Friends of St. Olaf Skiing

Day 2 at The USCSA Nationals!!

2012-03-08T19:42:00.003-06:00

Today was a great day on the Mountain of Sunday River. Itwas a blue bird, 60-degree day. The parents couldn’t of asked for a better day.The men however had their first day of GS in slush. The conditions were extreme,nevertheless the Olaf boys excelled to the top with the conditions. After thefirst run St. Olaf had 4 of their five guys in the top 22, with the twoNorwegian in the top 10. Congratulations to Haakon Schoenheyder for his THIRDplace finish. He had an amazing race edging out Pål Añdre Prøitz to become thetop Norwegian at St. Olaf College.

Next Pål Añdre Prøitz. He had a great first run ending up in8^th place. Second run Pål knew the team was in 2^nd,all he had to do was finish. However, Pal has only one gear in ski racing,which is as fast and straight. Pal took a big fall second run near the bottom,scaring many Oles with only two skiers down safely. Nonetheless, Haakon camedown the second run as the second fastest man in the race. Saving the Oles andhelping them place SECOND in the GS for the second year in a row.

In addition, today was Senior Nick Stang and Max Lund lastGS ever as Oles. They came out andshowed the world that they know how to ski. Nick and Max were both Second TeamAll American! Nick placed 12^th and Max placed 16^th. The Olaf team willmiss you dearly next year, on and off the snow.

Great race today boys!!!

Tomorrow is the ladies SL. It should be a great day ofskiing. Check in tomorrow for more great information on the race!

Interested in more results from the race today? Follow thelink at the bottom for more.

http://www.live-timing.com/report.php?r=40208&rp=577757

Here are some great pictures taken today from the men’s GS.We hope you enjoy them and continue to follow the blog all week for more updates!!

(Coach: Joe Masciopinto wearing a t-shirt and Miranda Ness)

(First Run: Haakon Schoenheyder)

(First Run: Nick Stang)

(First Run: Florian Weil)

(Second Run: Pål Andre Prøitz)

(Top Left to Right: Haakon, Nick

Botton Left to Right: Florian, Pål, Max)

Update from Nationals

2012-03-07T20:28:00.000-06:00

Today was the first day of racing at the 2012 USCSANationals in Sunday River, Maine. Today was the first race for the women in GS.No one expected such a great showing from the Ole women. Not only did all fivewomen finish in the top 60, they had their best GS race ever at Nationals. THEYTOOK 3^RD PLACE!!!! Congratulations ladies. Captain Katie Ulvestadled the Oles with a 15-place finish, making her Second Team all American. Nextwe had freshman MeKenna McNabb taking 16-place. She charged the course todaywith power and confidence, something you do not see in many freshmen. Our thirdplace finisher was Maddey McLachlan. Maddey struggled with her first run justmissing the top 30 by 1 person. She came back extremely strong on her secondrun coming in 24^th place overall. Miranda Ness had great first Nationalswith a 36^th place finish. Alex Anderson played anchor for the teamleading up the back. She took 58^th place with two solid runs fromAlex.

GREAT RACE TODAY LADIES!!!!

Interested in more results from the race today? Follow thelink at the bottom for more.

http://www.live-timing.com/report.php?r=40101&rp=577689&page=1

Also here are some great pictures taken today from the women’sGS. We hope you enjoy them and continue to follow the blog all week for moreupdates!!

(MeKenna McNabb)

(Left: MeKenna, Alex, Miranda)

(Maddey McLachlan)

(Back Left: Kathleen, Miranda, Maddey, Katie

Front Left: Alex, MeKenna)

Two Great Pictures Mt LaCrosse

2012-02-29T18:52:00.003-06:00

Donate Now Button

2012-02-28T14:26:00.001-06:00

We regret to inform you, the “donate now” button has beentaken down. Nowall donations are sent to the school. They go into the specific sport that youdesire. Donationsare now accepted by sending them to St. Olaf Alpine Ski team, 1520 St. OlafAve., Northfield, MN. 55057.

Thank you for your understanding. We hope this does notcause any hassle and you still help the St. Olaf Ski Teams by donating money!

Please continue to follow the St. Olaf Ski Teams as we prepare to leave for our 2012 USCSA Nationals in Sunday River Maine next week.

If you are interested in the events of the week. Follow the link at the bottom of the page for more information.

http://www.uscsa.com/images/pdf/2012/2-7-12.pdf

We Are Going to Nationals!!!

2012-02-21T19:01:00.003-06:00

Hey everyone!

This past weekend, after winning Divisionals atSpirit Mountain last weekend, the Oles were off to Marquette Mountain inMichigan. It was a great weekend for many people on the team. The drive toMarquette was an experience in itself. We experienced one of the few snowstorms of the season. At one point,the vans spilt up because of the weather. However, thanks to technology andgreat driving skills, we all arrived in Marquette safe.

(Coach Kevin Cook)

Saturday:

The first race was on Saturday was Slalom. It was a strongshowing on the men’s side with St. Olaf taking 6 of the top 9 spots.Congratulations to Nick Stang for winning the race. Haakon Schonheyder had asolid finish taking second with Paal Proitz in third. Congratulations boys forwinning the race!

http://www.live-timing.com/report.php?r=37151&rp=574157

(From Left to Right: Nate, Paal, Nick, and Haakon)

The women also proved to ski strong on Saturday as well. Thewomen also won the race with great skiing from Katie Ulvestad (3), MadisonMcLachlan (4), Kathleen Stefely (5), Alex Anderson (6), MeKenna McNabb (8), andMiranda Ness (12).

http://www.live-timing.com/report.php?r=37127&rp=574247

Sunday:

Sunday was a great day for the Oles as well! Team Norway andGermany highlighted the Giant Slalom with 1,2, and 3. Congratulations to HaakonSchonheyder for winning the race! Paal Proitz took second place (again) andFlorian Weil in third place.

http://www.live-timing.com/report.php?r=37136&rp=574255

On Sundaythe women skied just as well as the day before. We had solid skiing from allgirls on the team. Congratulations: Katie Ulvestad (2), Madison McLachlan (4),McKenna McNabb (5), Alex Anderson (10), Kathleen Stefely (15), and StephaniePieper (22). This weekend consisted of great skiing withmany solid performances by the experienced and new team members, which made fora more than satisfactory race for the ladies’.

http://www.live-timing.com/report.php?r=37135&rp=574249

With all the great skiing from the Oles this weekend. The St.Olaf Ski Teams were Regional Champions on both the Men’s and Women’s side.MEANING WE ARE HEADED TO NATIONALS IN TWO WEEKS IN SUNDAY RIVER, MAINE!

Thanks for your support this season! Please continue tofollow the Ski Team, as we prepare for one of our highest anticipated Nationalsin many years. It should be filled with great competition on the Men and Womenside.

We need YOU!!!

2012-02-08T20:52:00.002-06:00

Our team is very excited to introduce you toour very own giving page, right here on this blog!

In the upper right hand corner you see ayellow button that says "ChipIn" Clicking this button will bring you toour team's new fundraising page.

Weonly receive partial funding from the school's general fund, and so we rely onyour generous support to build upon our successful tradition. Thanks to you,our team continues its legacy of success and we appreciate every dollar yougive.

Thisseason we are in need of you to help! We need to raise $5,000 to go to USCSANationals in Sunday River, Maine. Since our team created this new fundraisingsite, the money you give goes directly to our team! This new giving page is anattempt to show you just how big of a difference you are making for us. Theidea is to give you the opportunity to choose things you'd like to fund. Bygiving to the school your money goes to next years ski budget. So please, helpus! By giving to the blog NOW, you will be helping the St. Olaf Ski Teams continueone of their strongest seasons ever.

So, thank you! We appreciate everything that you do to make the St.Olaf Ski Teams possible.

Greetings From Colorado

2012-01-30T22:05:00.002-06:00

Welcome back! Today was our third day on snow at CopperMountain. We have been training GS on Copperopolis. It has been a great weekfilled with fun and great skiing. We have seen many improvements in everyoneskiing. Our trip started out on Saturday with a USCSA race in Steamboat. Weleft our house in Breck at 5:45am. We arrived at the hill at 8 to find out thatwe missed inspection. However, despite these events we would like tocongratulate Haakon Schonaeyder for winning the race. Honorable mention goes toPal Proitz for his second place finish.

(Captain Kathleen Stefely Left and Maddie McLachlan Right)

(Captain Nick Stang)

If you would like to see the results follow the links at thebottom of the page.

Ladies: http://www.live-timing.com/report.php?r=33070&rp=570115

Men: http://www.live-timing.com/report.php?r=33073&rp=570114

On Sunday we had our first day of training GS at Copper.Here is a picture of the team standing at the top of the mountain. We had aperfect blue bird day with a high of 36. The snow conditions have been great.

Today was Monday. We again trained GS and had a perfect dayon the hill.

Please continue following the blog, as we will be continuallyupdating from Colorado and Spirit Mountain. Thanks for your support!!

(Captain Katie Ulvestad Yellow, Alex Anderson and Haakon round 2 at City Market)

IndianHead & Colorado!

