VERMONT

 

Jay Peak’s So-Called “Sickest Event in the East” Lives Up To Name
 

This story was Published in The Maine Sunday Telegram

Written: March 2002

By Heather Burke


I have witnessed the X-Games in Aspen and the Freeskiing Championships in Vail, as well as skiercross and boardercross events here in Maine. Although these unorthodox events get neither my approval (as a mother of two skiers) nor my endorsement (as a conservative two planker), they certainly “grab” my attention.

So when I heard about the self-proclaimed “Sickest Event in the East,” at Jay Peak, my curiosity was peaked and I felt obliged to check it out. What could be so “sick” about the 2nd Annual Glade and Chute Bash at this northern Vermont ski resort?

“This is a big event that brings out the true character of this mountain,” said Bill Stenger, President of Jay Peak Resort. “It is an event that not many resorts would dare hold.”

The line up of eager participants formed at 7:15am last Saturday. Of the 82 entrants, just 8 were women (the saner of the sexes perhaps). They came from Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, even as far away as Whistler, B.C. and Crested Butte, CO.

Helmets are a must for all bash participants. Sounds like common sense, but it’s a requirement of Boeri helmets - an event sponsor, along with Salomon and Smith.

Participants receive a goodie bag including 2 cans of Red Bull- the Austrian power drink, chocolate Pop Tarts, and a Cliff Bar. Is this the breakfast of champions or a slopeside diet for disaster, I wondered?

When I saw “The Face” where skiers, riders and telemarkers would compete, it became clear to me why the event is deemed “sick.” The Face Chute starts just below the panoramic summit of Jay Peak, directly under the 60 passenger aerial Tram.

The Face is extremely steep, peppered with 20-foot cliffs, stumps, and a few narrow tree-lined chutes, hence the name “Glade and Chute Bash.” Skiers are judged on degree of difficulty of their chosen line, aggressiveness, fluidity, control and technique. Creativity is encouraged and, from what I observed, big air is also popular.

Tony Karwowski, Jay Peak event coordinator said, “Last year’s event was powder, with 8 inches of fresh snow. Today, it warmed up to 55 degrees, making it a spring skiing event, which presents its own challenges.”

During the first round, the three judges posted at the bottom of the run determined the 25 skiers worthy to compete in the finals. There were plenty of crashes that naturally thinned the pack. For many, it was one or two high-speed turns followed by a little air off a rock, punctuated by a giant wipe out.

Dan Egan, instructor of extreme ski clinics said, “Some kids were just coming in to the chutes too hot on their first run, and they crashed big time.”

Micky Doheny, Ski School Director at Jay Peak since 1981, said, “This event is terrific, but it’s hard to watch. I had to ski away. These kids were just being too sick.”

“Last year we didn’t have to bring anyone down in sleds. But this year everyone went all out and skied hard,” said Ski Patrol Director Peg Doheny. She reported four injuries out of the 82 entries, “That’s one in twenty, not good statistically.”

East Coast Free Ride champion Asia Magriby said, “I have been skiing Jay Peak since I was five. I have traveled all over with the World Tour and this is the best mountain on the East Coast. This is an awesome event, and Jay is the only place with the terrain to put it on.”

Magriby put down a fantastic second run, charging down The Face to win her second annual event with a score a full three points higher than the other five qualifying women competitors.

Dana Drummond of Conway, N.H., won the men’s telemark division. “I used to race alpine. This event is so much more exciting than any alpine race, especially for spectators,” said Drummond. “I won new tele-boards, which I can really use after skiing rocks all season.”

Nick Yim of Sugarbush, Vermont, won the men’s ski category by adeptly launching over the entire face cliff, a really crowd pleasing jump of over 30 feet.

John Nicoletta, a Sugarloaf skier, went the distance to qualify and place fifth overall.

Jay Peak is located at the northern tip of the Green Mountains just minutes from the Canadian border. Jay has carved out a niche by expanding upper end terrain and creating the largest glade network in the East.

Jay Peak receives more snow than any other Eastern ski resort, a claim I was dubious of until I visited last weekend. We passed Vermont farms with green fields, but as we started up the access road the snow banks grew exponentially.

In this less than generous snow winter, Jay has ample snow covering the entire mountain thanks to their meteorological “Jay Cloud” effect. Its northern location and base elevation of nearly 2,000’ are certainly two contributing factors.

Jay Peak Resort has a 285-acre trail system, plus over 100 acres of glades and off-piste terrain. The modern lift system includes the high-speed Green Mountain Flyer quad serving 2,000 vertical feet and the 7-minute base to summit Tram system.

Despite Jay’s reputation for steep and snowy glades and chutes, the ski area is manageable in size with plenty of blue runs and special programs for families.

Jay’s modest resort base offers accommodations varying from the affordable Hotel Jay to luxurious new slopeside condominiums.

Was the event as “sick” as promoted? Having watched these daredevil Gen X’ers hurl themselves off the rock face, I would say it is.

End result, I discovered another New England ski area with tons of snow, an efficient lift system and truly unique tree skiing.
 

 

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