US Telemark National Championships Recapped
March 1, 2009 Kelsey Schmid-Sommer of Whitefish Montana and Drew Hauser of Silverthorne Colorado are the 2009 US National Telemark Champions. The US National Championships concluded today with the Walmart/Back Door Sports Dual Slalom. It was another beautiful sunny day with nice firm snow in Steamboat Springs. The Dual Slalom was an important race for the top men’s and women’s racers and determined the overall championship. Kelsey Schmid-Sommer won the Dual Slalom with Lorin Paley in second place and Suzanne Pattinson in 3rd place. This win created a tie for the women’s national championship spot as Kelsey and Lorin had both won two of the four events held this weekend. The tie breaker added the time for all four races for the weekend putting. Kelsey in the top spot by just under 2 seconds. This is Kelsey’s 4th time as the US National Champion, Drew Hauser was the winner of the Dual Slalom followed by Shane Anderson in second and Peter McMahon in third. Only 2 seconds separated these 3 skiers. This result created another tie for the men’s championship as both Drew and Shane had won 2 races, but because Shane did not finish the Telemark GS on Thursday, the tie was broken and Drew Hauser was named the National Champion over last year’s definding Champion, Shane Anderson. Tomorrow, team members Shane Anderson, Drew Hauser and Erika Walters will be traveling to Norway to compete in the final two World Cup events of the season.
February 28, 2209 US National Championships – The SCARPA Sprint Classic race was held at Howelsen Hill today under beautiful sunny blue skies. There were lots of cowbells and cheering for the 56 Competitors ranging in age from age 8 through age 71! What a great sport that spans this many generations of skiers. Placing 1st in the Men’s Masters division was 71 year old Ray Heid of Clark Colorado, just outside of Steamboat Springs. Ray was a member of the 1960 US Olympics team and competed in the Special Jumping event in the Squaw Valley Olympics. In the Under 10 Women’s division, 9 year old Tatum Burger was the winner, followed by Paula Cooper and then 9 year old Hadley McGee in third place. Eight year old Teague Burger won the Men’s Under 10 division with 9 year old Hill Fitzgerald in 2nd place. All of these Under 10 racers are from Steamboat Springs and train with the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club. This club is developing many of the future US Telemark racers…….but for now…..Telemark skiing with their coaches is just fun, and when asked the kids all say they had a great day today.
February 27, 2009 US National Championships – The Karbon Classic race was held today on Mt. Warner in icy, windy and snowy conditions. The course included one small skate section and one long skate section with the fastest times, under 2 minutes. Shane Anderson of Steamboat Springs and Cody Wyoming had the fastest time of the day with a time of 1 minute 45 seconds, more than 7 seconds ahead of 2nd place finisher Ben Paley. Drew Hauser of Silverthorne Colorado finished third. In the women’s racing, Lorin Paley took first place for the second day in a row, with a time just .33 of a second faster than Kelsey Schmid-Sommer. Suzanne Pattinson finished in 3rd position.
February 26, 2009 US National Championships – Big Sky Brewing Telemark/Giant Slalom held today at Mt. Warner in Steamboat Springs. Local racer Lorin Paley took 1st place in the women’s division with Kelsey Schmid-Sommer of Whitefish in 2nd and Erica Walters of Steamboat Springs in 3rd. In the men’s race, Drew Hauser of Silverthorne Colorado raced to 1st place followed by Charlie Dressen of Steamboat Springs in 2nd and another local Ben Paley in 3rd.