Team 'The George' wins second annual Conway Cup at Korbel American Ski Classic in Vail

While the team representing Vail Village's “The George” Restaurant and Pub could not see their establishment from the top step of the podium at Golden Peak Wednesday, they might have been able to see their offices as the four-member team took top honors in the second annual Conway Cup Community Team Race, presented by Korbel.

Team “The George”, comprised of Bruce Hamlin, Julie Littman, Jason Russell and Melissa Jones, shifted into overdrive in the Conway Cup finals, outpointing the three other teams in the dual format. Hamlin, Russell and Jones are all currently coaches with Ski and Snowboard Club Vail, while Littman is an SSCV alumnus and former U.S. Ski Team racer.

“We had a wonderful day of racing in the Conway Cup, presented by Korbel, offered Michael Imhof, Vice President of Sales and Operations for the Vail Valley Foundation. “We are extremely appreciative of Korbel's desire to have a community race component for the Korbel American Ski Classic and it's exciting to see the team from The George moving on to the Korbel Ford Cup competition later this week. This race is a wonderful way to annually celebrate Dan within an event that he loved.”

By virtue of their win, the team earned a spot in the Korbel Ford Cup celebrity team race on Friday and Saturday in conjunction with the 2011 Korbel American Ski Classic. En route to the win, Team “The George” bested the runner-up team from Village Warehouse, while Team “Mr. Kinnish” placed third in the final standings.

Team “Village Warehouse” was comprised of Jeff Kirwood, Gerard Heid, Pete Cuccia and Heidi Heid, while Team “Mr. Kinnish” included Mark Chard, Shawn Carney, Marta Vastagh and Lily Hathorn.

The Conway Cup is named and run in memory of Dan Conway, a great friend to ski racing at all levels throughout the Vail Valley, who passed away in May 2009. Through his position as Director of Racing for Vail and Vail Resorts, he played a key role in all competitions held on Vail and Beaver Creek Mountains, from World Cup and World Championships to NASTAR, including the annual Korbel American Ski Classic.

In addition to the Conway Cup, presented by Korbel, the annual Korbel American Ski Classic races will also include the Volvo Legends of Skiing Giant Slalom (March 24), the Future Legends Race (March 26) and the Korbel Ford Cup celebrity team races (March 25-26. All Korbel American Ski Classic competitions are hosted at Golden Peak in Vail and are free to the public.

Along with the races, the Korbel American Ski Classic festivities will also include the special edition of the Bud Light Street Beat free concert series, featuring Robert Randolph & the Family Band (March 24) at the Golden Peak Stadium, the Gorsuch Tea Dance and the Hold ‘Em for Hope benefit dinner and auction (March 25) and the Legends of Skiing Banquet (March 26).

The Korbel American Ski Classic is a project of the Vail Valley Foundation. For more information on the Foundation or the American Ski Classic, visit www.vvf.org.