SLOPESIDE
Willard Mountain's eNewsletter
SPOTLIGHT on the RACE TEAM
Do YOU have what it takes to be a Willard Mountain Ski Racer?
Do you like skiing fast and in control? Do you like challenging yourself? Want to really improve your skiing? Does your school have a High School Ski Racing Team? If you answered yes to any one of these questions, why not consider joining The Willard Mountain Race Team?
Last winter over 90 skiers from ages 5-12 participated in the Willard Cup series, an introduction into ski racing series. This year the Willard Cup Series includes racers up to 14. No experience is necessary and FUN is had by all!
They say if you can ski Willard Mountain well you can ski anywhere in the World. Willard has had an enormous amount of success over the years. As a matter of fact at one time in the 80’s we had 6+ skiers on the professional circuit (World Cup) for skiing. 2 years ago we had the #1 boy and the #2 girl in the US at the High School level.
Well, you might ask, why would little old Willard have so much success? The terrain is part of the success. Skiers from all over the East want to train on our steep trail the Colonel. The Colonel has some of the steepest vertical in the East. The 2nd part is because of the repetition. The success of any athlete comes the ability to duplicate a successful run or even a throw in baseball or lacrosse. Very seldom at Willard do you wait in lines - even on the weekend. At the bigger Mountains you may wait in line for over an hour! Then after you wait in line it takes you 10-15 minutes to get to the top. At Willard you have more runs by 11:00 AM than most mountains will give you all day!!!
Willard typically produces better slalom skiers. Slalom is a shorter run with a short compact course with a lot of turns. The secret is control of your speed and turns. Willard possesses the steep pitch so that a skier feels in control and quite frankly we ski on the steepest pitch so our racers become used to controlling speed on the steep part of a course.
Giant slalom is more wide open and you travel at a higher rate of speed with less turns. Currently there is no downhill at the High School levels.
Ok, now you know about the different types of courses. Let me tell you about the program. Willard mountain race team races in the Vermont Alpine Racing Association (VARA). That’s right Vermont, we race against (Bromley, Stratton, Mount Snow, etc) the team in Southern Vermont. Here’s how it works. We train on both ski weeks (Christmas and President’s Week) 2 sessions (10:00-12:00, 1:00 to 3:00) each day for 5 days, culminating with a fun race at the end of the week with medals being awarded to the top 3 finishers in each age group. We have group lessons on Saturday with skills and drills for the 1st hour of each session. These drills are the foundation of making a strong skier not just a racer. The race team also trains every night after school one night will be slalom and the next night will be GS.
Click HERE for the Holiday Week Race Camp form for February. Its a great way to spend the week!
The competition is the best in the country!! The Vermont Circuit (we are the only NYS team) consists of Stratton, Bromley, Magic and Mount Snow. It is similar to a travel team from baseball, lax, or soccer in that we spend the day competing usually 2 runs against the clock. You will be placed and as the season progresses you will accumulate points towards the state meet, where all 3 regions of Vermont come together for a weekend of competition. The competitions are always on the weekend. If you finish in the top 15 -30 in the States you qualify for Nationals (Junior Olympics), where you race against future Olympians. 3 years ago Mikaela Shiffrin raced against our boys and girls in the Vermont States and Junior Olympics. That was pretty cool!!
The Willard Mountain Race Team is great preparation for High School racing as we consistently have the top racers in High School. I believe we have 6-7 boys and girls that are currently racing in College!
In closing Willard Mountain has a ton of benefits to the young casual skier that wants to REALLY learn how to ski. We are one of the best programs in the area and we would love to have you join us. Questions? Call me Dan Spigner ((518) 692-0017 or the Willard Mountain office at ( 518) 692-7337.
You can more information regarding the Willard Mountain Race Team here!
Willard Cup (under 14) Race Series
Next Race is Sunday Jan 25, 2015 10AM start time. Sign up in the Race Building prior to start time!
New contestants are ALWAYS WELCOME!!!
The Willard Cup is a series of five races held throughout the winter. They are low-key, fun races open to all young skiers (in the race program, in the Star Program, and the public). The races consist of two timed runs on the lower half of the Colonel. The course is a basic, single gate “Nastar” type course. The racers are split into 4 age groups; Under 14, Under 12, Under 10, and Under 8 for both boys and girls. The entry fee is $5 and you can sign up (in the race building) on race day. Every racer gets two timed runs, a candy bar, and a ribbon that represents his finish position. Results are based on the single best time of the two runs.
Weekly results are tabulated throughout the season in a “World Cup” type format and a final year- long standing is determined for the racers.
This is a great way to get introduced to ski racing or to just have some fun with your friends.
No snow in your backyard? That's because it's all at Willard Mountain!
Looking for some snow? Look no further than Willard Mountain! Willard has the BEST snowmakers on the planet and they have COVERED the mountain with the skiable white stuff to make TONS of terrain for you to enjoy.
Come see us, we are open Tues-Sun:
Tues 4-9:30pm
Weds 4-9pm
Thurs 12-9pm
Fri 10am-9pm
Sat 10am-6pm
Sun 10am-6pm
TUBING is now open on Weekends 10am-6pm!
Buy Tickets Online and SAVE!!!
Did you know that you can now buy (advance) lift tickets for Willard Mountain online? YOU CAN! Simply go to Willard Mountain's homepage, click on the "Buy Tickets" link and choose your date (2 days in advance) and SAVE UP TO 52%!!! WOW! There are limited numbers of these great deals per day, so get yours early for best availability and pricing!
We can't wait to see you on the slopes!!
ACROBAG Tour Returns!! FRIDAY FEBRUARY 13 - SUNDAY 15
The world famous ACROBAG is BACK at Willard Mountain for 3 fun-filled days & nights!
TICKET PRICES:
$10 for 2 jumps
$30 for full single day pass
$60 for a 3 day pass (includes Sat night tubing event)
$50 for a 3 day pass for Season Pass holders (includes Sat night tubing event)
SATURDAY NIGHT ACROBAG TUNNEL TUBING EVENT!! No skis? No problem! From 6-9pm on SATURDAY FEB 14th the Acrobag is tubing only (no skis or snowboards allowed)! Come and ride a Willard Tube into the ACROBAG. Just $18/person for 3 hours of Acrobag fun!
Willard Mountain Contact Information
Email: willardmountain1@gmail.com
Website: www.willardmountain.com
Location: 77 The Intervale Road, Greenwich, NY, United States
Phone: (518) 692-7337
Facebook: facebook.com/willardmountain