Fall 2017 Newsletter

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Message from Executive Director, John Norton

We are gearing up for the 2017-2018 season and are excited to see enrollment coming in quickly! It won’t be long before we are on-snow in the East! Before straight-lining into next season, I would like to share some highlights from the last few months.

This summer, we were booked up with c amps and weekend events. Alpine camps started off in Les 2 Alpes, France and Mt. Hood, Oregon (home of the Huckleberry milkshake!) while other athletes traveled to the Southern Hemisphere for winter snow in August. Ramp and Tramp training was, again, a hit for our Freeride athletes in the pool while the Nordic skiers trained regularly on roller-skis, on the jumps, and on the range. Weekends were full of events like volunteering for the Lake Placid Ironman in July (and newest Ironman 70.3 in September), supporting our friend and alum, Andrew Weibrecht in the Lake Placid Hall of Fame Induction, hosting the Climb to the Castle, riding in the Kelly Brush Foundation Ride, dry-land and much, much more.

Most recently, NYSEF athletes and alumni participated in the US National Ski Jumping / Nordic Combined Championships during the Flaming Leaves Festival in Lake Placid. During the Festival, athletes ﬂew off the 20, 48 and 90 meter jumps. Community members and visitors from around the world came to watch these athletes ﬂy through the sky.

Also, NYSEF has gone through a number of exciting stafﬁng changes this summer. Although we are sad to see some of our seasoned staff move on to snowier slopes, we know they are not far away and will be back soon. Please check out our new (and current) staff at nysef.org or stop by one of the venues for a visit!

Finally, I cannot say this enough: THANK YOU to our Board of Directors, family, friends, alumni and athletes for supporting NYSEF through volunteering, donations, event attendance and enrollment. We ARE the future of snowsports.

What to Watch: 2018 Winter Games

2017 Summer Benefit

Thank you for those who attended the NYSEF Summer Beneﬁt on Saturday, August 26! The energy and charisma of our guests was contagious. We enjoyed commemorating the past, present and future of NYSEF with you! At the beneﬁt, our NYSEF Family said ‘farewell’ to our NYSEF alums who are off training across the world in prep for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games! NYSEF is eager to build on this momentum and to celebrate building the next generation of leaders in snowsports.

Founding Fathers

NYSEF is adding a special event in Summer 2018, the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. The ceremony will honor members of the NYSEF Family who have made signiﬁcant impacts to the organization. Much like anything else worthwhile, NYSEF began as a dream and has since grown to include 6 disciplines, 4 primary venues and over 400 athletes, some of whom have competed in the Winter Olympic Games. We continue to be thankful for the hard work our Founding Fathers did in order to make NYSEF what it is today.

Bib Transformation

NYSEF has been working on new development endeavors over the last few months. One of many are new bibs for the upcoming season! We are partnering with local businesses and most importantly, members of the NYSEF Family. NYSEF bibs are used at events like the Hovey Memorial race to the Climb to the Castle roller ski event. We look forward to starting the next chapter in the bib evolution.

Winter Term: Nordic

NYSEF Snowsports announced their expanded Nordic Skiing Winter Term Program. NYSEF currently has an advanced Winter Term Program speciﬁc to alpine and freeride athletes. With new staff, developing athletes, and local partnerships, our Nordic program is ready for more!

Skiing to a summit

Climb to the Castle, a rollerski event up the Whiteface toll road, took place on Sunday, September 24, 2017. Former Cross Country Head Coach, Margaret Maher executed this event. Although we are sad to see Margaret leave, she will be using her nursing degree, locally, in Lake Placid! As we say, ‘see you soon’ to one seasoned coach, we gain another, Shane MacDowell. NYSEF also gained a new member of the Board of Directors who enjoys skiing and has shot a target or two, Andrea (Henkel) Burke. Andrea is one of the most decorated biathletes of all time. Andrea will be helping to coach our biathlon program.

The Adventures of Jay

Former Executive Director, Jay Rand retired from NYSEF 2 years ago. Since then, he has been keeping busy in and around the Adirondacks. From coaching our ski jumping program to outdoor guiding with our friends at High Peaks Cyclery to skydiving in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Jay is living the life. Stay tuned to our social pages for the next segment on the “Adventures of Jay Rand.”

Support the future of snowsports!

Did you know?

In the 2016-2017 season, we were able to support thirty-ﬁve (35) of our athletes in the form of scholarships. Scholarships range from $500-$6,500 with an average of $1,500 per athlete. This support totaled $54,500 and we are eager to increase this funding over time.

Scholarships like the Dare to Dream Fund, help youth and their families to participate in one of the many disciplines offered at NYSEF. Without the support of the families, alumni, and our local partners, NYSEF would not exist. STOP BY THE NYSEF BUILDING and receive unconditional high-ﬁves for supporting the NYSEF mission!