Hello U12 and U10 Families,
Hope your weeks are off to a great start! What a fun weekend of training and racing this past weekend – thanks to everyone for being flexible with the time change Sunday – that really worked out well and allowed the athletes to get in some great training without being too cold! Please read on carefully for info for the weekend and beyond.
A big congrats to the U12s who raced at Saskadena! Results are HERE.
Just a reminder, as mentioned in the U10/12 101 Info doc, the best way to contact a coach with an immediate concern during training hours is to call Robin at 802-228-1483. You can also call Kelly at 802-228-1479. One is almost always in the Comp Center office on the weekend and can radio coaches up on the hill. This is the most practical way of getting in touch with a coach out on the hill – cell phones are hard to hear/feel ringing when we are out working with your athletes. The number in my signature goes to my office phone, which I only use during the week as I am usually on the hill coaching on the weekends. For a true emergency, if you can’t reach Robin or Kelly, my cell phone is 802-779-7338, but again this is hard to hear/feel in all my gear. Please DO NOT use this to tell me your athlete is running late – we cannot delay training for late athletes. Otherwise, if your question or concern isn’t immediate, email me or call my work number midweek and I am happy to help or can get you in touch with your child’s lead coach if needed.
This weekend:
2/8: U10s race Stubby SL at Quechee (reg link is HERE; reg closes TODAY 2/4 at 5 pm); U12s train GS
2/9: U12s MVC SG Camp at Okemo (reg link is HERE; reg closes 2/7 at 11 am); U10s train GS
Monday2/10: Optional, but very fun! VARA GS Terrain Camp for U12s (only U12s) at Okemo – link to register is HERE; reg closes 2/7 at 11 am.
All race/camp day info is below the look ahead section.
**Note that as of right now adminskiracing.com is being very tempermental – if you get stuck unable to register before 5 for Quechee bc of this, let me know, we will get your athlete in!
Also this weekend, join us at the Okemo Mountain School Winter Fest on Saturday 2/7 from 7-10 pm at 80Brew! Mingle with old friends and meet new ones! Everyone is welcome. whether or not they have a child in the Comp Center or OMS, so feel free to bring along anyone you think would enjoy it! Click HERE to learn more and buy tickets in advance, and, in the meantime, bid on the amazing silent auction HERE – local business gift certificates, an Epic Local Pass, a Comp Center enrollment for 2025-26, amazing one of a kind experiences and more!
Looking ahead:
2/12-2/14: OMS Valentine Camp – last call to register – click HERE
2/15: U12s and U10s train GS
2/16: U12s train tall gate SL (full armor); U10s train GS
2/22: U12s train tall gate SL (full armor); U10s train Panel SL (no armor needed)
2/23: U12s race tall gate SL at Pico (registration link HERE; reg closes 2/21 at 9 am); U10s train Panel SL (no armor needed)
U10 Stubby SL Race at Quechee – Saturday 2/8 – Details:
Registration begins at 8:00 am in the basement of the Base Lodge and athletes need to pick up their own bibs and tickets! Athletes should meet their coaches at 8:45 am outside of the Quechee Base Lodge on the slopeside side of the building. Athletes should be fully dressed and ready to ski at this time. They will then head to the lift with coaches to go warm up and inspect. Lift opens at 9:00 am.
Inspection is from 9:05 – 9:45 am. First run starts at 10:00 am. Girls run first, then boys in team groups. Second run will start immediately after the first in reverse order (girls still first). The course will remain up for 30 minutes after the completion of the second run for untimed training runs if conditions allow. Please note, athletes are not supervised by coaches in between runs as they need to tend to the athletes who are racing at the time. Coaches will do their best to get reminders to athletes on timing of runs and set meeting times for various parts of the day, but parents please help your athletes be on time to their run. Their bib number is their start number and without any issues, the race will run about 30 seconds per bib.
Awards will be about 30 minutes after the completion of the second run outside of the Base Lodge. Remember that for U10s awards are based on single best run – top ten boys/top ten girls.
Quechee is a small (but fun :)!) ski area – you can see almost the whole thing from the base lodge. The base lodge is also quite small, so planning to spend time outside primarily will be helpful. Using your car as a place to store stuff and booting up at your car is preferable and helpful to Quechee. There is a nice deck to hang out on though and they have good food (credit cards only)! The race can be viewed on foot with a short hike, or if you wish to ski, parent lift tickets are available at the ticket window for $30/$25 for children/siblings – let them know you are there for the race.
DRIVING DIRECTIONS to Quechee:
Take 100 North (the right hand turn before Jackson Gore). In Plymouth, take a right onto 100A (be sure to slow down when the speed limit drops). When this dead ends at Rt 4, take a right. This will go through Bridgewater and Woodstock – watch for speed traps in both towns! The speed limit goes down to 25/30 a few times – obey the speed limit. Continue through Woodstock and after a few miles as you come to the town of Taftsville (don’t blink) you will see a big red covered bridge with a green roof on the left. Take a left to get to the bridge. Go across it and head straight up the hill. Follow this road for a mile or two until you see Quechee on your left. You can either park before the white building (this is the base lodge) or after it. It takes about 55-60 minutes to get to Quechee.
U12 MVC SG Camp at Okemo – Sunday 2/9 – Details:
Athletes MUST be pre-registered at the link above. Athletes should have their GS suits on under their jackets and pants just like a race day – they aren’t required to wear them, but can if they want. Meet the coaches at 8:45 am in front of the Yurt. Athletes will be given bibs to wear for the day and they will be broken up into mixed mountain groups with 1-2 coaches, who may not be from Okemo. Lunch is at 11:30 am – athletes are on their own, but it is suggested they eat at the Sugarhouse for timing purposes. Athletes meet back up with coaches on the Sugarhouse deck at 12:15 pm. The camp wrap up meeting is at 2:45 pm on the Sugarhouse deck and athletes will be dismissed from there. Athletes MUST be on GS skis (no SL skis allowed), but no need for SG specific skis or even longer GS skis.
U12 VARA GS Terrain Camp at Okemo – Monday 2/10 – Details:
Athletes should load the AB quads promptly at 9 am and go directly to the Yurt so that they can get their bibs from the Okemo coaches at about 9:05/9:10 am. Athletes should be on GS skis and may wear their GS suit, but should have pants and jackets over it to stay warm/dry as needed. We will have a camp meeting at 9:15 am and then break up into training groups for the day (similar to the MVC SG camp). Lunch is at 11:30 am – athletes on their own. Groups meet back at the Yurt at 12:15 pm for the afternoon session. We have a camp wrap up meeting at 2:30 pm at the Yurt and then athletes will be dismissed.
If you have any questions about any of the above, please don’t hesitate to be in touch.
Thanks!
Mariel
Mariel Meringolo
pronouns: she/her/hers
Head of School
Okemo Mountain School
802-228-1513
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