Category Archives: News

28 Nov

Panorama Fall Camp #1 Trip Report

Great job to all SARS athletes who attended Fall Camp #1!

Arrival went well on the 17th.  We  brought three vans and three trailers with a total of 40 athletes and 7 coaches.

At Panorama this time of year we generally get (two) two hour sessions per day.  On most days we trained for 4 hours straight with a short snack break in he middle of the day to maximize snow time and limit set up and tear down.  Usually we start our season off in Pano with GS, but do to the slightly larger than normal crowds we began with slalom skills and drills to maximize our opportunity in the provided space.
To get the season under way we put great emphasis on balance, stance and turn initiation.
Common ideas used are / were: moving to the up hill edge of the uphill ski early in the transition with a flexed ankle, once balanced on new ski (happens really quick), continuing forward movement while rolling the new outside ski on edge from ground up (often refereed to the kids as rolling it up”), then  continuing outward focus and movement enabling the ski to bend into the fall line.
Day 1 – 11/18/18
Day one was dedicated to getting back on our feet.  The athletes were divided into age appropriate groups, each making laps with their coach.  The bulk of the session was spent free skiing doing skills and drills on slalom skis.  We also used the space provided for some drill courses during the latter portion of our session.
  • Venue: All groups on showoff
  • Training:
  • FIS:  Hero gates, panel slalom (lots of one ski work focusing on stance & balance)
  • U14:  2 short courses.  A hero gate rhythn course and a panel slalom course.  At the end of the session a short tall gate rhythm course was also added for  few laps.
  • Conditions: Clear with hard grippy snow with mid-twenty air temps.
  • Volume: 6-8 drill laps and 6-8 in the courses.
Day 2 – 11/19/18
Second day of our slalom progression.  The groups were divided into two for training purposes.  A U14 and under group and a FIS/U16 combo group.  Each group continued with a series of free skiing drills as well as introduced some drill courses.  Each group had a video session, conditioning, and tuning/waxing session opposite their training times.
  • Venue: U14: 8 – 12 on Showoff upper rt.  FIS: 12-4 on Showoff lower rt.
  • Training:
  • FIS:  Hero gates, panel slalom (lots of one ski work focusing on stance & balance)
  • U14:  2 short courses.  A hero gate rhythn course and a panel slalom course.  At the end of the session a short tall gate rhythm course was also added for  few laps.
  • Conditions: Clear with hard grippy snow with mid-twenty air temps.
  • Volume: 6-8 drill laps and 6-8 in the courses.
With it being super crowded on the mountain, the training space was less than ideal for day two but we made the most of what we had.
Day 3 – 11/20/18 
Transition from SL to GS on day three.  With our on hill session scheduled from 12-4.  We used the am for some conditioning  and age appropriate GS tech talks with video.  The older kids also had a homework session.
Once on snow, we spent the first hour and 1/2 lapping with groups doing GS free skiing drills prior to transitioning into our drill courses.
Three main technical focus points for the FIS. 1)Strong hip position  2)forward ankle flexion to new outside ski in turn transition  3) sternum to outside tip through the apex of turn
Main technical focus points for U14- balance and stance, hip position in transition, and rolling skis onto age from ground up.
Tactical focus points – 1) Elevation on the rise line 2) one clean arc per turn 3)arcing out (skis pointed out when crossing the rise line)
  • Venue: All of Showoff.  FIS and 16’s used the upper section and the U14 and 12’s the lower portion.
  • Training:
  • FIS – two short courses with rise line brush, then the courses were blended together.
  • U14 – two short courses.  Apex drill with hero gates, Apex drill with one hero and one tall gate blended to single tall gate.
  • Conditions: Clear with hard grippy snow with mid-twenty air temps.
  • Volume: 6-8 drill laps and 6-8 in the courses.
Day 4 – 11/21/18
We were given a single GS training lane for the entire 8 hours on Wednesday so we split our time up into to two four blocks for age appropriate training sessions.  The kids made some nice strides in there GS skiing.  Turn shape brushes were added the course sets to help put the kids in the right spot enabling them to primarily focus on technical improvements.
  • Venue: U14: 8 – 12 on Showoff upper rt.  FIS: 12-4 on Showoff lower rt.
  • Training:
  • FIS:  22 -24 Meter GS with two turn shape brushes.
  • U14:  25 – 27 M GS with single turn shape brush set in the apex.
  • Conditions: Snow gun fog with hard grippy snow with mid-twenty air temps.
  • Volume: 3-5 warm up and drill laps.  8-10 runs of GS for the U14’s and 10-12 runs for the FIS group.
Day 5 – 11/22/18
10th annul SARS Turkey Cup team event Day!  Nine teams of four were made.  Best two of three runs used for team time.  Following the Turkey cup athletes were able to make a few more training run laps.  We had great racing conditions on lower showoff.
The “Epic Chili Peppers” were crowned champions!  Congratulations Kya, Finley, Miles, and Lucas.
Thank you everyone for helping out with the SARS Family Thanksgiving dinner.
Day 6 – 11/23/18
  • Venue: 
  • U14: 10 – 2 of lower Oldtimer for Slalom progression.
  • FIS: 10 – 12 lower showoff and 2 – 4 on upper show off.  Both sessions with Bridger Bowl
  • Training:
  • FIS:  25-26 M GS with Wall Drill in the am (aprox. 8 runs).  25 M GS with turn shape brush drill in the afternoon (aprox. 8 runs, 5 with poles and 3 with a drill focus specific to athlete needs).
  • U14:  SL progression: Picket fence, stubby course with helper brush, and mixed gate course.  25 – 27 M GS with single turn shape brush set in the apex.
  • Conditions: Clear, warm with good snow.

