Locals make Regional U.S. Telemark team
The U.S. Telemark Ski Association
announced recently this winter’s Regional team, with three of the
10 members hailing from Whitefish. The local racers include Cole
Schneider, a returning racer, and newcomers Maggie Doherty and
Erica Ruta.
Established last year, the intent of
the Regional team is to recognize athletes that have demonstrated a
commitment to telemark racing and continue to improve their skills.
Some Regional team members are gunning to make the National team or
Development team.
The three local racers will train at
Whitefish Mountain Resort with Kelsey Schmid-Sommer, the five-time
National Champion. Schmid-Sommer retired from the U.S. Telemark
National Team at the end of last season.
Schneider and Doherty plan to attend
several World Cup events in Europe this winter and the U.S.
National Championships, which will be held in Steamboat Springs,
Colo.
“We are pleased to see the level of
skiing and commitment from these new Regional team members,” said
Russ Hobbs, president of USTS.
Doherty, 28, is originally from
Northern Michigan and moved to Montana in 2004. She learned to
telemark three winters ago after a lifetime of alpine racing. She
started telemark skiing during Whitefish Mountain Resort’s telemark
league and eventually progressed to compete in the U.S. Nationals
at Big Mountain last winter, taking fourth in the slalom. She’ll be
leaving in January to race on the World Cup circuit in Europe.
“I’m freaking out because it’s a dream
come true to both ski in Europe and race in the World Cups,”
Doherty said.
Doherty’s goal is to make the U.S.
National team and “to live up to the local legacy of telemark in
Whitefish.”
“I want to represent the community well
and maintain the tradition of tele skiing here,” she said.
She looks forward to learning from
Schmid-Sommer.
“I’m honored to have Kelsey as my
coach,” Doherty said. “It will be amazing, not only because of her
talent, but her experience, too. She’s been to the World Cup, and
to have that guidance is wonderful.”
New Hampshire native Ruta is
Schmid-Sommer’s younger sister, and has skied at Big Mountain for a
decade. She is the owner of Breathe yoga and fitness studio.
Schneider is originally from Nebraska,
where he first learned to ski, and was on the Regional team last
winter. He was 12th overall at the U.S. Nationals last year, taking
10th in the dual slalom and 12th in the giant slalom and Karbon
classic.
The local regional team members, along
with National team member Peter McMahon and a long list of local,
retired team members are looking forward to hosting a sprint
classic race at Whitefish Mountain Resort on Saturday, Feb. 26. For
more information about USTSA, visit www.ustsa.org.