From our CEO-Peter Stokloza

• Through rain, wind, snow and freezing cold temperatures, BBTS coaches and athletes will be there.  Though the weather could not be much worse, all our programs held training session MLK weekend.  The level of dedication from the BBTS families and the coaches is most commendable. And for the athletes who raced on Sunday their spirit and fight in harsh weather will only make them stronger.

• Speaking of strong athletes I want to pay tribute to two of our former BBTS and WVA athletes. On Monday the mountain and the club paid tribute to Hannah Kearney, an Olympic hopeful. Hannah will represent the US in the Olympics in Torino, Italy next month.  We all wish her the best in her effort to bring back Gold for herself, her family, her club and her country. We also honored Tim Preston who is a member of the US freestyle team and still has a chance to qualify for the Olympics.  Good luck Tim we wish you all the best!

• We also received other exciting news that Michelle Gorgone has qualified for the Olympic team in Alpine Snowboarding.  Michelle is one of the original snowboard students at Waterville Valley Academy and is a great success story for Bill Enos’ snowboard program.  We all wish her the best in trying to capture Gold at the Olympics.

• The snowboard program also has two of its current athletes representing the US at the World Junior Snowboard Championships in Korea next month.  Michael Trapp and Timothy Humphreys have both qualified for this event.  We are very proud of them and wish them the very best.

• Go, Go, Go for Gold!!!

Pete

From the Desk of Director of Development and Communications-Sharon Schmidt

WVBBTS Launches it 2005/2006 Annual Appeal 

• WVBBTS/SEF has just launched its 2005/2006 Annual Giving Campaign with a goal of $81,600.  Your donation to the Annual Giving Campaign will be used immediately this season to directly benefit our BBTS Ski Club and Waterville Valley Academy athletes in the ways described at http://www.wvbbts.org/proceeds_2005.html.

• Please show you believe in the WVBBTS LIFT by donating to the 2005/2006 Annual Giving Campaign to LIFT our athletes “To the Next Level”. 

Legacy

Inspiration and Instruction

Family and Friends

Teamwork and Training

• We believe the above LIFT represents the core values of WVBBTS.  As such, we not only have a monetary goal of $81,600 for the Annual Giving Campaign but we also have what we believe to be an equally important goal of having 100% of WVBBTS Club and Academy families show that they believe in the core values of the LIFT through 100% participation in the Annual Giving Campaign.

• We thank you all for the many ways that you support the Club and Academy and ask that you please continue this support through a donation to this year’s Annual Giving Campaign.  You will be receiving your WVBBTS Annual Giving Campaign brochure shortly in the mail.  If for some reason you do not receive this mailing, please contact me at sschmidt@wvbbts.org with your address and I will mail you out a copy.  You may also download a copy of the donor card included in the annual appeal brochure at http://www.wvbbts.org/donate_card.pdf   For more information on WVBBTS Giving please click here http://www.wvbbts.org/giving.html  or call me at 603-236-4612.

• Many employers offer a matching gift program to its employees.  Please check with your employer to see if they offer a matching gift program for donations that you make to WVBBTS/SEF.

• WVBBTS/SEF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational foundation and donations are deductible to the extent permitted by law.  Your donation may be made via check or via credit card over the phone by calling me at 603-236-4612.  There are other forms of giving such as donation of securities or planned giving.  Please contact me about these alternative forms of giving.

WVBBTS Announces Annual Giving Campaign Business Partnerships

WVBBTS/SEF is pleased to announce two newly formed business partnerships with Dekal and with Waterville Valley Sports Camp which support WVBBTS/SEF's Annual Giving Campaign.  Please see details below in the "WVBBTS/SEF Business Partner Programs" column.  WVBBTS/SEF is very grateful for the support of these two businesses and our many other business and corporate supporters noted on the WVBBTS web site at http://www.wvbbts.org/business_links.html.

US Team Athlete Tribute and Olympic Send Off Celebration

• Monday was a very special day for WVBBTS and its athletes.  We were able to honor a large number of WVBBTS athletes and alumni who are current US Team and Junior World Team athletes..

• Many thanks to all of our members who were part of this celebration, to Waterville Valley Ski Area, to the many businesses who came forward with donations to support this celebration and to Diamond’s Edge Restaurant North for donating a wonderful send off reception.

From our Freestyle Director-Nick Preston

          A Few Words from Mike Macomber

• Despite the torrential rain, the freezing cold and at times rock hard moguls our ECS 'A' Mogul Team finished an excellent weekend up in good old Sugarloaf USA.  We left Friday morning early to get some training in, and after messing with Baker on the radios, went up to the mogul course for some reminders on how hard and icy Sugarloaf can be.  Because of this shocking day of training I think all of our athletes were happy to see a little bit of rain, just maybe not as much as we received. 