2012-01-26T14:02:00.000-06:00

Friends welcome back to the St. Olaf Skiing Blog. We hopeyou had a great January. It has been fun up on the hill. We have been busy withpractice, races, and school everyday.

This past weekend we had our first FIS race. The competitiontook place at IndianHead Mountain Resort. Congratulations to Nick Stang forwinning the race on Sunday. Nonetheless, the rest of the St. Olaf Ski Team achieved great success.

Interested in the results? Follow the link at the bottom ofthe page for great ski racing results.

http://www.fis-ski.com/uk/604/1228.html?event_id=30379&cal_suchsector=AL

Next, we leave tomorrow morning (27 of January) at 6 in themorning for our yearly trip to Colorado. We will be lead by Coach Joe Paul fromTeam Afton. Joe is a grade A guy; this is his 3^rd year taking theOles to Colorado.

On Saturday the team will be taking place in a USCSA race atSteamboat. The rest of the week we will be training at Copper Mountain. GOODLUCK!!

The Schedule for the week:

Sunday- Train GS at Copper
Monday - Train GS at Copper
Tuesday - Train SL at Copper
Wednesday - Train GS at Copper in AM. Leave for MN after training.

Thursday-Leave for Spirit Mountain, Duluth

Friday-Spirit FIS SL

Saturday-Spirit FIS SL

Sunday-Spirit FIS SL

Monday-First day of classes: Second Semester

It isgoing to be a busy, yet fun week. Please keep the Oles in your mind as they aredriving across the country.

As theweek progress, we will keep you up to date on the status of the St. Olaf Ski Team.

StayTune!

2012!!!

2012-01-16T13:13:00.001-06:00

Dear Friends of St. Olaf Skiing,

We are extremely sorry with the delay in the blog this season. Wehave been particularly busy here on the hill. We hope this interruption doesn’tstop you from being devoted fans of the St. Olaf Ski Team and our Blog. So far it has been an interesting year,so let us catch you up.

Foremost, we had our first USCSA race this past weekend. Therace went off without a hitch at Afton Alps. We would like to applaud ourwinners: Katie, Max, and Pal. Nevertheless, the St. Olaf Team achieved greatsuccess from all their athletes. The men’s team took top three both days, whilethe women took 5 of the top 6 spots.

Like to see more? Follow the link to see the officialresults from the weekend.

Saturday SL:

Men: http://www.live-timing.com/report.php?r=29462&rp=558068

Women: http://www.live-timing.com/report.php?r=29457&rp=558077

Sunday GS:

Men: http://www.live-timing.com/report.php?r=29745&rp=559082

Women: http://www.live-timing.com/report.php?r=29762&rp=559080

Next, we hope everyone had happy holidays and are off to agreat 2012! WE are all expecting great things from 2012!

Thank you for your continued support. We are grateful tohave people like you supporting the St. Olaf Ski Team. Without you there is noSt. Olaf Ski Team! Please stay tune to the blog as we bring you the resultsfrom our next USCSA race from Wild Mountain.

The Roster is Set!!

2011-11-30T18:27:00.001-06:00

Welcome 2011-2012 St. Olaf Ski Team!! Check everyone out! We are a young team however, a extremely talented team. Dry land has been competitive. Hopefully the Oles bring their competitiveness out onto the hill with them next week as we have our first USSA race of the year at Afton Alps.

We hope to see you there cheering us on! Furthermore stay tune to the blog to get many more updates as the season goes on!!!

Thanksgiving Update!

2011-11-17T21:39:00.007-06:00

Welcome back Friends of St. Olaf Skiing. The season is approaching fast and we cannot wait to get back on snow!! Next week is Thanksgiving and many Ole skiers will be heading out West to do some early season skiing. While others will be heading home, spending time with their families for the holidays.

So far the ski season has started off with a boom. Captains’ practice is now over and coaches’ practice has started. Kevin Cook, the head alpine coach, has been pushing everyone to their limits. The team came into the season physically strong. However, many team members are learning a new mental strength that will lead them to success throughout the season.

We are preparing for the first USSA race of the season in December at Afton Alps. In addition, the first USCSA race will be held at Afton Alps on the 7^th and 8^th of January. If possible come support the Oles and meet all the new faces on the team this year.

Furthermore, we have another “Meet the First Years” interview. This week it was Freshman Jack Stang’s turn. (pictured on the right) Jack’s interview was a little different than the other ones. He was asked the same questions as everyone else, however he answered many questions with just one word.

Jack is from New Brighton, MN and currently lives in Kitt. Currently Jack is working towards a degree in Economics. He told me his older brother Nick is an Econ major and would love to be just like him. (Nick currently a senior and a 3-year captain) Jack is 18 years old and is incredibly happy he selected St. Olaf College. He is thrilled to be a part of the amazing St. Olaf Skiing family.

Jack feels there is great competition on the ski team this year. However, he believes if he puts in all his effort he will make varsity. Jack loves competition and believes it makes him perform at a higher lever.

Please stay tuned to the blog for further updates, as the season is right around the corner!!!

Haakon Schoenheyder

2011-11-07T14:53:00.005-06:00

From Oppdal, Norway, Haakon Schoenheyder is our next installment of Meet the First Years. He is currently 20 years old, however he turns 21 on the 8^th of November. Haakon is fluent in 2 languages although he claims he knows a little French, German, and Russian. Haakon is thinking about pursuing a degree in physics, with hopes of going to grad school for mechanical engineering. Currently he is very happy with his choice of St. Olaf College and is excited for everyone to get to know him.

Q: Why did you pick St. Olaf College?

A: It was the best alternative: I get to go to great school, ski, and it is cheaper than Norway.

Q: How long have you been skiing?

A: Since 2. My Dad really wanted me to ski race, but I just wanted to have fun on my own. He got me to join when I 12. I have been hooked ever since.

Q: Where do you live at St. Olaf College?

A: Kittelsby 171. For any girls who are looking to hang out, please knock before you enter.

Q: What is your favorite Restaurant?

A: Porter House Steak & Seafood. Little Canada, MN

Q: What is your favorite Outfit to wear on a typical school day?

A: I don’t know: Jeans and a T-shirt.

Q: What do you think about Paal Andre Proitz?

A: (Laughing) A freaking insane Norwegian guy who is going to end up doing something big.

Q: What is your dream vacation?

A: To be honest, I really want to go skiing in Japan, Russia, and especially Legendary Squall Valley. If I do go on vacation, I do not want to sit on a beach. I want to be active. I love doing new things.

Q: What is your favorite sports team?

A: Rosenborg! Best soccer team in Norway for all you Americans.

Q: How do you like America?

A: It is very different from home. People are generally nice. But I don’t get the full experience of America living at St. Olaf College.

Q: Are you interested in women?

A: I am fully interested in women. (Watching a girl walk by)

Q: When was your first kiss?

A: Kindergarten, I had to stand on a rock to reach the girl because she was so much older than me.

Haakon is one interesting kid. He has a great sense of humor and is already finding his niche on the ski team. From talking with Haakon he is the kind of kid you want on your team. We are very excited to have Haakon as a teammate.

Thanks for reading. We appreciate your reading of this blog and we cannot wait to share our stories with you throughout the year.

Thanks again stay tune for more updates on the St. Olaf Ski Team!!

Stephanie Pieper

2011-10-26T12:21:00.006-05:00

Friends of St. Olaf Skiing welcome back for the first addition of Meet the First Years! Our first victim of the intense Q&A is Stephanie Pieper. She is currently 18 years old and is very glad she is attending St. Olaf College. Stephanie is pursuing a degree in Chemistry. She says she wants to go into medicine and possibly be a doctor one day.

Q: Why did you pick St. Olaf College?

A: I really wanted to ski! I also fell in love with the campus when I visited.

Q: How long have you been skiing?

A: Since 7, however I started ski racing as a freshman in high school.

Q: What is your favorite restaurant?

A: Olga’s (What ever that is?)

Q: What is your favorite outfit to wear on a typical school day?

A: I love to get dressed up for all the cute boys around campus.

Q: What is your Breakfast of Champions?

A: I don’t eat anything before a race otherwise I will puke!

Q: What is your dream vacation?

A: I want to go somewhere warm. I would love to go Hawaii or Costa Rica (Hint: Mom & Dad if you are reading this)

Q: What is your favorite sports team?

A: Of course the Detroit Red Wings. Best team ever!!

Q: What is one thing people do not know about you?

A: I am the oldest of five siblings. I have been sheltered my whole life, to say the least, college is different.

Q: When was your first kiss?

A: Junior year of High School. His name was Wes; he was hot!

What a pleasure it is to have you on the team this year! I am guessing we will see you again on the blog.

Thank you for the first installment of Meet the First Years. Tune in next week too see our next victim.

Thank you for reading to St. Olaf Skiing blog! We appreciate everything you do for the team!

