Pico Mountain hosting events all weekend

Pico Mountain, Vermont, is the location for two of the area’s key ski events this weekend, with one of them being the annual Albany Out of Control Ski Club’s Invitational Giant Slalom, Sunday, February 9th and the annual United States Association of Blind Athletes Winter Festival on both Saturday and Sunday.

Kim Jackson of Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports, says “More than 35 athletes who are blind or have visual impairments will learn to ski or learn to race.” This is the “12th anniversary of the USABA at Pico. Jackson says “Participants, including military veterans will attend. ‘ Many of the participants will be attending this ski camp as their first time skiing without sight.”

Part of the weekend’s activities include Friday night wel-

come party, a Saturday night banquet, and dinner as a group on Sunday. Since its founding in 1976, USABA, a community based organization of the United States Olympic Committee, has reached more than 100,000 blind individuals.

The other Pico event features the OC’s hosting their giant slalom 2-run invitational race on Saturday. The race, will take place on Pico’ challenging Blue Trail. Any club ski racers not pre-registered must be at Pico Mountain by 9am on race day to secure a special lift rate of $42.00, adult and $32.00 youth lift tickets as a group ticket only. These rates will not be available at the ticket window Lunch and awards will follow in the main lodge around 3 pm. Lunch is being provided by the OC’s.

By-the-way, Pico holds a special place in American skiing history. Andrea Mead Lawrence, whose parents owned and operated the mountain, watched as their future celebrated ski racing daughter honed her racing skills on Pico’s slopes and, subsequently, go on to be the first and only female ski racer to win two Olympic gold medals in the same year.