After high winds postponed Friday’s downhill, Eddy and Betty led a “Blessing Ceremony for the Joy and Safety of the Athletes,” early Saturday, which worked. That afternoon the Boxes led a sacred “Gratitude Snowdance” in Minturn near Meloit Park, attracting over 100 regional students, sages.

“Vail then enjoyed 28 inches of powder with more on the way, so everyone is happy,” said Bindu Pomeroy, Vail Ski and Snowboard Academy’s teacher who orchestrated the ceremonies with our Native American Olympic Team Foundation (NAOTF).

“Vail’s snow was in appreciation to Grandfather (Creator) for the community making Mother Earth smile,” said Eddie.

More dreams came true when these world racing heroes and media witnessed, along with a rescued eagle, the winds transform into gentle breezes, plus snowblessings, to bring back to their communities. By suggesting leaders invite nearby Indigenous Elders (or our Native American Elders) to lead Earth-healing ceremonies, phenomenal things could happen.

A related miracle happened near Washington DC. “Following UN’s Maria Mercedes Sanchez also sending blessings in solidarity, on Saturday morning, skier Olivia Ellis, a gifted Elder guiding our Bolivian UN Ceremonial Initiative, joined me by phone in a blissful prayer ‘for the greater good of all at Vail,’ That afternoon, Virginia’s Wintergreen ski area next door to Olivia, was blanketed with rare early snow, showing Nature spirits are sensitive to those with gratitude for Mother Earth, wherever they are,” said Olympic skier, Suzy “Chapstick” Chaffee, NAOTF’s co-chair.

“A nice way to thank the Champions of Nature in Washington who get revitalized and inspired skiing here, which strengthens their environmental efforts,” said Dr. Ellis.

All this is from aligning with the UN goal of healing Mother Earth through our Elders’ solution, backed by their partner, the late 2007 Shared Nobel Peace Prizewinner, Dr. Stephen Schneider, plus three Nobel Laureates, Eric Chivian, Muhammad Yunus, and Joseph Stiglitz: “Rebalancing Nature’s cycles in practical and spiritual ways through these cross-cultural ceremonies, is key to reconnecting with Mother Earth’s heart and restoring Eden.”

“Mother Earth – our only home – is under pressure,” says United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

“It is time to listen to the voices of Indigenous people,” said UN General Assembly President Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann.

Hail to the Bolivian Mission, their co-sponsors, and General Assembly, for brilliantly designating April 22 as U.N.’s International Mother Earth Day.

“Vail’s snowdances have spread across North America thanks to visionary ski areas sharing joyful uplifting snow sports with nearby tribal youth,” said Sanchez. “Global communities inviting their Elders to lead mountain blessings and snowdances, as well as ocean ceremonies, can inspire everyone to live in more harmony with Nature, as we are interrelated and therefore so is our health. We must and can help restore our suffering Mother Earth leading up to Her Day,” said UN Bolivian Ambassador Loayza.

Elders say these ceremonies “purify the mountains from toxic cloud residues, temporarily rebalancing Nature’s snow and rain cycles, but must shift to clean renewable energy and all-natural products NOW, to also restore our dying oceans.”

Eddie Jr’s father, “Red Ute,” of Southern Ute’s Tribal Council, is beloved for leading the first snowdance, which saved Vail’s opening in 1963 (CBS Huntley-Brinkley Report and http://snow-riders.org/mir.html).

“‘Blessing the Athletes’ started at Telluride’s 1999 World Snowboard Championships, where participants chanted Ute Mtn. Ute Tony Tallbird’s name. Following the Georgian luger’s death at Vancouver, Lil’wat and Squamish Elders led a ceremony for the safety and joy of Olympians on their ancestral Whistler, which transformed foggy rain into ‘bluebird days!’” said Chaffee.

Europe and Japan wisely banned 35 and 49 toxins, respectively, to protect their bodies, water, air and glaciers. America only five, so insist your representatives support “2010′s SAFE CHEMICALS ACT (S 3209),” by 86-year-old skier/cancer-survivor, Senator Frank Lautenberg, to protect American children, including son Josh, Vail Powder Figure 8 Champ.