2011-10-18T11:22:00.004-05:00

Welcome back friends of St. Olaf Skiing. We are glad you are back with us for another great season. The St. Olaf Ski Team has been busy these past two months. Our first day of school was the 8^th of September, and we have been running ever since. This past year we lost three great Ole skiers, Jeff Stamp, Laurie Taschler, and Laura Mansell. They will be greatly missed, but as we all know college is 4 years long. With the loss of Jeff and Laurie we added many new freshmen skiers. On the men’s side of the team we gained Nick Kollias, Hakon Schonheyder, Jack Stang, Florian Weil, Nathan Wick, and Mason Hinke. On the women’s side we gained MeKenna McNabb and Stephanie Peiper. We are excited for the year and all the potential the first years have to offer.

There have already been two great events this year put on by the ski team. We hope you had the privilege to join us, but if you did not, here is a quick update on what has happened.

Homecoming weekend was the 24^th of September. We held our annual golf tournament, and we thank our 20 participants for braving the cold and foggy weather. As the day progressed, the weather and everyone’s game improved.

After the golf tournament, we headed back to the Hill and watched 24^th nationally ranked Oles take on Luther College in a great football game. Our own, Captain Genette Sekse is the manager of the team and is doing an outstanding job for them in her senior year!

After the game we headed over to former ski coach Paul Wojick house for a Nordic and Alpine picnic. It was a great way for past alum to mingle with current ski team members.

The weekend created a great opportunity for all current and past skiers to get to know each other. If you did not get to make it this year, we would love to have you join us next year.

Finally, we have now started our captain’s practices for the year. Nick Stang and Katie Ulvestad have been leading the team through some grueling workouts. Everyone has been putting in hard work and right now, the season is looking very positive.

Our 4^th captain is Max Lund; also the captain of the St. Olaf Soccer team. They are having an amazing season. If you have not made it to one of their games, you should go! They are currently 12-2-1 and in third place in the MIAC!

We are excited for seasons and we hope you get the chance to follow us this year!!

Coming up shortly we will be highlighting the new kids on the block. Stay tuned.

Pictures from Nationals!

2011-04-03T18:48:00.005-05:00

GUYS TAKE SECOND!! The team hanging out at the bottom of the racecourse

Nicks Birthday at the Hansen's condo. Thanks for all the wonderfun food! Jeff and Nick cheering on the girls

Girls cheering on the guys-- UM YA YA

Drum Roll Please......Nationals Recap!

2011-03-29T13:25:00.001-05:00

Hi all, Sorry about the delayed posting of our slalom results! The team got back from nationals Sunday, March 13th, had a quick week trying to catch up on classes, and then turned around for a week of spring break. Most of us spent the week relaxing in Florida, visiting family in Minnesota, Michigan, or Wisconsin, or skiing for fun or competition. We are now back at school, grinding out the last few months of tests, papers, and reading. Without further ado, here is our Nationals recap: WOMEN'S SLALOM: The girls had an exciting day of Slalom at Sun Valley. The course wasn't particularly difficult, but due to rain the night before, conditions varied from soft snow to rock hard ice. First run pumped out three respectable runs from Katie Ulvestad, Genette Sekse, and Laurie Taschler, but unfortunately claimed both Maddey Mclachlin and Alex Anderson as DNF's (interestingly on the SAME gate). McLachlin and Anderson both started solid runs, but Maddey caught her tip on a gate losing a ski, while Alex sadly booted out without reason. Ulvestad, Sekse and Taschler however, were ready for their second runs. With finish positions from the first run (respectively) in 12th (Ulvestad), 25th (Taschler) and 27th (Sekse) the ole girls knew they needed strong, fast runs for a team place. Sekse and Ulvestad finished with fast times and clean runs moving them up to 4th and 21st. Taschler however, struggled with stop starts in the gate, actually starting and being physically pulled back, and finally starting, skiing, and straddling. Due to the huge competitive disadvantage, a re-run was granted, and she finished cleanly putting her in 27th. Girls came in 4th for the day--hanging on by a thread! MENS SLALOM: Similar to the girls, yet more extreme, the St. Olaf men faced incredibly difficult conditions consisting mostly of sheer ice-- the kind that does not allow you to hold an edge! The course, set by someone crazy-- formed a 'Z' as it zig zaged across the entire hill starting at skiers right, moving to skiers left, and finishing again at skiers right. This course took out both Nick Stang (who fell, got back in the course, fell, got back in the course, and fell again) and Jeff Stamp (who also made an impressive effort to finish-- but just couldn't do it). This left Max Lund, Paal Proitz, and Nate Hanson to finish cleanly, and with speed. Second run was set by a more familiar Mike Dzubay from the Midwest USCSA division and was a fast but straightforward course. With first run finish places of 11(Lund), 17 (Proitz), and 31(Hansen) the boys were in good shape for some second wicked second runs. Luckily all three men pulled through (and moved up in their places) with finishes in 9th (Lund), 15th (Proitz) and 29th (Hansen). This put the men's team in 5th for the day! OVERALL: Overall both the Men's and Women's teams came in 4th-- the best St. Olaf has done in a long time! Combined with the Nordic Teams, this was good enough to win the Presidents cup in both divisions! All in all-- it was a great way to end the year, with a great week competing in beautiful Idaho. We had a blast with all the parents and fans, celebrating Nick's birthday, making meals together, playing cards, tuning skis, training, (sometimes) throwing raw eggs, bickering, and of course, competing. Thanks for all the support! A few pictures will be up soon! Start training for next year everyone! It’s just around the corner!

NATIONALS!!!

2011-03-15T12:43:00.003-05:00

So, we know you are all waiting on the edge of your seats to hear about how the Ole's ROCKED at Nationals this year!

We just got back Sunday night and have been scrambling to catch up on homework, midterms, papers, and readings, so more info will be coming your way soon (individual finishes, team finishes, President Cup awards, pictures, stories, etc.)!

but just to give you a sneak peek.. both the men's and women's teams came in 4th overall!

GO OLES!

Thanks for all the support!

Nationals Update

2011-03-11T08:33:00.002-06:00

Hey everyone,
We are now done with the GS for both the womens and mens and we have been crushing it! The run we are skiing on has 400 vertical meters of drop (1300 ft.), which is just about as close as you can get to a world cup course. The girls did very well in GS, getting 3 skiers down smoothly to take 6th place! As you can imagine all the girls were quite tired when they made it through the finish, with the top times of the day being around 1:10.00 for each run, it was hard on everyone. But nevertheless, the course was very technical because of the steeps and our girls put 'em down the hill and skied great!

Highlights->
Katie Ulvestad takes 11th and receives Second Team All-American status.
Genette Sekse takes 25th with a great first run and a solid second run to make top 30.
Madison McLachlin finished 35th with two great runs to move up over 20 places from her start.
Laurie Taschler skied in her last GS race ever and was relieved with it!
Elke Wood had a great run but her legs gave out at the bottom, but she still finished!

The guys GS was the best USCSA Nationals GS the oles have ever had, tying with the '99 men! First run was a technical and turny. We got four guys down the first run, but Jeff Stamp, our fourth finisher, had some trouble on his run and was out of the hunt for top 30. After the first run we were in 4th, behind Rocky Mountain College, Sierra Nevada College, and Plymouth College. With our top 3 vs. Plymouth's top 3, we were only 3 hundreths behind them! Second run was a cruiser, and we were looking for a top 3. It was nerve wracking but our top three skiers, Paal Proitz, Nick Stang, and Max Lund, made it down fast and smoothly (except for Max's hip-check that scared everyone). After the top 30 were finished we were happy because we knew we got top 3 by beating Plymouth College. What we didn't realize was that we actually beat Sierra Nevada College because their third skier missed a gate and had to hike. We got 2nd place!

Highlights->
Paal Proitz showed us his mountain skills placing 4th and receiving First Team All-American status.
Nick Stang made an attack from the back placing 12th and receiving Second Team All-American status.
Max Lund raced fast and made it down safely placing 13th and receiving Second Team All-American status.
Jeff Stamp did a flip in his second run (and last GS run ever) in the middle of the course. It was awesome.
Nate Hansen crossed his tips on the third gate and fell ALL THE WAY DOWN THE PITCH. It was really funny!

2011-03-01T20:29:00.003-06:00

Katie Ulvestad '14 Freshman

From Stevens Pass, Washington. Her West-coast skiing has made an instant impact on the women Oles; She was victorious in all but one of her collegiate regular season starts and also won a GS Mid-Am up at Lutsen.

Given such consistency, one might think she would be comfortable and relaxed on the podium, but photographic evidence of an awkward step down for the Regional Slalom champ suggests otherwise.

Per her Facebook page, it seems she is also taking up an amateur acting career for some supplementary income. If she is so strapped for cash, lets keep her out of the modeling studio and in her Lange boots by sponsoring her to nationals!

Jeff Stamp: Senior

2011-03-01T12:50:00.007-06:00

Although he is quite the rabble-rouser, Jeff Stamp, Senior Captain is looking forward to this years Nationals trip. He has spent the past four years perfecting his midwest skiing (as he is from Casper, Wyoming), but is ready to take on the mountains at Sun Valley. A physics and math major (with a stats concentration), Jeff has calculated that he could do quite well this year as he is skiing with an average velocity of .5 ohms faster than his potential energy of last year.. or something..

IF ONLY HE COULD GET TO NATIONALS!

YES, WE ARE ASKING YOU TO SPONSOR THIS GUY!

