"I Slide" makes WCAX Channel 3 News!

Here is the wonderful piece from WCAX News Channel 3.  Thanks so much to Jack Thurston for the coverage!

Slider's Video Diary / RACE DAY, Sunday, March 28th, 2010

Here is the race day video.  My computer crashed twice during the rendering of it and I lost a full 1/3 of the footage shot.  I did my best to salvage what I could.  Awesome photo of the race can be found here:
http://www.shadywood.net/masters/

Slider's Video Diary /Saturday, March 27th, 2010

KENNEDY, DEARBORNE, WIGHT HAUSMAN WIN GOLD!

LAKE PLACID, NY (Mar 28, 2010) – Duncan Kennedy re-established himself as the U.S. National Masters Men's Champion with nearly a full-second victory in the 2010 National Masters Championships. Bill Dearborn took home the Gold Medal in the Senior Masters category, while Cynthea Wight Hausman laid claim to the Women's title.

Kennedy's runs of 44.648 and 44.624 were not only fast, but represented a consistency that eluded the rest of the sliders in the top 5.

Larry Dolan earned the Silver Medal, 0.805 seconds behind Kennedy. After swapping fast times with Kennedy during the week's training, Dolan had minor issues in the chicane, costing him the majority of the margin on his first run before securing his result with a solid second run.

Jim Murphy earned the Bronze medal, but nearly let it get away when he hit the chicane walls not once, but twice, on his first run. The resulting 46.344 second run was not only the worst for Murphy this week, but it slotted him in 5th position after the first run, setting the stage for one of the larger moments of drama during the race. In stark contrast to the first run, Murphy's second run of 45.362 was his best of the week.

Gordy Sheer followed Murphy down the track on the second run, owing to his first-run fourth place time of 46.298 second. Sheer's 45.860 mark improved from his first-run time but fell short of surpassing Murphy.

Brett West followed, slotted third after his first run time of 46.265, took to the track with a lead of 0.079 over Murphy. West's second run time of 45.589 was a person best time, keeping him ahead of Sheer, but coming up 0.148 short of Murphy and the podium.

In the Senior Masters Division, for sliders over the age of 50, Bill Dearborn's runs of 46.180 and 46.141 were exceptionally consistent and were enough to earn him a victory margin in excess of 2 seconds over his Adirondack Luge Club teammate Bob Young.

Young, father of current Senior National Team sliders Stacy Young, negotiated the course in 47.106 and 47.223 seconds to earn the Silver Medal.

The Bronze medal will travel home with Ty Danco. Danco, quite clearly the Court Jester of the start house, checked in with runs of 47.294 and 47.623.

Jim Mossey registered a very impressive effort in 4th, after only 1 day of training. Meanwhile, Dick Genovese received renewed and rejuvenated respect with a 5th place finish at the age of 72 years young.

Cynthea Wight Hausman came to Lake Placid on a mission. Moved by the tragic death of Nodar Kumaritashvili last month in Vancouver, she formed "I Slide 4 Nodar" as a charity and did the only thing that seemed natural – return to sliding after a 10 year absence and used that as a vehicle to raise funds for Nodar's family.

After a week of training, Hausman will return home with not only a Gold Medal but a healthy start to her fund.

"I never thought I could win a National Championships on a training sled," she remarked.  "But, the real winner is the charity."

Wight Hausman chronicled her exploits during the week on her blog at
http://islide4nodar.blogspot.com/.

Rookie slider Peggy Mousaw of Lake Placid, NY earned the Silver Medal, and former National Team Member Deb Sanders-Dame leaves with the Bronze medal.

The Adirondack / Wasatch Challenge Cup will be heading eastward once again.  The revised rules this year pitted a two-slider team of Brett West and Matt Gannon representing the Adirondack Luge Club against Bill Dearborn and Paul Suplinskas representing Wasatch.

The combined time for ADK was 3:04.663 seconds, while WLC checked in with 3:05.890 seconds resulting in a 1.227 second Adirondack victory.

