Taylor Spaulding setting records

Taylor Spaulding: Snowboarder, and MSF recipient, has set a record with 4 rail jams in one week and had some great results:
• USASA Sugarbush Rail Jam: 3rd place
• What I Learned Rail Jam: 3rd place
• Cold Wars Stratton: 2nd place

Way to go Taylor!

Kevin Pierce Snowboarding at Okemo

Watch Kevin Pierce return to snowboarding at Okemo. Truly inspiring. Did you know that Kevin went to Okemo Mountain School at one time? Welcome home Kevin.

Brain damage in Derek Boogaard

While snow athletes aren't as likely to be hit in the head as much as an ice hockey player, the following news release contains sobering information for athletes who experience repeat concussions. Derek Boogaard was only 28 when he died and the autopsy revealed an advanced degree of brain damage. Please wear a helmet this season and if you do sustain a hit, do not return to the slopes until you have been cleared by your physician.

Derek Boogaard, a former National Hockey League player, had a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head trauma when he died in May at age 28, according to researchers.

The disease, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, widely known as C.T.E., is a close relative of Alzheimer’s disease and has been diagnosed in the brains of more than 20 former football players. It can be diagnosed only posthumously.

The researchers at the Boston University Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy who examined Boogaard’s brain said the case was particularly sobering because Boogaard was a young, high-profile athlete, dead in midcareer, with a surprisingly advanced degree of brain damage.

“To see this amount? That’s a ‘wow’ moment,” said Ann McKee, a neuropathologist and a co-director of the center.

Boogaard was one of the sport’s most feared fighters, filling the role of enforcer for the Minnesota Wild and the New York Rangers. Over six seasons in the N.H.L., he accrued three goals and 589 minutes in penalties. On May 13, his brothers found him dead of an accidental overdose in his Minneapolis apartment.

The degenerative disease has been found in the brains of all four former N.H.L. players examined by the Boston University researchers. The others were Bob Probert,, who died at age 45; Reggie Fleming, 73; and Rick Martin, 59. New York Times 12/5/11

Raffle Tickets available at Wine and Cheese Depot

The Wine and Cheese Depot in Ludlow is now carrying Instant Wine Bar Raffle tickets. Stop by and fill one out. They make great stocking stuffers!

Ski Swap Thanks

Thanks to all who came and helped at Ski Swap. We made about $500 along with a good contact of someone who maybe able to get some sponsorships for some of our athletes. Think snow!

Diet, Exercise are just as important as the helmet

Getting a concussion is unfortunately common in the world of competitive snowsports. A new study, done on football players, has found that a healthy lifestyle may benefit the brain. Those who ate high-fat foods had greater difficulty with recalling information, orientation and engaging and applying ideas, compared to those who ate less fat and had healthier diets overall. The researchers also found that frequent, vigorous exercise was associated with higher physical and mental health ratings among former college football players. "While the negative effects of repeated collisions can't be completely reversed, this study suggests that former athletes can alter their lifestyle behaviors to change the progression of cognitive decline." Physician and Sportsmedicine.

Instant Wine Bar Raffle

MSF is launching its first fund raiser of the season. We are selling $5 raffle tickets for an "instant wine bar." With a minimum of 30 bottles of wine, plus accessories, this will be the perfect stocking stuffer. The drawing will be on Valentine's Day, so "Feel the Love," and purchase your tickets from:

• Okemo Ski Swap Nov 18-20 at Okemo base lodge. Look for the MSF booth

• An MSF Board Member

• Sending $5 per raffle ticket to LTC-MSF, PO Box 243, Ludlow VT 05149