What are the oles doing before nationals??

2011-02-25T15:55:00.005-06:00

We found Paal studying-- REALLY HARD. He said he will be doing homework all weekend-- Ladies look for him in this spot later today!

Max and Maddey were spotted in the cage working on homework. When asked what they were doing before nationals,

they were quite surprised as you can see... Were going to nationals???

Nate and Genette were spotted during chapel time roaming around campus..

Nate will be spending this weekend off up at his cabin with friends relaxing... and as always, will probably be wooing the ladies with his mustache.

G says she is "drinking coffee and catching up on school work!"

Help us get to Nationals!

2011-02-22T07:47:00.006-06:00

If you haven’t already heard, these past two weekends have been a huge success for the Oles! First, the St. Olaf Ski Team became Divisional Champions, taking home 11/12 possible medals, sweeping the podiums, and upsetting the other USCSA teams. Second, we just got back from Marquette, MI, braving the snow storm and the long hours in the van, but still coming home with the gold! Regional champions on both the men’s and women’s side, meaning we are headed to Nationals in two weeks! For more results, be sure and read the post below... and check-out live-timing.com!

As many of you may know, the USCSA National Championships are being held in Sun Valley, Idaho this year. To attend, our team has purchased 12 airline tickets (5 varsity skiers plus one alternate for both the men's and women's teams). However, our current annual budget simply cannot handle the magnitude of this expense. To help offset a portion of this cost, we have developed a sponsorship program to match your contributions with individual skiers and their trip to the national event. GOAL: We need your help in raising $100 per skier to go towards their airline tickets for Nationals.

To give you an inside look at the team and who you're helping through these sponsorships, we'll start by highlighting Junior Max Lund.

Max is an economics major at St. Olaf, and also plays outside midfield for the soccer team. Fresh off of victories in both the slalom and giant slalom at the Regionals championships at Marquette, MI over this past weekend, Max is an integral part of our team. We absolutely need his skills and experience if we are to live up to our potential in Sun Valley. Please help Max get to the national event! Any size donation can help offset our $100 goal for Max. 10 people giving $10, 5 giving $20, or 1 giving $100...you get the idea.

To help us pay for these plane tickets, go to www.stolafskiing.blogspot.com and click on the "GIVE NOW!" button in the upper right hand corner of the page. There you can add your sponsorship.

Thanks so much for your generous support,
St. Olaf Ski Team

We Are Going to Nationals!

2011-02-21T14:27:00.013-06:00

Hey everyone!
This past weekend, after winning Divisionals at Afton Alps with nearly perfect 11 out of 12 medals, we competed in the 2011 USCSA Midwest Regional Championships in Marquette, MI. We had a long drive up (not nearly as long and scary through the snowstorm on the way home!)and arrived late Friday night for a bit of R&R before Saturday's slalom race.
The next morning we left the hotel and arrived at the hill to see that the snow was exactly as we predicted it would be after a week of mid 40's and then cold again-glare ice.

Here are our results for the weekend!

Slalom

The first run was great for the majority of the team. On the men's side, Max Lund won the first run (36.78), followed by Paal Proitz (36.99)in second, and Nick Stang(37.13) in third. Nate Hansen pulled out a solid run placing him in 9th after the disapointing news of Jeff Stamp's fall and DNF.

Second run was a heart pumper for the ole men. Nate Hansen made it down with a great run moving him into fourth, however, with Nick Stang's second run DNF, Paal and Max were left in the start knowing they needed to finish inorder to place, and needed to finish well. Thankfully, both made it down without issues with Max wining the race, and Paal coming in second.

The womens side was slightly less exciting as the women skiied more consistantly than the men. Katie Ulvestad won both runs, with a combined time nearly two seconds ahead of the second place female. Maddey McLaughlin and Alex Anderson also put together two solid runs taking 3rd and 6th place both having better second runs moving them up into these respecive places.

First seed on B team Elke Wood also had a great day finishing 4th overall and 3rd for the Oles-- This just proves you never know what can happen when you have such a strong team!

Here are the results -
http://live-timing.com/race2.php?r=24744&u=0
http://live-timing.com/race2.php?r=24743&u=0

Giant Slalom

Sunday was a great day for the Oles as well!First run was highlighted by Paal Proitz, Max Lund, and Nick Stang who came down in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd respectively. Between Paal in 1st and Nick in 3rd were only 14 hundreths of a second! Close behind were Jeff Stamp and Nate Hanson, less than a second out of first, and just one hundreth between them!
For the first run on the B-team, Matt Hoffman edged out Joe Masciopinto by 3 tenths putting them in a similar nail biter as the rest of us with Anders Wennberg trailing by less than a second.

Second course for men was a bit turnier, but gave the guys a chance to show off their GS skills. With the oles in 5 of the top 6 spots, we knew it would be an exciting competition within the team.Nate Hansen came down first and had a little bit of trouble, but pulled off a decent run. Jeff Stamp followed next wining the second run! Nick came down next for the Ole's with a significant ammount of trouble in the flats, but kept his position in third. Then came Max Lund only 5 hundreths out of 1st. Skiing a conservative line but skiing agressivly, Max was able to tie Jeff's second run time. Last, Paal came down with a great run, however, was not quick enough to beat Max Lund-- putting him in second. The competition between the Ole men was intense, but all in good fun as it ended with a clean sweep of the podium and a trip to nationals!
On the B-team, Joe Masciopinto overcame Matt Hoffman on the second run and finished third for the B-team race, directly followed by Hoffman with Anders Wennberg in the top ten.

For the women, the day was slightly disapointing with the girls skiing strong, but not as fast as they would have liked. Katie Ulvestad won the race (as we had hoped!) and Genette finishing 4th with two solid runs. Maddey McLaughlin was the third ole finisher taking 6th, followed shortly by Alex Anderson in 8th. It was a rough day for Elke Wood, and B-Teamers Laurie Taschler and Kathleen Stefely with DNF's from Elke and Kathleen, and skating and poling from Laurie.

Here is the results sheet for GS-
http://live-timing.com/race2.php?r=24746&u=0
http://live-timing.com/race2.php?r=24745&u=0

Other highlights from the weekend include the Chinese Buffet in Marquette, team wrestling matches, enjoying a grilled hotdog at the regionals bonfire, skiier cross, and Genette winning the sportsmanship award for the year!

And to top off the review of our trip, we have a little video of the ride back in a Blizzard for you,

On to Nationals in Sun Valley, Idaho

INDIANHEAD

2011-02-13T20:38:00.002-06:00

So, we got back on the St. Olaf campus Thursday early afternoon after our 15 hour van ride from CO (which seemed a bit longer for those who chose to wear their GS suits...) and had a quick turn around before leaving for the Indianhead FIS race at noon on Friday. In this time, some of us chose to catch up on sleep in a real bed, take a shower, or even do LAUNDRY-- ambitious, we know.

Indianhead, despite some soft snow conditions and lack of interesting terrain, proved to be yet another fun and successful venue for the Ole's.

Top finishers for the weekend included Max Lund placing 4th and 5th, Katie Ulvestad taking home a 6th and 7th place finish, Maddey McLachlan with an 8th, and Nate Hansen and Jeff Stamp each taking home a 9th place finish.
And of course-- NICK STANG WITH TWO FIRST PLACE FINISHES!

CELEBRATE NICK STANG, COME ON!

(to the tune of Celebrate Good Times by Cool and The Gang)

An update from this weekends Afton Alps divisionals race will be coming your way soon-- and just to leave you with a cliffhanger, results were AMAZING!

2011-02-08T22:29:00.001-06:00

New Videos from Colorado

2011-02-08T22:13:00.004-06:00

Hello from Interim Break--Colorado!!

2011-02-01T16:41:00.008-06:00

Hey everyone!

Sorry for our absence for the past two weeks, but we have been incredibly busy training, racing, attending (some) class, and now-- SKIING IN COLORAD!

We left campus on Friday after Interim exams with Team Afton Coach Joe Paul and arrived right on time in Silverthorne at approximately 3am. The ride was rather uneventful including only the typical bickering between team members about who gets to drive, whether the heat should be on or off, or if Alex really can get Cooler Ranch Doritos even though they will stink up the ENTIRE van.

After a quick nights sleep, we were off to A-Basic for a day of free skiing on Saturday. The weather was absolutely beautiful with the temp reaching about 45 degrees. Ole's were seen ripping runs all over the hill, and some of us even got lost in the woods (ah hem. Joe Masciopinto).

Sunday we trained GS in the afternoon at Loveland with again, great weather and snow conditions. Paal Proitz and Kate Ulvestad had the male and female fast times of the day. Honorable mention to Joe Masciopinto for two epic falls (one while slipping), and Fedro DeTomassi for tightest line (which resulted in driving his face through a panel).

Monday morning, about 1am, captains Stamp and Stang called captains Taschler and Sekse with the question, "what are you doing," and statement, "we forgot to get food for breakfast and lunch tomorrow." Even with the slight issue, the team was able to get to the store, eat a hearty breakfast, pack lunch and leave Silverthorne early monday morning for a training time at Winter Park. Despite our dislike of the mild snowstorm, we got in a few good hours of GS training on Cheshire Cat. Thanks to Katrina's grandparents, JoAnne and Pem, we were also able to enjoy a delicious dinner of hamburgers, veggies, chips and cookies. Yum.