Day 7 – 11/24/18

Age appropriate GS for the U14’s and a continuation of the slalom progression from earlier in the week for the FIS group.  We ended on a good note with all of the athletes skiing really well on the last day of the camp.

  • Venue: 
  • U14: 8 – 12 lower showoff rt.
  • FIS: 8 – 12 lower showoff middle.
  • Training:
  • FIS:  (2) 25 gate courses with 8 runs on each.
  • U14:  Full length age appropriate GS with 10-12 runs
  • Conditions: Clear, warm with good snow.

Good Job to all!  Lets hope for some snow at home!

28 Nov

Fall Camp #2 Information

Greetings camp #2 attendees.

If you have yet to register for Fall camp #2 and plan on attending please sign up asap here.

Here is our list of those we are expecting:

5 day athletes: Alexi, Addison, Parker, Sam, Lucas, Demitri, Lilly, Quincy, Isabella, Uma, Izzy, Emily

3 day athletes: Miles, Cooper, Patrick, Alex, Ian

  • Dates:  Nov. 29 – Dec. 4, 2017 (skiing Nov. 30 – Dec. 4 for five days on snow) Or three-day option – Nov. 29 – Dec. 2, 2018 (skiing Nov. 30 – Dec. 2 for three days on snow)
  • Departure:  November 29th at 4:00pm – Van transportation for team departs from SARS office in Sandpoint. 
  • Return: December 2nd and December 4th – After training, van transportation for team departs from Panorama and returns to SARS office in Sandpoint at roughly 6:00pm.
  • Camp Content:  SG, GS, & SL race preparation.
  • Camp Leader: Jamie Landwehr (208-946-7859).
  • Staff:  Jamie, Chris, Michael, Ted, and Sue.
  • Meals:  All participants and staff will be on the dinner-only meal plan.  Please bring your own breakfast, lunch and snacks.  We will stop on the way up Thursday night for a quick dinner along the way.
  • Travel Documentation on Trip: Each athlete is required to have current passport and, if under the age of eighteen, have completed authorization to travel and have handy in their carry-on van bag during travel to/from Canada
14 Nov

Fall Camp 2018 Details

With fall camp right around the corner, we wanted to send out the camp details to make sure everyone in on point for the big trip.

As a heads up, its going to be quite busy up there the first couple days so we’ll likely be in slalom mode for days 1 and 2.  On the positive side the Swiss Men’s team arrives this week to prepare for the Lake Louise World Cup so we will get to see some of the best athletes in the world preparing for the first World Cup DH and SG of the year!

Travel Details:

  • Departure:  November 17 at 8:00am – Van transportation for team departs from SARS office in Sandpoint.  Try to be here by 7:30 for loading.
  • Return: November 24 after skiing – Van transportation for team departs from Panorama after training and returns to SARS office in Sandpoint at roughly 6:00pm
  • Address: SARS – Ponderosa Apartments – Building F.-  4107 Samuelson ave. – Sandpoint, ID 83864
  • Camp Content:  Slalom and GS early season preparation (technical and tactical foundation).  The 9th Annual SARS Turkey Cup team event will also be held on Thanksgiving Day.
  • What to Bring: Plan on slalom skis for days one and two.  We will move into GS mode for days three through five.  Days six and seven are TBD.
  • Temperatures are pretty mild right now, but Pano can be “super” cold so bring plenty of warm clothing.  A second set of long johns to wear under the speed suit, hand-warmers, a buff etc etc.  Also bring a back pack with a water bottle and snacks for on hill.  This is especially important if we end up doing a session or two on the upper mountain.
  • Meals:  All participants and staff will be on the dinner-only meal plan.  Please bring your own breakfast, lunch and snacks.  We will stop in Invermere, BC only as needed for groceries, but it will be more cost effective to bring what you need from the US.  The condos have full kitchens.
  • We will do a quick stop in Cranbrook for lunch on the way up.

