Eastern Freestyle Annual Meeting

Place: Killington Mountain School, Killington, VT

Date: May 5th - Sub-Committee Meetings, May 6th - EFCC Meeting

Time: May 5th - 9 to 3, May 6th - 8 to 1.

Who: Eastern Coaches, Event Organizers, Program Directors, Judges, TD's, Parents and EFCC Committee Members

Update: Live Stream will NOT be available today. The committee and members of the Eastern community had some great discussions yesterday which will continue today in lieu of hosting the official EFCC Annual Meeting. The EFCC Annual Meeting will be scheduled at a later date in the form of a conference call where suggested rule changes and improvements will be voted upon. The agenda for this meeting will be posted a week prior to the conference call to give time for the community to share any issues or concerns about any suggested rule changes or improvements.

Additional agenda items are due to appropriate sub-committee members below or to me (chairman@easternfreestyle.org) by April 23rd.

New for 2012-2013 - EFCC Committee Members:

Chair - Deb Newson

Vice-Chair - Larry Titus

Secretary - Sherry Albert

Coaches - Glenn Eddy

Judges - Jack Weir

TD's - Ed Albert (ECS)

TD's - Mark DePeters (EQS)

EQS Programs - John Kroetz

ECS Freestyle Programs - Ron Digravio

ECS Freeskiing Programs - DJ Montigny

Scoring - Dick Stone

Sponsorship - Suzi Preston

Marketing - Matt Ellinger

Event Organizers - Marissa Preston

ECS Athlete Representative - Who is interested? Email me!

EQS Athlete Representative - Who is interested? Email me!

Member at Large - Nick Preston

Member at Large - Dean Goodermote

Member at Large - Matt Gnoza

Agenda for Sub-Committee Meetings on 5/5/12:

TBD.

Agenda for EFCC on 5/6/12:

I. Chair Report

II. Office Report

III. Operations Report

IV. ECS Freestyle Report - Moguls and Aerials

V. ECS Freeskiing Report - Halfpipe and Slopestyle

VI. EQS Report

VII. Judges

VIII. Rules and Technical, ECS

IX. Rules and Technical, EQS

X. Scoring

XI. Coaches

XII. Event Organizers

XIII. Sponsorship/Marketing

XIV. Old Business

XV. New Business

Both the Sugarbush event and the Stratton Slush Cup will not be happening this year.  Too much slush and not enough white stuff.

Hello!

It is just one event after another this month! Bring it on! GO EAST COAST!

Here is a link to the US Championship invites at Stratton. Registration should be on-site at registration. I attached a schedule, but I have not located an event information sheet yet. I will get it up on the website as soon as it is available.

US CHAMP INVITE PROCESS FOR RSVP'ing: If I do not hear from you by Friday 3/16 at 6pm, then I will assume you are attending. If you are unable to accept your invite, please email me immediately so we can inform the alternates.

Congrats to the Eastern Wild Cards to US Championships:
Men's Moguls - Nick Urban
Men's Duals - Abe Studler
Women's Moguls - SJ Grundon
Women's Duals - Chloe Doris
Men's Aerials - Henry Willets (next in line Chase Mohrman)
Women's Aerials - all in
Men's HP - Nick Rosenberger (next in line Mark Spinney)
Women's HP - All in.

IMPORTANT REMINDER! You need a FIS license to compete in US Champs. You can find the sign up info on ussa.org under membership page. Get this done YESTERDAY! It takes a bit to process.

I am off to Waterville for Junior Champs this weekend and then to Italy for Junior Worlds! Good luck to everyone in the rest of your competition season!

Go big!

Coach Deb

PS Don't forget about the B Central Region cool down event on March 24-25 at Sugarbush and the A Slush Cup at Stratton on March 30 - April 1.

Hi all,

Thank you so much for participating in the East Coast Junior Freestyle Championships. On behalf of Waterville Valley BBTS, I just want to let you know how thrilled we are to host this event! Not only will we provide excellent competition venues for your athlete, but we hope to also facilitate several outstanding social events for all of the Eastern athletes. I am so excited to bring the Eastern Freestyle community together in an endeavor as large as this. Please enjoy your competition experience in Waterville Valley and don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns. For all sign-ups or for more information, please visit our website: http://wvbbts.org/freestyle/ecjfchamps.php

There is so much going on in the next week - Please see the below notes:

Volunteers Needed!
We still need several volunteers on each of the competition days and the training day, Thurs March 15. If you are at all interested in volunteering, please check out our volunteer website at http://wvbbts.volunteerlocal.com/volunteer/
Not only will you receive a lift ticket for the day, but you will also receive a voucher good for one lift ticket at WV (expires March 31, 2013). Your voucher will be available to you upon check-out. We most especially need help in the realms of course prep and set-up. Thanks for your help in advance!