Eddie praises Vail’s bike program and “Ever Green” development incorporating geothermal walkways, green roofs, and micro-turbines in Gore Creek for lighting.

“The Boxes inaugurated a curriculum at Vail Academy on Friday,” said headmaster Geoff Grimmer proudly. “Betty urged them to ‘Talk to and hug trees, express anger, cry and listen, to let hurts go so we don’t pass them on.’”

That’s what can happen giving love and respect to Mother Earth. More info on http://snow-riders.org and http://naotf.org .

- Image 72dpi: http://send2pressnewswire.com/image/10-1214-utevail_72dpi.jpg .
- Image Caption: S. Ute/Navajo Elders, Eddie and Betty Box Jr. (center) with dancers blessing the “Joy and Safety of Earth’s Greatest Ski Racers” to open Vail’s World Cup at Beaver Creek.

News Source: Native American Olympic Team Foundation :: This press release was issued on behalf of the news source by Send2Press® Newswire, a service of Neotrope®.

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Since 2001, Carruthers has guided elite level, Olympic-eligible skaters at U.S. figure skating camps and seminars. So, coaching is not new to him. In 2009, he teamed up with Olympic gold medalist, Dorothy Hamill, to coach at the inaugural Dorothy Hamill Figure Skating Fantasy Camp.

Starting this week, Carruthers will join the Park City Ice Arena to coach classes, camps and private lessons.

“I’m looking forward to working with people of all ages and levels,” says Carruthers. “And, it will be a thrill for me to coach at the site of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.”

Carruthers is not the only one looking forward to the experience.

Park City’s Mayor, Dana Williams, is equally enthusiastic. “Carruthers’ figure skating coaching, classes and camps at the Park City Ice Arena will be a great addition to the high-altitude destination sports training available in Park City,” adds Mayor Williams.

And, fellow five-time Olympic gold medalist, speed skater Eric Heiden, a Park City resident, also welcomes Carruthers.

“I am pleased to welcome him and his family to Park City,” says Dr. Heiden who is now an orthopedic surgeon. “Our diverse sports community will benefit from his presence and insight into the sport of figure skating. This is a great opportunity for our skaters to enhance their program.”

About Peter Carruthers:

Carruthers is one of the most-respected faces in figure skating. After winning four U.S. championships and the Olympic Silver in 1984, he experienced a touring career around the globe that spanned 13 years. He headlined with his sister, Kitty, in the Ice Capades and Stars on Ice along with other Olympic greats such as Kristi Yamaguchi and Scott Hamilton.

In 1986, Carruthers’ sports’ broadcasting career launched at the Goodwill games in Moscow, Russia. Since then, he has steadily worked as a broadcaster on major networks; in fact, in 2000, he signed a multiyear agreement with ABC Sports and ESPN. He has served as a reporter and expert figure skating analyst at 10 World Championships, seven United States Championships and four Olympic Winter Games.

Most recently, Carruthers provided figure skating analysis for the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating which aired on Universal Sports. The U.S. broke the record for the most medals won by a nation at the 21st Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. Peter was right there, aside Olympic Gold Medalist Kristi Yamaguchi, co-hosting, “The Figure Skating Review and Preview Show” on Universal Sports.

For more information about classes and camps, visit: www.parkcityice.org or call: 435-615-5704. Private lessons are also available.

News Source: Park City Ice Arena :: This press release was issued by Send2Press® and is Copyright © 2010 Neotrope® News Network – all rights reserved.

Ski Dazzle is host to the Nation’s Largest Ski and Snowboard Expo with one-stop shopping for ski and snowboard gear, resort and travel information, show specials and interactive events for consumers of all ages, since 1979.

The official year-round Web site and snow community for Ski Dazzle Snow Shows is encompassed in a newly launched social networking site. Community members can access selected Ski Dazzle “Deals” all year long, as well as choice events and travel options.

