Can the US Teams Compete Effectively at the 2006 Worlds?

The Teams Selected are as follows:

The US Elite team is packed with talent.  But at first glance, the first question that comes to my mind is how did Nike Soubliere get named to the team?  She hasn't competed seriously for at least 3 years, just got out of college, started a new career, and is getting married in a week or so.  Barefooting can't be a priority on her mind these days.  She's a talented skier, but she doesn't bring much to the table compared to the other skiers on the Elite team.

Our next question is regarding Jason Lee.  Rumor has it that they had to put a pretty hard sell on Jason to convince him to come out of retirement to ski.  He hasn't competed in a 3-Event tournament in nearly 3 years.  His focus has been racing.  Jason currently lives in Nashville, TN and skis on the Cumberland River.  Having the time to train for both the Worlds and the Racing Cup Series will surely be a big issue for Jason.  We contacted Jason to verify that he was actually on the team and he informed us that he has no intensions of doing so.  He didn't even know he was named to the team.  So someone's up to something funny.

Ryan Boyd is thrilled to be on the team and is training hard with Keith St. Onge.  Bill Brzoza has been keeping very low key up in CT.  He informs us that he is feeling good after rehabilitating his shoulder, and is skiing well.  It's good to see that Lane is skiing Elite instead of Senior, but when it comes down to it, the senior team could use his help more this year than any other.  It could be an easer overall win for Lane in the Senior division, but based on his talent, he should be on the dock with the elite skiers and has the same monkey on his back that Keith does.

Keith St. Onge is focused more than ever on this year's Worlds.  He's yet to win a Worlds and with the likes of David Small, Andre de Villiers and Heinrich Sam, winning a Worlds isn't getting any easier.  It's good to see Ron Scarpa has decided to compete, but with his family and business responsibilities, he'll surely find it hard to get the water time it will take to be competitive against Keith, David, Andre or Heinrich.  The biggest question is whether this team can actually sit down and have a meal together.  Lane, Keith and Ron compete against each other on a daily basis with their businesses, and though Ron and Keith are civil to each other, their is no love loss between them and Lane.  If I were a chef, I would say Keith, Bill, Ryan, and Ron are the recipe.  Rachel is the dressing, and Lane is the HOT SAUCE!  As Emeril says; "Let's Crank it up a Notch!"

The ABC has spent all year trying to find a coach for the US Junior squad.  As of only a couple weeks ago, they had not selected the coach.  Then Willie Farrell got injured and announced he must undergo surgery to repair a torn ligament in his elbow.  So, the misfortune of the Senior team results in an opportunity for the Juniors.  Willie has agreed to coach the juniors.  It's a task that could end up being far more difficult than winning a gold medal.  He's saddled with a group of kids that are all great skiers, but are as different as night and day, from their backgrounds, to their personalities, to their religious upbringing.  The only thing they all do have in common is parents that won't hesitate to give Willie their opinions if they don't like what he's doing.  Willie, being a big kid himself, may not take kindly to the arm chair quarterbacking.  But he's a great selection, and has the maturity and competitive background to know what it takes to win. 

The Senior team seems to be more of a second thought.  Andrea is the best senior women's skier and staple on the team.  Willie's a given, but with his injury, who will step in to fill his shoes?  Sherri Morse has been on the team several times, but she is prone to injury and the last time we checked, nobody had heard from her.  Jody Sherwood is a new member to the senior team.  Mike Salber found out he was on the team the day the announcement was posted.  Very little communication with the skiers seems to ever take place.  We don't even know who the coach is.  We can only assume it's Dr. John Brownwig, and why that is, we don't know.....  

All the other countries around the world have already had team practices and get togethers.  The US has some catching up to do on that part.  The good news is the Worlds are in the US and the travel won't take as big a toll on the US team as it will the other countries.  It's sure to be one of the most talent packed barefoot events in history. 

We'll keep you posted as we get updates.   If you have anything to add, drop us an email.

Chuck Gleason
Owner - Editor
BarefootCentral.com