The Airbag is Open!

The freestyle ski crew made great use of the first exclusive NYSEF airbag session on Saturday morning.  And if these pics are any indication of what's to come, then watch out because these kids will be going off this year.  Thanks to Whiteface Mt and U.S. Airbag for pushing the progression!

New Year's Eve Potluck

On Monday, December 31st, there will be a potluck lunch at the NYSEF training center open to all athletes and families.  Although Freeride has the day off to freeski & ride we encourage you to bring a dish and join in the fun and good food.  See Linda or Lynn at the front desk or just check out the sign-up sheet posted on the counter.
Happy Holidays

Twas the Sunday before Christmas and on every slope....

Twas the Sunday before Christmas, and on every slope, 

all NYSEFers were shredding, and that is no joke.

The coaches inspired progression while catching some air,

in hopes that NYSEFers accomplish every goal that they dare.

Photo taken on (12/23/12) and includes members of the Lake Placid, 

Saranac Lake Ski Clubs that decided to try out the NYSEF program for the day.

Happy Holidays Everyone!!!

Deck the Rails Results

The 2nd annual Deck the Rails railjam kicked off the 2012/13 USASA Adirondack season this past Friday afternoon with 30 riders and skiers braving the wet snowfall (rain actually).  Despite the weather the competition was hot with everyone taking advantage of the Whiteface park crew's best rail set-up to date.  NYSEF'ers Josh Boise and Oliver Holmes took home the top spot in the 14 & over age groups respectively for snowboard and ski.  They also took the top overall honors earning both an invite to the USASA Railjam Exhibition at X-Games 17 this coming January.  Congratulations guys!
The full list of results will be available Monday the 24th here.  Next event is the Whiteface Slopestyle on January 6th.

Gavin's Edit

So far our season has been way better then last year! The Whiteface park crew has come up with a few of their most creative features, they have built one amazing jump so far, they are manufacturing new rails, and they are putting in new features daily. The NYSEF Freestyle team has been loving every minute of it.

Below is an edit from Gavin Fritz; he is a member of the NYSEF team that currently attends NSA in Lake Placid.

Deck the Rails 2

2nd Annual Deck the Rails

The holidays are here already and that means the 2nd annual Deck the Rails at Whiteface!  Friday, December 21st, grab your gear and head to the mountain for this late afternoon event.  Registration starts at 2pm in the NYSEF Training Center and comp starts at 3pm.  The jam will serve as the qualifier for this year's USASA exhibition at X-Games 17.  The top male and female, skier and snowboarder, regardless of age class will earn the invite so you better have your game on.  I'm talking to you Open Class!
Go to www.usasa.org , "adirondack region", for more info.

Opening Day

It was awesome to see all the Freeriders back and ripping up the slopes again! I've got to say I can't remember a year when so many coaches commented on the high level of skiing and riding the first day.  Of course, the good conditions and the mountain opening early helped some get a jumpstart on the season. But still, great work!  Now let’s keep it up!

Now that you’ve been out there and gotten your legs back under you it’s time to work on those goals.  If you haven’t defined them yet use your off-time this week to think about them.  Make a list of the tricks you want to dial in or the comps you want to hit up.  Actually write them down.  On paper.  Stick ‘em to your wall so you can remind yourself what you’re working towards and check them off as you accomplish them.

Challenge yourself but make them realistic and attainable through repeated practice.  When you see your coaches this weekend be ready to share them and maybe tweak things a little based on their input.

And remember, keep it fun! Start slow and work your way up.  Your coaches can help you with logical progressions that make it easier to improve.  Goin for too much too fast is not fun.  Getting injured is not fun. Burning out is not fun.  It’s like french frying when you’re supposed to pizza. “You’re gonna have a bad day.”  And you don’t want that!

Another Season Begins!

Well, it's finally here!  The 2012-13 season kicks off with the NYSEF Freeride program's first day of training this Sunday Dec 2nd.  The snowguns have been pounding the hill all week and even Mother Nature has been adding in a constant stream of flurries the last few days.  Big change from last year at this time!

We will be starting out the morning in our traditional way with a short informational meeting (8:30am) for both parents and athletes before heading out on snow.  Athletes should attend the meeting geared up and ready to go on snow and any equipment issues should be addressed before the meeting.  We'll then go over program details, rules, season goals and expectations and introduce staff.  I promise to keep the athlete portion short so the kids can get on snow and then be available to answer any questions parents might have. 

Note: Saturday, the upstairs portion of the lodge will be closed starting at 9am for staff orientation/training day.  Athletes can pick up passes beforehand though and freeski/freeride on their own for the day.  Please use the downstairs locker room to store gear, backpacks, etc for the day.

