SMS Snowboarding: Springtime in VT. Sendoff.

After weeks of rain we have had two beautiful days of tropical rain forest-like weather. My yard smelled like carrots and lilac this morning and there is no place I would rather be. The winter is long and the spring flies by around here. The kids have been putting in three power workouts per week plus some plyometric and cardio work. The cardio is well disguised and well worth mention as we have had EPIC speedball and ultimate frisbee games. The ultimate is not textbook for you frisbee geeks but the kids run hard getting after the "bee". Speedball is a ton of fun. A cross between soccer, touch-football and ultimate type ball movement: I'm seriously thinking of starting the Southern Vermont Speedball League. This game gets your kid running. Some of our crew is golfing two days and others playing tennis or lacrosse two days per week but most or the snowboarders are skating three to four days and the action is hot.

Our boy JP's knee is healing well and he is getting his groove back slowly. O.B. is mixing the old and new school tricks. Hunty and Chip are going large and Pete Cerulo was killing the mini ramp while my camera was out tuesday.

This year has been a strong one for SMS. We are getting ready to send off some really incredible snowboarders in the next few days. Kyle Dorfman has only been here for two years but is an incredible athlete who has been top 5 at nationals in slope. Connor Hudson is a guy who rode in my crew for two full seasons and has been here for two more since then. Spencer Shaw was here before High School and came back to finish his last two high school years at SMS. He may have had the best halfpipe season of any High School Athlete in the country this year. Quite Possibly. He put himself on the US Team for next year. Hunter Wood is another guy who rode in my crew for two full years and has been here for two more. He has twice made late rounds in the US Open Slopestyle. Crushed the southern Vermont Series year after year. He has been invited to US Team Gold Camps for this summer and destroyed the Snowboarder Magazine "Launch" photo shoot of names you will soon know in snowboarding. These guys are all graduating High School tomorrow...


Chris T. This is my favorite carinthia shot still.

The Tierney family is also moving on. Chris Tierney has been here for four years, rode two years in that same group with Hudson and Wood (and Perle). He has himself a national Title, three kinds of doubles! His sisters Makayla and Meghan have been here three and two years apiece also and they too are constant National title contenders, consistent Southern Vermont Series Heroes.

Hunter Wood USOPEN 2009


Kyle Dorfman FS 7,visiting SMS '09

Mak T HCSC Summer '10

This past winter I had a development group that rivaled the one(s) mentioned above. The School is well stocked with strong young riders. Maybe even more than I've seen in my six seasons but this group that is moving on will be missed. They are what people see when they see SMS snowboarding over the past few years. We've been proud and lucky to have riders like this being our living banner. We will stand behind them on or off snow. We will be proud in the future when they are throwing down and standing out and people say (or don't) "didn't they ride with you guys...?". Thanks guys. It has been exceptionally special...It is humbling. You are doing great and we are looking forward to seeing you on the mountains for a long time. More than friends, you are Team and more than a Team, You are our friends.