Rocky Mountain Ski Racing Launches New Elite Team

By Published On: October 17th, 2018Comments Off on Rocky Mountain Ski Racing Launches New Elite Team

Crawford Pierce, alpine ski racing coach and former coach for the U.S. Ski Team, has recently started a new elite ski organization, Rocky Mountain Ski Racing (RMSR), with John McMurtry, former U.S. Ski Team Alpine Director and member of the U.S. Ski Hall of Fame.

This alpine-only ski racing team is based in Summit and Eagle County, Colorado, and provides aspiring athletes a concentrated focus in all alpine disciplines. It is a program designed to help them achieve collegiate (NCAA/USCSA) and/or national team status. While most of the athletes training with Crawford and McMurtry are American, they also have a mix of racers from Japan, Italy, Canada, France, Mexico, and more.

Pierce had two FIS racing athletes earning Colorado Cup titles for U.S. Ski and Snowboard’s Rocky Mountain Division (RMD) for the 2017-2018 season. Earning top awards under Pierce’s coaching direction were Kayo Dendo, 2018 overall champion and first place in the super-G event standings and Zoe Simpson, Colorado Ski Cup 2018 downhill champion.

The Colorado Cup is the premier race series for the Rocky Mountain Division of USSA. The awards were presented on Sunday, October 14, at Winter Park Resort during the annual awards banquet.

Abigail Murer, another athlete skiing under Crawford Pierce’s tutelage, earned a spot at the World Junior Championships in Davos, Switzerland, last January and February in both downhill and super-G.

Rachel Desrochers from Pierce’s team has also had the best result for a North American, finishing 14th in the giant slalom at the World Junior Championships in Are, Sweden, in March of 2017. Desrochers now skis in the NCAA for University of Vermont.

Sarah Schleper, a member of the U.S. and Olympic Ski Teams for 17 years, is a “special projects” coach for RMSR.  In addition to training athletes with Pierce, Sarah is a World Cup racer for Mexico and a four-time Olympian. Her next big event is the 2019 World Championships in Are, Sweden.

Jake Wurth, an accomplished fitness trainer, serves as RMSR’s Director of Movement Performance and Sports Medicine, bringing many years of conditioning expertise for alpine ski athletes during the racing season and pre-season for strength and rehabilitation.

About Rocky Mountain Ski Racing

Based in Colorado, Rocky Mountain Ski Racing is an alpine-only program that helps athletes U16 and above reach the attainable goal of skiing at the national and international team or collegiate level (NCAA/USCSA). It is also on a mission to introduce a new generation to the joy and purposeful life skills learned in gates and on the snow. Training will take place at the world famous resorts in Summit County, as well as Loveland Ski Area and Vail Resorts. Plans also include spring and summer training in Colorado, Oregon, and Chile.

“Through skiing, we will help prepare a new generation of leaders for our communities and enable this wonderful sport to thrive for generations to come,” said Crawford Pierce and John McMurtry. “Beyond its debut season, 2018-19, Rocky Mountain Ski Racing plans to develop a program to enable children from all economic backgrounds to develop a lifelong love of skiing and learn the critical life skills that come from participating in sports.”

For more information, visit www.rockymountainskiracing.org, or contact John McMurtry at johnmcmurtry@rockymountainskiracing.org.

Release courtesy of Rocky Mountain Ski Racing.

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