Powder Report
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Mancuso makes history
Julia Mancuso of Olympic Valley charted a courageous line through the Women’s Slalom on Feb. 18 to earn her second silver in two events and tie Bode Miller for the most Olympic medals ever by a U.S. skier at three.

“When I realized that I got another medal, it’s that moment that you wait for as an athlete,” Mancuso said. “It’s the moment that you realize that I’ve been working so hard for this moment, and to know that really, anything’s possible. I didn’t expect that from myself, I just believed and went for it.”

Mancuso, who also won Downhill silver on Feb. 17 and Giant Slalom gold in Torino, now ranks tied for sixth all time among U.S. women in Winter Olympic medals. In the Women’s Super G on Feb. 20, Mancuso finished in 9th place at 1:21.50.

Mancuso continues her Olympic challenge as she was scheduled to compete in the Giant Slalom on Feb. 24 (after The Weekly’s press time). Visit www.vancouver2010.com or www.nbcolympics.com for the latest results.

Bahrke takes Olympic bronze
Shannon Bahrke of Tahoe City added a Bronze medal to her silver in 2002 in Olympic freestyle moguls competition on Cypress Mountain on Feb. 12.

Bahrke’s speedy, tight run led the final round heading into the final two skiers – favorites Jennifer Heil of Canada (who took Silver) and Hannah Kearney of Vermont, who cinched the Gold medal.

“I definitely feel like I had a few gaps,” Bahrke said. “There’s no doubt about it, I was going for gold, but there was so much competition out there today.”

Bahrke’s haul of two medals is the most ever by a U.S. freestyle skier, cementing her place in the sport’s history as she prepares to hang up the skis after 12 years with the U.S. Ski Team.

Teter takes Halfpipe Silver
Olympic gold medalists Hannah Teter of South Lake Tahoe and Kelly Clark added silver and bronze to their respective trophy cases, while Australia’s Torah Bright brought the gold medal Down Under with a final run 45.0 in Women’s Halfpipe on Feb. 18. Teammate Elena Hight, also of South Lake Tahoe, finished in 10th.

The second woman to win successive Olympic medals in snowboard, Teter gained the top spot after the first round of finals with a 42.4, landing a clean run.

Holland misses Olympic medal
Nate Holland of Olympic Valley, a five-time X Games gold medalist, spun out early during the Olympic Snowboardcross competition on Cypress Mountain on Feb. 15, finishing in 4th place.

“I knew I was riding really well on the course and I like to battle. I was happy to do that,” Holland said. “I was actually setting him up for that next straightaway – that’s where I was going to pull a pass. You know, it just didn’t work out.”

No local medals in first Skicross
No more than 30 seconds into the first race at the inaugural Olympic Skicross competition on Feb. 21, Truckee’s own Daron Rahlves lost any chance for the medal that has eluded him in three previous Olympics in Alpine. He finished in 28th overall. Errol Kerr of Truckee, competing for Jamaica, finished in 9th place overall.

The 36-year-old Rahlves collided with France’s Ted Piccard and landed hard on his back. He got up, skied to the finish, then writhed in agony at the bottom – a painful end to both his day, and his career. “That’s it for me,” he said.

Alpine Olympic events
Truckee’s Marco Sullivan finished his first Olympic competition for the 2010 games – the Men’s Downhill – in 60th position at 2:07.76 at Whistler Creekside on Feb. 15.

He followed with a 22nd place finish in the Men’s Super G on Feb. 19 at 1:32.09.

Truckee’s Stacey Cook finished in 11th place in the Women’s Downhill competition on Feb. 17.

Reno’s Tim Jitloff was scheduled to compete in the Men’s Giant Slalom on Feb. 23, after The Weekly’s press time. As well, Scotty Bahrke of Tahoe City is scheduled to compete in the Men’s Aerials on Feb. 25. Bahrke was a late replacement for Dylan Ferguson, who is unable to compete for medical reasons. For the latest results, visit www.vancouver2010.com or www.nbcolympics.com.

Nissan Tram Face at Squaw
The world’s best skiers and snowboarders are battling it out again for the Freeride World Tour Championship with the next stop at Squaw Valley USA for the Nissan Tram Face from Feb. 27 to March 6. The Tram Face has never before successfully opened for competition, as weather deterred the event (and first legal descent) from taking place in 2009.

