
Volume Thirteen, No. 7 April 1, 2010	Serving Bird, Indian, Girdwood, Whittier, Hope, Cooper Landing & Moose Pass

By Amy Quesenberry
Special to the Turnagain Times

Easter at the Pond

The Pond Café is serving an Easter Brunch Buffet featuring all your traditional favorites. Seatings are at 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., Noon and 2:00 p.m. Call 754-2237 to make a reservation. Easter Sunrise Service at Glacier Express will be from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Tram uploads begin at 6:45 a.m. and the tram ride to the service is free. Bring the kids to meet the Easter Bunny at the Pond Courtyard for an Easter egg hunt, beginning at 9:15 a.m.

Spring Skiing

The days are getting longer and the sun is higher in the sky, which can only mean that spring is here. Get ready for corn snow, sunglasses, beers on the Sitzmark deck and a little more time on the slopes in the afternoon. Beginning April 1, the chairlifts will run from 11:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.

April 25 will be the last day of the regular ski season, but this year, barring volcanic eruptions or any other surprises from Mother Nature, the resort will be open on the weekends from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. through May. Skiers will upload and download on the Tram and ride Chair 6. 2010-11 season passes go on sale May 1, and if you buy next year's pass now, you can use it to ski and ride this May. May skiing is weather dependant, so make sure to check the website or call the SKI-SNOW hotline before heading to the resort.

Spring Carnival

The last weekend of the ski season is always a great time at Alyeska. Don't miss the Slush Cup on Saturday, April 24 at 4:00 p.m. Before the event H3 will play live music by the pond. First place wins a season pass and second place wins a ten-time pass. Other events include a Big Air Comp, Dummy Race and team Tug of War on Sunday, April 25. Check online for the full schedule.

Wine Dinner at Seven Glaciers

Celebrating culinary and wine delights, Seven Glaciers Restaurant will host a Wine Dinner on Sunday, April 25 at 7:00 p.m., featuring Banfi Vintners, one of the largest importers of fine wines. The evening includes a Chef's Tasting Menu to complement the featured wines. The cost of the dinner is $100 per person and the menu is online. Call 754-2237 for reservations.

World class skiing and riding in the Alyeska world comp final

Over $10,000 in cash prizes awarded to top finishers

The final day of the 2010 Alyeska World Comp wrapped up Friday, March 26, at Alyeska Resort, taking place on the Headwall, an amazing venue to showcase some of the world's strongest skiers and riders. The last day of the three day competition featured sunny skies, steep cliffs, chutes and 1,000 feet of double black diamond vertical terrain. The Alyeska World Comp is a multi-discipline competition open to telemark, alpine and snowboard divisions, and the event final featured thirty three top-level big mountain contenders competing for over $10,000 in cash prizes.

The challenging terrain at Alyeska is a huge draw for snowsport athletes, as well as the lure of the legendary Chugach Mountains of Alaska.

“This is a lot bigger venue then other places I've competed,” said Jundai Nakashio, a finalist in the telemark division and a regular on the freeski circuit, “You actually get to ski a big mountain line instead of a just a short shot.”

A few competitors entered multiple divisions, and for Paul Kimbrough of Bellingham, Wash., that decision paid off, literally. Kimbrough skied two solid runs to win the telemark division and place second in the alpine division, taking home cash prizes in both.

Paige Brady of Anchorage repeated as the telemark women's champion.

Two Girdwood locals topped the alpine division, with Aaron Long winning for the men and Kami Cabana leading the women's field. A strong group of junior alpine men from Girdwood had scores that rivaled the senior men, with Zach Halverson ending up on the podium in first place.

Winners in the snowboard competition were both Anchorage locals, Dee Hurley for the women and Toby Englert for the men.

The World Comp is only one part of Telepalooza, the Jeff Nissman Memorial Telemark Festival, Alyeska's springtime celebration of the telemark community that continued on Saturday and Sunday, March 27 and 28.

The weekend activities included on-mountain fun races, après ski festivities, telemark clinics, free demo equipment and nightly live entertainment at the Sitzmark Bar and Grill. Proceeds from this year's charity raffle featuring over $30,000 in prizes, will benefit Friends of The Chugach Avalanche Information Center in Jeff Nissman's honor.

2010 ALYESKA WORLD COMP FINAL RESULTS

junior men