• With worse predictions for the following day the competition committee decided to try and fit both competitions in on a single day.  Our men struggled a little during the first run with only Henry 'Big H' Worobec laying down a top-to-bottom run.  His reward: his first podium and a silver medal.  The women also struggled with the course but managed to sneak a few skiers into the top 10.  Sophia Schwartz finished 4^th despite a fall, Emily Thrope 5^th, Jennie Edwards 6^th, Alissa Pinkoski 7^th, Hannah Braunstein 8^th, and Calli DeGrace 10^th. 

• The second competition of the day proved much more beneficial to all of our skiers.  Big H' stepped up his 2^nd run and managed to hold his second place finish, rounding out two nice podiums on the same day!  Our newcomer athlete from Sugarbush, Misha Rowe, finished in 7^th.  Dave 'Clyde' Bonomi, who managed to raise everyone's spirits with several 'dance' exhibitions, laid down a run and finished 8^th, and Robert Dresser finished in 9^th to round out the awards podium.  The Women on the other hand decided to make-up for their first round performance and take control of the podium.  With Sophia laying down her 2^nd run claimed first and Calli, the fastest woman of the day, held second. 

• I would like to congratulate all our athletes and more importantly thank them for dealing with the varying weather as well as they did.  Despite minor complaints I think we all had a wonderful weekend and would remind our athletes that everyone out there is facing the same weather.  As some of our top-skiers proved: Success is always attainable!

Michael Macomber

Head Mogul Coach

From our Snowboard Director-Bill Enos

• Timmy Humphreys, Cam Egan and Scott Kuchinski went 1-2-3 in the J1-J2 division and 1-4-5 overall at the USSA Revolution Tour slopestyle in Minnesota. The boys qualified in the final top 15 out of 90 competitors. Timmy also won the Half–pipe event the day before. That's a double win for Humpy and three in a row now, including the Mt Bachelor slopestyle-keep up the good work. Cam and Scott have really stepped it up for this year, I expect to see great things happening for them this season.

• Well it was a wet Saturday and a frosty Sunday. Saturday we competed in a Rail Jam sponsored by Rossignol and Old School Snowboard Shop.  Although it rained everyone seemed like they had an awesome time. On Sunday a group of riders went over to the Loon HP to train for the upcoming HP event there this weekend. It was very cold and the pipe was very icy but everyone worked super hard and it turned into a big progression day. Being at Loon I had a chance to see their program train.  It’s great to see how hard our kids work and how bad they want it. So keep up the hard work BBTS riders, it will pay off for the rest of your lives in everything you do. Collin Hart had a break through day with cab spins and our GROM team hiked the pipe several times learning and improving there style. New GROM girl Olivia Wiggens hiked the pipe about 20 times; she showed she is determined to be one of the best someday.

Upcoming schedule:

• Travel team is off to the NJ grand prix on Wed. And then off to Killington at the end of next week for the second stop of the evolution tour.

• Regionally – Loon will be hosting a HP on Sat. Registration usually opens around 8 am in the lodge near the gondola. I will be there along with some other coaches. We will not break up into groups except the GROMS that are competing will be riding with Chris for the day. After HP contest we will train if time permits.

• There will also be a GROM coach (Zapata) a.k.a. Z at WV for the rippers that don’t make the journey to Loon and anyone else not competing-there will be plenty of coaching at WV.

• Racers: training on Saturday for Sunday’s race on High Country.

• Sunday: Race at Loon – We will meet between 8 and 8:30 for registration (governors I think).  Get their early.  Loon is a mad house on the weekends.

• Freestylers – training at WV all day in the park

• Gorgone Joins Olympic Pool, 4th in Final PGS
  
  KRONPLATZ, Austria (Jan. 15) - Michelle Gorgone (Sudbury, MA) made her play for the 2006 U.S. Olympic Snowboarding Team finishing fourth Sunday in the final World Cup parallel giant slalom before the Olympic break. Currently Rosey Fletcher (Girdwood, AK) is the only other U.S. alpine rider to have a podium during pre-Olympic World Cup schedule.
  
  Thank you

See ya this weekend

Bill

Student Corner

• Exciting news!  The new hooded sweatshirts came in to the school store today.

• Erin Fucigna waited with anticipation as we opened the cartons and examined the navy “Waterville Valley Academy” logos on the front of heather gray hooded sweatshirts.  Erin’s keen eyes noticed right away, “The lettering is a little smaller than last year’s.”  Nevertheless, Erin tried on a new medium sweatshirt and liked it so much that she kept it on and wore it right out of the school store (located in the hall by the Headmaster’s office).

