Greetings SBSEF,

Holiday Camp is always a special time of year.  With nearly everybody home for the Holidays and a break in the race calendar, we get to spend a block of time together that is unlike any other time of the year.

I remember as a young racer on the team absolutely loving these couple of weeks and the feeling of camaraderie and team (and probably relishing skiing vs. school every day), it was two weeks that felt like a whole season in and of itself.  Later, as a coach, I always found this time of year to be the most productive couple weeks of the year for teaching, and being so excited to ski with my group that I could hardly sleep.  And now as the SBSEF Director, I feel a combination of these elements and a palpable gratitude for the community.  It gives me a feeling of warmth.  The world has changed a lot over that span of years, but some things, good things, never really change.

Let’s work hard throughout this camp and get the most out of it.  Let’s also enjoy each other’s company and have fun being a part of something rare.

Happy Holidays!

Best,

Bridger Call

Executive Director, SBSEF

An update from the Board of Directors:

Happy holidays SBSEF team members and families!

Hoping you’ve all been out enjoying the first hints of winter. We sure need a bit more from Ma Nature, but it’ll come.

Great to see all the athletes out on the hill and training hard. It’s that time of year. Go for it!

Many thanks to all who supported the SBSEF Gala last month. Great success! Always such a fun night.  More to come.

Quick plug for future board of directors service. If you’re interested in serving, reach out to Bridger (ed@sbsef.com), Scott Martin (shm@scmlaw.com), or Pascale Wiedenroth (pascale@insightrelations.com).  We’d love to have you!!

~ Scott Martin
President, SBSEF Board of Directors

Snowboard Team Update:

It’s certainly a different season than last year with the snow so far but zero complaints from our group. We have had excellent training conditions with plenty of both on and off-piste riding options. Gate training has been great with firm, consistent snow, and excellent coverage.

For the NorAm and Para Groups, training on race boards this early in the season is very much appreciated as it gives us a jump on the competition season. We have also been putting in some time at Woodward working on jumping skills and using the indoor pump track. I feel really good about what we have accomplished thus far and looking forward to some excellent training during Holiday Camp. Early next month we will be headed to Canada for our first NorAm of the season followed by a camp at Sunshine that most of the team will attend.

Our Big Mountain and Young Riders groups have been busy as well, utilizing all the terrain we have open. Some great all-mountain conditions are available to challenge everyone.

~ Lane Clegg
SBSEF Snowboard Director

Skimo Team Update:

The Skimo Team has been practicing their transitions and equipment management in preparation for the next Utah Skimo race on January 9th at Park City. The small group of athletes in this new program have been working hard at training, and we’re excited to see their skill and fitness develop throughout the season. Want to learn more about the Skimo Team? Contact Davin for more information. dgrapentine@sbsef.com

Alpine U16 Team Update:

Though we don’t have much snow, the U16 group has been working hard to maximize what little training we have had available to prepare for our first race series of the season at Snow King in Jackson Hole.  With only one day of early morning GS on soft snow we decided to head to Jackson early to get an afternoon of GS on the race venue which proved to be very beneficial.

In a field stacked with out-of-division skiers, Avery Johnson moved up 21 places, Will Butterworth 25 places, Evan Easley 26 places and Everet Easley moved up 39 places on the opening day of GS.  In the second GS Devon Harmon moved up 21 but it was Quinn Costello who had the biggest leap by going from 101 to 29th!!!

One thing that has impressed me so far this season is how cohesive this team is.  They are all working hard themselves but they are all supporting one another at every level; from cheering each other on, to carrying clothes, to having more fun than any other team.  In light of this, not just one skier wins the December cowbell of the month, the entire U16 team wins it!!!

~ Fritz Wood
Head U16 Coach

Alpine JFAST Team Update:

The Jfast team is off to a great start. December is always a crucial time of year as it allows athletes to work on the fundamentals while we wait for more terrain to open and the race season to get into full swing. This block of drill-focused technical free skiing leads to success all season long. This season, Jfast coaches have been very impressed with the work and focus as well as attendance. Keep up the good work!

With Christmas camp starting this Saturday the Jfast team will transition into some gate focused training, with the hope that we get some more snow soon to do some powder skiing. I echo Bridger’s thoughts on Christmas time as it’s one of the few times during the season where we (all age groups) get to train together. Watching the older athletes train next to JFAST athletes is such a cool experience and we look forward to this every year.

A JFAST shout-out goes to Steely Anderson. In terms of skiing, Steely hasn’t missed a beat. He came into December and got back to work – He’s been extremely attentive and focused, not only improving but also being a great example for our new JFAST group of JFAST athletes. Thanks for being a great leader Steely!

~ Bo Maciejko
SBSEF Alpine Director

Alpine Devo Team Update: 

Coach Jason, Peyton, and Tyndall skied with our new Devo Athletes in small groups.  It was awesome to see so many awesome athletes and the Stoke we saw for starting in January was high!  We have a small Meet & Greet scheduled for December 30th from 10:30-11.  Please come if you can make it.  We will be taking a Group Photo of the entire team.  You will also have the opportunity to meet some new families and maybe take some runs with each other.

Devo Lunch Update:
Devos have a few options for lunch this year, we will be eating in Rendevous again, space permitting:

  • Bring a lunch from home
  • Order a box lunch from Rendevous for the season

The Box lunch will include a sandwich, a bag of chips, cookie and water. The cost is $20 and you will sign up for the season. CLICK HERE to sign up for the Box Lunch Option. All orders must be completed prior to the first weekend of Devos!

Alpine U14 Team Update:

The U14 Team is off to a great start! We have had great participation so far, and the progress made has been significant. Athletes have been putting in the work on snow, with days and days of drills, and the improvement in technique is visible. Athletes will be ready for full-length training by Christmas Camp, and ready for race preparation for our first qualifier in January.

We had 7 second-year U14s attend an early race in mid-December in Jackson. Zachary Carnett, Matthew Schlegel, Jack Webster, Cody McReynolds, Axl Dain, Hannah McReynolds, and AJ Larsh all gave it their best- with the limited training so far- and each finished within the top 15 for U14’s. Special shoutout to Axl Dain who was the fastest U14 in both of the GS races, and 3rd in the first SL (the 2nd SL race is underway as I write this). His hard work in dryland this fall- along with his efforts at our fall training camp in Aspen- have set him up as one of the fastest U14s in IMD!

I can’t wait to watch these athletes compete this season!

~ Ben Reeder
Head U14 Coach

Freeride Team Update:
This was sent by Will via TeamSnap to the Freeride families — be sure to check it out!

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