Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country
Founded 05-05-05
January 24, 2008 issue
LIFT TICKET
A Column About Skiing and Snowboarding in the High Country by Sam Calhoun
Reports from all four of our ski slopes show that MLK weekend was one of the best on record—a good sign for future prosperity.
I, however, did not go out to the slopes this past weekend, preferring to let the hordes of out-of-towners speckle the slopes from Friday to Monday. I was able to keep tabs on the attendance, though, from my front porch in Foscoe. My neighborhood—a neighborhood where 1960s architecture is still in style, a neighborhood that perhaps reached its heyday when bellbottoms were accepted evening wear and a neighborhood where harvest gold and lime green are still popular paint colors—is home to a large amount of rental houses, and as I came and went throughout the weekend, I saw no fewer than five people in arm slings or casts getting in and out of church vans. They must be skiers.
A few, nameless ski patrol members said that many first-time skiers and snowboarders lost their battles with the ice patches over the weekend, but thousands of people skied and boarded without falling or getting hurt. It’s dangerous out there when it’s icy, so be careful, visitors. Leave the ice skiing to us locals; it’s one of the only things we know how to do better than those pesky Western skiers.
Now that the big holiday weekend has passed, the recent snowfall and cold weather are helping to turn negative attitudes about skiing into positive ones. It’s a great time of year. All the slopes are open, the terrain parks are gaining new features daily and it’s becoming more acceptable for most of us to take a day off from work to relax on the slopes.
It’s great to be a High Country skier or snowboarder. Mother Nature: I take back all the nasty things I said.
Slope Reports
According to GoSkiNC.com—the North Carolina Ski Areas Association’s website—on Wednesday, Hawksnest Resort featured a 30- to 46-inch base, with 9 slopes open; Appalachian Ski Mountain boasted a 34- to 66-inch base, with 10 slopes open; Ski Beech clocked in with a 20- to 24-inch base, with 12 slopes open; and Sugar Mountain Resort is holding strong with a 39- to 87-inch base, with 19 slopes open.
Ice skating is open at Sugar Mountain Resort, Appalachian Ski Mountain and Ski Beech, and tubing is available at Hawksnest Resort and Sugar Mountain Resort.
Appalachian Ski Mountain
Visitors to Appalachian Ski Mountain over the MLK weekend enjoyed every slope, jump, rail and lift the mountain had to offer, made possible by the optimum snowmaking temperatures and some natural snowfall.
Fresh Fridays—Appalachian’s new rail jam series—continues this Friday, January 25, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Registration is from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the first cashier booth in the lower level of the lodge. Each Fresh Friday—this will be the fourth—the Appalachian Terrain Park crew constructs a showcase feature setup never before seen in the parks, utilizing the handiwork of Appalachian’s new in-house welder. Fresh Fridays is an hour-long jam session on this setup, open to skiers and snowboarders of all ages and abilities. The last Fresh Friday featured a 32-foot down combo box, complete with handrail style takeoffs, as well as a gap takeoff and a new 36-foot M rail.
Ski Beech
The big news coming out of Ski Beech is that the Red Baron Terrain Park will open for the season this Thursday night. To honor the opening of the park, Ski Beech is hosting a free rail jam session on the resort’s signature lift tower—the same lift tower terrain park feature that I have been harping on for weeks now—during the night session (6:00 to 10:00 p.m.). In addition to the rail jam, Ski Beech will debut 12 new features that are highlighted in one of the smoothest layouts in the Southeast. To celebrate this inaugural event, Ski Beech is offering $10 night session lift tickets and a raffle in the Beech Tree Restaurant. With some great prizes up for grabs, this is a perfect time to go to Ski Beech and check out the hard work that Ryan Costin and his crew have done on Beech’s terrain park. But, with temperatures dipping into the single digits, dress warmly!
More terrain park features will be added throughout the season, but this Thursday, boarders and skiers will get to try out a 16-foot flat box, a 24-foot flat box, a 24-foot flat-down box, a 10-foot flat rail, a 15-foot flat rail, a 20-foot flat rail, a 15-foot flat-down-flat rail, a 20-foot battleship rail, a progression picnic table, a 55-gallon barrel jib, a 15-foot culvert and a 33-foot lift tower.
