It’s only 2 years and counting to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada!
Check out the latest news at the official website. 
Most of the Olympic venues are ready, operating, and available to the public. Compared to other recent games (Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, maybe Beijing 2008), our Canadian friends appear to have planned for these facilities well in advance and will avoid a last-minute rush to be ready.
An estimated 5,000 athletes and coaches, 10,000 press and media staff, and millions of spectators are expected to attend the Vancouver Winter Olympics. The alpine skiing events will be at Whistler, the nordic events at Callahan Valley (20 miles from Whistler), and the snowboarding events at Cypress Mountain in West Vancouver. Tickets for the 2010 Olympics go on sale in October, so now would be a great time to check out the snow, before the crowds show up!
Posted in General, Winter Olympics
Sugarloaf’s own Seth Wescott finished a disappointing 5th in the Men’s Boardercross event at the 12th Winter X-Games on Saturday, January 26.
Seth was favored to win the Boardercross event and held the early lead with an excellent move out of the starting gate. He was passed about a third of the way along the course by by Nate Holland, who held on to win the crash-filled event. Seth was later bumped from behind by one competitor and then knocked down by another. 
In all, a rough and disappointing race for the Maine native. Winter X 12 was Seth’s 11th attempt at a X Games gold medal, but it wasn’t to be this year.
Posted in Seth Wescott, Snowboarding Tips
The Maine Winter Special Olympics are being held at Sugarloaf this week. Over 600 athletes and coaches have assembled in Carrabassett Valley, ME to participate in skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, ice skating, and other winter sports over 3 days. Maine was the first state to hold a Winter Olympics event in 1968.
Posted in General, Winter Olympics
Bode Miller won a World Cup Downhill Victory in Wengen, Switzerland to tie the American individual record of World Cup Skiing victories. The victory was Bode’s 27th overall and a repeat of his downhill victory on the Lauberhorn course last year. The Lauberhorn course is the longest one on the World Cup circuit at 2.8 miles.
Phil Mahre and Bode now share the American record of 27 individual wins. Bode went independent of the U.S. Team last May and trains and tours without their support. A native of New Hampshire, he’s a graduate of the Carrabassett Valley Academy at the Sugarloaf resort in Maine.
Posted in General, Winter Olympics
Winter is a long season in North America and it can be a challenge to stay active during those months. Here in Maine, it’s part of our New England heritage to keep getting outside no matter what the weather and conditions. A non-profit organization called Winterkids promotes those winter recreation activities, including skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, and hiking!
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Posted in Seth Wescott, Ski Vacation Tips
The season’s winding down and it’s time for reflection. It wasn’t the season we’d hoped for in the East, but it was still pretty good and an Olympic year to boot. According to the www.snowskills.net staff, here are the Top Five Moments from Winter 2005 - 2006: Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in General, Seth Wescott, Winter Olympics
Before he became an Olympic Champion, Seth Wescott has been a spokesperson for the Winterkids program; www.Winterkids.org. Winterkids is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting lifelong habits of health, education, and fitness in children, specifically during the winter months. Thanks in part to changes in lifestyles, children have mirrored adults in becoming more sedentary with a resulting increase in childhood diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and other lifestyle-related afflictions. The cold weather that arrives with winter can make it even more difficult to keep children active in the face of competition from video games and snacking. With Seth’s help as an awesome role model, Winterkids has been promoting several programs that encourage kids to get off the couch, get outside, and have fun in the outdoors!
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Posted in General, Seth Wescott, Ski Vacation Tips
The final men’s alpine skiing event of the Torino 2006 Olympics will be held today, Saturday, February 25, 2006; Men’s Slalom event. America’s Bode Miller will be attempting to score a medal after coming up short in the other four alpine events. Even if Bode doesn’t make the medal podium, we can learn alot about making good short turns from his technique. Check out his runs and focus on the following:
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Posted in Skiing Tips, Winter Olympics
Seth Wescott, Olympic Gold Medalist in the Men’s Snowboard Cross at Torino 2006, will return to his home at Sugarloaf/USA in Maine on Saturday, February 25, 2006 for a celebration of his accomplishments. A special recognition will be made to Seth for being the first Mainer to win an Olympic gold medal. It’ll be an opportunity to get an autograph, take a photo, and meet a hometown hero in person. A sample snowboard cross course will be set on easy terrain in front of the base lodge to allow kids of all ages to test their skills. For more information, check out Sugarloaf/USA’s daily report and hope to see you there!
Posted in Seth Wescott, Winter Olympics
It’s a great moment in sports when an athlete lives up to expectations; the “Fates of Sport” rarely allow things to go the way you wish they would. Seth is truly a genuine and pleasant person, who has trained as hard as any other athlete to put himself in position to compete at Torino 2006. So, yes, it’s a great moment for the USA, the State of Maine, Sugarloaf/USA, and Olympic Gold Medalist Seth Wescott that he successfully tempted the Fates and beat the odds to win the first ever Men’s Snowboard Cross gold medal!
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Posted in Seth Wescott, Snowboarding Tips, Winter Olympics