If you have any questions feel free to get in touch with me via my e-mail, mikek@nysef.org .

See you Sunday!

Mike Kirchner
Freeride Program Director

2012 Summer Freeride Camp

June 30th through July 11th, 2012
Alex, Josh, Anthony, Mason, Gavin and I ventured 3000+ miles across the country to ski and play on the glaciers at Timberline, hike and swim in the Mt Hood State Parks and National Forests, white water raft down a stretch of the Deschuttes River, and so much more. The trip proved to be an all around exploration of North Western Oregon, our talents, friendships, inspirations, and beyond. I hope you all enjoy this 11 minute synopsis of our time at camp.

Mt Hood Camp Update #2

7/8/12

So far so awesome! The weather could not be better! The skiing has been fabulous, and yet the fun has never stopped after we leave the hill each day!

Our days on the hill have been running from about 9AM until 4PM. The terrain parks don't open until 10AM, however from 9AM to 10AM has been the best time to freeski and explore around mt Hood.

The team getting ready in the parking lot

On the walk to the lift we go past the Timberline Lodge. Who has seen The Shining?

We found a cornice on our morning warm up run

Although the lifts close at 2PM that hasn't stopped us from staying up on the glacier hiking rail features, finding areas to build jumps, and play in the snow for an additional 2 hours.

Mason sliding down a steep snow drop we found at the end of the day.

The view from the bottom. You mean I have to hike up that now?

Yup.

Wait. Mason, NO! Hold on! I'll help you! ...right after I take your picture.

On Friday (7/6) we took a day off and went white water rafting on the Deschutes River. The water was running high and fast witch made for a very exciting day. A bunch of the boys had never been rafting before and said that the had the time of their life!

Saturday afternoon (7/7) we took a 2-mile hike to Tamanawas Falls. This is a 100ft waterfall around the back side of mt Hood from where we are staying. It was incredible! There is trail that even leads up behind the falls giving you an up close look at the forces of falling water. All of us had our bathing suits and even dared to stand under the flow and feel the forces first hand. The consensus was, "It is sooo cold!"

Don't worry though. We're not having any fun out here.

Thats it for this update. Only three more days. Man time is flying by.

-JP

Mt Hood Camp Update #1

7/2/12

So our first day is speeding by like a blur. Everyone's energy level is at an all time high. It has been agreed upon by all the boys that both Oregon, and Mt Hood are pretty "frickin" sweet! Today at Timberline the 6 of us spent the day getting to know the lay of the land, cleaning the cobwebs from our riding legs, and bringing some our favorite stock tricks out of our "bag of tricks."

The view of Mt Hood from the Timberline parking lot

The weather was beautiful; 55° F and sunny! There was a halfpipe, 5 jumps, and 10 rail/box features at our disposal. This is not even mentioning all of the other jibs that we found all over the mountain.

Small kid in a big shirt

After our day on the hill we went back to the Inn for some R & R.

The Huckleberry Inn with a view down Main St. in Govt. Camp

Then we went exploring and came across Lake Trillium. This is a beautiful, glacier fed, mt. lake just a 5 minute drive from our lodge. We swam, and played and made it back in time for dinner.

The Boys at Lake Trillium, w/ a view of Mt. Hood

More to come soon,

-JP

Sign ups are open for the 2012 Summer Pool Training

Summer is almost here. The pool is warming up every day. Call NYSEF for more details: (518)-946-7001, or head coach - JP: jpskier900@gmail.com

USASA Nationals Snowboard week video

2012 USASA Nationals, March 31st - April 10th. Most of my time was spent at the top of the courses and so the amount of footage that I got was limited. This footage really only scratches the surface of what really went down at Nationals this year. There were so manny stunning preformances from everyone. Congratulations to everyone who competed. The athletes of the ADK series represented themselves incredibly well in the disciplins of Slopestyle (ski and board), Halfpipe (ski), Rail Jam (ski and board), and Ski X and Snowoard X. I only wish that I had more footage to show for everything that happened these 2 weeks. Simply scroll down on this blog for a complete list of results. I hope you enjoy the video.

2012 USASA Nationals

From March 31st - April 10th, 22 of the best young ski and snowboard athletes from the USASA Adirondack Series ventured to Copper Mt, CO to compete in the 2012 USASA National Championships. Each athlete competed in their own age group in the disciplines of Slopestyle, Half Pipe, and Ski/Snowboard Cross.