Athlete Welcome Ceremonies and BagJump Session - Thursday, March 15:
WVBBTS/WVA will host a Welcome Ceremonies and BagJump Session at our brand new Phil's Hill BagJump Dry Slope Venue at the WVA campus/Snow's mountain. Festivities are planned to begin at 4pm. First, all teams will congregate in the WVA parking lot with their team banners. We will then have a parade into the WVA field and will hear a few short welcome speeches from the Champs officials and Nick Preston, WVBBTS Program Director and Godfather of Freestyle. Then, all athletes and parents are welcome to mingle and try the BagJump (athletes only - sorry parents!) while enjoying a delicious BBQ, catered by Sarah Hipple of Welcome Home Chef Service.
If your athlete wants to try our dry slope BagJump, you must sign him/her up via the Competition Website AND fill out a BagJump Waiver. You can download the waiver and turn it in at the registration booth or at the BagJump Check-in Table.

ECJF Champs Dodgeball - Friday, March 16:
Are we here for freestyle or are we here for dodgeball??? Not totally sure, but I hear that the WV dodgeball teams are OUTSTANDING this year! We're ready for a little friendly competition. Sign-ups happen on the website noted above OR at the registration booth. We have to create brackets by Friday at 2pm, so please sign up your team prior to that deadline. The best way to go about this is to assign a team captain who registers you. You can have up to 20 people on your team. Let the games begin! Prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd! The dodgeball tourney will be held at the WV Rec Center at 6:30pm - We'll go till a Champion has been named! Costumes are encouraged!

ECJF Champs Banquet - Saturday, March 17:
Athletes, parents and coaches will be treated to a delicious pasta and pizza buffet at the WV Conference Center at 5:30pm on Saturday. After dinner, the day's awards will be handed out. And after that, the DJ dance party will begin! Banquet tickets are available online, but if you missed out they will also be available for sale at the registration booth in the Sun Room of the Base Lodge. We hope you will all attend!

Thank you, parents!
I just want to thank all of the parents for supporting their athletes and their freestyle dreams. Freestyle is a wonderful sport that encourages athleticism and individuality. I am really proud to be a part of an organization that supports these principles, but I know that we wouldn't be here without you. Cheers, Parents! Please enjoy your experience at WV too!

If you have any questions or concerns about this event, please do not hesitate to contact me. You can reach me by email or, if you want to speak in person, please do not hesitate to seek me out at the registration booth in the WV Base Lodge Sun Room Thurs - Sun, 7:30 - 4pm. I welcome your feedback!

Thank you!
Marissa Preston
WV Freestyle Program Manager
mpreston@wvbbts.org
603-236-7987

Hello!

Waterville has provided us with a website to find everything you need to know about East Coast Junior Champs! Here is a link.

Notable info on the website - DODGEBALL TOURNAMENT SIGN-UP!

The first round of invites expire at 6pm TONIGHT so get the athletes registered today!

Looking forward to a great event!

Coach Deb

Hello!

What a great weekend of State Champs! I loved looking at all the results to see who is killin' it coming into Waterville for Junior Champs! Great job to so many of the athletes who are showing so much progress right at the perfect time in the season!

A great warm-up event heading into Waterville is the annual Whaleback Shoot Out on March 10th. Registration is open. (Apparently there is a parent edition on Saturday! Please have fun, but for the love of it - BE CAREFUL! We need drivers to Waterville the following weekend!)

Congrats to the members of the East Coast Junior Freestyle Champ team!

Please find the first round of invitations to East Coast Junior Freestyle Championships here. 

The usual invitation process for Eastern championship events will be used: The first round of invitations are valid until March 8th at 6pm before they expire. The only way to accept your invitation is to go online and register. Just as important - there is a 24 hour period each time an athletes moves from an alternate status into an official invite. That said, if you are an alternate - be sure to check the list as often as possible. (There is only one way to regain an expired invite: e-mail invitations@easternfreestyle.org and ask to be placed back on the list when an alternate spot re-opens.)

Please help your teammates by reminding them to register! Please email Larry at invitations@easternfreestyle.org if you know you will not be attending the event, so the alternates can plan accordingly.

Side note: After much consideration after discussing the feedback from the community, on Saturday morning at each State Champ event we announced the addition of wild cards to the event above the previously set quotas.

Hope to see everyone at the Opening Ceremony at Waterville Valley Academy on Thursday afternoon for the region parades, BBQ and bag jump! (twin tip skis only.)

Coach Deb

(Sorry for the delay. Larry was working so hard to get everything up and ready, and due to a long day of travel to CO for Junior Nationals - I FELL ASLEEP before he was done! Yikes! SO sorry!)

