Hello All,
Steamboat training camp... It was great. We had one of the best camps ever. The instruction was topnotch and we had a large number of snowboarders, almost as many as skiers. We are no longer a minority, but a group of very accomplished riders. The instruction went from back to the basics, carving techniques, gates, pow, trees and a very fun session at the terrain park. I believe we were the oldest group ever through the park with a combined age of over 400 years. The coaches had a comprehensive plan for the four days of the camp and the feedback from the participants has been very positive. The race on Thursday showed a very even group - the times were very close but once again Jim Tullos showed his magic and won. Jim, congratulations! You are a great rider but most of all a great racer. I will call the training camp a great success and a big part of this we owe to El Presidente, Earl Weintraub. Earl was able to communicate with the coaches - Earl is also a certified coach in Steamboat - and addressed most of the complaints and concerns from previous camps. Thank you Earl for all your hard work. It paid off big time. Also, I'd like to thank the room mom, Rachel, and everybody that spent time and effort putting the camp together. And, of course, to all the participants, you were a great, fun group. I am sure just like me, you are looking forward to meeting again.
January 11-16 will be the first NAASF meet. It is very important that you let me know as soon as possible if you are coming. This will guarantee a good seeding for the race. I believe this meet will be a lot of fun with a lot of snow. (Think powder - lots of it!)
As Snowboard team captain I am very pleased with what I saw during camp and I am sure we will have a great season.