New Years update.

Happy New Year Everyone,

We are now have now officially reached the start of the craziness we call competition season. There is a ton on the schedule for the next few weeks. I will cover all of the things on the schedule for the next few weeks to come.

NVT EVENT INFO...Make sure your USASA Memberships are up to date!!!
1st Sat, Jan 5 RJ at Sugarbush - the second USASA Northern Vermont Series Rail Jam of the season. Reg is at 10am event begins at 11:30am location is TBD.

Saturday January 5th....Rail Jam #2 @ Sugarbush (@Mt Ellen not Lincoln Peak!!)

Registration will be from 10-11am at the Mt Ellen lodge upstairs. The event fee is $25, cash or check only on site. Pre-registration available under the events tab until Thursday evening. Event start time scheduled for noon. This is the second NVT Rail Jam being used to determine our XGames invitees, please read above for detailed info.

Once again USASA events are for all ages.

2nd Sat, Jan 5 at Stoweflake Resort, Mountain Road, Stowe - 6:00 - 8:30 pm - I hope that all of you can make it out to show your support for our snowboard program at the "Celebrate Winter" with MMSC at the Club's only in-season fundraiser.  Based on feed back received over the past couple of years, the event is taking a break from the Hall of Fame dinner format.  After all of the holiday events, it was thought that the membership would enjoy time to socialize, partake in some good food and not have to listen to lengthy speeches. A fresh start to the New Year!  Silent and live auctions will run throughout the event.  A special celebrity guest auctioneer will oversee the live auction. To further change things up, there are lots of new and different auction items up for bid.  The lower-priced ticket is not only to encourage you to join us but to bid and buy.  While the ticket price covers our event expenses, the auction is where meaningful funds are raised to support MMSC.  We hope you will join us and help us meet that goal.
     Also, the Stoweflake is offering a 10% discount off their regular room rate for people attending "Celebrate Winter." If you opt to stay, be sure to mention the discount. Tickets to "Celebrate Winter" can be purchase on-line at www.teammmsc.org using a credit card or PayPal.
 3rd Sun, Jan 6 at SL Stowe Mountain Resort - USASA NVT Slalom # 1 & 2. Reg 8-9 at the Midway base lodge Race starts at 10.Sunday January 6th...Slalom #1 and #2 (snowboard only) @ Stowe

This SL event is one more great way to introduce all riders to competitions. I encourage riders of all ages to try the SL race Sunday.  Saturday only kids are encouraged to join us for this race. In order to race all riders must have a USASA membership which can be purchased  here. https://www.usasa.org/members/membership/member-login.htmlTo qualify for USASA nationals riders must have 3 results in the event that they would like to qualify in. There are only 3 scheduled GS's in NVT so Sunday is 2 shots at getting the results needed. Additional info can be found here. http://www.usasa.org/regions/new-england-region/northernvermont.html
There will be two coaches at this race all riders will meet the coaches at registration and head out to the hill to inspect the course together. Please send me an email to confirm your plans for Sunday.

Registration is at the Midway Lodge from 8-9am. The double event fee is $60 or $30 for one. Onsite registration is cash or check only, online pre-registration is available above under the events tab until Thursady evening. Event start time scheduled for 10am.

4th Sat. Jan 12 at Jay Peak USASA Rail Jam #3
More info to come.

6th Sun Jan. 13 at Stowe USASA Slope #1
More info to come

7th Fri,Sat,and Sun. Sugarloaf, Me. USASA Boarder X. We will once again bring a crew of MMSC riders to Maine for a BX camp. This will be our best shot to give our riders a chance to ride a national level course before we get to Copper. It is also a great prep for our in series events at Smuggs. This course is built by the 2x olympic gold medalist Seth Westcott and year after year is the best built course on the east coast. We will leave for this camp on Thursday night the 17th and return on Sunday the 20th. We will once again reserve the house we stayed in last season. We will be able to sleep up to 10 people. We will need to bring sleeping bags and pillows. Please contact me asap to confirm a spot on this trip. Price will be determined when we have a better idea of the numbers. I think last year the cost was somewhere around $250-$300 for lodging, gas and coaches expenses. As of now the plan is to leave in the evening on Thursday the 17th. We will train BX Friday the 18th, compete in the USASA BX Saturday the 19th and Sunday the 20th and return on Sunday after the event.

In order for me to correctly gage the costs for lodging and transportation please contact me with the following info if your rider is planning on attending this event.

Will you be needing transportation?

Will a parent be traveling with the rider?

Do you need lodging or will you be getting your own?

If you will be driving to the event, do you have room in your vehicle to help transport riders?

Also contact me if your schedule will be different then the planned schedule above.

For riders who will need transportation and lodging, Thursday and Sunday ( travel days ), we will need to make sure each rider has money for food while on the road. We will build in the coast of food for Friday and Saturday Breakfast and Dinner and Sunday breakfast into the cost of the lodging. Coaches and volunteer parents will cook breakfast and dinner. All riders should be sent with money for lunch for the three days on snow at Sugarloaf.