Slider's Log / Sunday, March 28th, 2010

2010 USA LUGE MASTER'S NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

The day started out windy and warmer but, still cold enough for lots of folks to cram into the start house.  This race is important to me for many reasons.  The first and foremost is to raise awareness of the "Nodar Charity Fund", second to raise lots of money to help support his family during these hard times, and last to get together with lots of old friends, make new ones and Oh, vie for a national championship title.  I have not earned a national title since I was a junior racer (at 19, I was Jr. National Champion for the second year in a row).  Yes, I am here to race.  Even on a silly training sled, even out of shape, even though I haven't been on a sled for 10 years - the desire to be the fastest, never goes away.  I don't think it ever will.

Wonderful photos taken by Laura Murphy
More here:
http://www.shadywood.net/masters/2010/2010_race.asp

I'm working on the videos and will be up soon!
Thanks for all your support to the FUND!

Slider's Video Diary / Saturday, March 27th, 2010

Slider's Video Diary / Friday, March 26th, 2010

Slider's Video Diary / Thursday, Part 2

Slider's Video Diary / Thursday, March 25th, 2010

Slider's Video Diary / Wednesday, March 24th 2010

Finally able to get it up on YouTube!  More to follow:)

Slider's Video Diary / Tuesday, March 23nd, 2010

Slider's Log / Tuesday, March 23nd, 2010

 

Elana Meyers, Vancouver Olympic Bronze Medalist 

- at Bobsled Pilot's School in LP

First Day of Sliding in Lake Placid:

My first day of sliding started out very wet.  But as the day went on the rain stopped.  I was able to show up early and take a track walk (thank goodness).  The course is in great condition considering all the rain.  Most of it is covered by shades that not only keeps the sun from the ice but also any other weather.  The course looks like a big tube.  They probably won't take the shades off for the race on Sunday.  It is very work intensive and by the look to the headlines today in the Lake Placid News they are very shorthanded.  NY State wants to cut $6.6 million in funding to the Olympic Regional Development Authority.  It is the organization that runs the facilities in the area.  More here . . .

http://www.lakeplacidnews.com

 

fellow Masters Sliders

My first run was  . . . fast.  Fast to me.  Took me aback a bit to tell the truth.  I really had to work myself up for the next one.  I thought maybe they would send me from Start #5 (the lowest one) the first run.  I guess it is somewhat exposed to the weather and showing some concrete so they moved all of us up to Start #4.  It is where the race will start from on Sunday.  I dragged my feet off the ramp.  That is called "breaking."   It is really the only way to moderate your speed.  Once you lie down, there are no brakes.  I used a training sled made in Latvia.  It is very steerable.  Racing sleds have a very tight suspension but, the Latvian sled does not.  Thank goodness!  I needed room for error - lots of error.  Anyhow, I scraped my right arm a bit in that bendy straight away we talked about in my last video.  The middle of the course is super fast but, the sides are a bit slushy and if you drift over there, which I did, you get stuck and drag your forearm along the ice until you are saved by curve 17 and then you are in the big belly of the curve and don't have to worry about the wall.  The curve couldn't come up fast enough for me:)

NBC Correspondent for Luge and Multiple Olympic Team member, Duncan Kennedy with  Retired Bobsled Pilot and 2002 Silver Medalist in 4 Man (and new Daddy) Todd Hayes

My second and third heats, I broke down a bit harder and felt much better about things.  I don't even know the order of the curves yet! After training I ran into some bobsled friends and we took some great pics.  The fund is gaining donations every day and I am very grateful for everyone's support.

Slide On!

Slider's Video Diary / Monday, March 22nd, 2010

Slider's Log / Monday, March 22nd, 2010

We have our stickers!

I left Burlington today under very cloudy skies with blowing rain and heavy fog.  I made it to Lake Placid with time to take a quick stop at the track.  I also began my video diary and I'll work on it tonight.  I am all unpacked and still have a few pieces of equipment I have to sort out. However, we did get the sticker shipment and I am very excited to put the first one on my helmet!  Let me know if you would like one!

