South Tahoe High graduate Garrett McIntyre has signed with the New York Jets.

Here is what his NFL bio says:

(LB/6-3/270/Fresno State/South Lake Tahoe, CA) spent the 2009 and 2010 seasons playing for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League where he posted 51 tackles and nine sacks. Prior to that, he played two years with the San Jose SaberCats of the Arena Football League. McIntyre was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Seattle Seahawks in 2006 and also spent portions of the 2006 preseason with the Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans. As a senior in 2005, he recorded 29 tackles, seven sacks, a forced fumble and a blocked kick, earning recognition as the WAC Defensive Player of the Year.

By Freddy Perryman, U.S. Ski Team

BLUE MOUNTAIN, Ontario -– X Games champion John Teller of Mammoth Lakes finished 11th in Friday’s World Cup skicross race at Blue Mountain Resort.

Skiers found a new venue as Blue Mountain completely revamped its skicross course for 2011. The resort increased the technicality of the course by adding quick jump sequences.

In the first round of finals, Teller got off to a good start and won his heat, beating 2011 World Champion and Friday’s eventual winner, Chris Del Bosco of Canada, to advance to the quarterfinals.

In the quarterfinals, Teller was in the backseat as he went off a jump, sending him into a near back flip and landing hard. The crash broke one of his bindings and bent his skis. Fortunately, he was uninjured.

“I did about half a back flip and landed on my head and bent a ski,” Teller said. “That was the end of the day for me.”

Since his fifth place finish last week at the World Championships, Teller has been busy. He went back to Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort to help coach and train 200 kids on its junior team.

Official results, FIS World Cup, Blue Mountain, Canada, Skicross

Men

1. Chris Del Bosco, Canada

2. Andreas Matt, Austria

3. Tomas Kraus, Czech Republic

–

11. John Teller, Mammoth Lakes, CA

39. Ethan Fortney, Tenino, WA

40. Randy Detrick, Saylorsburg, PA

Women

1. Anna Woerner, Germany

2. Fanny Smith, Switzerland

3. Jenny Owens, Australia

By U.S. Ski Racing

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany — The Alpine World Championships turned into a battle between Austrians today as Anna Fenninger cruised down the slalom course to take the win from Austrian teammate and first run downhill leader Elizabeth Goergl.

Fenninger, a three-time World Juniors gold medalist, was in fourth, 0.40 seconds behind Goergl after the morning downhill run then put down the fourth-fastest slalom run to secure a winning time of two minutes, 43.23 seconds to claim her first top-level victory. Fenninger, 21, has three World Cup podiums (all in the last two years) in speed events but no previous elite victories.

Slovenia’s Tina Maze was only nine hundredths of a second behind to grab the silver medal with the second-fastest slalom time (52.94) after standing tenth in the downhill (1.11 seconds back). Sweden’s Anja Paerson stayed consistent, earning the bronze medal after standing third in the downhill.

Goergl, who won the super G gold medal three days ago, landed fourth after losing the majority of her lead on the bottom of the Gudiberg slalom course.

The win comes at a great time for Fenninger, who, after a disappointing 2010 season was pondering calling it a career.

Squaw Valley’s Julia Mancuso, Tuesday’s super G silver medalist, was the top North American in seventh after moving up from ninth in the downhill.

“I definitely needed to charge harder in the slalom and was a little conservative. I think I was a little nervous at the start because the course set was really turny,” said Mancuso who called the conditions on the slalom hill soft and spring like. “I’m looking forward to the downhill, but I’m not sure I’ll do another training run. Every race is a challenge and I definitely want to do well. So far the speed track has been pretty good to me, so we’ll see.”

American Laurenne Ross led her team into the afternoon slalom with the sixth-fastest downhill time (1:50.70). In the slalom, she straddled a gate early but stuck with it, hiking for several seconds to pull in the 28th finish.

Lindsey Vonn, who in December won this season’s only World Cup super combined, ran the morning downhill leg (12th), but opted not to compete in the afternoon slalom to continue recovering from a concussion she sustained last week. Her participation upcoming races and training is being evaluated on a daily basis. She finished seventh in the super G.

Despite a roar of support from the thousands of local fans in attendance at both venues, German Maria Riesch was hampered with the continued flu symptoms that kept her out of yesterday’s second downhill training. She finished 11th overall today after collapsing with exhaustion in the downhill finish area.

Ready to carve some turns?

Here is the ski report from Curtis Fong, the Guy from Tahoe.

March 26 will mark the much-anticipated comeback of The Pain McShlonkey Classic at Squaw Valley. This action packed on and off-mountain event will serve as a hilarious tribute to legendary skier Shane McConkey as pros and amateurs battle for the highly coveted Golden Saucer trophy and bragging rights.

