Lake Tahoe ski report, Feb. 10
Bring out the sunscreen — it’s going to be one those blue bird days on the slopes of Lake Tahoe. Here is the ski report from Curtis Fong, the Guy from Tahoe.
Big Mountain Battle at Squaw
Helly Hansen’s renowned all-mountain competition returns to Squaw Valley Feb. 20.
In its second year, this unique competition challenges teams of skiers and riders to explore their favorite resort from top to bottom for a chance to win an all-expense-paid trip to the finals in Aspen/Snowmass.
The Squaw Big Mountain Battle is one of seven tour stops. At each stop, teams of two take on courses designed by Jeff McKitrick and Helly Hansen. Teams (ski, snowboard, or mixed) must complete each of the hikes. Flaik GPS devices will track the performance of each participant.
Teams can ski anywhere for extra points once they have completed the designated bowls. The top three teams to complete the hikes, course and checkpoints in the fastest times are awarded prizes. Teams can win in the following categories after completing the designated bowls: Fastest Hike, Most Vertical, Most Runs and Most Lift Rides. The team to finish with the most points wins a trip to Aspen/Snowmass to compete in the Big Mountain Battle Finals on March 28.
The event pre-registration entry fee is $75 per team and includes two Helly Hansen LIFA® base layers valued at $45 each. Online pre-registration closes Feb. 18 at midnight, and check-in will be from 8-9:30am at a location TBD. Entry is limited to the first 100 teams, and registration on the day of the event is available for $10 more per person. The awards ceremony kicks off at 1:30pm at the Chamois.
For more information and to register online, visit www.bigmountainbattle.com.
Athletes not worried about lack of snow at Cypress
Publisher’s note: According to the Canadian press, tubes filled with a solid form of carbon dioxide have been placed in moguls and on the aerials course to create a dry ice-like compound to keep snow from breaking down. Cypress is 90-minutes south of Whistler.
By Philip Hersh, Chicago Tribune
VANCOUVER — There was only one subject on everybody’s mind when the U.S. freestyle moguls ski team met the press Monday.
Whether the snow conditions at Cypress Mountain would spoil and/or affect their competition, which is Saturday (women) and Sunday (men).
The answer was a resounding — and unanimous — “no” from the eight U.S. moguls athletes.
A helicopter lifts a hay bale to the slopes of Cypress Mountain near Vancouver on Jan. 27. Photo/Kathryn Reed
“We’ve skied in hot weather, cold weather, rain, we’re used to anything,” said Heather McPhie of Bozeman, Montana.
Lake Tahoe ski report, Feb. 9
More snow is in the forecast for today. Here is the ski report from Curtis Fong, the Guy from Tahoe.
Nevada Parks looking for recreation grant recipients
The Federal Highway Administration grant program administered by Nevada Division of State Parks is accepting pre-applications for the 2010 round of recreation trails projects until March 31.
The amount of funding for recreational trail construction and improvements is expected to be about $1.3 million. Federal, state, city and county governments, special governmental districts, organizations and private individuals are potentially eligible for match-based grants offered through the program.
Eligible projects include motorized and non-motorized trail projects for new construction, maintenance and trail-related facilities. Trail education projects are also eligible. The maximum amount available per project is $200,000 for non-motorized. There is no cap for motorized trail projects and the minimum amount awarded to projects is $4,000.
Non-motorized trail grants require an 80:20 match and motorized trail grants require a 95:5 match.
Pre-applications must be submitted and approved to be eligible to submit a grant application, but educational and training grants are exempt from the pre-application process.
Pre-application packages are available on the Recreational Trails website at http://parks.nv.gov/trails.htm. Hard copies are also available upon request by calling (775) 684.2775.
The due date for pre-applications is March 31 by 4:30pm at the division’s office located at 901 S. Stewart St., Ste. 5005, Carson City, NV 89701-5248. Faxed or emailed copies will not be accepted.
Contact Randy Moore, recreational trails coordinator, at (775) 684.2775 or via email rlmoore@parks.nv.gov for more information.
Lake Tahoe ski report, Feb. 8
It was snowing at the higher elevations on Sunday, just not at the lake. This means there may be some powder this morning on the slopes. Here is the ski report from Curtis Fong, the Guy from Tahoe.
Cal researchers to monitor cubs rehabbed in South Tahoe
By Barbara Barte Osborn, Modesto Bee
Two orphaned year-old bear cubs that were placed in a man-made den near Truckee on Wednesday will be remotely photographed as they move in and out of the den.
Employees at UC Berkeley’s Sagehen Creek Field Station plan to display the photos as they become available on the station’s website.
Photos of the cubs’ relocation will be posted around the middle of next week, until photos of den activity become available, said Jeff Brown, the station’s manager.
Guide to Alpine skiing at the Olympics
By Ron Judd, Seattle Times
Modern alpine ski events in the Olympics mirror those of the World Cup, a winter-long series of races organized and controlled by the International Ski Federation, or FIS. The races are the downhill, slalom, giant slalom, super-G, and alpine combined.
Lake Tahoe ski report, Feb. 7
It’s a powder day in Lake Tahoe. Read the ski report from Curtis Fong, the Guy from Tahoe, for all of the details.
Mancuso struggles to regain dominance on slopes
By Barry Svrluga, Washington Post
Julia Mancuso’s image, calculated or not, was important to her. Winning an Olympic gold medal with a tiara on her head, reveling in the idea that her coaches called her a “princess,” surfing and swimming and being the picture of good health in the waves of Maui, posing seductively in lingerie and ski boots — it all became part of who she was and is, “probably the most honest athlete out there,” according to Chemmy Alcott of Great Britain, her good friend and fellow World Cup skier.
Mancuso was to carry that image into this month’s Vancouver Olympics. Mancuso, not Lindsey Vonn, is the only female American Alpine skier with an Olympic medal to her credit, the gold in the giant slalom won four years ago in the Italian village of Sestriere. Mancuso is the skier featured in fashion shoots in outdoors magazines, her hair done up, her clothes just so, the one
Julia Mancuso
with the blog and the Web site that features a “shopping” section.