Here is a list of the results:

Snowboard Week

Open Snowboard Men

Orion Stearns from Port Kent, NY:

Rail Jam – 17^th

Slopestyle - 44^th

Breaker Boys (12 – 13)

Greg Livingston from Katonah, NY:

Slopestyle – 40^th

Youth Men (14 -15)

Daniel Badgley from Owls Head, NY:

Slopestyle – 25^th

Junior Men (16 – 17)

Dylan Dalmata from Johnstown, NY:

Slopestyle – 35^th

14 & Over Rail Jam (snowboard)

Daniel Badgley from Owls Head, NY: 8^th

13 & Under Rail Jam (snowboard)

Greg Livingston from Katonah, NY: 22^nd

Ski Week

Open Skier Men

Matthew Brady from Burlington, ON:

Ski Cross – 3^rd  (won $250!)

Skier Boys (9 & Under)

Camden Reiley from Saranac Lake, NY:

Ski Cross – 3^rd

Slopestyle – 11^th

Kaylen Reiley: from Saranac Lake, NY:

Slopestyle – 4^th (Also won the Hot Shot – Trick of the day award!)

Ski Cross – 6^th

Skier Boys (10 – 12)

Brian Gardiner from Vernon, CT:

Ski Cross – 11^th

Slopestyle – 26^th

Jacob Rooney from Laurel Springs, NJ:

Ski Cross - 9^th

Slopestyle – 76^th

Avery Higgins-Lopez from Ithaca, NY:

Slopestyle – 31^st

Bradley Gordon from East Greenbush, NY:

Ski Cross: 32^nd

Alexander Ruhl from Ridgewood, NJ:

Ski Cross: 46^th

Skier Men (13 – 15)

Jacob Prichard from Old Forge, NY:

Ski Cross – 25^th

Slopestyle – 37^th

Jake Wenn from Jay, NY:

Ski Cross – 8^th

Slopestyle – 40^th

Erik Sparkowski from Keene, NY:

Ski Cross – 6^th 

J. Sloan Ruhl from Ridgewood, NJ:

Ski Cross – 11^th

Blake Gordon from East Greenbush, NY:

Ski Cross – 39^th

Skier Men (16 – 18)

Peter Palumbo from Gansevoort, NY:

Ski Cross – 6^th

Half Pipe – 6^th

Slopestyle – 25^th

Oliver Holmes from Saranac Lake, NY:

Slopestyle – 21^st

Alex Higgins-Lopez from Ithaca, NY:           

Slopestyle – 34^th

Josh Nixon from Saratoga Springs, NY:

Ski Cross – 4^th

Sam Johnson from Rockport, ON:

Ski Cross – 5^th

Rail Jam 13 & Under (Ski)

Brian Gardiner from Vernon, CT:  5^th

Jacob Prichard from Old Forge, NY: 19^th

Avery Higgins-Lopez from Ithaca, NY: 23^rd

Rail Jam 14 & Over (Ski)

Alex Higgins-Lopez from Ithaca, NY: 10^th

Oliver Holmes from Saranac Lake, NY: 13^th

Peter Palumbo from Gansevoort, NY: 16^th 

Take a tour of Copper's Parks and Pipe

USASA ADK Nationals Hoodies Are In!

This year's hoody is a 1/4 zip pullover in gray with an old-school script logo. Available now in traditional sizes M - XL. Limited numbers of 2XL and 3XL will be here next week. Cost is $45 each. ADK series winners will receive a discounted price. Get in touch to reserve yours today or stop by the NYSEF front desk to check them out and make your purchase.
These will only be available through NYSEF so make sure you get yours before you travel to USASA Nationals. We want all our athletes and families to wear these in the opening ceremonies for both snowboard and ski week and show our Adirondack pride!

Freeride Summer Camp at Mt Hood

The info is now up on the NYSEF site regarding the MT Hood Summer Freeride Camp. This is a first-come, first-serve deal with limited spots so get in touch asap to reserve your place. It's a great way to hone those skills over the summer in a noncompetitive atmosphere and have fun at the same time. Registration forms are part of the downloadable brochure or you can pick them up in the NYSEF training center.

KC Brousseau Makes US World Junior Team

Through a tough winter season with many ups and downs weather-wise, KC Brousseau has put together some great finishes on the Revolution and Hole Shot Ski Cross Tours. A Rev Tour win in Otsego, MI and two 2nd's in Killington, VT last week at the Hole Shot Nor-Ams are some of the highlights that earned KC his first invite to represent the US at Junior Worlds in Valmalenco, Italy later this month.

