JH Underground – news, sports and music blog from Jackson Hole, Wyoming news, sports and music blog from Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Seeking to attract racers from around the country, the Jackson Hole Ski Club has doubled the top prize for Town Downhill and raised the overall purse to $5,000.

The winner of the men’s pro division will receive $2,000 and the runner-up $1,000. The top five men and three women will win cash awards. Even the winner of the Fat and Baggy division will take home a pair of Igneous skis.

The 30th annual running of the Mini-Hahnenkamm, as the race is known, will be March 17 and 18. The ski club has arranged lodging deals for under $100 with Snow King Resort and The Lexington.

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Posted under Economy, Ski Resorts, Sports

Tags: ski racing, skiing, snow king

The Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Board has decided which community groups will receive lodging tax funds for promoting their events this year. The distribution is somewhat puzzling.

The chamber of commerce — well represented on the board — is the biggest recipient, netting $46,500 for Old West Days, Jackson Hole Marathon, Destination Wellness and WinterFest, the News&Guide reported.

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort will receive the maximum $20,000 for its Mountain Fest, the centerpiece of which is a free concert March 31. The resort has not yet booked a band, but the additional funding gives promoters a stronger hand, said Andy Calder, who produces the event for the resort with Dom Gagliardi of Poppa Presents.

“Let’s shoot for the stars* here,” Calder said.

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Posted under County Government, Economy, Entertainment, Music, Politics, Sports, Town Government

Tags: hill climb, jhmr, ppp, ski racing, skiing, sled dogs, snowmobiles, tourists

Resi Stiegler took another step toward returning to form today, placing 19th in slalom to lead the U.S. women at the Word Championships in Garmisch, Germany.

Finishing both runs was an accomplishment for the 25-year-old U.S. Ski Team racer from Jackson Hole, who missed most of the last three seasons with injuries. She was about 3.7 seconds behind gold medalist Marlies Schild of Austria.

“As hard as I am on myself, I have to be really happy,” Stiegler told Ski Racing magazine. “My goal wasn’t to make World Championships, it was just to finish the season. … This is just a really good step for starting out next season.”

This was Stiegler’s fifth World Championships, which are held every other year. Her best finish was in 2005, when she took sixth in slalom in Bormio, Italy.

She has placed 19th three times, which according to Ski Racing is one place better than her father, Pepi, earned in his lone World Championships in 1962 at Chamonix, France. He won three Olympic medals.

Stiegler got a thrill Friday when Ted Ligety won the gold medal in giant slalom. “It was really a treat to be able to be around the whole team with some really good happy energy!” she wrote on her blog. “Way to go USA!”

Posted under Sports

Tags: resi stiegler, ski racing, skiing

U.S. Ski Team racer Resi Stiegler of Jackson Hole placed 25th in a World Cup slalom today in Aspen, Colo., her first finish in more than a year after recovering from a broken leg.

“It’s been a long, long road to get back to this point, but wow does it feel good to be here,” Stiegler told the U.S. Ski Team.

The 25-year-old skier has missed most of the last three seasons with a succession of injuries, including breaking both legs, tearing knee ligaments and breaking a foot. She crashed in a training run last November at Copper Mountain, Colo., causing her to miss the Vancouver Olympics.

USA Today has a profile of Stiegler on her long road to recovery, including seeing a sports psychologist to help get over the fear of falling.

Stiegler was more than 4 seconds off the winning pace set by Marie Pietilae-Holmner of Sweden; U.S. teammate Lindsey Vonn placed eighth. Next up for the U.S. slalom skiers are NorAm races in Loveland, Colo.

(Photo by Doug Pensinger, via U.S. Ski Team)

Posted under Sports

Tags: resi stiegler, ski racing, skiing

This much we know about the 2010 Pole Pedal Paddle: Brooks Holmes and Kathleen Crowley were the champs, with both winning at least a share of the Triple Crown as best all-around skiers in Jackson.

And it was frigid. Freeze-off-parts-of-your-anatomy frigid.

But the breakdown of times is kind of hazy, as a new electronic timing system malfunctioned at the nordic finish, much to everyone’s frustration. The Ski Club has posted incomplete results here.

It was a strange morning. Doug Cook, winner of the men’s rec division, had his alpine skis run over in the parking lot before the race (by another competitor rushing to get ready). A JHMR employee, he was able to retrieve a spare pair, albeit unsharpened, in a nick of time.

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Posted under Sports, Weather

Tags: cycling, ppp, river running, ski racing