estimate the impact on your taxes. Note that the maximum 2010 contribution to a regular or Roth IRA is $5,000 ($6,000 for those 50 and older), but you have until April 15, 2011. Exhaust your FSA balances. If you participate in employer-sponsored health care or dependent care flexible spending accounts (FSAs), which let you use pretax dollars to pay for eligible expenses, be sure to spend the full balance before the plan-year deadline (sometimes up to 75 days into the following year); otherwise, you’ll forfeit the remaining balance. You can use your health care FSA for copayments, deductibles, and medical devices (e.g., glasses, contact lenses, braces); however, effective January 1, 2011, over-the-counter medicines will only be eligible with a doctor’s prescription (an exception is made for insulin), so you may want to stock up now. Read IRS Publication 502 for a complete list of allowable and non-allowable expenses at <www.irs.gov> Charitable contributions. If you itemize deductions this year, charitable contributions made to IRS-approved organizations by December 31, 2010, are generally tax-deductible. (See IRS Publication 78 for a complete list of organizations.) If you’ve got extra cash now and want to lower your 2010 taxes even further, consider moving up donations you would have made in 2011. Energy tax credits. Allowable tax credits for certain energy-efficient improvements to principal residences will be reduced after December 31, 2010, unless Congress votes to extend 2010 levels. Until then, you can claim a tax credit for 30 percent of the total cost of eligible products purchased in 2009 and 2010, up to a maximum combined credit of $1,500 per household. Eligible products include: biomass stoves; heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems; insulation; roofs (metal and asphalt); windows and doors; and non-solar water heaters. Carefully review the Energy Star website (www.energystar.gov/taxcredits) to make sure your purchases qualify. Gifts. You’re allowed to bestow a total of $1 million in gifts during your lifetime before the federal gift tax kicks in. One way to exceed that limit–and avoid having to file a Gift Tax Return–is by giving separate, annual gifts of up to $13,000 per year, per person. (Married couples filing jointly can give $26,000 per recipient.) Rules for gift and estate taxes are complex, so read IRS Publication 950 and consult your financial advisor. Note: Jason Alderman directs Visa’s financial education programs. To follow Jason Alderman on Twitter <www.twitter.com/PracticalMoney > The Ogden Valley News is looking for Ogden Valley and Ogden Canyon historical biographies, stories, and photos to use in its publication. Please mail, email, or call Shanna at 745-2688 or Jeannie at 745-2879 if you have material you would like to share. Need Blinds? 801-928-9701 Call Today for a FREE Consultation & Bid Kjirstin Mich’l Design Consultant / Professional Seamstress Specializing in Custom Window Treatments • Wood Blinds • Woven Woods • Shutters • UV Roller Shades - Block the Sun, • Cellular Shades Keep Your View! 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