Staff:  Jamie, Ted, Chris, Michael, Sue, Joel, Becca, Brandon (and Chuck Thurs. – Sat.)

Families Welcome at Session #1: The team will be staying in Panorama Springs Lodge but there are several buildings in the upper village to choose from.

Check out the Parent lodging link on the Camps Home page for significant lodging discounts applicable to SARS families.

You might see (or have already seen) an email about our family style Thanksgiving feast in the Pano Springs Lobby.  Thank you Lisa, Anja, and Wendy for keeping this greattradition alive!

Travel Documentation on Trip: Each athlete is required to have current passport and, if under the age of eighteen, have completed authorization to travel  doc and have handy in their carry-on van bag during travel to/from Canada.

First Team meeting:

For those arriving with your family, we will have a team meeting in the Pano Spring Lobby at 6:00 pm on Saturday the 17th just prior to dinner.

We will have your team jackets with us at this time, so no need to bring last years team coat.

See you Saturday.

04 Oct

2018 SARS Dryland training for athletes U10 and up

SARS will begin dryland sessions this month to supplement your fall sports and or other conditioning programs. Sessions will be suitable for a wide range of ages and abilities for SARS kids. The focus will be on sport specific movement patterns, agility, “non weight baring” strength and power, games, and fun! Every Monday and Wednesday.

For those that attend, please make sure to dress appropriately for outside activities and bring your water bottle.

Sandpoint Sessions

Beginning Monday Oct. 8, ending Wednesday Nov. 14
Days – Monday’s and Wednesday’s
Times: 3:15 (sharp) to 4:30
Location – Travers Park
Ages – U10 (born in ‘2010) and older
Staff – MIchael, Ted
Free of charge for SARS athletes
RSVP for the Sandpoint sessions here.

Liberty Lake Sessions

Beginning Monday Oct. 15, ending Wednesday Nov. 14
Days – Monday’s and Wednesday’s
Times – 3:45 (sharp) to 5:00
Location – Liberty Lake Pavilion Park (meet at the Gazebo)
Ages – U10 (born in ‘2010) and older
Staff – Chris Acosta and others pending numbers.  Parents and or coaches, if you would like to assist Chris you can contact him at chris@sars.net
Free of charge for SARS athletes
RSVP for the Liberty Lake sessions here.
26 Dec

YSL & STARS Holiday Camp Details

YSL and STARS Teams-

The new snow has made for some amazing early season skiing. It should be a good Holiday Camp next week.

General information / reminders:
-Holiday Camp Dates are Dec. 27-31.
-On Dec. 31 we will have our first Home Series Race for all U12 and younger athletes. Details to come.
-Training times are 8:45 – 11:30 and 12:30 – 3:00 daily.
-SARS does not provide supervision at lunch time so please meet your child at the clock tower at 11:30 and have them back to the meeting location by 12:30.
-The SARS website Training page is our primary source of communication. Please check daily as things are subject to change.
-Youth programs meet in the space between the Old Mill Building and Chimney Rock Grill. We will have a reader board posted the first couple days with a list of the groups and assigned coach(es).
-SARS Holiday Camp does not include lift tickets. If you are not a season pass holder, make sure you arrive early enough on the 27th to wait out the ticket line.
-It looks like we’re going to have some cold temps next week which is great for the snow conditions but tough on the young ones. Make sure that your child comes prepared. An extra layer or two, hand-warmers, and a snack or treat for the pocket can make the difference in their overall experience.

Have a great Holiday and we look forward to seeing everyone!

Jamie Landwehr
SARS (Schweitzer Alpine Racing School)
Program Director/Head Coach

03 Dec

2017 SARS Summer News

Greetings SARS Families and Friends-

I hope everyone has been enjoying the warm summer! Time is flying by as school and fall sports are starting up and ski season is just around the corner! Over the summer months, SARS completed two exceptional summer camps of our own while supporting a number of other divisional and regional projects. As of now, our staff is gearing up for the new ski season which is rapidly approaching. I wanted to take a moment to share with you some ski racing and SARS program updates, as well as provide you with some important up and coming events and deadlines.

