I am pleased to inform everyone that Eva Kunkel has been offered and accepted the Eastern Division Awards Advisor Position.   Please congratulate her!!

To all patrollers of the Appalachian Region

I am seeking the position of Regional Director of the Appalachian Region in this coming election.

First and always, I thank you for being part of this region and performing the duties asked of us as a Ski Patroller.   Ski patrolling can be a thankless job of the resort and we endure a lot.   I can at least be one that says thanks for all you do and also ask that you pass it forward.

I have been the Regional Director for the last two years.    I have been Section Chief, Regional S&T Advisor, S&T Instructor, OEC Instructor, EMM Instructor, and a Certified Alpine Patroller.   I have traveled to all patrols not only in the section but in the Western App Region.   I have exposure to other regions and patrols in the Eastern Division and Southern Division.   I have developed relationships with the Patrols, Patrol Leaders, Regional Advisors, Regional Leaders, and Eastern Divisional Leaders.   This experience has shown me that all the patrols in NSP are different in some aspect but the heart of the entire system is the individual patrollers.  I have enjoyed the patrolling experience with Nordic as well as Alpine, Telemark, and Boarder patrollers.

In the recent past, the NSP system has evolved to allow the individual patroller to have more say in the NSP system.   I will continue to support the individual patroller rights.  I will attend the required divisional meetings and forward the information to the regional.  I also believe in the chain of command and I will be there for anyone that needs assistance.
There are many issues and concerns facing the future of the ski patrolling.  I feel the main responsibility of the Regional Director is to work with patrollers to forward their concerns to the Region, Division, and National.   At times, the individual patroller needs a voice outside of their individual patrol or needs a person to stand up for them to help solve particular problems or concerns.

I plan to continue to be involved in the region and if voted into the position or not, I will be around to interface with patrollers and my phone/email are always available.

Thanks for the consideration.
Bill Smith IV

On Sunday, May 7th, the Western Appalachian Region NSP again volunteered to act as a Rapid Response Team around the finish line of the Pittsburgh Marathon.  There object to monitor and assist any runners, who may need any assistant.  Below a picture of the team, before the start of the race.

Western Appalachian Region Young Adult Patrollers took home 4 awards at the 2017 Eastern Division YAP seminar at Bolton Valley, VT. Lena Nyblade of Tussey took 3rd in skiing and Jordan Parnell of Blue Knob took 3rd in OEC, 1st overall, and was awarded the Hans Hyson Award as an outstanding young adult patroller. Eight YAPs from our region attended the event. Congratulations to all. And thanks to Liz Hermann, region YAP adviser for organizing training, transportation, and logistics for the kids.

Ski season is approaching fast and we are looking forward to a great year. National dues have increased by $5.00 for a total of $85.00.

$55.00 National

$17.00 Division

$13.00 Region

Some patrols have local dues as well.

In the past you would pay these dues at your on-mountain refresher. This year the only portion of the dues you need to pay at your refresher are your local patrol dues. The additional $85.00 needs to be paid online. See instructions for paying on-line below.

Paying your dues online

1. Sign into the National Ski Patrol website (www.nsp.com) using your NSP number and password.
2. Once signed in, look at the top of the page. You should see, “sign out”, “hi (your name)”, and “cart”. Click on “Hi (your name)”. This will direct you to your profile page.
3. Once on the profile page, scroll down and look along the left side of the page for a blue box labeled “Renew Now”. Click it. This will direct you to the shopping cart page.
4. On the shopping cart page, you will see listed under Invoices a line item that contains, Renewal Fee, your name, $85.00, and Pay later. Pay later is not a payment option. If you click pay later it will clear your cart and you will have to start over. Below that you will see cart charges with a grand total of $85.00.
5. There are three ways to pay, Check, PayPal, or Credit card. If you want to pay by check print the shopping cart page (the page you are currently on) and mail it and an $85 check payable to “National Ski Patrol” to: National Ski Patrol, 133 South Van Gordon Street, Suite 100, Lakewood, CO 80228. If you choose to pay with your credit card or PayPal select the preferred payment method, fill in the required information and click the blue box labeled “submit order” at the bottom of the page. This will direct you to the Order Confirmation Page.
6. You are now on the Order Confirmation Page. An order confirmation will be e-mailed to the e-mail address NSP has on record for you. Scroll to the bottom of the page to see what that address is. If you want a copy sent to another e-mail address, enter that address in the “send another copy to” box and click send.

