The U.S. Forest Service Ski with a Ranger Program is looking for ski and snowboard volunteers to lead guided tours at Heavenly Mountain Resort one day a week. Volunteers will be provided with a thorough orientation and a day pass for the day of each tour. The expected commitment of time depending on your availability, will be four to six hours a week from January through April.

All volunteers are required to attend the program orientation Jan. 11.

Contact Tara McCarthy at (530) 307-9610 or email tmccarthy@fs.fed.us for more information.

Denver Post

BRECKENRIDGE — Norway’s Andreas Hatveit captured the Winter Dew Tour men’s free-ski slopestyle final Sunday, and 16-year-old Tyler Flanagan of Mammoth Lakes, Calif., earned his first victory in a pro competition in the men’s snowboard slopestyle final.

Jamie Anderson, 19, of South Lake Tahoe, Calif., won the women’s snowboard slopestyle final.

Jaime Anderson

Hatveit, 23, earned a first-place score of 93.00 with a run that included a double cork 1080 and a switch right 1080.

Read the whole story

Bring on the snow. Snow is in the forecast for about the next 24 hours. No blue sky to be found today. Here is the ski report from Curtis Fong, the Guy from Tahoe.

By Kathryn Reed

OLYMPIC VILLAGE — Jonny Moseley will finally see the Olympics.

He vaguely remembers going to a hockey game in 1998 when he competed in the Nagano, Japan, Games. He skipped the opening ceremonies. He admits to having been obsessed with the competition. It paid off. He won gold that year in moguls.

Squaw's Jonny Moseley will be the voice of NBC Sports for some Olympic events. Photo/Kathryn Reed

Four years later in Salt Lake City he made a point of going to the opening ceremonies. But that was it. When his event was over he flew to New York to be host of “Saturday Night Live” while the competition in Utah continued.

Moseley enjoyed Torino, Italy, more – where he was able to hang out because he wasn’t competing.

In February, Moseley will see at least three events — moguls, aerials and skiercross — because he will be providing color commentary for NBC Sports. He will be in Vancouver (aka Whistler) from Feb. 7-27 to do prep work and on-air work.

This week he is in Steamboat to work the U.S. Olympic trials.

Travel is a big part of Moseley’s life. He’ll be in Canada before the Olympics to work on the next Warren Miller movie. For the last three films he has been the voice of the ski film.

Moseley told Lake Tahoe News he was nervous when first approached to be the narrator of the almost cult-like films. He didn’t know what people would think of him taking over for the iconic Miller.

It seems to be working.

In this year’s movie, Moseley is back tearing up the slopes. Eight minutes is devoted to Lake Tahoe. He hopes to get some of the multitude of Tahoe resorts on film at least every other year.

Skiing has been a part of Moseley’s life since he was 3 when his family moved to the Bay Area from his native Puerto Rico.

It’s hard to know if the skiing gene was passed on to his 2-year-old son Jack.

“My No. 1 goal was to make him not hate skiing,” Moseley said. Jack doesn’t even like to see after-ski boots. This happened after Moseley had Jack on skis last year.

Moseley didn’t intend to start his son skiing so soon, but his buddy and fellow Olympian Daron Rahlves put on the peer pressure by showing off his twins, who are the same age as Jack, on skis.

“I hope I didn’t scar him,” Moseley said.

He might take it slower with his next child who is due in May.

Even though Moseley has a bachelor’s degree from Cal, the 34-year-old hopes to make a living in the ski industry for years to come.

At Squaw last week, he talked about how it was difficult at first to do television. It’s one thing to participate in the sport; it’s another to know the intricacies of the judging and nuances of the competitors to be able to sound articulate on air. He didn’t realize how much research is involved.

Another interesting aspect is being in a studio in Los Angeles and doing the color for an event that is hundreds or thousands of miles away.

When he is at Squaw skiing with friends or acting as ambassador for the resort he stays at the family cabin just down the road from the slope. The rest of the time he calls Marin County home.

As Squaw’s chief mountain host it means he will be taking guests around the mountain Dec. 26-Jan. 2 at 1pm each day from the top of the Funitel. After his Olympic obligations are over, more days may be scheduled.

