USSA is the national governing body for Olympic skiing and snowboarding. The organization is a development pipeline for potential Olympians. One by one, they tripped a timing mechanism as they pushed off. They zig-zagged downhill, whacking the red and blue gates with shin guards. Hitting the gates is OK, so long as the skiers break the plane of the gate.
Fastest time wins.
Just the opposite, said McKay, a ninth grader at Providence High School. It's more competitive down here. We're all pretty much friends. Classmates at Butler High don't know much about her sport. N.Y. She's thinking about applying for a skiing scholarship at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk.