MARCH E-SPILLWAY NEWSLETTER |
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US Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame Inductions |
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Carrabassett Valley Academy and the Sugarloaf Ski Club would like to celebrate CVA alumni and long-time Sugarloafers, Kristean Porter Thorpe ’89 and Seth Wescott ’94 and congratulate them on their formal induction into the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame.
Both Seth and Kristean were announced as inductees in 2020. However, with COVID, the US Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame couldn't hold the formal induction ceremonies.
The induction ceremony for Seth will be held this Saturday, March 5th at Bretton Woods. The induction ceremony for Kristean will be held on Saturday, March 26th. Seth and Kristean are 2 of the 17 athletes that will be recognized this year for Hall of Fame inductions since 2020.
Congratulations to you both! Check out their features on the Legends Lounge with world-renowned skier, Dan Egan, at the links below.
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2022 CVA SCHOLARSHIP BASH |
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We are so appreciative of everyone that joined us either online at the virtual event, or in person at the Après Ski , this past weekend. |
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We had a blast at the Apres Ski event slope-side at the Sugarloaf Inn. Thank you to everyone who came out to enjoy food and drinks al fresco with us on a bluebird day! A huge thanks goes out to Mere Point Oyster Co. for providing over 500 oysters for us to enjoy. They were delicious!
We look forward to making this an annual get-together!
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There's Still Time to Support the Scholarship Fund |
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We hope you were able to join us on Saturday evening for the online live stream Scholarship Bash. If you missed it, visit the CVA website to find out if you won a raffle item. Items will be mailed to the winners at the end of this week. Congratulations to Theresa Sylvain, the lucky $5,000 grand prize raffle winner!
We have raised just over $100,000 of our $150,000 goal so far. With your help, we can reach that goal! The online auction is open for bidding this weekend, through Sunday, March 6th at 8PM EST.
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The Online Auction Closes Sunday |
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All auction items have been donated to CVA, so your full purchase amount goes to the Scholarship Fund. This year's auction includes some amazing items! |
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Competition Center Ski Locker for the remainder of this ski season AND the 2022-23 ski season with an annual renewal option. |
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35 minute scenic Flight for two to three people with local pilot, Lloyd Cuttler of Carrabassett Valley, ME. |
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Enjoy a gourmet meal for 4 prepared by Kayla Kohler, professionally trained chef, in the comforts of their Sugarloaf Home. |
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Half Day Private Coaching or Freeski Session at Sugarloaf with retired World Cup speed skier Jenny Piot for up to three people. |
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Namaste & Bubble 60 minute private yoga class and après-Mimosa + Crêpe Bar, and freshly baked French pastries. |
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If you’ve already registered for the online event, you’re all set to bid. Haven’t had a chance to register yet? No problem! Follow the link below to register and bid before the auction ends.
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Big Dogs on the Big Screen |
Didn't get a chance to watch the Virtual Event? Some of our students and alumni were featured in mini-videos and blooper reels produced by our own, Waylon Wolfe! If you didn't get a chance to watch these, you should! |
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Door-to-Door Food Drive March 5th |
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On Saturday, March 5th, from 4-5:30pm, the friends, students, parents and staff of Carrabassett Valley Academy will be traveling door-to-door to collect canned food and dry goods to help feed families in need in our area. We will be canvassing various areas of Carrabassett Valley and the mountain. For over 30 years, this door-to-door drive has made a significant impact on the food reserves at local food banks. The generosity of this community is well known throughout the county.
Cash and checks made out to “Sugarloaf Christian Ministry” will also be accepted. Donations can also be made online via PayPal, earmarked “food” or dropped off at the Chapel the week prior. For more information, call the Ministry at 207-237-2304.
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A Big Dog thank you goes out to our staff and Parent Support Organization (PSO) for the amazing Valentine's Day Dinner and Dessert Night that they hosted. From the delicious food, to the amazing company, it was truly a night to remember. A special thank you goes out to game show host, and CVA senior, Noah Koenig '22, for his hilarious hosting of The CVA Dating Game. Our laughs could be heard for miles. |
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Mind the Gap - Summer School to Get Ahead |
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As a competitive athletic school, our students experience heavier periods of travel in the winter months. At CVA, we understand that not all students learn the same way, and that learning on-the-road can be more challenging for some students than others. That's why we developed programming, during the summer months, to allow students to get ahead in their next year's studies.