He doesn’t mind being used in this way – nor does he see it as being used.

“I have a huge affinity for Squaw. It’s easy for me to tell people about the virtues of Squaw,” Moseley said. “My whole career I’ve been on display so I’m used to it.”

Moseley’s Career Highlights:

2007 Inducted into Ski Hall of Fame

2005 Hosts first-ever urban big-air contest on the streets of San Francisco – ICER AIR

2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games – 4th Place

2000 U.S. Open Champion in Slopestyle

1999 X Games Big Air silver medalist

1998 Olympics Gold Medal, moguls

1998 World Cup moguls champion

1998 U.S. moguls champion

1998 World Cup moguls Champion

1996 and 1995 World Cup Overall Champion

28 World Cup top-2’s including 17 wins

15 U.S. Championship top-10s

By Tom Kelly, USSA

TELLURIDE — It was a hot day Sunday on the SBX course for the U.S. as Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton, VT) and Faye Gulini (Salt Lake City) took first, and Nate Holland (Squaw Valley, CA) and Nick Baumgartner (Iron River, MI) second at the Visa Snowboardcross Cup team SBX event in Telluride.

In the team SBX format, national teams of two race each other. Four racers go down the course and once they cross the finish line, a sensor drops the gate of their teammate and the racing ensues till the first athlete crosses the finish line.

The Olympic silver medalist Jacobellis, who aced each of her heats, was teamed up with newcomer Gulini who, at just 17, was able to hold off world-class competitors for the Team win.

“I was so proud of her. She was riding so well down the whole course. She definitely nailed it and that’s what it’s going to take to hold off the Canadians,” Jacobellis said of Gulini. “It’s amazing as a rider to see her develop at such a young age.”

As for the women’s strategy – Jacobellis led for the holeshot and Gulini made sure the gap never got closed.

“I have a weaker pull, so having Lindsey go first to give me that holeshot definitely made a huge difference,” Gulini said.

Jacobellis and Gulini were followed in second by Canadians Maelle Ricker and Dominique Maltais and Switzerland’s Simona Meiler and Tanja Frieden were third.

The men’s team races were all intense with little room for first and second lap mistakes. In the end, the French team of Xavier De Le Rue and Pierre Vaultier took first, followed in a painstakingly close second by Holland and Baumgartner.

“Today was a blast. I knew I had three good races in me. Baumgartner did a great job getting me out of the gate in either first or second,” Holland said. “It’s pretty cool, this team event. I was Baumgartner’s biggest fan today. I’d watch him go out of the gate, root for him as much as I could, and then it was time for me to put up my end of the bargain.”

According to Baumgartner, the team format is exciting because of the reliance on teammates to do well, and the two run chance to win the event.

“I dig it. Everyone knows we have the U.S. team, but it’s mainly an individual sport. It’s a different bond you get when you start to rely on each other,” Baumgartner said. “He’s my biggest fan when I go out of the gate and when I finish down here, I’m screaming for him. It makes you closer, tighter and makes for great racing.”

Ross “The Boss” Powers (Okemo, VT) and his team SBX comrade Graham Watanabe (Sun Valley, ID) were also poised to make the final with Powers winning each of the first runs and Watanabe keeping the lead. But, in the semi final round after Powers crossed the finish line first, Watanabe’s start was a little too strong.

“I got a little too jazzed in the start and made an early move over a tall roller – but it was too early and I got bucked off balance. I had to hike up over a feature. I made up time, but not enough,” Watanabe said.

But, all in all, Powers, who was third in the SBX World Cup Saturday, enjoyed the racing regardless of the finish.

“I feel better and better every day, and today’s team race was a lot of fun. It was cool for me to be out there with Graham having a good time,” Powers said. “Just to go out there and win each one of my heats was huge. I can leave here with great confidence, enjoy the holidays, and go to Europe strong and try to make this team.”

The snowboardcross athletes now have a break before heading to Bad Gastein, Austria, Jan. 9-11.

