Letter: Honored to host the Tyree Cup
Starting this week, some of the greatest snow skiers in the world will be descending on our valley to compete in the annual Birds of Prey World Cup races.
Also this month, from Dec. 6-8, some of the greatest skiers in the United States Army, Navy, and Air Force will be descending on our valley to compete in the Tyree Cup.
We are thus doubly honored. It will be an exciting time with some very fast skiers in town.
Although we have hosted the Birds of Prey race for over 25 years, we are now honored to also host the Tyree Cup, a new challenge for the U.S. military academies. This new honor is named for Col. Thomas Burdick Tyree, West Point class of 1947, who served in Europe, Korea, and Vietnam, was decorated with Silver Stars, Bronze Stars, Legions of Merit, Distinguished Flying Crosses, etc. but next to family and country, his great love was always skiing (he coached an early West Point ski team in 1956-1959).
The Tyree Cup was created last year by Col. Tyree’s 4 sons, who remember going out with their dad every morning at “5-dark thirty” to hike up and ski down the ravine behind their upstate New York home. “Hurry up, Dad, let’s go.”
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At first, this Tyree Cup was created to support preseason training for the West Point ski team. But when the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs heard about West Pointers training in their state of Colorado, they barged in. And of course, when the Annapolis Navy boys heard, they also wanted in. The camaraderie and the competitive nature of the academies are alive and well.
So, here it comes. Preseason training and a couple of friendly races between the Army, the Navy and the Air Force. We are honored to welcome all of these skiers.
Pete Thompson
Avon
