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Local racing leagues kick off in January

JOSH SALERNOSummit Daily News
Summit Daily/Mark Fox
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SUMMIT COUNTY – Skiers and snowboarders of all abilities are set to rip down alpine courses in the 2008 editions of the Copper Business and Keystone Night Racing Leagues.Copper’s Biz League, a local alpine series for both beginners and seasoned veterans, begins on Jan. 3 and runs through March 6. The league consists of nine separate events throughout the season. Adult program administrator Tracy Polanzi said she expects 70-100 participants per week.The Keystone Night Racing League, formerly known as the Keystone Business League, begins Jan. 16 and runs until the end of February on Wednesday nights.Copper’s Biz League, in its fourth decade of existence, will offer dual and FIS style races. They’ll take place at 10 a.m. on Thursdays, with the contests usually lasting for about an hour. “That makes it nice for the people who compete,” Copper race director Jeff White said. “When the race is over – they can get in plenty of skiing or get back to work. It’s flexible; people are able to fit it into their schedules.”

Summit High School alpine ski coach Tory Hauser is a Biz League mainstay.”I’ve been doing it for 20-some years,” Hauser said. “I still love racing and competing, so year after year I do this. Sometimes they’re the only races I have time to participate in.”Copper’s league offers telemark, snowboarding and skiing categories.Matt Fox runs the masters program at Copper. The 44-year-old from Silverthorne said the league gives him a chance to “walk the talk.””I’m always telling my students how to (ski), so I better be able to show them I can do it,” Fox said. “It’s a great competitive outlet for people. Everybody can contribute to their team, no matter the age or ability of the skier, because of how the events are scored.”

Fox referred to the NASTAR (National Standard Race) scoring system. Running under that format allows for all participants to be valuable contributors to their teams, White said. Both Copper and Keystone leagues use the NASTAR scoring system.”It’s basically an age handicap,” White said. “A lot of times the older you are, the easier it is to medal.”Cooper’s Biz League will host result parties at 5 p.m. on every race day at a local bar, which has yet to be determined. A video of the day’s competition will be shown and raffle prizes from event sponsors will be given away. Registration for the league will take place from 8 to 8:45 a.m. on competition days at Jack’s Restaurant in the Copper Village.The cost to compete in the Biz League is $10 for individuals and $80 per team. Teams (groups of eight) looking to be scored as such throughout all nine comps are asked to pay the entire series fee up front.



For more information about the Copper Biz League, contact Tracy Polanzi at (970) 968-3059, or tpolanzi@coppercolorado.com.Keystone teams must be composed of five racers with at least one female member. Team fees for the seven-week series are $350.Registration begins at 5 p.m. on race days at the Green Light in River Run. Pre-registration will be accepted at the Keystone Mountain House Guest Service building, or may be e-mailed to jbecker@vailresorts.com.For more information about Keystone league racing, contact Jay Sowers at (970) 496-4918.Josh Salerno can be contacted at (970) 668-4633, or at jsalerno@summitdaily.com.


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