• Erin had a great suggestion for the next order of sweatshirts that WVA makes. She said, “You should let us girls design a new logo.  We’ll make it a blue sweatshirt with gray writing.”

• It will be interesting to see the girls’ new sweatshirt design.  I’ve seen some of the clothing designs Erin has sketched, and they are spectacular.

• Note:  If anyone wants to buy one of the hooded sweatshirts with the letters “WVA” on the back stop by the office and I, P$, will be glad to take your cash or a check for $45 written to WVA.  Sweatshirts can also be shipped for the additional shipping charges. 

• The school store is having a clearance sale on previous years’ tee shirts:  only $5.00 for the white ones with a large black oval with WVA in it.  For $5.00 we also have heather gray ones with beautiful light blue logos of WV, WVA, WVBBTS and Holderness Ski Team across the back and a “Team Waterville Valley oval with “Snowboard Alpine Freestyle” underneath on the front.  For $10.00, there are heather gray tees with large black lettering on the front “Waterville Valley Academy” with “WVA” in a black oval in the middle.

·          We will look forward to seeing the design Erin and her friends create.

Upcoming Events

• WVA Parents Weekend-January 20, 21 and 22-We are looking forward to seeing all of the WVA Parents who have enrolled in the WVA Parents Weekend activities this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  The weekend starts out with the WVA Parent/Teacher Dessert Reception at the new WVA classroom space next to the Post Office in Town Square above Aglio Restaurant from 7-9 pm.

• Rosemary Bowl-Freestyle Competition-Friday, January 20-Sunday, January 22

• Next X Snow Search-Saturday, January 21
   

·         WVBBTS Dance for "Kids" of all Ages-Saturday, January 28

o        6:30 pm-8:00 pm

o        Waterville Valley Recreation Center, Noon Peak Road

o        $5 per person/maximum $20 per family

o        Purchase Tickets at the Door

o        Think Tropical/Think Beach!

o        A huge WVBBTS tradition from Mitey Mites on up--don't miss it!

Dekal Business Partnership

• Dekal is a company that makes full size stickers for your skis or snowboard that you can design yourself online.  Dekal allows the customer to express their personality to create an adhesive backed vinyl graphic that is tailored to their personal taste.  Starting with a theme or with a blank page, choose from a variety of colors, custom text, and graphics to make a dekal. Artists or people who have their own photographs can upload pictures or art work for their dekal graphic also. Once the design is complete and the order is placed, the Dekal is shipped direct to the customer.
   

• This year Dekal has formed a partnership with WVBBTS to donate 4" x 4" WVBBTS logo stickers to WVBBTS.  WVBBTS will provide one of these WVBBTS logo stickers to each family which donates to the WVBBTS/SEF 2005/2006 Annual Giving Campaign.  Dekal will also be donating a smaller version of the WVBBTS sticker for use on WVBBTS equipment and supplies around the Clubhouse, the Competition Center and on the hill.  Everyone at Dekal is thrilled to be supporting WVBBTS and looks forward to a great ski and snowboard season.  Design your own dekal custom graphic at www.dekal.com!

Waterville Valley Sports Camp Partnership
 

• Waterville Valley Sports Camp-A Sports for Lifetime Academy-is a co-ed resident camp located in Waterville Valley for children ages 8-14.  It is a summer camp that combines the benefits of a traditional camp experience with a program that focuses on sports and activities that kids can enjoy for the rest of their lives, such as tennis, swimming, golf, mountain biking and hiking. These are sports that you can learn as a child and then go on to practice and participate well into adulthood. By assembling a group of quality instructors usually only found in dedicated, intensive sports camps catering to the exceptional athlete, WVSC’s goal is to introduce campers to activities they can enjoy throughout their lives and to develop their skills to the point where they can continue to pursue these sports at their own pace, and to have fun while doing so.
   
• Two, four and six-week sessions will begin July 2, 2006 through August 13, 2006, and will run Sunday to Sunday.
   
• The business partnership works as follows:  For each BBTS Ski Club or Waterville Valley Academy family member that enrolls in the camp for Summer 2006 (and for each third party child that enrolls in the Summer 2006 camp that has been referred to the camp by a BBTS Ski Club or Waterville Valley Academy member) WVSC will donate $100 to WVBBTS/SEF's Annual Giving Campaign.  To secure this donation for WVBBTS/SEF, all the enrolling family needs to do is use the application at http://www.wvbbts.org/WVSC_Application.pdf which refers to WVBBTS as the referring party (or otherwise refer to WVBBTS in the application as the referring party).
   
• For further information about Waterville Valley Sports Camp please see their brochure at http://www.wvbbts.org/WVSportsCamp.pdf along with their web site at www.wvsportscamp.com or contact them at 800 832-4242 x312.