By Mrs. Kevin Veller
Over one hundred Masters ski racers from throughout New England brought the 1998 Sise Cup series to a close in Sugarloaf, Maine. While we look forward to sleeping in on weekends past 5:30 AM, reading the morning paper over a cup of coffee, and not driving 200 miles before the sun rises on a race course somewhere in New England, already we feel the void of the season's end. To those who don't set their week's clock by the rituals associated with race registration, ski tuning, and packing the car, yet again, the allure of ski racing alludes them. Why would anyone bang their aging bodies against frozen-plastic gates or expose themselves to heart-stopping sub-zero temperatures in nothing but a nylon-thin downhill suit? Suffice to say, the Sise Cup is 400 members strong, between the ages of 21 and 80+ who can't think of anything they'd rather do between January and March each year.
Sugarloaf, Maine proved to be an outstanding host, and each day brought perfectly groomed slopes, and well run races. Day one began under clear cold skies with the Super G on Narrow Gauge. The home-hill advantage seemed to pay off for Ronn Gifford and Brooks Axelson both class three racers hailing from Sugarloaf. Everything rode on the results of a single run as Gifford beat out class four Matt Waddle by 1.15 seconds while the closest second to Axelson was class four's Nadine Price by a trailing 4.06 seconds. Tip Kimball and Kimberly Wolff (both class three) placed third in the men and women's class respectively.
Temperatures rose on day two as the snow clouds moved in on Competition Hill. Unlike the defining single run of a Super G, spirits can rise and fall between the two runs of a Giant Slalom. Once again local Ronn Gifford looked to be favored, but class two's John Pierce, in an outstanding second run, took first place overall, with Gifford trailing by a .62 second. Astounding the crowd, class four's Jesse Beck took his best finish of the year placing third overall.
For the women it was class one's Kirsten Bosworth followed by Brooks Axelson and Kimberley Wolff (both class III) respectively. To put Bosworth's performance into perspective, this newcomer to the Masters had a time which placed her .43 seconds behind the top four men.
Day three we were back at it for the final event of the year: the duel slalom. The course on Competition Hill looked deceptively tame with six inches of freshly groomed powder. Each class battled it out with the winners going up before the top competitors of the day. As the field narrowed, so did the survivors. In the end it was down to raw talent and stamina with men from classes I, II, and III running against each other. Chris Johnson and David Lamb fought it out until Johnson took first. In men's classes IV, V, and VI, Bill Zimmerman and Bob Resek dueled it out until Resek, short on stamina, defaulted to Zimmerman.
On the women's side the top four women from all classes went up against each other giving us Karen Nash, Kimberly Wolff, Brooks Alexson and Kirsten Bosworth. Alexson proved once again that experience and willpower can overpower even the youngest of racers as she defeated class one's Bosworth. Bosworth placed second while Nash and Wolff tied for third. The locals let us know they were proud of their own as they plastered posters of Axelson in her finest GS form throughout the mountain.
As Masters from throughout New England pack their bags, once again, this time for the Nationals at Mammoth, we extend out thanks to our Executive Director and Board of Directors for their time, energy and muscle slepping banners, bibs, and trophies throughout New England: Executive Director Gary Colwell, President, Chris McAlleer, and board members, Peter Whitehead, Nadine Price, Steve Foley, Paul Berton, Lisa Densmore, Chris Johnson, Bob Hill, Bill McCollom and Kim Wolff.
Stayed tuned for the overall results for the year in the next issue of the Stowe Reporter.