Skate the State!

Saturday, July 10, was the first “Skate the State” of the summer. In one day, the SSWSC visited Kremmling, Silverthorne, Frisco and Breckenridge skateparks. Each one was unique and awesome in its own way. Traveling to these different skateparks allowed our local skateboarders to express their creativity and bring the skills they’ve learned locally to different features and parks. To say it was a blast would be an understatement! Our next trip is scheduled for August 14th, and we’ll explore the parks around Aspen and Carbondale. Any skateboarder age 12 and older is welcome to join. Register here!

SSWSC Competes at US Mountain Bike Championships

Several SSWSC riders competed in the USA Cycling Mountain Bike Championships at Winter Park last week. Mary McLarnon led the way with a 4th place finish in her class in the downhill.

Caleb Haack scored a top 20 in a competitive Enduro field and showed his cross country grit finishing in the top 30% of the national field.

Aidan Haack and Grant Linford also represented in Enduro.

Torin Knapp finished 11th in the downhill.

Even the youth got in the action, with Henry Nylen (2nd place age 6-8), Oliver Nylen (10th place age 9-10) and Anderson Agopian (DNF age 9-10) competing in cross country where the climb was steep and the descent was fast with tight trees and rocky sections. Kane Morris was 12th in the 11-12 age division with younger brother Olson 26th.

Many SSWSC Devo Team riders competed in the cross country, with huge fields. Primo Famigilietti had to start in the back of the pack with no USA Cycling points to help his seed, and he managed to move past 27 racers after 3 hard laps on the dusty 5.1 mile course. Thomas Cooper, who goes cross country on skis in the winter and the bike in the summer, loves the grind. He moved up 49 riders from a similar back start position as Primo. Thomas actually did three races over the week, a pre-championship race where he finished 6th, and then a national high school championship where he finished 14th for the sophomores. Dietz Gibson dove right into one of the more competitive fields (13-14 age class), and then later in the week was the only SSWSC rider to try the grueling and unforgiving Short Track Cross Country where he gained some great experience. It was also the first national level event for Kyan Strong, and he fought through a crowded uphill mass start, a dusty road, tight uphill corners and fast descending, ending with a smile on his face. Mikey Sullivan also was a first time racer who rallied from a crash in the first lap to see his team cheering and supporting him right to the finish. Congratulations to all the riders who competed and gained some great experience!

Cross Country Test Camp

It has been 15 years of blood, sweat and cheers for the SSWSC XC Test Camp. First started as an opportunity for Colorado’s Junior Elite XC athletes to come together mid-summer and see who has the best physical condition. Four tests were scheduled over a four day period:

• The Canadian Strength Test- 5 x body resistance tests done for 60 seconds with a 60 second break between
• The Hot Springs Running Time Trial- a mainly uphill run from the Soda Creek bridge to the high point on the Hot Springs Road
• The Sanctuary Double Pole TT- an uphill roller ski TT using the upper body only
• The 3,000 meter running race- 7.5 laps on the track, a standard test in the XC world

In recent years, with the growth of the SSWSC Program, only a handful of guests have been invited to the Test Camp. This year we had Emma and Luke Pearson from Casper, WY and Emmet Shuman from Laramie, WY. We also welcomed local collegiate skiers Chase High, Kieran Hahn, and Cooper Jones, who have been training with us this summer consistently.
World Cup Scoring is used from test to test and a podium is produced after the 3,000 meter event. Prizes are awarded also. Maybe the highlight of this year’s camp was the opportunity for all participants and parents to come together for a summer evening potluck at the Zanni/Mackowski home, a part of the camp we have always included but were not able to do so last year.
Test Camp Podiums:

Female
1st- Grace Zanni
2nd- Grace Olexa
3rd- Tinsley Wilkinson

Male
1st- Wally Magill
2nd-Chase High
3rd- Trey Jones

Jumpers and Balloons!

Annabelle Stone captured some amazing photos of our talented freestyle skiers at the water ramps during the Hot Air Balloon Rodeo. Wow! Just beautiful.