A testament to Squaw Valley’s paramount terrain and Freeride training ground, four of the nine U.S. athletes invited to compete on the World Tour are Squaw Valley skiers and riders, including 2008 Women’s Ski Freeride World Tour Champion Elyse Sagstad, 2009 Men’s Snowboard Freeride World Tour Tram Face Champion Jeremy Jones, former Squaw Valley Ski Team alpine racer and ski film star Cody Townsend, freeskiing and BASE jumping legend JT Holmes, and 23-year-old Tim Dutton, who was raised in the shadow of the elusive Tram Face at the base of Squaw Valley. For details, visit www.freerideworldtour.com.

DeBarri 2nd in North Face race
Maria DeBarri of Olympic Valley took the 2nd place spot in The North Face Masters of Snowboarding in Washington on Feb. 12.

Also competing in the event were Anna Weber of Tahoe in 7th place and Iris Lazzareschi of Squaw Valley USA’s team in 9th in women’s competition. On the men’s side, Squaw Valley team members Christopher Galvin placed 12th, with Ralph Backstrom in 16th, Ross Baker in 21st and Andrew Irwin in 31st. Alpine Meadows’ team members Ian Bigley finished in 22nd and Jordan Ketcherside in 34th, while Sugar Bowl team member Brian Bozack finished in 40th.

Expression Session Final Showdown
Boreal hosts the Final Showdown of the Expression Session series on Feb. 26. Entry is $5 with a lift ticket or season pass. Register from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Group Sale Office. Entry is limited to the first 50 people to sign up. Helmets are required.

Mt. Rose hosts competitions
In recognition of the Olympics being back on the West Coast, Mt. Rose is holding slalom races open to the public from Feb. 26 to 28. The races will be held daily from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and there will be a match and win format. Prizes will include daily medals and results will be posted at Mt. Rose. The competition is open to all ages, and skiers and snowboarders welcome. Participants must be able to ski or ride intermediate runs. Entry is free with the purchase of a lift ticket or season pass.

Test your big mountain riding in the legendary Chutes at Mt. Rose on Feb. 27. This ski/snowboard best line contest will take place in the El Cap chute, featuring more than 1,000 vertical feet and pitches ranging from 45 to 55 degrees. Participants will take two runs and judges will award points based on style, line creativity/difficulty, air and run time. The Chutes Challenge is free with a season pass or lift ticket. Registration will be held in the Main Lodge from 8:30 to 10 a.m. and the competition will run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. All ages welcome and participants must ski or snowboard at an advanced ability. Helmets are required.

For more information, visit www.skirose.com or call (775) 849-0704.

Royal Gorge freestyle
Royal Gorge hosts a 10km and 5km Freestyle Race on Feb. 28 from the Van Norden trailhead at 10 a.m. Entry is $20, $15 for passholders, and juniors are $25, or $20 for passholders. Fees include trail pass. Registration ends at 4 p.m. on Feb. 27; junior deadline is Feb. 26. For details, visit www.royalgorge.com.

Winter camping class
The Tahoe Rim Trail Association will be offering Snow Camping 101, an overnight winter camping trip, on Feb. 27 and 28.

Led by two experienced TRTA guides, Jordan Summers and Wayne McClelland, and staff, this one-night excursion is designed to share the joys to be found in the snow-filled back country overlooking Lake Tahoe.

Participants must be 21 and the trips are limited to 12 people. There is no cost, but donations are appreciated. For more information and for prerequisites for the course, call (775) 298-0238 or e-mail programs@tahoerimtrail.org.

Northstar snowshoe race
Northstar hosts the final race in its snowshoeing series on Feb. 27 at the Cross-Country Center. The 5km Fun Walk/Run and 10km Competitive Run courses feature a rolling course with groomed and ungroomed single-track sections. There’s also the Kid’s Rising Star Rumble with a 500-meter course and 1k course. Entry is $30 or $15 for kids ages 12 and under. Prizes for top three men and women in both races. There also will be a raffle and lunch. For more information or to register, call (800) 466-6784 or visit www.northstarattahoe.com.