Hawksnest Resort
Top Gun is on line! Yes, Hawksnest’s signature slope is looking good, feeling fast and making my heart drop a bit when I look down from the top—that’s always a great sign when skiing on the East Coast.
According to Justin Grimes, Hawksnest snowsports director, this past MLK weekend was record setting. More skiers and snowboarders came out to ski the hawk last weekend than on any other weekend in the history of the Cottoms’ ownership of the Seven Devils slope. The Cottoms’ records stretch back to the early 1990s, so last weekend’s attendance was the most in more than 15 years. Congrats Hawksnest; that puts a smile on my face! You made a lot of visitors happy.
Grimes reported that Sock-em-Dog—Hawksnest’s terrain park slope—will open by this weekend, aided by a 1- to 2-inch snowfall expected Thursday and bitter cold temperatures stretching into the weekend that are perfect for snowmaking.
Also this weekend, Hawksnest is hosting a series of races for the United States College Ski Association. More than 200 skiers and snowboarders on more than 30 college teams will descend upon Hawksnest for a boardercross and skiercross on Saturday and a giant slalom competition on Sunday.
For all you tubers out there, Hawksnest is now featuring six tubing lanes for your downhill enjoyment.
Sugar Mountain Resort
Cold.
Mostly, that’s what comes to mind—even three days later—when I think of Monday night at Sugar Mountain, where the third in a series of races in the Sugar Mountain Adult Race League (SMARL) took place. Despite the cold temperatures and wind chills, more than 120 racers showed up for the competition.
Thankfully, the time-takers at the bottom of the course on Big Red were able to escape the cold in Sugar’s racing shack, but for us racers, beer, layers and more beer were our only defense against hypothermia. This was definitely one of those race nights where a trip to the lodge in between runs was imperative.
I talked to Mark Russ this week and he is recovering quite well. He was able to stand up and walk around a bit, and he assured me that when he can handle it, he will join us in the bar after the races. He sends his best to all the teams and is keeping up with our progress via this column. Get well soon, Mark; we miss you!
(If you don’t know what happened to Mark, then I’m sure you think we mangled that poor SMARLer, but that’s not the case…I swear.)
The competition is heating up as week three comes to a close. The battle for first place is still raging as both Team Banner Elk Café #1 and Team Sugar Mountain ended the night with three platinum times and one gold. Thus, their scores are the same for Monday night, elongating the dead heat for one more week.
As far as individual times go, Team Edge of the World was infiltrated in the male snowboard bracket by ASU’s John Davidson, who came in second in week three. For the last two races, Team Edge of the World commanded all five of the top male spots. But Davidson’s triumph won’t be enough to take down Edge’s road to victory.
Team Ski Country #2’s Aretta Fuller stepped it up a notch this week, edging out Team Ski Country #2’s Sunny Townes for first place in the female snowboard division. Congrats Aretta!
Less than half of a second separated Team Sugar Mountain’s Erich Schmidinger and Team Banner Elk Café #1’s Donovan Carroll at the top of the male ski division, and Schmidinger came out ahead. Team Sugar Mountain’s Sean “Stumpy” McKee placed fourth, and Team Banner Elk Café #1’s Dale Spencer and David Bumgardner placed third and fifth, respectively, rounding out the top five.
In the female ski division, it was, of course, the sister act of Sugar’s Kim Jochl and Bayou/Insurance Plus’ Krista Schmidinger who topped the bracket. Jochl edged out her sister by less than three-tenths of a second to gain the top spot.
A big thanks goes out to Sunny Townes and Sean “Stumpy” McKee who help me weekly with gathering the SMARL scores. All three of our SMARL duties don’t end on Monday night, and I thank them for sacrificing some of their time every week.
And of course, since this is my column, I’d like to thank my team members, JA “I forgot my jacket on the coldest race night of the year” Davis, Ken “I skip gates, but I’m still pretty fast” Ketchie, Brian “my laugh can be heard for miles” Mueller, Jamie “I’ll take more pictures of women for next week” Williams and Les “I finally have edges” Simmons. You are appreciated.
