Eastern Alpine Championships

Polly made the Eastern Championships this year. Here is a partial description of the event from the entertaining Sugarloaf Press Release, I liked the hallowed ground bit.

Sugarloaf / USA hosts nation’s best junior racers


CARRABASSETT VALLEY, Maine - Some of the nation’s top junior ski racers will converge at Sugarloaf/USA next week in their quest at making it to the U.S. Alpine Championships next month and possibly earning a spot on the U.S. Ski Team.

Sugarloaf is host to two competitions that will showcase the talents of what is sure to be the next generation of U.S. Ski Team members. On Feb. 27-Mar. 5, Sugarloaf will host the Banknorth Eastern Alpine Championships. The top 120 junior racers (J1) from New England will converge on the fabled Narrow Gauge trail in hopes of earning a bid to race at the national championships. Success at nationals is essential to getting to the top in ski racing for these 15-19 year old men and women, which is a spot on the U.S. Ski Team and the chance to compete on the FIS World Cup circuit.

Speed and some technical events will be held on Sugarloaf’s Narrow Gauge trail, which is hallowed ground in ski racing. It was host to the 1971 World Cup downhill and, nearly 30 years later, is where Bode Miller developed his passion for speed as a student at Carrabassett Valley Academy. It is the only trail in the East that is sanctioned to host all four disciplines of alpine ski racing at the international level. “Not many mountains can host an event of this caliber,” said Jim McCormack, Sugarloaf’s competition manager. “With the terrain and the jumps, the Narrow Gauge will be all they can handle.” With speeds expected to approach 80 miles per hour, the downhill will be a spectacular display of speed and power while the technical events will showcase poise and skill on skis.

I've been hoping Polly would get a chance to race up at Sugarloaf. Anne and Corky are renting a house up there this year and Liz and Jack have had a place for the last few years. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see Jack.


I hadn't reached Anne yet to tell her we would at Sugarloaf, so both she and Polly were surprised to see each other in the lodge on Monday morning. The kids were supposed to be doing training runs for the Downhill, but apparently it was 2 degrees out and some of the lifts were closed due to high winds.

Polly and I had a great time. Polly arrived at Sugarloaf on Sunday 2/26/05 and I made it up on Wednesday night in time to see the Super-G the next day. It was great to know Anne was on the hill for Downhill training runs and race on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Anne and Corky kindly put me up... makes a very nice change from the Drive-in Motel. Polly stayed in another condo with the team.

Jack and Noreen arrived Friday afternoon and Liz brought dinner for everyone on Friday evening. Corkey arrived too late for dinner, but Polly and her friend Victoria came over for the evening. Anne fixed another great dinner on Saturday night.

Polly was so pleased that Anne, Liz and Corkey came over and watched her race. Unfortunately the finish was too high up the mountain for John's parents to see the races. I think Anne saw every race and knew half the kids racing from KC's days on the race curcuit.



Polly had a fabulous week, she scored FIS points in all Downhill, Super-G, Giant slalom, and slalom; and USSA points everything but Giant Slalom. Polly finished 1st for the J2's (the 15 and 16 year olds) in the combined, 2nd in the Downhill, 3rd in the Super-G, and 7th in the GS and SL. Her overall standings were great as well.

I didn't get a picture of Liz or Corkey, but I have the rest of the group.




Click on any picture to enlarge