2010 Telemark National Championships

The 2010 US Telemark National Championships concluded today at Whitefish Mountain Resort with Shane Anderson and Kelsey Schmid-Sommer as the US National Champions.  Going into today’s races, the points between all the top racers were so close that today’s Don K Subaru Slalom race would be the deciding race to determine the Championships.    The National Championship is determined by taking the points from the 3 best finishes of 4 during the weekend event.  Kelsey Schmid-Sommer won the slalom race today, earning her fifth consecutive national championship.  Schmid-Sommer won two of the four races this weekend and also had a second and third place finish.  Kelsey stood atop the podium with her 5 month old son Nicholas.  “That Kelsey could return to racing at this high level of competition, so soon after giving birth to her son, say’s alot about her competitiveness and her love of the sport”, said Russ Hobbs, president of the US Telemark Ski Association.  In second place overall was Erika Walters of Steamboat Springs with two first place finishes during the event.  Cody McCarthy of Whitefish and a former member of the US Team placed third overall with three 2nd place finishes.

Shane Anderson of Cody Wyoming and Steamboat Springs easily won the men’s National Championship with three first place finishes before today’s slalom event.  Anderson was followed by former World Champion Reid Sabin of Whitefish.  Sabin has retired from the US National Team, but couldn’t resist training and racing at this event on his home hill.  The men’s third place in the Overall was Charlie Dresen of Steamboat Springs.  Charlie had retired from the team for the last 6 years, but rejoined the team this year and has competed at the highest level.

Today’s break through race came from Cory Snyder of Franconia, New Hampshire who finished the Slalom in 1st place.  This was Cory’s first time on a National Championship podium after finishing the “race of his life”.