Go play in the snow.
Questions? Comments? Concerns? Email sam@highcountrypress.com.
Must-Have Info for the 2007-08 Season
Appalachian Ski Mountain:
828-295-7828, www.appskimtn.com, www.appterrainpark.com
Ski Beech:
828-387-2011, www.skibeech.com
Hawksnest Resort:
828-963-6561, www.hawksnest-resort.com
Sugar Mountain Resort:
828-898-4521, www.skisugar.com
North Carolina Ski Areas Association:
www.goskinc.com
Sugar Mountain Adult Race League Team Results Week 3 (1.21.08)
Ski & Snowboard Combined
(Team Name—points after week 2+week 3 points—total points after 3 races)
1T. Sugar Mountain—39+19—58
1T. Banner Elk Cafe #1—39 +19—58
3. Bayou Insurance Plus—37+16—53
4. Ski Country #1—33+17—50
5. Sugar Ski Patrol—32+13—45
6. ASU Ski Team—29+13—42
7. Beech—24+16—40
8. Sugar Ski School—25+10—35
9. Banner Elk Cafe #2—24+10—34
10. Edge Of The World—23+10—33—Snowboard Only
11. 1st Tracks—20+7—27
12. Rental Rats—19+6—25
13T. High Country Press—14+9—23
13T. Alpine #1—18+5—23
13T. Ski Country #2—16+7—23
14. Alpine #2—9+5—14—Snowboard Only
15. Kiker—8+3—11—Snowboard Only
Snowboard Only
1. Edge Of The World—23+10—33
2. Alpine #2—9+5—14
3. Kiker—8+3—11
Sugar Mountain Adult Race League Individual Results Week 3 (1.21.08)
Banner Elk Café #1
Donovan Carroll – 33.72 – P
Dale Spencer – 34.28 – P
David Bumgardner – 34.87 – P
Bobby Rowland – 36.60 – G
Elizabeth Beadle – 40.26 – G
Gina Farfour – 43.99 – G
Les Broussard – 40.81 – S
Steve Farfour – 43.74 – S
Sugar Mountain
Erich Schmidinger – 33.25 – P
Kim Jochl – 35.79 – P
Sean McKee – 34.56 – P
Clint Hendricks – 36.06 – G
Gunther Jochl – 37.86 – G
Dave McManus – 40.68 – S
Bayou/Insurance Plus
Krista Schmidinger – 36.08 – P
David Johnson – 36.77 – P
Bill Millman – 41.99 – G
Crystal Johnson – 43.05 – S
Flo Davis – 47.15 – S
Mitch Medford – 45.77 – B
Zoe Schmidinger – 52.17 – B
Chad Carpenter – 56.59
Ski Country Sports #1
Carl Bindlechner – 35.63 – P
Lawson Fields – 35.51 – P
Dan Blackwelder – 39.10 – G
Wesley Aldridge – 39.58 – S
Dayne Anderson – 40.33 – S
Bill Leonard – 43.99 – S
Sugar Mountain Ski Patrol
Ron Scott – 40.80 – G
Eric Rosenbush – 39.78 – S
Joe White – 41.01 – S
Bryan Web (T) – 44.18 – S
Todd Boyea – 42.50 – S
Kyle Hessler – 43.79 – B
Franklin Smith – 43.79 – B
Paul Doyle (T) – 59.64
ASU Ski/Snowboard Team
Brian Dye – 36.32 – G
John Davidson (SB) – 43.95 – S
Jamison Evans – 42.23 – S
Ashley Auman – 45.30 – S
Andrew Bergland – 42.69 – S
Brian Hurley – 43.90 – B
Tom Micelli (SB) – 53.57
Jerry Rosell (SB) – 51.70
Beech Mountain
Robert Jones – 35.97 – P
Jeremiah West – 35.77 – G
Jeff Rainey – 36.89 – G
Susan West – 54.73 – B
Sugar Mountain Ski School
Will Mauney – 40.10 – S
Andrew Westvecr – 42.45 – S
