The Racers Get Love: US Alpine Men's Team Fundraiser

by Wina Sturgeon

Reprinted with permission from Adventure Sports Weekly

It was a historic first. The entire U. S. men's alpine ski team, all 20 of them, organized a fundraiser, totally outside USSA, called the "US Men's Alpine Golf Blowout," where golfers got to play with the racer of their choice at Park City's Jeremy Ranch Golf Club. It raised $50,000---enough money to help some of the racers who will not be supported by USSA as of December.

	Ted Ligety (R) and Bryon Friedman (L) flank two teammates and Masters racer Amy Lanzell

It was outside the ski team organization because two months ago, the U. S. ski team announced that at least five racers would have to pay all their own expenses for race season. That includes transportation, food, lodging, entry fees---even lift tickets. It totals more than $20,000---more than triple that sum for those who compete season-long in Europa Cups or World Cups. With the season just weeks away, few racers have the time or contacts to raise that much money so quickly and still pay attention to their training.

So the men's team, often at each other's throats, decided that if USSA was not able to help them, they would join together and help themselves; and also each other.

Byron Friedman said, "The younger guys will have a little extra money to help them out throughout the season. We did well tonight. We're just proud of everybody."

Tim Jitloff, the near-rookie who won gold in the Junior World Championships Combined in 2005, sacrificed his tee time to stay indoors and crunch the numbers, doing the accounting of who paid $250 for a golf package that included dinner, those who paid $100 for just
dinner, as well as the donations that poured in throughout the day. People flew in from all over the United States to attend the function and donate to the men's team.

"This is the first time that all 20 of us are together. And this isn't the only thing we are doing as a group. We have been to the Boys and Girls Club and to several schools. Aside from raising money, we want to get kids and their parents excited about ski racing," Jitloff said.

It's been a bonding experience for the athletes; brought about partially by the way the USSA made the announcement. Instead of setting criteria, the organization, according to one racer, said, "We're going to let you guys sort of duke it out, then who's ever at the bottom of the barrel has to come up with the money in December."

	Byron Friedman donated two hours of acoustic music for the silent auction. It sold for $800.

Jimmy Cochran, whose family were the top U. S. ski racers in the 1960-70's, winning Olympic gold, World Cups and U. S. National Championships, said, "We knew that those people probably won't be able to come up with that money, so they'll have to bag their ski racing career. So we got together as a team, and approached this fundraising shortfall as a group, bringing in the big names like Ted Ligety, who will be funded, to help out the guys that won't be."

Aside from money raised from the golf tournament, the Park City community pitched in for a silent auction. There were the expected donations---some generously supplied by Rossignol, the biggest giver, as well as Spyder, Fisher and various Park City hotels---but there were also more prosaic, and loving donations. There was a beautiful hand made quilt. There was a year's worth of home made cookies, two dozen a month, baked and delivered to the winning bidder's home. Two hours of live acoustic music were offered from talented musician Byron Friedman, for which the winning bidder paid $800. Ted Ligety donated his signed World Cup bib from Schladming. There was a signed Buffalo Sabres jersey, and an exquisite framed work of art by noted photographer Erik Schlopy---and those those were just some of the silent auction gifts.

Bidders got bargains. Park City Mountain Resort, the only resort to make a donation, offered a season pass worth $1,150. It went for $750.

There were team supporters, like Hilary Nitka, who just showed up to pay for dinner, but then left without a bite. "I just think these kids who are training need support from whoever they can get it," she said, smiling as she handed Jitloff her check and walked out of the Jeremy Ranch golf clubhouse, minus any of the ribs, chicken, corn, salad and apple cobbler that was served buffet style and quickly devoured.

While people wandered in from their golf games, there was an ambiance of "we're all peeps," as the racers made special efforts to hang with everyone. Paul McDonald knelt to sign the shirts of young giggling fans. Byron Friedman strummed his guitar at a table of admirers. Marco Sullivan, still on crutches from his broken heel, talked technical details of starts and gates with Masters racers. Money flowed, and so did laughter, but there was still an obvious air of concern; because despite the money raised, the funding issue is still an issue.

Part of the problem is the sinking U. S. dollar. USSA's available money is now worth less than it was just a few months ago. Everyone's money is tighter, so the usual big USSA donors have not been as generous. Byron Friedman said, "This event is going to help the whole team situation in general. Everyone is so cohesive, everyone came together and worked really hard." Chris Beckmann said that there's still some worry among all the athletes, adding, "Everyone's funding is in danger. I don't know how much we raised tonight, but hopefully, it's enough. But the big thing is, this has really brought us together as a team." Still, it was a political evening. No one from any of the Utah resorts showed up. No member of USSA gave any donation. When asked if the fundraiser put racers in an adversarial position with USSA, one racer said, "It could have done that if we didn't abide by USSA's rules. We couldn't use any USSA logos, we couldn't invite anyone on the board of trustees or ask them for funding. But we obeyed their every demand." However, the team's new cohesiveness will only go so far, according to Jimmy Cochran, who laughed as he said, "This has been so unifying for us, it's been fun to work together for a common goal. Because (ski racing) is an individual sport, it's rare that we get to help each other. But on race day, it's 'bye-bye'...you're on your own!"