Celebrated for his playful spirit, McConkey was the mastermind behind the original Pain McShlonkey Open that debuted in 2003. What began as a behind-the-scenes late-night race between competitors at the 1998 Winter X Games has evolved into a beloved event, attracting athletes from around the world.

Although the event was dubbed after one of McConkey’s funny alter egos, Pain McShlonkey, there’s no questioning McConkey’s true character.

Festivities begin at 8am with the Extreme Small Mountain Snowlerblade Invitational where a select group of 30 pros will negotiate Squaw Valley’s K2 on snow blades. Cheer on pros like Daron Rahlves, JT Holmes, Scott and Robb Gaffney and Jeremy Jones as they jockey for the podium.

At 1:30pm the pros will take on 30 amateurs during an anything-go Snowlerblade Chinese Downhill. The 30 amateurs will be selected via an online contest and lottery process. If selected, the registration fee is $1.

The day will end with a rockin’ after party at Squaw Valley’s newly remodeled Bar One starting at 5pm. Tickets are $25 and guests must be 21 or older to attend. Valid ID is required. Proceeds will benefit Protect Our Winters and the Shane McConkey Foundation.

Spectators are encouraged to dress up and celebrate the spirit of McConkey.

The Shane McConkey website has event details.

By Robert Lewis, Sacramento Bee

The Great Recession may have devastated development across the region, but it has proven a boon for public land trusts, nonprofit groups that use public funds and private donations to buy land for conservation.

These public trusts have been snapping up large tracts of land or buying conservation easements – agreements in which landowners essentially promise not to allow development on their land in exchange for money – while developers have been sitting on the sidelines or going out of business.

Forget the “silver lining.” They call it the “green lining” of the downturn. With land prices a bargain and some owners desperate to sell, land trusts are taking advantage of pots of public money to close big deals.

“There’s no doubt there have been easily five times as many opportunities due to the economy,” said Jeff Darlington, executive director of the Placer Land Trust.

While land trusts don’t have enough funding to keep pace with the sudden supply, they have been able to buy some fairly notable pieces of land in the past few years. Most recently, the Placer Land Trust partnered with the San Francisco-based Trust for Public Land to buy nearly 1,800 acres of oak woodlands just outside Auburn for $9.5 million. The land is part of the 2,600-acre Bruin Ranch property owned by businessman and developer Lloyd Harvego.

Read the whole story

Morning winds should mellow in the afternoon – enjoy another sunny day on the slopes! Here is the ski report from Curtis Fong, the Guy from Tahoe.

By U.S. Skiing

BOREAL — Maddie Bowman of South Lake Tahoe and James Campbell of Windham, N.H., won the women’s and men’s halfpipe skiing on the second day of the U.S. Revolution Tour at Boreal Mountain Resort.

Bowman fought blustery conditions to win her first Rev Tour halfpipe competition of the year.

“It was a little windy and chilly, but besides that the halfpipe was nice and I was pretty happy with my performance,” said Bowman. “Nothing to complain about, I had a fun day.”

Bowman used a winning run of straight air grab, leftside 5, straight air grab, leftside 5, straight air, to leftside 7 to grab the win over second-place Jessica Breda of Marshfield, Mass., and third-place Presley Doyle of Homewood.

The men battled the same wind on their runs, but Campbell seemed unaffected, stomping his run en route to the victory. Campbell was followed by Austin Simonpietri of Truckee in second and Carson Lehouillier of Reno in third.

Official results, U.S. Revolution Tour Boreal Mountain Resort, Feb. 8, Halfpipe

Men

1. James Campbell, Windham, NH, 35.80

2. Austin Simonpietri, Truckee, CA, 33.90

3. Carson Lehouillier, Reno, NV, 31.40

Women

1. Maddie Bowman, South Lake Tahoe, CA, 32.10

2. Jessica Breda, Marshfield, MA, 26.70

3. Presley Doyle, Homewood, CA, 21.00

By U.S. Snowboarding

BOREAL — Jackie Hernandez of Londonderry, Vt., and Kevin Leahy of Yarmouth, Maeine, kicked off the second stop of the U.S. Revolution Tour Monday at Boreal Mountain Resort with wins in the women’s and men’s SBX. In the skicross, Tania Prymak of Goshen, N.Y., and Trevor Ricioli of South Lake Tahoe won the men’s and women’s titles.

With perfect course conditions and under sunny skies, Leahy continued his successful 2011 campaign with a Rev Tour victory. Finishing behind Leahy was Roger Carver of Placerville in second and Jarod Minghini of South Lake Tahoe in third.

For the ladies, Hernandez continued her domination of all things SBX, winning gold over Jenna Feldman of Linwood, N.J., in second position and Chloe Banning of Steamboat Springs, Colo., in third.

