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!

Rebekah’s professional skating tour with Disney On Ice has taken her to Spain!

My daughter Rebekah and her boyfriend Garrett got this photo taken in Spain!  Garrett is in the crew. She was previously in France, but is int Spain for two weeks, and then the go tot he United Kingdom!

 

My Son Joel Is a Certified Ski Instructor and Children’s Specialist

 

This is a “victory photo” of my son Joel and other ski instructors in Sun Valley right after they passed their Children’s Specialist ski instructor certifications on 2/3/2023.

Joel has also passed the Level One Ski Instructor Certification and hopes to do Level 2 soon.

Of corse I am a proud mom but this also means a pay raise for Joel and other opportunities open up with these certications. 

Rebekah is in Paris with Disney On Ice! - Winter of 2023

Below is a couple photos of my amazing and talented daughter Rebekah who is presently in France performing with Disney On Ice!

She is an Ice Harvester and jumps ramps on hockey skates in the show.  She also does other roles in the show, but I don’t have any recent photos.

My Son Joel Is a Triple Gold Medalist! He passed his gold dance test! Yippee!

I am SO excited, happy, and ecstatic!  My son Joel passed the Westminster Waltz, his final partnered standard gold dance and his Gold Dance Test and is now a US Figure Skating Triple Gold Medalist!

My late father, my Daddy, Joel’s Grandpa, must be dancing “up there” since my dad just felt figure skating tests were so important to to pass.  He would have been so proud!

What is even more significant is that Joel had one pre-gold to pass before he left to tour with Disney On Ice in July of 2014.  We had no idea then how difficult it would be to get a gold dance test and senior tests passed since it is hard to train while touring and performing with an ice show.

Getting a Gold Dance test passed is a huge accomplishment.  For those who don’t skate it is the equivalent to getting a PHD!

Way to go Joel and thank you to the Sun Valley Figure Skating Club and coaches Natalia Zaitseva Irvine and Brent Bommentre!  Also..thank you to ice dance coaches Dianna-Lynne Webster Wells, Judy Blumberg, Paul Steiner, Richard Griffin, Karen Sulpizio, Doreen Denny, and Darlene Gilbert for helping make this happen.

Thank you to my friend Anne Marie Baldy Murphy for your encouragement and critiques and support and to my friend Janet Becht and my friend Debbie Griffin who are ice dance judges who helped critique his gold dances.  And…thank you to coach Linda Alexander for being so amazing and positive and encouraging! 

Below is the video  of Joel’s Westminster Waltz test and also the video of his Viennese Waltz test that I hadn’t blogged about yet.   And…of course the test papers.

As you can tell, I’m one proud mom!  (More tests to add to the Schneider-Farris family’s “I think we have more US Figure Skating tests passed than any other family in figure skating’s list of tests and gold medals!”)

And….Here is a photo of my dad smiling from above!  

A few “about to test bloopers: are in the videos below!

I Got a New Ski Jacket After 38 Years!

Celebrating a day of skiing while it was snowing in my new red down ski jacket!  1-8-2023

In 1984 I taught skating with Ice Capades Chalet.  The company required its instructors to wear red coats, but allowed us to purchase one since the company issued jacket was not warm enough for the Costa Mesa ice rink where I taught. 

That jacket is in the photo of me below with long hair coaching with my closest friend in this world, Marion Ennis Curtis and the photo was taken in 1984 or 1985!  

Anyway, I have skied in that red down jacket for about 38 years now and I thought perhaps it was time for a replacement so today, I skied in my new red down jacket that looks exactly the same!  I like red so my kids and friends can find me but I also need the warmth and I thought after 38 years it may me time for an upgrade!

My New Red Down Ski Jacket!  1-8-23

Smiling in my 38 year old ski jacket Sunday 1/1/2023

Teaching Skating in 1984 when my ski jacket was new!

Joel Passed His Quickstep and Argentine Tango! Yay!

I’m so happy for my son Joel!  In 2014 when he left for Disney On Ice, he still had some tests to pass to complete his gold medals.  Now, he is on his way to becoming a triple gold medalist since he has only two gold dances to go.  It has become progressively harder to get these tests done ever since he has been away from active training. 

At the Sun Valley Figure Skating Club virtual test session, Joel filmed the Quickstep and Argentine Tango gold dances on August 27, 2022 and on Sunday September 11, 2022, he found out he passed both dances!

These virtual test options are so cool!