YSL Teams:
We continue to grow at the YSL level in terms of overall athlete numbers and athletic success! Our goal is to keep this progression going while making some subtle changes as we go. The largest growth has been with the YSL two and three-day level and especially the number of athletes traveling and competing on the EEYSL circuit. Thanks for your feedback, we will be adding in the YSL race travel fees to next seasons tuition. This will save all of us a lot of work without increasing the overall cost. 2017-18 two and three-day YSL fees will include tuition, team uniform, Nastar pass, and YSL athlete travel fees. Stay tuned for our club registration which will open September 1st.

Junior Teams (U14, U16, &FIS):
Once again we anticipate strong numbers at the Junior level this year with roughly 55 athletes and approximately eight coaches (four of which are full time). Our Junior teams continue to succeed starting at the U14 level as we are repeat BWC Champions. We’re anticipating a very strong U16 team with approximately 18 athletes (four of whom are former PNSA Buddy Werner Champions). Our 2017 -18 FIS team will be comprised of a broad range of athletes encompassing Noram level skiers to NWC circuit competitors all of which we intend to support in reaching the various individual and team goals set forth.
Note: the PNSA calendar is likely to be modified by mid-September. This will likely change the layout of the U14 and U16 race schedules.
Also, stay tuned for a couple exciting junior team program modifications that are currently in the works as well as a Junior Teams staffing matrix.

Masters Teams:
Our Masters program will continue to offer a variety of different levels of competitive based training ranging from a 6 pack punch card all the way up to a full-time four-day commitment. The Masters Memorial Race will again be a three-event series back on the Zip Down Race Venue consisting of 3 SG races, 1 GS, and 1SL.
SARS youth parents, let one of the Masters coaches or I know if you would like to give gate training a try this winter!

Freeride Team:
The SARS Junior Freeride Program is taking on a new face in the 2017-18. The competitive based program will be targeting the Regional Junior Freeride Tour (aka Big Mountain Judged Competitions). This is the program for the strong skiing enthusiastic athlete looking for an alternative to racing yet still has a desire to be a member of a team, compete, and improve all-around skiing skills by means of coaching. Participation/time requirements are significantly less than that of our partner race programs at this level of participation and competition.
Youngsters interested in the SARS Junior freeride team that are not age eligible should seek further technical training with either the SARS race team or one of the Schweitzer Mountain Resort youth programs (Mountain Riders or Funatics). SARS YSL race teams spend the majority of their time honing racing as well as all-mountain skills while gaining a love and appreciation for the sport and competing in Home Series races. YSL aged athletes that choose not to travel and compete at EEYSL races have the option to participate in all resort related age appropriate events.
Ages: U16 and older (birth years 2003 or 14 and older by January 1st.)
Athletes: must be strong technically proficient skiers that can easily ski the entire mountain (previous race experience is highly encouraged).
Competitions: Junior Freeride Tour Events (aka Big Mountain Judged Competitions)
-The team will identify roughly four competitions within our region with the expectation that SARS Freeride team members will compete in at least two of them.
-The Freeride Team will travel as a team using the same model as our Junior Race Teams (see parent handbook)
Training: beginning with a three-day Holiday Camp and every Saturday thereafter. Training sessions will include but are not limited to: Technical skiing instruction, safety, line selection, and competition judging criteria.

Start Shack:
Thanks to the generous contributions received at the 2017 SARS dinner auction, we are engaging in some new infrastructure.
First, SARS has recently placed an order for a 10′ X 15′ heavy duty vinyl weather port (portable) start shack. By being mobile, we will be able to utilize the new structure in a number of locations on a variety of runs used for racing. In 2017 alone, we used five different start locations on Zip Down. In the future, we will be able to easily assemble this professional looking high-quality structure in each of the desired start locations.
Secondly, we are in the process of making plans for a small permanent structure to be located near the top of Stella! The proposed two-story building will be used for race and training equipment storage, race crew headquarters, and perhaps most importantly an athlete video viewing and warming hut to be used during backside training sessions.
Again, a huge thank you to those of you who have made this possible and to SMR for your ongoing support!

