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Last updated 07-08-08 08:40 PM
Sundown Ski Team Rick & Debbie Cloud
(860) 738-4103
Sundown Ski Team
97 Taylor Road
Barkhamsted, Connecticut 06063
NEW! NASTAR Results
Congratulations to the following racers for qualifying for the
NASTAR National championships out of Sundown:
Peyton Jackson
Katherine Cloud
Carly Giddings
Madi Toner
Kelsey Virgulto
Lacey Burns
Megan Cassella
Sam Cloud
Julia Levere
Cooper Jackson
Tate Giddings
Sammy Aronson
Fitch Spencer
Dru Palmer
Miles Steinert
Ryan Drake
NEW! Piche Invitational
Again, Sundown sends a hefty contingent to Gunstock for a weekend of
training and racing. The first day is spent in teams in a camp
setting, getting the kids back skiing. (Piche has children from all over the East;
many from southern areas may not have had much recent time on snow.) The second
day is a great GS race.
The athletes representing CT from Sundown are:
Ethan Wilson - J5 -(ranked 1st in CYSL)
Tate Giddings - J5
Trenton Kowalec - J5
Melissa Calderone - J5
Melanie Rennie - J5
Holly Chase - J4
NEW! Tri-State Championship Results
So many things to report: stories of honesty, bravery, and breakthrough performance! Honesty
Perhaps the greatest achievement was off the slopes when Sam Worley
declined his 4th place medal for the SL citing his concern over
straddling a gate. Sam received a standing "O" from about 500 people
at the banquest for his honesty. He also recieved the only (to my
knowledge) "Sportsman of the Year" award ever handed out at a TSC.
Bravery
Sam Cloud raced with a separated shoulder injury. Karen McLeod raced
on Sunday after being sent to the hospital the previous day. Both girls
displayed an amazing "never give up" spirit. (I certainly won't complain
about my PT after seeing that.)
Breakthroughs
Maddie Toner smoked to 4th place on the second run of a glacial ice SL
course at Bousquet. That and a 12th place run at the GS at Jiminy gave
her an outstanding "PR" performance.
Nicole Cloud continued her improvements. She screamed through the first
run of the SL at Sundown with the fastest J3 time. That and a 6th place
time on the second run gave her 5th overall for the J3 girls in TARA.
Whistler Shootout
Sam Worley
JO/Future Stars
Sam Worley (Ranked 1st in Tri-state and CYSL)
Nicole Cloud
Maddie Toner
Sammy Aronson
Sam Cloud (1st alternate)
Katherine Cloud is one behind the 1st alternate for J4 Future stars, so
we have our fingers crossed!
J3 Finals
Sam Cloud
Randy Doyle
Margaret Thibadeau
Amanda Calderone
Jen Ruth
Karen McLeod (1st alternate)
Ever find yourself late or low in a course? Want to know how to fix it? Coach Bob put together this Powerpoint presentation to cover when, how, and where to turn in a course. Full of useful information and great pictures off of Ron LeMaster's site.
J1's and 2's results
What a great year!! We had a bunch of top 15 places this season and a good sized team. Getting these results as a first year J2 is impressive. (Give yourself a hand. Oh, go ahead! No one is looking.)
Next year it only gets better because you all now have points and experience.. and hopefully a gaggle of new J2s to join you. So, take them under your wing and show them the ropes as Sundown re-enters Tri-state racing in a big way.
Junior Results
SUNDOWN WINS!! Sundown won the team result coming in 1st in CYSL.
This ranking system uses Old World Cup points to rank our athletes.
It's a group effort. So, this is a great tribute to everyone who raced for
our team this year. GREAT JOB!!!
NEW! POWDAH!
Here's why we do this
Phil Mahre recalls his 1984 gold medal and what it means to him to represent our country.
NEW! Learn from the best
Julia Mancuso discusses learning, frustration, and dealing with challenges in these three videos.
Here's his comments after his run. Note that he ends with confidence Confidence is key. How do you get it? The best way is to know that you trained harder than everyone else.