The summer school options are designed to cover material taught in CVA courses during the busy winter months, especially during championship season! This allows students to have fewer assignments while traveling and competing, enabling them to achieve the balance between their academics, and competitive athletics, with more ease.
So how does it work? Over the summer, we offer a few non-credit-bearing summer school courses for select sophomores, juniors, and seniors looking to lighten their academic load during the months of January, February, and/or March of the upcoming school year. While grades and credits are not given for the summer school courses, grades earned are calculated into the second and/or third trimester marking periods depending on the course. Students don't need to attend class during the period of time in the winter that is covered during the summer (this ranges from 4-8 weeks depending on the course).
This summer, on-campus summer school courses will include Physics, Chemistry, and possibly Algebra II and will be held June 6-10. In-person attendance is mandatory. There will also be a few asynchronous, online courses, that students can take. The asynchronous courses that will be offered this summer are still being determined.
More information on CVA summer school offerings and prices will be sent out by Karen Lanoue-Egan in the next few weeks. If you have any questions, please contact Karen (klanoue-egan@gocva.com) directly.
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ON THE SLOPES: ATHLETIC NEWS |
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Competition season is officially here! With numerous MARA, USSS, and FIS racing opportunities between Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont our CVA Alpine athletes took full advantage, and competed in several races across age groups.
The Alpine program at CVA focuses on long-term development through technical and tactical skill development, positive mental focus, imagery, and physical conditioning. Being able to train daily at Sugarloaf, and once a week at Saddleback, and then to practice their learning in SL, GS, SG, and DH races has made for a stellar month for our athletes.
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It's been a full month of racing for the U19 women. They were on the road for most of February, competing in GS and SL FIS races across the Eastern Region at Mount Sunapee, Proctor, Waterville Valley, Titcomb, and more.
Coming up, they will have a two week block of training at the Loaf to reset and refocus before the 2022 Toyota US Alpine Championships (US Nationals) here at Sugarloaf, in the end of March. They'll be ending their competition season in Canada with a bang, competing in 8 races in 10 days.
Shoutout to Hoku Caroselli '22 for sending this amazing shot of the group, taken while at the Proctor race.
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The U19 men went to Quebec for a 4 day race series in mid-February, between the Mt. Orford and Bromont ski areas for the Quebec Super Series circuit. A trip to Canada was a breath of fresh air for the Men's team, as many of the athletes had not left the country since the pandemic hit. It was great to expose the athletes to new mountains, and venues, to help them grow and develop in their sport. The races and conditions were challenging, but made for a great learning experience overall for the Men's Team.
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After showcasing their SG and DH skills during speed week, the athletes focused on GS races.
The U16/U18 MARA GS Qualifier at Sugarloaf was the perfect example of Big Dog pride. From the athletes on the hill, to the athletes in the crowd cheering, to the CVA teachers at the finish to congratulate their students, everyone came together to support one another. And when we all come together, amazing things happen! The women had a 1st place finish by Charlie Koenig ‘24 and 3rd place finsih by Mia Bruno ‘25. The men had a full podium sweep with Will Roy ‘24 in 1st, Adam Hamblet ‘24 in 2nd, and Francois Meloni ‘23 in 3rd.
Next, it was on to the MARA U21 GS Qualifier at Sunday River. For the women's race, Charlie Koenig ‘24 finished 2nd and Mia Bruno ‘25 finished 3rd in the U16 age group. Charlie also took home 2nd overall. For the men’s race, Will Roy ‘24 took home the gold and Kaden Theriault ‘24 got silver in the overall results! Lake Lindelof '22, just missed the podium with a 4th place overall. Adam Hamblet '24 was 4th for the U16s (7th overall), Paul Harrigan '25 was 6th for U16s & Thomas Harrigan '25 was 9th for U16s.
The high number of top 10 finishes for the U16 athletes shows their incredible growth over the course of the month. The U16 age group focus of supporting the athletes' passion for ski racing through continued skill acquisition, development, and refinement is paying off in spades.
