Fantastic! Yup- that sums it up for the day and season! The whole family headed to the mountain for a couple of hours and we ended up staying for 5 hours!! After only 3 runs, sunny skies, warm temps, and all the happy people; we decided that Easter dinner could be put in the freezer. The snow held up all day and we ended our season with phenomenal spring skiing conditions. There is still plenty of snow on Gema, White Caps, Terry's Trail, Old Tecumseh, World Cup, and more to enjoy a full day of making turns. Get up there while you can!

Summer skiing

Today was not spring skiing, it was summer skiing. It was so much fun, I have skied in the summer in other parts of the country and world and it was not as hot as it was today. People were skiing in all sorts of outfits, bikinis to shirtless and shorts. Today was also the absolute best day you could have the pond skimming contest so there were even people out there in costumes for that. It was quite fun watching people trying to get across the pond and even more fun watching the people fall into the water. I am sure even with the hot temperatures that the water was very cold. I could not imagine what the boot s of the people that fell in were like. I am sure that anyone that fell in, their skiing was over for the day. There is still plenty of snow left on the mountain and if you can get out tomorrow you should. Looks like it is going to be another great day tomorrow.

Sunshine and Snow

I have come to accept that I can only ski on the weekends but I have to admit that this year the weekends have been great. It seems like every time I come to Waterville it is either sunny or snowing, even when everyone else is getting rain. Today was no exception. It was 60 degrees and sunny. The snow that WV got at the end of last weekend and beginning of the week was noticeable. Great coverage and classic spring skiing. These are the days that you wait for all season. The snow is soft and the bumps are forgiving.
The whole week I was wondering if the snow would be good at the mountain because I basically have green grass at my house. Well my question was answered today. There is plenty of snow and if the weather pattern stays like this I will be able to work on that goofy goggle tan that everyone in my office makes fun of me for. Looking forward to tomorrow and some more hero snow.

Gagnon Tops the Stacked Women’s GS Field at 2010 Nor Am Cup Finals

The women wrapped up their first event of the 2010 Nor Am Cup Finals as Marie-Michele Gagnon won the Giant Slalom Overall and Julia Ford won the Giant Slalom Juniors under sunny blue skies in Waterville Valley, NH. Following Gagnon in the overall awards were Olympian Sarah Schleper and Megan McJames- winning second and third respectively.

Abby Fucigna, 2009 Waterville Valley Academy graduate, placed 3rd in the Juniors division. Fucigna started as a Mitey Mite in the BBTS Ski Club and then transitioned into Waterville Valley Academy, the BBTS full time academic and snowsports training program. “ My GS has come a long way since last year,” said Fucigna, “I felt good, aggressive and clean after the first run...during the second run I hit a cross rut which slowed me down a bit, but that’s ski racing!” Even with that bobble, Fucigna’s total time for runs one and two was fast enough to give her 19th overall. “ There’s a lot more pressure to be able to put two solid, clean runs together. Because if you don’t, just like today, you get bumped back due to the stacked field of competition.”

The women return to the hill on Thursday with the men for Slalom, the final event of the 2010 Nor Am Cup Finals. For final results from the women’s GS and all the results from this week’s competition, please go HERE .

Abigail Fucigna grew up skiing at WV and BBTS

Abigail Fucigna placed 19th overall and 3rd in the junior division

The women's overall GS podium

Nor Am Cup Finals Underway at Waterville Valley

The sun shined and skies were blue for the start of the Nor Am Cup finals on Tuesday morning, a far cry from Monday’s rain, snow and ice mix. The precipitation created sloppy snow conditions on the mountain, making a very grueling preparation for the event, which dragged on to the late hours of Monday night. Waterville Valley Academy coaches hosed down the runs in hopes to harden the snow for optimum racing. Their hard work paid off as day one of the series went as scheduled and

WVBBTS CEO and Executive Director, Peter Stokloza deemed it a success “the snow was good, the sun was out and the skiing was extraordinary- it can’t get any better than this.”

After narrowly missing his spot to the Olympics, local racer Warner Nickerson of Gilford, NH finished 2nd in the final Nor Am GS of the season. Nickerson grew up skiing at Gunstock Mountain and has spent the last month training all over New England. “I had a great first run…today was the first day I skied in my new Carbon Fiber Dodge Boots and they helped me get a better feel for the snow and my turns.” After the first run, Nickerson found himself in the lead. The course workers were able to salt the snow for the second run, leaving a firm race course for the top 60 skiers. “ The snow was much better [the second run]…I was 6 tenths ahead after first run and I toned it down a bit during my second run, which cost me my lead, but I am very happy with my result,” added Nickerson.

For complete results from Tuesday's Men's GS, please go here -HERE

Chris Frank, USA

Jon Olsson, Sweden

Mid-way down the GS course

The NOR AM men's GS overall.

1st - Tommy Ford (center)

2nd - Warner Nickerson (left)

3rd - Jan Hudec (right)

The NOR AM Cup men's GS overall

Junior Olympics @ WV

This week Waterville welcomes the best freestyle athletes from across the country as they compete in the US Freestyle Junior Olympics. Be sure to head up and catch all the action, 'cause these kids rip!! Wednesday is superpipe ( Exhibition ), Thursday is slopestyle (Exhibition ), Friday is moguls ( True Grit ), Saturday is aerials ( Lower Sel's ) and Sunday is dual moguls ( True Grit ). Although I am an old, washed up, has been park rat, who really enjoys his slopestyle competitions, I am really looking forward to watching the dual moguls. There's nothing quite like watching two moguls skiers race each other down the bump course on Grit, huckin' backies with big x-ups. It will be entertaining, so don't miss out!

Good Day Sunshine!

Weekends like this - you just wish would never end! There was the blazing sunshine, the blue blue sky, and the soft but not slushy snow. Yet my daughters would have spent all day on the trolley. I mention the trolley because we unloaded, found a parking spot, and as soon as I hit the lock button, the trolley was literally right there to bring us back to the base. Basically riding in the back of a truck without a seatbelt is like "girls gone wild" for my daughters. But, for mom, I was psyched! All geared up and as our routine dictates, the girls headed to the Meadows chair. We swung over to Quadzilla to watch the Burton AM Series while being drenched by mother sunshine. We saw some great riders from afar and some homegrown locals like Danny Gerrity. We skied the trees and the soft bumps all over the mountain. And of course, we hit the Schwendi Hutte for some sweet treats of M & M brownies and cinnamon rolls before heading home. The snow was fantastic all day from top to bottom. Guess what was waiting for us at the bottom to drop us off at the car ? - this mother's friend of the day, the trolley!!