The NorAm Cup speed season kicked off today (Dec. 6) in Nakiska, AB with men’s and women’s super G races.

Americans Erik Fisher and Ryan Cochran-Siegle finished in a dead heat for the victory, both finishing with times of one minute, 4.06. German Philipp Zepnik rounded out the podium, 0.26 seconds behind the American teammates.

Other Americans in the top ten included Jared Goldberg in fifth and Chris Frank in tenth.

Ryan Semple was the top Canadian in sixth place, 0.57 seconds off the leading pace.

A pair of Russians led the women’s race as Maria Bedareva took the win with a time of one minute, 5.73 seconds ahead of teammate Elena Prosteva in second, 0.81 seconds back. Austrian Greta Small was another 0.14 seconds back in third place.

Madison Irwin led the Canadians in fourth, ahead of Julia Roth in fifth.

Lauren Samuels and Paula Moltzan led the American charge in sixth and seventh, respectively.

NorAm racing in Nakiska continues tomorrow with another pair of super G races.

By Michael Matarciyan

Lindsey Vonn and Bode Miller may be the most popular U.S. skiers in the world these days – but if you canvas ski fans in Armenia, the tiny mountainous country that sits on the doorstep of Asia -- they’ll tell you US Ski Team speed specialist Erik Fisher is Number One on their list.

Fisher’s special relationship with Armenia began this past spring while visiting his sister Carlie, who was there serving on a church mission. He says his initial interest in the country grew out of her experience.

“My sister has fallen in love with the Armenian people and my love for Armenians has stemmed from her love. The people in Armenia took very good care of her while she was there and that means so much to me. Having spent some time in Armenia and in their homes I was able to develop a special relationship with them.”

During the trip Fisher’s natural skier curiosity drew him to some of the former Soviet Republic’s numerous ski resorts. After visiting Tsakhkadzor, a ski resort that neigbours a 1000-year-old mountain-top monastery, just north of Armenia’s capital city, Yerevan, Fisher was made aware of a serious need for ski equipment – especially among the country’s youth.

Now, the Boise, Idaho native says he is on his own mission of sorts – to help the country’s less fortunate and financially challenged young skiers hit the slopes with the gift of free equipment from America.

“I met with Gagik Sargsyan, the head of the Armenian Ski Federation, and he mentioned the lack of ski equipment in Armenia. We started talking and decided that something needed to be done about this issue.”

When Fisher returned to Idaho he approached the Bogus Basin Ski Foundation (his local ski club) and asked if they would be interested in sending any equipment left over from their annual ski swap (which happened this past weekend) to needy ski enthusiasts in Armenia. Fisher says they loved the idea and now a substantial shipment of skis, snowboards, boots, poles and other related accessories are being packed for shipment overseas for a new life on snowy slopes just a stone’s throw from Mount Ararat -- the same place Noah parked his Ark after 40 days and 40 nights of biblical precipitation.

“The cost of shipping is the only hurdle we have to overcome. We have some good ideas of how to come up with the cost, but any help we can get from big companies or from individuals will help,” Fisher says.

Shuffling ski gear around is something the 25-year-old Olympian also known as The Flying Fish is quite familiar with. When he’s not tearing it up on the World Cup tour, Fisher runs Skodeo.com, an online business that helps snow sport aficionados sell and trade unwanted equipment. Fisher says he’s glad he can give back to the ski community – even if the community he’s helping out is half a world away.

“These people were so happy and cheerful about life when they had so little. They opened up my eyes to what is truly important in life. I would love nothing more then to spread the stock of skiing in Armenia!”

Fisher says his relationship with his new-found Armenian ski cousins will be a lifelong one, and even plans to strap on skis in the land of Noah’s Ark someday himself.

“Tsakhkadzor was nice and had some decent terrain. They actually have a FIS legal GS on the hill. I wasn’t able to ski it on this trip, but did have the chance to ride up the chair lift and checked it out. I don’t have any immediate plans of going back but I have been keeping in contact with some friends over there and they want me to come back. I will make it back to Armenia for sure at some point and hopefully one day I’ll even get to ski there.”

by Zach Wolken
News Channel 7

KTVB.COM
Posted on November 4, 2010 at 9:58 PM
Updated Saturday, Nov 6 at 11:27 AM

Middleton native and 2010 Olympian Erik Fisher did some major soul searching following the games this past February in Vancouver.
He decided to take a few months off to recover from a broken hand and wrist to do some traveling. He visited Washington D.C., North Carlina and even Armenia.
“My sister served a mission there and has a real bond with Armenia,” said Fisher. “So I went there and she had this love for it and it kind of rubbed off on me. So I found a love for them as well and wanted to find a way to help them out.”
The best way Erik knew how to help was through skiing.
“I met with the head of the ski federation [in Armenia] and he expressed to me a need for equipment,” Erik added. “He told me there’s a need to get these kids active and get them outdoors.”
From there the Middleton native went to the Bogus Basin Ski Foundation with an idea. Take whatever ski, snowboard, or cross country equipment that might be left over from the annual ski swap and send it off to Armenia and give these kids and adults alike an opportunity to learn how to ski.
“Skiing is one of the most amazing feelings and to be able to take these kids out of these homes where it’s practically a cardboard box and to give them the feeling of sliding around on the mountains and that same joy I get to experience everyday,” said Erik. “That’s true happiness for sure.”
The 60th annual Bogus Basin Ski Swap goes from Thursday November 4th through Sunday November 7th at Expo Idaho in Garden City.