Randy Wells – 46.03 – B
Harrison McNeill – 43.82 – B
Anthony Shaheen – 45.99 – B
Zach Dease – 46.13 – B
Mitch Mitchner – 48.01
Edge of the World
Ross Dylan (SB) – 43.31 – S
Jason Woody (SB) – 45.26 – S
Rich Rominger (SB) – 47.36 – B
Andy McDaniel (SB) – 49.01 – B
Jeff Johnson (SB) – 49.22 – B
Derrick Calloway (SB) – 59.48
Elizabeth Rominger (SB) – 1:17.19
Banner Elk Café #2
Cindy Broussard – 45.35 – S
Mary Bumgardner – 46.30 – S
Tony Catoe – 46.21 – B
Van Lecka – 49.11 – B
Chris Walley – 48.28
Chris Austin (SB) – 56.03
John Paul Cogdill – 1:02.79
Alpine #1
Mark Newton – 37.18 – G
Ralph Polattie – 43.38 – S
Andy Steele – 40.91 – S
Bill Griffin – 56.18
Sugar Mountain Rentals
George Barton – 36.23 – G
Tyler Boone – 45.12 – B
David Walker – 47.13 – B
Donnie Peters – 51.75
Eric Raney – 55.00
John Shoupe – 50.76
High Country Press
JA Davis – 38.64 – G
Jamie Williams – 47.05 – B
Ken Ketchie – 47.35 – B
Sam Calhoun – 49.04
Brian Mueller – 1:09.20
Les Simmons – 1:04.27
First Tracks
Stephan Olsen – 38.43 – S
Jeff Kattner – 49.38 – B
Bradley Howser (SB) – 53.75
Beth Hunt – 55.73
Burt Sturton – 53.54
Will Swing (SB) – 54.85
Justin Turner (SB) – 1:11.48
Ski Country Sports #2
Mike Downing – 48.25 – B
Bob Phillips – 48.36 – B
Erica Canada – 50.57 – B
Aretta Fuller – 57.47
Sunny Townes – 1:00.96
Alpine #2
Pete Huszik – 44.95 – B
Jessica Bishop (SB) – 1:10.39
Matt McKinney (SB) – 54.60
Andy Rick (SB) – 55.43
Good Ol’ Boys
Gaines Kiker (SB) – 1:04.62
Danny Kirkland – 1:22.90
Ray Williams – 1:07.56
Top 5 Male Skiers, Sugar Mountain Adult Race League, Week 3 (1.21.08)
1. Erich Schmidinger—33.25—Sugar Mountain
2. Donovan Carroll—33.72—Banner Elk Café #1
3. Dale Spencer—34.28—Banner Elk Café #1
4. Sean “Stumpy” McKee—34.56—Sugar Mountain
5. David Bumgardner—34.87—Banner Elk Café #1
Top 5 Female Skiers, Sugar Mountain Adult Race League, Week 3 (1.21.08)
1. Kim Jochl—35.79—Sugar Mountain
2. Krista Schmidinger—36.08—Bayou/Insurance Plus
3. Elizabeth Beadle—40.26—Banner Elk Café #1
4. Crystal Johnson—43.05—Bayou/Insurance Plus
5. Gina Farfour—43.99—Banner Elk Café #1
Top 5 Male Snowboarders, Sugar Mountain Adult Race League, Week 3 (1.21.08)
1. Ross Dylan—43.31—Edge of the World
2. John Davidson—43.95—ASU
3. Jason Woody—45.26—Edge of the World
4. Richard Rominger—47.36—Edge of the World
5. Andy McDaniel—47.36—Edge of the World
(Team Edge of the World has 143 combined years of snowboarding experience…if you were wondering.)
Top 4 (There are only 4) Female Snowboarders, Sugar Mountain Adult Race League, Week 3 (1.21.08)
1. Aretta Fuller—57.47—Ski Country #2
2. Sunny Townes—1:00.96—Ski Country #2
3. Jessica Bishop—1:10.39—Alpine #2
4. Elizabeth Rominger—1:17.19—Edge of the World