The Finish Line Approaches

The fiscal year ends today. Consider giving as we close in on our 10% participation goal for both teams and we are well within the reach of the men's team $35,000 goal.

https://gifts.development.brown.edu/Brown/

Almost There

We have had an unprecedented level of support for Brown Skiing in the past few weeks. The Men's Team is just $2,000 short of its $35,000 goal. We are 8 skiers short of our 10% participation level goal and 16 skiers short of doubling our participation from last year. We still need $17,000 on the women's team side and are looking for any help we can get. Thanks for your support!

New Archive Photos

Thanks to the Brown University Archives for helping us find some old photos and newspaper clippings of the ski team. If you have any photos that you would like to donate, write to archives [at] brown.edu If you know any of the people in these photos, please comment on them so that we can label the ones in the archives. To see the rest of the photos, click here.

Support Brown Skiing! Help us reach our Goals!

Campus Dance this year was a big success. For those of you that weren't able to meet up there is always next year. Hope to see you then!

On another note, we are trying to make our final push this year for fundraising. I have made a concerted effort to avoid fundraising during the year, but as we enter the final month of our fiscal year, I am leading the push to help our teams to reach their goals. Here's what we need by June 30:


Men - $15,000 away from $35,000 goal

Women - $17,000 away from $30,000 goal


First, we would like to meet our goals for the first time in several years, and secondly, we'd like to push our alumni participation rate above 10% for the first time ever! So please consider giving whatever you can!


The way athletic fundraising works at Brown is that each sport has a fundraising goal that they have to meet each year. That money goes to the Sports Foundation which funds the budget of the ski team. For the past several years we have actually spent more than we have raised! The budget is used to pay for everything from travel and lodging to race entry fees, gates, and, yes, even assistant coaches like myself.

To those of you have already given, THANK YOU. The team is not possible without your support. To those who have not, I would encourage you to please consider giving. I have attached below a more detailed description of how to donate, though not quite as personal. Please make special note of our giving levels.

The most simple way to give is to go to: https://gifts.development.brown.edu/Brown/ and click GIVE NOW on the right hand side, then just choose the team(s) to which you would like to give. Please know that, as always, should you have any questions about giving or other issues, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Giving Levels

Drive for Five Team
Gifts of $5,000+ - The goal of the Drive for Five program, which is especially pertinent during the Plan for Academic Enrichment, is to establish a vital and consistent group that annually provides leadership giving for Brown's athletic teams.

Leaders on the Rise Team
Gifts of $1,000-$4,999 - Leaders on the Rise provide a solid foundation of giving that is critical to the success of Brown's teams.

Loyal Bears – The Importance of Participation
Gifts of any size - Our Loyal Bears our "ever true" to Brown Men's/Women's Skiing, remaining firmly committed through victory and defeat by making a gift to Brown Athletics in each of the last four fiscal years.

How do I give?

Checks can be made payable to:
Brown Sports Foundation*
Box 1925
Providence, RI 02912
*Be sure to include "Brown Ski Team" in the memo section

Credit card gifts can be made online at https://gifts.development.brown.edu/Brown/ (just be certain to specify Brown Men's/Women's Skiing) or by calling the Sports Foundation to make a gift via credit card at (401) 863-1900 (M-F 8:30-5pm EST). You can also schedule monthly credit card payments that will allow you to maximize your total gift to Brown!

Making a Gift of Appreciated Securities/Stock to Brown University
Gifts of securities such as stocks, mutual fund shares, or other appreciated assets can be a great tax-efficient method for making a gift to Brown. If you are interested in making a gift of securities to the Brown Field Hockey program, please contact the Sports Foundation at (401) 863-1900.

Many companies offer a matching gift program to support the philanthropic interests of their employees. Use the GiftPlus online search engine at www.matchinggifts.com/brown/ to see if your company can extend your gift to Brown Men's /Women's Skiing!

