What a difference a week makes.  The weather gods are shining on us for this weekend and the Devo team is looking forward to a fun day on Sunday!  This Sunday, Devo will be training at Summit West.  Athletes should meet their coaches at 8:45 at the base of the PC lift.  Lunch will be from 11:30-12:30 with parents.  We will wrap up our day at 3:00 (which gives you 1/2 hr. before the start of the Super Bowl :)).  The focus of this weeks training will be on edging movements and short radius turns.  We will train SL in the afternoon, conditions permitting.

Thank you for your patience getting your race t-shirt from last weekend.  The t-shirts have been reordered and I will hopefully have them to hand them out at the end of training on 2/12.  

Registration for the TAS Extension Program is now available on the TAS website.

The Extension Program starts in March and runs for 3 weekends (3/17-18, 24-25, 31-4/1) and April 14th.  This program is for athletes ages 8-12 and gives Devo athletes the opportunity to train with the TAS Buddy Werner Team.  Enrollment in this program is recommended only if your athlete placed in the top half of the field at the I-90 race and/or with coaches approval.   Program requirements state that "wedging is not allowed.  Athletes without the ability to ski with linked, parallel turns will be asked to return next season".

http://www.tasskiteam.com/index.php/programs/extension-program

See you on Sunday!  

This Sunday is the David Kincaid Memorial a.k.a. I-90 Race at Summit West.  The race will be a GS and will be on the run we typically train on under the Pacific Crest Chair.  Check-in and day of registration will be located on the lower level of the lodge under Rosita's starting at 7:30.  I would suggest getting to the mountain a at least 1/2 hour earlier than usual so you will have extra time to check in.  Please meet your coach at the usual meeting spot at 8:45 after you have already checked in and wearing your bib on top of the layer you will be racing in.   

Groups will be slightly different since the race is run in order of age.  Coaching assignments are listed below:

• J-6s (born 2003 and younger) MP and Rosie
• J-5s (born 2001-2002) Sydney and Zach
• J-4s (born 1999-1000) Sarah

Once inspection is over the coaches will stay with the athletes until they are in the start gate.  Lisa will be at the finish to make sure Devo athletes find their parents and know the schedule for the rest of the day.  The J-6s and J-5s will have time for a lunch break after their run but the J-4s may need to go back out for 2nd run inspection after their run and then grab lunch after 2nd run inspection (Sarah will tell you when to meet back out).  Coaches and athletes will meet for 2nd run inspection at 11:50 at the bottom of the PC lift  (subject to change based on the actual start time of the 2nd run).  After the second run (youngest to oldest within age group in reverse order), athletes are free to ski on their own or with their parents till awards which will be 1/2 hr after the finish of the race.  

 Schedule:

  8:30am     Lift Opens for Athletes

  8:45am     Inspection Run 1

10:00am     1st Run Start

12:00pm     Inspection Run 2

  1:00pm     2nd Run Start

It is possible to walk to the bottom of the course from the base area.  Parents are welcome to watch from the finish or alongside the course outside of the rope.  If your child needs clothes carried down, please allow the coach to help them take off their outer layers and be available to carry their coats and jackets down to the finish for them.  Coaches will also be able to carry down clothes but you will have to wait till the end of the age group for them to come down.  If your pass is attached to your coat, make sure it is taken down for you so that you will be able to ride the lift back up.  

Please have your athletes get a good nights sleep and a nutritious breakfast before the race.  If you have any other questions about Sunday, please feel free to email me.  See you all  on Sunday for an exciting day!

We are looking forward to another great day of training this Sunday at Summit West.  Plan to meet at the base of the PC chair at Summit West at 8:45.  Groups will be the same as last week.  Please have your athlete find his/her coach in the morning and check in with them.  We will be continuing to work on athletic stances and pole plants, plus going fast and having fun.  In the afternoon, we will be running GS.  Lunch will be from 11:30-12:30 and drop off at 3:00 at the same spot.    

It looks like there is snow in the forecast so it should make for some great skiing.  I encourage you all to get your kids out skiing as much as possible.  Athletes who make the most progress are typically the ones who are out skiing at least one or two days in addition to regular training on Sundays.  Another day on snow can and will make a big difference whether it is an afternoon after school and/or on Saturdays.  This is especially important for those athletes who are working toward breaking out of the wedge position.  It's actually more tiring to ski in a wedge position and by skiing more, they will find that skiing in a parallel stance is actually much easier.

We have our first race in two weeks on Sunday, January 29th.  It will be at Summit West.  All Devo athletes are expected to ski in this race and will be fully supported by the Devo coaching staff.   Additional details and registration are available on the TAS website.  You need to register your athlete for this race thru the website.  If this is your first race or you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. 

Finally, if you are not going to be at training for any reason, please send an email to let me know.  

See you on Sunday!  -Lisa

Welcome Devo Families to the start of the TAS Devo program!  Your coaches, MP, Sarah, Sydney, Rosie, Zach and Lisa are all looking forward to seeing you on Sunday.

We will be training at Summit West on Sunday starting at 8:45.  Our meeting spot is at the base of the Pacific Crest Chair on the right as you look uphill.  Please have your athlete ready to go and at the meeting spot promptly at 8:45.  After a brief welcome, the athletes will break into groups.  The kids will head out with the coaches till 11:30 and will be brought back to the same place to meet you for lunch.  Lunch is from 11:30 -12:30 with parents.  We will meet back out at the base of the PC chair at 12:30 and ski until 3:00.  

Athletes should arrive "ready to go" with all equipment on and with pass/lift tickets taken care of.  All Devo athletes are expected to be able to put their own  skis and poles on and off without assistance.  The coaches will be evaluating the athletes to make sure they meet the ability requirements of the Devo program as listed on the website.  

If you haven't already, please make sure you have filled out the TAS Liability Form, Health History Form and Medical Authorization Form found on the website.  See following link to print any missing forms: http://tasskiteam.org/index.php/programs/athlete-registration.   Completed forms can be turned in on Sunday at the start of the day.    

We are excited for a great day on the slopes on Sunday!  It's always a good idea to check the TAS hotline before heading up for the most up-to-date training information.  The number is 425-298-7153.  If you will not be making it either this week or any week, please EMAIL or CALL me so your athletes coach can be notified in advance of the absence.  

I will be available Sunday to answer any questions or as always feel free to shoot me an email if there is anything you need to know.