Super G Gets Revamp At Whiteface
LAKE PLACID, NY – Athletes competing in the super G at the Visa U.S. Alpine Championships at Whiteface in Lake Placid will race on an improved course thanks, in part, to a grant from the Kelly Brush Foundation.
The foundation granted $10,000 to support modifications to the super G race course at Whiteface where the U.S. Championships are set to be held March 19-22. The $60,000 project was a joint undertaking of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association and the New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA).
"Improving ski racing safety is at the core of Kelly Brush Foundation’s mission. The improvements at Whiteface set the bar for safer and better racing everywhere and we are happy to have played a role in making that happen," said Charlie Brush, Kelly Brush Foundation president.
The Whiteface trail project comes as USSA is requiring that all USSA and International Ski Federation (FIS) sanctioned race courses in the United States are inspected with an approved safety plan in order to host any alpine ski race.
"As USSA works to ensure the highest standard for ski racing across the country, holding the U.S. Championships on a course that meets the latest design specifications is paramount. The partnership with ORDA and the Kelly Brush Foundation provides a model for how successful partnerships can make a difference," said Walt Evans, national competition director for the USSA.
Trail modifications included widening, rerouting snowmaking pipeline and regrading sections of the Parkway and Thruway trails, which comprise the upper segment of the super G course. The entire course includes the Parkway, Thruway and Draper's Drop trails and is also the trail for giant slalom racing. Widening the trail creates critical additional space for safety protection along the side of the course and allows for setting both a men’s and women’s super G course on the same day and gives athletes more room in the event of a high speed fall.
"ORDA, in partnership with USSA and Kelly Brush Foundation, is proud to be a role model for ski racing and training safety. These trail modifications will not only serve the athletes who compete here during the Championships, but will enhance safety for all the racers who come to Whiteface to train and compete in Super G and Giant Slalom for seasons to come. That includes the Nor Am finals, FIS races, the Empire State Games and about 50 race days that are hosted here annually," said Ted Blazer, president and chief executive officer of ORDA.
About the Kelly Brush Foundation
The Kelly Brush Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving ski racing safety, enhancing the quality of life for those with spinal cord injury (SCI) through providing adaptive sports equipment, advancing scientific research on SCI and supporting the U.S. Adaptive Ski Team. Kelly Brush, together with her family, started the foundation in 2006 after she sustained a severe spinal cord injury while racing in NCAA Divosion I competition as a member of the Middlebury College Ski Team in Vermont. The Kelly Brush Foundation affirms Kelly’s ongoing commitment to live life on her own terms and better the lives of others living with SCI.