Today the temperature dropped, with a high of -5 but Olaf alpine headed off to Copper for our first, and only day of slalom training. Even though our skis stuck to teh snow from all the warm travel wax and the temp nipped at our toes (Maddey gets the award for worst frostbite of the year), we got in three hours of great training.

Throughout the trip we have enjoyed our time free skiing in the mountains, spending time at the Stamp cabin and Taschler condo (Thank you to both families!), watching video, training, eating our version of home cooking, and of course, spending too much time together!

We will be providing links to our youtube channel for some awesome video footage of the week, so stay tuned!

Introducing our very own fundraising page!

2011-01-12T08:47:00.002-06:00

Our team is very excited to introduce you to our very own giving page, right here on this blog! In the upper right hand corner you see a red button that says "Give Now!" Clicking this button will bring you to our team's new fundraising page. We only receive partial funding from the school's general fund, and so we rely on your generous support to build upon our successful tradition. Thanks to you our team continues its legacy of success and we appreciate every dollar you give. Your donations make it possible for senior Laurie Taschler to drive our team to practice in the school's vans every day; to buy new gates after junior Nick Stang breaks 5 each night at pracitce; for each of us to get "a good nights rest" in the hotels each race weekend; and ultimately to participate in and win our races! This new giving page is an attempt to show you just how big of a difference you are making for us. The idea is to give you the opportunity to choose things you'd like to fund. Since this new fundraising site was created by our team, the money you give goes directly to our team! So, thank you!

Check it out!

First USCSA Race-- Spirit Mountain; Duluth, MN

2011-01-11T08:44:00.005-06:00

We had our first collegiate competition this past weekend up at Spirit Mountain in Duluth, MN. Both the men's and women's teams dominated in both disciplines!

In women's giant slalom on Saturday, freshman Katie Ulvestad (from Stevens Pass, Washington) won by a half second, with sophomore Alex Anderson and veteran captain Laurie Taschler rounding out the winning team with fourth and fifth place finishes, respectively. Newcomers Miranda Ness and Madison McLachlan as well as junior Genette Sekse also placed in the top ten!

Katie Ulvestad completed a perfect opening weekend to her Ole skiing career with a two and a half second win in Sunday's slalom, as well. She was supported by Alex Anderson and Genette Sekse in second and third for an Ole sweep of the women's podium. Freshmen Elke Wood, Madison McLachlan and senior Laura Mansell came in 5th, 6th and 7th. Great starts from some freshmen and some solid performances by the more experienced team members made for a more than satifactory start to the ladies' season.

On the men's side, victories in both the giant slalom and slalom competitions were due in large part to dominating performances from junior captain Nick Stang and a great start to a promising Ole racing career from sophomore transfer Paal Proitz, hailing from Norway. Nick won both disciplines, giant slalom by 3 tenths and slalom by a full 2 seconds, and Paal was runner-up both days. Supporting these two were sophomore Nate Hansen (3rd in GS) and senior captain Jeff Stamp (3rd in slalom). Rounding out the top ten men's performances were Jeff (4th in GS) and freshman Matt Hoffman, getting off to a good start with a 6th place finish in Sunday's slalom.

Besides racing, we enjoyed great dinners at the Masciopinto and Wood households, as well as some R&R at the Edgewater Hotel water park. Stay tuned for more Olaf domination next weekend, when we make the wonderful 8-hour trek to Houghton, MI for our second and final regular season USCSA race before divisionals.

Don't forget that you can check-out live-timing.com on our race days for live results.

Thanks for your continued support!

And the Racing Begins

2010-12-12T16:57:00.005-06:00

Hey Everyone!

A few of us finally had our first race of the season this weekend at Buck Hill. A great race to start off with, as it was a USSA slalom race that was a lot of fun! If you live in Minnesota, you know how much snow we got, and believe me, it was as much as a powder day as Buck Hill will ever have! Before the race started, we were all wondering if we would get out of there! We had to slip out the course once, but because of how much snow was on the ground it didn't really have much of an effect. Luckily, they got the race off smoothly.

First run was an eye opener for all of us. We definitely need some practice to get our techniques and speed down, but a good first run nonetheless. Because of the snow the race was going a little slower than planned, but they finally started the second run, with all of us in the top 10 after first run with some room for improvement! A couple of us had some trouble this run because of the two foot berms of snow outside the line of the course. Out of all of us, Nate Hansen was the one with the early season strength, winning both runs for the men! And the men's side did have 5 racers in the top 7 on Saturday...a pretty strong start to the season considering the conditions. On the women's side, Laurie Taschler had a 2nd place finish on sunday! If you would like to take a look at the results, they should be posted shortly under "Buck Hill Opener," if you follow this link,

http://skifast.com/index.php?page=results

The drive home was a bit of an experience but we finally made it back in the blizzard conditions!

Christmas Camp is coming up shortly and we will fill you in on our week of training as it comes!

Have a wonderful Holiday everyone!

Freshman Faces: Pal Andre Proitz

2010-11-19T18:44:00.003-06:00

Below is the interview with Pal Proitz, a transfer sophomore from Norway. I (Jeff Stamp) interviewed him in the busy cafeteria the night of the latest Harry Potter movie...

Where are you from?

Norway

What is your home mountain?

Tryvann

What year are you?

Sophomore, but 21 years old

What is your major?

economics

Why?

My dad has a business, and I might follow in his footsteps

What do you ski on?

Atomic

When did you start racing?

around 10 years old

What is your favorite event?

GS, for the speed

What do you like most about ski racing?

the speed, I like to go fast

What is your favorite place to ski?

Saas Fee, Switzerland...every year for 6 years starting from around age 9, I went with my father...its beautiful...like something out of a movie

How is dryland so far?

great, tough...Kevin is such a bad ass...

Now for some non-skiing questions...

Who is your greatest hero?

Aamodt, the Norwegian racer...I live close to him, have met him before, and raced against him once

What do you miss most about Norway?

I don't miss it much...I miss my family the most, but the US is very similar to Norway

Tell me more about Norway...

its beautiful...and yeah, surprisingly like here...the food is not better though...you have great food, I'll give ya that

What is you favorite music?

House

Are you single?

Yes

Ready to mingle?

sure

Are you and Genette going to be best friends?

definitely, yeah

What is your favorite non-skiing activity?

soccer

Any crushes yet?

no, not yet

What is your favorite thing about Jeff Stamp?

the great way his mustache comes in

Do you plan to see the Harry Potter movie?

no, I don't

Well that does it for this installment of Freshman Faces...thanks for reading and see you after Thanksgiving break...

Freshman Faces: Maddey McLachlan

2010-11-03T14:45:00.006-05:00

Hey Everyone! Sorry for the delay but we are finally back to bring you our newest section dedicated to getting to know the freshman on the team. Jeff Stamp and I (Max Lund) will be conducting interviews with each freshman during our preseason to acquaint everyone with the future skiers of our team. So without further ado let me introduce all of you to Maddey McLachlan

The McLachlan interview-

Q: Name?

A: Maddey McLachlan.

Q: Is that Mc-G-l-a-u-g-h-l-i-n?

A: NO! Mc-capital L-a-c-h-l-a-n.

Q: Okay, Okay! Age?

A: 18

Q: Where are you from and what club did you ski with?

A: Traverse City, Michigan and I skied for Win Alpine

Q: And why did you choose St. Olaf?

A: I chose St. Olaf because it was a good place to balance skiing and a school. And I really wanted to ski! When I came for a visit it was really cold but I loved the campus! And in High School the only thing I liked studying was biology and St. Olaf was a good school for that.

Q: What do you want to do when you graduate?

A: Get a job! I want to get a dog as soon as I can too because I miss my dogs. I also would like to go to grad school, probably for PA (Physicians Assistant).

Q: Okay, then where do you see yourself in 10 years?

A: I don’t even know what I’m doing tomorrow! But seriously, I don’t really like that question. I don’t know. I want to be happy! I also want to live in the mountains! But not next to a reservoir, like actually in the mountains.

Q: Where is your favorite place to ski and why?

A: Hintertux, Austria. It was so fun! It’s all locals, and everything is really steep. And powder. Bit it had a bunch of T-bars, which was hard. And I almost fell of the side of the earth because there were no signs!

Q: How is dryland so far?

A: They are as challenging as you make them. If you put the effort in and do it correctly, it will pay off.

Q: Can you give me an example of some stuff you do?

A: Well we play soccer a lot which is fun, but a lot of it is intense workouts like running hills after working. We also do group abs which is really funny because when we count to 60, Paal messes up everytime (the new Norwegian)!

Q: What would your ideal day look like?

A: Wake up, look outside and it snowed a ton! Then I would have strawberry waffles with whipped cream for breakfast. After, I would go skiing all day and not have my feet get cold! Then I would fly home, have dads food for dinner, and hang out with my friends after and go to bed.

Q: Interesting, I would probably train slalom all day! Okay last question, what is your most memorable ski race?