2010 Visa Snowboardcross Cup, Dec. 20, Team SBX

Men

1. France 2 (De La Rue, Vaultier)

2. USA 2 (Holland, Baumgartner)

3. Canada1 (Robertson, Nielson)

4. Austria (Schairer, Fuchs)

5. USA 2 (Watanabe, Powers)

Women

1. USA 1 (Jacobellis, Gulini)

2. Canada (Ricker; Maltais)

3. Switzerland 1 (Frieden, Meiler)

4. Switzerland 2 (Francon, Aubry)

5. Japan (Doi, Kuwashima)

–

7. USA2 (Chythlook-Sifsof, Yamada)

Winters Creek Lodge at Mount Rose ski resort opens Dec. 21, the first day of winter.

The building includes a food court, Sky Bar and restrooms. The hours of operation for the Winters Creek Lodge are 7:30am-6pm.

The Sky Bar opens at 10am.

Winters Creek Lodge has a no cooler policy inside, but you can use them on the deck.

By Matthew Piper, USSA

ALTA BADIA, Italy -– The U.S. had to put its podium hopes on ice Sunday as Ted Ligety (Park City, UT) finished seventh in sub-zero conditions at the Audi FIS Alpine World Cup giant slalom in Alta Badia, Italy.

On a sun-soaked morning at the infamous Gran Risa slope, Ligety struggled to get a hold on his first run and fell well behind the pace of eventual winner Massimiliano Blardone of the host nation.

“This hill is really tough this year, it’s so icy,” Ligety said. “First run, I think a lot of guys were taken by surprise by how icy it was. I for sure was one guy. I just felt like I had no grip on the top.”

Blardone and compatriot Davide Simoncelli were 1-2 for the Italians after one run, and they finished the day in the same order.

Twenty-year-old Tommy Ford (Bend, OR) impressed with 24th place in just his fourth World Cup event. Ford was able to put aside his butterflies for a clutch second run after qualifying for the first final of his World Cup career.

Ford’s finish in the top 30 at the prestigious course gains the U.S. another World Cup starting spot for GS, making six.

Ligety and Ford may have stayed alive for the second run Sunday, but it was Tim Jitloff (Reno, NV) who would have had the U.S. team’s best early run – were it not for the final gate.

“Just wanted to get across the line and next thing you know, I was crashing,” Jitloff said. “I felt my leg kind of get torn apart there.”

Despite having just one top-20 World Cup finish to his name, Jitloff’s time would have led the Americans with a tie for ninth place in 1:20.11, but he came tumbling through the finish after clipping the last gate with his left ski and lay against the fence clutching his leg.

Jitloff eventually rose to his feet and gave the Italian fans a bow, drawing an ovation despite his pending disqualification.

“I stood up and they started clapping like you would at a soccer match or something like that, and so I figured I’d say thank you to them, because these guys are amazing fans,” he said. “Every year, there’s 20,000-strong usually that are really excited.

“It was a great run, I’m really satisfied,” Jitloff added. “Especially with the kind of difficulties that I’ve been struggling with in the early season here.”

Bode Miller (Franconia, NH), with six top-10 finishes this season, began the day 12th in the standings and lost control early before recovering to finish well back in a first-round 32nd.

The U.S. will return to the podium hunt in the slalom Monday. Slalom starters are Ligety, Miller, Jitloff, Jimmy Cochran (Keene, NH) and World Cup first-timer David Chodounsky (Crested Butte, CO).

Alta Badia, Italy, Dec. 20, Men’s Giant Slalom

1. Massimiliano Blardone, Italy, 2:35.76

2. Davide Simoncelli, Italy, 2:39.19

3. Cyprien Richard, France, 2:37.39

4. Benjamin Raich, Austria, 2:37.46

5. Manfred Moelgg, Italy, 2:37.72

–

7. Ted Ligety, Park City, UT, 2:37.77

24. Tommy Ford, Bend, OR, 2:40.79

DNQ – Bode Miller, Franconia, NH

DNF – Jake Zamansky, Aspen, CO

DQ – Tim Jitloff, Reno, NV

By Lindsey Sine, USSA

VAL d’ISERE, France — It was another podium finish for World Champion Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) who, after taking the win in super combined on Friday, finished third Sunday in the Audi FIS World Cup super G in Val d’Isere. Switzerland’s Fraenzi Aufdenblatten won the race to mark the first World Cup victory of her career.