YEREVAN, Armenia (May 25) – During a visit to Armenia earlier this month, 2010 Olympian and U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete Erik Fisher (Middleton, ID) met with a group of coaches, athletes and students at the Armenian State Physical Education University in the country’s capital city.
The 10-day trip began as a chance to do some travelling while picking up his sister Carlie from a mission trip, but after an email from Fisher’s friend Arman Serebakian, who is a member of the Armenian National Ski Team and currently a senior on the University of Colorado Ski Team, Fisher found himself connected to Gagik Sargsyan, Secretary General for the Armenian Ski Federation.
Erik Fisher presents at the Armenian State Physical Education University (Shelly Fisher)
“Arman lives in Squaw Valley and when he heard I was headed to Yerevan, he introduced me to Gagik over email and we started planning,” said Fisher. “It came together pretty quickly and was an amazing experience. Gagik showed me around and then we spent a few hours at the University talking skiing.”
According to Sargsyan, who is a member of the faculty, the university is the top professional facility for sport studies in Armenia.
“We decided to invite Erik to Tsakhkadzor Ski Resort in Armenia which is where our national teams are train and where we organize FIS races,” said Sargsyan. “After visiting Tsakhkadzor Erik met with the Armenian Ski Federation’s vice presidents, national team head coaches, athletes, lecturers, specialists and students at the Armenian State Physical Education University. This was a very important opportunity for us as the Armenian Ski Federation continues to develop as an organization.”
In a room full of around 80 people, including Armenian television and print news crews, Carlie provided translation as Fisher spoke about the U.S. alpine skiing development pipeline.
“Everyone was pretty excited that I was there,” added Fisher. “I pretty much spoke about what it takes to become a professional ski racer in the U.S. and then walked them through some typical workouts both in the gym and on snow.”
Post lecture, Fisher fielded questions then met with University President Vahram Araqelyan.
“Mr. Aragelyan mentioned that Erik’s visit was very important for all of us and special exchange of experience is very useful,” said Sargsyan. “The meeting was a great success not only among the students but also among the specialists. The ideas presented by Erik will be used by our specialists and coaches in their future practice.
The president of the Armenian Ski Federation Armen Yeritsyan also highly appreciated Erik’s visit to Armenia. It was the first co-operation with the USA Alpine representatives, and we think that the co-operation from our two sides will continue and deepen.”
To continue the relationship, Fisher is working to build program with ski swaps around Idaho and Utah where unsold and unclaimed equipment is sent to the Armenian Ski Federation for free distribution to young athletes.
“I’ve been involved in the Bogus Basin ski swap in the past and there’s always a truckload of stuff that isn’t picked up. A lot of it is great equipment and unfortunately probably ends up in a landfill,” said Fisher. “I’d like to start a program where all that stuff is gathered and sent to Armenia. They have a lot of passion for skiing over there and I want to support that.”
While planning is still in the initial stages, Fisher hopes to have the program ready to go by next fall and the Bogus Basin Ski Education Foundation has already pledged their support with equipment. Additionally, Foundation Head Coach Steve Smart says plans are in the works to adopt the Armenian Ski Federation as their sister program.

To support Fisher’s effort, go to www.erikfisherusa.com .
A full photo gallery of his trip is available at http://ussa.smugmug.com/

WHISTLER, B.C. -- American downhiller Erik Fisher stood atop the Olympic men’s downhill course in a snowstorm Wednesday, awaiting his turn to plunge down a course with an average speed of 73 miles per hour.

On Fisher’s head was a new helmet, replacing the one he busted apart in a violent crash while racing on Jan. 26 at a remote French ski area. Fisher broke his right hand in that wreck too, and now, because he was unable to grip his ski pole, he had duct-taped the pole to his hand.

“Everybody skis with injuries,” explained Fisher, a laconic former football player from Idaho. Read more…

Middleton’s Erik Fisher is already a member of the U.S. Olympic Ski Team. Now he’s trying to prove to his coaches he should be on the slopes for the Vancouver Games.

If Erik Fisher is deterred from his dream, it won’t be for the lack of a strong grip.

Instead, it will be one slip, fall, or one hundred of a second that does him in.

It might even come down to a matter of an opinion. Read more…

You can watch a video of the olympians getting all their Olympic gear and merchandise. Go here to watch.

Two local Olympians were honored at a special ceremony in Downtown Boise on Monday Feb. 1, 2010. About 300 people packed the Linen Building for a send off party for Olympic skiers Hailey Duke, from Boise and Erik Fisher, from Middleton who are participating in the 2010 World Winter Games in Vancouver. The event sponsored by the Bogus Basin Ski Education Foundation was open to the public and invited Mayor Dave Bieter of Boise and Mayor Thurber from Middleton who both gave speeches and a proclamation written by Gov. Butch Otter was read proclaiming Feb. 1, 2010 as Boise Olympians Day. See the photos here.

Shawn Raecke/Idaho Statesman

All the hard work, crashes and sacrifices over the past two decades bought Erik Fisher one 2-minute dash for glory.

Or so he hopes, anyway. Read more…

Universal Sports video on Jan. 16, 2010: Erik Fisher of the U.S. finishes 28th in the men’s World Cup downhill at Wengen, Switzerland. Click Here to see the video.