Big Alaska Snowboard & Freeski Club

Newsletter Jan 28, 2008

Training Program NEWS – WE NEED VOLUNTEERS!

We need people to sign up to be the lodge sitter at Alyeska.  This is essential to provide a secure place for our kids stuff in the lodge, assist Coach Jeremy, answer parents/riders questions (or take info for Jeremy to respond to later), and be there for any rider that may be injured during the day. Please check the volunteer calendar on our website and make sure you note what days you have signed up to help.  If you see a gap please send an mail to volunteer@bigalaskasnow.net or pick the volunteer link on the website. 

Big Alaska Snow Series NEWS

Thanks to the many volunteers who help on Series events days.  Course setters for Slalom and GS:  Darren Mattingley, Glen Sterley, Konstantin Bartnitski, Juan Gomez, Steve Voth and Jesse Brown.  These guys get to Alyeska before anybody else and get all the equipment and tools up on the mountain and tear down after the last runs.  Registration and Results:  Tracey Malone, LeMay Hupp, Mary Stassel, April Diselrod, Jody Moses:  These volunteers are on the front lines and you can thank them by being patient.  It takes a MINIMUM of 1 hour after the last competitor completes the last run before Results.  It’s a long day for all of us putting on the events, and we’re not any happier by how long it takes than you are.

Vitaminwater Slopestyle # 1 and # 2 at Hilltop were a blast.  Many thanks to the Hilltop crew, Steve G, Rick (King Salmon), Kurt, Steve R and our coaches who spent 5 days out there with shovels and rakes under the able guidance of Head Coach Jeremy Puckett.  A huge thank you to Vitaminwater’s Ben Garnero and Kurt Thompson for sponsoring our Slopestyle events so you all can compete for free, get cool prizes and stay hydrated.

Results

Standings are available on the USASA website at www.usasa.org.  Click on Events on the blue bar, enter Big Alaska in the search bar and under the Discipline column, if the “SL,” “GS,” or “SS” is highlighted or underscored, you can click on that to see the finishes. 

Times and scores, depending on the event, will be available on the Big AK website soon.  Bear with me.

Volunteers

BIG ALASKA IS A VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION.  Thanks to all the behind the scenes helpers and my awesome day of event crew!  Complaints don’t help, volunteers do!  Everybody is busy these days, but if you see something not working quite so smoothly, if information isn’t getting to you as promptly as you would like,, if you don’t like the judging or the swag or the waiting time, the only way it’s going to improve is if YOU help.  Please check out the volunteer sign up sheet on the website and send an email where you see unfilled “opportunities.”  I appreciate all the people who offer to help out on the day of the event too, thanks!

It was cold yesterday at Alyeska for GS and we were caught short on race course volunteers.  I need at least one more person to help with score input for Vitaminwater Slopestyle # 3 next Sunday, an INSIDE job, thank you in advance!

Heads Up

Halfpipe scheduled for Feb 10 is probably going to be postponed.  Alyeska’s main man on the Cat is having knee surgery.  Alyeska puts out a tremendous effort to build us labor and equipment intensive venues—think about it!  Hauling and installing rails and fencing, building and maintaining jumps for the terrain park for Slopestyle, the Boardercross course with all the special jumps, death rollers, bank turns and table top to air finish line.

Video and photos

Send video from the Vitaminwater Slopestyle to Coach Timbo at greenlinetimbo@hotmail.com.  Send photos to Steve Stassel through the website.

Big Easy Snowboards Camp

Like the camp, like the coaches at camp, like the features at camp?  Let Alyeska know, they need feedback as they plan for this spring and summer.  Let’s show the love.

Fundraising

WOW, awesome support from Orthopedic Physicians Anchorage, Denali OB/GYN, Dr Eva Carey and Providence Emergency Support, Kesler Family, NANA/Colt, Fuel TV, Alyeska Ski Resort, Hilltop Ski Area and Vitaminwater.  These benefactors make it possible to increase our coaching staff, purchase race equipment, send coaches to Nationals, pay membership fees for USASA Trainers, provide lift ticket vouchers to volunteers, buy training bibs, purchase awards and medals, give a stipend to judges, pay for club, event and training liability insurance and underwrite event costs and entry fees.  PLEASE REMEMBER TO THANK THESE PEOPLE and our Fundraising Committee Volunteers!