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COVID-19 Impacts: UPDATED
  
March 16, 2020
by:  
Evan Weiss
3/16/20 Update on COVID-19:

As you all know, developments on the coronavirus COVID-19 front were rapid this weekend, with the closing of Bridger Bowl, Crosscut and Big Sky, as well as school closures. BSF training sessions have now ceased.  

Here’s the rundown on changes:

BSF Office will be closed for the next two weeks, following the lead of the governor’s school closure. Our office staff will be working from home as necessary. Please feel free to email any of us.

All BSF training has ceased. With the closure of ski areas, Freestyle and Alpine cannot train on the mountain and are done for the season. We also decided to halt Nordic sessions, but athletes will continue to receive training plans from their coaches, which can be completed on their own, should they wish. I encourage athletes to continue to interact with their coaches through the appropriate means. Coaches will send athlete evaluations electronically.

End-of-season banquets are cancelled. Awards will be delivered electronically.

BUT ... Trail grooming continues. We’ll continue to groom the Community Nordic Trails as long as snow conditions allow.  We know that nature time and exercise will be important coping tools for our community during this time, and we encourage you to find both social distancing and solace in the great outdoors. Our friends at Crosscut Mountain Sports Center will also generously continue to groom their trail network, making it available to the public for free even though they are now closed.

(Trails Manager Kyle Marvinney groomed in the Piston Bully last night, from the Moser trailhead in Hyalite to Mystic Lake and down to Sourdough. Grooming reports here. )

TOUGH ENDING

While the majority of our programs were winding down or already done for the season, this was the championship season for many of our Comp athletes. Some have missed out on Junior Nationals and regional championships; our Elite athletes lost the World Cup starts they’d been working towards all season. We know it’s heartbreaking but we’ve also been impressed by the way you’ve met this adversity with maturity and positive attitudes.  At the end of the day, you have to enjoy each turn you get, and while these are difficult times, we’re grateful that we get to share the love of skiing with all of you.

What’s next?

This time of year, the core BSF staff begins working on budgets and strategic planning for the next fiscal year (which starts June 1 for us). You’ll be receiving surveys from us soon; please be sure to fill those out. It helps us plan and make changes based on your feedback.

We’ll monitor the COVID-19 situation and notify you of any changes in BSF programs as we near the beginning of summer dryland training and summer camps.

Stay safe and healthy.  And again, thank you for your understanding as we make these swift changes.

Evan Weiss

Executive Director

evan.weiss.bsf@gmail.com

ANNOUNCEMENT FROM 3/12/20

Dear BSF Members,

This morning, U.S. Ski & Snowboard, our governing body, announced they are cancelling all remaining U.S. Ski & Snowboard-sanctioned events, beginning Monday, March 16, due to concerns regarding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). This includes "all club-level events for all disciplines and any unnecessary gatherings, including banquets, awards, and end of season presentations, etc."


THIS WEEKEND

(as of Thursday afternoon)

  • BSF training will continue as planned, but with no transportation (see below).
  • The Nordic Western Club Championship in Soldiers Hollow, UT, has been cancelled.
  • The U.S. Cross Country Junior Nationals in California has been cancelled halfway through the week of races.
  • The Terry Peak Alpine races are still scheduled.
  • The NCAA races at Bridger Bowl and Crosscut have been cancelled by the NCAA after 2 days of racing.
  • Freestyle Junior Nationals will continue.

PRACTICE & VANS

As a precaution, BSF has decided to suspend van transportation to practices. We will continue to offer training for those teams that are still in session. Any teams that practice in large groups (specifically Nordic) will be split up into smaller training groups.

COMMUNICATION

It goes without saying, if an athlete feels ill, they should not attend training and should communicate with their coach.

Each of your program directors will stay in touch via email regarding this situation and any impacts from cancelled travel plans.

Since this is a quickly evolving situation, we will monitor and make changes accordingly. We will follow the directives issued by U.S. Ski & Snowboard. They are posting updates (most recent first) HERE. We'll also monitor and follow recommendations made by local, state and federal officials.

We appreciate your patience and understanding; this is new territory for all of us and we know this is disappointing news for many of our athletes attending end-of-season championships.

If you have any concerns, please don't hesitate to talk to me or your program director.

Evan Weiss

Executive Director