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The U14 coaches are working on instilling a life- long love of skiing in their athletes by focusing on small group, student-athlete development. Students have been doing drills, reviewing videos, getting time on snow, and having fun as a team. This month, athletes competed in the USSS panel Slalom at Titcomb. On the Academy side, Lucia Littlefield ‘26 took home the Gold and Abby Manson '26 took home the Bronze for the girls while Jack Hepburn '26 took home Gold and Ethan Godomsky ‘27 took home the Silver for the boys.
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February was an action packed month for the Backcountry program.
Besides returning from a 15 day trip to the Lake Tahoe area, the program also hosted its first ever in-house level one avalanche course, as well as participated in the Mt. Washington Backcountry Ski Festival.
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The avalanche one course took place over President's Day weekend and was instructed by Head Coach Owen McAndrew through A3 accredited provider East Coast Avalanche Education.
The course was held partly on the CVA campus and partly in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, where a mix of students and faculty alike engaged in hands-on learning.
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The following week, the coaching staff was in the White Mountains again where they hosted a 2-day Youth Backcountry Camp and represented the school at the Northeast’s largest backcountry ski event.
The camp was attended by 4 young skiers and their parents and offered an inside look at CVA Backcountry’s winter programming.
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Petite Amies. Also at the festival- CVA Backcountry athletes Kai Glidden '23, Cassidy Strunk '22, Dionis Phelan '26, and Ben Mallory '25 participated in “The Diamond 48 Hour Film Competition”. Despite entries from skiers of all ages and experience levels, their inspiring video about women in the backcountry took home first place and a big check!
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When asked about their inspiration for this video, here's what our athletes said:
"Being a woman in the backcountry is an awesome thing, but sometimes you feel like you are the only one. When you go up a packed skin track and only see men it can be hard to feel like you belong. We made this movie to inspire other women and girls to get out into the backcountry. In a sport that is male dominated, it is important to show representation of women and girls. We have already heard a lot of positive feedback from girls saying that this video made them feel heard and supported. Our goal is to make this sport accessible to everyone so that anyone can experience the magic and love of the outdoors."
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In spite of varying weather conditions - from 50 degrees and raining to negative temperatures and snowing- during the week leading up to the event, the Sugarloaf Parks crew, the Sugarloaf Competition Staff, and the CVA coaches hosted a world class Boardercross and Ski Cross competition on the 26th-27th.
Offering a course like this continues to help Sugarloaf shine as one of the premier ski resorts offering competitive opportunities in New England. With a whopping 82 competitors, the field was steep, but the CVA athletes showed up to win!
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For SX on Saturday for the women, Lillian Sittig '25 got 2nd for 13-14, Maggie Swain '24 took first and Morgan Shute '25 took 2nd for 15-16, and Lily Day '23 took first for 17-18. For the men, Aidan Butler '26 took 1st and Jamie Hering '26 took 2nd for 13-14, Sully Butler '24 took 1st and Lyle Hering '23 took 2nd for 15-16, and Aidan Steffe '21 took 1st and Tyler Currier '22 took 2nd for the Open Class.
For SX on Sunday, for the women, Lillian Sittig '25 got 1st for 13-14, Morgan Shute '25 took 1st and Maggie Swain '24 took 2nd for 15-16, and Lily Day '23 took first for 17-18. For the men, Aidan Butler '26 took 1st and Jamie Hering '26 took 2nd for 13-14, Lyle Hering '23 took 1st and Sully Butler '24 took 2nd for 15-16, and Aidan Steffe '21 took 1st and Tyler Currier '22 took 2nd for the Open Class.
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For SBX on Saturday for the women, Kyla Harvie '25 took 1st for 13-14. For the men, Walker Wolfe '26 took 1st and Noah Tippie '26 took 3rd for 13-14, Brady Harvie '24 took 1st and Boden Gerry '24 took 3rd for 15-16, and Zack Zaman '22 took 1st for 17-18.
