Young jumpers take first flights at SWSA camp

SALISBURY — Some of the area’s most adventurous children convened at the Salisbury Winter Sports Association’s (SWSA) annual ski jump camp, which was held Dec. 27 and 28 at Satre Hill. Standing by to teach and assist the kids were SWSA President Ken Barker; jumper Julian Holland of Falls Village, who jumped and competed for many years with the program; and other SWSA members.

The two-day camp was attended by about 26 boys and girls between the ages of 6 and 13, who represented all levels of experience. Some had jumped before, and some were still learning downhill ski technique.

The first day of the camp was focused on skiing down the landing slope without going off the jump. By the second day, most of the skiers were flying off the jump as if they had been doing it their entire lives.

“Many started off riding the landing hill and crashing every time. By the end of the second day, they were going off the jump,†Barker said.

The children were extremely supportive of each other and shouted encouragement to their friends. And they continually asked the coaches what they had done wrong and how they could improve.

Holland pointed out that many jumpers begin on Alpine skis and later switch to jumping skis. At first, many of them struggle with the new skis and some ask to go back to their old skis. They all, however, end up working through the difficulties.

“It’s really exciting to watch them embrace the jumping skis and progress to a more forward flight,†he said.

This year, SWSA hosts the 2011 Junior Olympics ski jumping competition between Feb. 22 and 26. Roughly two weeks prior to the Junior Olympics will be Salisbury’s own Jumpfest Weekend, Feb. 11 to 13.

Volunteers are needed to help with the competitions; and jumpers will train and compete  throughout the winter.

For more information or to register, contact Barker at 860-806-0471 or by e-mail at kennethsbarker@gmail.com. Visit the SWSA websites at jumpfest.org and teamswsa.blogspot.com.

Latest News

All are welcome at The Mahaiwe

Paquito D’Rivera performs at the Mahaiwe in Great Barrington on April 5.

Geandy Pavon

Natalia Bernal is the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center’s education and community engagement manager and is, in her own words, “the one who makes sure that Mahaiwe events are accessible to all.”

The Mahaiwe’s community engagement program is rooted in the belief that the performing arts should be for everyone. “We are committed to establishing and growing partnerships with neighboring community and arts organizations to develop pathways for overcoming social and practical barriers,” Bernal explained. “Immigrants, people of color, communities with low income, those who have traditionally been underserved in the performing arts, should feel welcomed at the Mahaiwe.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Living with the things you love:
a conversation with Mary Randolph Carter
Mary Randolph Carter teaches us to surround ourselves with what matters to live happily ever after.
Carter Berg

There is magic in a home filled with the things we love, and Mary Randolph Carter, affectionately known as “Carter,” has spent a lifetime embracing that magic. Her latest book, “Live with the Things You Love … and You’ll Live Happily Ever After,” is about storytelling, joy, and honoring life’s poetry through the objects we keep.

“This is my tenth book,” Carter said. “At the root of each is my love of collecting, the thrill of the hunt, and living surrounded by things that conjure up family, friends, and memories.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Beloved classic film ‘The Red Shoes’ comes to the big screen for Triplex benefit
Provided

On Saturday, April 5, at 3 p.m., The Triplex Cinema in Great Barrington and Jacob’s Pillow, the dance festival in Becket, Massachusetts, are presenting a special benefit screening of the cinematic masterpiece, “The Red Shoes,” followed by a discussion and Q&A. Featuring guest speakers Norton Owen, director of preservation at Jacob’s Pillow, and dance historian Lynn Garafola, the event is a fundraiser for The Triplex.

“We’re pitching in, as it were, because we like to help our neighbors,” said Norton. “They (The Triplex) approached us with the idea, wanting some input if they were going to do a dance film. I thought of Lynn as the perfect person also to include in this because of her knowledge of The Ballets Russes and the book that she wrote about Diaghilev. There is so much in this film, even though it’s fictional, that derives from the Ballets Russes.” Garafola, the leading expert on the Ballets Russes under Serge Diaghilev, 1909–1929, the most influential company in twentieth-century theatrical dance, said, “We see glimpses of that Russian émigré tradition, performances we don’t see much of today. The film captures the artifice of ballet, from the behind-the-scenes world of dressers and conductors to the sheer passion of the audience.”

Keep ReadingShow less