August 18, 2023

Welcome everyone to the 2023-24 season!

A historic winter has given way to a little milder and wetter summer than we have seen in recent years.  As skiers we are always in anticipation of precipitation (except maybe once in a while on race day!)  There is no doubt that last year presented major challenges, but it was also so cool, and so fun, and is a season we will be telling stories about for decades.  I find myself wondering every day just what the coming winter will bring…

The winter may not be upon us just yet, but the school year is.  With that, we will see an uptick in team activity in the coming weeks, as many of our athletes will be returning to a more regular schedule.  This is always an exciting time of year.

Our Freeride Team had a group just returned from a fantastic trip to El Colorado, Chile where they trained and competed for two weeks, including a win from Brynn Copinga and several podium finishes!  Check out the highlights below.

We also currently have an Alpine FIS group training in Chile, after already putting in weeks of conditioning.  What offseason?

Let’s talk about season prep for a minute…

We enjoy very long ski seasons here in LCC.  Still, the winters go quickly, and even more quickly do the competition periods.  In terms of enjoyment, performance, and our time together we want to get the very most out of it.  The process starts well before we hit the snow.

There is a saying in competitive skiing and snowboarding that goes like this; “In a sport where so much is out of control, you gotta get 100% on the things you can control.”   So what are things we can control?

  • Presence & focus
  • Effort
  • Conditioning/fitness (including nutrition and rest)
  • Equipment & Preparation

I put them in that order on purpose.  Being mindful and putting in the effort goes a long way.  With that as a starting point, and by adding the support of family, coaches, and teammates the other things are very doable, and we can accomplish nearly anything.

For everyone, but particularly as athletes grow and mature, conditioning has basically a direct correlation to performance and injury prevention.  Skiing is among other things a sport that places a priority on balance, agility, and strength.  Regardless of discipline, skiers that put the work in on these things will reap the benefits.  Research on Long Term Athletic Development (LTAD), as well as our team philosophy, favors a robust and diverse set of athletic activities, multiple sports, hobbies, etc.  However, ski-specific conditioning as prep for our sport needs to be a part of the plan.  We strongly recommend that our multi-sport athletes are able to still attend team dryland whenever possible.

At SBSEF we place the highest priority on the health and happiness of all of our athletes and teammates.  We also believe that to fulfill our mission truly, dedication to all the principles we believe in is key.

“We strive to foster a passion and lifelong love of winter sports and an active outdoor lifestyle while developing the life skills associated with success in all endeavors; sportsmanship, teamwork, discipline, determination and commitment.”

I look forward to seeing you at the BBQ on September 7th!

Work Hard.  Dream Big.

Best,
Bridger Call
SBSEF Executive Director

Freeride Update

Summer is flying by and we are only 2.5 weeks away from kicking off Dryland training!  The Chile camp just wrapped up and despite the low-tide spring-like conditions, it was a smashing success based on the athletes’ experiences and competitions.

The athletes found fun jump lines, even progressed on right 3s, and made friends with fellow gringo teams from Vail and Flathead Freeride while also making friends with local Chilean athletes.  At the La Parva competition, Brynn Copinga was able to take the W in the 12-14 girls ski division, while her sister Brooke finished in 3rd and Sophia Bernard-Puckett took 5th in the 15-18 girls ski as well.  Cash Moon repped for the boys ski in 3rd place.  In the El Colorado competition, Will Archer held it down in 15-18 boys ski in 4th place, while our very own coach, Sydney Ricketts, earned 3rd in the adult 3* ski women’s field.  Everyone lamented their return to reality and homework this week, but we look forward to offering this trip next summer!  In addition, it was awesome running into Brennan Rubie and our SBSEF FIS athletes down there, El Colorado and the surrounding resorts really have what you need for summer training within close proximity to Santiago and an international airport!

As mentioned, dryland is right around the corner, please check the schedules in TeamSnap!

~ Will Dujardin
SBSEF Freeride Director

Alpine Update

Welcome back SBSEF parents and athletes. I hope everyone has had an exciting summer. Every season I am always a little surprised as to how fast the summer goes by. This year is no exception as we were still putting gates in the snow in June. That being said, I am excited for another epic year of great skiing, albeit I would be ok if we had a few less canyon closures this season.

Last season was an excellent year for SBSEF athletes. We saw success at every level and we are hoping to build on that momentum. Starting with fall conditioning, we are ramping up opportunities for athletes to prepare for a successful injury-free year. Each group will be adding opportunities and venues that will provide more access to fall conditioning. Check with your specific age group for details.

From Devos to U19, we are looking to add more continuity to our coaching staff. In addition to a head coach, we have added a full-time assistant to not only help with team logistics but to help provide more constant engagement for athletes. In addition, SBSEF continues to support coaches’ education. Last season we hosted Level 100, 200, and 300 coaches clinics at Snowbird. Congratulations to Jeremy Elliot (U14/U16), Andy Phillips (Devo/U12), and Bo Maciejko (JFast) for earning their Level 300 coaching certification.

Finally, as early as this year we will start to see improvements to our race venue. Snowbird Resort has been an ally and partner with SBSEF and is actively helping us create a world-class training venue for all athletes. We are excited to see some big developments in the years to come.

I think I speak for all coaches in saying we are looking forward to another great season and are excited to see old and new faces fall.

