Girl Powder’s Third Annual Queen of the Park is coming to Squaw Valley March 20. Queen of the Park is a ripping park event open to girls of all ages.

The event gives girls a chance to show the world what they do on the slopes while establishing a greater sense of community among female park riders. The event will kick off at 3pm on Exhibition. Lift tickets are not required for competitors or spectators.

Registration will be held in the Squaw Valley Village March 20 from 9am to 3pm, while spots are available. The cost is $20 and all competitors will receive a Queen of the Park T-shirt.

Immediately following the competition will be Girl Powder’s “Token Drag Queen” competition starting at 4:30pm. Dudes who like to shred while dressed in drag should check-in at registration to sign a waiver between 9am and 4pm. Registration for the Drag Queen competition is free.

By Lindsey Sine, USSA

LA MOLINA, Spain — It was a great end to the season for Pat Holland (Squaw Valley, CA) who took third to mark the first World Cup podium of his career during the snowboardcross competition in Spain on Friday.

“It felt really good. I just kept working hard. All year I was riding at a really high level, I just didn’t have any results. It just clicked today,” Holland said. “I’m really happy with the way I rode. I had to fight through every round, but I fought well and made it to the podium.”

Pierre Vaultier of France won, followed in second by Australia’s Alex Pullin. According to Holland, the top two had pulled away from the start, and finishing third was a battle with Italy’s Alberto Schiavon.

“Alberto and I were behind fighting for third he pulled away from e a bit and we were going into the second of last turn and I’m determined to make the podium, so I laid it down in the last two turns and made the pass in the last bank for third,” Holland said. “I made passes where I wanted to make passes in places other guys couldn’t, so I’m pumped.”

U.S. Snowboarding Head Coach Peter Foley said that Holland was the standout all week, and for him to come through like he did was a great accomplishment.

“He really rode the best out of anyone on the team all week. He was setting examples for everyone to follow in video and to have him ride the whole race that way was awesome,” Foley said.

Holland’s previous top finish was an eighth last season. He said that this podium gives him a little extra push for the future.

In the women’s heats, Helene Olafsen of Norway won, followed in second by Simona Meiler of Switzerland in second and Maelle Ricker of Canada in third.

Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, VT) finished at the top for the U.S., landing sixth.

The day wrapped up the World Cup snowboardcross season. The team will return to the U.S. for summer training in preparation for the 2011 season.

La Molina, Spain, March 19, Snowboardcross

Men

1. Pierre Vaultier, France

2. Alex Pullin, Australia

3. Pat Holland, Squaw Valley, CA

4. Alberto Schiavon, Italy

5. Lukas Gruener, Austria

–

6. Graham Watanabe, Sun Valley, ID

10. Nate Holland, Squaw Valley, CA

11. Ross Powers, Londonderry, VT

20. Nick Baumgartner, Iron River, MI

22. Alex Deibold,, Manchester Center, VT

30. Jayson Hale, Sierraville, CA

40. Bobby Minghini, South Lake Tahoe, CA

45. Mick Dierdorff, Steamboat Springs, CO

Women

1. Helene Olafsen, Norway

2. Simona Meiler, Switzerland

3. Maelle Ricker, Canada

4. Alexandra Jekova, Bulgaria

5. Dominique Maltais, Canada

–

6. Lindsey Jacobellis, Stratton Mountain, VT

9. Faye Gulini, Salt Lake City

20. Callan Chythlook Sifsof, Girdwood, AK

Forecasters are saying it will be in the 50s today. Lather up with the sunscreen. Here is the ski report from Curtis Fong, the Guy from Tahoe.

Larry Green, Lake Tahoe Unified School District board member and Lake Tahoe Community College math instructor, is one of seven high-powered “Thinkers” in a San Francisco group supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that is looking for ways to improve K-14

Larry Green

education in science and math.

El Dorado County sheriff’s Sgt. Matt Underhill took gold at the 5th annual Ryan Shreve Memorial Ski Race at Sierra-at-Tahoe on March 17. Like Shreve, Underhill graduated from South Tahoe High.

A sign the economy may be picking up — Martis Camp in Truckee expects to build more than 20 houses this year. In 2009, 12 were built.

Lake Tahoe Museum in South Tahoe recently received two unique donations. John Marker donated a bathtub that may be from the old Sierra House. A 50-piece, 17-foot wooden kayak from the 1940s was assembled my museum volunteers.

Megan Hicks, a South Tahoe High grad, is headed to the Peace Corps.

Beginning March 29, Northstar-at-Tahoe and Sierra-at-Tahoe resorts will offer free skiing for the rest of the season with the purchase of a 2010-11 season pass. This is the only dual mountain pass that allows skiers and snowboarders to experience the North Shore and the South Shore of Lake Tahoe.

Northstar and Sierra are scheduled to operate into mid-April, weather and conditions permitting.

To purchase a Double Whammy pass, click here, or call Northstar Resort at (530) 562.2267 or Sierra Resort at (530) 659.7453, ext. 208, or stop in at either resort.

By Kathryn Reed

Reuse, reduce, recycle. That’s the vocabulary the South Lake Tahoe Sustainability Commission wants the community to learn.

The idea is to prolong the life of what’s considered a one-time bag from all stores, whether it’s plastic or paper, by reusing it, not using it or recycling it. Keeping them out of the garbage and landfills is the ultimate goal.