A: When I was a J3 (14, 15 yrs. old), I skied in a Downhill at keystone and I was scared out of my mind! But I had a really fast split time and I was going 72 Mph! I didn’t finish super well but I was only a J3 and I had a lot of fun!

Make sure you check in next week to see who we choose next for all of you to meet!

Back to school...

2010-08-31T13:52:00.002-05:00

Hey Everyone!

It’s that time of the year again to get back to school and I think we’re all looking forward to getting back on the slopes to get some racing in! People are finally starting to head back to campus to start the year. Jeff Stamp and Max Lund arrived mid-august for soccer and are looking forward to a good season. Genette Sekse and Laura Mansell are working hard with the football and soccer teams to make sure no one gets hurt and practices run smoothly. Pal Proetz finally arrived on campus after flying for 36 hours from Norway and as expected, Genette was excited to finally have someone to talk to in her native tongue! Nick Stang and Connor Johnson are traveling the world (well, the middle of the East) on Term in the Middle East--they'll be back in time for snow in December. The newcomers are expected to show up shortly to start their ever-exciting (sarcasm) Week One! In a couple weeks the team will all get together for our fall meeting to talk about the season and explain how our team works! We are all looking forward to this year and all the good times we have on and off the snow. We want you to know how everything is going so check in every once in a while!

Make sure to stay tuned in to this blog as we will be making some introductions of the newcomers and a few other fun things for all of you to look at!

DaRk NiGhT (aka Maxwell Jay Lund, the new blogger.)

What should this blog do over the summer?!

2010-04-22T11:27:00.001-05:00

Last stop...USCSA National Championships

2010-03-09T09:05:00.000-06:00

Ole men and women competed in the USCSA National Championships last week at Sunday River, Maine. For some, it was a revisit to the hill we competed on two years ago, and for others it was a brand new experience. Skiing out east is quite different from out west. The icier hills and mountainous terrain put many racers to a new kind of test. Lucky for the Oles, a few feet of new snow and almost perfect weather left us with fairly familiar conditions to put down some killer runs. Despite many mishaps by both the men's and women's team, we were able to finish out the season strong.

Racing begins; Women's GS (Wednesday): We got out to Maine on Monday evening, trained Tuesday, and the women were ready for the GS competition Wednesday morning. The courses that were set couldn't have been straighter (much to our dismay...midwest skiers need turns to show off our moves). But the girls still had a blast...

Genette kicked butt coming down with a 14th place first run, and finishing the race in 23rd place. Her Norwegian mountain GS skills were aparent, and we were all excited for her! The team came in 12th overall for the day.
23. Genette Sekse
53. Kayla Johnson
57. Laurie Tashler
59. Laura Mansell
85. Alex Anderson

Men's GS (Thursday): Two very different courses, the first testing speed and the second technicality, proved for a difficult race on the men's side. Lund was able to move up a good five places on his second run, helping the men's team out. They finished off the race coming in 7th.
16. Nick Stang
20. Max Lund
45. Nate Hansen
47. Jeff Stamp
73. Joe Masciopinto

Women's Slalom (Friday): The women were much happier after Friday's slalom competition. As midwest skiers, we went into the race confident, knowing this was our event. The race hill featured a "steep" section at the top, moving into a rolling, flatter section, which we compared to Spirit Mountain in Duluth. Racers were able to hear the announcer screaming their name as they finished the last 15 seconds of the course. "And she moves past the last poles, over the stripes and into the finish!" he would scream. We found his description of the sport quite entertaining. The girls got 7th place in the slalom competition, with three in the top 30!
19. Genette Sekse
22. Kayla Johnson
30. Laurie Taschler
42. Laura Mansell
45. Alex Anderson

Men's Slalom (Saturday): The men had a difficult time on the slalom hill on Saturday. Stamp dq-ed after first run when he strattled a gate near the top of the course. After this, the rest of the team knew they would need to step it up. They gave it their all, putting everything they had on the line. With some of top 10 fastest splits on the second run, both Stang and Lund blew out about half way through the course. Hansen experienced similar difficulties, also hiking. Masciopinto was the lone clean-finisher, leading the team to an amazing 10th place finish, everything considered.
(The individual results cannot be found...will be posted once located. Sorry.)

President's Cup: The Nordic and Alpine ski team won the President's Cup, the combined Nordic/Alpine competition. We'd like to thank the Nordic team for their outstanding performances, winning many of their races.

We had many parents in attendance all week at the race. It was so nice to have a cheering section coming from the deck. We couldn't have done it without everyone's support. Thanks for the yummy dinners, too!

It's been an excellent season. It's weird for me to be leaving this skiing community as a racer. But I'm excited to join the rest of you, alums, in support of the team. I hope these experiences continue for this team for years to come!

Photos from Nationals

2010-03-09T08:50:00.001-06:00

Lacrosse-Dan Nagy Memorial

2010-03-07T20:51:00.000-06:00

I'm sure you've been anxiously awaiting an update on the end of our season. Let me start by telling you about our stop at the Dan Nagy Memorial in Lacrosse, Wisconsin the last weekend in February. Much of the St. Olaf skiing community was reunited for the weekend to celebrate and honor Dan Nagy, a former St. Olaf alpine skier.

The team used the race as a good warm-up for Nationals. Genette was working on recovering from pneumonia; it has gotten so bad she carried her inhaler down the course in her GS suit. I wouldn't be surprised if she stopped for a few puffs along the way. Kayla tore her meniscus and partially retore her ACL at practice a few days prior, and worked to regain her confidence for Sunday River...refusing to cut her senior season short.

Congratulations to Laurie Ann Taschler for finishing (and well I might add) two races on Damnation (the run we race down at Lacrosse) for the first time in her racing career. She's been racing since she was a J5, AND she's from Wisconsin. So she's done quite a few races at Lacrosse. Give Laurie a high five next time you see her!

Nick Stang took home the silver medal on Saturday. His performance in the mid-ams this season has won him a ticket to US Nationals. Congratulations to Nick!

To see more results, check out live-timing.com.

Which Olympic Skier do you wish you were?

2010-02-23T11:59:00.000-06:00

donating to st. olaf skiing

2010-02-20T13:57:00.001-06:00

Dear Olaf Ski Team Community,

Ole Alpine Skiing has made it to Nationals in Sunday River, Maine! You all have created a great history for St. Olaf Alpine Skiing, and we are very excited to carry the tradition forward.

As you know, these trips can become very expensive and our budget is limited. In thinking about your upcoming donations, we'd like to offer you some ideas for specific things that we pay for while away at Nationals each year, so as to let you to know exactly how helpful your money is when you donate.

One gate: $40
A lift-ticket pass for one day for one racer: $45
Credentials for one racer for the week: $300
Renting a van for the week: $1,000

Our hope in offering you this information is to give you a better idea of where your money is going if you are already giving, or give you something to aim for if you plan on giving. To give, go to https://www.stolaf.edu/giving/giftform/ and specify "Alpine Skiing" in the 'Comments and Special Instructions' box.

We appreciate all of the support we get from you in this community. Thank you again!

Love,
St. Olaf Alpine

2010 Regional Champions

2010-02-16T12:27:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to Ole Alpine and their victory this weekend at the MCSA Regional Championship race at Marquette Mountain in Marquette, Michigan!!

Both the men's and women's teams won the race, and will go on to compete at the USCSA National Championship in Sunday River, Maine, March 3-6. Outstanding performances by many put us ahead of the other 20 teams in both the slalom and giant slalom competitions.

Women's Slalom:
2. Genette Sekse
3. Alex Anderson
4. Laurie Taschler
9. Laura Mansell
16. Kathleen Stefely
40. Kayla Johnson

Men's Slalom:
3. Jeff Stamp
5. Nate Hansen
12. Max Lund
13. Joe Masciopinto
28. Gordon Finnegan

Women's GS:
1. Genette Sekse
4. Alex Anderson
7. Kayla Johnson
8. Laurie Taschler
11. Laura Mansell
27. Kathleen Stefely

Men's GS: (SWEEPING THE PODIUM!!)
1. Nick Stang
2. Max Lund
3. Jeff Stamp
14. Nate Hansen
18. Joe Masciopinto
25. Gordon Finnegan
28. Connor Johnson

The team is very excited about the victory, and we are already looking forward to competing at Nationals in just a few weeks. It should be a great chance for our team to show the rest of the country all the talent that is on our team! I think we all have high expectations for ourselves. We know we should be able to put up a pretty good fight!

Aside from the racing, we enjoyed attending the annual "MCSA banquet and award ceremony" on Saturday with the other teams. The girls' team dressed in an "animal" theme, while Jeff Stamp went as a "red man," Max Lund looked a bit like a high school tool, and the three freshmen went as some kind of Mexican brigade (to give you an idea of costumes). It was an eventful, entertaining event...as usual.

Favorite Memory?

2010-02-11T08:31:00.000-06:00

Ski Team Members, Alumni, and Parents:

What is your favorite/funniest experience with the Alpine Ski Team???? Post your story in the comments!