Fro SBX on Sunday for the women, Kyla Harvie '25 took 1st for 13-14. For the men, Walker Wolfe '26 took 1st and Noah Tippie '26 took 3rd for 13-14, Brady Harvie '24 took 1st and Mitch Marquis '24 took 3rd for 15-16, and Zack Zaman '22 took 1st for 17-18.
There were a lot of CVA Weekend Program athletes that also competed, and medaled, in the races here at Sugarloaf! Big shoutout to all the WP athletes on the course. For full results, check the USASA Maine Mountain Series Team App. Check out photos from the race at the link below.
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In the Alpine Snowboard world at CVA, we have our eyes on athlete Sasha Jansujwicz ‘23. Not only did she receive her first FIS Gold this month, but she also received her first World Cup invite. In fact, she received invites to 3 World Cup events - the Rogla World Cup in Slovenia, the Piancavallo World Cup in Italy, and the Berchtesgaden World Cup in Germany.
At 17 years of age, receiving a World Cup invite is a huge accomplishment; receiving 3 is truly remarkable! These invites are evidence of Sasha’s hard work, determination, and dedication to her sport.
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Freeski Senior Athlete Profile - Eli Fournier |
CVA senior, Eli Fourier, is a local student who grew up skiing at the Loaf. He started skiing at 4 years old, joined the CVA Weekend Program as a Freestyle athlete at 8 years old, and never turned back. He started at CVA as soon as he could, as a Winter Term athlete in the 8th grade, and he has been with us ever since.
This month has been a stellar month for Eli on the slopes. He made it to the finals and secured a top 10 finish at the Gore Mountain Futures Tour in mid-February! He also won the Judge’s Award at the Rail Jam in Portland for his amazing style and form.
In addition to having a winning month on the hill, Eli had a winning month academically, being accepted to his first-choice college, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where he plans to study Aerospace Engineering.
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Eli also embodies CVA’s values of responsible community living. He is a peer tutor, peer mentor, member of the National Honor Society, and Member of the Young Eagles. He volunteers his time to local organizations such as the CV library; Eli and his family built the Little Lending Library that stands outside the town office.
Fun fact about Eli - he is an aspiring pilot and, in his free time, is training for his private pilot’s license.
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Congratulations, Eli, for a winning month, both on and off the hill. We can’t wait to see what you do with the rest of your Senior Year, and beyond! |
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The CVA Freestyle Moguls athletes have had a busy schedule this last month, with competitions across the Eastern Region. Lead by Head Coach, Jesse Lowell ’14, the CVA Freestyle Moguls athletes have been progressing from competition to competition and securing top 10 finishes all month, despite a steep field of competitors.
At the Toyota Freestyle Fest / East Coast Championships in Bristol, NY the CVA athletes brought their “A”- game earning multiple 10 finishes with Dory Michaud ‘23 in 8th and Jack Egan ‘25 in 8th on Saturday and Dory Michaud ‘23 taking home Gold with Chase Littlefield ‘24 in 7th on Sunday!
In the Eastern Championships at Bristol Mountain the athletes rose in the ranks, yet again, with Dory Michaud ‘23 taking home the Gold and Jack Egan ‘25 taking 7th and Chase Littlefield ‘24 taking 8th.
At the Rosemary Bowl in Waterville, NH, the women had 2 top 10 finishes on Saturday and on Sunday, there were 3 CVA women in the top 10: Dory Michaud ‘23, Kennedy Hicks ‘25, and Alexandra Dowling - a Weekend Program athlete who finished top 5 both days. Then men had podium placements both days! On Saturday, there were 3 men in the top 10, with Gabe Landry ‘26 taking Silver and Chase Littlefield ‘24 with Bronze, and Jack Egan ‘25 in 6th. On Sunday, there were 4 men in the top 10 with Jack Egan ‘25 taking Gold, Gabe Landry ‘26 with the Bronze, Lance Dolan ‘22 in 8th, and Tate Royall ‘25 in 10th.
This past weekend, the athletes competed in the Rod Baird Memorial Mogul Challenge at Stratton, VT. The field was large with 40+ women and 50+ men competing and our athletes rocked the rankings! In the single moguls competition on Saturday Dory Michaud ‘23 took home 4th, Chase Littlefield ‘24 got 5th, and Jack Egan ‘25 got 6th. In the Dual Moguls competition on Sunday Dory Michaud ‘23 and Chase Littlefield ‘24 both took home the Bronze, Gabe Landry ‘26 got 4th, and Jack Egan ‘25 got 7th.
