The Official Title Sponsor
Of the USSSA
2008, 2009 and 2010
U.S. National Snowshoe Championship events

Upcoming races this week ** February 13: Wilton, NY * Drums, PA * Frisco, CO ** February 15: Donner Summit, CA ****For details on these races see the event calendar***

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The USSSA is seeking nominations for seats on the 2010-2012 USSSA Board of Regional Athletic Delegates (BORAD).

The current 2008-2010 BORAD term expires March 31st 2010. Individuals are elected to two year terms on the BORAD which oversees the administration of the USSSA’s National Snowshoe Championship Program. Anyone is eligible to nominate someone to a seat. Please confirm with your nominee that they are willing to accept the nomination BEFORE placing the nomination with the USSSA Sports Director. The current BORAD roster can be found on the USSSA website at http://www.snowshoeracing.com/directors.htm . Anyone wishing to submit a nomination may do so by emailing it to the USSSA Sports Director at usssasnowshoeguy@gmail.com. Be sure to include why you feel your nominee deserves to serve on the USSSA’s BORAD. All nominations should be submitted by February 28^th, 2010. Elections will take place during March 2010. Any questions regarding this process may be directed to the USSSA Sports Director at usssasnowshoeguy@gmail.com

It’s with a heavy heart that I must report that we lost Cindy Brochman of MN to her battle with liver cancer this past Sunday Dec. 27th, 2009.

Please visit our page dedicated to Cindy

Ten Question for our USSSA Snowshoer of the Month

Each month during the snowshoe racing season we will be featuring a profile of a different snowshoe athlete.

February- Chary Griffin

1. Year of birth

1948

2. Hometown

Born in Remseuburg, Long Island, NY

3. Sports Participation and honors

USSSA age group nationals for 8 years-7 podium finishes including 2 first places.
USA Track and field 5K National Age group winner
World veteran’s age group 10 K
Current +past USA triathlon national Age group Team
Twice competed with Team USA in Italian Chiaspolata

4. What got you interested in snowshoe racing?

Beginning – enhance winter running

Now – winter running enhances snowshoe running.Snow shoeing is an excellent way to enjoy long winters, it’s a portable sport like running-you are not dependant on external restrictions-it’s a great fitness exercise and a way to enjoy the outdoors.

5. What do you enjoy most about snowshoe racing?

I enjoy thinking on my feet, the newness of the sport-creativeness of development of the sport

6. Where is your favorite place that you have snowshoed?

Highland Forest, Tioughnioga State Forest, link trail system- we have extensive trails protected by New York State or local preservation groups with abundant wildlife adn beautiful scenery available everyday.

7. What has snowshoe racing given back to you/

Wonderful travel opportunities-experiencing Alaska, Italian Dolomites, and snow shoeing so many beautiful areas of the U.S.-many snowshoe friends-higher level of winter fitness on a forgiving surface-appreciation of our 200+ annual inches of snow and 5 months of winter

8. What are your future ambitions; personal, professional and athletic

Personal: help grow the sport of snowshoeing-introducing it to local schools and sports teams as winter cross training and as a “green lifetime sport.” Develop opportunities for disabled athletes

Professional:

I’m a Realtor for Hunt Real Estate in the Syracuse Area with extensive knowledge of local trails, races and opportunities to live nearby to both winter and summer sports-vacation everyday! I believe in what I sell.

Athletic: Orchestrate best U.S. Nationals ever! And maintain a balanced life including winter and summer training, business goals and enjoying family time with my husband Jim and our 2 sons. I am currently training for USSA Nationals and USA triathlon age Group Worlds in Budapest

9. What brand of snowshoes do you race in?

I race in Atlas snowshoes

10 Include anything else you feel is relevant

I see snowshoeing as way for families to recreate together very inexpensively and appreciate the environment. I see racing as a competitive format in an environmentally friendly way and as a lifetime sport, which should be more widely embraced by all ages

Joint effort brings National Snowshoe Racing Championships at Highland Forest

By David Figura/The Post-Standard

February 05, 2010, 4:09PM

Brian Kelley, park superintendent at Highland Forest in Fabius, is “really pumped” about the upcoming National Snow Shoe Racing Championships at the county park on March 6-7.

“This is the first national event that Highland Forest has ever had. We’re going to have snowshoe people from across the country,” he said. “Look at the other places they’ve held this event – Alaska, Vermont, Utah. It’s nice to be on the map with these folks. And folks are going to be blown away when they see our lodge.” Read More Here

No Excuse Now to Miss Syracuse USSSA Nationals

January 25, 2010
by Phillip Gary Smith

Trains, Planes, and Automobiles are the key to make the USA’s most important snowshoe race of the year: The 2010 USSSA National Championships, headquartered at the Skyline Lodge, Highland County Park, New York, promises to be the best ever.

With this race so close and easy to access from the Northeast, and the popularity of snowshoeing from some of these most populated states in the country, entries are going to be at record levels. “This will truly be a special year,” said Mark Elmore, Sports Director of the USSSA. “With nine previous years under our belts, this tenth Championship will showcase our growth as a sport to a wider audience.”

Read more at Snowshoe Magazine

Walking on Water

Coach Steven Ilg

Edition 16

"Everything I've needed to teach my child, I learned from Snowshoe Racing."

10 Snowshoe Racing (and Life) Affirmations

1. Breathe Calm and Carry On
Long before the Start Gun fires, consciously breathe yourself into your inner space...that space within you that you have learned to love from all your training. It's that seductive, sweet soul of yours far apart from the iPod, the bills, the comings and goings. Go there, and then let nothing, nobody interfere. In the treasured, privileged moments before the race; abide by the rules, smile often, practice kindness. Once the gun goes off? For the sake of positive karma, adhere at least to the first. Without honesty, you're simply competing, not Awakening. You've enhanced your Highest Self simply by doing what it took to get to the Start Line (be it kindergarten or the National Championships). Don't blow it by being mean and unaware of the fact that you are - by all means - in a very sacred temple; the Temple of Holy Water...the Temple of Sweat. So, when tension, anxiety, or frustration arises? Breathe Calm, and Carry On.
Read More

Introducing the 2009 National Snowshoe Team

Local sponsors for the 2010 National Championships

Hello to our International Snowshoe Friends!

GREAT NEWS!! Please check out the link below to read information about an exciting new event taking place in Western Canada next February 2010. The World Snowshoe Invitational! The day before the 2010 Winter Olympics Closing Cermonies just miles from where all the Olympic action is taking place. There will be a huge turnout of international media. We are trying to pull together a significant prize purse to encourage our international snowshoe friends and athletes to travel to Western Canada to take part in this historic event. This event will be a critical step in the long process that we have undertaken to gain inclusion in the Winter Olympic Program. The World's sports media will focus on our Sport, perhaps for the first time. So, this is very important to us.

Here's the link: http://www.snowshoemag.com/viewContent.cfm?content_id=542

The Perfect Storm: Mt. Seymour World Snowshoe Invitational & the 2010 Olympics

By Dan Sheehan

The winter Olympics are back in North America for 2010. Vancouver is hosting the games and it looks to be a great venue. What is really special is that on the day before the closing ceremonies on February 27th, the Yeti Snowshoe Series is hosting "The World Snowshoe Invitational" (details here &here ) at Mt Seymour in the Mt Seymour Provincial Park. This race will also serve as the Canadian Snowshoe Nationals. It looks like this will be the biggest snowshoe running event ever in N. America thus far!?