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NCAA News Archive - 2001
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Uphill proposal leads to downhill payoff for 2002 skiing championships
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STAFF WRITER
The state of Alaska has hosted one NCAA championship to date -- the 1987 National Collegiate Men's and Women's Skiing Championships. Thanks to progressive thinking by the Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet and a creative bid from the University of Alaska Anchorage, that total will soon double.
This fall, the cabinet approved the NCAA Men's and Women's Skiing Committee's recommendation that the Seawolves host the 2002 skiing championships.
Skiing committee Chair George Brooks, coach at the University of New Mexico, said that in the six years that he has been on the committee, the group has recommended Anchorage three previous times without gaining approval. The recommendation this time successfully addressed the former stumbling blocks of weather, distance and expense, and also emphasized the unique experience of the student-athletes.
"I have never seen a bid as well-prepared," Brooks said. "They went through every detail -- meals, lodging, air travel, ground transportation -- to try to answer any question to show the committee that, in fact, Anchorage is not as expensive as you might think when compared to other venues in the skiing community. In many cases, it's not as expensive."
Anchorage Alpine coach Paul Crews, in his 19th year at the school, said the bid was a team effort involving the local travelers and convention bureau and the school. The championships are held in early to mid-March. Snow can be scarce that time of year in the more traditional venues, as was evidenced in Utah last year. Lack of March snow is less likely in Alaska and by that time in March, Alaska is getting more daylight than the lower latitudes, as the progression toward summer's midnight sun starts. All in all, March weather in Anchorage is much more predictable than at many other sites.
"When I go to the East, I bring rain gear and my Arctic mittens because you get everything," Crews said. "It can be very cold here that time of year but normally it's very nice."
Viability of the site
Anchorage has won five individual championships, all coming out of state. Crews said that the school is hosting its first home meet in years next season and is bidding to host the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association Regionals in late February 2002.
Once the expense and travel hurdles are cleared, no one can deny the viability of the site, especially that of Kincaid Park, where the cross country events will be held.
"They have some of the finest facilities in North America," said Terry Aldrich, cross country coach at Middlebury College. "They have a history of running some of the best-run races in North America. No organization runs a better race than they do."
Other potential sites might struggle to meet the altitude requirements of the championship. Mountains are required for downhill, which usually means high altitude, while the altitude of the cross country site needs to be limited so that there are not acclimatization problems.
At Anchorage, that is no problem. The cross country course is at sea level, as is the bottom of the Mount Alyeska, the downhill site. Moreover, the maritime snow virtually guarantees that the courses will be consistent for every racer. Most other courses can change drastically from the first to the 40th racer.
University of Vermont Alpine coach Chip LaCasse, a former skiing committee chair, gives the site high marks.
"There are no better facilities that we will ever ski on," he said.
Then there's the aforementioned nature fringe benefits of the surroundings.
"It's absolutely beautiful," said Tom Arnstein, Alpine coach at the University of Nevada. "There are great views. It's a bonus for the student-athletes in that they get to see a different part of the world."
That may be the part that Brooks likes the most.
"I've been coaching for 30 years and over that time a few of my experiences stand out and 1987 (the last time Anchorage hosted) is one," he said. "There are so many things to see and do. It was tremendous.
"Alaska is a different climate with different people and a lot of other indigenous things that the student-athletes probably have read about but haven't experienced first-hand. In 1987, we watched the start of the Iditarod (dogsled race), which you can't do anywhere else. Many who were on my team still talk about that."
Chances are those on the 2002 teams will feel the same way. The facilities are even better and the dates coincide with the Iditarod once again.
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