Donations are pouring in and the generosity is amazing.  I must get back to work and try to get some sleep.   It hit me a few hours ago that I am really sliding tomorrow.  No seriously. Really.  Yes, me.  It's goingto be quite a day:)

Slider's Log / Sunday, March 21st 2010

There has been a ton in the news about the insurance payout to the Kumaritashvili family from VANOC.  They said it was, "A respectful and appropriate sum."  I'm not sure what that really means but, all I know is that I don't care how much it is.  I am still very much committed to keeping his memory alive in a positive way and helping theKumaritashvili family in any way I can.  Racing for them seemed like a no-brainer.  The loss of Nodar really hit home when my friend, former Luge athlete and retired NASA Shuttle Commander, Scott Parazynski said in his blog,"I’m devastated by the loss of an athlete I’ve never met."   I felt exactly the same way.   I know we all did.  But, I am the type of person that has had a very near to death experience and I understand on a visceral level that you NEVER know what could happen and that we make very clear choices about how we choose to live our lives.  If I am able to do something then I cannot let it go by and not do it.  You know what, I'm not even sure if I am able - but I am sure as heck going to give it my best.  Because that is what life is about.

Preparing for my trip to Lake Placid has been very busy.  When I was a full time athlete I could completely focus on the upcoming races and events.  This time around it is a much different story.  I have a thriving and very busy  5 year old to run after, a business that has just recently expanded that demands all the rest of my energy and family commitments that need attention, too.  I could never have done these things and competed internationally at the same time.  I guess that is why I waited until afterward to start a family.  I know some folks can and do handle all of these things at the same time but, it is very challenging for me personally.

Today I spent time working on my helmet.  Upon closer inspection it was falling apart on the inside.  A crumbling foam mess.  Every time I touched it it would shed more foam dust - yuck.  The important part (the part that really protects your head, was fine).  Just the cushioning was falling apart.  Buy a new one, you might say.  Can't.  These are very special helmets made by Uvex.  There is no "Luge Store".  Nothing online.  Everything is a special order.  So, I pulled the foam out in a big dusty mess and spent the day going from Micheal's to Price Chopper to Lowe's with my little guy in tow to compile the items in need to fix it and for some things I'll need for the race.  I made due with the things I found, my helmet is reasonably comfortable now and safe.  Then, I spent as long as possible re-taping it for SPEED.  It's kind of a stress reducer.  Luge folks are expert at taping up any possible aerodynamic defect.  Once the taping is done then it is really ready for anything.  As am I, I hope.

(my little guy at the 2009 Luge World Championships 

in Lake Placid ringing his cow bell for the US team:)

The Vancouver Sun gives "I Slide" a Boost!

 The Vancouver Sun / March 19th, 2010
 Click above for the full article

"So too, it seems are some public-minded folk in Canada and the United States. Today I received a note from Cynthea Wight Hausman, a former U.S. luge team member who has formed a group called "I Slide 4 Nodar" She's racing in the U.S. Masters National Championship in Lake Placid, New York on March 28 to raise money for Kumaritashvili's family. If you want to donate, go to her blog http://islide4nodar.blogspot.com/ . The proceeds are sent to the FIL in Germany, which has been dispersing donations to the family."

Great Lake Placid Luge Footage POV

This is a great POV from Adirondack Luge Club President, Jim Murphy.  It's shot at night under the lights in Lake Placid, New York.  I believe it's from the Jr. Start (the start I will be racing from.)  News is that there will be a record 30 sleds in the US Masters National Championships, March 28th at 8am.  I'm still hoping that there will be enough women to have our own racing class (there must be at least three).

Slider's Log / Friday, March 19, 2010

Excited to receive my Sliding Permit today!  I am free and clear to slide!

Slider's Log / Thursday March 18th

I'm leaving for Lake Placid in four days.  Back to my former home an there are so many emotions welling up for me.  Excited to see Lake Placid, a place that was home for many years.  Its natural beauty is hard to explain.  Apprehension, what on earth do I think I am doing?  It's been ten years since I was on a luge sled and I have NEVER been on this track before.  But, I have probably had somewhere in the region of 10,000 runs on a sled of some kind (either a luge or bobsled or skeleton) in my life time and I'm sure I will be absolutely safe.  I just need to get the first run out of the way and I will be fine.  I wish I could get there earlier in the day to walk the track once, check out the sled I'll be using and cut my new face shield before the first runs.  I promised my mother that I would go with her to her very important doctor's appointment and so I'll leave for Lake Placid right after that.  I'll probably get in around 6pm.  The Marriott kindly found me a room.  Thanks very much to them. 