Interim Break--Loveland, Colorado

2010-02-09T19:13:00.000-06:00

The team arrived back to campus safely Monday morning, just in time for class. One van with one unnamed driver took a "short cut" through Kansas City. "We wanted to take in the sights...check another state off the list," the driver explained when they realized they had driven about 3 hours out of the way. But not to worry, this van made the most of their experience, taking in the sites, and even avoiding some of the snowstorm along the way. Max Lund chanted, "TO OLD MAIN," for the last 3 hours of the trip, wanting so badly to make it to his first 8am Spanish class of the second semester. Not to worry...he did.

The freshmen were all participating in the tradition of the Tight Flight. One where all of the freshmen on the team are "strongly encouraged" to wear their GS suits on the ride home. Rules being they must 1) wear it the entire way, 2) accept any ridicule given by gas station workers or restaurant waiters (not to mention teammates), 3) keep it zipped up. The tradition has been kept alive for years now.

To the right is Joe Masciopinto, Alex Anderson, and Nate Hansen (left to right in GS suits) at Subway in Kansas. The Subway employees were so excited when Nate asked to have their photo taken with them that they wrote down their names and asked to be tagged on facebook. Famous.

To the left, Gordon Finnegan at a Subway/Gas station in the middle of Nebraska. This is before (or after) two gas-station-going-ladies told him he was "so cute!" and that they wished they could "take him home with them."

But even before we got to the ride home, we skied. Three full days of training, three days of racing for some, two for others, and some "steezing" and shredding of the gnar. Joe Paul, a coach from Afton who helped us out for the week, set some great courses and worked closely with all of us. We were able to get in a bunch of good training. Everyone felt like they improved quite a bit, and have lots of confidence going into the last month and a half of our season.

The group that traveled to Taos, New Mexico for the FIS-U race had a great experience. We learned a lot from watching these amazing athletes, and ripped through the rutts that accumulated at the back of the pack. Here are a couple of pictures from our time there...
The hill.

Max Lund.

Jeff Stamp. Kayla Johnson.

Genette Sekse. Joe Paul. Nick Stang.

Back at the USCSA race at Loveland, St. Olaf represented! A two day slalom race allowed us to hone in on our midwest specialty. Nate Hansen had a top ten finish on Saturday, and Genette Sekse a top five finish on Sunday. We enjoyed competing in a new field, and were pushed hard on the ice-injected hill and tough courses. The girls' team (sans Alex) celebrating a week's success both on and off the hill is captured below...

We appreciated the visits from 2009 alum Calista Anderson, who is currently living in Breckenridge, Colorado. The team loved being reunited with Cal, and learning all about her new park-going, steezing, tricky ways.

The team continues to get closer and closer both on and off the hill. We're spending this week preparing for Regionals next weekend at Marquette. The top two teams will continue on to Nationals at Sunday River, Maine the first week in March. We'll keep you posted on our results. Thanks for your continued support!

Where are the Oles today?

2010-02-05T21:16:00.001-06:00

Sorry for the lack of information lately...

The Olaf ski team is currently racing, training, and learning too much about one another in Loveland, Colorado and Taos, New Mexico. Our team, as well as Coach Joe Paul, drove out to Loveland early Monday morning for a week long training camp over our interim break. We spent 3 days training at Loveland. The boys team took over the Stamps' cabin for the week (THANK YOU to the Stamps!), and the girls are staying close by. We've talked regularly about how lucky we are to be here and how much fun we are having. So thanks!

Max Lund, Nick Stang, Jeff Stamp, Kayla Johnson and Genette Sekse left Thursday afternoon for Taos, New Mexico to race in the FIS-U.

The rest of the team spent the day free-skiing in some new powder back at Loveland. Word is that 3 un-named female racers had to sweet-talk their way out of getting their tickets pulled after sneaking onto a roped off run. When asked what they were doing, they reported they were "shredding too hard." These 8 racers will race in the USCSA Loveland race tomorrow, and the Taos racers will join them for the race on Sunday.

More interim break stories and results to come when we get home on Monday...

Divisionals--Giants Ridge

2010-02-05T18:30:00.001-06:00

The Oles took home the Governors' Cup last weekend at Giants "Fridge" in Biwabik, MN. It was a weekend full of good skiing, sunny weather, and team bonding. Fans may report an on-hill all-team snowball fight/wrestling match which ended in two bloody noses...sorry Joe.

In slalom on Saturday, the girls took 4 of the top 5 spots, beating the second place team by close to 10 seconds. The men took 3 of the top five spots, beating the second place team by close to 5 seconds.

Women's Slalom:
2 Genette Sekse
3 Kayla Johnson
4 Alex Anderson
5 Laurie Taschler
12 Laura Mansell
Men's Slalom:
1 Max Lund
2 Nick Stang
4 Jeff Stamp
9 Nate Hansen
19 Gordon Finnegan
25 Connor Johnson
78 Paul Ranum

In Sunday's GS, men and women took home the win as well, with Jeff Stamp earning his first gold medal in GS!
Women's GS:
2 Genette Sekse
5 Alex Anderson
6 Kayla Johnson
10 Laurie Taschler
16 Laura Mansell
20 Kathleen Stefely
Men's GS:
1 Jeff Stamp
4 Max Lund
5 Nate Hansen
7 Nick Stang
23 Joe Masciopinto
26 Gordon Finnegan
28 Connor Johnson

For more info on results, check out live-timing.com

College Race at Spirit Mountain

2010-01-26T09:46:00.000-06:00

This weekend our team competed at the MCSA race at Spirit Mountain in Duluth, MN. A special thanks to the Ryan family for housing our team once again this year. The food was delicious, the beds very comfortable, the pingpong matches intense, and the hosts were amazing! We can't thank them enough.

The game: This weekend marked the first annual Intersquad Match. Teams were created by master-architect Jeff Stamp and much was put at stake. In this weekend's competition, each racer was matched with a racer of their same gender for a match. For example, Laurie Taschler raced Genette Sekse. If Taschler won, she got a point for her team, and vise versa. As there are an odd number of guy and girl racers, Kathleen Stefely and Gordon Finnegan were scored based on their place. The teams looked like the following... (the 1's from each team competed, 2 vs. 2, 3 vs. 3, etc.)
Team A
1. Max Lund
2. Nate Hansen
3. Connor Johnson
4. Laurie Taschler
5. Kayla Johnson
6. Kathleen Stefely
Team B
1. Nick Stang
2. Jeff Stamp
3. Joe Masciopinto
4. Genette Sekse
5. Alex Anderson
6. Gordon Finnegan

The stakes: the LOSING team will cook dinner for everyone the first night in Colorado (our entire team is traveling to Summit County next week for interim break to train and race). The winning team is entitled to any kind of ridicule, teasing, and downright child-like behavior while the losing team cooks.

The race: Saturday's GS competition was stiff. At the end of the day, Team A and Team B were tied. It was an exciting day for Olaf, as two freshmen won the race; Nate Hansen on the men's side, and Alex Anderson for the women. We all knew that Sunday's slalom competition was very important for the outcome of this intersquad match.

We all raced fiercely as each team fought for the victory. It was a close competition with 4 of 5 girls in the top 5, and 2 of 5 boys. Not only was it a good performance within this intersquad competition, but it was an outstanding performance for Olaf amongst the other college teams.

I know you are probably sitting at the edge of your chair, shaking with anticipation, wondering, waiting to hear which team won the first ever Intersquad Mens and Womens Combined Competition. But the truth is...after both days...the two teams were tied. Jeff Stamp's impeccable team making ability caused the teams to be so evenly matched that we went home unsettled with no real victor. We've decided that the fairest way of deciphering the winner is to flip a coin. I volunteered to flip a coin in the privacy of my home, but knew that the losing team would probably pull some rabel-rousing move and try to sabatoge me...slashing my skis or scratching my goggles. The winner of this weekend's intersquad competition will be posted this afternoon after practice. Stay tuned...

As for the MCSA Governor's Cup Title, Olaf took home the gold on both the men's and women's side. The overall results were as follows:
Men's GS:
1 Nate Hansen
5 Max Lund
7 Nick Stang
22 Jeff Stamp
27 Joe Masciopinto
50 Gordon Finnegan
81 Connor Johnson
Women's GS:
1 Alex Anderson
2 Genette Sekse
6 Laurie Taschler
7 Kayla Johnson
21 Kathleen Stefely
Men's Slalom:
2 Jeff Stamp
3 Nate Hansen
6 Max Lund
10 Joe Masciopinto
18 Gordon Finnegan
Women's Slalom:
1 Genette Sekse
2 Kayla Johnson
3 Laurie Taschler
5 Kathleen Stefely

More results at www.live-timing.com.

Thanks again to all of the parents who came up and watched us this weekend. We all appreciate your support!

Thanks also for continuing to send the blog link to friends, teammates, coaches, fans, strangers!

Videos of Marquette

2010-01-20T14:01:00.000-06:00

What was your favorite part of Olaf skiing??

2010-01-19T14:56:00.000-06:00

Marquette, MI; Big Sky, MO

2010-01-18T10:07:00.000-06:00

This weekend the majority of the team competed at the Marquette, Michigan FIS race at Marquette Mountain. Part of the team began the eight hour trek on Thursday afternoon to participate in Friday's national point GS competition. The highlight of Friday's competition was Connor Johnson's ability to nail down two solid runs and take home a much needed result.

