q*c
发帖数: 17993 | 1 http://www.powder.com/stories/news/breaking-two-u-s-development
BREAKING: Two U.S. Development Ski Team Members Die in Avalanche
Ronnie Berlack, 20, and Bryce Astle, 19, died in an avalanche on Monday near
U.S. Ski Team training base in Austria
The Associated Press reported this morning that two skiers on the U.S.
Development Ski Team died in avalanche on Monday while skiing in Austria.
Here’s the report from the Associated Press:
Two prospects from the U.S. Ski Team were killed in an avalanche Monday
while skiing near their European training base in the Austrian Alps.
The team said Ronnie Berlack, 20, and Bryce Astle, 19, died in the incident
near the Rettenbach glacier in the mountains over Soelden, the venue for the
annual season-opening World Cup races.
Berlack, from Franconia, New Hampshire, and Astle, from Sandy, Utah, were
part of a group of six skiers who were descending from the 3,056-meter
Gaislachkogel when they left the prepared slope and apparently set off the
avalanche. The other four skied out of the slide and escaped unhurt.
Officials in the Tyrolean region said an avalanche alert had been declared
for the area after days of heavy snowfall and mild temperatures.
“Ronnie and Bryce were both outstanding ski racers who were passionate
about their sport, both on the race course and skiing the mountain,” U.S.
Ski and Snowboard Association President and CEO Tiger Shaw said. “Our
hearts go out to the Berlack and Astle families, as well as to their
extended sport family. Both of them loved what they did and conveyed that to
those around them.”
The tragedy has left the U.S. Ski Team “in shock,” Alpine director Patrick
Riml told The Associated Press in Croatia, Zagreb, where the American
slalom team was preparing for a World Cup race on Tuesday.
Head coach Sascha Rearick left Zagreb shortly after being informed and
traveled back to Austria to be with the so-called development team Berlack
and Astle were part of.
Riml said the athletes were free to decide whether they still wanted to
compete in Tuesday’s night race, adding the team planned to wear mourning
bands.
“We are all very close,” said Riml, an Austrian who was born and grew up
in Soelden. “We train a lot in Park City. We’ll see how they handle the
whole thing and how they react.”
Riml added “it’s a shock for everybody. Two great boys, great athletes,
good skiers. They were fun to have around. We are all in shock, still. It’s
very tragic.”
Berlack and Astle were part of a group of 10 skiers on the development team
who gained experience in the Europa Cup and were preparing to race on the
top-level World Cup.
“They all have the potential (to be on the World Cup),” Riml said. “These
two boys were among the other eight boys who are our future. We believed in
these guys, that’s why we selected them.”
Berlack was a member of the Franconia Ski Club who recently trained at
Vermont’s Burke Mountain Academy. He had earned a spot on the development
team in 2013 and finished 11th in downhill and 17th in super-G at the
National championships that year in Squaw Valley.
Berlack grew up in Franconia, the small town in the White Mountains that
also produced U.S., world and Olympic champion Bode Miller. Rich Smith,
program director at the Franconia Ski Club, said he had known Berlack since
he was 7.
“There’s not enough words to say what a great guy Ronnie Berlack was and
always will be,” Smith said.
In a statement, Burke Mountain Academy said it was devastated by Berlack’s
death. His father, Steve Berlack, is a coach at the academy. His mother,
Cindy, is also a ski coach.
“Only last week Ronnie was here at BMA training with us,” the school said.
“Ronnie was someone we all loved and deeply respected. He had a huge
spirit. There is no one who better represents our core values than Ronnie.
Our hearts go out to his parents Steve and Cindy, and his sister Carolyn.”
At the Dec. 5 World Cup downhill in Beaver Creek, Berlack was one of the
five forerunners, who test a course before the actual race starts. Berlack
was also set to be a forerunner during the world championships on the same
course next month, U.S ski team spokeswoman Megan Harrod told the AP.
Astle was invited to train with the development team this season after
strong early season results, including two top-10 results at NorAm Cup races
last month in Canada.
Soelden has been the European base for the U.S. Ski Team since 2011. | c****y
发帖数: 4457 | 2 RIP
near
【在 q*c 的大作中提到】
: http://www.powder.com/stories/news/breaking-two-u-s-development
: BREAKING: Two U.S. Development Ski Team Members Die in Avalanche
: Ronnie Berlack, 20, and Bryce Astle, 19, died in an avalanche on Monday near
: U.S. Ski Team training base in Austria
: The Associated Press reported this morning that two skiers on the U.S.
: Development Ski Team died in avalanche on Monday while skiing in Austria.
: Here’s the report from the Associated Press:
: Two prospects from the U.S. Ski Team were killed in an avalanche Monday
: while skiing near their European training base in the Austrian Alps.
: The team said Ronnie Berlack, 20, and Bryce Astle, 19, died in the incident
| q*c
发帖数: 17993 | 3 生如夏花之绚烂！RIP
这周末刚见到Bryce的家人，昨天他的教练还说起他很有天赋。。。真是晴天霹雳的感觉
near
【在 q*c 的大作中提到】
: http://www.powder.com/stories/news/breaking-two-u-s-development
: BREAKING: Two U.S. Development Ski Team Members Die in Avalanche
: Ronnie Berlack, 20, and Bryce Astle, 19, died in an avalanche on Monday near
: U.S. Ski Team training base in Austria
: The Associated Press reported this morning that two skiers on the U.S.
: Development Ski Team died in avalanche on Monday while skiing in Austria.
: Here’s the report from the Associated Press:
: Two prospects from the U.S. Ski Team were killed in an avalanche Monday
: while skiing near their European training base in the Austrian Alps.
: The team said Ronnie Berlack, 20, and Bryce Astle, 19, died in the incident
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