Thanks very much to folks that are donating to the fund.  I know that VANOC's insurance company will payout a death benefit to the Kumaritashvili family. A spokesperson said it was a "Respectful and appropriate sum." What could that mean? I still feel very strongly that we have no idea when the payment will be made and how much it would be. I don't care if it's one million dollars - I'm still Sliding for Nodar!

Slider's Log / Monday, March 15, 2010

Here is my first installment of my "Slider's Log". 

After many years (10) I am going to luge race and I have to find some of my old gear.  Here are a few pictures of my Mother's garage  in Vermont and the state of such equipment.  I'm not even sure if these things are still legal!

InLu.com partners with "I Slide 4 Nodar" to raise funds for Nodar Kumaritashvili's family

Burlington, Vermont - March 12, 2010

Cynthea Wight Hausman is all about relaxation and beauty at her Church Street business, Cynthea's Spa. It's a far cry from the fast-paced world of luge. Wight Hausman is a former world-class competitor. "It's a really incredible feeling!" she beams.

Now, a recent tragedy has the spa owner coming out of retirement. "The luge community is very small and we're very tight-knit," she explains.

The business owner will compete in a master's luge race late this month in Lake Placid, New York as a tribute to Nodar Kumaritashvili, the 21 year old Georgian slider killed in a training run right before the Winter Olympic Games. "It was pretty devastating," the retired athlete says, her eyes welling up with tears.
Wight Hausman will use her race to raise money for the family of the late athlete. The fundraiser is getting some help from a new "Made in Vermont" website called inlu.com. "I expect it will be a go-to planning tool," says company co-founder Jamaica Jenkins of South Burlington.

Two moms and a tech guru have been developing the site that mixes social networking, electronic cards, and cash-gathering. Users blast out messages to friends and relatives inviting them to a party or other event. The website's name, "inlu," is a play on the French term "in lieu," meaning "in place of."
In lieu of gifts, the site suggests visitors give cash, either to donate to charity or to buy the party's honoree a specific present. "That will be great," says co-founder Monica Ostby, "because you get what you want and you're not getting a bunch of stuff that will end up in the landfill."

Ostby has a background in product marketing. Her business partner, Jamaica Jenkins, is a writer for websites. They both have struggled to organize group gifts and have had plenty of unwanted presents at their kids' birthday parties. They figured others would want a way to eliminate waste and hassle, and save time shopping by giving cash. "We've had people collect funds for a high-end bottle of champagne, {lots of} interesting gifts," Jenkins says.

The site makes it clear the owners are taking a cut of $1.25 per transaction. Users also pay a percentage to cover credit card companies' fees. In just its first few months, inlu.com has tallied hundreds of events organized with its tools.

The company says Vermont's independent and creative spirit, plus its casual attitude, make it the perfect place for web businesses. Technology manager Kevin Mara says, "It's just a great place to live and a great place to start a business like this."

Back at Cynthea's Spa, the luge athlete-turned-aesthetician has high hopes for her "I Slide 4 Nodar" project. "I'm just trying to raise as much money as I possibly can," Wight Hausman says.

The business owner is connecting to a world of donors thanks to inlu.com.

The "Made in Vermont" website has a patent-pending system that figures out carbon offsets for giving cyber-gifts instead of real gifts. The company plants trees whenever its user totals hit certain offset points.

Jack Thurston - WCAX News - Made in Vermont

http://www.wcax.com/global/video/flash/popupplayer.asp?vt1=v&clipFormat=flv&clipId1=4618527&at1=Station%202&h1=MiVT:%20New%20Cyber%20Tool&flvUri=&partnerclipid=&rnd=6372578

Vermont Business Owner and former US Luge Team member raising donations to help the family of Olympic Luger, Nodar Kumaritashvili, who died at Vancouver Olympics.