Vonn’s sixth podium of the season puts her 50 points ahead of rival and friend Maria Riesch of Germany in the Audi FIS World Cup standings going into the holidays. The defending champion has now been on the podium in every discipline but giant slalom this year.

“I was a little bit disappointed with my run today. I thought I didn’t execute very well in the top part of the course. I missed the timing on one gate and I feel like I lost the rhythm for the rest of the top,” Vonn said. “I wasn’t as aggressive as I should have been, but I picked it up on the bottom and all in all I’m happy with the day. It was a solid result and a good end to a good weekend.”

Women’s Alpine Head Coach Jim Tracy agreed with Vonn, saying the top could have been skied more aggressively.

“Lindsey was a little round on the top, but lit it up on the bottom section, especially where some of the girls were having problems and a couple of crashes happened,” Tracy said. “She skied aggressively down there where it was fast and that was good.”

Olympic champion Julia Mancuso (Olympic Valley, CA) had a solid day, finishing 15th and showing a lot of promise for future races.

“Julia skied pretty good. She had a little bobble at the bottom where a bunch of girls had problems. She got a little bit in the back seat and was pushed low on the line,” Tracy said. “Three or four tenths would have put her in a lot better of a position.”

Also making a charge in the super G was Alice Mckennis (Glenwood Springs, CO) who was 22nd, and Stacey Cook (Mammoth Mountain, CA) who, according to Tracy, was ripping the course but went out. McKennis was back in the points in only her fifth World Cup start, grabbing another super G start slot for the USA with her finish.

The women’s Alpine Team now breaks for the holiday season, but will resume competition Dec. 28-29 in Austria for slalom and giant slalom races.

Val d’Isere, France, Dec. 20 Women’s Super G

1. Fraenzi Aufdenblatten, Switzerland, 1:26.43

2. Nadia Styger, Switzerland, 1:26.66

3. Lindsey Vonn, Vail, CO, 1:26.69

4. Fabienne Suter, Switzerland, 1:27.33

5. Nadia Fanchini, Italy, 1:27.45

–

15. Julia Mancuso, Olympic Valley, CA, 1:27.96

22. Alice McKennis, Glenwood Springs, CO, 1:28.46

38. Chelsea Marshall, Pittsfield, VT, 1:29.38

–

DNF: Stacey Cook, Mammoth Mountain, CA; Keely Kelleher, Big Sky, MT; Leanne Smith, North Conway, NH

Bundle up because the winds are expected to pick up this afternoon. And those winds could affect lift operations. Here is today’s ski report brought to you by Curtis Fong, the Guy from Tahoe.

By Kathryn Reed

TWIN BRIDGES — Clouds are expected to move into the area today, with a 30 percent chance of snow tonight above 6,500 feet. This means all the Lake Tahoe resorts will get freshies because lake level is 6,200.

The best chance for snow, according to the National Weather Service, is Monday night — with an 80 percent chance. But don’t be surprised if it’s snowing most of Monday. This seems appropriate since it’s the first day of winter.

Riders waste no time -- Sierra's terrain park on Bashful opened Dec. 19. Photo/Kathryn Reed

Temps will drop as the white stuff comes — expect highs in the 30s, lows in the 20s.

Christmas Day is going to be sunny, assuming forecasters are correct.

Bare skin was seen at Sierra-at-Tahoe’s West Bowl on Saturday as the mercury crept into the 40s. The new deck area was full of skiers and boarders taking a break from the groomers.

Coverage is excellent — no obstacles. The trees are a little crunchy, with not many people venturing off the designated trails.

The terrain park on Bashful opened Saturday much to the delight of mostly boarders trying tricks on the attractions. A flat box, corrugated pipe, flat down rail, and a jump are some of the eight features.

For people venturing into the back country, the avalanche danger is moderate above 8,000 feet.