New England Masters Ski Racing - Master's Nationals Big Sky Montana

Masters Moments: Highlights from Masters National Championships at Big Sky, Montana.

By Barb Brumbaugh

Downhill - Monday March 12, 2007

Jennifer Kaufman (W3-RM) blistered the women’s downhill at the Masters US Nationals at Big Sky, Montana holding off Central divisions Heidi Lindemer (W3). Far West’s Deb Lewis (W6) hung onto third overall with Vickie Valar (W5-RM) and Air Force Bombadier Jennifer Rollins (W2-IM) close behind. Linda Crowell (W5-FW) displayed quick reactions at 60 mph --and the best recovery. With acrobatic moves, Crowell refused to have letters behind her name on the result sheet and made it to the finish. Far West racer Elizabeth Kennedy (W4) new to speed last year said after after her first speed event, she went out and bought all the right equipment and has been having a blast ever since. That’s usually what happens with speed!

Eastern racers scored well in the hardware department as Dick Calvert, Steve Masur, Pepi Neubauer, and Randy Detrick picked up gold medals. Nadine Price and Kerry Brennan earned silver in their classes, with Barb Brumbaugh and Steve Foley, the bronze.

Rocky Mountain continued to dominate in the men’s downhill as class 5 racers Erik Klemme and Franz Fuchsberger held off fellow Rocky division racer Richard Bradsby (M3). Fuchsberger’s run added excitement to the video review as his run had a “Klammer-esque” flair to it and earned slow motion replay status at the awards party. Winner of the first two training runs, Willi Scroggins (M5-PN) “blew up” at the bump and failed to finish. Another exciting run came from Eastern division racer Steve Masur (M4) as he met his long time goal of beating a certain Central division racer… .

Action continues on Tuesday with men’s GS and women and older men’s super G. Full results at : http://ussamasters.org/2007/nationals/20070311-BigSky-DH_T-ByGender.html

Training Day 2 - Sunday March 11, 2007

New faces abounded as training run number two got underway on Sunday, March 11. Jennifer Kaufman (W3-RM) blew away the women’s competition and placed fifteenth in the men’s field, on what was her first training run. As a native Montanan, Kaufman showed her experience on this course from years of junior racing. 2006 Defending overall DH champion and a previous winner on this course, Heidi Lindemer (W3-CN) was more than three seconds off the pace followed by Far West’s Deb Lewis (W6).

The first day of training -- sunny skies and warm temperatures. No need to layer up here! The atmosphere was fairly low key most, but Willi Scroggins (PN-M5) scorched his first training run and skied straight at all the corridors as well as the roundhouse turn taking the men’s field by a second. Rocky Mountain’s Erik Klemme (M5) was second, with Randy Detrick (EA-M2) holding of perennial speed favorites Pepi Neubauer (EA-M8), Dennis Wilhelmsen (N-M5), Franz Fuchs Berger (RM-M5).

For the women it was Far West region’s Linda Crowell (W6) taking the run over Heidi Lindemer (CN-W3). Deb Lewis (FW-W6), held off Barb Brumbaugh (EA-W4) and Danielle Palermo (FW-W4). Nadine Price (EA-W6) was right on Palermo, taking a quiet, conservative line.

Quote of the day: Keith Thompson (PN-M9) while tuning skis: “..wax, scrape, brush, wax, scrape brush -- all for 2 tenths of a second…then you go and lose by two or three seconds!”