Our new ski racing savior is WCSN (http://www.wcsn.com). For only $4.95 per month, you can watch EVERY racer go through the World Cup course. They are all amazing skiers and well worth watching.
While you are watching, check out the racers for technique. Athletic Stance
-- See how the weight is stacked over the center of the ski, with the hips and hands forward as they transition into a new turn.
-- Note the pole plants, especially in slalom skiing.
Parallel Position
-- See how they start their turns by flexing the ankle, then rolling the ankle and knees inwards.
-- See how their outside leg becomes long, and they pull up their inside knee at the turn apex (while keeping pressure on the outside ski). Then, watch how they transition their weight to the inside ski to finish the turn.
Keep watching until you can see each of the four moves and the two stances.
Slalom Technique Here's a video of Anna Paerson in a slalom race. She shows several aspects of good technique. Run through the video. Can you spot them all?
Cross blocking appropriately Pole plants at the appropriate time Moving from athletic stance to parallel position and back
Tuning School Here's a link to videos that show you how to wax your skis! Fast skis are made,
not purchased. From prepping new skis, to edge filing and polishing, to waxing,
overlays, and roto brushing - it's all here in video! So, get out the files, guides,
iron, wax and fiberlene and follow along. http://www.swixschool.com/web/index2.html
Want to be faster? Keep watching these videos. Try to reproduce the movements you see here in your skiing.
We'll cover each aspect in Holiday Camp and then spend the rest of our lives trying to perfect them. (Think I'm kididng? Ask your coach or parent.)
Phil McNichol Bio
A ski racer growing up in Washington, Connecticut, Phil McNichol turned to instruction and then coaching while a student at Northern Arizona University in the mid-1980s and quickly became one of the best in the world.
Before becoming a United States Ski Team coach in 1997, McNichol led the Ski Club Vail and the Park City Ski teams. McNichol worked through all levels of the U.S. program before being named men's head coach for the 2003 season.
Head coach of U.S. Development Team (1997-2000), men's Europa Cup slalom/giant slalom (2000-2001) and men's Europa Cup (2001-2003)
Married to former World Cup skier Beth Madsen
Better Carving
So, you want to be a racer? Better be able to carve on anything. Here's how:
Pole Plants
Think pole plants are dead? Think again. You will see definite pole plants in Slalom races and "phantom" pole plants in GS and speed races. You will DEFINITELY need them in free skiing - steeps, trees, bumps. Here's learning the Bode way:
Dynamic Carving
Now that you have the basics, including a pole plant, you can work on advanced carved turns.
Bode Miller and SportsSkool - Skiing tougher terrain
Learn from Bode Miller and CT Native Phil McNichol how to ski the steeps.
Kim Reichhelm - Driving into the turn Comedian Steven Wright once said, "You know the feeling you get when you lean back
in a chair and almost fall, but catch yourself? I feel like that all the time." A good racing turn
is like that. You must commit your upper body towards the gate, while your feet swim across
the slope, out from underneath your body. You think you'll fall on your face, but the skis catch up
and support you.
Tommy Moe - Knee flex and boot shin pressure help the turn You cut through the crud by pressuring the front of the
ski by flexing at the ankles and knees. Learn how from former USST racer
Tommy Moe.
Eric DesLauriers- Don't be a "rainbow" skier In a modern racing turn, sometimes we extend in the turn, rather than between turns.
Learn from Eric. See him absorbing the ski energy in betwen the turns
to get a good transition and enable his body to extend in the new turn.
Chris Anthony - Driving the "piggie toe" What did former World Cup racer Chris Anthony learn from chasing
Hermann Maier around the hill? He learned to pressure the little toe
of the inside foot. Learn why you should mimic this move too!
Please give us feedback! Your responses are anonymous.
Home of the Sundown Ski Team, New Hartford, CT.
A ski racer growing up in Washington, Connecticut, Phil McNichol turned to instruction and then coaching while a student at Northern Arizona University in the mid-1980s and quickly became one of the best in the world.