Skicross also ran Monday as Ricioli leapt ahead of the field to take first ahead of KC Brousseau of Saranac Lake, N.Y., and Matt Larson o fBoulder, Colo.

Prymak captured her second Rev Tour victory in the ladies skicross beating out Lesley Wilson of Steamboat Springs and Savannah Ryder of Orinda, Colo.

Official results, U.S. Revolution Tour, Boreal Mountain Resort, Feb. 7

SBX

Men

1. Kevin Leahy, Yarmouth, ME

2. Roger Carver, Placerville, CA

3. Jarod Minghini, South Lake Tahoe, CA

Women

1. Jackie Hernandez, Londonderry, VT

2. Jenna Feldman, Linwood, NJ

3. Chloe Banning, Steamboat Springs, CO

Skicross

Men

1. Trevor Ricioli, South Lake Tahoe, CA

2. KC Brouseau, Saranac Lake, NY

3. Matt Larson, Boulder, CO

Women

1. Tania Prymak, Goshen, NY

2. Lesley Wilson, Steamboat Springs, CO

3. Savannah Ryder, Orinda, CA

By Kathryn Reed

Schussing down the slopes of Sierra-at-Tahoe it’s hard to tell anything is different this season. And that’s exactly what resort officials want.

Less than a month before the South Shore resort opened Nov. 23 for the 2010-11 season, its sister resort, Northstar-at-Tahoe, was acquired by Vail Resorts. (CNL Lifestyle Properties still owns the land and lifts; it’s the management rights that the Colorado company bought.)

Sierra has noticed some of its guests are different this season. This is because the acquisition allowed this year’s Heavenly Mountain Resort (also a Vail property) season passholders to ski at Sierra.

John Rice

“We certainly appreciate the extra business. I think we have made some people happy who didn’t know what we are all about,” John Rice, Sierra’s general manager, told Lake Tahoe News.

A couple from the Sacramento area on Feb. 6 said they knew about the sale, but thought Vail had bought Sierra, too. They were relieved to learn Sierra is being left alone.

Sierra’s day care has seen an influx of patrons, mainly parents with Heavenly passes. Retail sales patterns have changed with the newcomers, too.

“They ran a special for Heavenly passholders. We sold a ton of helmets that were sitting around,” Rice said.

Food sales are the same with the newbies, but beverage consumption is up.

“They like our pricing in the bar. The bartenders like it because they tip well,” Rice said.

Despite the influx of skiers and boarders, the parking lot and slopes have not been inundated – which was a concern of Sierra’s. On Super Bowl Sunday it wasn’t crazy. It was a different story on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, but that Monday is traditionally a busy day – especially when it’s warm enough for short-sleeves at the Tiki Bar.

“We are doing better than last year and last year was a great year,” Rice said. “We’ve always been a good little cash cow. In a good year our margins are phenomenal; in a bad year we break even.”

At one time, Booth Creek owned 11 ski resorts. It’s down to one – Sierra.

Sierra-at-Tahoe is the last resort its parent company owns. Photos/Kathryn Reed

In 1946, Vern Sprock opened what was then called Sierra Ski Ranch. The resort moved to its present location in 1968. In 1993, the Fibreboard Corporation bought it. Three years later Booth Creek acquired it and changed the name to Sierra-at-Tahoe.

Rice is not worried Booth Creek will unload Sierra. He said there’s always speculation and rumor, but nothing is on the horizon that he has been made aware of.

He knew about the Vail-Northstar transaction before it was signed.

“I got a call from the owner before the deal was completed. He said, ‘I have full confidence in you. (Sierra) has been a strong performer. We’re looking forward to another great year’,” Rice said.

Rice acknowledges a few bumps occurred early in the season – mostly surrounding what days passes were valid and where people could pick them up. Signs had to be changed that mentioned the Double Whammy pass (a Sierra-Northstar pass that went away with the sale).

Season passes picked up in December still have both resorts on it even though it’s not good at both.

It’s in the offices at the resort near Echo Summit where change has been most noticeable. Four full time (PR, sales, accounting) and one part time position (human resources) have been added. This is because some of those jobs were shared with Northstar.

Views of Lake Tahoe from a rare groomed Castle run on Feb. 6.

Vertical Plus, the program that allows riders to use a special line for an extra fee, will be looked at in the off-season because it was tied together with Northstar. The loyalty program will also likely be revamped to reflect a Sierra-only culture starting next season.

Rice isn’t ruling out any possibilities for what might be in store for Sierra.

“We’ll continue to talk to Vail and see if they want to do something going forward (with season passes) and we’ll consider what else is out there,” Rice said. But he stressed, right now, “No negotiating is taking place.”

What will Sierra-at-Tahoe in 2011-12 be like? That answer is an unknown, but Rice and company are working on it.