Transworld TransAm
TransWorld SNOWboarding Magazine hosts the fifth stop on the 2010 TransWorld SNOWboarding TransAm at Northstar-at-Tahoe on March 6. This year’s TransAm mini park is loaded with creative features.

There is a $10 registration fee, which includes a one-year subscription to TransWorld SNOWboarding Magazine. There will be a 100 rider limit on pre-registration and then they will allow for another 25 to 50 riders the day of. Register at www.highcascade.com. Registration does not include lift ticket, however participants will be offered a discounted ticket rate of $57 for adult, $46 for young adult and $17 for children. These tickets will be available the morning of the event. For more information, visit www.transam.transworld.net.

Heuga Vertical Express
Teams of three skiers and riders raise a minimum of $1,000 to enter the Vertical Express for MS at Squaw Valley USA on March 6 and 7. The day’s activities include on-snow events, exciting prizes, complimentary lift tickets, food and goodie bags. Proceeds from the event allow people with MS to live full, productive lives by supporting the Heuga Center’s one-, three- and five-day programs that help people with this incurable, neurological disease manage it to the best of their ability. Register for the Vertical Express for MS at www.verticalexpress.org or by calling (800) 376-3101.

SnowBomb Sick ‘n’ Twisted
SnowBomb’s Sick ‘n’ Twisted Series continues with the Rail Jam competition at Sugar Bowl on March 6 in the Switching Yard Terrain Park.

Registration is $20 for Open Class and $10 for Amateur Class. Anyone under the age of 18 wishing to compete must have a parent/guardian on hand at registration on the day of the event to sign and complete all liability forms. Helmets are required. Competitions start at noon on event day. Register between 9 and 10:30 a.m., practice is until 11:30 a.m. For more information, visit www.snowbomb.com or e-mail info@snowbomb.com.

Jam for the Cure
Support The Cause as Sugar Bowl teams up with Boarding for Breast Cancer and The HERA Foundation to race and jam for the cure on March 7 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The resort will be holding a rail jam in the Switching Yard Terrain Park. All entry fees will go to help find a cure for breast cancer and ovarian cancer. Sugar Bowl will have many sponsors on hand supporting the cause. Entry is $25 and does not include lift tickets. For more information, call (530) 426-9000.

Be a Champion Ski Race
Mt. Rose host the Be A Champion Ski Race & Party on March 9. This is a public race with the best combined time of two runs on a slalom course open to male and female skiers and snowboarders.
Register from 8 to 10 a.m. at the Main Lodge. Entry is free with a lift ticket or pass. The race is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Bullwhip Run. Visit www.skirose.com.

Moto Mondays
Alpine Meadows is hosting the Moto Mondays series open to team or individual racing. Upcoming dates include Slalom on March 8 and March 22, with Giant Slalom competition on March 1 and 15. Après ski parties and specials follow the races.

Entry is $20 per person per race; does not include lift ticket. Discounted lift tickets are available for racers. Register by noon on or before race day at the Ski School. Races start at 1 p.m. The best of two runs counts. For details, call (530) 581-8234.

Red Bull Schlittentag
Alpine Meadows hosts the Red Bull Schlittentag (German for sledding day) on March 13. This event is designed for “daredevils willing to propel themselves down a snow-covered hill and over a jump on a sled they built themselves.

Three-person teams will compete to be the fastest sledders this side of the Alps. One will be the pilot and the two others will help give their sled the push it needs to win the race and the fame and fortune that follows. Racers must build their own sled; no prefabricated sleds are allowed. The sled has to be built on a base of a saucer, toboggan, ski deck and snowboard deck, and must have a stopping device. Judging will be based on fastest time and creativity of craft. For detailed race criteria, visit www.skialpine.com.

Northstar hosts Sunchaser Challenge
The North Lake Tahoe Visitors Bureaus and Chamber of Commerce recently secured the Sunchaser Challenge, a multi-discipline adventure challenge set for May 22 at Northstar-at-Tahoe.

The Sunchaser Challenge is a sporting event from sunrise to sunset that features orienteering, running, mountain biking, road biking and kayaking. About 1,000 competitors are expected for the challenge. For more information, visit www.sunchaserchallenge.com.