Outdoors Notebook -- Five Young State Skiers Shine

Old Washington skiers like to say that if you can ski Cascade Crud, you can ski in anything. And a group of young Washington skiers is proving them right.

Five Washington junior ski racers have been named to the Rolex Junior Ski Team, junior skiing's highest honor. The racers, Tom Rothrock of Cashmere, Tove Pashkowski of Leavenworth, Tatum Skogland of Bellevue, Scott MaCartney of Redmond and Todd Pita of Bellevue, will compete for top junior downhill, super G, giant slalom and combined honors at the U.S. Alpine Championships, which continue through tomorrow at Sugarloaf, Maine. They'll also get a chance to rub elbows there with top U.S. Ski Team racers, such as Picabo Street, Hilary Lindh, Tommy Moe and Kyle Rasmussen. Yesterday, Skogland was 11th in the super-giant slalom.

Junior skiers earn a spot on the team on the strength of performances at one of three USSA/Rolex Junior Olympics competitions.

At the most recent Junior Olympics competition at The Big Mountain, Mont., Rothrock won gold in the J-I (ages 17 and 18) slalom and giant slalom and finished fifth in the Super G; Pashkowski won a gold medal in the J-II class (ages 15 and 16) giant slalom and finished fourth in downhill competition; and Pita won gold in the J-I super G and finished second in the downhill.

Other state skiers posting top-five finishes at Whitefish competition were Cody Smith, Molly Maixner and Vicki Bates, all of Spokane; Jamin Patten of Valleyford; Kyle Brudvik of Edmonds; Doug Ludlow of Bellevue; and Shauna Aylward of Buckley.

The Rolex Junior Ski competition has become a proven pathway to world competition. A majority of racers on the U.S. Ski Team are Rolex competition graduates.

Notes

-- Lift-ticket prices have been reduced at The Pass for the rest of the spring. Tickets are $14 midweek and nights; $20 weekend days. Details: (206) 236-1600.

-- Women climbers will share their perspectives on climbing at a panel presentation at 7 p.m. Thursday at The Mountaineers Clubhouse, 300 Third Ave. W. in Seattle. It's a free event. Details: (206) 284-6310.

-- The 1996 Marmot Spring Jam indoor climbing competition is April 6 at Seattle Vertical World (formerly the Vertical Club). Details: (206) 632-3031.

-- Olympic Fly Fishing fishing tackle and sporting goods auction is April 3, 7 p.m., at the Lynnwood Hotel and Convention Center. For details, call (206) 776-9077.

-- The Washington State Archery Association safari tournament is April 13-14, at the Skookum Archery Range, 11209 Shaw Road in Puyallup. The course will feature 70 safari style targets. For details, call (206) 863-2378.

-- Northwest Steelhead and Salmon Council banquet and silent auction is April 27, 4:30 p.m., at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle. Cost is $40 per person. For details, call (206) 246-1457.

-- Free Fishing Tackle Show and Seminar, April 10, 5 p.m., at the Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel in Everett. Speakers are - Tom Harger, who will discuss marine electronics; Les Jacober, of Katmai Fishing Lodge in Alaska; John Beath, slide show on fishing Rivers Inlet; Ken Elsea, on sturgeon fishing; Mike Greenleaf, on fishing summer chinook in Tulalip Bay; and John Martinis, slide show on fishing Key West in Florida. For details, call (206) 259-3056.

-- Over 500 of the latest boats from dinghies to sleek yachts will be on display at the Tacoma Dome Boat Show from March 27-31. Hours are Wednesday-Thursday, noon-9 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, noon-10 p.m.; and Sunday, noon-6 p.m. Admission is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors over age 62, and free for children ages 15 and under.

-- Despite heavy flood damage, the Lewis County pheasant rearing facility expects to meet bird production goals for the fall hunting season. In the flood's aftermath, pheasant brooding and hatching operations were moved to a facility on Whidbey Island. Biologists are confident they will achieve the target of 40,000 adult birds for release.

Notes compiled by Mark Yuasa, Seattle Times staff.