Wednesday racing group opens arms to all abilities

Spokane has a rich legacy of ski racing open to anyone who wants to live it. I was welcomed to the club Wednesday night after inviting myself to the finale of the Team Cup Challenge at Mt. Spokane, aka the Wednesday Night World Cup.

Rob Lindsay, president of the Spokane Ski Racing Association (SSRA), orchestrates race night. He found a spot for me on team Go SSRA left open by an absent skier. Then he put me at ease about what I thought might have been a crazy idea.

“It’s easy racing,” he said. “The course is rhythmic and straightforward. It’s not set up to trick you. It’s more dangerous driving your car up to the mountain to get here.”

SSRA launched the Wednesday Night World Cup at Mt. Spokane eight years ago as a fundraiser.

“Participation averaged 12 to 15 teams a year.” said Chuck Holcomb, program director and head coach of SSRA. “But a bad winter on the mountain in 2004-05 hurt momentum for the series. Participation is rebounding, from six teams last year to 10 this year. Next year we hope to have the same amount of growth and ultimately get up to 20 teams.”

Each racer pays $100 for five nights of competition, camaraderie and a postrace meal catered by the mountain – delicious prime rib for Wednesday’s finale. The money goes to SSRA scholarships for kids who need financial help getting started in the sport.

“SSRA teams up with the mountain to put on the event,” Lindsay said. “We split the entrance fees, they fix dinner and give us all the help we need.”

Living legends

I had the good fortune to land on a team with Tammy Dix Jenssen and Gerry Fitzgerald, major players in the history of ski racing at Mt. Spokane.

Fitzgerald, 67, started coaching in SSRA at Mt. Spokane in 1964 and he’s been at it since. He’s raced in the Team Cup Challenge every year.

“Helping kids who want to race but can’t afford it is important – as expensive as skiing is,” he said. “But we also like to promote adult ski racing so the kids don’t have all the fun.”

Jenssen, 67, started racing as a high school junior with The Spokesman-Review Ski School. Her father, Peter Dix Sr. of the Dix Steel Company, founded SSRA in 1960. She competed for the U.S. Ski Team on the World Cup circuit from 1963-66. Skiers she raced with included Billy Kidd, Jimmy Heuga and Buddy Werner.

“The Spokesman-Review Ski School was the way kids got started back then,” she said. “Buses left from downtown hauling hundreds of kids to the mountain. Every week we couldn’t wait to look in the paper for results.”

Three generations of Jenssen’s family were at the mountain Wednesday night.

“My nephew Travis Dix signed up 20 people for the races this year,” she said. “My sister Suzy Dix, three of my nephews and their kids are all here tonight.”

Leveling the slope

Holcomb designs a course that people with a wide variety of abilities can enjoy.

“We set up a very safe venue,” he said. “The whole event is about having a great time and bringing a community of people together in ski racing at Mt. Spokane. The more people enjoying it, the better.”

A handicap system based on age levels the competition in a field ranging from 22 to 67 this year. Jenssen calls it “getting fossil points.” The system allows the strongest skiers regardless of age to rise to the top.

“When somebody younger comes up to me and says, ‘Oh yeah, but you’re handicapped,’ I say, ‘OK I’ll trade you.’ ” Fitzgerald said. “I’ll be your age, you can be my age.”

Fitzgerald was the overall men’s winner of the 2007 series. His teammates Suzy Dix and Jenssen led the women. Go SSRA took the team trophy – no thanks to me.