TOP FIVE FRIDAYS: NOVEMBER 22, 2019
#1: FIS World Cup Ski Racing is Back!
The annual scene at the World Cup Races hosted by Killington. Image: Killington Resort on Facebook
Well, it’s officially back! This week we’re extremely excited to kick off ski news in a familiar way: with FIS World Cup Ski Racing updates! Sure, we had a chance to do this about a month ago as the first races of the year were held in Soelden, but that was more of a tease than anything. Now, with action already underway in preparation for this weekend’s Slalom races in Levi, Finland, and more races next week, we can say that the World Cup Season is officially underway!
This weekend, the highlight of the races will likely be on the women’s side, as Mikaela Shiffrin will have a chance to win her fourth race in Levi, and her first of the season. In a year which brings the potential for Shiffrin to break numerous records, her fans and opponents will both be keeping an eye on her success rate, which could start this weekend. After the races in Levi conclude, the men will head off to Lake Louise for a Downhill and a Super G race, while the women will head to Killington for a Giant Slalom and a Slalom race.
Speaking of Killington, we also caught a welcome update for those looking to attend next week’s races in person: the FIS snow control team was on site this week and has approved the snow conditions for the event! While this may seem like small news, and in a way it is, thanks to Killington’s incredible snowmaking infrastructure, it’s also significant as it means the green light’s officially been given. We’ll dive into more details regarding those races in next week’s recap, but for now just be aware that the schedule consists of a Giant Slalom on Saturday, November 30th, and a Slalom on December 1st. For all those who will be in attendance: we wish you a safe and unforgettable experience!
#2: Ski Racing Magazine Finds a Buyer, Will Continue to Deliver Quality Content:
For those involved with the world of Ski Racing, Ski Racing Magazine has been an industry leader for decades. Image: Ski Racing Magazine on Facebook
Keeping with the ski racing theme, we also have a very welcome update from a piece of news we first reported back in August. At that time, it was announced that Ski Racing Magazine was actively looking for a new owner. As the long time leader in ski racing news, as well as one of our favorite media outlets for discovering ski racing related stories, we were upset to hear that the publication was at risk of closing up shop. This week however, we get to breathe a sigh of relief as it’s been announced that the magazine has found a new owner. For whatever reason, the news was made relatively silently, but we were lucky enough to catch the update via a report from SnowIndustryNews.com.
In their coverage, it’s been announced that Dan Leever, chairman of Colorado based Leever Partners investment firm, has purchased the magazine. What’s exciting about this news is that Dan Leever is apparently a long time reader of the publication, saying, “I have long admired Ski Racing Media and used it as my bible early on in our family’s journey in ski racing, some 30-plus years ago.” In other words, it would appear that this acquisition was made with an emphasis on keeping the publication alive rather than as a strictly financial move. For those of us who have come to love the publication for its behind-the-scenes style of ski racing coverage, this is fantastic news. Looking ahead, it appears that the future is bright for the magazine. In addition to promising to "emphasize unique content focused on the people of ski racing, in hopes of giving readers deep insights into athletes and industry participants,” it’s also been stated that the upcoming season will consist of serious strategic review, followed by a reintroduction of sorts for the 2020-2021 season. All in all, this is about as exciting of an outlook as anyone could’ve asked for following August’s uncertain announcement. For more on this, check out the recap from SnowIndustryNews.com.
#3: Steamboat Springs Parks and Rec Department to Host Ski Ascent Series:
For the organizers of the Ski Ascent Series, the concept is nothing new. The support of their town's Parks and Rec department however, is. Image: Steamboat Ski Ascent Series on Facebook
With all of that exciting ski racing news out of the way, let’s switch things up a bit, if only slightly. This week, we caught some news coming out of Steamboat Springs, where the town’s Parks & Rec department has announced that it will be sponsoring a series of uphill ski races. Being called the, “Ski Ascent Series,” this competition will consist of four races, followed by a fifth finale race. Much like a World Cup event, competitors in the Ski Ascent Series will be scored after each race, receiving points that will count towards their overall score. That said, the event isn’t meant to be overly competitive. Instead, organizers are hoping that the series will become something of a social event, encouraging locals to get out on the hill for some exercise and socialization during the cold, dark months of winter, rather than simply retreating to the confines of their homes after work.
What’s notable about this idea, and what we love about it here at SkiEssentials, is that it’s a great example of a local government understanding its constituents, and actively looking to better their lives by offering a healthy activity that they’ll be excited about. It’s an important distinction to make, as this event series is not being hosted for monetary reasons, but purely for the mental and physical health of the community. All in all, it’s a pretty awesome idea, and we applaud all of those involved with making it happen. With any luck, it’s something that will spread to more mountain towns, where mental health has been a growing issue in recent years. For more on this, check in with SteamBoatPilot.com.
#4: Winter Sports Lose a Legend as Jake Burton Carpenter Passed Away:
Finally, it’s with great sorrow that we round out this this week’ s Top 5 Fridays by sharing news of the tragic passing of Jake Burton Carpenter, the founder of Burton Snowboards. While SkiEssentials.com is dedicated to skiers, and Top 5 Fridays is our weekly news update from the world of skiing, it would be impossible, if not blatantly wrong, to deny Jake Burton’s role in shaping the landscape of winter sports as a whole. When he started Burton snowboards in 1977, snowboarding at a ski resort simply wasn’t a thing. Between its low participation rate, unfamiliarity with the sport, and perceived recklessness, the early days of snowboarding was largely made up of rebellious young adults trying to prove that they belong on the same slopes as skiers. Jake Burton was their leader.
Eventually, snowboarding broke through and became what it is today: skiing’s peer. In doing so, sects of skiers and ski businesses have taken cues from both Burton Snowboards as well as the sport of snowboarding as they’ve adapted new technologies, styles, and ways of descending the mountain. Freestyle skiing as we know it likely wouldn’t be the same if it weren’t for Jake’s influence. While proof of this is plentiful, one concrete example can be found in a recent Facebook post made by Jason Levinthal, the founder of Line Skis and pivotal player in the birth of the “Newschool Skiing” movement, which has become modern day freestyle skiing. In that post, Levinthal cites his early interactions with Burton as one of the reasons he ever started making skis.
Jake Burton can be largely credited with giving strength to snowboarding, and while there’s historically been a rift between skiers and snowboarders, at times like this it’s impossible not to be overwhelmed by the commonalities we all share that make arguments between us feel more akin to fighting with a sibling than anything else. In the video posted above, notice his words as he explains his love for the mountains. The sentiments shared are identical to those of skiers. With that in mind, it’s with immeasurable sadness that we say farewell to Jake Burton, an unrivaled titan of the snowboard industry. You will be deeply missed.
Before we wrap this up, we also want to quickly share an article published by Forbes this morning that does an incredible job of recapping Jake’s life. You can read that here.
#4.5: Bonus Highlight: The SkiEssentials.com 2020 Ski Happy Contest is Now Live!