The growth and progression of these athletes over the last month reflects their hard work, as well as their coaches' commitment to their development and success. Cheers to an amazing team, and some amazing progress.
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Kristen Clark League Races at the Loaf |
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CVA Alpine U8-U12 Weekend Program athletes competed in the Kristen Clark League races at Sugarloaf.
The warm conditions taught the athletes how course conditions can vary greatly from practice runs to final runs. In spite of the learning curve, the kids had a blast and did an amazing job!
This was both an individual, and team, event. Competing as teams across age groups helped to instill the importance of team culture in our younger athletes, showing them how working together, supporting one another, and cheering each other on is so important. CVA Weekend Program coaches have been working all season to ensure that athletes understand that although they are competing in an individual sport, the team component is what will make or break athletes in regards to their success, and happiness. Thank you, CVA coaches, for helping our kids to learn these invaluable life lessons.
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Middle School Student of the Month |
Rocco consistently impresses his teachers with his advanced skills in classwork, projects, and homework. He is committed to his studies and achieving his goals. Thank you, Rocco, for your dedication in and out of the classroom.
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High School Student of the Month |
Teachers have praised Francois for his diligent effort and high marks in all of his classes. He excelled on a recent US History essay. Thank you, Francois, for your focus and hard-work; it is paying off!
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Althea is having a standout season. Last month, she took home Gold at a FIS event despite being up against some fierce competition. We are so proud of you, Althea! Keep up the great work and keep skiing hard.
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Community Member of the Month |
Shire is being recognized for staying focused on his goals, making good choices, and being a kind and supportive teammate. He is thoughtful, and an all-around positive member of our community who leads by example. Thank you, Shire, for inspiring your peers. |
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Celebrating Team CVA at the Beijing Olympics |
This year, CVA showed up at the Olympics in style. From our newest Olympic athlete, boardercross competitor, Liam Moffatt '15, who competed in both the individual and team events for Team Canada, to the academy graduates now coaching in Beijing, CVA had quite the alumni line up.
Mike Day (Class of 1989) attended as skier Mikaela Shiffrin’s head coach. Forest Carey (Class of 1994) attended as the head alpine men’s coach. Nessa Dziemian (Class of 2012) attended as the head coach for the Brazil moguls team. Nick Stagers (Class of 1997) attended as head coach for an athlete on Ecuador’s alpine team.
The Bangor Daily News did an amazing write-up on our alumni athletes and coaches. Check it out at the link below.
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In this Nov. 28, 2021, file photo, (from left) Merlin Surget of France, Mick Dierdorff of the United States, Liam Moffatt of Canada, and Matteo Menconi of Italy compete during a 1/8-final of men's snowboard cross at the FIS Snowboard Cross World Cup, a test event for the 2022 Winter Olympics, at the Genting Resort Secret Garden in Zhangjiakou in northern China's Hebei Province. Credit: Mark Schiefelbein / AP |
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Liam Moffatt Calls In to the Bash |
A Big Dog thank you goes out to CVA Alumnus and Olympian, Liam Moffatt '15, for his appearance as our special guest at this year's 2022 CVA Scholarship Bash!
Thank you, Liam, for calling in and sharing your journey to the Olympics with the CVA community. It was amazing to watch you compete this year, inspiring a future generation of CVA Olympians.
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Image courtesy of Liam Moffatt |
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ENROLLMENT IS OPEN FOR 2022-2023 |
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Carrabassett Valley Academy is seeking motivated student-athletes who want to push their personal limits and achieve their full potential. Interested in becoming a Big Dog? Apply today! The application deadline is April 1st. Preference will be given to students who submit their application prior to this deadline. If additional space is available following April 1st, CVA will accept applications on a rolling basis. Opportunities for admission and financial support improve the earlier you apply. Start the conversation today at GoCVA.com/inquire.
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3197 Carrabassett Drive
Carrabassett Valley, ME 04947
Phone: (207) 237-2250
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