The rest of the team arrived late Friday night to an unnamed luxury hotel (only the finest for the Olaf skiers) ready to compete in Saturday and Sunday's slalom competition. Despite the fact that we've all been ski racing for many years now, our team learned one very important lesson: basher bands are a good idea! Nick Stang spent 3 hours in the hospital after Saturday's competition getting 9 stitches, Connor Johnson went home with a fat lip, and Nate Hansen will sport a gaping wound across the bridge of his nose for the rest of the season.

But despite his bleeding wound, Nick Stang took home the gold medal and Mid-Am title in Saturday's slalom competition, making him the first male St. Olaf skier to win a Mid-Am since coach Kevin Cook (according to Kevin himself). Not only was this a great win for Nick, but it was also an honor as this race is a memorial for Shelley Glover, a US ski team bound racer who lost her life in a skiing accident. In case you are unaware, the team has written a song that must be sung to Nick Stang after each award he is given: to the tune of "Celebrate Good Times," we sing "CELEBRATE NICK STANG, COME ON!" Feel free to join in at the next event award ceremony.

(While Stang went home with the gold, it must also be noted that Joe Masciopinto went home with a hat and Laurie Taschler with new pole guards, each won in the event raffle.)

Both the boys and girls team took 3 of the top 15 places in Saturday's competition as well: Nick Stang, Jeff Stamp, and Nate Hansen for the men and Genette Sekse, Kayla Johnson, and Laurie Taschler for the women.

More of Saturday and Sunday's results can be found at: FIS results

Max Lund spent the weekend competing at the FIS-U in Big Sky, Montana. Despite some hip-checks and faults, Lund represented the team well at this high-stake, highly competitive competition. He raced against many Division 1 teams, US ski team bound racers, and national competitors. Congratulations to Max for his participation out West! Check out the results here: FIS-U Results

LaCrosse USSA Race

2010-01-12T08:53:00.001-06:00

This weekend our tour stopped at the LaCrosse USSA Race. Racing down Damnation proved to be a true test of skill and heart. Competition was stiff and only got stiffer when bets were placed and hair-dos were put at stake. Here's a recap of the weekend...

Saturday, Slalom
**Sophomore Max Lund stole the 2010 USSA LaCrosse Slalom title, winning by close to 2 seconds. Freshman Nate Hansen went home with a bronze in the J1 age class. The whole team was present at the awards ceremony, cheering loudly for these two extraordinary racers.
**On the girls ends, Kathleen Stefely must be recognized. Facing Damnation head on for the first time in her racing career, she successfully put down two solid runs! Atta girl!

Sunday, GS: THE MAIN EVENT
After a team meeting discussing a need for more intense competition and a desire to put more on the line, bets were placed and lots was put at stake on both the men's and women's team.
Bet #1: Max Lund vs. Nick Stang
Contract read: The loser of tomorrow's Giant Slalom race, January 10, 2010, must shave their head hair into a mohawk with the shaved part shaved to a "1." The loser must also grow a mustache and/or handle bars and mustache. This contact goes into effect Monday, January 4, 2010 at 6:00pm, and ends February 20, 2010 at 6:00pm.
OUTCOME: This bet alone added so much anticipation to our team, that it even spread to fans and parents of other racers and teams. Lund came down Damnation his first run beating Stang by over half a second. We knew Stang would have a lot of time to make up second run, but we also knew that anything can happen in a ski race.
Max in second and Nick and fifth, we waited and watched for the two to battle it out down Damnation second run. As Stang roared down the course and finished with a solid second run, the announcer announced his time adding, "hold onto your head Nick. We're still waiting for Max Lund to see if this racer goes home with a Mohawk." Lund came down with a killer second run, beating Stang overall by close to a second and a half...the crowd roared and the race announcer bared the unfortunate result of the competition to Stang. It was more excitement than most of us were used to... Look for a picture below!

Bet #2: Genette Sekse vs. Laurie Taschler vs. Kayla Johnson
Contract read: The winner of January 10, 2010 Giant Slalom race at Mt. LaCrosse will be awarded the following: their own bed for each night slept at the Marquette FIS race, and one unit of candy from each of the losers. The losing participants thereof must do 10 star jumps in the finish arena immediately following the men's competition.
OUTCOME: After the first run, competition was close. The team became worried when Taschler stepped out of her binding and went tumbling ALL of the way down Damnation. One unnamed coach got on his walky talky to tell the race starters, "We're going to need to hold the course. There are skis and poles...and even boots all over the hill." Sekse was ahead after the first run by five tenths. Though Johnson, only 2 places behind and more confident than ever, told Sekse, "I DARE YOU TO BEAT ME!"
The crowd gathered at the bottom of the hill with butterflies in their stomachs for the second run. Sekse and Johnson put up a tough fight, taking the third and fourth best times for the second run. But Sekse kept her spot, taking home the bed and candy...and most of all pride.
The competition was topped off with 10 star jumps by Laurie and Kayla, in the finish arena, in front of the crowd.

It was a great weekend. The team continues to get closer and skiing continues to improve. Thanks for all of your support!

First College Race!

2010-01-04T10:52:00.000-06:00

This Saturday and Sunday marked the beginning of the St. Olaf Alpine Ski season. We raced at Afton Alps in Afton, MN. Despite the dangerously cold weather, your Oles took home the Gold!

It was great to be back on the hill. Everyone realized the rust they need work out, and got excited for the season to get underway. Dryland has definitely paid off.

EXCITING NEWS: results from our races will now be posted on live-timing.com during every race. So if you are the lazy type and can't make it out to the hill to cheer on your alma mater...check out that site. You can "watch" the race from your couch.
Check out the full results from this weekend at http://www.live-timing.com/races.php?pc=4&m=January&y=10 (It's the USCSA race at Afton.)

Highlights:
**Men and Women won the overall titles!
**Women's Slalom (Saturday): The girls team swept the podium, taking home first, second, third, and fourth.
**MVS: Jeff Stamp (junior co-captain)...after returning from a semester in Budapest, he took fifth for the team in slalom and GS...CONSISTENT!
**BBQ sandwiches and chili that the parents brought us for "halftime" on Saturday and Sunday. THANKS!

Thanks to those parents and friends who came out and cheered us on!!
Weekend weather: -20 degrees in the morning, -7 by the time we left the hill.

Welcome!

2009-12-01T08:47:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the new Friends of St. Olaf Skiing blog! My name is Kayla Johnson and I am a senior captain on the team this year. Skiing has been a very important part of my time at Olaf, as it was for many of you. Many of my best friends are on the team, and the time we spend together on the hill, in the vans, and in some of the most interesting towns around the country are many of the best memories I'll keep from Olaf. I've started this blog, along with help from the team, in the hopes that you (alum, fans, parents, friends...) will be able to stay more connected to the team.

The team keeps growing in size, which is awesome! St. Olaf has had an incredible, high-performing ski team for as long as we can remember, and more and more skiers are drawn to it year after year. Consequently, we need to be a lot stricter on our budgeting. We want to be a team that anyone can be apart of, regardless of ability, because we know that it is an important community in which much can be learned and experienced. That said, we know we need to find a way to stabilize our budget so we can allow as many people as possible to compete at their highest potential level.

I started thinking about fundraising possibilities this summer after being urged by head coach Kevin Cook to come up with some ideas for the team. I was frustrated because fundraising is difficult and ineffective for several reasons. One, when people live all over the world during the summer (yes, we have a foreigner on the team!), and are involved in numerous extra things during the fall, getting people together is close to impossible. Two, who wants to buy cookie dough anymore? We can't go door to door like girl scouts selling things that people have already bought from their grade-school aged kids. And finally, its hard to get people excited about ski racing when its 80 degrees in August. There's no good time to get this done. But the problem is, we still need funding in order for this team to compete at our highest potential level.

I was doing all of this frustrated thinking while working at an internship at Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. As a Social Entrepreneurial intern, I was involved in several pilot projects from ideation through implementation. The two other interns Kate Horvat (also a senior at St. Olaf) and Tallis Boyd (a senior at the University of Minnesota) and I started pooling our ideas, and created a plan for a system for more efficient fundraising. We created a plan that we hope will create a more unified and passionate community of skiers and fans, parents and coaches, alum and students. One that can support each other, and help the legacy of St. Olaf Alpine Skiing live on...

To create this stronger more connected and supportive community, we're starting with a blog. The Friends of St. Olaf Skiing blog is a place for the St. Olaf Alpine Ski team community to be rejoined and reunited with you all. This blog will provide you with updates from the team, pictures of racers hanging out in the ski vans and winning races on the hill, insight into what it's like to be a freshmen in this community, and more. We'll have a calendar of events so you can keep track of where we go and how we do, and maybe even come out to cheer us on! You can post messages yourself and get back into touch with your old team. We'd love to hear what stories you have about that one race way back when...

So, email the link to your old teammates, post want-ads for your old coaches to join, and give the current team members some real-world, practical advice! Welcome back to the St. Olaf Alpine Skiing community!