Young skiers from nine states to compete in 2011 Francis Piche Invitational Race at Gunstock Saturday, March 19

GILFORD — The Gunstock Ski Club will host the 2011 Francis Piche Invitational Race at the Gunstock Mountain Resort on Saturday, March 19.

Sponsored by Piche’s Ski and Sport, the race is essentially an Eastern Championships for racers age 9 — 14 years old. Racers will compete individually and by state for medals and a state team title in two runs of Giant Slalom.

Nearly 300 racers from nine states have been invited to compete in three age groups. Awards will be given for top 10 places in all three groups for boys and for girls. In addition, the state team with the most points will receive a winning team award and medals. States participating include Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the Southern Alpine Racing Association (SARA) consisting of Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina.

Racers qualify in their home state for this United States Ski Association (USSA) sanctioned event by placing in the top of their age groups in their home state racing associations’ events. Claudia Cantin, Maureen Shumway, and Zane Zimmermann will represent the Granite State in the J5 (ages 9 and 10) group; Christopher Yopp, Angela Tidd, and Caitlyn Houston qualified to compete in the J3 (ages 13 and 14) group.

The Gunstock Ski Club is responsible for all of the technical aspects of the training days and for making sure the race day and scoring is done following USSA rules and conditions. More than 45 parent volunteers are required for each race, some of whom are certified Alpine Officials and Race Administrators.

The race commemorates Francis Piche, who founded Piche’s Ski Shop and did much to promote the sport of skiing in the Lakes Region. An accomplished skier and racer himself, Piche also coached local youth and worked at the Belknap Recreation Area (now Gunstock Mountain Resort) in the late 1930s. After returning home from WWII in 1945, he ran his shop on nights and weekends and was active in local skiing groups such as the Gilford Outing Club and the Winnipesaukee Ski Club (now the Gunstock Ski Club). Piche's Ski Shop opened full time in 1951. Originally called the Tompson Trophy Race, the Francis Piche Invitational was renamed in 1995.

For more information about this race or USSA ski racing, visit the NH Alpine Racing Association (NHARA) Web site www.nhalpine.com or the Gunstock Ski Club site www.gunstockskiclub.org.

CAPTION: Gunstock Ski Cub racers will be well represented at the Francis Piche Invitational Race Saturday, March 19. Pictured are Patrick Bolduc (left) of Piche’s Ski and Sport, with qualifying racers (front row) Claudia Cantin and Maureen Shumway and (back row) Christopher Yopp, Zane Zimmermann, Julia Cantin, Caitlin Houston. Racers from 9 eastern states will be compete for individual and team awards in two runs of Giant Slalom on the race trail at the Gunstock Mountain Resort. (Courtesy photo)