News Release
Fresh Snow Fuels Junior Olympics : Much Needed Snow Improves the Trails at the 2008 USSA Junior Olympics Cross Country Ski Championships
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA – Mar. 12, 2008– Three inches of fresh snow drifted down on Kincaid Park, greatly improving the courses for the Freestyle Interval Start today at the 2008 USSA Junior Olympics Cross Country Ski Championships in Anchorage, Alaska. Competition continues through March 15, 2008.
“We received the snow we desperately needed,” says Steve Patterson, Junior Olympics race secretary. “The groomers were out late yesterday and the courses have firmed up due to the lower temperatures. It’s going to be a great day of racing.”
For the past week, Anchorage has been a city plagued by warm temperatures and melting snow and ice. The Nordic Ski Association of Anchorage (NSAA) has been battling the elements to keep the Junior Olympic ski trails in shape for racing. The new snow is providing a welcomed respite from the fight.
“We’ve pumped water, shoveled and moved snow this week,” says Diane Moxness, executive director of NSAA. “Our volunteers really went all-out making sure that the races went off without a hitch. Now, Mother Nature is doing her part and that makes life a lot easier.”
The forecast for Anchorage calls for another inch of accumulation this afternoon, with temperatures expected to hover around freezing for the remainder of the competition.
About the 2008 USSA Junior Olympic Cross Country Ski Championships
More than 400 athletes and 94 coaches are participating in the 2008 Junior Olympics at Kincaid Park. Locally, 52 Alaskans are competing in the races, attended to by 14 coaches.
More than 350 young athletes from the Lower 48 are competing from regions across the country including New England, the Midwest, the Pacific Northwest, California and the Rocky Mountains.
For detailed event and race schedule visit www.2008JuniorOlympics.org.
About Anchorage’s Kincaid Park
Kincaid Park, one of Anchorage’s major outdoor recreation centers, hosts more than a million visitors a year according to the Anchorage Parks & Recreation Department. The area contains more than 1,400 acres of forest boasting more than 50km of trails. Although the park serves both winter and summer outdoors enthusiasts, it is best known for the world-class Nordic skiing and biathlon facilities that have hosted national and international events.
More than $6 million has been spent by public and private organizations to ready the park for the 2008 ski season.
The Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau’s mission is to attract and serve visitors to the Municipality of Anchorage. ACVB’s marketing functions are funded by one-third of the bed tax collected by the lodging association. One-third goes to the Municipality’s general fund and one-third goes to the Anchorage Civic & Convention Center construction project. ACVB receives no state or federal funds. Explore www.Anchorage.net for more information.
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Media Contacts:
Shelly Wozniak
Public Relations Manager
Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau
swozinak@anchorage.net
(907) 257-2331 direct
(907) 250-5285 cell
(907) 222-3752 fax
Nance Larsen, APR
Vice President, Communications & Marketing Programs
Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau
pr@anchorage.net
(907) 276-4118
Explore www.Anchorage.net
