1974 US National Competitors

Wow! Thank you Erika Susman Shorr for sharing this photo!  This must be before the 1974 National Figure Skating Championships…Terry Kubucka, Erika and her pair partner Tommy Huff, me and my ice dance partner Richard Griffin, Roberta Loughland, Barbi Smith, and Lisa-Marie Allen.  Thank you SO MUCH Erika!  Was I happy to “make nationals!”  Rich and I always wore these matching jumpers in those days so this was not our competition outfits.  Ice dancers then wore short skirts…wish I could have worn those pretty dresses they wear today!

 

Joel Wins a Silver Medal at Dollar Holler 2023!

Joel smiles with his Silver Medal!

The above video may have been Joel’s winning move.  It’s a one footed move on a very skinny rail!  I think all those years of ice skating came in handy since he did it with grace!

When Sun Valley announced Dollar Holler, a freestyle tricks event, I suggested Joel enter even though we had not idea of what it would be like.  You see, only about two weeks ago, Joel started to explore freestyle skiing and decided it was just so fun, so he thought he might as well take part in the event since it sounded like fun.  I think he submitted his application to enter this past Thursday 3/2/23….!!!

Apparently all his years of figure skating, hockey, performing, and jumping ramps in Disney On Ice came in handy, since Joel didn’t just take part, but he won a silver medal.  There were about 15 contestants so this is a large accomplishment!

Because this was Joel’s first time competing in a ski event, after it was over, the two of us were waiting for the shuttle bus to take us home since we didn’t think Joel could possibly win an award.  At the bus stop his friend Garrett ran up to him and with excitement said, “You came in SECOND!”  The two of us went back to where the excitement was and asked to get his award.  I was “one proud mom” and took tons of photos!

Smiling with Cody Rogers who won the pro event

The above video may have been Joel’s winning move.  It’s a one footed move on a very skinny rail!  I think all those years of ice skating came in handy since he did it with grace!

From the Eye On Sun Valley On-Line News:

Saturday, March 11, 2023

The Dollar Holler Rail Jam took over Sun Valley Resort’s Dollar Mountain this past weekend, allowing  local kids and adults to strut their freestyle. For every stuck-landing there were dozens of falls, but competitors threw their best on the rails and in the Big Air challenge. Youngsters sipping cocoa watched the event from plastic couches provided by Sun Valley Resort, even though snowy conditions made it difficult to see at times. And live music pumped up the adrenaline. Among the participants was Joel Schneider-Farris. A Sun Valley ski instructor, he entered the competition on a whim. And his years of figure skating, playing hockey and jumping ramps for Disney on Ice appeared to pay off when he won a silver medal for his one-footed move on a very skinny rail.  “He did it with grace!” boasted his proud mother Jo Ann Schneider Farris. Check out the action in today’s Eye on Sun Valley video edited by Taylor Smith.

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Joel was also featured in the Wood River Jewish Community’s Spring 2023 Newsletter!