A Very Super Family

 

The Supercynski family is not only dedicated to skiing but now they are dedicated to the sport of ski racing. Matt and Jaimie Super have three children, Tyler 13, Claire 11, and Brielle eight. All three children began skiing at the age of two and started competing in NASTAR between the ages of three and four. They live in Maryland and now compete U.S. Ski & Snowboard with Liberty Race team based in Maryland. 

 

The Superscynski family has been competing NASTAR for the last nine years and they make it out to NASTAR Nationals every year. However, their passion for ski racing started only as a recreational sport as it does for so many. 

 

“My husband and I started out as recreational skiers now we all do the races,” Jaimie Super, mother of the three children explained, “It was a steep learning curve.”  

 

Both Jaimie and Matt were entering new territories as they began to experience the shift of skiing from recreational to competitive. 

 

“Going into a sport from a competition standpoint we knew nothing about. Getting thrown into a different world,” Matt Supercynski explained. “ It’s an exciting sport to watch, it can be spectacular and disappointing at times but nevertheless, a good time to support the kids in their endeavors.” 

 

All three children are involved in both NASTAR and U.S. Ski & Snowboard. Tyler, Clair, and Brielle are starting to learn the balance between missing school and their studies. Jaimie believes that this will teach her children the lesson of commitment. 

 

 

With the family’s commitment to NASTAR and ski racing as a whole, it serves as an outlet for the Super family to do something together. At the Liberty Mutual Insurance NASTAR National Championships, the entire family competes and 15 extended family members tagged along for the fun over the years. Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, and cousins are now all involved in supporting Matt, Jaimie, Tyler, Clair, and Brielle every year when they go out to compete at nationals. Last year at Squaw Valley, their family got third place in the Family and Team Race and Brielle, at the age of eight years old, won the Overall Female Race of Champions.

 

“It’s a nice opportunity for our whole family to do something together,” Jamie explained.“We enjoy that we can all participate to some degree.”

 

Skiing serves as an outlet for family activity. Everyone in the family can ski and at NASTAR nationals the entire family competes. 

 

“We are a pretty close family in general and this is another opportunity for us to be together,” Matt said. 

 

Matt’s older brother Steve has been able to join him skiing out in Colorado to ski and spoke highly of the family’s support and dedication. 

 

“They are great. Matt and Jaimie are all in on their kid’s activities. They make the time to support their kids and they are all in it together as a family,” Steve explained  “Matt and I have skied a lot together throughout the years and now it is really cool to see him with his kids teaching them how to ski.”

 

A new season is approaching and all three kids are excited to be back on snow smashing plastic. With such excitement and successful results in the past, all three have traditions and metal preparations before pushing out of the start gate. 

 

“I slip, I remember what we talked about, maybe a tight turn.” Brielle, 8 years old, explained.

 

“I drink a lot of water, if you have to go to the bathroom you just go down faster.” Claire, 11 years old, remarked on her pre-race performance. 

 

“I always tell my dad I pray more on the hill than I do in church, I pray to god I don't crash.” Tyler, 13 years old, explained. 

 

They are currently racing at the same U.S. Ski & Snowboard events and it is a family affair. 

 

“I like helping my sisters inspect and getting them psyched.” Tyer mentioned. 

 

Not only is the Supercynski family working together to support each other but they also support their team. Matt works as chief of course at their home hill and the whole family is always helping out in any way they can. All of the family has had good experiences with the Liberty Mountain race team. 

 

 

 

“Smaller team, a commitment that everybody works together and excels together.” This is how Matt described the team dynamic at Liberty Mountain Race Team (LMRT). 

 

LMRT due to having a smaller team allows all the coaches to get to know the athletes on a personal level. LMRT establishes a supporting community.  

 

“Very traditional ski family, very competitive, always willing to help out the rest of the team.” Cody Powell, a U12 coach at Liberty race team explains, “They are always together, they do things as one cohesive unit, hard-working, polite, and the kids are well mannered.”

 

Cody is a U12 coach and has worked with Tyler in the past and will be coaching him again this season. 

 

“He is a leader, and last year he won the U12 derby for Pennsylvania, a big success.” Powell explained “He will even help out other team members not even with our team. He is a self-made leader.”

 

Cody has also got to know both Brielle and Clair due to the smallness in the size of the program. He mentioned a story from last season of Brielle's first slalom race at Tussey Mountain. She had never skied a combination in a slalom race and was slightly intimidated by the steep icy pitch at the top of the coarse. 

 

“She had never done a combination before. She successfully made it through the race with no issues, she kept referring to the flushes as the wiggle gates, she successfully make it through the wiggle gates,” Cody said.  

Cody also got to know Claire. The U12 girls are a competitive and a tight-knit bunch. 

 

“Claire is starting to increase her performance. I am just really excited for this year, I think we are going to see some really great things from her.” Cody mentioned. 

 

The Supercynski family shares a love for the sport of ski racing. Their passion as a family has carried over to their team in Maryland and has enabled other families and competitors to build off of their excitement. As the races are quickly approaching this season the Super’s are excited to get out on the hill, and make their way back to the Liberty Mutual NASTAR Nationals.