METROPOLITAN NY Ski Council
January 25, 2003
PICO MOUNTAIN, Vermont
COACH CLAIMS CREDIT FOR SENSATIONAL PERFORMANCE BY SSC SQUAD!
First of all, many thanks to the Iron Lady of the Met Ski Council, our "eldskal" Marta Dehli, for whom the last year was not the best. Despite many hardships, she again represented the Club with acclamation before the Council. Good speed, Martha.
It was a cold, cold day in Vermont and the stakes were high. The snow was fast and smooth and the location was Pico Mountain, an eclectic appendix of the Killington resort. The occasion was the annual showdown of the fastest — and some of the slowest — skiers in the Metropolitan New York area.
The Suffolk Skidaddlers were there in force, as were the Snoburners from Harlem, the Grummans, Miramar, Edelweiss, Cresthaven, Telemark, Double Doctors and Double Diamonds, the New York Ski Club and, of course, the Germans together with many others. Old beef was not so old anymore and buried hatchets were uncovered on that cold morning in Vermont.
SSC, as usual, were nowhere in sight until right before the start. No doubt a psychological gimmick, but it is getting a bit long in the tooth now and is perhaps not as intimidating as it used to be. The Edelweisers, Snoburners and others, on the other hand, were clearly stoked and ready to pounce on what they thought was a small and vulnerable SSC squad.
The Swedish team consisted of the core group since several years, Klas Holm, Rolf Klaeboe, Einar Ulfsson, together this year with the X-man, Birgir Nielsen (longstanding member and ex-World Cupper Wilhelm Wilhelmurson was indisposed).
Holm, the balding but brave Alpine Chairman, arrived at 8:30am looking tired. Pleading the duties of a corporate lawyer and father he did not join his team in time for a pep talk or waxing. Rather, he got up at 4am and drove the 250 miles from Connecticut that very morning and blamed that for the lack of peak performance. This did not sit well with Klaeboe, the Assistant Chairman conspiring to succeed the old (albeit younger) Alpine Chairman, who muttered something about lame excuses and lack of commitment. The third Musketeer, Einar, the legendary but ancient (albeit youngest) former Alpine Chairman - also easily the most "retro" dresser of them all (and southern Vermont, I dare say — think dirty pink neon) - was unbelievably late but that was to be expected.
The arrangements were first class with a long, varied and turny GS run followed by a technical SL, both on a closed hill with perfect snow. About two hundred racers showed up.
Bad blood boiled early as the normally placid Klaeboe tried to strike up a friendly conversation with a dude in an imposing US ski team speed suit who rudely snubbed "den glade gutten" Klaeboe with a remark not to be repeated. That is when the gloves almost came off (later they actually came off). His name was Dworak and the Rumsfeldesque Holm sternly declared that Dworak was better off going into exile or disarm than to taste the full and unrestricted wrath of the SSC racing team on the hill.
Notwithstanding threats of bodily harm, Dworak laid down a fast run in the GS, no doubt thanks to his slick speed suit, and was in 2nd place. Quas of the New York Ski Club (competing out of the youngster division) was first and Klaeboe third, blaming his wax and being distracted by social commitments at Skibo. Holm was fourth and only 2/10 of a second behind despite standing up before the finish line, having gone to a party the night before and several other very difficult circumstances. Ulfson had a challenging run given that he was approximately 30 minutes late for his start (having put his darling Steffi into ski school). On his way up to the start in the lift he somehow lost his glove and incurred a big bleeding gash on his hand (btw Einar, what exactly were you doing?). Einar was unperturbed however. Despite losing his glove and a considerable amount of blood, he laid down a respectable run. Birgir was easily the most enthusiastic and pleased of the four, doing well for the club.
Slalom was a lot of fun. Einar, continuing on the "retro" theme, raced on a pair of vintage pair of "Pre" slalom skis to the consternation of many side-cut techno types. I wish I could write that he then whipped us all but, rather, I think/suggest that next year he combine his smooth style with a pair of ultra side-cuts. Rolf "straight and fast" Klaeboe surprised many and came in with a slick run. Birgir was all smiles, as were we all afterwards. Holm was all over the place taking most of the gates right in his face but he made it down. Dworak didn’t to the cheers of the SSC team, especially Klaeboe
And the outcome? Thanks to incredible coaching and an extremely talented team, SSC came in second overall — beaten only by the New York Ski Club — beating all the old rivals like Grumman, the Germans and others by lots. The Alpine Chairman was sobbing of happiness "I couldn’t have done it without you guys" which is the truth.
It was a good, fun race and I wish I had something to say about the several other divisions (intermediates, juniors, husband and wife and snowboarders) but we did not have representation in those classes. Maybe next year.
TEAM COMBINED
- New York Ski Club
- Swedish Ski Club
- Telemark
- Sno Cat Ski Club
Main Event - GS
- Quas 47:78 (men) - NYSC
- Dworak 49:09 (veteran) - NYSC
- Klaeboe 50:08 (veteran) - SSC
- Holm 50:31 (veteran) - SSC
- Saydah 51:53 (veteran) - NYSC
- Sadowski 54:46 (veteran) — TELEMARK
- Ulfsson 55:06 (veteran) — SSC
- Nielsen 1:05:65 (men)
Main Event — SL
- Jankowski 37:68 (veteran) — Snowburners
- Saydah 39:25 (veteran) — NYSC
- Swett 41:35 (men)— NYSC
- Klaeboe 41:45 (veteran) — SSC
- Zeyer 42:92 (men) — TELEMARK
- Ulfson 43:34 (veteran) — SSC
- Holm 44:28 (veteran) — SSC
- Sadowski 44:37 (men) — TELEMARK
MAIN COMBINED
- Saydah 1:30:78 (veteran) — NYSC
- Klaeboe 1:31:53 (veteran) — SSC
- Holm 1:34:59 (veteran) — SSC
- Swett 1:34:89 (men) — NYSC
- Zeyer 1:35:71 (men) — TELEMARK
- Ulfson 1:38:40 (veterans) — SSC
- Sadowski 1:38:83 (men) — TELEMARK
TEAM GS
- New York Ski Club
- Swedish Ski Club
- Telemark
- Sno Cat Ski Club
TEAM SL
- New York Ski Club
- Swedish Ski Club
- Telemark
- Sno Cat Ski Club