The time has come to begin preparations with regard to equipment selection and ordering for all athletes, but particularly alpine ski racing athletes. We are changing the way “Fit Day” will look for this year, both to provide the greatest flexibility and convenience for families and to comply with Vermont COVID guidance and requirements around gatherings and travel from out-of-state. We will not be hosting the usual gathering in September, but rather are encouraging athletes and their families to complete this process individually. Chris Hurka, OMS Alpine Program Director, will be coordinating the process for all athletes and providing specific guidance. Please reach out to Chris, as well as your athlete’s head coach to get the process started. They will help you determine the right sizing for skis/snowboards, and provide guidance on boot selection. They then will help connect you with a local shop, if you don’t already have an established relationship with one. You can then, at a time that is most convenient for your family, arrange for an in-person appointment for boot fitting and final equipment selection. As this process will need to take place in steps, we are encouraging you to start ASAP. Additionally, to ensure the availability of the equipment your athlete prefers ordering early is key!
HOW THE VIRTUAL OKEMO FIT DAY WORKS:
Email Chris Hurka and CC your athlete’s head coach by age group/discipline for preliminary guidance:
U10/12 - Mariel Meringolo mmeringolo@okemomountainschool.org / Mike Cronin mcronin@okemomountainschool.org
U14 - Jet Robbins jrobbins@okemomountainschool.org
U16/19 - Bobby Jones bjones@okemomountainschool.org / Roger Kimball rkimball@okemomountainschool.org / John Tyler jtyler@okemomountainschool.org
Snowboard - Luke Bonang lbonang@okemomountainschool.org / Eddie Johnson ejohnson@okemomountainschool.org
Freestyle - Mike Bruno mbruno@okemomountainschool.org
Connect virtually and/or in person with a local shop for boot fitting and ordering:
Boot Pro: Randy Haskell- randy@thebootpro.net
Totem Pole: Torin Tofferi- torin@totempoleskishop.com
Northern Ski Works Ludlow: Tom Favro- tom@northernski.com
Darkside Snowboards: Tucker Zink- tucker@darksidesnowboards.com
Think SNOW :)!
A note from Okemo:
Up at Okemo Mountain, the resort is anticipating hosting skiers and riders for the same amazing on-snow experience that we all know and love; however, we will see some changes to operations in response to the pandemic. Many of those changes have not yet been determined, but will be as the winter draws closer. Included in the resort’s preparations are plans for the Competition Center Programs. Kyle Murphy, Director of Skier Services, shared this comment on behalf of Okemo Mountain Resort:
“The Okemo Mountain Resort is committed to providing a safe and meaningful experience to both our guests and employees this winter. The Competition Center has always been an integral part of not only our mountain but also our resort community. In light of the current pandemic, we are working hard to ensure our resort operations meet the highest standards of employee and guest safety for the upcoming winter. This process has inevitably pushed back the roll out of much of our winter programming and has understandably generated some concern around if Okemo will have a Competition Center this winter. We remain committed to doing everything we can to have a program that meets the needs of our coaches, athletes and their families for this season. At this point, we are still very much in the development stage and I foresee us remaining here for some time. As we’ve seen from some of the areas within our country going through a second lockdown, it’s critical that we get this right the first time. We ask for your continued patience as we continue to work through this process with our resort partners both locally and nationally. Stay Safe, Stay Healthy!”
