Wilmot Mountain Racing

Stacey Cook raises money for kids in sports
U.S. Ski Teamer Stacey Cook announced the start of a month-long campaign to raise awareness and collect donations to support an active childhood by participation in sports. The campaign will end with Cook’s participation in a triathlon for charity in the middle of July.

Vonn 'can't believe' she's up for an ESPY
Lindsey Vonn isn’t the type to boast—and when it comes to her nomination for an ESPY award, she remains true to form. “I still can't even believe I’m up for Best Female Athlete,” Vonn said in a text message sent from Europe on July 4. But she doesn’t need to toot her own horn when her statistics shout the story. Vonn finished last season with five downhill wins to become only the second American, male or female, to win the World Cup downhill title. She also landed podium finishes in super combined and super G to clinch the World Cup overall title, becoming the first woman to win the World Cup overall since Tamara McKinney in 1983. Her stats, however, have to hold up against some stiff competition for the coveted ESPY: Danica Patrick, the first woman to win an Indy car race; Lorena Ochoa, the top ranked LPGA golfer in the world and first woman to win more than $4 million in a single season; and Candace Parker, winner of the “AP Women’s Basketball Player of the Year Award,” and selected first in the WNBA draft.

Alyeska to host U.S. Alpine Championships in 2009
USSA Vice President of Events Calum Clark confirmed to Ski Racing late last week that the U.S. Alpine National Championships will be returning to Alyeska in March of 2009. The competition dates are March 24-31. The Alaskan resort last hosted the event in the spring of 2007. The U.S. Alpine Championships also came to Alyeska in 2004 and in 1981. “We are really pleased to be returning to Alyeska. They have ideal competition venues with that perfect mix of challenging yet safe race venues,” Clark said. “The Girdwood/Anchorage community is so passionate about alpine racing, they have always shown outstanding commitment to hosting excellent events up there.”

"Ski and tee" at Hood with the men's alpine team
The U.S. men’s alpine team is hosting a ski and golf tournament July 19-20 at Mt. Hood to raise money for the nonprofit SFI Foundation, which doles out grants to the athletes who must pay to race this upcoming season. Funds will also be used by the athletes to help with an insurance initiative.

NDS campers put in full days on and off snow at Mammoth
A group of the best 24 teenage ski racers in the country recently concluded an intense National Development System camp on outstanding June snow at Mammoth Mountain where the focus was on perfecting basic racing skills, learning the value of teamwork on the hill and raising the bar to make everyone better. The camp’s leader, USSA National Competition Director Walt Evans, came away impressed with the dedication shown by this group. “I’ve been doing this for six years … and each year we have a different crop and the athletes bring kind of a different atmosphere. … This group of young men and ladies are the most disciplined that I’ve ever worked with at this project,” Evans said. “They’re up before me, they’re at breakfast before me, they’re always on time at meetings, and I don’t see the kids laying around on the snow. These athletes are so focused on learning the skills that the staff’s putting before them that it’s quite impressive.

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