Sierra-at-Tahoe is having an athlete appreciation/Olympic homecoming party for its athletes.
Sierra’s athletes include Jamie Anderson, Maddie Bowman, Hannah Teter and Kyle Smaine.
The event will be March 3 at the ski resort. The athletes are expected to arrive at 11:30am. There will be a welcome home ceremony at 12:30pm.
By Benjamin Spillman, Reno Gazette-Journal
In late February of 1991, the snowpack in the Lake Tahoe, Truckee, Carson and Walker basins was about 16 to 20 percent of normal.
By April 1, after a month of seemingly non-stop snowstorms, the snowpack recovered to as much as 80 percent of normal in some places.
When looking at the dismal snowpack numbers from the winter of 2017-18, it’s tempting to take comfort in the possibility of another Miracle March, similar to 1991.
Tempting, but not very comforting when you consider the odds. There’s a reason people called March 1991 a miracle.
Ski for MS, a daylong fundraising ski event benefiting families with multiple sclerosis, will hit the slopes of Squaw Valley on March 3.
One of six stops in a nationwide event series, the Ski for MS Squaw event benefits Can Do MS, a national nonprofit organization.
It includes amateur ski races, the Jimmie Heuga memorial ski down, and an apres party. New this year, Olympic cyclist Tyler Hamilton, ski cross Olympian Errol Kerr, and ski BASE jumper JT Holmes will be joining Ski for MS Squaw to ski, race, provide tips, and celebrate at the apres party.
Individuals may register online for $25. Participants are encouraged to create a team.
By Benjamin Spillman, Reno Gazette-Journal
By the time David Wise dropped in for his final run, the tension was palpable at both the venue and nearly 5,600 miles away at Wild Garlic Pizza in Reno.
That’s where a group of employees from Moment Skis, the Reno-based company that made Wise’s skis, gathered to watch the event.
“It was just the most nervous and the most excited I had ever been for a sport,” said Luke Jacobson, Moment’s CEO.
Moment didn’t make the bindings that gave Wise trouble, but that didn’t make the experience any less stressful for Jacobson.
At its Feb. 22 quarterly meeting, the Wildlife Conservation board approved approximately $17.9 million in grants to help restore and protect fish and wildlife habitat throughout California, including in the Sierra.
Some of the 15 approved projects will benefit fish and wildlife—including endangered species—while others will provide public access to important natural resources. Several projects will also demonstrate the importance of protecting working landscapes that integrate economic, social and environmental stewardship practices beneficial to the environment, landowners and the local community.
Funding for these projects comes from a combination of sources including the Habitat Conservation Fund and the Wildlife Restoration Fund. Bond measures approved by voters to help preserve and protect California’s natural resources.
Funded projects include:
Evan Strong learned to snowboard at Northstar after losing part of his leg. Photo/Kathryn Reed
By Kathryn Reed
Evan Strong never had dreams of being a snowboarder. He was a beach guy, having grown up in Maui. Skateboarding was his sport of choice. He had sponsors at 13 and was on his way to being a professional skateboarder.
A drunken driver ended his career.
Part of Strong’s left leg had to be partially amputated after the motorcycle he was riding was struck head on. This was 10 days before he turned 18.
Today the 31-year-old hopes to defend his snowboard cross gold medal at the Paralympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea, next month. The Paralympics are March 9-18 where the able bodied Olympians just wrapped up their two-week stint.
“I’m in love with board sports and I want to play,” Strong told Lake Tahoe News. “I saw a snowboarding magazine and thought why I haven’t I done that.”
Living in a Hawaii was a main reason.
It was in 2007 that Strong arrived at Northstar to work and learn how to snowboard.
Strong describes Tahoe as “endless seasons of fun.” While living in the Truckee-North Shore area he also got into mountain biking.
He spends a great deal of time training in the Rockies, though he was out in the Tahoe area last season.
“Squaw Valley is as good as the Rockies,” Strong said.
He praised Boreal for its terrain park, Sugar Bowl for its terrain and Northstar for its glades.
In many ways he was a natural on the snow because of his affinity for board sports. Snowboard cross is what gives him the “biggest rush.” He has earned every title in the sport of para-snowboarding.
The sport was introduced at the 2014 Sochi Paralympic Winter Games.
In this Games he will compete in snowboard cross and banked slalom.
By Justin Peters, Slate
Immediately after finishing his final run in the freestyle skiing halfpipe event, David Wise tossed his ski poles into the snow. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Wise said, apologizing to no one in particular. “I got a little excited.”
Wise had good reason to celebrate. His first two runs of the three-run final had been busts, sabotaged by a broken binding on his skis. But the binding held together for his last run, a superlative, twist-and-flip laden jaunt that earned him a score of 97.20—5.20 points higher than the mark that won him the gold in Sochi. Wise’s superlative final run held up, earning his second consecutive Olympic title. As I watched him come through in the clutch and listened to NBC’s announcers read off his accolades, I wondered one simple thing: Why isn’t David Wise super famous?
He ought to be. Wise is the best freestyle halfpipe skier in the world, and the only man ever to win gold in the freestyle ski halfpipe event, which made its Olympic debut in Sochi.
By Chris Murray, Reno Gazette-Journal
David Wise returns to Reno on Monday and the community is invited to welcome home the 27-year-old Wooster High alum who won his second Olympic gold medal Wednesday.
Wise is expected to land at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport at 5:05 p.m. Monday, with the Wooster Colts band, Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve and others local officials in attendance. Community members are encouraged to attend the rally.
Even though snow has been falling in the Tahoe-Truckee area, organizers have decided to cancel this year’s Great Ski Race.
This is Tahoe Nordic Search & Rescue’s main fundraiser. It started in 1977.
Cross country skiers go from Tahoe City to Truckee; a 30 kilometer race.
This year’s event was scheduled for March 4. There will still be a party that day from noon-4pm at Tahoe City Cross Country with donations being accepted for the nonprofit.
JC Schoonmaker, a North Tahoe High School senior, Far West skier, and former Tahoe Cross Country strider glider, recently competed at the U18 Nations’ Cup in Finland.
The U18 Nations’ Cup brings the top U18 skiers from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, United States, and more. The races competitive and give participants first-hand knowledge of international racing.
On the first day of racing, Schoonmaker placed sixth in the sprint race. This result is one of the top U.S finishes at the U18 Nations’ Cup Competition ever.