That’s it your dues are now paid!

If you run into any problems with paying your dues you can contact NSP at 303-988-1111 and they will be more than happy to assist you. You can also utilize the “Customer Care” section of the NSP website for additional information. “Customer Care” is found in the grey drop down box when you place your mouse pointer over “Member Resources”.

Watch this video to see the new registration procedure:

NSP Website Tutorial – Patroller Profile from Chris Pringle on Vimeo.

How to register for a refresher or other course

1. Sign into the National Ski Patrol website (www.nsp.com) using your NSP number and password.
2. Once signed in, mouse over “Member Resources.” A dropdown menu will appear. (Don’t click on it)
3. Click on “Course Schedule.”
4. If you have the course number (found on the Calendar page of the region website) enter it on the second line of the form and click “Find.”
5. If you don’t have the course number, enter as much information as you have, i.e Eastern on the Division Name line, enter refresher (or Nordic, or S&T, depending on the course you are signing up for) on the Title Contains line, enter the patrol where the refresher will take place on the Patrol Contains line, etc. Press Find after entering the information. The courses with those parameters will be shown.
6. If you see the course you are looking for, click the course name under Course Title, i.e OEC Refresher C. If you do not see the course you are looking for, enter different or fewer search terms. For instance, if you only enter Eastern, every course offered in the Eastern Division will appear on the list.
7. When you see the course you want, click “Register Myself.”
8. Click “Proceed to Checkout”
9. If there are any charges due, you will enter payment information here. Refreshers usually do not have a charge, but other courses like Avalanche do.
10. Be sure to click “Submit Order” to complete the transaction.
11. A receipt will appear on the screen. A receipt will be emailed to you as well. Bring this with you if you are going to a refresher at a mountain other than your own.

Watch the video to see how to register for a refresher or other course:

NSP Website Tutorial – Course Enrollment from Chris Pringle on Vimeo.

Course numbers:

To make is easier to register for a course, the course numbers will be posted on the region calendar page.

Questions?

If you have questions, contact your patrol director or the Instructor of Record for the OEC Course you plan to take before the day of the course.

Region Patrollers Win Awards

We have a lot talented patrollers in our region.

Outstanding National Ski Patrol Awards

• 2016 Outstanding Administrator – Marty Silverman of Hidden Valley – Runner Up – Silver Merit Star
• 2016 Outstanding Instructor – Eric Speedy of Seven Springs – Honorable Mention – Yellow Merit Star

Outstanding Eastern Division Awards

• 2016 Outstanding Administrator – Marty Silverman of Hidden Valley
• 2016 Outstanding Instructor – Eric Speedy of Seven Springs

Outstanding Western Appalachian Region Patroller Awards:

• 2016 Outstanding Region Patroller – (To be announced)
• 2016 Outstanding Region Instructor – Eric Speedy of Seven Springs

Region patrollers awarded National Appointments:

• Mike Wess of Blue Knob

Region patrollers awarded Distinguished Service Award:

• Bryant Hall of Canaan Valley

Region Yellow Merit Stars:

• Leslie Wills of Blue Knob
• Rick Hoffman of Wisp
• Eric Speedy of Seven Springs
• Marty Silverman of Hidden Valley

Region Blue Merit Stars:

• Mark Smith of Blue Knob

Region Purple Merit Stars:

• Leslie Wills of Blue Knob

Region patrollers volunteer at Pittsburgh Marathon

For the 4th year in a row, patrollers from the Western Appalachian Region assisted at the Pittsburgh Marathon. Nearly 50 patrollers from 8 ski areas in the region will volunteer as the Rapid Response Team (RRT) at the 2016 Pittsburgh Marathon on May 1st. Patrollers from Boyce Park, Hidden Valley, Seven Springs, Blue Knob, Laurel Highlands Nordic, Laurel Mountain, Wisp and Canaan ski patrols were there at the event. Good weather kept the injury rate down. This year 260 runners were treated by the Pittsburgh Marathon medical team. Last year, a total of 367 runners were treated. Race Medical Director Ron Roth said, “The RRT is a Pittsburgh invention that creatively filled the void of medical care in the chutes.” Eli Freidman, finish line Medical Director said, “I am so humbled that many of you return year after year to take part in this. Each year is like a big family gathering to ensure the safety of all because, as the Ski Patrol says, “That’s just what we do.” A big thank you goes to Boyce Park patrol director Pat Boccardi for organizing the region’s effort at this event for the each year. Region patrollers also assist at the EQT 10 mile race in November each year. (Photo by Connie Wolff)