SARS Sponsorship:
Thanks to all of our generous sponsors. We had another banner year in 2017 thanks in large part to your support.
In an effort to continue to grow our sponsorship program as well as demonstrate an even stronger level of appreciation to our club sponsors, we’ve made some modifications to next years SARS sponsorship program.
First, we have added a top tier (Platinum level sponsorship) featuring four distinct patch locations available on the front of the jacket. This level will also have distinguished logo recognition on team vans and within the competition arena.
Our Gold level sponsors will also have team jacket visibility on the sleeves. We have room for up to four patches per sleeve on this years team uniforms.
Having added a top-tier Platinum level, we’ve decided to reduce our prices on Gold, Silver and Bronze sponsors.
Here is a link to our website sponsorship page. By viewing the five-page slideshow, you will see all of the details pertaining to the coming season. Please feel free to call or email me and I’d be happy to meet with you in person.
Please keep in mind that our team jackets and event banners are time sensitive. We’re attempting to have met our sponsorship goal by October 15, 2017.

Important Dates: (continue to check the sars web site for more info on the following)
Aug. 1 – Oct. 31 SARS Sponsorship Procurement Window
Sept. 1 Registration Opens
Sept. 23-24 PNSA ACC meeting and officials clinic
Sept. 29, 30 Equipment Days and Team Jacket Fitting (Spokane Area)
Sept. 30 Possible FIS team meeting (still need to hone this in)
Oct. 15 Early Reg. Closes
Oct. 16 Program prices increase by 10%
Nov. 2 U14 and U16 team meeting / Impact testing in CDA
Nov. 10,11 SARS Ski Swap Fundraiser
Nov. 19 – 25 Fall Camp #1 in Panorama (U12 and Older)
Nov. 30 – Dec. 5 Fall Camp #2 (U16 and FIS only)
Dec. 2,3 Coaches Ed weekend
Dec. 9 First day of SARS Youth Programs
Dec. 16 First day of SARS Masters Programs
Dec. 27 – 31 SARS Holiday Camp
Dec. 28-31 SARS Masters Holiday Camp
Dec. 31 Home Series #1 (GS, skills quest)
Jan. 13 YSL / parent tuning clinic
Jan. 20,21 EEYSL #1 at SARS (1SL, 1GS)
Jan. 30 – Feb. 4 WR FIS Speed Series (2SG,2DH)
Feb. 10,11 EEYSL #2 at SSRA (SL,1GS)
Feb. 22 – 25 SARS Masters Race (3SG,1GS,1SL)
Mar. 3,4 EEYSL #3 at 49 (2SG,1GS)
Mar. 10 Home Series #2 (Panel SL, skills quest)
Mar. 10 SARS Dinner Auction
Mar. 24,25 EEYSL #4 Lookout (1GS,1SL)
Mar. 29 – Apr. 1 U14 BWC at SARS (SGtr, SG, GS, SL, skills quest)
Mar. 31 Tammy Powell Home Series Final #3 (GS, skills quest)

Feel free to call or email if you have any questions about the coming season.

Enjoy the rest of August!
-Jamie

29 Nov

Thank You Ski Swap Volunteers

Greetings SARS Families and Friends-

We kicked off the ski season over the weekend with the annual SARS ski swap fundraising event here in Sandpoint.  A huge THANK YOU to all of you that came together and volunteered your time.
Although we ended up being a little lean on items to sell compared to the last couple of years, we were more organized, more prepared, better staffed, better attended, and as a result had our best swap ever!
Great job and thanks for your time and energy over the weekend!
With ski season arriving sooner than we’re used to here in the Northwest, I wanted to also remind everyone of some of our important dates to get us through the Holiday season.  These and all future dates are available on our Google Calendar (sync to your calendar today).
  • Fall Camp #1 departure Nov. 19 (details coming separately)
  • Dec. 2 and Dec. 3 – Team Jacket Pick Up outside the coaches room from 8:30– 10 (all YSL 2 and 3 day, U14, U16, and FIS team athletes will have jackets for pick up)
  • Dec. 9 – YSL, U14, U16, FIS programs begin at SMR
  • Dec. 16 – Masters begins (Saturday-Sunday, and Wednesday-Thursday sessions)
  • Dec. 23-26 – no training (Holiday Break)
  • Dec. 27 – First day of STARS which includes the 5 day Holiday Camp
  • Dec. 27 – 31 Alpine Holiday camp N(YSL Home Series Race #1 will be on the 31st).
  • Dec. 28 – 31 Masters Holiday camp
  • Dec. 28 – 30 Freeride Holiday Camp
  • We will have no YSL training Jan. 1-4
  • Jan. 5 Resume with regular training days/times.
Thanks again and see you soon!
Jamie