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Valley Expo Packs Gym Inaugural Event Is ‘Good For Business’
Testing The Waters Ruppert Sails Toward Olympic Goal
STORY AND PHOTOS BY K. HOFFMAN
T
he Hailey Chamber of Commerce’s Wood River Valley Expo kicked off its first year last Wednesday, with over 60 local businesses and organizations in attendance at the business-oriented
Geoffrey Ruppert moved to the Wood River Valley with his mother when he was in second grade. His dad’s side of the family boasts “a serious traditional styling yachting background.” His twin brother is currently a yacht captain and Ruppert is training to sail in the 2016 Olympics. Courtesy photo
includes sailing in over 11 countries. This is a fine-tuned schedule that has been set for him by current American Olympic 49er coach Luther Carpenter. ince he was 7 years old, Ketchum The closest Amer- “There are only a handful of serious, dedicated resident Geoffrey Ruppert has sailors looking to represent America in the 2016 known his way around a sailboat. ica has ever come Olympic 49er class. The more competition CarRuppert entered his first race at the ripe has between sailors, the stronger his team age of nine in his original hometown of to taking gold in penter will be,” Ruppert explains of how he was able to Newport Beach, Calif., and today, at 25, coach’s assistance and advice. he is a world-class sailor who is currentthe 49er class was getAstheforOlympic picking a teammate, Ruppert is quick to ly making a run for the 2016 Summer Olympics, which will be held in Rio de in 2000, when the point out the intricacies involved. “It’s such a fast-paced sport, so you need to be Janeiro, Brazil. U.S. won bronze, able to trust your crew,” he said. “You not only “My team and I are trying to do someneed to both be competitive and driven, you need thing that no American sailing team has but since then there to be really good friends. You need to have a ever done before,” Ruppert said in an similar skill set and mindset.” interview. hasn’t been an Currently, Ruppert has three prospective crewThat is, to win an Olympic gold medal members that he plans to meet and sail with this sailing a 49er sailboat. American Olympic month in Miami, Fla. There are 10 different types of sailboats in the Olympics; each has its own race team to come close. The closest America has ever come to taking gold in the 49er class was in 2000, when the U.S. and medal. The 49er, in particular, is won bronze, but since then there hasn’t been an fairly new to the Olympics. It was deemed American Olympic team to come close. an Olympic-class boat in 2000. It is a “The reason America hasn’t won is that sailing two-person sailing boat with a skipper at is a very expensive sport and generally there just aren’t a lot of the helm and a crew that is responsible for tactics. sponsors,” explains Ruppert. Ruppert is the skipper of his 49er and is currently in In America, the sport gets very little national attention, the process of selecting a crewmember who will embark whereas in New Zealand and Australia—two countries that with him on a 22-month-long road to the Olympics that
BY MARYLAND DOLL
S The Community Campus gymnasium filled with booths from local businesses and organizations during the Hailey Chamber of Commerce’s Wood River Valley Expo last Wednesday at the Community Campus in Hailey.
event. The Expo took place at the Community Campus gymnasium in Hailey and was packed with booths representing local companies. Described as a night of business growth, relationship building and consumer education, many businesses owners and employees gathered together to find new customers and network with other community business people. The Expo included several educational workshops and a special guest lecture by Robert Jeppsen, senior vice president of Commercial Sales for Zions Bank. He discussed how to compete with big box companies and how to increase sales and provide a positive experience for clients. Business participants also won prizes at the end of the Expo, which included a $1,500 marketing package from Neuhoff Fox 14 won by Mountain Rides, and $400 in advertising from KECH, KSKI and STAR FM radio stations,
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