How do I update my information with the Sports Foundation?
https://alumni.brown.edu/alumni/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2falumni%2fBRUnet%2fWelcome.aspx

Newsletter and Campus Dance 2008

We are pleased to announce that our May 2008 Newsletter for the Ski Team is finally out. You can download it or view it online (it may take a few seconds to load). If you did not receive an email telling you about the Newsletter, be sure that the Sports Foundation has your email address in order to send you other official ski team announcement - SIGN UP. A special thanks to Aaron Todd at the Sports Foundation who helped us put together this phenomenal newsletter!

We are also looking at doing a meet up on the Main Green during Campus Dance. Things can get hectic and we'd prefer if you didn't have to spend your whole night on the phone trying to find friends. (Tentatively scheduled) There will be a meet up at 11pm outside the front steps of Sayles for all current and former Ski Teamers. Hope to see you there! If you have any questions please write us. We are hoping to be graced with the presences of many former ski team legends - including one from the class of 1979!

Brown Men's Skier Cross - A Cinderella Story

The year for Brown Men's Skiing began as what DR affectionately referred to as a "rebuilding year." He could not have been more wrong. A ninth place finish in the MacConnell division should have left the team feeling dejected and demoralized, but this team never missed a beat. Not making regionals, our men still had their eyes set on the prize of Nationals. As an exhibition event, the men were able to enter into the SkierCross competition. Two days ago laughs would have greeted the humble dream of our men to podium at Nationals. When they ascended the podium yesterday with a second place finish our men exchanged their rags for riches - the eyes of USCSA were focused upon the Brown Men.

The skier cross really began Thursday night as we loaded the men's skis with flouros and other high speed waxes to propel them down the hill. The determination had been made that winning the race was all about the start, and while this wasn't entirely true, I am proud to note that in nearly all of the heats, the Brown men led through the fourth gate. After a long morning practice session on Friday, the race began around 1130.

(The rest of this incredibly detailed post is from Men's Team Captain DR Richardson)

The first Brown racer to go was Antonio. He pushed mightily out of the gate, crowding out the three others in his heat. Unfortunately he caught way too much air through the first set of rollers and ended up landing on the front of the next roller, causing him to lose a ski.

Next was Dow, affectionately called the Caymaniac. Dow had a lot of self-confidence going into his race and we all had high hopes for him. Unfortunately he too was unable to stay out of the air and crashed hard, landing on his back.

2 Brown racers down in the first round, 2 more to go.

Next up was freshman and DR-look-alike, Jeff Ernsting. Jeff took an early lead after the gates and managed to hold on to it, winning his heat. Jeff would proceed to the next round.

Finally, 3-time Captain DR Richardson was up next. He settled into a close second after the first gate, having to jump over the skis of the guy in first, or risk wiping out. He stayed right on the heels of the first place skier through the hard-right footer. The combination of high-fluoros and successful drafting kicked in right then, enabling the ex-racer to pass the leader on the outside. DR held on to the lead through the big-air and all the way down to the finish. He too would make it to Round 2.

Now only two of the original five Brown men were left. Jeff went first. He pushed out of the gate in third. Though he tried every trick in the book, throwing elbows, drafting, and catching major air, he was not able to improve his position and ended in third. We would proceed to the Consolation Round.

DR had a great start in the second round. He pushed out in front of the competition. Yet he soon succumbed to the same fate that had deviled Antonio and Dow; he caught way too much air through the first rollers and crashed. After sliding 50 yards, he stood up and finished the race, coming in third. He too would not make it to the finals, instead having to race in the consolation round.

The consolation round would determine positions 5-8. DR and Jeff would be competing against each other in this final race. Out of the start, Jeff pushed into second and DR struggled to take third, but was ultimately relegated to fourth. While Jeff tried to overtake the leader, the skier in third crashed into DR, dislocating his shoulder and sending him 50 yards off course behind the b-netting, in the process losing both poles and his helmet. He looked up at his Coach, Will Bowling, who had radioed head coach Mike LeBlanc. "Carnage..." was all that DR heard. Fortunately, in Skier-X, there are no rules. DR put his shoulder back in place, retrieved his helmet and poles, hiked around the netting, and finished the race in third. Jeff meanwhile had overtaken the leader, winning the heat, and coming in 5th overall. DR would take 7th, Dow, 9th, and Antonio - unknown.

The men left that day, bruised, battered, and second in the nation.