More information: http://www.skidazzle.com .

News Source: Ski Dazzle :: This press release was issued by Send2Press® and is Copyright © 2009 Neotrope® News Network – all rights reserved.

Suzy’s pioneering the first Ute Ski Program in Telluride 13 years ago, which snowballed and evolved into 25 Native Winter and Summer Olympic Hopefuls, also inspired cheers. Having coached Heads of State, this World Freestyle Champion/First Lady of Skiing is in Steamboat doing what she loves, dancing down mountains with Native “kids,” like seven year old Lakota Delaney Tyon, defending National Nastar Ski Racing Champion, and Olympic teammate, Billy Kidd (Abenaki). Kidd gets gifted Natives coaching through their Steamboat Winter Sports Club, which produced 69 Alpine and Nordic Mainstream Olympians.

The victorious Tyon from Wounded Knee (poorest rez in America), said, “I won because so many helped me, including Derren Derosier, Terry Peak (SD) Ski School Director.” (Rezriders.org “updatez”)

Stanford’s 2007 Nobel Laureate Climatologist skier, Dr Stephen Schneider, praised U.S. Ski areas for giving thousands of Native kids exciting alternatives to diabetes; and tribes gladly share how to live in more harmony with Nature, critical to rebalancing weather/snow.

While the stunning ski ballet this blond pioneered in the “Suzy Chapstick” commercials, helped put fun into American fitness, her new “Suzy Chaffee Naturals” 95-percent organic lip balm (created with The Vt. Country Store Catalog), walks the talk of California scientists and tribal Elders: Follow Europe and Maine in switching to all natural products to cut cancer and glacier-melting pollution in half! (See “Top 10 Toxins To Upgreen” on www.snow-riders.org).

Suzy says all Americans can get “lean and clean” by also trying stevia, a natural sweetener that doesn’t raise blood sugar. After inspiring Nunaturals to make tasty Nustevia a Native American Olympic Team Sponsor, “good morning America” dubbed stevia the “holy grail of sweeteners,” and Coke(R) and Pepsi(R) have also starting using stevia extract.

Tribes see that combining healthy sweeteners with fun sports opportunities, especially for girls/moms who get families healthy, can save billions in healthcare and welfare, just as title 1x has since saved America a trillion – key to free health insurance.

NAOTF is a Tucson 501(c)3 partnership of U.S. Tribal Leaders and Olympians “creating joyful unity through sports to heal earth for all children.” Special thanks to Neotrope’s Send2Press.com.

All trademarks and service marks are the property of the respective parties.

News Source: Native American Olympic Team Foundation :: This press release was issued by Send2Press® and is Copyright © 2009 Neotrope® News Network – all rights reserved.

CLEARWATER, Fla., Dec. 4 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Global Synthetic Ice, a worldwide leader in the development of synthetic ice has announced the support of professional ice skating coaches for their Super-Glide(R) synthetic ice products. What if the “ice” in skating rinks never melted? What if the “ice” was not real ice at all, but synthetic ice minus the slippery feel and all the maintenance headaches and costs of frozen water?

For coaches of tomorrow’s hockey stars and figure skating champions like former Olympian Oksana Baiul, synthetic ice is rapidly becoming their surface of choice. Synthetic ice can be set up anywhere, indoors or out, and used for unlimited hours of practice.

Take Latin America: Synthetic ice is bringing professional ice hockey to such unlikely nations as Mexico, Puerto Rico and Costa Rica, places where few would expect to find a sport often linked to winter and natural ice. According to NHL.com, the Costa Rican hockey program is played on a synthetic ice rink at a country club in San Jose — the only skating rink in Central America.

“The rink was long and thin, and the pucks would sometimes fly off into the food court while people were eating,” transplanted Canadian and Costa Rican hockey program founder Bruce Callow told the Tico Times. “But, it allowed our team to develop their skills, and provided an unlimited number of hours to train.”