Hello Eastern Freestyle!

I am pumped to announce a new format for the end of the season EQS event AND a new name! We have been working on this since the Eastern Annual Meeting in May, discussing it at the “bottom of the hill” all season and were finally able to vote and agree upon the new format on a conference call just last week.

I apologize for the delay on this information. The committee has been working together to present the information in the best manner possible. We realize that this information is coming out right before the bell rings, but anticipate that the community will embrace the new format as it does not affect the athletes that would have qualified under the old format and allows over 100 additional athletes to participate.

The East Coast Junior Freestyle Championships now embodies what the EQS Series is meant to be - an inclusive series that encourages sport development, fosters a love of freestyle and celebrates athletic achievement at all age levels. We are excited to present a format that will keep this spirit alive in the final competition of the year. The committee and I feel that this format best accomplishes the goals of the EQS Series.  

Simply put:

• The event format is moving from an overall award format to an age group based format. As such, awards will be given to the top three finishers in each age group.
• To facilitate greater participation we are increasing the quota of the traditional event to 100 in each event from 90 in moguls and 70 in Slope and Air. This series of events will be called the "Junior Series" and will include J4, J3, and J1/2 athletes. J5 and younger athletes will not be eligible to compete in the "Junior Series" events.
• We are also adding an additional series of events for J5 and younger athletes and the quota for each event – aerials, moguls and slopestyle will be 80 athletes. These events will be called the "Young Gun Series"
• Wild card invitations are being eliminated from the Regional Championship events, aka State Champs.
• All invitations for the East Coast Junior Freestyle Championships will come directly off of the Eastern Points List and will be based on a ratio of boys vs girls participation within each of the groups.
• Events will be run throughout the day and simultaneously.

Selection Criteria/Quotas:

• Junior Series Group: Consists of a total quota of 100 athletes from the J4, J3 and J1/2 age groups. The invitation ratio of males to females will be based on the male/female ratio of EQS competitors as determined by the Selection/Appeals subcommittee.
• Young Guns Group: Consists of a total quota of 80 athletes from the J7, J6 and J5 age categories. The invitation ratio of males to females will be based on the male/female ratio of EQS competitors as determined by the Selection/Appeals subcommittee.
• If you would like to see where your child/athlete stands prior to the State Champs, go to the EQS Ranking link. For Junior Series enter the birth dates of 1993 to 2000, for the Young Gun Series enter the birth dates of 2001 to 2006.

Event Competition Format:

• The start order for EQS Championships shall be random by gender without regard to age groups.
• The second run order for aerials and slopestyle shall be the same as the first run.
• The second run for moguls shall be a “performance seeded” start order.
• Best of 2 runs determines overall placing; except Aerials where both jumps count and repeated jumps are not scored.

Champions to be Named:

• Age Group Champs (places 1, 2, 3) will be named within the age groups for each event
• Combined Champs (places 1, 2, 3) will be named within the age groups for the combined scores for those athletes participating in aerials, slopestyle and moguls.
• Region Cup Trophy, determined by place points of top 10 results for each event (1st place only)
• Team Trophy (places 1,2,3), determined by place points of top 10 results for each event
• Phil Holmes Sportsmanship Award will be awarded to a J3, J4 or J5 athlete, as determined by the coaches.

Event Schedule:

The new event schedule has been designed after the successful national event, USASA Nationals (snowboard and freeskiing). The committee has the utmost confidence in Waterville’s Event Staff in putting on an amazing event due to their huge success with hosting the national events like Junior Nationals and US Championships.

• Junior Series Group: Friday – Aerials, Saturday – Moguls, Sunday – Slopestyle
• Young Gun Series Group: Friday – Slopestyle, Saturday – Aerials, Sunday – Moguls
• Please see the event packet available online on the Events Page for detailed training, activity and competition schedule.

Please forward any questions or concerns to my attention via: chairman@easternfreestyle.org.

 Ski ya Waterville! Good luck at States this weekend!

Coach Deb

NY/PA Champs Accommodations
The Inn at Holiday Valley - $99/night
Special Rate For: EQS State Championships
716.699.2345

Friday Night Pre Registration Party
Dinner / Registration / Ski Movies
Family Dinner Buffet:
HoliMont Main Chalet 6-9pm
Adult 13.50  Child under 7: 7.50  (price includes tax and one fountain drink)
Menu Sample:
Mixed Greens salad Rolls
Fish- Battered and Broiled Coleslaw
Vegetarian Pasta dish Mussels
Calamari Crab cakes
Potato dish Chicken wings
Pizza French Fries

Please RSVP to seancrotty@verizon.net
or just stop by to register (skip the morning registration)

The Courses
All three courses are ready to go.
Moguls and Air can be accesses via foot.  
Slope can as well but it's a longer hike.
Food available for purchase at the finish area of Air and Moguls.

