Skiing in Colorado

Members of the OHS Ski team that went to Colorado this year are from left to right front row: Monica, Wiley, and Stephanie. Back row, left to right: Coach Miller, Chris, Alex, Joe and Coach Mathieu.

Stephanie looks back at Chris as he snaps a photo during departure. "UP UP and AWAY!"
 

Chris tries to capture the magnificent view of the mountains that tower into the sky as they depart the resort.

The view from just under 12,000 feet sea level is spectacular.

 

Coach Curt Mathieu, and Keystone Race Instructor Chip, prepare to work with Wiley.

The OHS Ski Team trained at Keystone Resort in Colorado Dec. 4th-9th, '03.
 

Well, all good things must come to an end, including this fantastic experience at training camp at Keystone

Resort, Colorado. The team members are on the bus at 5:00 am in this photo headed back to the airport. (Or something near that time reports Chris...)  "It was still dark!"

 

They take one last look at the Colorado mountains as they leave and take a photo for memories. "You have to be there to appreciate it's beauty", says Chris.

Peek Preview: Future Onekama Skiers Visit Crystal

Waking up at 5am proved to be too much for this reporter that particular morning on the 4th and I found myself flying out of bed at 6 am in a state of shock! Could we have actually missed their departure?

Running down the hallway to Chris's bedroom, I realized that all of his gear as well as He was gone! *Big sigh of relief!* His father had taken him to the school. I never miss events like this, especially the send off to Colorado. The send off went off with out a hitch without me and they were soon on their way to the Grand Rapids airport. Monica's father, Hugh Higley, drove the team members to the airport where they then took a flight to the Detroit airport. From Detroit, they were on their way to Denver. Once at Denver they took rented vehicles to Keystone.

When the team left for Colorado, our home resort Crystal Mt had not opened yet due to warm weather. Keystone was open, but with only a 15 inch base. It was plenty enough to train on so they were happy.

     Their daily routine included stretching and running by 7 am, breakfast and household chores 7:30 am with the race training running from 8 am to noon. They ate lunch on the mountain that they had packed with them and resumed training at 1pm. 4pm they free skied the entire mountain, which was mandatory and part of the training. 6pm brought hot tub, relaxation, mandatory study time and making clinic notes. Supper followed with hopes that all would be in bed and lights out by 9pm.

      Their training concentrated on carving technique and Giant Slalom. It is well known that once one masters GS, Slalom will come just fine.

The members parked their skis like we would park our cars from time to time while on the mountain. I can't imagine being in ski boots all day let alone being on skis for that long too!

 

 Coach Miller enters the Ski School Lodge for the tape review of the days training.

Team member Joe Dontz gets his daily supply of much needed potassium back at the condo

 

Coach Mathieu is busy video taping as Chris tries to capture more view from one of the peaks.

October, Dryland Training

Photographs from Colorado last year

The ski team took time out to get team photos with their keystone race instructor, "Chip". Chip worked very hard with them on the mountain as well as tape reviews in the evenings to fine-tune their racing skills. Chip is the one in red.

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