Playing on synthetic ice can lead to building skating skills seen in National Hockey League stars like retired Canadian ice hockey defenseman Paul Cavalini. “I worked with my son for a week on our Super-Glider synthetic ice system,” Cavalini says. “He scored three goals his next game. He never scored a goal before.”

Synthetic ice helps figure skaters and would-be Baiul Olympians develop speed and endurance because the surface, with more resistance than ice, makes skaters press harder and get stronger, resulting in better jumps and spins and less fear of falling.

The Olympics and synthetic ice go back decades. In fact, synthetic ice first entered the long track competitions with the 1960 Winter Olympics, according to Wikipedia.

Synthetic ice is growing in popularity because no power source is needed for refrigeration. No ice resurfacer need be driven for grooming and no water supply is needed to keep the surface smooth. Synthetic ice can be set up anywhere and is extremely portable. Coaches and their skaters are growing partial to synthetic ice because it means that training time is no longer limited by the cost of ice time. The sole focus, coaches say, can be on technique and strength training.

According to Don Moffatt, director of facility programs for Serving The American Rinks (STAR), an association of the ice rink and arena industry and a joint venture between USA Hockey and U.S. Figure Skating, synthetic ice makes sense as energy costs rise. Synthetic ice today “is a lot closer to ice” than products of just a few years ago, Moffatt said.

Super-Glide synthetic ice was developed by Perry Boskus, a former award-winning hockey player and figure skater, as well as a coach for many young champion skaters. The Global Synthetic Ice company aims to share the joy of ice sports with the entire world.

For more information on Super-Glide synthetic ice visit
www.SuperGlideSkating.com.

All trademarks are property of their respective owners. No celebrity endorsement claimed or implied.

News Source: Global Synthetic Ice :: This press release was issued by Send2Press® and is Copyright © 2008 Neotrope® News Network – all rights reserved.

“I’m so proud of Delaney,” said Olympian Billy Kidd (Abenaki), now Captaining the Native American Olympic Ski Team. “He’s the fastest six-year-old on skis. Four runs means he was consistently fast,” said Kidd, who put Delaney and his grandparents, Kathy and Lou of Pine Ridge, SD, under his wing, including jobs. And the pint-sized phenomenon got coaching at Steamboat’s Winter Sports Club, producer of over 60 Olympians.

“Both Native American Olympic Hopefuls, Dalaney and Mariah Cooper (14 yr old Lac Court Oreille), are a joy to work with. They’re smart, fun, great kids and students,” said Billy. As NVF board members, he and Chaffee are assisting Native youth with opportunities to compete in the Olympics. While training with the best, Mariah, who “prayer signed” for two Wisconsin Governor’s events, was inspired to honor Delaney with a ceremony after his earlier victory, saying, “He’s a very nice boy.”

Delaney’s mom, Misty Tyon, first contacted NVF through www.SNOW-RIDERS.ORG, after Dalaney was featured on Rapid City TV for “skiing like a Pro” (www.Rezriders.org). Delaney credited his Grandpa Lou, Derren Derosier, Terry Peak’s Ski School Director, and watching people, for his technique.

Mariah fell in love with skiing after Billy and Suzy inspired Ski Industry leaders to donate 60 pair of skis so Indian youngsters could compete in Wisconsin’s 2003 Birkebeiner X-Country Race (14 countries). Last year, Mariah placed 2nd in her age group.

“I found Suzy also on the internet and she and Billy made it possibly for my parents, Dale and Nancy, and I to get my dream coaching to compete in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.”

“Mariah is another beautiful ‘clean and lean’ role model. Also competing in track in September’s North American Indigenous Games in Vancouver, Mariah was voted to represent the voice of Indian youth on NVF’s board,” said Chaffee.

NVF is a non-profit Colorado 501(c)3, partnership of U.S. Tribal leaders, Elders and Olympians. Their mission is “To create joyful unity through sports and education to help heal Mother Earth for all our children.”

All trademarks acknowledged.

News Source: Native Voices Foundation :: This press release was issued by Send2Press® and is Copyright © 2008 Neotrope® News Network – all rights reserved.