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Skaneateles
Race Report It was cold. It was the kind of cold that stings your
nostrils and makes breathing laborious. It was a cold made even more biting
by a north wind. A wind that lifted up the snow into small whirlwinds
and wisps that looked to her like the unruly white hair of Old Man Winter.
The snow was so cold that it crunched beneath her boots as she rocked
in her bindings. It glistened like a million crystals in the sun that
was just beginning to rise behind her. As she stood at the bottom of the
ski hill and looked up the gentle rise, a wave of 14 skiers dressed in
matching blue burst over the horizon. To the uninitiated eye the young
skiers flew down the hill with chaotic reckless abandon. She, however,
quickly identified each skier in turn and noted how he or she was skiing
today on this hill, and on this course. Her knowledgeable brown eyes dissected
each skier's form into its individual coach able components. What was
each of their stance, inclination, hand position, and fore/aft movements?
Were they arcing their turns, were they balanced, and did they come today
with an aggressive attitude to the hill? She made mental notes, finer
points that would give each an edge later in the day. As they began to
pass some threw her comments while others just skied on by. Her girls
called her name, flashed a smile and greeted her as they had already done
a half dozen other times today. They, in particular, needed to relate,
to constantly make a connection with her. Her boys were quieter, more
into themselves, their skiing, or their small pack. They cared for and
listened to her as much as the girls but knew not yet how to express it.
She looked down at her boots again. The duct tape on the toes of her boots,
curled at the edges, was covered with a fine frost. The thin tape kept
the hard cold from her toes. The clang of the t-bars to her right broke
through her thoughts sharply. She turned slowly and headed her skis down
what remained of the small hill. She had to catch up to them, her team,
slip them through a short course inspection, and pass on to each her coaching
points. She now knew what to tell each of them. This was Skaneateles,
it was race day, and Annie Lapham had a team to coach.
The Skaneateles course has always been a challenge for Cazenovia ski racers. Skaneateles' long flat upper hill followed by an almost imperceptible lower slope is difficult for Cazenovia skiers whose skills are honed on the steep verticals and multiple fall lines of the Cazenovia Ski Club. Coach Lapham however knew how to get the most out of her skiers on this course and the proof was in some of the best race results for a Cazenovia ski racing team in a number of seasons. Courtney Button (the Picabo Street of Perryville) finished in 7th place in the highly competitive J4 Girls division. This was the best finish for Courtney since her racing career began and puts her in good standing to represent the Central New York Council and Cazenovia at the State Championships later this spring. For the J4 boys Nate Smith finished 32nd in his best finish yet and showed tremendous improvement. Billy "Elvis" Reed finished right behind teammate Nate in 33rd. Barclay Talbot walked away with an 8th place finish in the J5 Boys division. This was Barclay's first top ten finish and the way he is skiing we can expect to see many more. Unfortunately he could not be reached for comment as this article went to press. Also with a career first was James "Shaken Not Stirred" Smith, who took 19th place. This was James first top twenty finish. Bennie Concilla, the youngest member of the Caz team, in his racing debut finished in 41st place. Unfortunately both Sam Concilla and Kaitlyn Button were disqualified for missing a gate during one of their runs. Had Kaitlyn not been disqualified the combined times of both her runs would have put her easily in the top ten for J5 Girls. Cazenovia owned the Gatebuster races on this Sunday. Cazenovia posted two first place finishes. Eric Sparks skied to a first place in the Boys 11-12 year old class and this was his first race ever!!. Lizzy Reed also took a first place in the Girls 7-10 year old group. Team ski technician Bryce Button attributed her speed to her new cow racing suit. Right behind Lizzie was Sara Fellows who placed third and continues to move up in the standings from week to week. Alex Verbeck was disqualified in her first run but rebounded with a world class second run. In the Boy's 7-10 year old group, another first for the day were the Benedict brothers, Aaron and Tucker. In their first ever races they finished 5th and 16th respectively. As the sun dropped behind the top of the now well-worn ski course and the temperature began to plummet, a smile rose on her face. The Cazenovia Ski Racing team was back, and Annie Lapham was certain of where she wanted to take it. |
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