Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club memories

For the 100^th anniversary of the Winter Sports Club and lead up to the Olympics  the Steamboat Pilot/Today is going to run stories on 50 past and present athletes and we’d like for you to answer the following questions:

1. Name, age   Tracy DelliQuadri, 44
2. When were you in the Club and what discipline?       In the beginning, we practiced all disciplines.  We all cross-country skied, jumped and alpine skied.  Latter I veered towards Alpine Skiing, I especially loved downhill ski racing.  I was in the Winter Sports Club from birth it seems, until 1987 and then again as a parent recently.
3. Who were your friends in the club?      Well, we were all so close in the 70's and 80's.  I was a part of a huge family that included the Crimmins girls (Mercedes, Laura and Libby), the Clapsaddles (Kelly and Casey), the Bordens (Christy and Scott), the Cowmans (Liz and Scott), the Graves, the Watsons (Keith and Scott), the Webers (Connie and John), the Bowes (Heidi and Tammy), the Sandvicks, the Dunhams, the McCoys, the Magills, the Rawlings boys, the Uberagas, the Stoughtons, the Wards....  In my immediate age group I skiied with Christy Borden, Kelly Clapsaddle, Anne Kakela, Hillary Heid, Tyler Williams, Scott Watson, Libby Crimmins, Scott Cowman, Scott Stoughton, Matt Graves, Craig Thrasher, Matt Grosjean,Katie Holloran,  Wendi Dunham, Pirkko Radabaugh, Chloe McKay and so many others.  There were friends made from other clubs that I still keep in touch with.  I also was greatly impacted by my coaches through the years: Walt Evans, Roy Powell, Ken Brenner, Rick Poulin, Teresa DeSilva, Marti Irish, Chris Moltin,  Ames Chandler and John Leffler.  One of the greatest influences were the older, elite skiers whom I chased around the mountain and tried to keep up with: Troy Watts, Jack Miller, John Weber, Heidi Bowes, Olin Armstrong, my brother (Terry DelliQuadri).  There was never a lack of older, really good skiers that would always be willing to share their passion with you.
4. What is your favorite Club memory?  Without a doubt it was the entire Winter Carnival weekend.  The weekend started with the Soda Pop slalom (where a can of soda was the anticipated prize), continued through the street events downtown (who doesn't love hurling yourself down a snow-covered street on skis holding onto a galloping horse and trying to catch rings on a stick, ski around a cone slalom or go over a jump?), the parent child downhill (tucking down the entire mile run produced exceptionally strong legs), the obstacle course that consisted of ladders, straw bales, tires and whatnot that you would have to maneuver around with a throng of other racers, the parade and it's events and ending with the grand finale of the night show.  There is nothing more thrilling than skiing down the face of Howelsen Hill, or going off the 70 or 90m jumps, wearing old ski clothes and holding onto two lit flares at night.  What an enormous thrill when you are a child!  Most of my childhood memories involve the Winter Sports Club, as it was my home growing up.  I think I spent more time on Howelsen Hill than I did in my own house.  I also loved it when the team stayed at my grandmother's (Granny's) house in Carbondale and at Barbara's Peak Nine Restaurant at the top of Peak Nine in Breckenridge.  
5. What are you doing now?  I own and operate Little Bear Child Care right here in Steamboat Springs.  I'm the mom to two great kids, whom I love to ski with.  
6. What impact did the Club have on you? The Winter Sports Club taught me to be confident, strong and independent.  It gave me a love of being in the outdoors.  It taught me how to be reliable, dependable and how to work towards my goals.  Ski racing taught me how to manage money, travel the world and have a strong work ethic.  Ski racing taught my how to realistically analyze my own job performance and not compare it to those around me.  It also taught me that the final result is not nearly as important as the effort put in to getting there.