Combined ski team stays together until the end

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. - The ski team has definitely undergone some changes this year. 
The combined effort between Somers, John Jay, and North Salem has now ended.  

“They are now competing against each other,” says Corinne Moesta, whose daughter is the captain of the Somers team. Still, some things have remained the same.

“You might assume that an intense rivalry would develop, but amazingly, nothing has changed,” said Moesta.

Except the race bibs, she joked, all the ritual remains in place too. 

“Led by captains Mia Bourla (John Jay) and Kathryn Moesta, they still train together, sharing laughs, food, and forgotten items. They assemble at the bottom of racecourses to cheer for their former teammates and console each other when mistakes are made,” said the proud Tusker mom.

At the same time, the synergy makes for a pretty good spectator sport in itself. 

“They share a heart-warming camaraderie that unites the freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors in their passion for ski racing. Together they overcome things like freak 15-minute blizzards that cause race delays, while they huddle shivering at the top of the course,” she said. 

The beautiful sunsets aren’t bad, though. But whether the veil is lifted or not, the closeness doesn’t end there and hits home in a very necessary way. 

“The promise of another day on the slopes together allows them to endure the 11 p.m. returns from far-flung mountains and inspires them to finish homework in the wee hours of the morning. So, while they may feel a little ragged from the lack of sleep, these teens push themselves to achieve both academic and athletic success. Last year, the entire team made the high honor roll and many qualified for Sectionals,” said Moesta.

No excuses anyway, the burden has gotten even steeper this year. 

“They've overcome the disappointment of the cancellation of races at Thunder Ridge this year for reasons nobody can seem to explain. And in only four short weeks, the kids squeeze in a few practices between seven races at Mohawk Mountain, M.t Southington, and Catamount,” she revealed.

All hoping to qualify for sectionals at Hunter Mountain in mid-February there’s credit at the apex too.

“Two top-notch teacher-coaches, Paul Crivelli and Dan Collea, help them build race skills while encouraging camaraderie and sportsmanship in the athletes,” she concluded.