U.S. Ski Team development racers Ronnie Berlack and Bryce Astle were killed last January in an avalanche in Soelden, Austria. (image: USST)
Events, People, World Cup

U.S. Ski Team to Honor Athletes Killed in Avalanche

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Copper Mountain, CO – When the 2016 U.S. Alpine Ski Team is formally named tomorrow at Copper Mountain Resort in Colorado, two members will be missed but not forgotten.

The U.S. Ski Team has announced that it will name ski racers Bryce Astle (Sandy, Utah/Snowbird Sports Education Foundation) and Ronnie Berlack (Franconia, N.H. and Burke Mountain, Vt./Franconia Ski Club and Burke Mountain Academy) to the team posthumously. The two were poised at the start of their U.S. Ski Team career when they were killed last January in an avalanche in Austria.

U.S. Ski Team development racers Ronnie Berlack and Bryce Astle were killed last January in an avalanche in Soelden, Austria. (image: USST)
U.S. Ski Team development racers Ronnie Berlack and Bryce Astle were killed last January in an avalanche in Soelden, Austria. (image: USST)

“All of us have felt great pain at the loss of Bryce Astle and Ronnie Berlack during the last 10 months,” explains U.S. Ski & Snowboard Association president and CEO Tiger Shaw. “It means a lot to our team, to our athletes and to the families that we remember these young athletes as a part of our 2016 U.S. Alpine Ski Team.”

“Ronnie and Bryce were tremendous young men and talented athletes. Recognizing them in this way will help us all remember what they meant to us and help to bring a small bit of closure to us all,” added Sasha Rearick, U.S. Alpine Ski Team Men’s Head Coach.

The annual naming of the U.S. Ski Team will take place at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in Copper’s Burning Stones Plaza as a part of the Nature Valley First Tracks festival. It is open to the public. The team has been training at the U.S. Ski Team Speed Center at Copper since early November. Athletes will also take part Saturday morning in the Putnam Investments NASTAR National Pacesetting Trials – the first time since 1993 the popular recreational racing program will hold its national trials with U.S. Ski Team athletes.

Astle and Berlack will be formally added to the Team’s 2016 roster. There will be a recognition of them during the team naming stage presentation. It is the first time athletes have been named posthumously to the U.S. Ski Team.

SCHEDULE
8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Putnam Investments NASTAR National Pacesetting Trials
11:30 a.m. – Nature Valley First Tracks festival
1:30 p.m. – U.S. Ski Team naming stage presentation in Copper’s Burning Stones Plaza
3:00 p.m. – U.S. Ski Team autograph session

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