Commissioners would like to eliminate their use completely, but legal issues prevent that from being the mantra, plus it offends some who may partner with the all-volunteer panel.

Much of Wednesday afternoon’s discussion centered on defining the goal of the community education campaign. With input from South Tahoe High School students, South Tahoe Refuse and the American Chemistry Council, the final verbiage of the goal is, “Promote reduction, reuse and 100 percent recycling of one-time use bags to improve sustainable consumer behavior.”

Vocalizing the message begins March 27 at Lake Tahoe Community College at Sierra Nevada Alliance’s 5th annual Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival.

The idea is a slow, gradual roll-out of what the commission wants to do, with a possible major launch of the education campaign in June. Commissioners are thinking of having one month devoted to not using single-use bags.

Commissioners will spread the R words at the Earth Day celebration at the college on April 17 as well as at the Green Business mixer at Embassy Suites on April 22.

Plastic bags have dominated the commission’s agenda in the 10 months that it has existed. This action plan is one of the more substantial things the seven members have accomplished. A full report of their activities and future goals will be presented to the City Council in May.

Bags present several concerns. One is the amount of petroleum products needed to create them, with paper being a bigger culprit than plastic. Plastic bags, though, tend to end up strewn about and create a different environmental headache.

Ryan Kenny with the American Chemistry Council said his group based in Sacramento wants to help South Lake, but believes the plastic bags as garbage is the biggest issue.

“Our membership will have a difficult time participating in a plan that eliminates our product,” Kenny told the commissioners.

With that said, commissioners reworded their goal so the word “eliminate” was no longer part of the sentence.

Jeanne Lear of South Tahoe Refuse said her company is talking to Trex, which makes pseudo wood products out of recycled plastic at its Fernley plant.

Right now grocery stores have bins for people to recycle plastic bags that are then picked up by their respective companies. (STR will separate them out if people put them in the blue bags for recycling.) The refuse company may create a route where it would pick up the bags at the stores, then assemble them to be delivered to Trex.

Ashley Richardson, a senior at STHS, said students have talked about the idea of having bins to recycle plastic bags in parking lots. People could load their goods in their vehicle and then dispose of the bag right away.

The way the commission is going to get the words “reuse, reduce, recycle“ out are through advertising; social media and existing websites; signs at businesses that distribute bags; partnering with agencies and interested individuals; and having booths at events.

The end result the commission would like is for the public to change its behavior when it comes to one-time use bags — to essentially eliminate them from their lives. Instead of plastic or paper being the question, the idea is the consumer would come with their own bag.

By Kathryn Reed

Word came this week that funding for Lakeview Commons in South Lake Tahoe, Lakeside Trail in Tahoe City and Blackwood Creek restoration on the West Shore is unofficially on its way.

Bond sales last week by the state of California were better than expected. This means cash will be flowing to a number of entities, with the California Tahoe Conservancy one of those.

This state agency based in South Tahoe is a major partner in these three projects in the basin.

Lakeview Commons rose to the top of the priority list after it was deemed a public safety issue because of the dilapidated retaining wall. It’s so bad that fencing has been erected around it so people won’t sit on it or hurt themselves.

South Lake Tahoe expects to go out for bids on the project by the end of the month. Construction would then start this summer. What all the $6 million will buy remains to be seen.

Conservancy officials expect to have final word about the funding next week.

The Ski Run Beautification Committee has organized a Street Walk to gather ideas and solutions for ways to improve and enhance the aesthetics and functionality of the district.

* Meet at the Alder Inn on Ski Run Boulevard, South Tahoe

* March 23 before 10am

The group will leave the Alder Inn at 10am and walk toward Pioneer Trail, looping back down toward the marina and back to the inn.

Slow Food Lake Tahoe will show the movie “Fresh” on March 22 at 6:30pm at Sawtooth Ridge, 877 N. Lake Blvd., Tahoe City.

“Fresh” celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are forging healthier, sustainable alternatives to bringing food to the table.

A discussion will follow the movie.

Tickets are $5 per person or $10 per family.

For more information, call (530) 582-7498.

By Kathryn Reed

After wrapping up the first round just before midnight, the South Shore contingent was back at the National Bowling Stadium the next morning at 7 to compete in the national event.

Although it’s called the Men’s Nationals, women also are going after strikes.

The 10 locals didn’t fare as well as they had hoped last weekend, but those who went said it was a great experience.

National Bowling Stadium in Reno.

“We had a good time, but it was definitely a struggle,” Arlene Hailey said.

The Reno facility is designed just for tournaments — no leagues allowed. This means the lanes are geared for that caliber of competition.

“It’ a reverse block which means there is a lot of oil on the lanes so it’s harder for the bowling ball to react before it gets to the bowling pins,” Hailey explained. “You have to be more precise and accurate.”

Others from the South Shore who competed were George Alm, Joel Morris, Shannon Spivack, Scott Spivack, Mike Steward, Pat O’Connell, Ed Ledwig, Phil Harwood and Tom Otomo.

Most of them bowl in the Tuesday nigh league at Tahoe Bowl, but not on the same team.

“We got waxed,” Alm said of his team’s showing. Still, he said it was a fun experience. “A lot of houses only oil 20-27 feet. You want a drier end so the ball has more reaction.”

All bowling lanes are 60-feet long.

Alm explained that the lane conditions dictates which ball a bowler uses. The blocks inside the balls and the outer core shell make a difference for the balls that can cost $300.

The USBC Championships continue in Reno through July 5.