Team Summit 2008-09 registration now open

SUMMIT COUNTY — Team Summit ski and snowboard club registration is opening for the 2008-09 season, offering a wide range of competitive programs for ages 5 and up. From the novice to the veteran competitor, Team Summit programs include alpine ski racing, freestyle and freeride skiing and snowboarding.

New this year is the Summit Devo Explorer program. Intended for kids not yet ready to commit to just one discipline, this program will give competitors the opportunity to “try it all,” be it racing, freestyle or snowboarding. Explorer athletes will work with coaches from each program, in two-week blocks, throughout the season.

“We wanted to come up with a program to offer to our younger athletes that aren’t fully committed to any one discipline,” Sean Ramsden, Team Summit executive director, said. “They’ll still compete. ... Before they get really serious, this is a great opportunity (to explore). ... It’s not ski school. It’s still competitive.”

Team Summit offers a unique, four-mountain program, taking advantage of terrain at Copper Mountain, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin.

According to Ramsden, the program is offering development programs for competitors at all four ski resorts this season, giving participants an edge over other national clubs because training starts in October at Copper and ends as late as early-June at A-Basin.

“It’s a huge advantage for us to use the terrain at all four resorts,” Ramsden said. “It’s great to be able to move around.”

Team Summit is providing opportunities for kids to pursue their dreams and goals, whether it be the Olympics or local competitions, Ramsden said.

Education is also a priority and athletes must maintain a minimum grade point to be able to participate in club activities. Team Summit additionally offers Summit Foundation scholarship opportunities, as well as flexible payment options.

Team Summit Highlights

The 2007-08 season marked one of the most successful years ever for Team Summit.



Alpine Highlights: Both Kirsten Cooper (2007-08 USST member), and now two-time Junior World Championship athlete Katie Hartman competed in last year’s World Junior Championships.

Last year, Team Summit graduated numerous athletes to college teams: Katie Hartman — CU; Taggart Spenst — CU; Margie Thorpe — Harvard; and Eric Davis will also be heading to CU this winter.

In the J3 program (13- and 14-year-olds), Team Summit has sent four athletes to the Children’s International Topolino Games over the past five years. The program has consistently sent kids to a similar event in Canada called the Whistler Cup. Team Summit’s most recent athlete to attend both events is Connor McDonald.

The team’s Devo Program has been growing steadily and finding success as well. Most recently, they won the 2008 Rocky Mountain Division Youth Ski League Championships.

Snowboard Highlights: Team Summit graduated three riders to the U.S. Snowboarding Halfpipe and Jr. Halfpipe Team: Dylan Bidez, Clair Bidez and Zack Black.

Five athletes were invited to the U.S. Snowboarding Gold Team Halfpipe Slopestyle Camp: Brett Esser, Jake and Zack Black, and Dylan and Clair Bidez.

Freestyle Highlights: Mikaela Matthews, Jordan Poyfair and Whitney Henceroth all qualified for the 2008-09 Development Group of the U.S. Ski Team. All three had podium spots at the Junior Olympics in Steamboat Springs and Whitney and Jordan had top-10 finishes at the U.S. Freestyle Championships in Deer Valley last March.

Team Summit Freeride skier Bobby Brown was No. 1 in the nation in slopestyle.

For more information, including registration material, calendars and program descriptions, go to www.teamsummit.org or call the office at 970-968-2318, ext 40010.

Caitlin Row can be reached at (970) 668-4633 or at crow@summitdaily.com.