Dave brings many unique qualities to the club.  He started out young as a ski racer, worked his way onto the US Ski Team, and then on to be a decorated NCAA collegiate athlete.  Dave also spent some time on the pro circuit before beginning a career as a sales rep for numerous ski manufacturers.  He eventually moved back to the northwest, and took over the Lyon Ski School formerly operated by Dave’s parents.  This is where the educational aspect of Dave’s career began.  Over the years, Dave has attained the highest levels of teaching and coaching certificates.  He is a current member of the PSIA Technical Team, PSIA National Alpine Team, and USSA educational staff.  He works with the highest level of coaches and athletes when he is not coaching the Lyon Ski Team.  Just this summer, Dave was at Mt. Hood and Mammoth mountain working with the Women’s US Ski C and D teams.

On a personal note, there were many great qualities that got our attention.  The one that stood out was the passion and enthusiasm that Dave has for his athletes.  Their needs and their personal goals are of the highest priority to him.  Dave’s coaching philosophy is that not all athlete’s process information the same way, and that a coach needs to be creative and thoughtful about the craft of coaching young athletes.  These are just a few of the things that stood out to the selection committee and the Board, and brought us to the decision that Dave would be our best choice as the Program Director.

Many of you are probably wondering about what is going to happen with Team Lyon if Dave is the SPAC PD.  The teams will be merging under the SPAC name.  This is a fantastic opportunity for both teams giving us the ability to expose racers to a larger coaching staff and more diverse group of competitors.  We were surprised to find that tuition was almost identical for both teams so we do not anticipate any major changes for either group.  Dave is committed  to the long term development of a sustainable world class program at Stevens Pass.  The merging of the teams is certainly a first step in that direction.