New Region Director and Assistant Region Directors

Bill Smith IV of the Wisp ski patrol started his first term as the new Region Director April 1 after previous Region Director Marty Silverman reached his six year term limit. Bill Smith (who preferred to be called IV) appointed three new Assistant Region Directors (formerly known as Section Chiefs).

Michael Athen of Wisp will serve the Southern Section consisting of Wisp, Canaan Valley, Laurel Highlands Nordic and Laurel Summit Nordic.

Eric Waldman of Ski Sawmill will serve the Eastern Section consisting of Ski Sawmill, Tussey Mountain and Blue Knob.

Roger Strane of Seven Springs will serve the Western Section consisting of Seven Springs, Hidden Valley, Laurel Mountain, Mystic Mountain and Mt. Pleasant. Roger will also serve as the Alternate Region Director.

Young Adult Patroller (YAP) Seminar a success

The region Young Adult Patroller (YAP) seminar was held on Jan 23 & 24 at Blue Knob. The big 30+” dump on Saturday added to the fun of this great learning experience for the kids. The Division YAP event was held at Bromley, VT on March 19 & 20. Despite the warm spring the mountain was open. We have a strong YAP program headed by Liz Hermann. Click here for more information. If you’d like to attend an event, please contact Liz Hermann.

Laurel Summit Nordic Celebrates 40th Anniversary

The Laurel Summit Nordic Patrol (Formerly Laurel Hill Nordic) held their 40th anniversary celebration on Saturday, Feb. 6th, 2016. Many past and current primary and secondary (and Laurel Mountain) patrollers came to the event. It was held at the Warming Hut on Summit road. A fun day filled with reunions, old photos, skiing, and more was shared by all. If you missed it, please visit the Laurel Summit Facebook page. For more information, please contact Ann Rahn.

Why Do We Ski at Tussey, There’s No Gondola?
By Jeff Banks
I read SKI Magazine and I don’t like it! Sure Lindsey Vonn is on the back cover and every other page has a phenomenal picture of incredible skiing in exotic locations but where is the article about our little mountain? I can dig it, who doesn’t love Ms. Vonn, the outrageous skiing off of the Big Sky tram and the ethereal views from the base of Chamonix. The problem is I don’t live in France and my mom doesn’t give me enough allowance anymore to save up for ski trips out west. So, since our mountain is apparently not SKI Magazine article worthy, why do we ski at Tussey Mountain? I ponder this question as I sit in the roost after running training sleds on icy Tuscarora (Jon Eckess made me do it) this past Tuesday evening. It is not just because Eric Vorwald looks fantastic in his custom Patagonia outfits or because we love skiing with Brian Younkin, who is the best skier in the south eastern portion of Centre County, well actually the best in just the north western section of the south eastern portion of Centre County. It is primarily because our patrol has interesting people who have developed camaraderie over the years and we like to have fun skiing regardless of the conditions. When I started the patrol I only knew a few patrol candidates from my cohort and I felt a little intimidated with my limited experience compared to the seasoned patrollers. Over the years though, I am sure that many of us have had a similar experience developing friendships and gradually feeling like a part of a Tussey mountain patrol family (or at least like a step family that we see on weekends). I think that we have a good mix of old school and new school and yes, even the snow boarders aren’t bad to have around as long as they stay on their side of the mountain. Even though we don’t get 500 inches of powder or have slope side condos and the terrain sometimes resembles a frozen glacier or an oatmeal mush bowl more than a ski area, we do have a nice little fun mountain that is close to home and more importantly a place where you can always find a friendly ski partner. It’s been a great season and I look forward to seeing you all next year.

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