The address for the house is : 1026 Huston Brook Rd , Carrabassett Valley,me. 04947. The phone no. is (207)-235-2008. The cell phone reception in the valley is very poor , so please feel free to use the land line.

Holiday Weekend update 12/28

As you all know the snow is good up here. We have enjoyed a great holiday week so far. There is plenty of powder to be had by all. All of the coaching staff is looking forward to an amazing weekend full of fun and great riding. Today all groups are spending time working on board control, body position and race training drills.

On Saturday all groups will meet at the club at 8am and ride till 3pm. Sat. morning we hope to spend running gates and working on race drills. Location is TBD we will have more info in the AM. All groups will continue to work on edge control and overall riding skills. We will then add those skills to jumps in North Slope park.

On Sunday we will have the first 2 Giant Slalom events of the season at Smugglers Notch. Once again USASA events have age groups starting at 6yrs. This GS event is a great way to introduce all riders to competitions. I encourage every one of our riders at all age levels to come out and race in this event on Sunday. Saturday only kids are encouraged to join us for this race. In order to race all riders must have a USASA membership which can be purchased  here. https://www.usasa.org/members/membership/member-login.htmlTo qualify for USASA nationals riders must have 3 results in the event that they would like to qualify in. There are only 3 scheduled GS's in NVT so Sunday is 2 shots at getting the results needed. Additional info can be found here. http://www.usasa.org/regions/new-england-region/northernvermont.html
There will be two coaches at this race all riders will meet the coaches at registration and head out to the hill to inspect the course together. Please send me an email to confirm your plans for Sunday.

All info about the event is below.
NVT EVENT INFO...GS #1 and GS #2... Sunday December 30th @ Smugglers Notch Resort Registration will be open from 8-9am in the Smugglers Notch Ski and Snowboard Clubhouse. Anticipated event start at 10am. Due to the double event day format, we will be charging $60 for the day ($30 if you are only attending one of the races). Remember there is now online registration available as well as day of registration. http://www.usasa.org/events/event-schedules/regional-event-schedules.html
All racers will need to fill out a liability release for Smugglers. Please print out the attached release and bring it with you. Parents signature is required.

For those not racing on Sunday there will be coaches at the club at 8am. I know getting up the hill in the am can be tough but please try to be on time each morning. If you do arrive late go to the main office and have Eric Smith reach us on the radio. The coaches will not always be available by cell phone.

Schedule Change for Dec. 26th.

I hope you are all enjoying time with family and friends. There will be a change to our holiday schedule. Due to issues beyond my control Wednesday the 26th will no longer be a full day for all programs. We will move our scheduled day to Thursday 12/27. Wednesday the 26th will now be an optional 1/2 day for Comp team only. There will not be access to the upstairs of the club on that day. We will meet in the locker room downstairs in the club. We will ride from 8:30am-12pm.

Thursday the 27th will be a full training day for all programs. We will meet at the club at 8am and ride till 3pm.

Sorry for any inconvenience.

Happy Holidays!

12/20 Update and rail jam info

Things are looking good for the weekend. In the last few days we have gotten between 7" & 11" of new snow through out the mountain. SMR is in the process of building the North Slope terrain park and there will be jumps to hit by the weekend! In addition  this Saturday is our first USASA Northern Vt. event. Saturdays rail jam is the first of four rail events for the season. Each event is a chance to earn points to qualify for USASA nationals in Copper Mountain Colorado in April. USASA events are for all ages. So there is opportunity for everyone. I encourage all of our riders to give all events a shot at some point through out the season. Remember to qualify for nationals riders must have three results in the disciplines that they want to qualify in. There are multiple ways to qualify for Nationals.

 1st. be the winner of your age group in your home series. (Northern Vermont)
2nd. National Ranking. Each result earns you points in your home series or on the road visiting other series. After the Winners of each series are giving spots. The remaining spots are filled by national ranking based on points earned.
3rd. Over all points ranking. For riders competing in all events invitations are sent out for each age group for the top points earners in the overall categories.

Nationals is a great way to give a rider a view into the national scene of snowboarding. Its a great way to meet people from all around the country and experience the worlds largest snowboard contest. Nationals is a game changer for many kids and can open their eyes to a world of new possibilities. I would love for all of our kids to experience nationals. It is something that they never will forget.

For riders not competing on Saturday there will be training at Stowe. Riders will meet the coaches at 8am. and ride till 3pm.

