2024-2025 end of season awards

We had another great party and auction for the Far West Masters Scholarship program at Palisades Tahoe finish yp the 2024-2025 season. Thanks to our Secretary, Linda Crowell, for putting this together again!

Each year at the Far West Masters season awards banquet we make several special awards. The Rookie of the Year award recognizes racers who are new to our masters racing program and who demonstrate enthusiasm and sportsmanship. The Most-Improved Racer award recognizes racers who have been competing and who have demonstrated significant improvement in their racing. The Cantanho "Spirit of Masters" award honors a competitor who exemplifies participation with cheerfulness and joy, as well as contributions to our program to encourage others to share the enjoyment of masters racing. And new in 2019 is the President's Award, a special recognition award selected by the President of Far West Masters.

These special awards are not solely about being the “best” racer – results are certainly important, that's how we measure progress, but it's also about enthusiasm, sportsmanship, tackling the competitive challenge provided by masters racing, and working to improve racing skills.

Overall season champions

Women: Deb Lewis
Men: Ryan Ritchie

Season champions

Ryan Ritchie and Deb Lewis

New Racer

Thanks to all the new racers who competed with us this year – it’s great to have new faces and new friends; we look forward to seeing you all next year!

The New Racer award for 2024-2025 goes to:

• Laura Greco (W06)

Most-Improved Racer

The most-improved award is usually our toughest choice – and also the most fun! It’s an opportunity to recognize racers who’ve been working hard, sometimes for many years, and have

demonstrated significant improvement throughout the season. These competitors aren’t necessarily on the podium every week, but that’s part of the satisfaction of this award. These are folks with a “Wow” factor from their fellow competitors who know them best – “Wow, they’ve been skiing great, they’ve really gotten better!” is a key factor in selecting these candidates.

The Most-Improved racer awards for 2024-2025 go to:

• Linda McCue (W09)

• Kirk Swanson (M08)

Teddy Cantanho "Spirit of Masters" Award

The Cantanho award was started in the 2012 season in memory of Teddy Cantanho, 89 years young when her racing career was cut short, to recognize a competitor who exemplifies participation with cheerfulness and joy, as well as contributions to our program. The Cantanho "Spirit of Masters" award for 2024-2025 goes to:

• Jonathan Garey-Sage (M09)

Perfect Attendance

We had 7 competitors who competed in all 14 races held this season:

• Dave Anderson (M11)

• Jon Garey-Sage (M09)

• Don Merritt (M13)

• Ryan Ritchie (M06)

• Bill Schenker (M09)

• Dan Simmons (M11)

• Kirk Swanson (M08)

And a shoutout for honorable mention to Don Smith (M12), with 13 starts but to his great regret unable to stay for the final Saturday Palisades SL race and banquet.

Open Seed bibs for the 2025-2026 season

Racers must have at least 6 starts to qualify for a season award and must be current paid members of Far West Masters for the current season. The minimum-starts rule may be waived for competitors 70 and over, however, and at the discretion of the awards committee, it may also be waived on an individual basis to allow for exceptional conditions such as injury or illness.

Men

1. Ryan Ritchie

2. Erik Nelson

3. David Law

4. Michael Braun

5. Ara Papazian

6. Wenceslao Lada Muñoz

7. Doug Fulton

8. Seb Arnold

9. David Piermarini

10. Kirk Swanson

Women

1. Deb Lewis

2. Nancy Gieske

3. Linda Crowell

4. Melissa House

5. Cherie Williams

Season class awards

Women Class 9 (65-69)

1. Linda McCue - 600 - 6(6)

2. Terri Forrest - 460 - 5(5)

Women Class 6 (50-54)

1. Laura Greco - 500 - 8(5)

Women Class 5 (45-49)

1. Amy Savagian - 500 - 6(5)

Men Class 13 (85-89)

1. Don Merritt - 1100 - 14(11)

Men Class 12 (80-84)

1. Don Smith - 1060 - 13(13)

2. Barnett, Robert - 500 - 5(5)

Men Class 11 (75-79)

1. Dan Simmons - 1100 - 14(14)

2. Dave Anderson - 660 - 14(12)

3. Sam Crowell - 620 - 9(7)

Men Class 10 (70-74)

1. Rees Palermo - 720 - 10(8)

2. Tom Bullard - 545 - 8(8)

3. Paul Smith - 385 - 6(6)

Men Class 9 (65-69)

1. Mark Mirviss - 810 - 12(12)

2. Chris Morawski - 476 - 9(8)

3. Stephen Bard - 427 - 12(9)

Men Class 8 (60-64)

1. Ken Bailey - 790 - 10(9)

2. John Fat - 620 - 10(9)

3. Andy Wolf - 505 - 10(8)

Men Class 7 (55-59)

1(t). Robert Heller - 580 - 8(7)

1(t). Dennis Yim - 580 - 8(7)

Men Class 6 (50-54)

1. Oren Jacob - 500 - 8(5)