Manchin takes part in races for Governor’s Cup
By Debra Wolf, For The Inter-MountainArticle Photos
The 50th Governor's Cup Ski Race hit the slopes sliding at Timberline Resort while Canaan Valley Resort hosted its annual Wild Thing Weekend over the first weekend of March. The weather fully cooperated allowing spectators and participants to enjoy sunshine and 30-degree temperatures. Between the two mountains, there was racing, a slope-style competition, contests, pond jumping and ice skating. A collection of skiing history was also displayed. Gov. Joe Manchin was present for the event held in his honor.
Thaddeus Schau and Catherine Fiorini were the top male and female finishers of the giant slalom race held on Saturday. Schau completed the course laid out on Thunderstruck trail in 1:04.17. Fiorini finished with a time of 1:08.03. Schau, who is 25 and lives in Beckley, loved every minute of the event.
John Lutz, director of programs and events at Timberline, along with Tim Worden, director of the Timberline Race Department, kept things moving. Lutz said he started his day at 3 a.m. Lutz, Worden, and six others set up the course early around 5.a.m.
"We are setting up the course before the sun comes up," Lutz said.
Members from the Alpine Festival board of directors registered racers. This year there were 138.
"We have the most participants we have had in 30 years," Lutz said. "We have people here from Baltimore, from Louisville, Ky., from Indiana, from Virginia, from Ohio, from North Carolina."
Manchin started the racing. Manchin snowmobiled to the start of the course, greeted the racers and began counting down. Manchin's ten year old granddaughter, Sophie, was suited up and ready to race, when her grandfather arrived.
For some of the junior racers, they had the luxury of preparing for the race in a new building erected along Winterset Trail. Known as the Timberline Race Center, the building was built by Red Creek Construction over the past summer. The parents of Timberline's junior racers donated the money and materials used for constructing the building.
"Some of the parents donated money, some gave the roofing, some gave the siding," Tom DeScisciolo, president of the junior race division and a parent, said.
Bobby Judy, head coach of the 52 juniors, said having the building is a dream come true.
"We have wanted a building like this for 20 years," Judy said. "We use the building as a training center, we cue videos and prepare from there."
Judy finished third overall in the men's division on Saturday. While the racing was under way, other events were also taking place. Highland Prospects, a backcountry equipment and clothing store in Davis, sponsored a slope-style competition for snowboarders and freestyle skiers. The competition was one of four competitions Highland Prospects has been holding throughout the season. Scott McArthur, of Elkins, was the winner of Saturday's competition and was the overall winner of the entire Points Series competitions. McArthur's mother, Kathy, watched her son compete. "Scott loves snowboarding. He is getting ready to leave on a missions trip, so he is just taking some time to have fun right now," Kathy said.
Ben Clarke, owner of Highland Prospects, sponsored the competition primarily to give youth an opportunity to have fun. "We did the Points Series to promote and enhance winter sports and the snow culture that comes from living where we do. We wanted to give something to those who snowboard and don't have any scene to call their own," Clarke said. "This is what many of us live and breathe." Highland Prospects gave away several prizes to contestants.
Contests were a huge part of the Wild Thing Weekend at Canaan Valley Resort.
Mickey Sponaugle, a Canaan Valley Resort ski patroller, facilitated the pond jump. "We had 16 participants altogether," Sponaugle said.
A few skiers braved the waters bare-chested. Looking Jacques Cousteau like, sisters Susan and Melissa Martin of French Creek carried mock scuba gear with them. Kevin Brown from Dry Fork plunged into the pond fully clothed in the usual ski clothing. Brown has pond jumped three years in a row. "It is good to do with clothes on," Brown said. The plungers and jumpers were judged skiing and snowboarding toward the 52 degree waters and received prizes for their showmanship.
Canaan Valley Resort also held a frozen tee shirt contest. Contestants were expected to untangle a frozen tee shirt that was twisted up with many knots. Six contestants participated in this event, and the winner for the fifth year in a row was Drew Thomas.
Chris McDaniels of Seneca Rocks participated in both the hot dog and the hot wing eating contests and won the hot dog eating contest. Christina Zirkle won the hot wing eating contest. McDaniels ate 8 hot dogs in three minutes. Zirkle ate 13 wings in two minutes. "The wings were spicy hot and temperature hot," McDaniels said. The wings were made extra hot by one of the resort's kitchen staff. A secret recipe is used which involves combining different types of dried hot peppers with hot sauce.
Cary Reed met with visitors in the Bear Paw Lodge at Canaan Valley Resort to share about the history of skiing in the valley. On display were several items from Reed's private collection which included photographs, newspapers, paintings, ribbons, trophies, architectural plans and more. Reed was among the many of the throng of visitors who reminisced about the changes in the valley over the years.