December 22, 2012 EVENT INFO BELOW
NVT now has ONLINE REGISTRATION!!! WAHOOO! Check it out under the events tab on the USASA site under Northern Vermont region.
http://www.usasa.org/events/event-schedules/regional-event-schedules.html
NVT EVENT INFO...Rail Jam #1... Saturday December 22 @ Sugarbush Resort Registration will open at 10am and close at 11am in the Octagon at Valley House Lodge at Lincoln Peak, the Rail Garden is located right outside. Practice times will be announced at registration. The NVT Event Fee is $25, make checks out to NVT. Please anticipate a $10 additional competitor fee if you are not a Sugarbush season's passholder. The resort staff will be at registration to issue these Rail Garden hiking tickets for liability reasons. ALL COMPETITORS MUST BE MEMBERS OF THE USASA, REGISTER ONLINE BEFORE SATURDAY!! NVT accepts only checks or cash for onsite registration and membership renewal. Event kick off is scheduled for 12noon and will run in age appropriate heats based on competitors registered.
PLEASE REMEMBER ALL MUST HAVE A USASA MEMBERSHIP BEFORE THE FIRST EVENT ON DECEMBER 22nd!!
USASA XGames Rail Jam Once again the powers that be are asking each series to give them their best Rail Jammmers, 1 Male & 1 Female Rider and 1 Male & 1 Female Skier to participate in the USASA Rail Jam at the XGames. Those chosen will compete on the XGames rails in front of XGames spectators for top honors among all the USASA invitees. Northern Vermont Judges, TS's and Series DIrector will announce our final four at the conclusion of the Jay Peak Rail Jam on Jan 12th. Performances in the first three NVT Rail Jams (Dec 22 @ Sugarbush, Jan 5 @ Sugarbush and Jan 12 @ Jay Peak) will help determine who those final four will be!!!

Dec. 14 2012
Cochran’s Ski area 910 Cochran Rd., Richmond, VT. 05477  

December 14, 2012 

Cochran’s ski area and Green Mountain Freestyle Center will team up to bring the first event of it’s kind at

Cochran’s. The event will take place under the lights at Cochran’s on Friday night 12/14. Skiers and Boarders will compete on a selection of rails thatwill be set up to

test the skills of riders and provide a great chance for our local kids to display there skills. Registration will be held the day of the event from 3:30-4:30 and will cost $20. A portion of the proceeds will go to “Snow Fun” scholarship fund which supports freestyle snowsports athletes. Practice will be from 3:30pm-4:15. The Event will start at

4:30.

For more info about Cochran’s ski area
www.cochranskiarea.com
For more info on Green Mountain Freestyle Center
www.greenmountainfreestyle.com
Cochran’s Ski Area PO Box 789 910 Cochran RoadRichmond, Vermont 05477
Phone: 802-434-2479 Email: skiarea@cochranskiarea.com
Green Mountain Freestyle Center 260 Avenue D Williston Vt. 05495 Ph# 802-652-2455

Full time weekend program's begin Saturday 12/1

Winter has been kind to us so far. If you haven't been out on the hill yet, you are missing out. The snow is great. Stowe Mountain Resort has been working on expanding terrain and adding to the already impressive trail count. Their new snowmaking is a game changer. The amount of snow they have been able to produce is incredible. Things are looking very good for this weekend.

All full time weekend programs will meet at the MMSC club house at 8am Saturday. Things will kick off with a quick warm up and a short team meeting with the coaches. Please remember to check all of your gear and make sure everything fits and is in working order. If you have any gear issues that you need help with please tell a coach as soon as you get to the club to avoid any unnecessary delays. Coaches will look at all stances and gear set ups before we get on snow.

 We will end the day at 3pm at the club house. At that time we will have a parents meeting to kick off the season and get everyone on the same page.
All paper work needs to be in before we get on snow Saturday. If you have not filled out all of your paperwork please take care of it ASAP to avoid any issues. 

All full time tutorial programs will begin next Tuesday. Training  will be available for those people Tue, Thur.

I look forward to being back on snow with you all this weekend.

Think snow!

Weekly update 11/8 Impact night

The season is drawing near, and the lifts will begin to spin at Stowe this Saturday for season pass holders only. Please be aware that opening day can be crazy so if you plan to go out on the hill please be careful and take it easy for your first day back. I do not recommend that our youngest riders come out to ride for the opening day event. The limited terrain and the abundance of enthusiasm can make for dangerous situations for younger riders. 

MMSC snowboarding will continue our preseason training at GMFC this Sunday 4:30-6:00pm space still remains for any new comer who have not had a chance to get their preseason time in yet. Please contact me for further info.

This Tuesday Nov. 13th we will not have training at GMFC we will instead once again hold our 3rd annual Impact night at the Burton snowboards factory store in South Burlington.  We will hold mandatory base line testing for all athletes 10yrs or older, and have clinics given by Burton Staff. All MMSC families will receive a Burton store wide 40% discount for all MMSC team members for this night only. Please wear you team sweat shirt to help the staff identify you. The MMSC Snowboard Program will have a written protocol addressing head injuries as well as injury management. This season we will make the most of the Impact Program with help from Dr. Bryan Huber.  Bryan will address the whole team and discuss head injuries and other topics related to our sport. We will begin to meet at 4:30 in the lobby of 80 industrial Ave. the factory store. Our Medical talk will begin around 5pm. Testing will begin shortly after. There will be multiple clinics as well as music, give aways, drinks, light food and SWAG. This is a great event to kick off the season and get to know others on the team. In the past we have gone to KOTO's for a team dinner after, this plan is in the works once again. Looking forward to seeing you all there.

Last but not least Dark Side Snowboards is offering a discount for all MMSC riders through their web site. Go to http://www.darksidesnowboards.com/store/ and enter this code for your discount: MMSC
Offer ends on Nov. 25. Shipping is not free.