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What do I know about the proper ski length for my kids? After all, I used to ski on 207 cm Volkl GS skis that had the flex of a tire iron—my judgement is a little suspect. Fortunately, Scott Foster at Lone Mountain Sports has some easy rules-of-thumb:
It is the time of year to check out ski shops and ski swaps for new equipment for your growing kids. But, before you buy, check out the following tips from Scott Foster at Lone Mountain Sports in Big Sky regarding boot fitting basics.
It is not every day that one sees an article in Ski Racing magazine1 that refers to a summary of research on the development of expertise published in the Harvard Business Review2. The quote at the beginning of the Ski Racing article caught my attention:
New research shows that outstanding performance is the product of years of deliberate practice and coaching, not of any innate talent or skill.
Parents, coaches, and older athletes should read the Ski Racing article, because it underscores how high levels of achievement—across a compellingly broad range of pursuits—takes time, repetition, systematic practice, and good coaching.
Those of us who live near Big Sky Resort are fortunate: Our kids have the opportunity to ski frequently on great terrain under the guidance of expert coaches who understand that the road to expertise is long—and the process, therefore, needs to emphasize fun and learning rather than short-term results.
1Coaches Ed: Deliberate Practice is Key to Success, Ski Racing, November 7, 2007, p. 50.
2The Making of an Expert, Harvard Business Review, July–August 2007.
Continue reading "Sustained, Deliberate Practice is Key to Expertise" »
Question: What do Great Britain, alpine ski racing, and Big Sky have in common?
Answer: Martin Bell—the best ski racer to come from the home of the father of modern alpine ski racing.
According to no less of an authority than Serg Lang:
The advent of Alpine ski racing took place thanks to a young Englishman...Arnold Lund somehow managed to convey his passion to thousands of his countrymen. And it is thanks to him that Alpine ski racing, as we know it today finally took root.
Bell—who makes his home in Big Sky—is the best ski racer ever to race for Great Britain. He competed in four Olympics (placing 8th in the Downhill in the 1988 Games in Calgary—the best result for a male skier from the United Kingdom in Olympic history) and five World Championships between 1984 and 1993. He placed in the top 10 on the World Cup six times—more than any other British skier before or since.
By any standard, Martin is an authority on ski racing. So, his recent article in The Big Sky Weekly merits special attention:
After spending fourteen years of my life as a full-time World Cup and Olympic ski-racer, I strongly believe that competitive skiing is the greatest sport on earth...Children who grow up in Big Sky have a unique opportunity, in their own backyard, to become participants in this best of all sports. The biggest factor for future success are high mileage on skis, and good coaching, at a young age—particularly between 9 and 13.
Big Sky offers the terrain, and BSSEF offers the coaches and programs, that can help young athletes in the area to become great skiers. Who knows? Some may have the chance to replicate Martin's success.
The next BSSEF board meeting will be held at 6:00PM in the meeting room at River Rock Lodge in Big Sky on Thursday, November 8th. All interested members and parents are encouraged to attend.
(Note: This meeting was originally scheduled for 11/6/07. Check the calendar of events for the latest schedule of meetings and events.)
The 2008 IFSA-sanctioned series of freeride competitions for juniors (12 to 17 year olds) has been added to the BSSEF calendar of events. You'll also find Northern Division ski races, BSSEF board meetings, and other events. Let us know about any other events that should be on the calendar.
A foot and a half of powder on New Year's Day in 2004 convinced Liz Welles that Big Sky was her new home.
Your correspondent caught up with Liz over a cup of coffee last Thursday to listen to her Big Sky story and to talk about Liz's vision for the new Big Mountain Free Ride program being offered by BSSEF this season.
Liz grew up skiing at Spirit Mountain in Duluth, Minnesota. She raced for years as a member of Team Duluth, smacking gates under the lights after school and braving the chill wind off Lake Superior. Liz continued her racing career at Northern Michigan University. After college, she returned to her hometown as a coach for Team Duluth.
By 2003, some of Liz's former teammates had moved to Big Sky to ski some of the best lift-served terrain in North America. One old friend, Mike Mannelin (a Warren Miller athlete and a Big Sky Resort pro), persuaded Liz to make the pilgrimage to Big Sky. Liz recalls thinking, upon seeing the Tram ascend the precipitous face of Lone Peak for the first time, "I'm never going to ski that!" However, her commitment to the groomers lasted no more than a day. She was hooked on the rush that comes from skiing 2,000 vertical feet on 40-degree slopes loaded with knee-deep powder.
Pretty soon, Liz was persuaded to try her hand at a free ride competition. She freely admits, "At first, I was scared out of my mind." But, as she watched the other competitors' runs, her confidence grew. Liz points out, "The basics of skiing are the same" whether you are running gates or dropping into a couloir. She also observed, "You are as good as the terrain you ski on," and Big Sky is "an amazing mountain" that has "some of the best big mountain terrain in the world." The laps Liz put in on the Tram and Challenger, combined with her comfort with speed nurtured under the lights at Spirit Mountain, ensured that she did well in that first competition as well as subsequent competitions.
This season, Liz is teaming up once again with Mike Mannelin to help the BSSEF offer the big mountain skiing experience to 12 to 17-year old skiers. In order to participate in the Saturdays only program, participants "need to be comfortable skiing the terrain off the Challenger lift and the South Wall at the steep end of the Turkey Traverse." Presumably, it helps to have had some experience skiing off the Tram, as well. Helmets and safety equipment are required. Younger athletes are encouraged to build a strong skiing foundation in the Youth Ski League and Buddy Werner programs before making the move to the Free Ride program.
As with other BSSEF programs, the Free Ride program will emphasize the development of skiing fundamentals and an all-mountain approach. "If the Tram is socked in, we'll hit the trees on Andesite, or we'll do one-ski drills on the groomers." Team members will learn how to ski smart, and they will be held to a high standard of sportsmanship. Although participation in IFSA-sanctioned junior events will be encouraged, it is not required. "Competition is just a good way to see where you are with your skiing," says Liz. An optional, multi-day camp will be offered over the Christmas holiday to BSSEF members as well as non-members.
The Free Ride program promises to be an exciting complement to the Junior Development team for teen skiers. We're delighted to welcome skiers of Liz and Mike's caliber to the BSSEF family.
Check out videos of Liz and Mike here and here, respectively. To learn more about the Free Ride and BSSEF's other programs, download the Member Handbook. There are a limited number of places on the Free Ride team, so download and submit your Member Application today!
A video is worth a thousand words. Here's how Liz Welles explains Big Mountain Free Riding:
Stay tuned for more on Liz and BSSEF's new Free Ride program.
If you didn't see the Carve insert in today's Bozeman Daily Chronicle, check out Mike Mannelin's article, "Northern Exposure: Montana Skiers Head to Alaska for the Trip of a Lifetime." The article features photography by Ryan Turner, who provided the photos for BSSEF's brochure last year.
Stay tuned to this channel for more on Mike, Liz Welles, and BSSEF's new Big Mountain Freeride program for athletes aged 12 to 17. In the meantime, enjoy the view of Mike and his friends skiing the steep and deep in Alaska:
The 2007/2008 BSSEF sponsorship pledge forms are available for download here. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, or you know of someone who might want to be a sponsor, contact Jeremy Ueland.
As a not-for-profit, BSSEF strives to keep program fees as low as possible in order to encourage broad participation. To do so, however, requires the generous support of our sponsors. In recognition of their support, we are able to feature sponsors' logos on highly visible banners at the base of Big Sky Resort.