The FIS Junior World Championships bring together the best athletes from around the world to compete in the disciplines of Moguls, Dual Moguls, Aerials, Halfpipe, Slopestyle, and Ski Cross. After his travels to Europe, KC will be heading back to USASA Nationals in Copper Mt, CO to try to best his 2nd place finish in Open class Ski Cross last year.

All the NYSEF staff and Freeride crew wish KC the best over the next few weeks! Get some!

Another beautiful afternoon on the hill with Jason Castle

Uh Huh! from Justin Perry on Vimeo.

Freeriding on a Friday

Freeriding on a Friday from Justin Perry on Vimeo.

The footage in this short edit was taken in a three hour stretch of time in the afternoon on Feb 24th, 2012 at Whiteface mountain. The past weeks weather has provided us with wonderful snow. Gavin, Brian, Alex and I reeped the benifits of many amazing powder and park runs all day!

Slopestyle Final At Whiteface This Sunday

The final slope style of the USASA Adirondack season will take place this Sunday in the Brookside terrain park. Registration will take place in the NYSEF training center from 8-9am with practice starting with first chair at 8:30. Competitor's meeting at the start at 9:45 followed by comp at 10am. This is your last chance to win the series and earn the invite to 2012 Nationals at Copper Mt.,CO.

USASA Competition Update

The 2nd & final Railjam of the ADK season will be held at The Olympic Jumping Complex this Saturday Feb 18th starting with registration at 10am. Check out the USASA Adirondack page for schedule and costs.
The upcoming Boardercross/Skiercross scheduled for Feb 22nd at Gore/North Creek Ski Bowl has been moved to Whiteface Mt due to a lack of snow for course build in the Bowl. We will be making up our postponed Jan 16th race as well making this a doubleheader. Click here for more details.

Three runs with Oliver Holmes

Although the footage has been edited and moved around, all of it was taken during three consecutive laps through the Whiteface terrain park.

Feb. 7th @ Whiteface

USASA Adirondack Slopestyle Results

The Adirondack region of the United States of America Snowboard Association held its second slopestyle competition of the year in the Brookside terrain Park at Whiteface Mountain this past Sunday, January 29^th. Skiers and snowboarders competed on a course made up of jumps, rails, and boxes to try and win the regional title and earn points towards the 22^nd USASA Nationals at season’s end in Copper Mt., CO.

The event was sponsored locally by NYSEF (New York Ski Educational Foundation), Whiteface Mountain, & Hardway Apparel. For more info or detailed results go to www.usasa.org, choose ‘events’, “adirondack’ then click the "SS" next to the event. More photos can be found here.

Open Class Men – 1^st Matt Nardiello, 2^nd Orion Stearns

Open Skier Men – 1^st Keith Shipman

Skier Boys (9 & under) – 1^st Kaylen Reiley, 2^nd Elias Ford, 3^rd Camden Reiley

Skier Boys (10-12) – 1^st Brain Gardiner, 2^nd Jack DeWeese, 3^rd Jake Roney

Breaker Boys (12-13) – 1^st Josh Boise, 2^nd Greg Livingston, 3^rd Anthony Russo

Skier Men (13-15) – 1^st Jake Wenn, 2^nd Jacob Prichard, 3^rd Gavin Fritz

Youth Men (14-15) – 1^st Daniel Badgley, 2^nd Demetrio Drellos

Junior Men (16-17) – 1^st – Christian Mattila, 2^nd Romano Leal, 3^rd David Cardany

Skier Men (16-18) – 1^st Alex Higgins-Lopez, 2^nd Jason Castle, 3^rd Peter Palumbo

NYSEF Mogul Skiers at Bristol & Hunter

The last two weekends at Hunter and Bristol Mountains went well for NYSEF Freestyle Mogul athletes. We had some good results and most importantly, we improved on our goals we set for ourselves! Everyone skied well above expectations going in and fun was had by all.

Coach Mike Lynn

Hunter Pics

Bristol Pics

Special thanks to Jenn DeWeese for the photo links!

Hunter Results – 25 girls/38 boys

Brett DeWeese - 14^th and 21^st out of 25

Brian Gardiner – 4^th (3^rd in age group) and 6^th overall

Jake Roney – 19^th and 23^rd

Jack DeWeese – 25^th and 31^st

Camden Reiley – 31^st and 29^th

Kaylen Reiley – 29^th and 33^rd (3^rd in age group)

Bristol Results – 41 girls/60 boys

Brett DeWeese -11^th and 14^th

Brian Gardiner – 13^th and 15^th

Jake Roney – 39^th and 37^th

Jack DeWeese – 43^rd and 42^nd