Hello!

I can't believe we have made it to EQS Championship Season! Congrats to all of the athletes! Thanks to the event organizers, coaches and event volunteers for helping us to provide competition opportunities for the athletes. And also a big thanks to all the parents (and grandparents) for coming out and supporting the kids!

The first round of invitations for State Champs (formerly Regional Finals) is available here at this link. Please remember that the first round of invites are only valid until February 29th at 6pm before they expire. The only way to accept your invitation is to go online and register. Just as important - there is a 24 hour period each time an athletes moves from an alternate status into an official invite. That said, if you are an alternate - be sure to check the list as often as possible.

The invites for East Coast Junior Freestyle-Freeskiing Championships (formerly B Champs) will be out on March 5th at 6pm and will include results from State Champs. We will be posting a link on the website tomorrow with event information and schedules. Please note that a new format has been approved by the EFCC, and we are extremely excited to present this to everyone! We are just polishing up a few minor details. (Get your dodgeball uniforms ready!)

For those of you that will not be participating in championship events this season, you have the Whaleback Shoot Out on March 10 and a new spring event at Sugarbush, the Sugar Slide on March 24-25 to look forward to and to get prepped for!

NEW THIS YEAR: I will be available Tuesday night via conference call between 7pm and 8pm to answer any questions or concerns. If you wish to email quick questions, then, of course, do that as well!

 Conference Dial-in Number: (605) 781-1000
 Host Access Code: 916764*
 Participant Access Code: 916764#

Have a great week! Sleep well! We are GOIN' TO STATES!

Coach Deb

PS - Please check the Eastern website for event information on the State Champ events! (Killington's will be up tomorrow!)

ECS "A" Moguls - EAST COAST CHAMPIONSHIPS. Training on Friday, Moguls on Saturday and Duals Day on Sunday. 

Coach Solomon is ready to get 'er done, ayuh! Wild cards are on the line at each event for US Champs at Stratton. See ya there! We know that, "You cahn't get there from hea," but we are going anyway!

(PS End of the Season Eastern "A" Mogul Awards - MVP, Most Improved and Rookie will be handed out at the Slush Cup Event at Stratton on Mar 31st.)

EAST FREE TOUR - NH OPEN CONTINUES, Loon, NH. Training on Thursday. Double half pipe event on Friday. Making it in before that Juniors list closes....Miracles happen! Thank you Mark Sellingham and Marissa Preston for going out of your way to support the athletes in the East.

EQS Central Region - Okemo B Games, Okemo, VT. Coach Bruno is pumped to welcome everyone for the best named event on the tour. (Shout out to Marksy!) The event info sheet just went up. Training on Friday, Moguls on Saturday, Slopestyle on Sunday. Wait list update: Ryan Dumais  - 1st alternate is in. That's it so far. I will keep you posted. That said, if you signed up for moguls and you are not coming - LET ME KNOW ASAP!

EQS Eastern Region - Whale Jam, Whaleback, NH. Event Info sheet is up: Training on Friday from 10am to 5pm, Slopestyle on Saturday and Moguls on Sunday. Jam on it! Wait list update: No cancellations. I will keep you posted. That said, if you signed up and you are not coming - LET ME KNOW ASAP!

Please watch out for the men wearing whales on their heads with loaded squirt guns!

Championship Season Update:

It is getting close. (Can't wait!) Championship season is almost upon us. The following invite dates are subject to change, but should provide a good guideline. Remember to sign up for the Eastern weekly newsletter for up to the minute updates via the link at the top of our home page - "E-Mail News".

• State Championship invitations will come out on February 27th after all the events on that last weekend. Forget the old title of "Regional Finals" - we are going to make you STATE CHAMPIONS this year!
• East Coast Freestyle Junior Championships ("B Champs") invitations will come out on March 5th after all the state champ results are in. Get pumped for Marissa's schwag bags that all athletes get at Waterville Valley when they host championship events! Woot! Woot!
• Junior National Championship invitations are slated to come out the last week of February for the big event out at Steamboat, USA. Find a bunch of information here.
• Junior World Championship invitations are also slated to be final by the last week of February for the super big event in Valmalenco, ITA. Find a bunch of information here.
• US Championship invitations will come out once List #4 is processed at the beginning of March. We are pleased to have Stratton Freestyle hosting the event again this year. Find a bunch of information here.

Good luck to all EAST COASTERS this weekend at the Nor Am at Val St Come, QUE and to all of you here at home!

Go big!

Coach Deb