Burlington, Vermont— Cynthea Wight Hausman, former US Luge Team member and current owner of Burlington-based Cynthea’s Spa is competing again, but this time her goal is to raise money for an athlete we all knew of, for his tragic death rather than his running time. Nodar Kumaritashvili died on a warm up run in Vancouver. So March 28, Hausman will be raising money to help out his family.  By racing the luge again, Cynthea hopes to raise $10,000 which will go directly to the Kumaritashvili family who struggle in the wake of their son's death. Following the tragic loss of 21 year old of Georgian luge Olympic athlete, Nodar Kumaritashvili, Hausman decided she wanted to do something meaningful. When she learned that his family might not able to afford to rebuild their home lost in a fire, she knew what to do. "This family lost their son. We can't let them lose their home too."

According to the President of the Luge Federation of Georgia, Nodor Kumaritashvilli's family is in urgent need of financial support. Some years ago, their house was completely destroyed by fire. Heavily relying on Nodar's financial support, the family had begun to rebuild their home. Without Nodar, that now looks like a daunting task. "After his death, the family will need to rebuild both their home and their life. We can help them."

Hausman, a retired Luge and Bobsled Athlete, knows well the dangers
of competing on high speed and fast tracks. "I can put my life on pause to help this family. I think we can all help them out. So I'm headed to Lake Placid to train and compete in the US Master’s National Championships Race March 28th, 2010." She plans to quickly raise funds in support of her efforts to help Nodar's family rebuild at least a small part of their lives. 

.
Cynthea Wight Hausman is a past member of the United States National Women’s Luge Team (1984 – 1992). She retired from racing to work as sports massage therapist, esthetician and to start a family. In reaction to the pain which tore a hole in the closely nit luge and sledding communities she says, “That could have been any one of us, of our own US Olympic athletes. So now we can each support Nodar's family so devastated by his shocking and sudden death.  Hausman urges interested supporters to look up the fan page on Facebook called “I Slide 4 Nodar”. She encourages people to share and discuss news on the wall. She has also set up an Inlu.com collection that will pool funds to be
delivered to Nodar Kumaritashvili’s family in the Republic of Georgia.

To fan “I slide 4 Nodar”, visit
http://www.facebook.com/pages/I-Slide-4-Nodar/343953034582 or to
contribute to the “I Slide 4 Nodar Fund”, visit
http://www.inlu.com/registry?key=1AVQKDS3QG666. She will also be
sharing her journey on her newly dedicated blog,
http://ISlide4Nodar.blogspot.com/ direct email is
ISlide4Nodar@gmail.com

The Beginning of "I Slide 4 Nodar"

Dear Friends, fellow athletes past and present and colleagues,

Many of you were as heartbroken and stunned as I was when we learned of the tragic death of Georgian Luge athlete Nodar Kumaritashvili. His tragic accident sent shock waves not only through our own small family of athletes but to the entire world and especially to his family and community.

Words cannot describe how much we wish to help and support his family at this time and for the future. As the mother of a small son I can't imagine how awful it must be for his family. I kept asking myself what could I do to help. Then the US Luge Association sent me a link to an auction to help raise money for the Kumaritashvili family. I thought that was a great idea but, sadly I was out bid. Then, I looked at all the other bidders that lost as well and thought . . . look at all these people who would donate that much money, what if there was still a way they could do that?

I found a local (to Vermont) company that is set up for taking donations, handling all the credit cards etc and distributing the funds to whomever we ask them to. So, I began "I Slide 4 Nodar" as a way to honor his life, keep his spirit among us in a positive way, and hopefully set us a lasting and concrete fund for the Kumaritashvili family.

How you can help - is to spread the word, grab the logo and put it on your profile, buy the stickers that will soon be made and put it on your sled (whether your sled is a luge, bobsled, skeleton, or the kind that strap to your feet, or goes with a motor). We can all be Sliders now for a very good cause and of course the best way to help is to donate on InLu.com to his fund - found below.
http://www.inlu.com/registry?key=1AVQKDS3QG666

Thanks so much for reading.
Best wishes,
Cynthea Wight Hausman