Cheers,

Bo Maciejko
SBSEF Alpine Director

Snowboard Update

Contact Lane Clegg if you have not registered for the team yet! Congratulations to Adi Smith for obtaining her US Ski and Snowboard Level 300 Coach Certification. More news to come!

FIS Team Update

Greetings from Chile! The FIS team has partnered with the Jackson Hole FIS group for a great camp this August. They will be returning home soon, with goggle tans and great memories.

New Team – Skimo!

The Skimo Team provides an opportunity for athletes to learn and practice the required skills for efficient backcountry skiing, Skimo racing, and training to improve fitness. Training will be conducted in designated uphill access areas at The Utah Olympic Park, Solitude, and Brighton.  Athletes will have the opportunity to participate in local Skimo races.

CLICK HERE for more info!

Devo Update

We are looking for a few more friends to join our Saturday Devo team (Sunday is full).
If you know anyone looking to join the best group on the mountain, have them check out the Devo webpage for more information!  CLICK HERE for Devo Info

Welcome Back Team BBQ Sept 7th

Join us at the Sugar Beet Pavillion in Sugarhouse Park for burgers, hotdogs, chips, cookies and water! Bridger will introduce the coaching staff and the Board of Directors will be wearing aprons and cooking up a feast! Bring a lawn chair/blanket to sit on, as the tables get full quickly. Stop by after dryland, lacrosse, football, volleyball, soccer, etc to enjoy seeing friends and making new ones. Wear your team t-shirts!

Fit Night @ Sports Den Sept 13th

Come when you can between 3:00 – 7:00 PM! Meet with your head coach and the equipment reps to get the right fit for this season. Skis, boots, helmets and more! Sports Den will be offering racer pricing for athletes on the team, and sending in orders at the end of this week, so it is a great time to get the gear on order for the new season.

Questions about equipment? See your head coach!

Annual Ski & Snowboard Swap Sept 30th!

The Annual Ski & Snowboard Swap is set for September 30th, 2023! We will have special TEAM ONLY shopping hours Friday night and Saturday morning – watch your team snap communications for more details! Set up will take place Friday afternoon, September 29th. CLICK HERE for SWAP DETAILS

Gear Check in during the week will be Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons at the LiftHouse parking lot, along with Friday afternoon at Churchill.

We need volunteers! It takes a lot of hands to host the swap, which is a fundraiser for our athlete scholarship fund. Please sign up to help if you can. Athletes – we need your help too!

Parents – sign up to volunteer! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d4bacae2fa2f8c43-annual1#/

Athletes – U16, FIS, FR 15-18 and Snowboard athletes – use this sign up! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d4bacae2fa2f8c43-athlete1#/

Team Information Meetings set for October!

Here is the schedule for Team Info Meetings. We request at least one parent from each family attend as the coaches will be sharing a lot of valuable information to help make every athlete’s season a success. These meetings are via Zoom, links will be updated in your TeamSnap calendar soon.
October 3 — Devos @ 5:30 PM, Alpine U4 @ 7:00 PM
October 5 — Alpine U16 @ 6:00, FIS @ 7:30 PM
October 10 — Freeride U12 @ 6:00, Freeride 12-14 @ 7:30 PM
October 17 — Jfast @ 6:00 PM, Freeride 15-18 @ 7:30
October 19 — Snowboard @ 5:30, Skimo at 7:00 PM

Upcoming Fall Camps

  • Canyonlands Dryland Camp: October 20-22. 2 nights, 3 days! We have a limit of 50 people. Families are invited. We have room to drive down U16 and older athletes but spots are limited. Registration will soon be available, watch your TeamSnap for a link. This is open to all SBSEF team athletes: Alpine, Freeride, Snowboard & Skimo
  • Alpine Aspen GS Camp: November 12-20th! Register online today: https://go.teamsnap.com/forms/389544

Fall Gala

November 11, 2023 CLICK HERE for more info

Canyon Transportation

It’s that time! We are contracting with Canyon Transportation again to shuttle athletes up to training. The average cost per athlete is around $200-230 per day of the week for the season, depending on sign ups. The more that sign up, the lower the price. When you sign up, you reserve your seat for that day of the week for the season.

Note: transportation is just UP to training. It is cost-prohibitive to contract a shuttle for the way down, too, so athletes are encouraged to ride UTA down to a bus stop that parents can pick up from, or arrange a carpool with other parents.

Sign-ups will require a $50 deposit. This deposit will be refunded or be moved to cover the full cost of another shuttle day in the event we do not get enough athletes for a specific day you needed. Please check with your head coach for your team’s schedule. If you have questions, ask. The sign-up will run through the end of October, and we will let everyone know the shuttles that are going to run in November.

Register for the shuttle and pay a deposit now! https://go.teamsnap.com/forms/391281

Team Jackets

Youth Jackets

We are partnering with Shreddog this year for Youth team jackets. Shreddog will set up a team online store, and items purchased will be shipped right to you! We will have Blue and Black options available, plus insulator layers and pants.
There are many used Karbon jackets still around – definitely check out our team Facebook swap group if you would like to go this route. We also have a few new ones on our Gear Sale page.

Adult Jackets

We are partnering with KÜHL to provide our adult-sized athletes with the Spyfire Hoody and Shell.
We will have more ordering details next month, so stand by!

Team jackets are optional, not required.

Links to order Shreddog and KÜHL will be shared via TeamSnap soon!

Posted in Team Updates and tagged , , ,