Maine news, sports, weather from Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram, Portland, Maine

BOYS' ALL-STATE SKI TEAM

Andies' Rose excels with go-for-broke style

Livermore Falls junior Alex Rose doesn't believe in playing it safe, and his results speak for themselves.

By Glenn Jordan gjordan@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer

Alex Rose had just negotiated a tricky pitch down the slalom course at Lonesome Pines in Fort Kent when he noticed a red breakaway gate clinging to his waist.

click image to enlarge

Alex Rose of Livermore Falls swept the Alpine titles at the Class C state championships for the second year in a row.

Matthew Michaud

Select images available for purchase in the
Maine Today Photo Store

ALL-STATE TEAM
Luke Booth
Greely senior
Class A skimeister

 

Sean Daigle
Maranacook junior
Class B skimeister

 

Logan Doak
Fort Kent junior
Two-time Class C skimeister

 

Alex Gowen
Falmouth freshman
Class B giant slalom champion

 

Justin Greeley
Maranacook sophomore
Class B freestyle and classical champion

 

Nick Michaud
Fort Kent senior
Two-time Class C freestyle champion

 

Nate Niles
Waynflete senior
Class C classical champion

 

Joe Parent
Windham senior
Class A slalom champion

 

Tom Rabon
Leavitt sophomore
Class A freestyle and classical champion

 

Sam Ricker
Leavitt senior
Class A giant slalom champion

 

Alex Rose
Livermore Falls junior
Two-time Class C slalom and giant slalom champion

 

Reed Wommack
Yarmouth senior
Class B slalom champion

 

Coach of the Year
James Demer
Falmouth Nordic
In his fourth year at Falmouth, Demer had planned to be an assistant this winter because of career responsibilities. When two head coaching candidates fell through within days of accepting the job, Demer stepped up, and with able assistance from Jeff Walker led Falmouth to its first Class B state title, as the Yachtsmen came from behind in classical to beat four-time champion Yarmouth by two points. "One thing I´ve learned about coaching," Demer said, "is that if I expect my skiers to do the best they can, they deliver. I think they often surprise themselves."

 

-- Selection based on results at state championship meets.

Normally when a skier punches a gate, down it goes and up it springs. Sometimes it will pop entirely out of the snow and maybe slide down the hill a bit.

This time, in the second run of the Class C state championship meet earlier this month, the gate decided to hang on for the ride.

''It was distracting,'' Rose said, ''but I had to stay focused and make sure I stayed on my line while going through them.''

A junior at Livermore Falls High School who also is a running back on the football team, Rose ran through two more gates before he reached down with his left hand and, as he was knocking another gate out of the way with his right hand, tossed the unwanted hitchhiker to the side.

Oh, and he still managed to cross the finish line faster than any of the other 46 skiers in the race, none of whom had come within two seconds of his time (37.34 seconds) in the first run.

''He's just a good ski racer,'' said Kenny Jacques, the Livermore Falls Alpine coach who also coaches the team at Jay High.

''If he stands, I don't think he'll lose another race in high school. I know that's a pretty bold thing to say, but it's the truth.

''If he stands and has two solid runs, he wins the race.''

The two-time defending Class C state champion in both slalom and giant slalom, Rose is our choice for Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram MVP for boys' skiing.

If anyone doubted Rose's ability because of his size (5-foot-8, 135 pounds) or that of his school, he proved them wrong at the Mountain Valley Conference championships -- where he won the slalom and giant slalom titles, each by more than six seconds -- and in a Friday night race series at Mt. Abram.

Competing against some of the best Alpine skiers in Class A and Class B, Rose won more races than anyone else, yet finished second in the overall standings to James Jackson of Edward Little after falling in two races.

But then, that is Rose's style. It's kind of a go-for-broke mentality reminiscent of another skier who came out of the mountains of northern New England to reach skiing's biggest stage.

''Bode Miller, he's always going for it,'' Rose said. ''I've been told I ski like him. I either do well on my run or I'll mess up. ...

''There's nothing like the rush of that testosterone going through your body as you're flying downhill, where with one little mistake you can lose the race or fall.''

Rose spoke from a chair lift in between runs of a FIS race at Sunday River late last week. He also races in USSA competitions, trains at Kents Hill two nights a week under the tutelage of his father, Stacey, a former racer himself, and takes part in a Sugarloaf weekend racing program affiliated with Carrabassett Valley Academy.

Rose started skiing at age 6 on Spruce Mountain in Jay and began racing in fourth grade. Next Sunday at Mt. Abram, he'll take part in the Shootout, a qualifying race to determine Maine's team in the Eastern High School Championships, scheduled for the following weekend at Gunstock Ski Area in Guilford, N.H.

Eventually, he hopes to ski in college and someday make the national developmental team.

An honor roll student at Livermore Falls, Rose is loathe to leave public school for a ski academy because he loves playing football and baseball.

When the snow isn't flying, he also loves to hunt and fish.

''Alex is one of those kids who, when he sleeps, he must just crash,'' said Livermore Falls Athletic Director Sally Boivin, ''because he goes a hundred miles an hour during the day.''

Staff Writer Glenn Jordan can be contacted at 791-6425 or at:

gjordan@pressherald.com