Youth ski league helps kids race for the fun of it

Five-year-old Ella Greenberg inched slowly up to the starting gates Sunday, a look of unknowing anticipation on her face.

Below her snaked the tortuous path of about 20 sets of slalom gates on Big Mountain's Chair 2. The course official announced her name while about 30 other children watched and cheered her on.

"Now in the starting gates, Ella Greenberg, bib number 5.

"Racer ready: Three, two, one - GO!"

Greenberg's father, Eric, nudged her gently out the gate and she was off, winding her way slowly through the course in a snowplow stance. Parents and curious onlookers lined up next to the course, just outside the ropes. One parent cheered on the racers by shouting and jingling a cowbell, just like in the "real" races.

But for all intents and purposes, this is the real thing for young ski racers just getting their first taste of running gates.

Now in its fifth year, the Tommy Moe Ski League on Big Mountain offers skiers and snowboarders from age 5 to 12 the chance to try racing in a low-key setting. All racers receive participation ribbons and medals are handed out to the top three finishers in each age division. The weekly races cost $5 per child and instruction is included. Right up through the awards ceremony at the end of the races, the focus is on fun.

"I don't care if the kid comes in last every time, as long they're improving and learning and having fun, that's the important thing," says Dave Crosswhite, assistant director of Big Mountain's Snowsports Center.

In its first four years the Tommy Moe Ski League - named after Moe, a Whitefish native who won gold and silver medals in alpine skiing in the 1994 Winter Olympics - was run entirely by volunteers, but this year it's being run by Big Mountain's Snowsports Center. The resort's other race teams that were formerly under the auspices of the Flathead Valley Ski Education Foundation last year came under the umbrella of Big Mountain.

Each week of the Tommy Moe Ski League features a different format, ranging from alpine race formats of slalom or giant slalom to freestyle formats including bumps and slopestyle. There's even a "boarder-cross" event for snowboarders. The seven-week program enters its fourth week Sunday.

Crosswhite, who has worked in Big Mountain's ski school for 19 years, says the Tommy Moe Ski League is the one part of Big Mountain's ski-racing program where families and fun, not competition, are the underlying themes. If children enjoy what they experience in the low-key format, they can move on to more formal racing programs.

"We're hoping to expand the league and get more kids involved, and introduce them to racing," Crosswhite said.

With Big Mountain's new terrain park and Superpipe coming on board this year, Crosswhite said more snowboarders are making the change back to skiing, using twin-tip freestyle skis. But the racing aspect is not being overlooked by this new generation of skiers. The resort's long-established racing programs are burgeoning this year, as is the Tommy Moe Ski League, which had 34 children participating last Sunday.

IF YOU are trying to get your child into ski racing, putting them on a race course without proper instruction is going to backfire, Crosswhite said. "You don't want to throw a kid into gates who's still skiing in a big, wide wedge," Crosswhite said. "You want them to be able to ski well before you introduce them to gates."

But, he added, "gates make you a stronger skier."

You might dream of your child becoming the next Picabo Street or Bode Miller, but your child may have different ideas. Take it slowly, and see how they like it.

"Pushing kids too early is a problem I've seen through the years," Crosswhite said. "If you start them too early, by the time they're in high school they're burned out on it."

Although there's instruction available in the Tommy Moe league, "not all the kids want it," Crosswhite said. "A lot of them go skiing with their folks and come back when it's race time. If they want instruction, we offer it."

After last week's race, the children's race times were posted for everyone to see. Kids leaned on their ski poles, comparing times against each other's. Brothers and sisters gave each other "I told you so" looks - albeit good naturedly. Later, at an awards ceremony at Moguls restaurant, the children clunked up to the stage in ski boots or stocking feet to receive their participation ribbons or their medals.

Rounds of applause roared for even the tiniest competitors.

"These kids are the future of skiing," announcer Pete Costain said. "Let's give them all a big hand."

While the kids probably knew exactly how they fared against their friends, that wasn't the point.

"The Tommy Moe League is just for fun," Crosswhite said.

Registration for the Tommy Moe Ski League begins at 9 a.m. Sundays in the Fireside Room of Moguls Restaurant. Cost is $5 per child. Children ages 5-12 may participate. Racing begins at 1 p.m. followed by awards.

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