Page 64 - Flathead Beacon // 1.28.15

64 | JANUARY 28, 2015
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CARSON HONORED FOR LEADING ROTARY YOUTH BASKETBALL
The Kalispell Rotary Club honored Greg Carson last week for his service to the community.
Carson has managed the Rotary youth basketball program for the last 27 years. He plans on retiring this year. Scott Williams, who has had an equal in- fluence over the last 13 years, will take over this year.
Since the program’s inception the program has been one of the biggest youth sports program in Kalispell, with roughly 1,000 children participating each year.
RIDGE MOUNTAIN ACADEMY KICKS OFF FIRST SEMESTER
RIDGE Mountain Academy has an- nounced the start of its inaugural se- mester in Whitefish. Enrolled student athletes combine mountain sports, aca- demics, and life skills in this unique “gap year” program between high school and college that is designed to develop bal- ance, purpose, and potential.
RIDGE was founded by Billy O’Donnell, a former international ski athlete who holds master’s degrees in business administration and global studies from the University of Denver. He founded RIDGE based on his desire to share knowledge, experience, focus, and passion for mountain sports with a new generation of student athletes.
“We have been working toward the launch of our first semester for the past year and a half and our team is ready to bring new momentum into young peo- ple’s lives,” says O’Donnell.
O’Donnell and his staff of more than a dozen coaches and instructors believe that the mental and physical challenges where actions sports meet the backcoun- try will transfer into self-exploration, focus, and discovery of new passions. Each academy member creates a cus- tomized curriculum based on individual needs, with coaches assigned for specific disciplines. Students leave the program with a plan crafted by their coaches and mentors.
Whitefish was chosen as the site for the academy for its access to backcoun- try terrain near Whitefish Mountain Resort and Glacier National Park. The academy operates on a 16-acre campus where students live, cook, and study. Each participant engages in physi- cal training and coaching in their cho- sen discipline of backcountry skiing or snowboarding, with additional disci- plines of Nordic skiing, ice climbing, and skimo racing. In the fall semester, the program transitions to mountain climb- ing, trail running, and mountain biking.
Courses are required in avalanche
safety and wilderness medicine, as well as a mountain snow science course ac- credited by the University of Montana.
YOUNG SKIERS TO COMPETE AT WHITEFISH MOUNTAIN RESORT The Flathead Valley Ski Education Foundation will be hosting three days of junior ski racing at Whitefish Mountain
Resort this weekend.
The event, sponsored by Sportsman
Ski Haus and the Base Lodge Clinic of North Valley Hospital, is scheduled for Jan. 30 – Feb. 1 and will be for male and female competitors ranging in age from 12 to 21. These races are part of the na- tionwide USSA Series and will be quali- fying races for Regional Championships to be held in March.
There will be two Slalom races start- ing at 9 a.m. Friday. There will be Giant Slalom races on Ed’s Run starting at 9:30 a.m., Saturday and Sunday.
All race courses are accessed by Chair Two and can be easily viewed from the Upper Base Area near Ed and Mully’s Restaurant.
The Flathead Valley Ski Education Foundation is a nonprofit community- based organization that promotes ath- letic, academic and personal excellence for Flathead Valley youth through par- ticipation on the Whitefish Mountain Race Team.
Volunteers are needed for a number of on-hill as well as administrative du- ties during the upcoming races. All vol- unteers will receive a lift ticket if needed for race course access on race days as well as a complementary lift pass that can be used anytime later this season.
For more information or to volun- teer, contact Tim Hinderman at 406- 885-2730.
LOCAL SHOOTERS SHINE AT 4H SHOOTING SPORTS INVITE
Over 150 young shooters from nine counties in Montana competed in the annual Flathead 4H Shooting Sports In- vitational at the Flathead County Fair- grounds on Jan. 24.
Among the local competitors to win their respective division were Rebecca Cloninger, who won the 11-12 division for air pistol. Braedyn Olson won the 13-14 division in air pistol and also earned the top trophy in the unlimited bow hunter division.
Nick Williams won the 15 and over division for air pistol. Leon Cook won the primitive bow division and Keanna Weber won the bare bow division.
Joshua McMaster won the limited bow division. Todd Ervin won the Olym- pic recurve contest.
The local club will host another event Feb. 28 at the fairgrounds.
Montana Sidelines
Roundup of recent sports and outdoors news
By DILLON TABISH
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